Thursday, October 17, 2013

'Cane Train' derailed

  • Goaltender Corbin Boes likely slept well through the night as the Lethbridge Hurricanes bus made its way down the Trans Canada highway in the early morning hours following an unsuccessful BC Division road trip which failed to reap even one win. The 20 year-old goaltender would have been seeing a lot of galvanized rubber in his dreams though, after facing 62 shots in the Kelowna Rockets 6-0 win last night at Prospera Place. Boes gave up six goals, but at the end of the night was named the games third star thanks to a save percentage that works out to .930. Without Boes' strong play, double digits were a good possibility for the home team.
  • Riley Stadel scored three times in the win. The 17 year-old now has 12 points, one more than he had all of last season. Stadel's best work is coming on the power play with six of his seven goals coming with the extra man. Stadel, the third round bantam pick in the Colton Sissons deal with Saskatoon, has earned eight of his 12 points on the man advantage this season.
  • Sixteeen year-old Nick Merkley had four assists and now is two points back of Mathew Barzal (Seattle) and Julius Honka (Swift Current) for the scoring lead among WHL rookies. Merkley has played two fewer games.   
  • Ryan Olsen had a four point night with a goal and three assists. Olsen had two assists in his first five games and now has 3+4=7 in his last four games. 
  • Despite all of the scoring, did you notice the physical play of the defenceman, specifically Damon Severson and Madison Bowey? Impressive to say the least. Both veteran players played an angrier, abrasive game and looked everything like second round NHL draft picks. Severson often isn't physical in the least bit, which is surprising because he is big, strong and it makes him an even better defenceman. If Severson plays like that, his chances of playing for Canada at the World Juniors increases substantially.  
  • Jordon Cooke earned the shutout, the 6th of his career. Cooke doesn't receive a star in the building but deserves credit for keeping the Hurricanes off the board early in the first period. The 20 year-old's 2.09 goals against average looks good on him. In October, Cooke has a goals against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .943. 
  • Unfortunately the win came with a price. 17 year-old Austin Glover was hurt late in the third period after being hit by Hurricanes forward Jamal Watson near the Lethbridge bench. The clean hit saw Glover's left skate dig deep into the ice as he awkwardly fell down. Glover put no weight on his leg as he made his way off the ice and head coach Ryan Huska says he was sent to hospital. 
  • The Hurricanes may have lost their top scorer after Tyler Wong - late in the third period - ran into Rockets forward Myles Bell. Wong slowly made his way off the ice and looked wobbly to the point that a concussion is a good possibility.
  • Bell has a five game point streak with 4+2=6 over that period. 
  • While several Rockets are enjoying offensive success, Rourke Chartier isn't in that category. The seventeen year-old is pointless in six games after earning four points in his first three games this season.
  • Tyrell Goulbourne and Colton Heffley should also be recognized for their physical dominance in two lopsided tilts. It was another example that the Rockets can play with finesse and can also get down and dirty with you if old fashioned hockey must be utilized.
  • If you are Hurricanes head coach Drake Berehowsky, where do you go from here? One win in 11 games is a terrible start and with so much losing in Lethbridge over the last four seasons, when does it become an acceptable practice among the players? 

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