The Prince Albert Raiders beat the Hurricanes for the fourth straight time this season, this time by a score 5-1 in what was a very chippy hockey game at the Enmax Centre
It was nightmarish start to this game for Hurricanes. Prince Albert opened up a 3-0 lead before the game was barely three minutes old. Linden Rowat allowed 3 goals on just 5 shots in a span of 3:02. That would be it for his night as Brandon Anderson replaced him between the pipes and was able keep the Raiders off the board for the rest of the first. Certainly not the start the Canes' were hoping for as they found themselves behind the 8-ball very early. Ryan Harrison, Emerson Hrynyk, and Andrew Herle quieted the Enmax Centre crowd as they all scored for P.A. in the first. The Hurricanes were out shot 16-9. There was a pretty good fight early in the period too as Cason Machacek and Dustin Cameron threw some serious right hands at each other, shortly after Prince Albert went up 3-0.
In the second, the Raiders would go up 4-0 when Jordan Hickmott scored to extend the lead for the visitors. The Hurricanes though would get one back with 3 seconds to go in the period as Mitch Maxwell notched his 23rd of the season to cut the lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes. The game got a little more interesting at the end of the second when a line brawl almost broke out at centre ice. While fights were taking place between Landon Oslanski and Colin Reddin and Cason Machacek and Mark McNeill, Canes' goaltender Brandon Anderson skated down the ice to challenge P.A. goalie Jamie Tucker, but he wanted no part of a goaltenders bout. The officials got there quick to prevent anything from happening. Anderson was assessed a two minute penalty for leaving the crease. Machacek and McNeill were given game misconducts after the mess was all sorted out. It was 4-1 P.A. after two. Raiders were out shooting the Canes' 23-16.
In third, P.A. would get yet another one, their second power play goal of game when Jordan Hickmott scored his second of the night to give the Raiders a 5-1 lead. The Hurricanes just couldn't recover from the tough start to the game and that's the way the game would end. The Canes' finished the night 0 for 5 on the power play, while the Raiders went 2 for 7. Hickmott would get the game's first star for his two goal effort on the night. The Hurricanes now have one victory in their last 8 hockey games as they get set for two weeks of hockey away from the Enmax Centre. They have a busy February with 15 games next month.
Next Up
The Hurricanes now hit the road for 6 straight games include four this coming week in B.C. Tuesday the Canes' take on the Bruins in Chilliwack. Game time is 8pm (MT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30. Lethbridge will also play Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops before returning to Alberta for games the following week in Red Deer and Edmonton.
Skate With The Hurricanes Sunday
A free family skate with the Hurricanes will be held today (Jan 31) at the Enmax Centre. Those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to Lethbridge Interfaith Food Bank. There will be draws and giveaways as well. The skate takes place from 4:15 to 7:15. Children under 12 must wear helmets.
Thanks,
Pat
The views expressed on this blog are those of the moderator and contributors and are not endorsed by 94.1 CJOC or the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
When will someone come out and tell fans what is going on, how they are going to correct this dire team/season and what can we expect next year?
ReplyDeleteSeason ticket sales will be way down. Will next year be any better? I think not!
We have traded all the skilll and individuals from the team. We are now just a bunch of kids playing midget hockey against men who always have more strength speed and skill.
Time to tell it like it is Pat, not toe the party line. Lets have some criticism of the hierarchy and the poor poor job they appear to be doing. Laughing stock just doesnt describe it.
Phil
Phil, I understand your feelings. I will say this. I'm going to give Mr. Preston the benefit of the doubt for the time being and here's why. There's been significant change over the past few months with the on-ice product. This team is pretty much 16 and 17 years old. I'm a strong believer that the trades that were made getting rid of Ashton and Sbisa were the right ones. They had to go younger and get what they could get. I know for a fact the fans in Lethbridge would've screamed blue bloody murder had the management done nothing before the deadline. Those deals had to happen. Look sta Portland and Saskatoon. those team just a couple of seasons ago were in teh same boat, young and losing. They made the right trades, got some high end draft picks and season or two later they're back in the hunt. I'm certainly not toeing the party line either. I do for sure understand the frustration, but I think Preston and his crew deserves the next season upcoming, with tTHEIR on-ice personel, a year older in place to prove something. If not, then we'll visit that again in a year's time. Look at this too. Preston didn't have much to work with when the season started. In fact, before all the moves were made in late September, this team was younger than it is now. Very seldom are things going to turn around in one season with a new guy in charge and a very inexperienced group to boot. Almost every player, expect for the overagers are eligible to return next season. That doesn't mean they will. I fell all the returning guys have to earn a roster spot. It doesn't get handed to you.
