I know, 3rd post today....it's a flood!
Rogers Sportsnet CHL analyst Sam Cosentino apparently has a source who has told him that the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria rumors actually represent a done deal and that the parties involved are just waiting for the Bruins' season to end (they trail Spokane 2-0 in their first round playoff series) to make it official.
You can hear Cosentino's comments here.
Transcript of his comments here.
One thing appears to be missing here though - the WHL board of governors needs to approve (A) the move and (B) the sale of the team to new owners - and neither of those things has happened.
After the league bent over backwards to help keep the Americans in Tri-City (an event which led to the existence of the Bruins in the first place), you would certainly think that the league would want to do the same to try to keep the Bruins in Chilliwack.
Especially since the majority owner, Darryl Porter, is the same in both cases. Hey, maybe at some point you have to question who the real problem is here and whether Porter tries hard enough to make things work before looking for greener pastures.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
ACAC title dispute
An interesting situation has arisen today in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) - where many WHL alumni head after their WHL days - following Mount Royal University's game five win over SAIT in the deciding game of the ACAC best-of-five championship series.
MRU's starting goaltender was injured in game four, forcing their backup to play game five. They found an emergency backup for game five, who dressed and sat on the bench but did not play in the series-clinching win.
Then the problems started - it's not clear right now whether SAIT complained or whether the ACAC discovered this on their own, but that emergency backup was found to be an ineligible player and the ACAC ruled that MRU's win in game five did not count. Apparently SAIT was given the option of having the game declared a forfeit win for them (making them the champions) or replaying the game. They chose to replay the game, which will take place on Saturday.
MRU is not happy and their players have indicated they will forfeit the game to SAIT rather than play the do-over game.
I kind of have to side with MRU, I think.....yes, technically their emergency backup is an ineligible player and thus they broke the rule. But the guy never saw the ice, so thus had no effect on the game. And we're not talking about the NHL here, where teams have entire AHL rosters of eligible replacement players available at a moment's notice - this is fairly low-level college hockey and these are unpaid student-athletes. Finding a backup capable of playing at this level on less than a day's notice - and on a weekend to boot - is far from a sure thing. If they hadn't found the guy they did, then presumably the next plan would have been to put the pads on one of their forwards or defencemen.....which is just asking for an injury and not something that needs to happen at this level.
There was no intent to cheat or deceive and the player had no effect on the game. I think the league and the teams should take a good look at the SPIRIT of the rule, not just the black-and-white wording of it, and make the sensible ruling here.
Anyone see things differently?
BTW, WHL alumni on the two teams involved include:
SAIT: Ryan Nieszner, Scott Orth, Clinton Pettapiece, Colin Scherger, Tommy Tartaglione, Mike Ullrich, Joel Woznikoski
MRU: Brad Bakken, Barry Horman, Jason MacDonald, Grant Toulmin
MRU's starting goaltender was injured in game four, forcing their backup to play game five. They found an emergency backup for game five, who dressed and sat on the bench but did not play in the series-clinching win.
Then the problems started - it's not clear right now whether SAIT complained or whether the ACAC discovered this on their own, but that emergency backup was found to be an ineligible player and the ACAC ruled that MRU's win in game five did not count. Apparently SAIT was given the option of having the game declared a forfeit win for them (making them the champions) or replaying the game. They chose to replay the game, which will take place on Saturday.
MRU is not happy and their players have indicated they will forfeit the game to SAIT rather than play the do-over game.
I kind of have to side with MRU, I think.....yes, technically their emergency backup is an ineligible player and thus they broke the rule. But the guy never saw the ice, so thus had no effect on the game. And we're not talking about the NHL here, where teams have entire AHL rosters of eligible replacement players available at a moment's notice - this is fairly low-level college hockey and these are unpaid student-athletes. Finding a backup capable of playing at this level on less than a day's notice - and on a weekend to boot - is far from a sure thing. If they hadn't found the guy they did, then presumably the next plan would have been to put the pads on one of their forwards or defencemen.....which is just asking for an injury and not something that needs to happen at this level.
There was no intent to cheat or deceive and the player had no effect on the game. I think the league and the teams should take a good look at the SPIRIT of the rule, not just the black-and-white wording of it, and make the sensible ruling here.
Anyone see things differently?
BTW, WHL alumni on the two teams involved include:
SAIT: Ryan Nieszner, Scott Orth, Clinton Pettapiece, Colin Scherger, Tommy Tartaglione, Mike Ullrich, Joel Woznikoski
MRU: Brad Bakken, Barry Horman, Jason MacDonald, Grant Toulmin
Wednesday notes
After five days of games, the WHL playoffs have five series that have played 3 games, and three series that have played 2 games.
Of the five series that have played 3 games, three of them are in 3-0 situations:
Red Deer leads Edmonton 3-0
Kelowna leads Prince George 3-0
Tri-City leads Vancouver 3-0
The picture is pretty grim for the Oil Kings, Cougars, and Giants - a 3-0 deficit has been overcome only once in WHL history. It seems pretty likely that those three teams are going to see their seasons end this week.
The other two series which have played a game 3 are seeing the underdog leading the series:
Moose Jaw leads Kootenay 2-1
Brandon leads Medicine Hat 2-1
And the Warriors & Wheat Kings still get to play game four at home yet too, an excellent chance to take a 3-1 lead and move within a game of the only upsets (looking that way anyway) of the first round.
The other three series are at 2-0, with the heavy favourite leading all three:
Saskatoon leads Prince Albert 2-0
Portland leads Everett 2-0
Spokane leads Chilliwack 2-0
Right now I'm thinking we'll see 4 or 5 or even 6 sweeps in the first round, which would make this one of the least interesting first rounds ever.
Couple other things today...
The first coaching opening of the 2011 offseason has become available, after the Seattle Thunderbirds announced yesterday that they will not renew the expiring contract of head coach Rob Sumner. Sumner has been the head coach of the Thunderbirds for the last seven seasons and was an assistant coach for eight years before that, so he has been behind the Seattle bench since the fall of 1996.
In Sumner's 7 years as head coach, the team averaged 76 points (.531) and made it out of the first round of the playoffs three times (although they lost in the 2nd round all three times), but they have missed the playoffs the last two seasons.
The other note is, the WHL appears to have launched a new section called Prospects Central, without any fanfare or announcements. You can see the new section, which focuses on the bantam draft, right here.
