Create Account

Kelowna Knights S49 Midseason Report
#1

Hello people, this is Richard Long with the Kelowna Herald coming back to you with another article on your favourite local team, the Knights. We’re almost midway through the season and will be covering some stories that have developed in the first half. At this time the Knights are in second place in the league with a record of 13-6-2 and are 6-3-1 in their last ten games played. With 28pts in the standings they’re already close to surpassing the 35pt total from a full season last year. Even losing some great players in the offseason, their shoes have been filled in big ways and with such a big influx from the draft the team is starting to flesh out.

Team Improvements:

Kelowna has seen their goals per game skyrocket to 3.33, tied for second from a measly 2.44 the previous season which was by far last in the league. Goals against have pretty much inverted, dropped to 2.48/game the second least from 3.54 the most last season. In shots for/against, the Knights have climbed up to 5th with 102.10% after an awful 81.23% in S48. They’re also seeing a significant reduction in PIMs per game. Effectively a one penalty drop off per game, down to 9.05pim/game this season instead of 11.04/game last year. We can also tell you their 5 on 5 scoring has drastically improved due to the next section we’re going cover.

[Image: lNzLBcE.png]

Things to work on:

With the upswing in shot and goal generation, there is still something left to be desired with this season’s Knights. Their Powerplay has fallen off a cliff, dropping to a last place 12.50% this season from a 4th place 21.71% last season. Penalty kill has risen by a small amount to 80.68% from 75.23% but is still under the league average. If the Knights can manage to turn their special teams around, it could be a long postseason. Another thing that could give this team a small edge would be some more wins in the faceoff dot. Coming off a 50.04% last season, they’ve improved slightly to 50.68%, however still falling a spot in league rankings from 5th to 6th. You would think with rookie Ryan Shepard being among one of the higher win percentages in the league and replacing the horrendous 36.87% of Jack Icicle it would go up, but Aleksandr Scherbak has dipped a couple percent this season. It’s unlikely for them to improve much on this number, we think a good goal for the team would be a high 51%.

[Image: jprzrNB.png]

Goaltenders:

Kelowna’s goaltender’s have been nothing short of amazing this season. The offseason trade to bring in Alexander Thorstrom has really paid off. The rookie Rob Blake brought in through the draft has helped as well. We’ll start with the rookie, drafted 24th overall. Rob Blake has already started in four of the six games required by the backup so we probably won’t see him too much more this season. He also took over once for Thorstrom half a game early on. In his 279 minutes played, he’s posted some great stats for a rookie going 3-0-1 losing in a shootout with .892 SV% and 2.80 GAA. At the time of writing this, Alexander Thorstrom is the second best goalie in the league. He was acquired in the offseason for Kelowna’s 41st overall pick, which would end up being Daniel Kuster. Currently with 991 minutes played in 17 games he has a record of 10-6-1 but is giving his team a chance to win every night. He is second best for both SV% and GAA with .902% and 2.30 respectively, also posting two shutouts. His 10 wins puts him third in the league, behind two goalies with more games played.        

Last season’s rookies stepping up:

After coming into the league last season, Raquel Castillo Gutierrez and Prince Devitt have stepped up huge their second time around. Devitt matched his point total from last year in 29 fewer games and moved up to the second pairing of defensemen. If Horvat or LeBlanc move on to their SHL clubs next season, he will be a lock to make the top pairing. Raquel Castillo Gutierrez (Rocky as she prefers) has blown past her previous season’s point total playing on the top line. With 11g 11a in 21 games, she leads the team and is 9th league wide in scoring and is on the league leaderboards for goals and plus/minus. She’s front runner for team MVP at this time, and could definitely be in the discussion for league MVP if she keeps this up. After one and a half seasons these two players don’t have much left to learn down in the juniors, one wonders how long they’ll stay with Knights. We managed to get an interview in with each of them at a morning practice First we spoke with Prince Devitt:

KH (Kelowna Herald): How do you feel about matching your previous season's point total in 21 games, and what do you expect of the club going forward this season and next?

PD: I really expect us to make a run for the Four Star Cup this season. Last year was a bump in the road for us. The Knights were in a rebuilding mode at the time and us finishing last in the league motivated us to be stronger this time around. As for matching my point total, it doesn't really matter as long the team is winning.

