<div align="center">Game 28 Kelowna Knights (4-2-1) vs. Detroit Falcons (3-1-2)
Final score: Kelowna 2, Detroit 5</div> Game link
<div align="center">Game Preview</div>In a battle of division front-runners, the Kelowna Knights (4-2-1) made the trip to Detroit to take on the Falcons (3-1-2). After some disappointing results in their pre-season matchups, the Knights certainly looked to get their revenge.
<div align="center">Starting Lineups Kelowna
Trevor Wilson -- Geronimo Otto -- Vasily Horvat
Cara Hohenberg -- Eibhear Sorenson
Jason Aittokallio Detroit
Henrik Vikstrom -- Wiljian Zjang -- Zach Evans
Alexis Metzler -- Jari Sinikka
Sivy McSieve</div>
<b><u><div align="center">Game Summary</div>1st Period</u></b>
The game got off to a fairly quick start as Kelowna got on the first in just the 4th minute of the game. A holding call against Detroit's Adam Greenholm gave the Knights their first power play of the game, and they wouldn't squander the opportunity. Starting with a rush led by Michael Burrows, Kelowna setup their power play with Adriana Starosta taking a drop pass from Burrows just inside the blue line. She looked around for a second before feeding Alex Light down the left-wing side for a one-timer. He stepped in & hit it cleanly beating Detroit goaltender Sivy McSieve just under the bar to give the Knights an early 1-0 lead.
1-3:44-KEL-Alex Light (PP)-Adriana Starosta, Michael Burrows
KEL 1, DET 0
The Falcons would not lay down however, coming back with 2 goals of their own in a span of just 38 seconds. The first came just 32 seconds after the Knights' goal, with center Sami Free benefiting from a friendly rebound off Knights' goalie Jason Aittokallio. A cycle play started by Prince Daniel James at the blue line led to an overlap between he & winger Jace Smith. James, now on the side wall, sent it across to his D partner Terrance Nova, who tapped it off for Smith in the high slot. The winger faked the one-timer & pulled a quick snapper. Aittokallio was able to stay with it, but an unlucky bounce off his left pad setup Sami Free for an easy tap-in to tie the game at 1. The second came after Kelowna goal scorer Alex Light took an untimely roughing penalty, giving the Falcons their 1st power play opportunity, and they would make him pay for his mistake. Detroit's top unit came with a barrage of 5 shots (4 missed, 1 blocked), wearing down Kelowna's penalty killers before Henrik Vikstrom was finally able to beat the goaltender to give his team a 2-1 lead.
1-4:16-DET-Sami Free-Jace Smith, Terrance Nova
KEL 1, DET 1 1-4:54-DET-Henrik Vikstrom (PP)-Prince Daniel James, Tremaine Versace
KEL 1, DET 2
The action quieted down for awhile until an errant pass from Kelowna rookie Cloud Strife intercepted by Kyle Kylrad gave Detroit an odd-man opportunity. Kylrad played tic-tac-toe with his linemates, Josh Merica & Luke Atmey, leaving the Knights' defense in their dust as they looked to cash in yet again. Atmey fired a shot past the post, but was able to pick up his own rebound & wrap it around for his 3rd goal of the season.
1-13:33-DET-Luke Atmey-Josh Merica, Kyle Kylrad
KEL 1, DET 3
1st period shots: KEL 11, DET 10
2nd Period
The 2nd period got off to an even quicker start than the 1st, with the 1st goal coming less than 2 minutes into the frame. Detroit's 3rd line got caught on a long shift when Alexis Metzler was forced to ice the puck, giving the Knights the opportunity to
get the matchup they wanted. This would prove costly as Kelowna countered with their own 3rd line. A clean faceoff win by rookie Ambrose Syrjanen led to winger Anatoly Yanovich stepping into a one-timer & beating the goaltender McSieve to bring the deficit back to just 1.
2-1:53-KEL-Anatoly Yanovich-Ambrose Syrjanen
KEL 2, DET 3
Just like in the 1st period, Detroit wouldn't stay down for long, responding just 36 seconds later. Kelowna's Yanovich was able to win a defensive zone draw, but the Falcons' forecheck proved to be too much as an outlet pass from Richie Pecker got picked off by Detroit's Zach Evans, who was able to find Matthew Rossi with only the goalie to beat. Rossi didn't waste the golden opportunity, beating Aittokallio with a toe-drag & backhand under the bar to put the Falcons back up by 2.
2-2:29-DET-Matthew Rossi-Zach Evans
KEL 2, DET 4
After allowing 4 goals in just 22 minutes, Kelowna switched goaltenders, bringing on the rookie Charlotta Caspari to replace the struggling Aittokallio
2nd period shots: KEL 9, DET 4
3rd Period
The only goal in the 3rd came around the midpoint of the period, with the Falcons' power play striking again. Another minor penalty against Kelowna's Alex Light, this time for elbowing, gave Detroit their 3rd man advantage of the game. Off a rush started by rookie winger Luke Atmey, the Falcons gained entry into the offensive zone before Atmey dropped the puck back to Jari Sinikka, who stepped into the one-timer, followed up his own miss, and took a 2nd bite at the apple, firing it past Caspari to give Detroit a commanding 5-2 lead.
3-11:27-DET-Jari Sinikka (PP)-Luke Atmey, Alexis Metzler
KEL 2, DET 5
The Falcons' 3 goal lead would hold up over the last 8 minutes, and they would go on to win by a final of 5-2, continuing their early season dominance over the Knights.
3rd period shots: KEL 9, DET 11
<div align="center">Turning Point</div>For tonight's turning point, we go way back to early in the 1st period. The Falcons had just tied the game at 1 when the Knights' Alex Light took an untimely penalty, giving Detroit tremendous momentum. They capitalized on the opportunity & never looked back in tonight's game.
<div align="center">3 Stars of the Game </div>3) Prince Daniel James (DET)
James was great on special teams in this one, playing remarkable defense on the PK, recording 5 blocked shots, and also adding an assist on the PP, giving Detroit their first lead of the game. He's tonight 3rd star.
2) Matthew Rossi (DET)
Despite limited playing time, Rossi played a key role in the outcome of the game, playing solid defense on the PK & tallying a key insurance goal early in the 2nd period. He's our #2 star of the night.
1) Luke Atmey (DET)
Atmey was huge in this game, recording a goal & an assist, but most importantly, his goal ended up being the game-winner for the Falcons. For that, he earns tonight's #1 star.
<div align="center">SMJHL Today: Game 11 St Louis Scarecrows vs. Kelowna Knights Final Score: 4-3 (SO) </div>
Hello everyone, and welcome to an exciting edition of SMJHL Today. Today we're going over a key East vs. West matchup early on in Season 31. This game was tight from start to finish, but in the end, it was the S29 Four Star Cup Champion Scarecrows who took away two points.