I like the idea, this is another marketing tool for a league which hasn't always done a good job of selling the hype. Fans care about this stuff - the draft, upcoming prospects, etc, and it's good to see the league taking steps to provide the fans with info they're craving.
Two things I'd like to see:
Of the five series that have played 3 games, three of them are in 3-0 situations:
Red Deer leads Edmonton 3-0
Kelowna leads Prince George 3-0
Tri-City leads Vancouver 3-0
The picture is pretty grim for the Oil Kings, Cougars, and Giants - a 3-0 deficit has been overcome only once in WHL history. It seems pretty likely that those three teams are going to see their seasons end this week.
The other two series which have played a game 3 are seeing the underdog leading the series:
Moose Jaw leads Kootenay 2-1
Brandon leads Medicine Hat 2-1
And the Warriors & Wheat Kings still get to play game four at home yet too, an excellent chance to take a 3-1 lead and move within a game of the only upsets (looking that way anyway) of the first round.
The other three series are at 2-0, with the heavy favourite leading all three:
Saskatoon leads Prince Albert 2-0
Portland leads Everett 2-0
Spokane leads Chilliwack 2-0
Right now I'm thinking we'll see 4 or 5 or even 6 sweeps in the first round, which would make this one of the least interesting first rounds ever.
Couple other things today...
The first coaching opening of the 2011 offseason has become available, after the Seattle Thunderbirds announced yesterday that they will not renew the expiring contract of head coach Rob Sumner. Sumner has been the head coach of the Thunderbirds for the last seven seasons and was an assistant coach for eight years before that, so he has been behind the Seattle bench since the fall of 1996.
In Sumner's 7 years as head coach, the team averaged 76 points (.531) and made it out of the first round of the playoffs three times (although they lost in the 2nd round all three times), but they have missed the playoffs the last two seasons.
The other note is, the WHL appears to have launched a new section called Prospects Central, without any fanfare or announcements. You can see the new section, which focuses on the bantam draft, right here.
I like the idea, this is another marketing tool for a league which hasn't always done a good job of selling the hype. Fans care about this stuff - the draft, upcoming prospects, etc, and it's good to see the league taking steps to provide the fans with info they're craving.
Two things I'd like to see:
- first, some attribution of those bantam draft player rankings would be nice. The WHL itself has no "central scouting" type organization which ranks players, all the teams are responsible for all their own scouting. So the league is using somebody's rankings here....explanation of which scouting service provided those rankings, or how those rankings were determined, would be nice
- second, I'd like to see a breakdown of traded bantam draft picks. I've tried to do this here on the blog but whatever I come up with is unofficial and surely contains some mistakes since I don't have access to all the official details of trades. A simple breakdown of all picks in upcoming drafts, which ones have been traded, who they were traded to, and for what, would be a great resource for fans and shouldn't be very hard for the league to put together. Just a suggestion.
Friday, March 25, 2011
First round picks
Playoffs start tonight with six games, so that means it's time for some fearless predictions....
Eastern Conference:
#1 Saskatoon vs #8 Prince Albert: the Raiders had to scrap right down to the last week of the season to clinch a playoff spot. Saskatoon had long wrapped up first overall before then, and ended the season averaging one more goal for and one less goal against per game than the Raiders did. The Raiders have no chance in this one - Saskatoon in four.
#2 Red Deer vs #7 Edmonton: Edmonton made big strides this year and look like a team that could make some noise in a year's time. They didn't take quite as big strides as Red Deer did though, as the Rebels have completed the transformation from a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row (2008, 2009) to 2nd place overall this year. They are also the top defensive team in the league by quite a margin, and defence wins games in the playoffs, as we all know. Red Deer in five.
#3 Medicine Hat vs #6 Brandon: Brandon has been one of the hottest teams in the league since the trade deadline, scoring goals like crazy and believe me, it is very tempting to use this opportunity to pick an upset. But the Tigers have finished the season very strong as well and I think that while Brandon may have a better offence, the Tigers have better and much more experienced defence and goaltending. I think Brandon may give the Tigers a stiff challenge but in the end the Tigers will prevail. Tigers in six.
#4 Kootenay vs #5 Moose Jaw: As befits a #4 vs #5 matchup, this is the toughest series to predict, IMO. But actually, despite that, it's not really that difficult to decide on a winner. Kootenay has the better group of forward and defencemen, and they are older, bigger, and a lot more experienced. Moose Jaw's ace in the hole? Goaltending, where I give them a big edge with the game-stealing Thomas Heemskerk. But can he steal a series when the Ice are so much better in other areas? I don't see it. Ice in six.
Western Conference:
Eastern Conference:
#1 Saskatoon vs #8 Prince Albert: the Raiders had to scrap right down to the last week of the season to clinch a playoff spot. Saskatoon had long wrapped up first overall before then, and ended the season averaging one more goal for and one less goal against per game than the Raiders did. The Raiders have no chance in this one - Saskatoon in four.
#2 Red Deer vs #7 Edmonton: Edmonton made big strides this year and look like a team that could make some noise in a year's time. They didn't take quite as big strides as Red Deer did though, as the Rebels have completed the transformation from a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row (2008, 2009) to 2nd place overall this year. They are also the top defensive team in the league by quite a margin, and defence wins games in the playoffs, as we all know. Red Deer in five.
#3 Medicine Hat vs #6 Brandon: Brandon has been one of the hottest teams in the league since the trade deadline, scoring goals like crazy and believe me, it is very tempting to use this opportunity to pick an upset. But the Tigers have finished the season very strong as well and I think that while Brandon may have a better offence, the Tigers have better and much more experienced defence and goaltending. I think Brandon may give the Tigers a stiff challenge but in the end the Tigers will prevail. Tigers in six.
#4 Kootenay vs #5 Moose Jaw: As befits a #4 vs #5 matchup, this is the toughest series to predict, IMO. But actually, despite that, it's not really that difficult to decide on a winner. Kootenay has the better group of forward and defencemen, and they are older, bigger, and a lot more experienced. Moose Jaw's ace in the hole? Goaltending, where I give them a big edge with the game-stealing Thomas Heemskerk. But can he steal a series when the Ice are so much better in other areas? I don't see it. Ice in six.
Western Conference:
#1 Portland vs #8 Everett: Portland finished strong and are the #3 overall team in the league. Everett finished dead in the water and scored about 130 fewer goals this year than the Hawks did. This one is a no-brainer. Hawks in four.
