Saturday 21 September 2013

Medicine Hat Beats Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-2

MEDICINE HAT - The Tigers scored twice on the power play as they got by the Hurricanes 6-2 Saturday night in Medicine Hat.

For the second night in a row, the Medicine Hat Tigers would open the scoring against the Hurricanes. In the late stages of a power play, Trevor Cox snapped the puck by Chris Tai in the Lethbridge goal to give Medicine Hat a 1-0 lead. Before the end of the period, the Hurricanes would get that one back. Josh Derko moved down the left wing and hammered a bullet by Daniel Wapple to even the score at 1-1. The Hurricanes had a great final 8 minutes of the period and closed the gab. The shots were even at 11-11.

In the second, both teams would have some great chances to take the lead. Medicine Hat eventually would get that one goal cushion back when Blake Penner beat Chris Tai on the blocker side to give the home town Tigers a 2-1 lead. That's all the scoring in the period. Chris Tai made several big spots and the Hurricanes also killed off a lengthy Medicine Hat 5-on-3 power play. The shots were 20-13 Tigers through 40 minutes of play.

In the third, Medicine Hat scored a pair of goals, just over a minute apart to increase its lead to 4-1. Dylan Bredo and Logan McVeigh both beat Chris Tai in a span of 68 seconds to give the Tigers a 3 goal lead. Before the game was over, Medicine Hat added two more goals from Cole Sanford and Chad Butcher and they would skate away with a 6-2 victory. The Tigers out scored Lethbridge 12-3 on opening weekend. They also out shot the Canes 38-22 in this game. Lethbridge finished the night 0.6 on the power play and Medicine Hat was 2/6.

Neither Reid Duke or Macoy Erkamps played in Medicine Hat. Coach Berehowsky wouldn't elaborate, but said both players were nursing injuries. I don't expect they'll be out long. Axel Blomqvist was a healthy scratch for the Canes in the Hat. With those three players out, it gave the coaching staff a chance to get a look at Kolten Olynek, Bryton Sayers, and Spencer Meyer fpr the first time in this still very young WHL season.

Hurricanes This Week

Our second Hurricanes This week radio show takes place on Monday evening (Sept. 23) at 7:00 pm MDT on CJOC. Joining Fred and myself for the entire hour will be General Manager Brad Robson. If you have a question for the new GM, feel free to send me a tweet with the question: @radiopat258.


Next Up

The Hurricanes will play just two games next weekend to close out the short September portion of their WHL schedule. Both game are on the road. On Friday (Sept. 27) the Canes will travel to Cranbrook for their first of 6 games this season against the Kootenay ICE. After having Saturday off, the Hurricanes will travel north to Edmonton to get set for a late afternoon game against the defending Eastern Conference Champs, the Edmonton Oil Kings at Rexall Place. That will be a 4:00 pm start on Sept. 29. The Hurricanes next home game is Wednesday, Oct. 2nd when they host Calgary.

Thanks,
Pat

8 comments:

  1. Here's a thought experiment. Suppose you were a young hockey player. You decide to run yourself to exhaustion every morning in the coulees during the week. Then you play a couple of games on the weekend and wonder why you have no jump left in your legs by the middle of the second period in each of the games.

    Ragging the Puck

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  2. "Good news" is, the Canes increased their offensive output by 50% after only one game of the early season, while not having to compromise their defense (still "only" allowed 6). PK isn't horrible (really nice kill of Tigers' 5 on 3), but PP needs a LOT of work (0/9 for two games).

    Hurricane Insitgator

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  3. I'm not a math guy, but my wife says if you go from 1 to 2 that's a 100% improvement. But 50% sounds good too. But whatever the percentage, if we continue to double production we will able to win 8 to 6 in just 2 more games. However if we just keep adding one more goal each game going forward it will take 5 more games before we win. That could test our patience. All of this assuming the defense continues not to be compromised of course - (great line by the way).

    I think it's too early to make too much of the PK and PP stats. But the question of why this team runs completely out of gas is staring us in the face right now.

    Ragging the Puck

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  4. Not sure why you are saying that they ran out of gas. The Canes were dominated for 50 minutes last night. Other than the four or five minutes after they scored there first goal they were never in this. If not for some missed chances and good saves by Tai in the first this one could have been 10-2.

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  5. Just a theory on might be going on with this club. Firstly the new coaching staff has made it abundantly clear that there are no "rights of entitlement" for any of the players. That the culture was going to change. Are some of the "establishment" not being able to adjust? Yakubowski, McKechnie, Maxwell, Blomquist have not come close to resembling the players that finished off the year last season. Is there residual affects left over from the last coaching staff that reinforced the "right of entitlement" for those players and others? Then not only does the coaching staff have to cope with the lack of development over the last seasons under Preston, but they have to deal with the work ethic, lack of systems, and what could be the biggest obstacle, psychological barriers left behind with some of the leadership on the club. Firstly, their change of systems, call for more discipline and work ethic will not happen overnight. If there are "other" problems left behind and still festering, it will take longer yet. Unless, the brass puts their collective heads together and make a move to relieve the team of "other" problems.
    Just a theory.

    Dump'n Chase

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    Replies
    1. I think you’re over analyzing it. We have three new coaches with a combined coaching experience of a couple seasons and none in the CHL. They played their first two regular season games and looked like rookie coaches.
      The change I like the most is the off ice/conditioning of these players that IMO will pay off.
      These coaches need to better understand the talent they have and what line combinations work and how to motivate this team. Play your best players and work in the others. We aren’t going to win many games playing top six guys on the third/forth line or not dressing them at all. If they want to continue that, trade the so call physiologically damaged 17-20yr olds and get a team with all rookies that you can mold however you want. A good coaching staff can handle all types and needs to win in this league.
      I sure miss Chris Chisamore, he always came on the post game show to give his thoughts even in a loss. Hope this staff can provide a guy as well.
      Long Run

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  6. There is no doubt that a message is being sent. Axel is scratched after a so so first game. The only thing that may save Maxwell from the same fate after being minus 5 after two games is Duke being injured.

    It is going to take time to ingrain the systems after four years of no systems and no teaching. I hate to say is but patience is needed right now when thinking about the coaching as it does appear the learning curve maybe steeper than anyone thought.

    An Observer

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  7. I find it very hard to win a hockey game if you only take 2 shots in a peroid. New Logo, new coaches, same team. come on how hard is it to play for 60 minutes. we have the fastest player in the Dub why are we not using him, Derko has a 100 MPH shot and he is not on the powerplay. our PP line is just the 1st line, come on. Still have some high hopes for the team.

    ANT

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