Nobody's Home???

[Tinner]

Looks like nobody has been home for a while! No new posts.

[SectionNDeserter]

Hasn't been any really big news, changes in the team or anything too exciting happening on the ice. Though how about that fight on Saturday? I have never seen a 6'3 200lb player swung around like a ragdoll like that before, that was unreal!

[RDRebelsfan]

Hasn't been any really big news, changes in the team or anything too exciting happening on the ice. Though how about that fight on Saturday? I have never seen a 6'3 200lb player swung around like a ragdoll like that before, that was unreal!

would've been nice to see. I was supposed to be at the game last night, but a near possible car accident near Sylvan when I spun out drowned that out. :(



I heard from one of the people up stairs today that the game was sloppy though.

[SectionNDeserter]

Both teams played pretty sloppy at times. If Starkov blocks the Kootenay player's shot instead of tipping it, and Henry's man doesn't score at the end of one of his storied 5 minute shifts its a whole different hockey game.

[Tinner]

I guess somebody should do re-caps. I wasn't able to go to the game either (granddaughter came for a visit and we ended up baby sitting). A friend of mine needed 2 tickets because he had visitors in from Austraila, and they had never seen a hockey game. I'm sure they enjoyed it though.

[hiway9]

Hey nice recap SND. We know you hate Henry but making stuff up to run him down is a bit much. Were you at the game? Have you watched the hilite package? The only goal against when Henry was out was a 3 on 2 and the guy farthest from Henry scored. His guy? No. Long shift No. A regular shift with his regular partner. The team worked hard but didn't capitalize on the few chances that the Ice gave up. A tough game coming up there but we need to find a way to win.

[SectionNDeserter]

Hey nice recap SND. We know you hate Henry but making stuff up to run him down is a bit much. Were you at the game?Yes, I was at the game.

Have you watched the hilite package? The only goal against when Henry was out was a 3 on 2 and the guy farthest from Henry scored. His guy?Didn't need to, I as I was there. Jordan Henry is a DEFENSEMAN. When there is that many forwards from both teams+the puck behind him on a rush, he isn't doing something right now is he? Don't get me wrong, with some of the defensemen we have, and the inexperience of our blueline, I recognize the fact that he is going to have to double-shift and triple-shift at times in high-pressure situations, and sometimes that is going to cost us. I was just saying that that and Starkov tipping the puck instead of blocking it aside, the game would have probably gone to overtime. I assumed that he had been on a long long shift on that play, because of how out of position he was, and how bagged he looked after the goal was scored. If it was in fact just a regular shift for him, then it might be time for him to hit the bike a little bit more.

[hiway9]

Watch the replay. The puck is passed from his side to the far side to a guy who is the forwards responsibility. He is not behind anyone, he is defending the guys in front of him. Don't confuse tired with dejected. Everyone in the rink knew it would be a tough goal to recover from including the players.

[3rebels]

But the fight was pretty one-sided. It almost looked like a circus act !!!
punk rock

[SectionNDeserter]

Yeah, that was crazy... He was like at shoulder height on Lynch, and pretty much parallel with the ice! And then after he dropped him he tried to pick him up off the ice again. Anyone hear what happened to that kid? Looked like his shoulder had popped out.

[SectionNDeserter]

Watch the replay. The puck is passed from his side to the far side to a guy who is the forwards responsibility. He is not behind anyone, he is defending the guys in front of him.The whole thing was confused by the fact that Henry, a RD was pretty much on the left boards when the play started, and I don't think the actual LD Morin knew if he was supposed to actually take the right side or not. Bottom line is though, on a play like that, the RD shouldn't ever be that far to the left of the LD, and that is why I say he was out of position.

[RebelsFan]

Just a quick picture of an often used statistic. Hanzal leads the team with a +/- rating of +15. Second is Henry with a +13. Then it's over to Brett Sutter with a +9. Egner at +7 is the next highest D-man to Henry. I think this shows Henry must be doing a pretty decent job. He has 19 points and has played in every Rebel game this year, one of only 4 players to do that. I think Henry must be doing something right. No one is going to make every play and stop every chance to score. You have to look at it longer term and see that Henry is doing a good job. By the way Lynch is at -4 , Berube -7, Morin -3, Kozyra +4, Scarborough -2

[SectionNDeserter]

+/- is one of the most poorly documented stats in the WHL, I would guess that any of those players could have an actual +/- that varies by up to 5 points higher or lower than their actual recorded stat (most notably they often forget to credit a line with a + when they score shorthanded). There is no doubt that Henry is our best overall defenseman, he is only a liabilty to us when he gets overworked and/or tries to do too much. Since almost nothing was done (or could be done?) before the trade deadline to give the guy some help back there, little blame can be placed on him when he is overworked or tries to do too much.

[hiway9]

I also noticed that but I am sure over the long haul he has lost some the same way and it evens out over the long haul. Even though it is not 100% because of recording errors, it does give an overall view of how you perform even strength or shorthanded. Henry (and Morrin of late) have to earn their plusses against the top lines of other teams but do have the benefit of often playing behind our top line. I think we could cut him some slack as he does log an enormous amount of ice and does have to play when the tank is near empty sometimes. Yes he makes mistakes like 400 other guys in the league do. Brent, Dallas and Jesse are more confident in him tired than the others rested and that will continue I think. Getting no help at the deadline has added pressure as has the tight playoff battle. By the way, I think Morrin is a keeper and can't believe MJ couldn't find a spot for this guy. I also think Kozyra is improving and is getting more shifts against top lines. I have never seen a big guy get a 1 arm airplane spin in a fight. Lynch is a strong guy.

[hockey4]

im not sure why you guys think our d are so bad. its only been that last 3 games weve been given up goals. We shut out Calgary, and only gave up 9 against in 5 games out west. Hardly anything to worry about.

[SectionNDeserter]

im not sure why you guys think our d are so bad. its only been that last 3 games weve been given up goals. We shut out Calgary, and only gave up 9 against in 5 games out west. Hardly anything to worry about.I think that defensively our defenseman have been fine. They don't get beat one-on-one a lot, and they generally keep the front of the net clear, and they all block their fair number of shots. The big problem with our defense is that almost all of them have struggled at times or some for the entire year with getting the puck from their own zone to our forwards in the neutral zone without turning it over somehow (when they are being forechecked at all), and regaining control of it in our zone in a timely manner when they do turn it over. I attribute most of this to the fact that we have had 3 rookie defensemen playing for a good chunk of the season. They have had success in past years with just hammering the puck off the boards and out to the neutral zone, but whether the other teams in the league are watching for this more now, or our forwards are just less adept at picking up the clearing attempt, more often than not it leads to the other team just taking the puck in (or before) the neutral zone and just bringing it back in.