Tuesday 22 October 2013

Winterhawks Hold on For Win Over Hurricanes

LETHBRIDGE - The Portland Winterhawks scored three times in the first period, which was the difference in this game as they defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 Tuesday night.

The high-scoring Portland Winterhawks kicked things off offensively in this hockey game on Pink in the Rick night at the ENMAX Centre. The visitors kept pumping pucks all period long on Corbin Boes as the Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender had a very busy opening 20 minutes. Keegan Iverson got the first goal just over 6 minutes into the game to give Portland a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later the Hawks would strike on the power play. Brendan Leipsic beat Boes to make it 2-0. They weren't done there. Just before the end of the period, Case De Leo scored to make it 3-0 Hawks after one period play. The shots heavily favoured Portland 22-8.

In the second, the Hurricanes made some nice adjustments after being outplayed in the opening frame. The Canes were able to keep the Winterhawks off the shot clock for a good portion of the first 13 minutes of the period. Later on the Hurricanes were given a 5-on-3 power play for nearly two whole minutes and they would finally beat Brendan Burke in the Portland goal. Brady Ramsay knocked home his 3rd of the season cut the Winterhawks lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes of play. The Hawks still held the edge in shots 32-16.

In the third, the Hurricanes would continue to push hard to get back into the hockey game. Late in the period, Axel Blomqvist would hammer a shot off the post and past Burke to cut the Portland lead to 3-2 and make for an interesting finish in this one. The Canes pulled the goalie to try and get the equalizer, but that would be as close as they would get as the Hawks would hold on for a 3-2 victory. Portland out shot Lethrbidge 41-28 in this game. The Canes went 1/8 on the power play and Portland 1/6. The loss drops the Canes record to 2-11-0-1 on the season. They have just one victory in their last 10 games.

Despite loss the Hurricanes did a great job making big adjustments after the first period to make this a very close game.

Trade Talks Continue

Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Brad Robson continues to field trade offers for Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam McKechnie. The two players were sent home last week after requesting to be traded. Robson said Sunday he was speaking with up to 15 teams. On Tuesday he said that had been whittled down to offers from about 5 teams. 

Next Up

The Hurricanes will play game 7 of this long home stand Thursday (Oct. 24) when they host the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. This will be the first of 4 games this season between the clubs. After Thursday's game, the Hurricanes don't play again until next Tuesday (Oct. 29) when they welcome Swift Current to the ENMAX Centre. The Canes will have this entire weekend off. Game time Thursday against Moose Jaw is 7:00 pm MDT. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.

Thanks,
Pat

20 comments:

  1. Great adjustments and motivation from the coaches. Starting to look like a true Team.
    Long Run

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    1. I agree, thought they played very well tonight..didn't look out of place at all...that Portland powerplay in the first is a thing of beauty..fun to watch...bob

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  2. Pat - I listened and watched the game last night on my IPAD. I have a question. Why do you and your color man Fred Jack talk during the game? It is so frustrating when we miss 25-30 seconds after ever puck drop or during the pp or pk or just during the game itself...because you two are talking. I noticed it even more while watching the game as the game would be going on and you two would be talking about how good Wong is playing or about the trades or about Portlands coaching suspension and the list goes on and on. Because I was also watching I then noticed that the game was actually going on and you two were still talking and talking.If I was just listening on the radio I would have missed half the game. Last night there were two fights at the end and you two were so busy discussing other stuff you barely even noticed the fights. Then when there are penalities you two never even say who and why got penalities. I listened to the Sunday game against the Hitman and their radio announcer would cut off in the middle of sentence to get back to calling the game. The most important aspect of your job is to call the game - the fans want to hear the GAME!!!! All those other discussions can happen between periods or time outs or face offs. But even at face offs the discussion should end as soon as the puck drops. Also it would help for listening if you at some point told the listeners who was actually on the ice. For example tell the listeners who is killing the penalty or who is on the power play. I have been frustrated for a long time and after having actually watched a home game on the computer I noticed how much of the game I was actually missing. I am not alone in this frustration.
    Frustrated Radio Fan

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    1. FRF- Holy Grumpy-fan-of-our-team-that-is-in-last-place!

      Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but seems pretty harsh to me against the work of a guy that pours his heart into a difficult and thankless job (Have you ever actually tried to "commentate" a hockey game without VIDEO...for more than 20 seconds? - Most people who would attempt this job would be extremely ineffective, not to mention annoying as hell and "frustrating" to anyone else trying to imagine the play).