#2 Kelowna vs #7 Prince George: You could say Prince George lucked out a bit in the first round - they're the 7th best team in the conference and because of the system, they get to play the 4th best team in the conference instead of the 2nd best. But, Kelowna has been strong down the stretch while the Cougars seemed to peak around Christmastime. And I like the Rockets in almost every roster category as well. Not that hard to pick actually. Rockets in five.
#3 Spokane vs #6 Chilliwack: Chilliwack's last 10-15 games of the season were a very impressive run which moved them from outside the playoff picture all the way up to 6th place - almost 5th place too. Just bad luck on their part that they've been drawn against what might be the best balanced offensively/defensively team in the league. It was a nice run which should build nicely for next year, but they're not going to beat Spokane. Chiefs in five.
#4 Tri-City vs #5 Vancouver: two teams that stumbled a little bit late in the season - Tri-City had a stretch of the blahs which caused them to fall off the pace in the race for #1, and Vancouver was debilitated by injuries and lost 8 or 9 in a row at one point. All that aside, it may be a #4 vs #5 series but I found this one easier to handicap than some of the other Western series. I hate to bet against a Don Hay team but I can't see the Giants pulling this one off. Tri-City in six.
Yes, I picked the favourite (higher seed) in every series. Predictable, I know. I just don't see the potential for a lot of upsets this year; in my view the top 3-4 teams in both conferences are clearly superior to those in the lower half of both playoff brackets. The 2nd round should be much more interesting this year.
Thoughts from readers?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Lottery results
The bantam draft lottery was held this morning, and the team with the smallest chance of winning - Kamloops - was the winner.
As the #6 seed, Kamloops will move up two spots to the #4 position, and the rest of the first round order remains unchanged. Calgary will pick first, Swift Current second, Lethbridge (from Regina) picks third, the Blazers are 4th, Lethbridge's own pick drops to 5th, and Seattle drops to 6th.
For the six non-playoff teams, the season is essentially over now until the draft in six weeks.
As the #6 seed, Kamloops will move up two spots to the #4 position, and the rest of the first round order remains unchanged. Calgary will pick first, Swift Current second, Lethbridge (from Regina) picks third, the Blazers are 4th, Lethbridge's own pick drops to 5th, and Seattle drops to 6th.
For the six non-playoff teams, the season is essentially over now until the draft in six weeks.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Draft lottery Wednesday
For six teams, the 2010-11 season is over except for one last bit of business - the bantam draft lottery, which will be held Wednesday morning at 11am MST at the WHL offices in Calgary.
All six non-playoff teams will get a number of balls in the lottery machine, from which one ball will be drawn. The team whose ball that is will move up two spots in the draft order, with everything else remaining the same.
The current draft order, with number of balls in the lottery and corresponding chance of winning the lottery:
1. Calgary (6 balls - 28.57%)
2. Swift Current (5 balls - 23.81%)
3. Lethbridge (from Regina) (4 balls - 19.05%)
4. Lethbridge (3 balls - 14.29%)
5. Seattle (2 balls - 9.52%)
6. Kamloops (1 ball - 4.76%)
Obviously only the teams currently in the #1, #2, and #3 positions have a chance at landing the first overall selection. If the #4, #5, or #6 team wins the lottery, then they move up two spots and the Hitmen retain the first overall pick.
So, the chance at landing the first overall pick:
Calgary: 57.14%
Swift Current: 23.81%
Lethbridge: 19.05%
Any way you look at it, Lethbridge has to be feeling pretty good about the bantam draft, as they are going to definitely have two picks in the top five and an 86% chance of two picks in the top 4, including a 19% chance of picking first overall.
All six non-playoff teams will get a number of balls in the lottery machine, from which one ball will be drawn. The team whose ball that is will move up two spots in the draft order, with everything else remaining the same.
The current draft order, with number of balls in the lottery and corresponding chance of winning the lottery:
1. Calgary (6 balls - 28.57%)
2. Swift Current (5 balls - 23.81%)
3. Lethbridge (from Regina) (4 balls - 19.05%)
4. Lethbridge (3 balls - 14.29%)
5. Seattle (2 balls - 9.52%)
6. Kamloops (1 ball - 4.76%)
Obviously only the teams currently in the #1, #2, and #3 positions have a chance at landing the first overall selection. If the #4, #5, or #6 team wins the lottery, then they move up two spots and the Hitmen retain the first overall pick.
So, the chance at landing the first overall pick:
Calgary: 57.14%
Swift Current: 23.81%
Lethbridge: 19.05%
Any way you look at it, Lethbridge has to be feeling pretty good about the bantam draft, as they are going to definitely have two picks in the top five and an 86% chance of two picks in the top 4, including a 19% chance of picking first overall.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
One race left
The full schedule of 11 games tonight settled all but one of the playoff races, leaving Sunday as a day of rest for all but one team tomorrow.
Settled tonight were:
Medicine Hat beat Calgary and thus clinched the #3 seed in the East ahead of Kootenay, who will be #4.
Brandon won and thus clinched the #6 seed in the East ahead of Edmonton, who will be #7.
Portland won and Spokane lost, meaning Portland is the U.S. division and Western Conference champion. They will be #1 seed in the first round. Spokane will be #3 seed. The big head to head meeting between the two teams tomorrow in Portland is now meaningless unless Portland cares about getting one more point to pass Red Deer for 2nd overall in the league.
Portland's victory was over Seattle, and the loss by the Thunderbirds means they are eliminated from the playoffs and Everett has clinched a spot.
Lastly, Prince George won, clinching the #7 seed in the West in the process.
The only thing left to be decided is #5/#6 in the West, which currently sees Chilliwack leading Vancouver by one point. Chilliwack is done their schedule though while Vancouver has a date tomorrow with Everett. One point by Vancouver in that game will give them #5. An Everett regulation win leaves #5 with the Bruins.
All four playoff matchups in the East are set now, along with two of the matchups in the West.
In the East:
#1 Saskatoon will play #8 Prince Albert
#2 Red Deer will play #7 Edmonton
#3 Medicine Hat will play #6 Brandon
#4 Kootenay will play #5 Moose Jaw
In the West:
#1 Portland will play #8 Everett
#2 Kelowna will play #7 Prince George
Settled tonight were:
Medicine Hat beat Calgary and thus clinched the #3 seed in the East ahead of Kootenay, who will be #4.