KH: How long do you think you'll remain in the SMJHL with your current SHL team having a loaded defense core?

PD: I've been told once Maksimov retires which should be very soon, that I will be called up by the Dragons


A short but powerful interview. Next we asked the team’s leading scorer about the team and improving.

KH: How do you feel leading the team with 22 points in 21 games after just 16 last season?

Rocky: It's great to be getting better. It's great to see the work I've put in paying off. Especially after all of the disappointment going into the season, it's nice to feel like I'm making a bigger difference. My rookie season was a bit of a toss-up since the team wasn't really as filled out as it is this year. The support I'm getting from everyone is fantastic and I can trust that if I get into position, someone will get me the puck or if I pass it to someone, they can do something with it. That's what it's all about in hockey. Just being able to trust the people you're out there with.

KH: What do you think of hearing your name pop up in league MVP conversations at this point?  

Rocky: I don't know whether I should say that I expected it or if I should be humble, but when you think about it it makes sense. I was among the top rookies last season and some of those rookies moved on and we're a season on. As you get older in the juniors, it feels less like you're rising to the top and more like the top is sinking down towards you, if that makes sense. So looking at what I did last season, it was only logical to think that I would continue to trend upwards. The surprise is looking at how high it's taken me. I'd credit it mostly to having a good team around me. Hockey is a team sport, I can't score goals if my teammates can't get me the puck and I can't get assists if my teammates can't score on their own. So in terms of being a league MVP candidate, I see it less as me personally being the best and more being chosen by my teammates to be the team's 'champion' to go up against the rest of the league. It's a more fun way to think of it, I guess.

KH: What are your expectations for the team going forward?

Rocky: We’ve already gotten this far on the work we’ve done so far. I trust that our rookies are going to work even harder. Maybe we might not be in the finals this season, but this is a special squad. I think that we can win it all within the next couple seasons. At the very least, while I’m still here.

KH: How long do you think you’ll stay in Kelowna?

Rocky: I'm staying in Kelowna as long as they'll allow me.


There you have it, a team first attitude from both of these players who will be big pieces for this club over the next couple seasons.

[Image: Y0ldPV5.png]

The Third Line:

The Knight’s all rookie third line of Andre Barbashev II, Gylfi Eriksson, and Ryan Shepard have given the team some great depth. They’ve all meshed very well together and have done about as well as a third line could do averaging 12.5 minutes a game. Barbashev and Eriksson currently sit with 3g 2a each, and Shepard at 2g 2a. Although this line has only combined for 14 points in 21 games, they all sit at a pleasant +2. This means the coach is able to put them out when needed without much worry. Shepard has been on and off the league leaderboard for faceoff percentage this season. At the time of writing this, he sits at 5th league wide with 55.33%. We’ll see if this starts to dip when he starts to play against other team’s top sixes. All three players have been exemplary off the ice and always keep up with their training. However, one thing that’s been holding Eriksson back is using gear that’s starting to fall apart. His teammates have finally convinced him to spend his contract money and a new set of equipment to finish off the season with. As they fill out the rest of the season, Kelowna could have tremendous depth headed into the Four Star Cup playoffs.          

Thanks for reading, please feel free to call or mail us with any comments you may have. This has been Richard Long with your Kelowna Herald Knights report.

(1706 words + research)

[Image: jrousseau.gif]
[Image: j7ebBxQ.png] [Image: FbT2Pb1.png]
Canada Knights Canada Knights Canada
Reply
#2

Knights Knights Knights Knights Knights

Player Page || Update Page

[Image: a5C9JXf.png]



CERTIFIED THREAD KILLER
MONTREAL IMPACT FOREVER
Reply
#3

[Image: tenor.gif]

[Image: KouSaotomeUndraftedSigSmol.png]
Jamie T Wrote:But I wish I'd been a little more exceptional
And I wish I'd been a little unconventional
But I was not enough, no, I'm not enough
Reply




Users browsing this thread:
1 Guest(s)




Navigation

 

Extra Menu

 

About us

The Simulation Hockey League is a free online forums based sim league where you create your own fantasy hockey player. Join today and create your player, become a GM, get drafted, sign contracts, make trades and compete against hundreds of players from around the world.