      I have been critical at times when listening, but I remind myself just how difficult a job he has. - NO radio play-by-play voice that I have heard in 30 years (minor or pro) describes the on ice play for the entire game!

      I am also a "Frustrated" fan, but because of the team's performance for the past 4 years, not the play by play voice. Imagine how "fun" it must be for him to travel back and forth across the country with a bunch of teenagers, and call the games of a team that has been losing consistently for this long... and SOMEHOW... still make it interesting for Canes fans (and opposition fans and advertisers) to listen to?

      As you know, "WHL Live" that markets the home team's video and home play by play commentary are delayed a few seconds. For all away games, unless you want to listen to Pat announce the play 10 seconds before it happens, you have little choice but to listen to the opposition team's broadcasters while watching.

      From an opposition team fan perspective with all things considered (personal styles, radio voice tones, information shared during play and during breaks, annoying color-men comments, annoying goal calls), across the league, I would say there are few that succeed at entertaining the fans of both sides as Pat (and Fred) do.

      To me, there is no broadcaster that broadcasts any sport I've ever heard that is as annoying as Ridley from Medicine Hat. He says many good things about both teams during the broadcast and breaks, and I think every Hat local loves him, yet I find his voice nearly untollerable...and when he calls a home team goal, the squeak and squeal that is his voice is far more annoying to me than dragging fingernails across a chalkboard.

      Cam Moon is pretty good at representing both sides. I think that former Cane caster, Brad Curle, now calling the Hitmen's games, is probably my favorite opposition 'caster in the dub. His game-call is extremely fast, engergetic, descriptive, and his word count/minute is off the chart high. He presents interesting and current info about both teams letting you know he has done his research (Too bad his sidekick, Thrower, is such an annoying homer). Nobody's perfect, and listener needs vary. Curle frequently calls a "saucer-pass" a "sauce-pass," which I find extremely irritating, and in the most recent game against the Canes, he and color voice Thrower were both miscalling the Virtanen Hat Trick as a "Natural Hat Trick". Laurencelle had already scored to make it 2-1, making the Trick, an "un-natural" one, and I would expect a broadcaster of 15+ years to know this.

      You can tell from what he says that Pat spends a lot of time outside of the broadcast time researching and preparing so that he can provide insightful and interesting information during the broadcasts (I have never met him).

      NO broadcaster calls ALL the game play, especially when radio only. Take a look at this "top 10" calling professional hockey... And they have the benefit of VIDEO! Watch some of the clips then listen only, and you may be surprized at how much play goes uncalled. And these are short clips, not 2:40 of time.

      http://thehockeywriters.com/counting-down-the-top-10-tv-broadcasters-in-the-nhl-today/

      Thanks Pat, for your professionalism, and dedication to team and city! Keep up the Great work!

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  3. Duly noted. Adjustments will be made. Thanks for this note.

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  4. I'm glad frustrated fan just told you all this , Pat. I had actually stopped listening to the broadcasts for every reason he just listed. I've never said it myself for fear of seeming incredibly rude as I think your job is very difficult.
    Glad to see you can accept the criticism and choose to improve the listeners experience.
    Coincidentally I think the broadcast suffers as the social media commitments increase.

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  5. Trust me. If I couldn't take constructive criticism I would've been done in radio a long time ago! It's not rude at all actually. I'm here to provide a service to our listeners & any issues such as this I appreciate being told of. I can't fix something I don't know needs fixing unless people say, so I will certainly make the adjustments as I said to improve the listener experience. Again, thanks for bringing this up and I will make those adjustments starting with Thursday's game against Moose Jaw. Have a great day.

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  6. Not sure about the comments regarding that the Hurricanes are "starting to looking like a real team" as I wasn't at the game, but they're still giving up WAY too many shots. When you lose the shot count that badly, it usually means you're giving up way to many scoring chances as well.

    I guess I'm still waiting to see the "real team".

    Empty Net

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  7. I have to say that the Canes are getting there slowly, but surely. What this team needs to do is not get down on itself when they give up a goal or two. While at the game last night, they seemed to do this in the 1st, but put the pedal down and had a very strong 2nd and 3rd.

    I do however, have to question how Berehowsky managed getting Boes to the bench last night. In the last two minutes, Boes was doing almost everything possible to get the attention of the bench to get the extra attacker out. It seemed like Berehowsky had no clue what to do and botched it completely not once, but twice. Maybe let Luko make the decision or at least designate someone to let the goalie know.

    Overall, it was a decent effore by the Canes and if they come out with that energy for 60 minutes on Thursday, they have a chance against Moose Jaw.