Brandon won and thus clinched the #6 seed in the East ahead of Edmonton, who will be #7.
Portland won and Spokane lost, meaning Portland is the U.S. division and Western Conference champion. They will be #1 seed in the first round. Spokane will be #3 seed. The big head to head meeting between the two teams tomorrow in Portland is now meaningless unless Portland cares about getting one more point to pass Red Deer for 2nd overall in the league.
Portland's victory was over Seattle, and the loss by the Thunderbirds means they are eliminated from the playoffs and Everett has clinched a spot.
Lastly, Prince George won, clinching the #7 seed in the West in the process.
The only thing left to be decided is #5/#6 in the West, which currently sees Chilliwack leading Vancouver by one point. Chilliwack is done their schedule though while Vancouver has a date tomorrow with Everett. One point by Vancouver in that game will give them #5. An Everett regulation win leaves #5 with the Bruins.
All four playoff matchups in the East are set now, along with two of the matchups in the West.
In the East:
#1 Saskatoon will play #8 Prince Albert
#2 Red Deer will play #7 Edmonton
#3 Medicine Hat will play #6 Brandon
#4 Kootenay will play #5 Moose Jaw
In the West:
#1 Portland will play #8 Everett
#2 Kelowna will play #7 Prince George
Big night tonight
Two days left in the WHL regular season, and tonight's games could determine a lot of things.
Firstoff, two teams were mathematically eliminated last night - Lethbridge and Kamloops. With the Canes going out, Prince Albert has claimed the 8th spot in the East, and thus we also have our first playoff matchup determined - the Raiders will play Saskatoon in the first round.
Back to Kamloops; their demise at the hands of Prince George also allowed Prince George to clinch a playoff spot, meaning the final playoff spot in the West is now between Everett and Seattle. Don't bet on Seattle though as they need to win both their remaining games and have the Silvertips lose both their remaining games in regulation in order to have a shot through a tiebreaker.
And one last note on last night's outcomes - Red Deer has clinched the #2 spot in the East behind Saskatoon.
Tonight's important games:
MH vs CGY and KTN vs LTH. Kootenay is still pursuing the Tigers for #3 in the East. To pull it off, they need to win tonight and have the Tigers lose to Calgary either tonight or tomorrow.
MJ vs BRN and EDM vs RDR: Edmonton and Brandon are still battling for the #6/#7 spots in the East. Edmonton will get 6th if they win tonight and Brandon loses in regulation. Any other outcomes gives #6 to the Wheat Kings.
POR vs SEA and SPO vs TRI: A Portland win combined with a Spokane loss will give Portland the conference title. Any other outcome means they'll settle things head-to-head tomorrow.
CHI vs EVT and VAN vs KEL: Chilliwack and Vancouver are scrapping for the #5/#6 seeds in the West. A Chilliwack win with a Vancouver loss gives the #5 spot to the Bruins. A Chilliwack loss with a Vancouver win gives it to the Giants. Any other outcomes mean the Bruins will have to await the outcome of Vancouver's game tomorrow.
And of course, the EVT and SEA games are important for another reason as well - one point by Everett or one lost point by Seattle will eliminate the Thunderbirds and give the final playoff spot to Everett.
Firstoff, two teams were mathematically eliminated last night - Lethbridge and Kamloops. With the Canes going out, Prince Albert has claimed the 8th spot in the East, and thus we also have our first playoff matchup determined - the Raiders will play Saskatoon in the first round.
Back to Kamloops; their demise at the hands of Prince George also allowed Prince George to clinch a playoff spot, meaning the final playoff spot in the West is now between Everett and Seattle. Don't bet on Seattle though as they need to win both their remaining games and have the Silvertips lose both their remaining games in regulation in order to have a shot through a tiebreaker.
And one last note on last night's outcomes - Red Deer has clinched the #2 spot in the East behind Saskatoon.
Tonight's important games:
MH vs CGY and KTN vs LTH. Kootenay is still pursuing the Tigers for #3 in the East. To pull it off, they need to win tonight and have the Tigers lose to Calgary either tonight or tomorrow.
MJ vs BRN and EDM vs RDR: Edmonton and Brandon are still battling for the #6/#7 spots in the East. Edmonton will get 6th if they win tonight and Brandon loses in regulation. Any other outcomes gives #6 to the Wheat Kings.
POR vs SEA and SPO vs TRI: A Portland win combined with a Spokane loss will give Portland the conference title. Any other outcome means they'll settle things head-to-head tomorrow.
CHI vs EVT and VAN vs KEL: Chilliwack and Vancouver are scrapping for the #5/#6 seeds in the West. A Chilliwack win with a Vancouver loss gives the #5 spot to the Bruins. A Chilliwack loss with a Vancouver win gives it to the Giants. Any other outcomes mean the Bruins will have to await the outcome of Vancouver's game tomorrow.
And of course, the EVT and SEA games are important for another reason as well - one point by Everett or one lost point by Seattle will eliminate the Thunderbirds and give the final playoff spot to Everett.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday games & playoff races
Six games last night....how did they affect the postseason pushes:
Next, Prince Albert beat the Hitmen 6-2. This was a big win for the Raiders because it clinches them at least a tie for the 8th playoff spot in the East. The only way Lethbridge can make the playoffs now (and knock Prince Albert out) is to win both their remaining games and hope the Raiders lose both their remaining games in regulation. Then the two teams would have a one-game playoff to decide who gets the 8th spot. In other words - it's all over, Lethbridge.
Portland beat Vancouver 5-3. Important win for the Hawks as they try to hold off Spokane (who also won) for #1 seed in the West. Still one point apart and both teams have three games left. For the Giants, it's their 7th straight loss and they've now fallen out of 5th place down into 6th. It's looking more and more like Vancouver's season might have its earliest end in years.
Spokane topped Chilliwack 2-1 in a shootout. As mentioned above, Spokane is pursuing Portland for #1 in the West and they needed the win to keep pace with the Hawks. For Chilliwack, the loser point moves them ahead of Vancouver and into the #5 spot. Pretty good for a team that was battling for a playoff spot just three weeks ago.
As an aside, the shots on goal in the Spokane-Chilliwack game were recorded as 78-23 for the Chiefs. If this is true, then Chilliwack goalie Lucas Gore turned in the goaltending performance of the year in the WHL (by a mile!) in stopping 77 of 78 shots. However, that shot count is very, very hard to believe so hopefully the league will verify whether it is in fact accurate.
