Wednesday 7 December 2011

Hurricanes @ Kelowna Rockets Tonight

KELOWNA, BC - The Lethbridge Hurricanes take on the Kelowna Rockets tonight.

It's the first of three meetings this season between these two teams. The Rockets won both games the two clubs played last year. The Canes are playing their best hockey of the season right now, with 7 wins in their last 9 games. Lethbridge is being lead by Captain Cam Braes who has 10 points in his last 6 games, including 7 goals. During this recent streak for the Hurricanes, we've seen a lot more from the rookies and it's paying off. Sam McKechnie and Jamal Watson each have 3 points in their last 5 games and Adam Henry has chipped in with 5 assists during that same time. Getting contributions from across the line-up as well as stellar goaltending has been a big reason for the turn-around. I would expect to see both Damien Ketlo and Liam Liston start games this week.

The Hurricanes held a good practice in Kelowna yesterday. Defenceman Daniel Johnston will return to the line-up tonight against the Rockets after missing the few games with injury. Brody Sutter also skated Tuesday, but his status for tonight isn't known. Sutter left the last game after blocking a shot. Other than that, the Hurricanes are, for the most part a healthy group as they begin this B.C. road trip here in the Okanagan.

Game time from Prospera Centre in Kelowna is 8:00 pm (MST). The pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30.

Thanks,
Pat

7 comments:

  1. Hey Pat; Any news on Tot. Also I just read that the Giants are trying to get Kuvaev. Anything you can add

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  2. Dont think Tot will be ready tonight. We will see how the pre game skate goes. As for Kuvaev, Vancouver has acquired his rights. Whether he will play there remains to be seen. Hope that helps.

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  3. Not a big deal, Kootenay acquired the rights to Kuvaev last summer and that didn't lead to anything. With Vancouver, I can't see Kuvaev fitting in with a Don Hay team...

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  4. Just my opinion on Kuvaev is that he would have been the Canes top point getter with the proper coach.Last year stats. 10 G and 18 points in the first 26 games. 1 G and 6 Points in the last 22 games after Preston benched him, wouldn't play him or he was a healthy scratch. Kootenay adds him about the same time he signs a 3 year pro deal in the KHL. This year plays 4 pro games gets sent to a Russian Jr. team and has 9 G and 12 points in 24 games. Canes lost a possible star

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  5. I believe he Kuvaev was mismanaged as well, but not only on the ice, but in his personal development (North American transition) too. I mean, the team didn't hire an English/Russian teacher for him until January or February. His confidence on the ice was already gone by that point.

    But that's water under the bridge. I'm just hoping the same things don't happen to Juraj Bezuch. He seems to have a little better grasp of the English language (at least the little I've heard him speak). He looks like he's a highly-skilled player, so I hope the organization is able to develop him properly.

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  6. You are misinformed Darren. Kuvaev had an Russian tutor as soon as he got here. Don't just assume that he was mismanaged or coached poorly because he didn't play that much. As there often is with situations like this you don't know the whole story or the "behind the scenes" circumstances. I am not about to betray a confidence but you all would be smart to quit assuming that what you see is all there is. That is seldom, if ever, the case.

    -cc

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  7. Apparently what you were told or heard and what I was told are totally differnt

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