Team Preview
The St Louis Scarecrows were coming off a rather lackluster preseason, finishing dead last in the East by a sizable margin. They weren't getting production from their new recruits OR their heavy veteran presence at the blue line. While Joe Kurczewski had a good preseason campaign with 38 points (20G, 18A), nobody else had anything good to speak of. Some surprisingly insightful words came from 3rd-year enforcer, Danny Foster toward the end of the preseason; so insightful, in fact, that we're calling them the Scarecrows' Keys to the Game:
Quote:Originally posted by Danny Foster The way I see it, we're only going to top the East this season if we do three things. First, we need a great season out of [b]Kyle Wahlgren. He did great last season, and I don't think we're going to have the offensive firepower that really helped us out in Season 29. He'll be our backbone once again. Second, it's really up to me and Targaryen on the 2nd line to make the most out of our penalty minutes. We gotta get the passes up front, we gotta stay physical, and we can't get too ahead of ourselves leaving The Wahl out to dry. Third and finally, the Power Play has to be on fucking point. We rarely get on it because of our physical style, so we have to pay attention to that. I'm fucking sick of getting in fights with these goddamn scrubs on other teams and nothing coming from them. Can't wait to see what we can do in Season 31.[/b]
Let's head West, shall we? The Kelowna Knights had an extremely dominant preseason, with 69 points (32-13-5). They scored the most goals in the league by a full 13 goals, and were just 1 off the league lead in goals against (held by Detroit at 114). The Knights truly showed their depth, as 9 players (including 1 rookie) scored 25 points or more in the 50 games. If there was a year in recent memory that the Knights were poised to go very far in the playoffs, it seems like this would be it. They have the right mix of veterans and rookies, and they clearly have prowess on both sides of the net. In less ... eccentric fashion, here are their Keys to the Game:
Get a LOT out of Aittokallio. He absolutely wrecked the preseason with a 2.19 GAA. Kelowna needs a lot out of their goalie to make up for those nights they aren't scoring 3 a game.
Improve special teams. For a team that isn't that physical, Kelowna needs to really thwart any power play they come in contact with. It's clear they're the dominant team at full strength, so getting better at killing penalties is crucial.
Use that depth wisely. It's no secret that Cara Hohenberg is going to lead this team as far as she can on her own. It's up to other key veteran pieces, though, to keep that up for 50 games. Look at Alex Light and Michael Burrows on the second line to get more in the mix.
Plays of the Game
Now for a few highlights. As was stated at the top of the show, this was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish. The Knights were actually up 3-1 at the halfway mark of the 3rd period. It was up to the Scarecrows' depth pieces to really step up their play. To that point, Danny Foster was really getting himself in trouble all night, exposing St Louis to the relentless Kelowna powerplay. Michael Burrows buried home a powerplay goal in the first period, and Adriana Starosta scored in the 7th minute of the 3rd period -- both off of Foster penalties. The Crows, though, found new life a few minutes later:
"It's Visser here lining up against Csonka ... Visser wins it for the Crows, he gets it back to Kelly Rivet. Rivet surveys ... decides to take it himself through the neutral zone. Can Rivet inject some life into his team here? Here he goes, into the Knights zone. Looks, fakes to Diablo ... Bergfalk tips it away for Kelowna! ... Rivet's back in possession, though, that was quick! Diablo cuts toward the net ... one timer! Saved with a rebound by Charlotta ... DIAB--SCORES!! Quicker than I could even SAY it, it's Diablo who brings it back to a 1-goal game. Top shelf off his own rebound, very impressive.
With momentum swinging with the Scarecrows, it only took a few minutes to tie the game up:
"The fans in Kelowna are REALLY starting to sound ornery, even though they're up by a goal. Everything's going in favor of St Louis right now, as Geronimo Otto attempts to set up the next Knights play ... intercepted by Landry! He gets it through Otto, passes to Kelly Rivet! Rivet's picking up SPEED--Rivet cuts across the net, passes the puck backwards .... it's Kurczewski! He LETS ONE GO -- SCOOOOOOOORES!!!! WE HAVE A TIE GAME! With just a few minutes left, Rivet and Kurczewski team up for an amazing goal!"
That goal set up an incredibly defensive overtime and a shootout that gave the Crows one more point than the Knights that day. Let's take a look at our three stars in a little more detail:
Three Stars
★ - Kelly Rivet - an absolutely incredible performance, Rivet had two key assists to get the Crows back in the game. He also never let up on the defensive end, with a game-high four shot blocks and two hits. For 25 minutes of play time, that's a full day!
★★ - Michael Burrows - certainly a force on the powerplay tonight, with both of his two points coming on special teams. Taking six shots is of course a little suspect, but he was doing all he could for his second line.
★★★ - Cara Hohenberg - the offensive dynamo on defense made it very difficult for the Crows to bring it back with her three assists. She could have used a little more ... defense ... tonight, though.
ej27 Registered
S41 & S42 Challenge Cup Champion and Mikkamigo
Is there anything in particular to which you attribute the Knights struggles so far this season?
Just trying to get that consistency going as everyone gets used to each other and as we figure things out. We've got a good lineup, they just need to grow a little more and learn to work together and get things done.
In what area does the team most need to improve in order to improve their record?
To be honest I think it's just their overall game. It seems like every time we play we find another inconsistency, and we just need to buckle down and work hard to get rid of those.
Knouse was involved in both of the Knights' goals in this game, talk a little bit about him as a player so far.
Knouse is a great piece on our team. He's got a steady head on his shoulders, and he's putting in the work to get better. Hopefully we start to see even more results from him and have him play a part in a win rather than a loss.
Stamkos Jr. contributed 2 Power Play goals in 17:09 minutes played and 3:11 minutes of Power Play time. He had 3 shots on goal, 3 shots blocked, and a +1 plus/minus.
2 - Conklin Owen (VAN)
Owen also contributed 2 goals, both at even strength. He played 18:49 minutes, 3:11 on the Power Play and 1:55 on the Penalty Kill. He had 6 shots, 0 hits, and a +1 plus/minus.
3 - Jon Ross (VAN)
Ross had 1 goal and 1 assist. He played a total of 22:11 minutes, 3:11 on the Power Play and 5:08 on the Penalty Kill. He had 5 shots and 2 hits and also had a +1 plus/minus.
The Whalers were able to capitalize on 4 out of 5 Power Play attempts, while their Penalty Kill held the Knights back and only allowed 1 on 5 attempts. There’s no doubt that special teams were the make or break point in this game. It’s no coincidence that all three stars were involved in special teams.
<div align="center">Colorado Mammoths (4-3-0) VS Prince George Firebirds (4-3-0)</div>
<center> -1 VS. 4- </center>
<center>Day 13, Game 30</center>
<center>Game Link</center>
<div align="center"> </div>
Game Preview Infograph:
Game Preview:
Prince George has some real good scoring players, lead by one of the leagues premier players, Eduard Selich (who has struggled this season with zero goals. Likely part of Prince George's offensive struggles.). But yet, the Firebirds have struggled to score with only 10 goals for in 7 games. The only reason their record is above .500 is their goaltending has been able to steal them some, but not all, games. On the other hand, Colorado has been more balanced, and although the teams have the same record, the Mammoths may be the better team because of this. Although, Prince George did beat them 2-0 the last time these two teams met.
