The SMJHL is (almost) one-third through the campaign of S58. So far, there have been some clear outliers in the pack who have been truly dominant against other clubs, such as the Citadelles and the Knights. There have also been some middling teams with solid results thus far who might need a little bit more legwork to really stick out, like the Battleborn, the Armada, and the Falcons. But looking at Anaheim, it's tough to gage exactly where they should stand. They are still, technically, in the hunt for the postseason: just as every team is considering no one has, technically, been eliminated yet. But a record of 6-14-1 is far from the most attractive in the league. This comes despite scoring 58 goals this season, the 2nd most in the Western division. Unfortunately, struggles on the defensive end have truly bogged down Anaheim with 80 goals allowed: the most allowed in the league. So how have Anaheim's players fared so far? And is there still time for the Outlaws to claw their way into postseason contention. Why don't I...answer those questions...now.

Leading the way in scoring for the Outlaws is Left-Wing Walter Burke. Burke has found the back on the net 8 times this season, as well as 8 assists: making him the leader in points for the Outlaws with 16. Directly under him is the team leader in assists Kaapo Kampainen, who's posted 9 assisted and 5 goals. Burke and Kampainen have succeeded well off of power plays with 3 goals each in such situations. Other offensive leaders include Hubert Andrews with 12 points, Max Muller with 11, and rookie Ryuuji Kawashima with 10. Other rookie contributors include Videl Valor, who's 2nd amongst Outlaws in shot percentage. Rookie center Bob Duncan only has one goal but has dished out 4 assists in limited playing time. Shirakai Fubuki has struggled in their rookie season so far but looks to have plenty of upside and is getting a lot of shots despite limited playing time.

What has looked to be the real bane of the Outlaws' defense is the relative inexperience of a lot of their defenders. The Outlaws have 4 rookie defenders who are all playing major minutes. In the goal, the Outlaws have been swapping between veteran Vincent Mietitore and rookie IStawp Puques. Mietitore playing in the net has yielded a record of 5-8-1 with 42 goals allowed. Meanwhile, Puques has found himself with only 1 win and 6 losses, as well as 31 goals allowed. While it's hard to point out where exactly the fault lies defensively for Anaheim, it is clear that improvement needs to be made by both the defenders and the forwards defensively. 

Anaheim didn't head into S58 as one of the favorites. But I believe some solid play by their young players should allow for them to become one of the better teams in the future. They might not find success this season, but there are plenty of reasons to look out for the Outlaws come S59. Overall, the Outlaws have had some flashes of very good play. But it does look like defensive improvements are necessary for the Outlaws to truly become a force to be reckoned with.


Approved +5 TPE @Dagumpa