nivek_wahs
03-22-2007, 02:52 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=3a49750c-b0cf-4538-9c12-ed366f79e896
Moir hopes experience pays off for the Broncos
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007
Kyle Moir has played more games than any other goaltender in Western Hockey League history.
But the most important ones are still to come for the 20-year-old Swift Current Broncos netminder.
"It's playoff time, so everyone wants to elevate their game," said Moir, who will be in net Friday when the Broncos visit the Regina Pats at the Brandt Centre (7 p.m.) for Game 1 of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal. "It's my last kick at the can, so I want to make as good a run as possible."
Earlier this season, Moir, a Calgary product, set WHL records for games played (233) and minutes played (12,774) by a goaltender. He has played his entire five-year WHL career in Swift Current.
The previous standards were held by Jeff Calvert, who played in 229 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Tacoma Rockets, and Danny Lorenz of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who played 12,634 minutes in his career.
This season, Moir played in 55 games while registering a 3.19 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and a 21-27-0-1 record with five shutouts.
But regular-season records aside, there is still plenty for Moir to prove in the playoffs. In six WHL postseason games, Moir is 0-6 and let in 27 goals in that stretch.
"I've got to play some of the best hockey I ever have," said Moir, looking ahead to the series.
"Everyone knows to win in the playoffs, you need to have good goaltending.
"I try not to put on any more pressure on myself than necessary. My job is to go out there and stop the puck and that's all I can control."
He will also try to pass some of the pressure off to the younger Broncos players.
"They realize we can be done in a couple weeks if things don't go our way," said Moir. "They know what's at stake for everybody so I'm sure they'll be ready to go come Friday."
Moir knows all too well what it looks like when a 20-year-old skates off the ice for the last time. After a 6-2 loss to the Warriors on Saturday, Moir was on the bench watching his counterparts from Moose Jaw leave the ice.
"You know you're in the same boat," said Moir. "If we didn't make the playoffs, the same thing would be happening to us. I just want to try to delay it as long is possible."
To make sure that doesn't happen against the Pats, it will likely have to be Moir controlling his own fate. The Broncos scored 199 goals during the regular season, the fifth-worst total in the league.
Though his name will top lists in the record book for at least a few more years, Moir still doesn't feel like his WHL career is complete.
"Not yet -- we've still got some games to go," said Moir. "After it's done, then we'll say it's done."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Moir hopes experience pays off for the Broncos
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007
Kyle Moir has played more games than any other goaltender in Western Hockey League history.
But the most important ones are still to come for the 20-year-old Swift Current Broncos netminder.
"It's playoff time, so everyone wants to elevate their game," said Moir, who will be in net Friday when the Broncos visit the Regina Pats at the Brandt Centre (7 p.m.) for Game 1 of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal. "It's my last kick at the can, so I want to make as good a run as possible."
Earlier this season, Moir, a Calgary product, set WHL records for games played (233) and minutes played (12,774) by a goaltender. He has played his entire five-year WHL career in Swift Current.
The previous standards were held by Jeff Calvert, who played in 229 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Tacoma Rockets, and Danny Lorenz of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who played 12,634 minutes in his career.
This season, Moir played in 55 games while registering a 3.19 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and a 21-27-0-1 record with five shutouts.
But regular-season records aside, there is still plenty for Moir to prove in the playoffs. In six WHL postseason games, Moir is 0-6 and let in 27 goals in that stretch.
"I've got to play some of the best hockey I ever have," said Moir, looking ahead to the series.
"Everyone knows to win in the playoffs, you need to have good goaltending.
"I try not to put on any more pressure on myself than necessary. My job is to go out there and stop the puck and that's all I can control."
He will also try to pass some of the pressure off to the younger Broncos players.
"They realize we can be done in a couple weeks if things don't go our way," said Moir. "They know what's at stake for everybody so I'm sure they'll be ready to go come Friday."
Moir knows all too well what it looks like when a 20-year-old skates off the ice for the last time. After a 6-2 loss to the Warriors on Saturday, Moir was on the bench watching his counterparts from Moose Jaw leave the ice.
"You know you're in the same boat," said Moir. "If we didn't make the playoffs, the same thing would be happening to us. I just want to try to delay it as long is possible."
To make sure that doesn't happen against the Pats, it will likely have to be Moir controlling his own fate. The Broncos scored 199 goals during the regular season, the fifth-worst total in the league.
Though his name will top lists in the record book for at least a few more years, Moir still doesn't feel like his WHL career is complete.
"Not yet -- we've still got some games to go," said Moir. "After it's done, then we'll say it's done."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007