Game Summary:
Colorado got off to a quick start when McGraw scored just 15 seconds into the game to give the Mammoths the 1-0 lead. However, it wouldn't take long (less than 2 minutes in fact) for Prince George to tie the game at one with a goal by the top line center, Boone. There were 3 penalties in the first period, and Colorado dominated by outshooting the Firebirds 12-6. The second period is where the game took a turn for the worst...(TSN Turning Point): With Vincent Garland still in the box for a first period penalty, Prince George capitalized just 51 seconds into the period on the power play to take a 2-1 lead. The rest is downhill from there for Colorado...(End TSN Turning Point). Once was at one point a Colorado-dominated game, quickly turned into a blowout in the opposite direction. The Firebirds would go on to score two more goals (one by Selich, finally notching his first of the season. The other by Wolf.) and outshoot Colorado 8-5 in the second period. Colorado would never recover and Prince George would play solid shutdown defense to hang onto the 4-1 lead.
Three Stars:
1. Frederick Boone (PGF)
2. Ben Waters (PGF)
3. Frontdoor McGraw (COL)
Boone had a great game for the Firebirds, and thus, he was very deserving of the number one star. He had a goal, an assist, two points, was a plus one, had two shots, two hits, and went 50% on face offs. That's a solid performance. Not only was he a presence on the scoreboard, but he also had a couple hits and shots, and played solid in the face off circle as well.
What did we say about the goalie for Prince George in the preview? They've had to play very well for Prince George to win games. Now, tonight, Prince George was actually able to score as well, but Waters still had a nice game making 22 saves (a .957 SV%).
McGraw was the only bright spot in a bad game for Colorado. The defense let a lot of shots through, the offense didn't generate many chances, and the starter was pulled from the game. McGraw was the one who got the scoring started very early in the game. Part of the reason for McGraw scoring was because he actually got shots. The great Wayne Gretzky quote goes "You miss 100% of the shots you never take". McGraw took this to heart in this game, leading the team with 5 shots. Likely that's a reason for McGraw getting the only goal for Colorado.
Game Recap:
Overall, both teams need to be better if they want to climb the standings. Yes, Prince George won 4-1, but they could've done better. Both teams played badly, and had one team played well they would have destroyed the other team. Luckily for these two, neither played well so it was a relatively close game. If Prince George can keep Waters playing well and get Selich back to being a star, they'll succeed. Colorado needs Rudnikova to return to the goalie we saw last season (which we haven't seen much of this season) and for returning players to step it up a bit. Overall, these are two good teams who will be a tough game on any team's calendar.
Quote:Originally posted by NYRangers3061@Oct 17 2016, 09:54 PM <div align="center">[b]Colorado Mammoths (4-3-0) VS Prince George Firebirds (4-3-0)</div>
<center> -1 VS. 4- </center>
<center>Day 13, Game 30</center>
<center>Game Link</center>
Game Preview:
Prince George has some real good scoring players, lead by one of the leagues premier players, Eduard Selich (who has struggled this season with zero goals. Likely part of Prince George's offensive struggles.). But yet, the Firebirds have struggled to score with only 10 goals for in 7 games. The only reason their record is above .500 is their goaltending has been able to steal them some, but not all, games. On the other hand, Colorado has been more balanced, and although the teams have the same record, the Mammoths may be the better team because of this. Although, Prince George did beat them 2-0 the last time these two teams met.
Game Summary:
Colorado got off to a quick start when McGraw scored just 15 seconds into the game to give the Mammoths the 1-0 lead. However, it wouldn't take long (less than 2 minutes in fact) for Prince George to tie the game at one with a goal by the top line center, Boone. There were 3 penalties in the first period, and Colorado dominated by outshooting the Firebirds 12-6. The second period is where the game took a turn for the worst...(TSN Turning Point): With Vincent Garland still in the box for a first period penalty, Prince George capitalized just 51 seconds into the period on the power play to take a 2-1 lead. The rest is downhill from there for Colorado...(End TSN Turning Point). Once was at one point a Colorado-dominated game, quickly turned into a blowout in the opposite direction. The Firebirds would go on to score two more goals (one by Selich, finally notching his first of the season. The other by Wolf.) and outshoot Colorado 8-5 in the second period. Colorado would never recover and Prince George would play solid shutdown defense to hang onto the 4-1 lead.
Three Stars:
1. Frederick Boone (PGF)
2. Ben Waters (PGF)
3. Frontdoor McGraw (COL)
Boone had a great game for the Firebirds, and thus, he was very deserving of the number one star. He had a goal, an assist, two points, was a plus one, had two shots, two hits, and went 50% on face offs. That's a solid performance. Not only was he a presence on the scoreboard, but he also had a couple hits and shots, and played solid in the face off circle as well.
What did we say about the goalie for Prince George in the preview? They've had to play very well for Prince George to win games. Now, tonight, Prince George was actually able to score as well, but Waters still had a nice game making 22 saves (a .957 SV%).
McGraw was the only bright spot in a bad game for Colorado. The defense let a lot of shots through, the offense didn't generate many chances, and the starter was pulled from the game. McGraw was the one who got the scoring started very early in the game. Part of the reason for McGraw scoring was because he actually got shots. The great Wayne Gretzky quote goes "You miss 100% of the shots you never take". McGraw took this to heart in this game, leading the team with 5 shots. Likely that's a reason for McGraw getting the only goal for Colorado.
Game Recap:
Overall, both teams need to be better if they want to climb the standings. Yes, Prince George won 4-1, but they could've done better. Both teams played badly, and had one team played well they would have destroyed the other team. Luckily for these two, neither played well so it was a relatively close game. If Prince George can keep Waters playing well and get Selich back to being a star, they'll succeed. Colorado needs Rudnikova to return to the goalie we saw last season (which we haven't seen much of this season) and for returning players to step it up a bit. Overall, these are two good teams who will be a tough game on any team's calendar.[/b]
Also, my apologies. Assistant captains should be Eichelele, and Jacob Renninger. My bad. Had a bit of a brain fart there I guess :lol: .
Kelowna <span style='color:#254117'>Knights <span style='color:#FCCE8E'>(0-0-0) at Prince GeorgeFirebirds (0-0-0)</span></span>
Score: 5 vs 0
Welcome to the George Sports Colosseum where we will see a rematch of the Western Conference Final from Season 30. Prince George swept Kelowna in that series. Kelowna will try everything to redeem themselves after that huge upset in the playoffs.
For comparison you here you can see how each teams starting lineup changed:
from Dieter Dominique-Anatoly Yanovich-Geronimo Otto
Ty Justice-Cara Hohenberg
to: Geronimo Otto-Trevor Wilson-Vasily Horvat
Cara Hohenberg-Eibhear Sorenson
from Levi Watkins-Eduard Selich-Karl Hertzberg
Steven Pham-Hunky Monkey
to: Frederick Boone-Eduard Selich-Sven Wolf
Barak Obrana-Noctis Caelum
This game was just a flat out domination opposed on Prince George by Kelowna. 30 Shots to 12. 5 Goals to 0. Plainly this is a season opener that needs to be erased out of the history books for PGF and a day that probably will be glorified by Knights fans.
The first period started fairly slow with only 7 shots but 1 goal. The goal was scored Leafer Reilly for KEL.
In the second period shit started to go down for PGF. PGF conceded 2 goals on 8 shots and only shot 6 times. But that bad performance was still nothing compared to the 3rd period.