Everett edged Tri-City 2-1. Big win for Everett and they take a giant step towards clinching a playoff spot. One more win in their last three games should do it for them, I would think.
First, Saskatoon beat Moose Jaw 3-2 in a shootout. This game had no playoff implications at all since Saskatoon has clinched first place overall and Moose Jaw is locked in to the #5 seed in the East.
Next, Prince Albert beat the Hitmen 6-2. This was a big win for the Raiders because it clinches them at least a tie for the 8th playoff spot in the East. The only way Lethbridge can make the playoffs now (and knock Prince Albert out) is to win both their remaining games and hope the Raiders lose both their remaining games in regulation. Then the two teams would have a one-game playoff to decide who gets the 8th spot. In other words - it's all over, Lethbridge.
Portland beat Vancouver 5-3. Important win for the Hawks as they try to hold off Spokane (who also won) for #1 seed in the West. Still one point apart and both teams have three games left. For the Giants, it's their 7th straight loss and they've now fallen out of 5th place down into 6th. It's looking more and more like Vancouver's season might have its earliest end in years.
Spokane topped Chilliwack 2-1 in a shootout. As mentioned above, Spokane is pursuing Portland for #1 in the West and they needed the win to keep pace with the Hawks. For Chilliwack, the loser point moves them ahead of Vancouver and into the #5 spot. Pretty good for a team that was battling for a playoff spot just three weeks ago.
As an aside, the shots on goal in the Spokane-Chilliwack game were recorded as 78-23 for the Chiefs. If this is true, then Chilliwack goalie Lucas Gore turned in the goaltending performance of the year in the WHL (by a mile!) in stopping 77 of 78 shots. However, that shot count is very, very hard to believe so hopefully the league will verify whether it is in fact accurate.
Everett edged Tri-City 2-1. Big win for Everett and they take a giant step towards clinching a playoff spot. One more win in their last three games should do it for them, I would think.
And lastly, Seattle shutout Kelowna 5-0, a huge win for Seattle as they try to get themselves into a playoff spot. They are now 3 points back of Prince George in 8th and have a game in hand on the Cougars. It's still an uphill climb for the Birds but since a loss would have almost killed their chances, they are still alive at least. For Kelowna, the loss represents a blown chance to pass Tri-City for 3rd overall in the West, since the Ams lost. Kelowna still trails the Americans by one point and the Americans have a game in hand. Of course Kelowna is going to be #2 seed for the first round but the overall standings could be important in the 2nd round.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday's games
Few notes on the outcomes of the three games in the WHL last night and the impact on the playoff races...
First, Swift Current beat Regina 6-0. The loss by the Pats mathematically eliminates them from the playoffs, so they join the Broncos and Hitmen as teams not going to the postseason in the East.
Edmonton shellacked Lethbridge 8-1. For Edmonton, the win used up their game in hand on Brandon and moved them to just one point back of the Wheat Kings. Both teams have two games remaining, so their race for 6th/7th place will be decided on Friday & Saturday. The wins are the same now (31 each) and Edmonton owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wheaties if they finish tied in points AND wins.
For Lethbridge, the loss was a blow to their hopes of catching Prince Albert for the 8th and final playoff spot. They still trail the Raiders by two points and now the Raiders have a game in hand. Lethbridge must now play Kootenay twice, while the Raiders get to play Swift Current and Calgary. Realistically, it's all over for the Hurricanes now, you gotta think.
And lastly, Kootenay beat the Tigers 4-1, which keeps alive the Ice's slim chances of catching the Tigers for the #3 seed and also dealt a near-fatal blow to the Tigers' chances of catching the Rebels for #2. For the Tigers to claim #2 now, they have to win both their remaining games and have the Rebels lose both their remaining games in regulation. The Tigers finish with two against Calgary, so them winning both those games is a good possibility. The Rebels finish with two against Edmonton though, so them losing both those in regulation is somewhat less likely.
For the Ice to catch the Tigers for #3, the Ice need three more points from their last two games (against Lethbridge) than the Tigers get from their last two games against Calgary. Yeah, it's unlikely since Kootenay needs Calgary to beat the Tigers twice, at least once in regulation.
First, Swift Current beat Regina 6-0. The loss by the Pats mathematically eliminates them from the playoffs, so they join the Broncos and Hitmen as teams not going to the postseason in the East.
Edmonton shellacked Lethbridge 8-1. For Edmonton, the win used up their game in hand on Brandon and moved them to just one point back of the Wheat Kings. Both teams have two games remaining, so their race for 6th/7th place will be decided on Friday & Saturday. The wins are the same now (31 each) and Edmonton owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wheaties if they finish tied in points AND wins.
For Lethbridge, the loss was a blow to their hopes of catching Prince Albert for the 8th and final playoff spot. They still trail the Raiders by two points and now the Raiders have a game in hand. Lethbridge must now play Kootenay twice, while the Raiders get to play Swift Current and Calgary. Realistically, it's all over for the Hurricanes now, you gotta think.
And lastly, Kootenay beat the Tigers 4-1, which keeps alive the Ice's slim chances of catching the Tigers for the #3 seed and also dealt a near-fatal blow to the Tigers' chances of catching the Rebels for #2. For the Tigers to claim #2 now, they have to win both their remaining games and have the Rebels lose both their remaining games in regulation. The Tigers finish with two against Calgary, so them winning both those games is a good possibility. The Rebels finish with two against Edmonton though, so them losing both those in regulation is somewhat less likely.
For the Ice to catch the Tigers for #3, the Ice need three more points from their last two games (against Lethbridge) than the Tigers get from their last two games against Calgary. Yeah, it's unlikely since Kootenay needs Calgary to beat the Tigers twice, at least once in regulation.
Monday, March 14, 2011
More playoff race stuff
As promised, the West now....did the East last night (below)....
Nobody is eliminated in the West yet; all 10 teams could still make the playoffs. Six of the eight playoff spots have been claimed, but only two of those six spots are 'locked in'. And even those two teams might not want to take it easy....
There's probably four distinct races going on in the West this week:
First and most obviously, there's a four way race for the last two playoff spots between Prince George, Everett, Kamloops, and Seattle. This is definitely the most interesting race (though probably not the most important when you consider the winners are probably still first round fodder for the big dogs), because two teams (Everett and Seattle) have four games remaining each while the other two teams have only two games remaining each. Everett and Seattle, while having four games remaining, have tough schedules that are either road games or against top-four teams, or both. Kamloops and Prince George, who only have two games left, play both those games against each other....so somebody's going to lose some possible points.
