Saturday 22 September 2012

Tigers Beat Hurricanes 5-1 in Medicine Hat

MEDICINE HAT - The Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-1 in a penalty-filled game Saturday night.

Not a bad first period of hockey in this game.  Things stayed scoreless until the final 5 minutes of the period when the Tigers opened the scoring on a power play goal by Dylan Buesnius. That made it 1-0 Medicine Hat and that goal stood up as the only offence through the opening 20 minutes of play.  Despite not scoring, the Hurricanes had several good chances in the first period.  Medicine Hat held a slight edge in shots 11-9.

In the second, the Tigers would go up by a pair.  Kale Kessey moved down the right side and snapped a shot by Ty Rimmer to give the home team a 2-0 lead.  The Hurricanes just couldn't get anything going in this period with only a couple of shots on goal.  Their best chance came late in the period on a power, but were unable to get the puck by Dawson MacAuley in the Tigers goal.  The Canes were out shot 13-6 in that period and 24-15 overall through 40 minutes of play.

In the third, the Hurricanes would get a glorious chance when Kale Kessy was given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for a hit to the head, but the Canes failed to score on that man advantage.  Shortly after that, Medicine Hat would score again to make it 3-0 when Curtis Valk found the back of the net.  The Tigers kept it coming with a few more goals, one from Hunter Shinkaruk and the other from Spenser Jensen, both on the power play.  The Hurricanes would break MacAuley's shutout bid late in the game when Sam McKechnie scored his 2nd goal of the year to make it 5-1 Tigers and that's the way the game would end.  The Hurricanes power play really struggled, going 0/8 on the man advantage while the Tigers went 3/9.  The Tigers outshot Lethbridge 31-24.  The loss drops the Canes early season record to 1-1. 

Reid Duke, Tyler Wong, and Bryton Sayers sat Saturday's game out for Lethbridge as healthy scratches, while Dan Johnston, Adam Henry, and Connor Sutton are injured.  Johnston is expected back in the Lethbridge line-up next weekend.

NEXT UP

The Hurricanes will have a few days off before their next game.  They'll welcome the defending WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday (Sept. 26).  Game time is 7:00 pm (MDT).  The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.  The Hurricanes only other game next week is on the road in Cranbrook on Saturday for their first of 6 meetings with the Kootenay ICE.

HURRICANES THIS WEEK

Hurricanes This Week is back on the radio Monday night on CJOC.  Fred Jack and I will be joined in-studio by Head Coach and GM Rich Preston for the entire hour.  The show starts at 7:00 pm on CJOC.

Thanks,
Pat

30 comments:

  1. Got to be more disciplined ...the penalty parade and special teams did us in.......

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  2. 0-8 on the PP?!! Yikes! Sounds like the turning point was the missed opportunity with the 5 min. PP. Darren

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  3. Anything on the condition of Pilon after that hit, Pat? Would be a major blow if we lost him for a while...

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  4. Only good news in Pats comments is Johnston will be back next weekend. Team needs his shot on the PP and his shut down skills on Defense and PK. The lack of offense is no surprise. The win on Fri was more due to Med Hat poor goaltending than our scoring ability. People have been saying it all pre-season, the team needs to make a deal for some offence! TD

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  5. Hope this does not become a trend for the rest of the season or we are once again in big trouble.
    After two games PP is 1/14 and PK has allowed 4 GA in 11.

    It is a lack of skill? It is a lack of systems coaching? Or is it a combination of both?

    RJ.

    Big surprise......Kessy (20) going after Pilon (16). NOT!

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  6. Boy oh boy...

    And to think I was excited about the hockey games this fall??

    I am SO excited to go to the next game at the Enmax Centre that Klein is referreeing. He is so exciting to watch. He controls the game so incredibly. He is SO noticeable out there; by far the most impressive thing on the ice. And when you can't see him because the pesky players are in the way, at least you can hear him yelling at the play in the corners ("MOVE, MOVE, MOVE")

    He must spend all summer in the gym in order to be able to hold his arm up for the majority of an ENTIRE 60 minute hockey game! WOW! What a hero!

    I am so glad that the WHL has such a clear understanding of what the fans ACTUALLY want to see when they attend junior hockey games!

    KLEIN-the-Narcissist strikes again! - Richie.

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  7. As long as Preston is steering the ship the canes will be one of the most penalized teams in the league like every other year in the past cant win games when you're in the box !! JTF

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  8. Richie, Med hat had 1 more PP than Leth. It doesn't matter who is reffing when you can't put puck in the net.