    Lastly, although people do criticize you Pat, I have to say that I enjoy you doing play-by-play for the Canes. I will always be biased in that I think Cam Moon is the best in the 'Dub (I'm a Rebels Fan), but since being down in Lethbridge I have enjoyed the perspective you give on the radio and on twitter. Keep it up.

    Lethbridge Rebel

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  8. The team certainly played much better in the last two periods. Portland seems to have a lot more talent but the Canes were able to counter act that with speed and puck pressure. If this whole team played every shift with the same hustle and grit as Wong has the last few games they would be fun to watch. On the trade note heard last night there are still a few teams with offers for our quitters. Some want both while others only want one. Hopefully our GM can get something other than mid round draft picks. My suggestion is if he can not get anything of value is not make a trade and leave them sit at home. KAOS

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    1. Harsh comment for the two boys. I am sad to hear you keep calling them quitters. It is interesting that when a team decides to trade a player it is a business but when a player tries to do what is best for them they are quitters. A double standard I would say. These boys are not quitters. They are boys that want to play hockey. Do not suggest they be left at home. That is cruel and unwarranted for the hours and dedication they gave to this town and team. They still have good friends on the Canes and those friends just wish them luck! You should maybe take note and be an example to the boys!
      No I am not the mom of these boys! Just a concerned fan!
      Wannabe

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  9. @ Empty Net
    Part of my comment is being lost in fandom and wanting to see success.

    For me the third period of play is the best hockey I have see out of this 2013/14 team. We easily could have given up but coaches made adjustments, all players responded and made a game out of it. Out shot Port 12-9 and we got the only goal of the period.

    If they can play a full game like the third there is no reason we can’t make the playoffs even being in last place. New players should also help.
    Long Run

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  10. I agree with wannabe! These aren't the first two kids to ask for trades in the whl but they are sure being slammed. Who knows what their reasons were, were the changes just not a good fit for them, were they being asked to do things they couldn't produce, are they just ready for a change? Who knows, they had their reasons. 99% of the time you would never know who asked for a trade - the Canes just happened to send a message to the rest of the players by sending them home and airing team dirty laundry. Geez, I don't even remember hearing so much negativity with players who actually did quit and decided to just go home instead of playing anymore. Whatever the reason, I wish them the best and hope the gm can get a trade that will help the Canes, and for players that will have the right 'fit' for the current direction of the team. No biggie really!

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  11. This is to Wannabe. Here is my reasoning for thinking they are quitters. Hockey is a TEAM sport and these 2 players were not doing what was best for the team but only what they thought was best for them. If they wanted more ice time or whatever the case was then go play like you deserve more ice time. The GM however when making a trade is doing what he hopes is best for the TEAM. I do not have anything bad to say about them as humans I just feel that they quit on the team, city and themselves. KAOS

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    1. KAOS - Again you don't know who asks for trades within a team as I know many players do... but these boys were treated differently and were used as an example. I have seen players sent home waiting for trades when they didn't ask for a trade. Nobody really knows what went on except for those players.
      Wannabe

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  12. Here is one more thing about the Sam and Jamien controversy, that may make a person think, hmmmmmm? Consider this: Adam, Sam and Jamien all have the same agent. That same agent's son was a late round bantam pick of the Hurricanes, who after two training camps was cut loose by the Canes. Does the name Sosa come to mind? Just a strange coincidence or..................

    Dump'n Chase

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  13. Would you happen to know if he was Ben Wright and Spencer Galbraith's agent as well? KAOS

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  14. KAOS, not sure if you are being sarcastic with your question or not. But I will take it as not. Ben Wright played his whole WHL career with the Hurricanes. I am not sure who is agent (if any) was. I believe his displeasure with the club was due to the Hurricanes not resigning Michael Dyck as coach. As for Spencer, he decided to leave the team on his own, sighting "personal and family reasons". He then asked if he could try out for the club again this September. I doubt any level-headed agent would have suggested such a move.

    Dump'n Chase

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  15. And Sosa is an agent for new Cane Foulk and former playersr Braes, Johnston, many other former Canes and I think even asst coach Lukowhich when he was in the NHL .....not sure agents have anything to do with it except to help kids emotionally get through this stuff.
    Cane train Wreck

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  16. Wreck, you could not be further from the truth. The agents play a huge part in the players careers at this point. They are in regular contact with both the players and the parents all year. Don't forget that for every pro contract that the players sign and are financially compensated for, the agent makes his cut too. It is in their best interest to get their clients as far up the ladder as they can. How the agent does this does not necessarily in the players best interest though.

    -cc

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