Kelowna whopped Prince George with 18 shots to 3 and again scored 2 goals. it is a miracle that Ben Waters wasn't pulled. But you certainly can't blame him for that terrible performance he simply had no help offensively or defensively.
Turning Point: The turning point of this game is simply the atrocious performance of Prince George as a whole. The offense was pretty much non existent with only 12 shots in the whole game! Kelowna had 1.5 times than that in only the 3rd period. The defense was also as bad allowing 30 shots and being in the Penalty Box for a total of 12 minutes double the time than Kelowna had. Ben Waters also had a bad game for his standards. Posting only a 83,3 save percentage on 30 shots.
Goalie Matchup: A clear win for Aittokallio he had a SO and Waters let in 5 goals. But if you take a closer look at some in depth stats you can see that their performance was actually a bit similar. Of course Waters had a way lower SV% but if you look at the other stats you can see that they both pretty much had the same rebound percentage as well as the same bad rebounds%. None of the bad rebounds resulted in a goal for Waters or Aittokallio. Waters just faced more than double the volume of shots than Aittokallio.
3 Stars: 3rd Star:
This is very debatle because a lot of players qualify for this considering that a lot of them had 2 points in this game. But my choice is Cara Hohenberg. She got the nod because she scored 1 goal and 1 assist in this game and shot 5 times but she also was a defensive presence with 2 hits. There might be the questions why isn't she higher? Well she played the most minutes of the game with 22:47 so yeah her production is nice but not top notch considering her ice-time
2nd Star:
Alex Light. Light got the 2nd star because he had a very similar production but accomplished that with way less ice-time. To be exact Light only got 19:12 minutes in this game but he was able to get 1 goal on 4 shots and 1 assist offensively. Defensively he even had a better performance than Hohenberg with 2 hits and 1 blocked Shot. These are the reasons why Light deserves the 2nd star.
1st Star:
Leafer Rielly. There is no other option for the first star. Rielly scored 2 goals in this game with ONLY 8.24 minutes of total ice-time that averages to 1 goal every 4:12 minutes that is crazy! He scored the very first goal and the third one of the game for Kelowna and he only was on the 4th line in this game that is just crazy good and certainly something no one would expect from the Rookie.
</div>
Thank you all for the amazing sigs & player cards
3. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 5 (Maximilian Wachter, Alexis Metzler) at 16:25
5. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 6 (Steven Stamkos Jr., Brynjar Tusk) at 19:48
8. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 7 (Brynjar Tusk, Alexis Metzler) at 13:55
9. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 8 (Anton Fedorov, Mikelis Grundmanis) at 15:12
10. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 9 (Dickie Pecker) at 19:43 (Empty Net)
<div align="center">SMJHL Today: Game 11 St Louis Scarecrows @ Colorado Mammoths Final Score: 3-1 </div>
Hello again, SMJHL fans! Welcome to another installment of SMJHL Today. I'm excited to showcase a team that this show rarely talks about in the Colorado Mammoths. In this game recap, they hosted the struggling S29 Four Star Cup Champions, the St Louis Scarecrows; entering the game, the Crows had lost 4 of the last 5. Ultimately in this matchup, the Mammoths absolutely stifled the Scarecrows, winning the game 3-1.
Team Preview
The Mammoths entered this game with a 5-4-0 record. They scored 21 goals in those first 9 games, which is slightly below average in today's SMJHL. The key for them in this season's early phase is that they pulled out 2 wins against their big division rivals, the Kelowna Knights. Those wins will prove important during the playoff seeding race; additionally, they are undefeated against the Eastern Conference. Led by a team of sophomores, it's time for Colorado to really make a name for themselves in S31. Here are their Keys to the Game:
Get the puck to Svensson. Colorado's first line plays about 20 minutes per game, which is only worth noting because their second line ALSO plays about 20 minutes per game. With that sort of split time, Martin Svensson is averaging 0.5 goals per game through 14. That's a solid average; he needs to hold his line together consistently for Colorado to keep being successful.
Get the power forwards involved. The Mammoths don't really set themselves up to get checks from the back end; their goal is to bring the pain on the offensive side of the puck. That means big hitters Frontdoor McGraw and Colt Hagan need to continue upping their physical presence. It helps with possession, which leads to more shots and bringing that GPG average up.
Keep the defense up. The Mammoths are easily the best defensive team in the league. Through 14 games, they're letting up less than 2 goals a game. Who's to credit for that? Well of course, from a raw stats point of view, there's Ekaterina Rudnikova in net. Her name is as difficult to say as she is great between the pipes. A lot of it, though, comes from SEVEN defenders having more than 10 shot blocks. If you can't hit the net, how are you gonna score on these guys?
The St Louis Scarecrows entered this game with a 4-5-0 record. Though that's not far off from what the Mammoths did to this point in the season, the Crows are hardly enjoying the offensive success from previous years. With stars like Eugene Feist and Sebastian Strange moved on, it's time for some of the rookies and sophomores to step up and do what they need to do. Fortunately for St Louis, they've only dropped 2 games so far to their own division, which bodes well for what the end of the season could mean for the Crows. They haven't been scoring, and their defense has been lackluster as well; on the [still dim but] bright side, since nothing is working, it can only get better for them. That, of course, requires sticking to their Keys to the Game:
Get scoring from all three lines. There hasn't been anyone on the Crows who's broken out as the leading scorer. Although Joe Kurczewski had a great preseason, he only has 5 goals through 14 games in this young season. Thus, it's imperative that Kurczewski, along with Dos Diablo on Line 2 and Nate Akeson on Line 3 need to make scoring a top priority.
Somebody help Rivet out! It's really hard to see Portland Admirals prospect Kelly Rivet struggling out there to keep everybody together. While sporting a rating of -3, he does a little of everything - 7 assists, 22 hits, and 19 shot blocks in 14 games. He's doing all he can on the defensive end; it's time for other defenders to step up!
The rookies have to do more. There's no denying that the Crows lost a lot of key players from their cup run two seasons ago. The truth of the matter, though, is that this happens to every SMJHL team. GMs Ryan King and Chris Crutchfield need to utilize their rookies to the best of their ability, because as of now only Max Weber has broken the 5-point barrier through 14 games. That doesn't spell success in this league.
Plays of the Game
We will get to one key play, but first, here's an interesting stat. As I mentioned at the top of the show, this game was a true showcase of the Mammoths' defensive strengths. Any offensive chance that St Louis tried to conjure up was thwarted by the back end with relative ease. Even though the two teams tied with 23 shots on net, it could have been much more, as the Mammoths had 10 shot blocks. St Louis had only 5; that, to me, was a key difference in the game.