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  9. Ok time to give my opinion and a few facts. This team is to young and to small. 18 or 19 if you count Sofillas of the 25 on the roster have one year or less of experience. This team has been rebuilding for how many years now so how do we still have that many young guys. Other teams will continue to run our guys and goalies because there is not one guy on this team they are scared of. When your captain and strongest player will not and has never stood up for his team mates who will. He did say he will not change his playing style but I for one sure hope he does. Why would Preston trade for goal scoreers when he traded our top guys left from last year. The only way this team will ever get better is whem Preston and MK are gone. I can only hope next year will be better because this uear is going to be worse than last year. I sure hope I am wrong but I just do not see enough talent from our young guys. AJ

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  10. How fast you all are to write the season off after 2 games. Total goals for Hurricanes is 5 and Med Hat is 7 after 2 games. Home Opener in Med Hat and after beating them last year in the home opener in their barn, they were just better prepared. Rimmer had an off night, but you can bet that won't be the case very often. The teams are fairly equal between Med Hat and Lethbridge as far as ages and rookies. They won one game and we won one game. I think there is anything to push any panic buttons yet.

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  11. To say graham hood has never stood up for teammates is nothing but a lie. He has stood up for teammates countless times. Watch the game AJ. This team is not going anywhere with these coaches, they never work on special teams in practice, they have 2 practice plans they run the kids through all year. They NEED player development, these kids are 16-20 years old, they need guidance.

    -Lethbridge Hurricanes Father

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  12. It's not good to hear from someone who knows first hand (Lethbridge Hurricanes Father) that the coaches aren't practicing special teams. It's obvious from the first two games that the PP needs help.

    @Anon 1:35......the games may have been split evenly, but the shot totals tell the real story. The Canes were outplayed in both contests. As was pointed out, the Hat goaltender can wear the goat horns on Friday night (and Rimmer played well), but the shot total from Saturday's game was very much the same. The Canes don't seem to be generating any puck possession and if they are, they're not converting them into scoring chances......at least not on the PP.

    I've been one person who's been saying that the Canes need to trade for an older/experienced forward with some size to help the younger/smaller forwards. Tot was traded and was not replaced by a player with equal experience or size and I feel this will be a problem moving forward. As AJ said, the Canes are still a VERY young team and in my opinion, after moving out Tot and Bounasissi with no effort to replace their experience, they will struggle to gain position in front of the opposition's net and win the puck possession battles.

    Sigh.....I'm tired of hearing about the future. This is Preston's 4th year (correct me if I'm wrong) and I'm feeling like he's in no rush to move this team forward in any way except for his draft picks. I'm not saying he should trade all his young players or draft picks, but it certainly couldn't hurt to move a 2nd rounder for a solid, good-sized forward with a couple year under his belt. Otherwise, as mentioned, there could be a rash injured forwards.

    Darren

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  13. The power play has always needed help. The last 5 years of going to the games as a season ticket holder, when the canes go on the power play it usually the cue to grab some popcorn and a drink. Dave.

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  14. So, whose father is he? He said before camp his son had been on the team for a couple of years. That means Johnston, Maxwell, Hood or Ramsay. I'd bet Ramsay or Maxwell, since Hood's father is far away and Johnston's been here longer than a couple of years.
    I MIGHT also eliminate Maxwell, since I'd assume a judge has better things to do with his time than troll message boards. So, Ramsay?

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  15. Doesn't really matter who's father this is......have heard several times from people who have been at the Enmax when the team is practicing that the team practices are lax with little energy or drive with players basically being unmotivated.....
    Even in Game 1, the team did not look like they practice systems or strategies...often looked lost as to what to do or where to be.
    Sorry to say, but coaching remains the problem for now the 4th season.
    There's talent here; let's not continue to waste it.

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  16. I agree.........it doesn't matter which player he is the father of. The PP is an ongoing concern.

    Darren

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  17. Hurricanes win and there are only three comments. Hurricanes lose and everyone jumps out of the woodwork to complain and there are 16 comments. Ridiculous. I guess it's true when they say some people are only happy if they have something to b**** about.

    -cc

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  18. Looks like a busy day in the ER today with broken ankles and legs after two games it sounds like everyone has jump off the bandwagon.

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  19. @ cc.....I could've commented on the first game. "They didn't deserve to win the first game. The Hat goalie gave it to them."

