Comment 1: One-Sided Affair
This was a game the Whalers absolutely had to win, and perhaps a game that was little closer than they would have liked. Considering the shots of the game were 41-11 in favor of the Whalers, having the game end at a score of 3-2 was a little too close for comfort for this Whalers squad. Perhaps it was a matter of being cold and not seeing a lot of action, but Casimir Stevens let in two goals on eleven shots, something he is probably not very happy about. A different story at the other end, where Jakub Hasek is the reason the Falcons were in it until the final buzzer, having stopped 38 of 41 shots. Had it not been for that spectacular performance, the Whalers may have scored more goals than the Falcons took shots.

Comment 2: Special Teams Struggles
Once again the Vancouver Whalers continue to see struggles on their power play. Perhaps one of their biggest areas of concern, the power play has often times failed them in games when they needed it to come up big. While this game was always in their favor, Vancouver went 1 for 6 with the man advantage and could have used this game as an attempt to improve and try new things. However, it seems as though no matter who's out there with the man advantage, the power play always comes up short. This is a definite area of concern if Vancouver wants to go far in the playoffs, especially when the games get close, special teams often make the difference.

Comment 3: Faceoff Woes
In a game that was completely dominated by the Whalers, it's the little details which escaped them, which could be cause for concern. The Whalers went 9 for 27 in the faceoff dot, boasting a measly 33.3%. The shot totals look nice, but these are areas which need to be improved upon if the Whalers expect to make any noise when games get tighter. They came away with the victory, largely due to their offense. However, if I'm management these are areas I'm looking to improve. You cannot expect to go 33% in the dot and have poor special teams play and win meaningful games. Perhaps these details are why the Whalers are falling in the standings and making it difficult for themselves the climb back in to the conversation as one of the better teams in the SMJHL.