Right now, Prince George (66pts) and Everett (65pts) are holding down the playoff spots with Kamloops (63pts) and Seattle (61pts) on the outside. Obviously Kamloops can take Prince George's spot if they sweep the two games between the two teams. On the other hand, one win for the Cougars probably clinches a spot for the Cougars AND probably eliminates Kamloops. For Everett, they play all their remaining games on the road, which is not a good thing for them since they're the worst road team in the conference. I think they probably need three points this week OR some Kamloops & Seattle losses. Seattle is in the toughest spot, they probably need to win minimum three or preferably all four of their remaining games, which is brutal since all four of their games are against the top four seeds, one against each. Honestly, I think Seattle is probably out of it. The other three teams though....should be a fun week.
There's also a race for top spot in the conference and the #1 seed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, between Portland and Spokane. The Chiefs trail the Hawks by 1 point and both teams have four games to play this week. Even better, they finish the season with a Sunday tilt against each other in Portland which could decide the title. Before Sunday though, Portland will entertain Vancouver and Everett, and pay a visit to Seattle. The Chiefs will host Chilliwack and Seattle, and visit the Tri-Cities. Portland has the tiebreaker edge in wins and the much easier schedule, unless Spokane beats the Bruins and Americans first I have a feeling that Sunday's game might not matter.
The third race is between Vancouver and Chilliwack for the #5/#6 seeds. They are currently tied with 71 points, with the Giants having one game in hand over the Bruins. Tough schedules all around though - they both play Everett once at home but other than that, the Bruins visit Spokane and Tri-City while the Giants have a home-and-home with Kelowna and a visit to Portland. No easy points for anyone. Giants are really sputtering lately while the Bruins are surging, so don't be surprised to see Chilliwack take the #5 spot despite having fewer games to play.
The last race, one that won't matter until the 2nd round of the playoffs if at all, is between Kelowna and Tri-City for 3rd overall in the conference. For the first round, Kelowna is going to be the #2 seed and Tri-City is going to be the #4 seed. That is set in stone. But for the 2nd round of the playoffs, the divisions are dropped and everyone gets reseeded by points. Assuming the top 4 seeds all win in the first round, Portland/Spokane will be #1/#2 in the 2nd round, and Kelowna/Tri-City will be #3/#4. So, their remaining games are not meaningless....unless you don't care whether you're #3 or #4 since right now it's impossible to determine who of Portland/Spokane #1 & #2 will be.
So, lots of drama still to come in both conferences with just five days of games remaining....
Nobody is eliminated in the West yet; all 10 teams could still make the playoffs. Six of the eight playoff spots have been claimed, but only two of those six spots are 'locked in'. And even those two teams might not want to take it easy....
There's probably four distinct races going on in the West this week:
First and most obviously, there's a four way race for the last two playoff spots between Prince George, Everett, Kamloops, and Seattle. This is definitely the most interesting race (though probably not the most important when you consider the winners are probably still first round fodder for the big dogs), because two teams (Everett and Seattle) have four games remaining each while the other two teams have only two games remaining each. Everett and Seattle, while having four games remaining, have tough schedules that are either road games or against top-four teams, or both. Kamloops and Prince George, who only have two games left, play both those games against each other....so somebody's going to lose some possible points.
Right now, Prince George (66pts) and Everett (65pts) are holding down the playoff spots with Kamloops (63pts) and Seattle (61pts) on the outside. Obviously Kamloops can take Prince George's spot if they sweep the two games between the two teams. On the other hand, one win for the Cougars probably clinches a spot for the Cougars AND probably eliminates Kamloops. For Everett, they play all their remaining games on the road, which is not a good thing for them since they're the worst road team in the conference. I think they probably need three points this week OR some Kamloops & Seattle losses. Seattle is in the toughest spot, they probably need to win minimum three or preferably all four of their remaining games, which is brutal since all four of their games are against the top four seeds, one against each. Honestly, I think Seattle is probably out of it. The other three teams though....should be a fun week.
There's also a race for top spot in the conference and the #1 seed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, between Portland and Spokane. The Chiefs trail the Hawks by 1 point and both teams have four games to play this week. Even better, they finish the season with a Sunday tilt against each other in Portland which could decide the title. Before Sunday though, Portland will entertain Vancouver and Everett, and pay a visit to Seattle. The Chiefs will host Chilliwack and Seattle, and visit the Tri-Cities. Portland has the tiebreaker edge in wins and the much easier schedule, unless Spokane beats the Bruins and Americans first I have a feeling that Sunday's game might not matter.
The third race is between Vancouver and Chilliwack for the #5/#6 seeds. They are currently tied with 71 points, with the Giants having one game in hand over the Bruins. Tough schedules all around though - they both play Everett once at home but other than that, the Bruins visit Spokane and Tri-City while the Giants have a home-and-home with Kelowna and a visit to Portland. No easy points for anyone. Giants are really sputtering lately while the Bruins are surging, so don't be surprised to see Chilliwack take the #5 spot despite having fewer games to play.
The last race, one that won't matter until the 2nd round of the playoffs if at all, is between Kelowna and Tri-City for 3rd overall in the conference. For the first round, Kelowna is going to be the #2 seed and Tri-City is going to be the #4 seed. That is set in stone. But for the 2nd round of the playoffs, the divisions are dropped and everyone gets reseeded by points. Assuming the top 4 seeds all win in the first round, Portland/Spokane will be #1/#2 in the 2nd round, and Kelowna/Tri-City will be #3/#4. So, their remaining games are not meaningless....unless you don't care whether you're #3 or #4 since right now it's impossible to determine who of Portland/Spokane #1 & #2 will be.
So, lots of drama still to come in both conferences with just five days of games remaining....
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Playoff races and notes
I'm back...all is well. A little look at the conference playoff races as we enter the final week of the season....
In the East, seven teams have clinched playoff spots now, and the final playoff spot race is going to come down to two teams - Prince Albert and Lethbridge. Regina mathematically has a chance, but their chance requires them to win all three remaining games while having the Raiders lose their remaining three, all in regulation. The Pats would then have to beat the Raiders in a one-game playoff. Oh, and Lethbridge couldn't win any games either. So, there's really no chance there for Regina - they join Calgary and Swift Current as three of the four Eastern teams who will miss the playoffs.