ReplyDeleteCome on Phil, hang in there. I hate losing too, but I have still seen some pretty exciting hockey this year, haven't you??
ReplyDeleteHere are some considerations to help offset the losing record a bit...
You say that we have traded away "all the skill" from this team. don't forget, a lot of "all the skill" has moved on as a result of having all that skill. We were Conference Champs just a couple of years ago and only lost to the eventual Mem-cup champion Spokane Chiefs! (As did EVERYONE else in that tournament!)
Boychuk was eligible to return, but didn't come back because he was signed by his pro team and he has played a number of games with the Carolina Hurricanes this year!
All of the skilled Sceviour, King, and Juha Metsola received opportunities to follow their dream in pro hockey, so why would they return for $400/mth, or whatever it is that they get paid...Pat, maybe you could find out and comment on that point??
We also got rid of trouble maker and attitude-poisonous Kyle Beach, and Eric "I-won't-hit-you-so-please-don't-hit-me" Mestery, Brent skate-around-and-don't-offer-anything-too-exciting Henke, and a (still) yet underachieving Carter Ashton.
You could make a very solid arguement that Craig Orfino was our biggest LOSS this year, and I bet a lot of the fans and Preston would aggree. I think that trading Sbisa was smart and necessary although I am a surprized that we did not receive a bit more in return. Valcak was a big disappointment; I still don't quite understand why he wasn't better here, but he didn't cost us anything either.
In return for these duds and studs we got some very nice young talent in Oslanski, Hood, Berglund, Taylor Balog (hopefully we will see this year, but maybe not), and high picks in the next two bantam draft years all for guys that we were going to lose to pro hockey next year anyway!
Its a shame that we only got an 8th round pick from Spokane for Tajdeh (only 5W/5L with Spokane) but we were able to pick up a fantastic goalie in Rowat for a 5th round pick (not sure what the 'conditions' were) to keep us competitive this year and to help train Anderson and Ville-K!
Its going to be a bit tough being a Hurricane fan finishing off the 2009-2010 season, but you sound like a guy who can still appreciate the effort of those who remain (i.e. CARTER BANCKS!! amoung others!)
Its the nature of the CHL business, you only have from age 16-20 to draft and develop before they're gone!!
What do you expect as a season ticket fan? To win EVERY year? Go to board meetings. Buy the team! Help the scouts with info?
Enjoy the outing. Have a visit with some friends. Smile. Enjoy our team's excellent plays. Enjoy the opposition team's skilled plays. Enjoy when Donaghy occasionally finally finds a sucker that will fight him. Enjoy how bad a referee can be. Enjoy that we beat Medicine Hat in Medicine Hat ON TV this year and enjoy watching that guy in section D that beats up the stuffed tiger whenever we play the Tigers!! - Richie (not Sutter).
I especially like Ritchie's last paragraph above......yes, it has been a very disappointing year for the Canes, but as a Lethbridge Hurricane fan I have not been disappointed being at each home game for some of the very reasons he gives.....well said. As much as we'd like to see the team win, I think there has been some good hockey (home team and by the visitors) and certainly some interesting plays to observe and think about.
ReplyDeleteWhat injury did Graham Hood sustain?
ReplyDeleteVery disappointed in the training staff. Hood was obviously in great pain as he tried to get off the ice in the second period. He sat on the bench holding his hand/arm and absolutely no reaction by the trainers even though one was standing very near him......he left the bench to head down the walkway to the dressing room and still no trainer. Neither one left the bench area for the rest of the period to check to see if there was a problem with the player. Someone not doing their job? Hood did not return to the game.
I couldn't agree with you more, Richie. People seem to forget that they are still seeing some great hockey!
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Great Hockey? Were you at the Edmonton game? When we play another bad team the game is damn near unwatchable. The only way we get to see good hockey is when a good team comes into town. I'd rather get beat bad then have to watch the canes play a basement team. It's like watching # 3 and 4 lines for 60 mins. Please let me know what you are sippin on at the games to make them "good hockey" I could use a shot of that stuff.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't mean every single game but rather as a season overview in general. Yes they have had their bad games and some have been harder to sit through than others but my comment was based on the overall experience and not meant to be broken down on a game-by-game basis.