To add even more evidence to the difference between these two differences is our highlight of the game; this sequence which led to the go-ahead goal in the second period was a true showcase of the defensive woes St Louis has been having this season:
"...Here's the draw after Dabkowski was called offside. It goes to Svensson for the Mammoths. He gets the puck to Taro, who moves it across the blue line. Randy Bobandy staring down Taro from the back of the formation. Taro RIPS ONE -- misses the net completely. Bobandy races for it ... Vince Garland recovers it for the Mammoths and they reset! They wheel it back around to Svensson and he's at the point. Bobandy REALLY should have been on that puck immediately. He swings the puck to McGraw. McGraw to Svensson ... he mishandles it! Abercrombie is there but he can't handle the puck. Svensson recovers - McGraw's open! To McGraw ... ONE TIMED-- SCOOOOOOOORES!!! WHAT a sequence by Colorado. Their continued offensive pressure - along with St Louis' two HUGE miscues - led to them breaking the tie right here. I wouldn't be surprised if that's all it took here, folks. St Louis looks deflated and confused, and now Rivet's thrown his stick over the boards."
The Crows only managed 9 shots from that point on, and none of them were a challenge for Colorado's goalie. It was truly a depressing game for any Crows fan to watch. Frustration penalties (3 total for STL) after that go-ahead goal took away any possible momentum. Ultimately, Walter Krysak had another goal in the 3rd, making the final score 3-1 Mammoths.
Three Stars
Now we'll take a closer look at our three stars of the game:
★ - Martin Svensson - No mistake here by the press box; Svensson was everywhere in this game. With a goal and an assist on 5 shots and just under 18 minutes of ice time, he had a great showing. He also won exactly 50% of his faceoffs, key for any high-scoring line (13/26).
★★ - Ekaterina Rudnikova - You have to give the goalie of the winning team in such a defensive game some sort of honor. She saved 22 of 23 shots and kept her team out of trouble. Her only mistake was on one of the first shots of the game to boot!
★★★ - Taro Eichelele - Who better to award third star honors than Svensson's linemate? Taro had 2 assists and an uncharacteristic 3 hits; the physicality proved very important in dominating the forecheck and getting more shots on net.
Other Key Performances
For how poorly St Louis played as a whole, Danny Foster did solid; with a 0 rating, a game-high 4 hits, and a shot block, he didn't let anything by him all game.
Derrick Glover's abysmal night in the faceoff circle could have honestly been the difference. Just 7/20 (35%) is NOT going to cut it.
Harambe, the linesman for today's game, was honored after the game for his service over the years. It was truly heartwarming to see.
With tough opening nights for both teams, the Mammoths and the Raiders were each looking for their first win as the season started to pick up pace. There was no doubt that both teams were desperate for success, and in such a tight game, fans saw the best of both the reigning Four Star cup champions and, quite possibly, the biggest underdog team in the SMJHL. Despite allowing the Raiders to score two goals in the first period, the Mammoths fought back in the second, and took this one home in a massive shootout for their first win of the year. The Raiders picked up a point, but they’re still winless turning the corner into the second week, despite their dominance of the playoffs.
First Period
The Raiders dominated the first period, taking eleven shots to the Mammoth’s six. Both goals were scored within a span of thirty seconds, however, coming at the middle of the period. Blake Battle scored a savage slapshot on the powerplay off a juicy rebound from Rudnikova, giving the Raiders an early lead while Frontdoor McGraw was off for roughing. The goal, assisted by Jean-Luc Reflieux and Greta Iversen, was Battle’s first of the season, scored at 9:41. Barely seconds later, at 10:08, Jean-Luc Reflieux hammered his own shot home off a faceoff in the Mammoth’s zone, sending it skittering past Rudnikova’s outstretched skate. Pietra Volkova and Colin Banning picked up the assists on Reflieux’s second of the year.
Battle’s first goal of the season on the power play
Second Period
After the first intermission, the Mammoths seemed to collect themselves more, and led the period in shots ten to eight. They also scored the first goal of the period only forty-one seconds in, as Maverick O’Dooley connected with Martin Svensson for Svensson’s second goal of the year. The Raiders fought back, digging the Mammoths back into a two-goal hole as Greta Iverson scored her first of the year, assisted by Kip O'Callahan and Solaire Azarov. However, the Mammoths weren’t extinct yet. Jack Dabkowski scored his first, with an assist from Tord Yvel, with seven minutes left in the second. Four minutes later, and only fifteen seconds after Solaire Azarov went off for roughing, Matthew Leetch completed the comeback by scoring his first of the year to tie the game, with assists from Maverick O'Dooley and Alex Koivu.
Matthew Leetch’s game-tying goal against Richard Hocolate
Third Period
The teams came out far more even in the third, with the Raiders barely holding the edge in shots - nine to eight. Both goalies were sharp, and despite two Raiders power plays, Rudnikova refused to let them through. Hockolate also looked good, shutting down the Mammoth’s offense as both teams looked for the game winner. As the clock ran down, the Mammoths found themselves man-down for the last few minutes of the third. However, the Raiders couldn’t finish on the powerplay, and this game headed to overtime.
Denis Lever hooks a Raiders player at 18:40 of the third period
Overtime
The five-minute overtime was incredibly defensive, with only one shot on net between the two teams. Rudnikova was sharp, however, and the five-minute overtime period passed without too much excitement, sending both teams into the shootout.
Shootout
In a seven-round shootout, the Mammoths and the Raiders saw the best out of both of their goaltenders. Rudnikova allowed only one goal, while Hocolate only saw two past him. However, Matthew Leetch was the hero in the shootout as well, finishing off a strong comeback for the Mammoths and giving them the 4-3 win. It was a hard-earned point for the Raiders, but they’re still looking for their first win, while the Mammoths try and ride this momentum into the rest of the season.
The Whalers won their first three games of the season before losing to Kelowna in their last contest. Prince George comes into the game having won their previous contest by a 2 to 1 score. Both teams have struggled to score in the early action, with Prince George having scored only five goals in their three victories thus far for an average of 1.67 goals per game. Waters has been carrying the team. In contrast, the Whalers have scored nine goals in their three victories for an average of 3.00 goals per game.
GAME SYNOPSIS
The ten minutes of the first period was marked by a lot of hitting on both sides as the teams fought to establish physical dominance. Around the eleven minute mark Vancouver’s ROT line of Ross \ Owen \ Tsujimoto got the cycle going and were able to attempt seven shots. All of them either missed the net or were saved by Waters. The Whalers continued the pressure until Conklin Owen finally broke the ice at 14:03. At 3:22 of the second period, Taro Tsujimoto put the Whaler’s ahead 2 to 0. Hylytyr NoRetornable and Tapper Kottbulle scored to even the score at two at the end of the second period. Shots on goal at the end of two periods were even at 15. The turning point of the game was the interference penalty at 13:26 of the third period by Ieuan Llewellyn. Late in the powerplay, at 15:18, Barak Obrana scored what proved to be the game winner. At 18:30, Brynjar Tusk all but sealed the Whalers fate , when he was flagged with a hooking minor to give the Firebirds a powerplay for the the remainder of the game.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
1st Period Highlights
After the hit parade that opened the first period, the Vancouver Whalers opened the scoring when John Ross won a faceoff in the neutral zone to Taro Tsujimoto. Tsujimoto skated the puck into the offensive zone and dropped the puck back to Victor Lidstrom, who found Conklin Owen on the left side. Owen beat Waters cleanly through the five-hole to score his 1st of the year at 14:03. That was the lone goal of the period. Shots at the end of one were Vancouver 8 and Halifax 7.