Back to the Raiders/Hurricanes race - Prince Albert has a huge edge over the Hurricanes in that race. Both teams have three games remaining, but the Raiders have a two point lead AND also have a much easier remaining schedule - all three of their remaining games are against Swift Current (twice) and Calgary. The Hurricanes have to play Kootenay twice, plus Edmonton. Since the 'Canes have to make up two points on the Raiders, they may have to sweep their remaining games and then hope the Raiders lose two points to the Broncos or Hitmen. It doesn't look pretty for the Canes.
In the other races, only two teams aren't in one. Saskatoon is going to be seed #1, and Moose Jaw is going to be #5. They can coast this week; everyone else could still change spots.
Kootenay is very likely going to be #4 and play Moose Jaw. They could catch Medicine Hat for #3 but it probably requires the Ice to win their last three games while having the Tigers lose their last three - and the Tigers play Calgary twice so this is a longshot. But the Ice & Tigers do meet on Tuesday in the Hat so let's see what happens there first.
The Tigers are also in another race, with Red Deer for the #2 seed. Again, this feat will probably require the Tigers to win all three remaining games though, while having the Rebels lose one of their season-ending home-and-home with the Oil Kings.
The two "Kings", Brandon and Edmonton, are also not done settling the #6/#7 spots either. Brandon has a 3 point lead on the Oil Kings, who have one game in hand on the Wheat Kings. Brandon finishes up with a home-and-home against Moose Jaw, while Edmonton has the aforementioned two with Red Deer plus one against Lethbridge. Moose Jaw has nothing to play for, so they may not be as much help as Edmonton would like. And Brandon has been one of the hottest teams in the league for weeks now, so I think they'll hold onto this one. But we'll watch it anyway.
And last East note, Calgary has locked up last overall. If they win only one thing the rest of the year, I'm sure they hope it is next Wednesday when the bantam draft lottery is held.
The Hitmen were first overall last year. I need to research this some more, but going back 20 years to 1990 at least, there has not been another case in the WHL of a team going from first overall to last overall in successive years.
I will do the Western conference playoff races Monday morning. Promise.
My take.....I'm not howling for Chara's blood like some are. I think everyone can agree that it was a fairly routine hockey play, something you see a lot of - forward chips the puck past the defenceman, tries to beat him outside while he pivots, and gets rubbed into the boards. I understand why the NHL took no action. I know some people say it was interference - yes, by the letter of the law it was since Pacioretty didn't have the puck. On the other hand, players have always been allowed to "finish their checks", which almost always means hitting a guy who doesn't have the puck anymore.
I think though, given the epidemic of head injuries we're seeing, that some of our ideas about what is a "routine play" or "finishing your check" are going to have to change. Do we need a rule that simply states that if you hit an opponent and the result is either that you make contact with his head or that his head contacts the boards, then that's a penalty?
In the East, seven teams have clinched playoff spots now, and the final playoff spot race is going to come down to two teams - Prince Albert and Lethbridge. Regina mathematically has a chance, but their chance requires them to win all three remaining games while having the Raiders lose their remaining three, all in regulation. The Pats would then have to beat the Raiders in a one-game playoff. Oh, and Lethbridge couldn't win any games either. So, there's really no chance there for Regina - they join Calgary and Swift Current as three of the four Eastern teams who will miss the playoffs.
Back to the Raiders/Hurricanes race - Prince Albert has a huge edge over the Hurricanes in that race. Both teams have three games remaining, but the Raiders have a two point lead AND also have a much easier remaining schedule - all three of their remaining games are against Swift Current (twice) and Calgary. The Hurricanes have to play Kootenay twice, plus Edmonton. Since the 'Canes have to make up two points on the Raiders, they may have to sweep their remaining games and then hope the Raiders lose two points to the Broncos or Hitmen. It doesn't look pretty for the Canes.
In the other races, only two teams aren't in one. Saskatoon is going to be seed #1, and Moose Jaw is going to be #5. They can coast this week; everyone else could still change spots.
Kootenay is very likely going to be #4 and play Moose Jaw. They could catch Medicine Hat for #3 but it probably requires the Ice to win their last three games while having the Tigers lose their last three - and the Tigers play Calgary twice so this is a longshot. But the Ice & Tigers do meet on Tuesday in the Hat so let's see what happens there first.
The Tigers are also in another race, with Red Deer for the #2 seed. Again, this feat will probably require the Tigers to win all three remaining games though, while having the Rebels lose one of their season-ending home-and-home with the Oil Kings.
The two "Kings", Brandon and Edmonton, are also not done settling the #6/#7 spots either. Brandon has a 3 point lead on the Oil Kings, who have one game in hand on the Wheat Kings. Brandon finishes up with a home-and-home against Moose Jaw, while Edmonton has the aforementioned two with Red Deer plus one against Lethbridge. Moose Jaw has nothing to play for, so they may not be as much help as Edmonton would like. And Brandon has been one of the hottest teams in the league for weeks now, so I think they'll hold onto this one. But we'll watch it anyway.
And last East note, Calgary has locked up last overall. If they win only one thing the rest of the year, I'm sure they hope it is next Wednesday when the bantam draft lottery is held.
The Hitmen were first overall last year. I need to research this some more, but going back 20 years to 1990 at least, there has not been another case in the WHL of a team going from first overall to last overall in successive years.
I will do the Western conference playoff races Monday morning. Promise.
And one last thing today, from the NHL world. The infamous Zdeno Chara vs Max Pacioretty incident has dominated the NHL headlines the last week or so, and at least in my opinion it is highly likely that this incident is going to force the NHL in the offseason to take a firmer stance on actions that result in hits to opponents heads. No doubt whatever the NHL does will trickle down to the CHL level within a year (or even less) so it's something that definitely bears close watching if you're a major junior fan.
My take.....I'm not howling for Chara's blood like some are. I think everyone can agree that it was a fairly routine hockey play, something you see a lot of - forward chips the puck past the defenceman, tries to beat him outside while he pivots, and gets rubbed into the boards. I understand why the NHL took no action. I know some people say it was interference - yes, by the letter of the law it was since Pacioretty didn't have the puck. On the other hand, players have always been allowed to "finish their checks", which almost always means hitting a guy who doesn't have the puck anymore.
