(Graded) Deep Dive #2 - Vancouver in the Playoffs
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DarkCanuck29
Registered Posting Freak
The Vancouver Whalers had a great season. Right until the didn't. As we all know, if you do not win the last game of the season, the entire exercise was a failure. Why did Vancouver fail to beat Newfoundland and advance to the Finals? It can be boiled down to two players: Makrus "The Tater" Jager and Alexis Saint-Michel.
These two players were DOMINANT in the Regular season. Makrus Jager played the part of Set-Up Man, crushing assists like it was his job...because it was his job. Alexis Saint-Michel was there to smash in the puck. League wide, they finished 1 and 2 in points and Alexis Saint-Michel led the entire league in goals. They were the most dominant pair in hockey and it looked like nothing could possibly slow them down. Then the playoffs started. Their offense dried up and they were shut down effectively. Makrus went from 1.1 pts per game to 0.5 pts per game. Alexis Saint-Michel was just behind at 1.09 pts per game in the regular season to 0.46 pts per game. Alexis Saint-Michel did manage to lead a league wide category, although sadly it was Penalty Minutes. So what happened? Every team in the league will be watching tape of the Newfoundland - Vancouver series to dig deep into the tactics that turned these two from dynamic duo in dynamic duds. Newfoundland frustrated the duo, checking tight and playing on the edge, never letting a potential hit or facewash go. And every time one of Makrus or Alexis retaliated, they sold it hard and managed to send them to the box. Now, with Alexis and Makrus so contained, it did open up room for others on the team to step up and show what they had. Right Defenceman NeverBrokeAgain YoungBoy was the first to step up to fill the gap. He had a very solid regular season, finishing fourth on the team in points and throwing around the opposition with 83 hits. When the playoffs started, he found another gear and began to drag the team along behind him. His 6 goals and 11 assists put him third in points overall in the league. Center Ako Zile stepped up behind YoungBoy and may have even taken the biggest step overall for the team, going from a 0.6 pt per game player in the Regular Season to a whopping 0.92 pt per game pace. GMs all over will be looking closely at him as a "playoff performer" if he can pull off another post-season like that. The goaltending was not a worry for the Whalers in the regular season or the playoffs. Starting goaltender Olof Karsikko was extremely solid in the Regular season, near the top of the charts in every important goaltending category. In the playoffs, he slipped slightly, but he more than held up his end of the bargin with the team, starting every post-season game and putting up a .900 Sv%. His numbers did slip slightly in his sophomore season, but that is to be expected as he took over the starting goaltender role. Expectations are for a stronger season next year. So where does Vancouver go from here. Both Alexis Saint-Michel and Makrus Jager are going into their third seasons. Can they be relied upon to put Vancouver over the top when it really counts, or is it time to cut ties and find some different players that can excel in the gritty, "rules are for the regular season" style playoffs that exist today? It is a question the Vancouver management and fans will be asking themselves as they gear up for another draft in just a few weeks time. Winnipeg Aurora
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 225 lbs
Number: 29
Born: Vancouver, Canada
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SMJHL Draft: 29OA by Kelowna Knights
SHL Draft: 18OA by Calgary Dragons
Traded: S71 Trade Dealine to Baltimore for S72 BAP 1st, S74 BAP 2nd, and Tommy Tightpants
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Career Stats
***SMJHL Regular Season***
S60: GP:66 | G:6 | A:11 | P:17 | +\-: -35 | PIM:18 | H:94
S61: GP:66 | G:23 | A:33 | P:56 | +\-: 7 | PIM:20 | H:97
S62: GP:66 | G:17 | A:32 | P:49 | +\-: -5 | PIM:22 | H:94
S63: GP:66 | G:17 | A:30 | P:47 | +\-: 22 | PIM:12 | H:107
Total: GP:264 | G:63 | A:106 | P:169 | +\-: -11 | PIM:72 | H:392
***SMJHL Playoffs***
S60: GP:4 | G:0 | A:0 | P:0 | +\-: -6 | PIM:0 | H:14
S61: GP:8 | G:3 | A:2 | P:5 | +\-: -1 | PIM:0 | H:15
S62: GP:8 | G:3 | A:2 | P:5 | +\-: 2 | PIM:2 | H:16
S63: GP:18 | G:3 | A:9 | P:12 | +\-: -3 | PIM:5 | H:19
Total: GP:38 | G:9 | A:13 | P:22 | +\-: -8 | PIM:7 | H:64
***SHL Regular Season***
S64: GP:66| G:17 | A:10 | P:27 | +\-: -28 | PIM:29 | H:124
S65: GP:66| G:22 | A:24 | P:46 | +\-: -49 | PIM:62*(5) | H:161*(T-1)
S66: GP:66| G:25 | A:45 | P:70 | +\-: -20 | PIM:28 | H:113
S67: GP:66| G:50* (4) | A:44 | P:94 | +\-: 28 | PIM:20 | H:111
S68: GP:66| G:26 | A:47 | P:73 | +\-: 9 | PIM:36 | H:122
***SHL Playoffs***
S66: GP:5| G:2 | A:0 | P:2 | +\-: -5 | PIM:2 | H:7
S67: GP:12 | G:11 | A:6 | P:17 | +\-: 7 | PIM:2 | H:24
S68: GP:11 | G:3 | A:4 | P:7 | +\-: 2 | PIM:0 | H:15
***WJC***
S60: GP:13 | G:5 | A:0 | P:5 | +\-: 0 | PIM:2 | H:23
S61: GP:13 | G:4 | A:4 | P:8 | +\-: 0 | PIM:2 | H:19
S62: GP:14 | G:3 | A:0 | P:3 | +\-: 0 | PIM:4 | H:29
S63: GP:14 | G:9 | A:4 | P:13 | +\-: 1 | PIM:2 | H:37
Total: GP:54 | G:21| A:8 | P:29 | +\-: 1 | PIM:10 | H:108
***IIHF***
S62: GP:12 | G:0 | A:0 | P:0 | +\-: 0 | PIM:4 | H:7
S63: GP:13 | G:2 | A:5 | P:7 | +\-: -1 | PIM:6 | H:25
S64: GP:12 | G:3 | A:2 | P:5 | +\-: 0 | PIM:6 | H:19
S65: GP:12 | G:1 | A:3 | P:4 | +\-: -5 | PIM:10 | H:20
S66: GP:13 | G:3 | A:6 | P:9 | +\-: 2 | PIM:8 | H:14
S67: GP:12 | G:2 | A:5 | P:7 | +\-: -2 | PIM:2 | H:23
S68: GP:14 | G:4 | A:6 | P:10 | +\-: 5 | PIM:0 | H:33
Opera_Phantom
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