2nd Period Highlights
Vancouver’s second goal of the game came after Taro Tsujimoto intercepted a Hylytyr NoRetornable pass in the neutral zone. The Whaler’s passed the puck around the Prince George zone until Brynjar Tusk split the defense with a pass to Tsujimoto attacking from the right. Tsujimoto tipped the pass into the short side for his second of the season to make the score Vancouver 2 - Prince George 0. Given the Firebirds history so far this season, the outcome appeared to be settled. However, the Firebirds stormed back on goals by Hylytyr NoRetornable and Tapper Kottbulle to even the score at the end of two periods.
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Taro Tsujimoto scores to make it Vancouver 2 Prince George 0</div>
3rd Period Highlights
The turning point of the game was the two minute sequence beginning with the interference penalty at 13:26 of the third period by Ieuan Llewellyn. Conklin Owen had a great chance shorthanded at 14:05, but Ben Waters made an spectacular reverse soccer kick save to keep the puck out of the net. Waters has been playing hacky-sac to stay loose apparently.
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Waters Shorthanded Stop on Owen at 14:05</div>
In the dying seconds of the same powerplay, Frederick Boone reversed his field behind the net and flipped a backhand pass to Barak Obrana. Obrana made a nice play to keep the puck in at the blueline and let the shot go through the crowd in front of the net and into the net for the game winner.
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Obrana Game Winning Goal at 15:18</div>
THREE STARS
1 - Taro Tsujimoto (VAN) 1 Goals, 1 Assist, 5 Shots on Goal, 4 Hits, +2
Tsujimoto was all over the ice in the first half of the game intercepting passes, throwing his small frame at the opposition and helping to generate both of Vancouver’s goals in the contest. However, Tsujimoto ran out of gas and ice time in the third period with the two Vancouver penalties.
2 - Conklin Owen (VAN) 1 Goal, 3 Shots on Goal, 1 Hit,+2
Owen scored the game’s first goal and nearly had another shorthanded that we saw in the highlight package.
3 - Barak Obrana (PGF) 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 3 Shots on Goal, 3 Hits, 1 Blocked Shot, -1
Despite being on the ice for a couple of goals against, Obrana could have easily been named the game’s first star for the way he filled up the stat sheet. In addition, to his stat line, Obrana got the puck to the net when it counted most, late in the third period to score the game winner.
TARO’S HONORABLE MENTION (THE FOURTH STARS)
* Brynjar Tusk (VAN) 1 Assist, 4 hits, 1 Blocked Shot, +1
Despite being victimized by the third period penalty, Tusk played a good all around game throwing his weight around and assisting on the goal that gave Vancouver the 2 goal lead.
* Ben Waters (PGF) 21 Saves on 23 Shots
With the game been played in Prince George, the media would be expected to named Walters one of the game’s three stars. Waters was helped by the disciplined play of his teammates that kept the potent Vancouver powerplay off the ice most of the game. Yet, if you give up only 2 goals in a 3 to 2 victory, you deserve an honor.
Player Render by Merica
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S2, S5, S12, S39 Challenge Cup Champion and The MVP
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The Vancouver Whalers extended their win streak to 5 as they edged the Detroit Falcons in their first match-up of the year. The game was close, as the Falcons looked to break their 3 game losing drought but fell short when the Whalers went up 3-1 in the first. The Whalers were able to hold on to a 3-2 win in an eventful battle until the end. Vancouver's goaltending was too much for a struggling Falcons team who haven't tasted success since the first week of the season.
Jon Ross scores winner, lifts Whalers over struggling Falcons
Detroit Michigan --- Detroit Falcons gave away their 4th game in a row to the Whalers, who have been on fire-- outscoring opponents 22-8 in their last 5 games. One of those games was tonight where they squeezed by the Falcons 3-2.
The Falcons' defense got onto a very slow start in the first, having a few crucial defensive breakdowns that turned into Whaler goals. Both teams traded shots through out the period, but key story of the game was Whalers going up 3 goals to the Falcons 1 by the end of first period. Brynjar Tusk generated a nice stat line with 3 blocked shots, 3 hits, +2 and 2 assists for the Whalers.
The first of 3 for the Whalers came of the first possession of the game. Conklin Owen was left wide open in the slot as he got one through five hole on Sivy McSieve. Falcons answered back quick with Vikstrom roofing one a couple seconds into their first powerplay of the game. Steven Stamkos Jr. showed off his playmaking side with 2 primary assist from Lindstrom and Jon Ross. Lindstrom's goal came in a powerplay and Ross's was the game-winner-to-be.
The 2nd period just had a lot of shots on both sides but it was uneventful. Detroit played much better after making defensive adjustments and counter attacked well. Both teams had very little chance and goalies made some easy looking saves.
The final period of the game was very defensive all the way to the last 3 minutes into the game, when Josh <a href='index.php?showuser=803' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-8'>Merica</a> netted THE FIRST GOAL OF HIS JUNIOR CAREER!!! with a sweet backhand off a breakaway pass from Luke Atmey-- who was just waiting to set him up from the neutral zone. Falcons showed life in the remaining 2 minutes after the goal with intense pressure and forechecking but despite the pressure, they could not tie the game. Breakdown of team statistics
Shots- 30 26
Scoring chances came for both teams but Maximilian Wehner came up big with 28 saves to keep the Whalers ahead all game. McSieve had to deal with sloppy defensive breakdowns by the Falcons' defense. Shots came from both sides but didn't make a difference after the first period, seems like the game was decided from the start.
Special teams - 1 for 4 PP 1 for 1 PP
Falcons scored on their first powerplay but got shut down in the next 3 opportunities. However, Whalers took advantage of their only powerplay of the game as they needed it to insure victory.
Hitting - 25 18
Once again the Falcons have surprised teams with their underrated physical presence and they are channeling an identity as one of those teams. They showed they wont back down in this hard hitting game and boy was it a good one. Tremaine Versace was the leader in hits for the Falcons, with 5 checks.
Blocked shots- 6 8
This game was fast paced and involved a lot of turnovers and missed shots so blocked shots were balanced and came in tiny bunches. Alexis Metzler and Brynjar Tusk are both key defensemen for their team and went down to block some opportunistic shots.
Faceoffs - 42/88 46/88
There were a lot of stoppages and frozen pucks in this sloppy game that resulted in many faceoffs. Whalers had the slight edge with Frankie Latta going 18/28. Wiljian Zjang went a reliable 15/28 for the Falcons.
Player Comparison
Josh <a href='index.php?showuser=803' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-8'>Merica</a> vs Jon Ross
These two centers are one of the core pieces for their team and they both had strong games. Merica kept his team in the game with his first junior career goal in his first and only shot, he also had a blocked shot, a hit and just kept his ruthless presence in the game every shift. Ross matched Merica with his offense, scoring the game winner late in the first period and kept the pressure on a high level with 5 shots and going 15/25 in the faceoff circle.
With tough opening nights for both teams, the Mammoths and the Raiders were each looking for their first win as the season started to pick up pace. There was no doubt that both teams were desperate for success, and in such a tight game, fans saw the best of both the reigning Four Star cup champions and, quite possibly, the biggest underdog team in the SMJHL. Despite allowing the Raiders to score two goals in the first period, the Mammoths fought back in the second, and took this one home in a massive shootout for their first win of the year. The Raiders picked up a point, but they’re still winless turning the corner into the second week, despite their dominance of the playoffs.