    If you're not worried about the PP after the issues it had last year, that's your prerogative, but there's a few of us who see this as an ongoing concern. The comments left by the Caness' parent is also a concern.

    Darren

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  20. And yet when Phil Tot said the practices only went at 70 to 80% compared to TC, everyone was ready to have him tarred and feathered! Maybe he wasn't so far off the mark hey? LOL

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  21. So far there is no suspension for Kessey on that cheap shot on Pilon. Any word if anything is coming? Kessey has been suspended before for hits such as this so this one should be longer. The 'Hat play by play guy said on the air that he expected him to be disiplined. Also, how long will Pilon be gone?

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  22. I agree it's a tad early to pack it in but if the coaches decide to dedicate such little effort to special teams, it will be a long, uphill season. The Canes father hit in on the head there. I watched the game on the net and the PP was a sick joke. Preston just circulates the lines? Show some commitment to a true PP squad or two) and actually commit yourself to teach the boys some plays. It's very frustrating to fans. You have a job to do and in today's game the game is often won with special teams.

    I appreciate Hood has stood up for players in the past but he has to step it up. He is feared across the league but soon players will realize he is way to slow to respond. His intimidation can be a serious tool but I don't think it unfair to say he just looks way too laxadaisical all the time. It's your last year pal. Make it count.

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  23. If I wanted to, I could sign my name as Joe Blow, John Smith, or a Lethbridge Hurricanes Father.
    You would have no idea that none of those three aren't true. It's just a thought.

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  24. Pat you have Preston on the air. Why don't you ask him about working on systems and put this topic to rest?

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  25. Darren, for somebody who said they are not going to waste their hard earn money on the Hurricanes(Sept 1, blog) you sure like to waste our time on your opinions, sometimes two a day.
    Just making a piont. My mistake if there is two Darrens blogging

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  26. FYI Anon 8:06.....it takes me all of about 5 secs to fire off an email (65 words/min. really helps).

    But thanks for your concern and critical thinking! You're really using your time wisely. How about restricting comments on this page to hockey and the Canes? (Then you won't set yourself up to get blasted again like the last time you tried to personally insult me and others).

    Hard to keep track of who is speaking when people don't sign a name or a handle to their comments. But that's generally how people with a lack of integrity operate. Darren

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  27. Darren,FYI,I was not the person that blasted you the first time,I guess there is more than one of us that find your comments annoying. Yes, your right I should keep the comments to hockey, but i find it ironic for someone who wont waste their hard earn money on the canes sure likes to blog about them.If you dont support the canes by attending the games,how can you critize them.Congratulations on your typing skills,it sounds like you have a great career ahead of you!

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  28. How is pilon doing? Will he be missing any time?

    I thought the canes had a very good work ethic during the first period but it looked like they expended a lot of energy and looked tired in the 2nd and 3rd period.

    also kessy's suspension is listed as tbd on the whl website, it is likely that he will see a min of 2 games, likely more because of being a repeat offender.

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  29. There have been rumors, opinions and gossip on here before dealing with the question of whether the players are developing or not. Development usually occurs through a combination of skills and instruction. Which leads me to that very question; are the players being taught?

    I was somewhat surprised at Rich's response to a question posed by Pat S. last night. So I replayed the Hockey Show and copied the question and answer word for word.

    Pat: Do drills change? Do you do things differently each year depending on what players you have in the lineup or have you coached the same now as when you coached Regina back in the day or has the game changed at lot?

    Rich: Same, same “Keep it Simple Stupid”, that’s the key. There’s no other way. I mean you could grab the old Hockey Canada drill book and do all drills different but you keep it simple and you keep it like drills, like game conditions that’s all that there is, to me that is the only way to do it.

    My opinion based on watching junior hockey for over 35 years, it that the game has changed. The players are bigger (fact), faster (fact) and more skilled (fact). The basic premise of the game; to score and not be scored on has not changed. But how you approach both ideals has changed.

    Which begs the question? Are the players being taught/developed?

    I will leave the answer to others.

    RJ

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  30. Excellent points RJ. I'm not impressed with Preston's comments. As a teacher, I always rethink or reevaluate my lessons even if nobody has criticized them. "Is there another way to challenge this class?"

    I'd suggest to Preston that he definitely is NOT challenging his players if he's running the same drills over and over. It doesn't take an experienced coach to see that.

    Very disappointing.

    Darren

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