Solid goaltending is always a key in the playoffs, but the Chilliwack Bruins surprised many when starter Matt Esposito was scratched from game one of their playoff series with Vancouver.
It was no surprise to the Bruins though, who knew a month before hand that Esposito was playing on borrowed time with a bum knee.
From what I have been told Esposito buggered up his knee more than a month ago, and in clinching the final playoff spot with a win over Spokane late in the season, did further damage to the knee on a penalty shot given to Chiefs forward David Rutherford.
The extent of the damage isn't be known, as the Bruins want to keep it all hush-hush.
Bottom line is losing your #1 tender was something the expansion franchise didn't want to hear going into game one against the mighty Giants.
The extent of the damage isn't be known, as the Bruins want to keep it all hush-hush.
Bottom line is losing your #1 tender was something the expansion franchise didn't want to hear going into game one against the mighty Giants.
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You have to be impressed that Chilliwack earned a split in their first two games in Vancouver.
You would have to be thinking Giants Head Coach Don Hay is a little concerned with his #1 goaltender.
Tysen Sexsmith has allowed 7 goals on 25 shots in the first two games.
Do you think GM Scott Bonner is now rethinking about not trading for an upgrade in goal?
Ask the Vancouver Canucks how valuable a goaltender is. They'd be in deep trouble without Roberto.
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The new W.H.L rule this season where the team icing the puck is unable to make a line change played a factor in game one of the Bruins-Giants series. In one case it saw the Bruins icing the puck with the 4th line of Bhungal-Smuk and Glennie out against the Giants #1 unit of Lucic-Repik and Rabbit.
Talk about a mismatch as the Bruins were looking for a line change while the Giants were licking their chops.
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You won't often see many suspensions during the W.H.L playoffs, but league disciplinarian Richard Doerksen will be watching video following an altercation following the Everett Silvertips overtime win in game 2 against Spokane.
The rough stuff started after Zach Hamill scored. The Tips were celebrating when all hell broke loose, with Chiefs Judd Blackwater receiving a major for charging and a series of fights broke out.
The Chiefs have to be kicking themselves though.
Sure they scored late in the 3rd to tie the game, but had a 5-3 power play in overtime and didn't score, before Hamill responded to give the Tips a 2-0 lead in the series.
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You have to hand it to the Regina Leader-Post newspaper for a full assault in game coverage in the first two playoff tilts with the Pats and Broncos.
The Leader Post had three different stories in the paper, one being a game story, with two opinion columns from Rob Vanstone and Murray McCormick.
Sure the columns were patting the Pats on the back, but even Swift Current fans have to appreciate the extensive coverage of the series.
In this day and age of cutbacks, the Leader-Post impressed me with the amount of effort they are putting into covering this series.
Obviously not being there, these articles give you an idea of what is happening against these two Eastern Conference rivals.
The Leader Post had three different stories in the paper, one being a game story, with two opinion columns from Rob Vanstone and Murray McCormick.
Sure the columns were patting the Pats on the back, but even Swift Current fans have to appreciate the extensive coverage of the series.
In this day and age of cutbacks, the Leader-Post impressed me with the amount of effort they are putting into covering this series.
Obviously not being there, these articles give you an idea of what is happening against these two Eastern Conference rivals.
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I bad mouthed Kirt Hill the other day, and what does he do? He earns 3rd star status in game one of the Pats-Broncos series. 
I was giving the former Rocket a bad time because of his lack of offense since he went to Regina, and even questioned if he'll play there as a 19 year-old next season.
From what I understand he played an agitating role in game one, something he never - and I mean never showed in these parts.
And he was hitting guys? Excuse me?
Has 'Hiller' transformed his game over the last 3 months? Has the prairie air changed the way he plays on the ice?
Whatever it is, keep it up man!
I was giving the former Rocket a bad time because of his lack of offense since he went to Regina, and even questioned if he'll play there as a 19 year-old next season.
From what I understand he played an agitating role in game one, something he never - and I mean never showed in these parts.
And he was hitting guys? Excuse me?
Has 'Hiller' transformed his game over the last 3 months? Has the prairie air changed the way he plays on the ice?