First Period
The Raiders dominated the first period, taking eleven shots to the Mammoth’s six. Both goals were scored within a span of thirty seconds, however, coming at the middle of the period. Blake Battle scored a savage slapshot on the powerplay off a juicy rebound from Rudnikova, giving the Raiders an early lead while Frontdoor McGraw was off for roughing. The goal, assisted by Jean-Luc Reflieux and Greta Iversen, was Battle’s first of the season, scored at 9:41. Barely seconds later, at 10:08, Jean-Luc Reflieux hammered his own shot home off a faceoff in the Mammoth’s zone, sending it skittering past Rudnikova’s outstretched skate. Pietra Volkova and Colin Banning picked up the assists on Reflieux’s second of the year.
Battle’s first goal of the season on the power play
Second Period
After the first intermission, the Mammoths seemed to collect themselves more, and led the period in shots ten to eight. They also scored the first goal of the period only forty-one seconds in, as Maverick O’Dooley connected with Martin Svensson for Svensson’s second goal of the year. The Raiders fought back, digging the Mammoths back into a two-goal hole as Greta Iverson scored her first of the year, assisted by Kip O'Callahan and Solaire Azarov. However, the Mammoths weren’t extinct yet. Jack Dabkowski scored his first, with an assist from Tord Yvel, with seven minutes left in the second. Four minutes later, and only fifteen seconds after Solaire Azarov went off for roughing, Matthew Leetch completed the comeback by scoring his first of the year to tie the game, with assists from Maverick O'Dooley and Alex Koivu.
Matthew Leetch’s game-tying goal against Richard Hocolate
Third Period
The teams came out far more even in the third, with the Raiders barely holding the edge in shots - nine to eight. Both goalies were sharp, and despite two Raiders power plays, Rudnikova refused to let them through. Hockolate also looked good, shutting down the Mammoth’s offense as both teams looked for the game winner. As the clock ran down, the Mammoths found themselves man-down for the last few minutes of the third. However, the Raiders couldn’t finish on the powerplay, and this game headed to overtime.
Denis Lever hooks a Raiders player at 18:40 of the third period
Overtime
The five-minute overtime was incredibly defensive, with only one shot on net between the two teams. Rudnikova was sharp, however, and the five-minute overtime period passed without too much excitement, sending both teams into the shootout.
Shootout
In a seven-round shootout, the Mammoths and the Raiders saw the best out of both of their goaltenders. Rudnikova allowed only one goal, while Hocolate only saw two past him. However, Matthew Leetch was the hero in the shootout as well, finishing off a strong comeback for the Mammoths and giving them the 4-3 win. It was a hard-earned point for the Raiders, but they’re still looking for their first win, while the Mammoths try and ride this momentum into the rest of the season.
Matthew Leetch’s shootout winner
Stats Overview
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I love the fact that you gave two highlight reel goal gifs for my goals, but please, never remind me of that NYR V SJS game ever again :lol: . Literally THE WORST game I've ever seen the Rangers play in my lifetime. And you put the Caps scoring against Hank? Why are you so anti-Rangers?
Two of the hot up-and-coming stars of their respective teams are in the profile spotlight tonight after stellar in-game performances and a good showing for their teams during tonight's decisive shoot-out -- for the Halifax Raiders, 2nd Line Right Winger Reed Laing, and for the Colorado Mammoths, Offensive Defenseman and 1st Line D-Man Matthew Leech!
PLAYER PROFILES</div>
REED LAING is a dynamic two-way forward hailing from London, ON -- right in the heart of Hockey Nation: Canada! Don’t let this 22-year-old lady’s good looks fool you, there’s nothing soft or dainty about her. Found calling her entire locker room “a bunch of losers†on the most recent league-wide player profiling effort -- the same one wherein she self-identified herself as most akin to a hyena -- this hard-partying rabblerouser was picked-up by the Texas Renegades in the season 31 entry draft before being sent back down to Halifax for both their preseason and regular seasons. For all her apparent disdain, her teammates have sourced her as one of the biggest bench presences during games, and she takes that same aggressive energy with her out onto the ice. She’s definitely a Major Junior to keep an eye on!
MATTHEW LEECH is 19-year-old offensive defenseman from New York, NY, and as such, is no stranger to bright lights and mounting pressure to perform -- both of which the young defenseman has received in spades in his second season with the Colorado Mammoths after being picked up in the last SHL entry draft by the Los Angeles Panthers. His surplus of hockey IQ and propensity to clap home bombs from the point during offensive pushes has drawn a lot of positive attention to his style of play. Newly anointed captain of the Mammoths, his self-sacrificing dedication and down-home hard-working attitudes have made him respeceted in his locker room -- he’s a lot more quiet than most with his kind of accolades, and nothing but humble when asked about his recent successes, such as the one with Finnland on the IIHF stage. He’s definitely a Major Junior to keep an eye on!
<div align="center">GAME RECAP</div>
What should’ve been a sweeping success by Halifax was stopped at the back door by Colorado, as what began as an aggressive start and a 2-0 lead for the Raiders was obliterated by a scrappy second-period comeback for the Mammoths. The third period was scrummed out scoreless -- a big period for neutral ice contest and a huge showing from both teams’ exhausted defensive lines -- and then after a brief stint in overtime, the game was pushed to shoot-out; the Raiders’ Laing came-up with the ice-breaker, but Mammoths’ Serj Kovalchuk had an immediate response he snuck past up high on Hocolate’s blocker side -- two more rounds before a dazzling spin-o-rama from the Mammoths’ captain Matthew Leech beat Hocolate again for the win.
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You might be asking yourself, well -- if the Raiders did really start out so strong, what happened? Let’s take a look at our SMJHL Second Chance Turning Point of the game.
Halifax took advantage of McGraw’s hot temper and put away their first goal on a powerplay the roughing penalty levied at him afforded. Their follow-up came less than a full minute later, as veteran Reflieux scooped his first goal and second point of the night off an assist from current captain Pietra Volkova and former captain Colin Banning. The Halifax defense was laying down big, clean hits and frustrating Colorado into one more minor during the first that the Raiders couldn’t produce on. Big smiles all around and a jovial attitude followed the Raiders into the away locker room at first intermission despite recent negative media attentions over FO conflicts with some of the players’ lifestyle choices.