I think though, given the epidemic of head injuries we're seeing, that some of our ideas about what is a "routine play" or "finishing your check" are going to have to change. Do we need a rule that simply states that if you hit an opponent and the result is either that you make contact with his head or that his head contacts the boards, then that's a penalty?
And oh yeah....one more thing, about the two sponsors, Air Canada and Via Rail, tsk-tsking the NHL over its decision to not suspend Chara. While they probably echoed the sentiments of some fans around the league, the fact that these happen to be two companies whose corporate headquarters are in Montreal and thus their head offices are likely stuffed full of Habs fans makes their "outrage" come across as a little un-objective, perhaps? I can picture a boardroom full of outraged Habs-fans-slash-Air-Canada-employees, allowing their emotions as fans to override their professionalism and deciding to use their company to make a statement.....completely ignoring what might be best for the stakeholders of the company. I think in the end, A-C and Via have come off looking foolish in this situation and that is surely not what is in the best interests of their stakeholders.
Oh yeah, and Via Rail is still funded by the Canadian government. Your tax dollars at work, folks.....those north of the border anyway.
Stretch run stats 2011
Down to the final week now. Some stats of interest....
Remaining games by team:
Brandon (2)
Home (1): Moose Jaw
Away (1): Moose Jaw
Calgary (3)
Home (2): Prince Albert, Medicine Hat
Away (1): Medicine Hat
Chilliwack (3)
Home (1): Everett
Away (2): Spokane, Tri-City
Edmonton (3)
Home (2): Lethbridge, Red Deer
Away (1): Red Deer
Everett (4)
Away (4): Tri-City, Portland, Chilliwack, Vancouver
Kamloops (2)
Home (1): Prince George
Away (1): Prince George
Kelowna (3)
Home (2): Seattle, Vancouver
Away (1): Vancouver
Kootenay (3)
Home (1): Lethbridge
Away (2): Medicine Hat, Lethbridge
Lethbridge (3)
Home (1): Kootenay
Away (2): Edmonton, Kootenay
Medicine Hat (3)
Home (2): Kootenay, Calgary
Away (1): Calgary
Moose Jaw (3)
Home (1): Brandon
Away (2): Saskatoon, Brandon
Portland (4)
Home (3): Vancouver, Everett, Spokane
Away (1): Seattle
Prince Albert (3)
Home (1): Swift Current
Away (2): Calgary, Swift Current
Prince George (2)
Home (1): Kamloops
Away (1): Kamloops
Red Deer (2)
Home (1): Edmonton
Away (1): Edmonton
Regina (3)
Home (1): Saskatoon
Away (2): Swift Current, Saskatoon
Saskatoon (3)
Home (2): Moose Jaw, Regina
Away (1): Regina
Seattle (4)
Home (2): Portland, Tri-City
Away (2): Kelowna, Spokane
Spokane (4)
Home (2): Chilliwack, Seattle
Away (2): Tri-City, Portland
Swift Current (3)
Home (2): Regina, Prince Albert
Away (1): Prince Albert
Tri-City (4)
Home (3): Everett, Chilliwack, Spokane
Away (1): Seattle
Vancouver (4)
Home (2): Kelowna, Everett
Away (2): Portland, Kelowna
Remaining games by team:
Brandon (2)
Home (1): Moose Jaw
Away (1): Moose Jaw
Calgary (3)
Home (2): Prince Albert, Medicine Hat
Away (1): Medicine Hat
Chilliwack (3)
Home (1): Everett
Away (2): Spokane, Tri-City
Edmonton (3)
Home (2): Lethbridge, Red Deer
Away (1): Red Deer
Everett (4)
Away (4): Tri-City, Portland, Chilliwack, Vancouver
Kamloops (2)
Home (1): Prince George
Away (1): Prince George
Kelowna (3)
Home (2): Seattle, Vancouver
Away (1): Vancouver
Kootenay (3)
Home (1): Lethbridge
Away (2): Medicine Hat, Lethbridge
Lethbridge (3)
Home (1): Kootenay
Away (2): Edmonton, Kootenay
Medicine Hat (3)
Home (2): Kootenay, Calgary
Away (1): Calgary
Moose Jaw (3)
Home (1): Brandon
Away (2): Saskatoon, Brandon
Portland (4)
Home (3): Vancouver, Everett, Spokane
Away (1): Seattle
Prince Albert (3)
Home (1): Swift Current
Away (2): Calgary, Swift Current
Prince George (2)
Home (1): Kamloops
Away (1): Kamloops
Red Deer (2)
Home (1): Edmonton
Away (1): Edmonton
Regina (3)
Home (1): Saskatoon
Away (2): Swift Current, Saskatoon
Saskatoon (3)
Home (2): Moose Jaw, Regina
Away (1): Regina
Seattle (4)
Home (2): Portland, Tri-City
Away (2): Kelowna, Spokane
Spokane (4)
Home (2): Chilliwack, Seattle
Away (2): Tri-City, Portland
Swift Current (3)
Home (2): Regina, Prince Albert
Away (1): Prince Albert
Tri-City (4)
Home (3): Everett, Chilliwack, Spokane
Away (1): Seattle
Vancouver (4)
Home (2): Kelowna, Everett
Away (2): Portland, Kelowna
Last updated: after games of March 13th.
If the season ended today, the playoff matchups would be:
If the season ended today, the playoff matchups would be:
Eastern Conference:
#1 Saskatoon Blades vs #8 Prince Albert Raiders
#1 Saskatoon Blades vs #8 Prince Albert Raiders
#2 Red Deer Rebels vs #7 Edmonton Oil Kings
#3 Medicine Hat Tigers vs #6 Brandon Wheat Kings
#4 Kootenay Ice vs #5 Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference:
#1 Portland Winterhawks vs #8 Everett Silvertips
#1 Portland Winterhawks vs #8 Everett Silvertips
#2 Kelowna Rockets vs #7 Prince George Cougars
#3 Spokane Chiefs vs #6 Chilliwack Bruins
#4 Tri-City Americans vs #5 Vancouver Giants
Monday, March 7, 2011
No updates for a bit
I know the blog has been a bit quiet lately so I'm sure this isn't going to impact any of you that much, but there will be no updates for the next 3-4 days - that includes the remaining schedules and magic numbers, etc.. I'm going in to the shop for some repairs.
Hopefully when I return I will be able to update more frequently than I have for the last month. Playoffs are coming, after all....
Hopefully when I return I will be able to update more frequently than I have for the last month. Playoffs are coming, after all....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)