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KlusteR's 5 Takeaways - SMJHL Mid-Season Report
#1

I'm going to try and make this a weekly column (maybe not as long), but we all have to start somewhere! With the season well underway, it's good to look back at the first 36 game days of the season, and analyze the trends shaping up the current SMJHL climate at the halfway point of the season (give or take). Without further ado, here are KlusteR's 5 Takeaways.

1. The Detroit Falcons Are For Real

This team started the season looking like world-beaters - and I even heard some of my colleagues wondering why the season was still going on, and why not already crown the Falcons champions! It's true that when a team starts with a 12-3-0 record, it strikes the imagination of many a beat writer. Lead by the ever-steady first line of Espen Knutsen Jr., Savoli Tankovic and Austin Roenick, and backed up by a stellar showing of goaltender Emiko Spector, the Falcons have cooled off a bit since their blazing start, but that doesn't mean that they are not still favorites to win the Four Star Cup at the end of the season in a lot of people's minds.

They still sit pretty atop the SMJHL standings, with a record of 17-6-3, good for 37 points - and a three point lead against their closest pursuant, the Kelowna Knights. What strikes me the most when looking at all the stats for this team is their monstrous goal differential. Not only do the Falcons score more than everyone else (91 goals on the season), but they also allowed the fewest goals in the SMJHL so far (58 goals against), giving them a whopping +33 GD - a 17 goal differential lead! Couple that with a very experienced lineup from top to bottom, and you can see why the experts are all but convinced that season 49 is THEIR year.

2. So, Who Are The Second Fiddles?

To the chagrin of our Detroit readers, the Falcons aren't alone in the league - and the aforementioned Kelowna Knights, as well as the Montreal Militia who are currently sitting in third place, are baring their fangs at the Falcons' heels. Both teams have their eyes set on home ice advantage coming into the playoffs, and are in hot pursuit of the leader's seat in the SMJHL. With their stellar play away from home, Kelowna and Montreal could very well be in the conversation in the closing days of season 49, should they find those winning ways at home as well.

What I love the most about Kelowna's roster is that everyone seems to be pulling their weight. Secondary scoring from the bottom six, and mostly, a steady offensive contribution from the blue line, has helped shape the Knights into a team against which every shift matters. Backstopped by an impressive duo of Alexander Thorstrom and rookie Rob Blake, they are a very well-rounded team - a quality you absolutely need to go far in the playoffs.

As for Montreal, this is a team that is galvanized by the play and offensive production of their stars Gaspard Boone, Henry Morris IV and Padraig Sarantez - but don't think for a moment that I'm seeing this team as a "one-line show". This is another deep, albeit young team, where secondary scoring plays a big role in getting those crucial away wins they've been notching all year. And looking at Mike Hunt's play between the pipes, it's no wonder why the Militia are pulling themselves ahead of the pack to reinforce their status as a top-3 team in the SMJHL. Speaking of which...

3. The Rat Pack

Pure insanity, and standings that swing wildly every day. This is what we've seen of the remainder of the SMJHL, where no one team has a real hold of their position. Even the bottom of the standings is currently in muddied waters, with Anchorage's resurgence of the last week after a disastrous start to the campaign. Picture this - only 3 days ago, the Lethbridge Lions, accompanied by fellow basement-dwellers, the Vancouver Whalers and Anchorage Armada, were flipping and flopping at the bottom while the rest of the league was pulling ahead. And when I wake up this morning, what do I see? The Lions have overtaken the 5th place in the standings after two strong wins against Anaheim, and now that Vancouver has a similar four game winning streak, they're also right back in the conversation!

What's more, even after a bad stretch, Anchorage is still well within striking distance of the 4th place Halifax Raiders - at 23 points against Halifax's 29, they still have a smaller points differential than the Raiders have with the league-leading Detroit Falcons. It's absolute pandemonium in the middle of the standings! Of course, a long-winded winning streak, or a back-breaking losing streak could see things change in the upcoming days, but right now, it's a very exciting time to be a neutral fan of the SMJHL, as any team can vie for a first-round bye - and this deep in the season, you can bet some GMs are shortening their life-span by watching the standings on the daily.

4. Rookie Standouts

One of the biggest pleasures of following the junior league is to see the young talent blossom as the season unfolds. Season 49 is no different, and it has brought with it a bountiful harvest that will be ready for the pickings of our 16 SHL teams in just a few weeks. Right now, we can safely say that the Montreal Militia and the Lethbridge Lions will be the "belles of the ball" when looking at Season 50's SHL draft, each team showing an impressive amount of rookies in their respective teams, and both teams can boast about their rookies' production so far this season.

The Militia, as mentioned earlier, have shown that they are not afraid to give some space to the youngsters on their line-up, and they have answered in kind. Alexei Rykov is currently sitting 4th in the team's scoring chart, and is co-leading the league for rookies, with 18 points in 27 games - a 5th round steal by the Montreal front office. Aiding the dynamic Russian winger are Tom Fiddler, Bobby Lane (who's even getting a taste of the first line lately) and Ricky Bobby - they are even getting some offensive contribution from their rookie defenseman Zbigniew Pokrywka.

On their part, the Lions took some time to slowly slot their rookies into more and more prominent roles within the line-up - and their current resurgence in the standings is no stranger to their rookies taking their place. Luca Veccelli shares the top of the rookies' scoring race with Montreal's Rykov, with 18 points in 26 games. Behind the Swiss, the Japanese dynamic duo of Akira Ren and Disisde Dayudie are leading all rookie defensemen with their offensive production, and have solidified the right side of their defense. Third line center Johnny Patey also deserves a mention in this column.

Speaking of mentions, these two teams are not the only ones with performing rookies. Anaheim Outlaw's Ivan Maximus, St. Louis Scarecrows' Yamamoto Mitsuharu and Anchorage Armada's Andrei Petrikov are closing in a very contested top-10 for rookie scoring in the SMJHL. I would be remiss in not mentioning Anchorage's Ian Venables, who is surging onto the scene as the Armada's starter even in his rookie season, as well as defensemen Bjorn Leppanen of the Vancouver Whalers, and Ursin Zimmerman of the Anaheim Outlaws, who are shaping up to be very dependable for their respective teams.

5. The Trade Deadline Looms

As we get further and further into the season, some teams may feel like they should pull the trigger to reinforce some of their weaknesses. I'm currently not hearing any rumblings among my sources, and the past few trade deadlines have been anything but hectic, but in my experience, it only takes one deal to be done for the pot to start boiling, and for GMs to take their phones out of their pockets. Although Halifax's recent attempt to snag Jimmy Slothface from the Vancouver Whalers was in no way a world-shaker, it could prove to be a starting point to more enticing conversations in the coming week.

While this is pure speculation, I could see teams like Anchorage and Anaheim trying to shake things up. It is in no way disastrous, but their numbers are lagging a bit behind the rest of the league both offensively and defensively, and they could look to shore up one of those aspects for a real push for seeding - especially the Outlaws, who will certainly want to avenge their heart-breaking game 7 loss in the Four Star Cup final last year against Vancouver in this season's playoffs.

(1502 words)

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Special thanks to @Carpy48, @Chevy, @Turd Ferguson, @fever95 and @enigmatic for the signatures!
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#2

Wasn't expecting the shoutout but it is much appreciated. <3

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#3

Great article man! Best water dispensing AND articles in the SMJHL.

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#4

Great article!

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