Coming back out onto the ice, first line center Alex Reed of the Halifax Raiders -- and one of the centerpieces of the aforementioned controversy -- looked incredibly shaky in his first first few seconds on the ice; enough so that he was pulled in favor of 2nd liner Joey Ryan for a brief reprieve after a sloppy hit against O’Dooley was followed-up by a fumble of the puck resulting in a brief but decent scoring chance for the Mammoths. Reed put back in almost immediately as Ryan makes a similar mistake himself, and we’ll go to the tapes for the rest of this tale:
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Quote:â€Well there’s very obviously some shoving back and forth on the slot-side of dot between McGraw and Volkova, who seem to be in a heated discussion that Reed’s now broken off from the face-off to engage in! Oh -- refs now, intervening, no calls, but Reed’s clearly getting a stern talking to and McGraw, chuckling as he switches places with Eichelele on the far side now -- Reed and Svensson returning to the mark to battle for the puck. And -- puck is Halifax’s, as Reed wins on the draw, snaps it up the ice to Volkova with a saucer over Eichelele’s stick and gets railroaded by McGraw for his troubles! Reed is on the ice, no whistle! Questionable use of elbow against the side of Reed’s helmet if I do say so myself, but play continues on -- cross-ice pass by Volkova cut in half by Svensson… possession reclaimed by Komarov for Halifax who tries to clear it but is stopped in his tracks by O’Dooley who snaps it right back to wide-open Svensson who shoots right of the pass and -- [b]HE SCORES! MAMMOTHS SCORE AT JUST 41 SECONDS INTO THE SECOND PERIOD![/b]
GENERATIONAL SCRUB AWARD</div>
Tonight’s Generational Scrub Award -- given to the biggest contributing factor in the losing team’s lack of success -- goes to Halifax’s first line PK team (special guest Alex Reed, since their penalty kill’s second forward Azarov is the one who took the penalty for roughing in the first place!; failing on a residual roll of bad energy started-off by the Mammoth’s early period goal, these guys just couldn’t keep their shit together. The Halifax PK was at an abysmal 66% tonight, despite only needing to show up 3 times total, and these knuckle-heads did the Mammoths the favor of allowing the game-tying goal past their sticks. Individually, none of them had spectacular games (save Banning, but even the team-anointed Captain Dad can’t carry an entire penalty kill on his shoulders, and perhaps Reed -- who’s rage after the start of the second period only intensified him into a hitting machine, thankfully not costing the Raiders’ any PIMs in the process), but the minute the Raiders needed them to come in clutch to roll back the tide of the game in their favor, they just weren’t able to cut the mustard.
The Kelowna Knights came into the game desperately needing a win, as they were on a devastating 4 game losing streak. But their opponents today were going to be a challenge, as the Firebirds were on fire coming into the game (no pun intended) with a 2 game losing streak.
First Period
Opening the scoring was Trevor Wilson with a sweet power play goal, 11 minutes into the first period. With the Kelowna Knights power play unit out there, Geronimo Otto stepped into the face off dot to face Teodors Cukurs. The puck dropped, Geronimo Otto won the battle, and dished the puck back to the point, where Trevor Wilson was waiting. He recieved the puck, handled it then took a lazar wrist shot, going by the defenders attempting to block the shot, and whizzed by Prince George goaltender Ben Waters.
2nd Period
Nearing the end of the 3rd period, the Knights strike again, with a goal from the teams star defenseman Cara Hohenberg. Anatoly Yanovich, taking 2 brilliant hard shots only moments between each, and had missed both of them. Yanovich retrieved the puck after his second missed, and went around and took another shot. He has not missed the net this time, but instead, a nice pad stop from Ben Waters. But Waters was forced to give up a rebound, the shot was to tough to control, and Cara Hohenberg pounced on the oppurtunity. Hohenberg with a almost empty net, with Waters sprawled across the ground, shoots and beat Waters with ease, giving the Knights a 2 goal lead.
3rd Period
Early in the third period, the Knights score another goal, this time is from Adriana Starosta. The Knights, already ont eh attack cycling the puck. Trevor Wilson recieves the puck, takes a shot, misses wide. He rushes to retrieve the puck, then quickly takes a wrist shot, this time missing wide. Frustrated, Wilson leaves the puck for Adriana Starosta at the point, who hammers the puck and beats Ben Waters. 3-0 Kelowna.
Only moments later, 2 minutes 34 seconds into the 3rd period, Kelowna scored another goal, again Cara Hohenberg gets on the baord for the second time tonight. Captain Alex Light carrys the puck into the zone, then fires the puck towards the net, but forward Frederick Boone steps into the shot to block it. The pucks direction was diverted towards Micheal Burrows, who goes to shoot the puck aswell. He shoots short side, and the puck rools around the boards, all the way to Cara Hohenberg waiting at the point. Hohenberg waits for a few moments, then takes a lazar of a slapshot. The puck gets by Ben Waters and into the back of the net, putting some salt on the wound. 4-0 Kelowna.
Statistics Break-Down
Shots 27 10
The Firebirds failed to generate many chances at all, no wonder the FireBirds failed to score. On the other hand, the Knights dominated offensively, with 27 shots
Faceoffs 42/71 29/71
Faceoffs were a key part to the Knights win, as they had dominated the face off circle, which led to countless number of scoring chances. Some of them had led to goals, like Trevor Wilsons goal was created directly off the faceoff, and Hohenbergs first goal would not have happened if Samee Iqbal had not won the faceoff to start an offensive cycle.
Special Teams PP: 1 for 5 PP: 0-3
The the Kelowna Knights powerplay generated the first goal of the game, which would eventually be the game winning goal. Kelowna was also able to shut down the Prince George Powerplay, holding them to no goals on their 3 powerplay chances.
Hits 14 24
Even though the Knights had dominated the game, the Firebirds were strong physically, with 24 clean good hits on the Knights. The physical play may have dealt some damage to the Knights players, but it didn't stop them from scoring goals.
Blocked Shots 3 9
The FireBirds had a nice number of blocked shots, with 9 total, but it wasn't enough to hold the the Knights scoring.
From looking at the numbers, blocked shots was very well not the reason why the Firebirds failed to generate many shots, as only 3 of their attempts were blocked.
ckroyal92
Kelowna Knights (4-2-1) vs. 
Detroit Falcons (3-1-2)![[Image: spits5.jpg?quality=55&strip=all&w=840&h=630&crop=1]](http://wpmedia.windsorstar.com/2014/03/spits5.jpg?quality=55&strip=all&w=840&h=630&crop=1)
![[Image: 1297797031404_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&si...3519430551]](http://storage.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1297797031404_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x&stmp=1453519430551)
![[Image: redwings.jpg]](http://www.rantsports.com/nhl/files/2013/04/redwings.jpg)
GCool
St Louis Scarecrows vs. Kelowna Knights 
![[Image: OaSEcaw]](https://imgur.com/OaSEcaw)
vs ![[Image: YDvbm1G.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/YDvbm1G.jpg)
Is there anything in particular to which you attribute the Knights struggles so far this season?
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-1 VS. 4- 
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Former Affiliates: ![[Image: xaoosh.png]](http://i62.tinypic.com/xaoosh.png)
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; failing on a residual roll of bad energy started-off by the Mammoth’s early period goal, these guys just couldn’t keep their shit together. The Halifax PK was at an abysmal 66% tonight, despite only needing to show up 3 times total, and these knuckle-heads did the Mammoths the favor of allowing the game-tying goal past their sticks. Individually, none of them had spectacular games (save Banning, but even the team-anointed Captain Dad can’t carry an entire penalty kill on his shoulders, and perhaps Reed -- who’s rage after the start of the second period only intensified him into a hitting machine, thankfully not costing the Raiders’ any PIMs in the process), but the minute the Raiders needed them to come in clutch to roll back the tide of the game in their favor, they just weren’t able to cut the mustard.![[Image: f39lzo.gif]](http://i63.tinypic.com/f39lzo.gif)
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