Whatever it is, keep it up man!
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Now that I am your average WHL fan because the Rockets are in the purgatory-playoffs (we face Lethbridge tonight - followed by Saskatoon tomorrow before battling Portland on Wednesday), I have been trying to listen to some of the games on the Internet.
But frankly listening to some of these games takes no less than 15 hoops to jump through plus an anal cavity search before finally being able to listen.
You need to first find the 'listen to icon', which on most web pages are hidden.
You need to first find the 'listen to icon', which on most web pages are hidden.
What's with that?
As an example the Chilliwack audio feed has you clicking three different areas only to get no- where.
Some ask for passwords, and an e-mail addresses.
As an example the Chilliwack audio feed has you clicking three different areas only to get no- where.
Some ask for passwords, and an e-mail addresses.
Come on!!
Why can it not be one easy step of clicking on the icon, and then - bang - the game comes on.
Maybe it's just me. I guess I'm not the computer geek I thought I was.
Why can it not be one easy step of clicking on the icon, and then - bang - the game comes on.
Maybe it's just me. I guess I'm not the computer geek I thought I was.
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Kootenay Ice fans, what's up?
Attendance at the first two games of that series against Calgary were less than stellar.
Was Friday night bowling night, or maybe it was Saturday night salsa dancing that kept the people away?
Even big Eddie Chynoweth was on a sports radio show Friday scratching his head over the poor attendance.
He didn't slam the good folks of Cranbrook, but he didn't sound like he was overly happy with the 3 thousand and change that took in the games.
Sure the Chynoweth's aren't losing money in Cranny, but with those type of numbers they sure aren't making any.
Isn't that the key in any business venture?
Making money?
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In the first 8 games of the playoffs Friday night, of the 44 goals that were scored, 22, or exactly 50% were scored on the power play.
One night later the exact same number of goals were scored - 44.
This time only 14 power play goals were scored.
Bottom line - 36 power play goals scored in two night's - or 40.9% of the goals so far have been with the man-advantage.
4 comments:
Solid post. It's nice to see another perspective. Your take on the Leaderpost's coverage is right on. I saw the scribes working to the right of me complete with their Pats jerseys and the Pats #1 foam fingers firmly up in the air.
"Broncos overtime goal scored by number 10 Kyle Bortis, assisted by Rob Vanstone and Murray Mccormick"
Thanks Regan, I needed my hockey info fix after working in the yard all afternoon. With Sexsmith he's under a bit of pressure but he's just not at the level of Slade or Price for a Memorial Cup run.
The stats for goals on the PP is very interesting. Many coaches now try to play a defensive 'even up' on the 5 on 5, and then try to win games with a good PP. This style works, but really doesn't utilize the skilled players. The Rockets are guilty to a point, and I hope they give guys like MacMillian, Almond, St Denis and Barrie more creative freedom next year.
reat to see at least 1 city have great coverage for their team. It is a joke that the Daily Courier barely has any stories on the Rockets. During pre-season they have zero coverage and during the year it would be nice to read about some background on the kids, but no we read about Immaculate basketball to death. I have read papers frpm PG, Kamloops and others and they put the Daily Courier to shame. There should be a huge game story with stats, info, bios for every gameday.
By the way Regan, stand by your comments in Hill, everyone knows the truth about him and other cancers that were here.
Let me just say the Daily Courier is a one man band. Doyle is the Courier beat writer for the Rockets and is really the only one that covers the Rockets with any consistency, and in my opinion does a great job.
Yet he too has to take off days from work, and when that happens the coverage drops off.
My general impression is that the Courier sports editor has a hard-on(pardon my french)for the Westside Warriors, and thought their playoff run was more important than the Rockets playoff run (it was with 20 games left as the Rockets battled Chilliwack)so the Warriors recieved lots of coverage.
I think the Courier is more based on sports reporting, rather than feature reporting like you'd see in the Cap News.
I have noticed the Rocket Fuel section on Thursdays appears to be smaller than it was last year, and the entire sports section has been reduced thanks to the new 'Blush' section.
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