ReplyDeleteWould it be too much to ask if Preston would coach a little. When players come off the ice he never says a thing to them, good, bad or indifferent. How are they gonna learn if nobody is teaching them. These guys are not pros. Rich is treating them like they are. What I am frustrated by is the lack of development and progress. You see young teams improve usually as the season goes on and the kids get increased ice time. not this one. They have hit a plateau, and a low one at that. This can only be blamed on the coach. I don't expect to win any games from here till the end of the season. All I want to see is that the coach is making sure the team gets better every game. All the players will be back next year but I don't want half of them back. It seems there is a good portion of the team who are not living up to their end of the bargain. Please Rich use the rest of the season as a try out for next year. Get the dogs off the team and keep the players who weant to be here. We want players who have the heart to fight through adversity. Banks is doing has best to lead by example, playing injured for a bad team. If this does not motivate his teammates noting will get them to play. I am feeling that I am getting ripped off every game. I don't pay to see a winner. I pay to see effort and progress. True WHL fans know how the cycle goes. This team is not making the strides a young team should. Rich, quit drawing names out of a hat to find line combinations. It is embarassing how this team is managed. Also to the guy who said buy the team, get real. People have tried but the board will not allow this and will keep this team as a laughing stock as long as they run the show. The majority of fans have called for this. The only way the team will get sold is if they financially tank, which may happen next year. Then who wants to buy a team where the fan base has been killed. I feel like I live in Cuba under a dictatorship where noting can be done to remove the regime in power. At least fans are talking. Pat I think you should add some polls onto the site to guage what the fans think. No fluff questions. You are the messanger and leason for the fans. Some hard questions need to be answered.
ReplyDeleteJust a note: the shareholders were asked at the AGM if we would like to keep it as a community owned team and the overwhelming majority by show of hands said they did. The deal when this team was brought here 25 years ago was that it was to remain a community owned team so the team could never be sold and moved therefore leaving the city without a club as it was when the Broncos were sold.
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- season is over. Team knew this when they traded Ashton & Orfino for Hood & draft picks. They have also traded away 19 yr old Mestery, Henke, Sbisa & Beach. Now the team has 3 -19 yr olds. In WHL you win with older players & dynamic young ones.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately Roy Stasiuk went all out to win last year & year previous leaving the cupboard bear.
Team started year with no dmen & no goalie forcing Preston to trade Beach & bring in Rowat. Lucky they unexpectedly got Sbisa back for a short while.
This franchise has simply been mismanaged. Board fires Stasiuk & does not replace GM for 2 months. No recruiting went on during this important time period. Then they bring in Preston who has not been in major junior for 15 years. Jury is still out on his abilities as GM. He was not left with much.
I'm tired of hearing how players have quit or don't care (post game radio show after PA game). I don't believe that for a minute & I think it is totally wrong to say such a thing. These kids are paid pittance, live away from home with strangers & are giving their best. They may not have the ability but I don't think anyone should be questioning their effort.
I do think the coaching is definately open to question as one of the posters indicated. This team has very little offensive ability & there are ways to play when this is an issue. Lok at what Everett did in their first 3 years under Constantine. Big Pat & Jack keep harping on how the power play is ineffective. It's true ! I went to Hurricanes practices for a whole week after hearing some interesting comments on Prestons practices - they did NOT practice pp or pk the whole week. Preston must be a disciple of Mike Keenan - never practice special teams. Of course this is ridiculous. This is the biggest part of the game today. By the way, I had heard he rarely practices special teams & I went to see myself. In that week it was true.
This team also seems to have no structure. Neutral zone is constantly wide open for opposition, poor forecheck, players always on wrong side of the puck in battles - it's hard to believe they are being taught anything.
Most teams in WHL have euros that are skilled skaters. Why does Lethbridge have a euro as a third string goalie ? Why did Preston switch euro picks with Portland ? Now we will get pick 50 instead of top 10. This team needs more skill!! This team should be sold to a private owner to get it straightened out.
Big Pat and Fred? I hope you meant that as a compliment to the broadcast crew or perhaps it was a sarcastic jab?? LOL!
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