WestLEAFfan
09-08-2007, 11:51 PM
Second half dooms youthful Cats (0) [Back]< Prev
(Sports) Saturday, 08 September 2007, 01:22 PST
by JASON PETERS Citizen staff
For the Prince George Cougars to win games this season, Real Cyr must be a masked bandit. And, until proven scorers emerge on the forward lines, power-play goals will be critical.
On Friday night at CN Centre, both of the above scenarios unfolded for the Cats. Disturbingly, they still couldn't beat the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League exhibition action. The Blazers, down 3-0 early in the second period, stormed back for a 6-3 victory in front of 1,023 witnesses.
Overall, the Cougars were outplayed badly, especially in the last two periods. The final shots ended up 40-13 in favour of the visitors. With the lacklustre performance he saw, Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck was not in a cheery mood after the game.
“We had a decent first period and I thought we had a lot of passengers after that,” he said.
“Certainly, for guys that are still trying to make the hockey team, you’d sure be surprised if you were in the stands watching the game that there were guys fighting for jobs out there. I know we don't have the 50-goal scorers in our lineup but it still doesn’t excuse the work ethic and getting outworked in your own building for two periods.”
Despite the loss, Cyr looked like he was in the same form as last spring, when he led the Cougars into the third round of the playoffs. In front of him, Alex Poulter and Dale Hunt connected on power plays late in the first period and early in the second respectively. Just for good measure, Colin Haas, an 18-year-old Texan, put the spurs to his horse and converted on a short-handed rush to open the scoring in the first. The Cats had that 3-0 lead before the Blazers found their firepower and ran away with the game with six consecutive goals. Two of them -- by Tyler Shattock and Ryan Bender -- came during power plays, and another was shorthanded. That was the go-ahead goal at the 12:21 mark of the third. On a three-on-one rush, Kenton Dulle did the finishing. Sasha Golin and 16-year-old Jimmy Bubnick also beat Cyr for goals. In the final minute, Ivan Rohac hit an empty net to complete the scoring.
“It was a little bit frustrating losing like that,” Cyr said. “I thought we came out all right and we were going hard. It seemed like as soon as they started to get momentum, we kind of backed off and let them in and they took it to us.”
Cyr said he felt good between the pipes. On the shots that beat him, he had little chance.
“Obviously, it's not too fun letting in five goals,” he said. “The key is not to get frustrated, especially early like this. Guys have got to keep positive.”
The game marked the first ice-time as a Cougar for Marcus Watson, a centre from San Jose, Calif. The Cats picked up the 19-year-old Watson off waivers on Monday from Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Watson, who traveled from San Jose on Friday to be in Prince George in time for the faceoff, got caught in a numbers crunch in the QMJHL.
“Because of their 19-year-old rule, he became available to us and we're going to give him a look and see where it goes,” Schoneck said. “(In the QMJHL) they have a certain number of 19-year-olds they can have on their team and he was a victim of that. I thought he was fine (Friday).”
One member of the Blazers who had an enjoyable night was defenceman Darcy Huisman, a Smithers product who played junior A last season for the Prince George Spruce Kings. Huisman finished the game with a pair of power-play assists. Dean Clark, general manager and head coach of the Blazers, expects Huisman to make a significant contribution this season.
“All the things he has done so far point in that direction,” Clark said.
“He has looked good for us so far in pre-season. The way he played (Friday), and the way he played on the power play, he did a really good job.”
The Cougars now have a 1-3 record in pre-season play.
The Cougars and Blazers will meet again tonight in Kamloops.
(Sports) Saturday, 08 September 2007, 01:22 PST
by JASON PETERS Citizen staff
For the Prince George Cougars to win games this season, Real Cyr must be a masked bandit. And, until proven scorers emerge on the forward lines, power-play goals will be critical.
On Friday night at CN Centre, both of the above scenarios unfolded for the Cats. Disturbingly, they still couldn't beat the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League exhibition action. The Blazers, down 3-0 early in the second period, stormed back for a 6-3 victory in front of 1,023 witnesses.
Overall, the Cougars were outplayed badly, especially in the last two periods. The final shots ended up 40-13 in favour of the visitors. With the lacklustre performance he saw, Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck was not in a cheery mood after the game.
“We had a decent first period and I thought we had a lot of passengers after that,” he said.
“Certainly, for guys that are still trying to make the hockey team, you’d sure be surprised if you were in the stands watching the game that there were guys fighting for jobs out there. I know we don't have the 50-goal scorers in our lineup but it still doesn’t excuse the work ethic and getting outworked in your own building for two periods.”
Despite the loss, Cyr looked like he was in the same form as last spring, when he led the Cougars into the third round of the playoffs. In front of him, Alex Poulter and Dale Hunt connected on power plays late in the first period and early in the second respectively. Just for good measure, Colin Haas, an 18-year-old Texan, put the spurs to his horse and converted on a short-handed rush to open the scoring in the first. The Cats had that 3-0 lead before the Blazers found their firepower and ran away with the game with six consecutive goals. Two of them -- by Tyler Shattock and Ryan Bender -- came during power plays, and another was shorthanded. That was the go-ahead goal at the 12:21 mark of the third. On a three-on-one rush, Kenton Dulle did the finishing. Sasha Golin and 16-year-old Jimmy Bubnick also beat Cyr for goals. In the final minute, Ivan Rohac hit an empty net to complete the scoring.
“It was a little bit frustrating losing like that,” Cyr said. “I thought we came out all right and we were going hard. It seemed like as soon as they started to get momentum, we kind of backed off and let them in and they took it to us.”
Cyr said he felt good between the pipes. On the shots that beat him, he had little chance.
“Obviously, it's not too fun letting in five goals,” he said. “The key is not to get frustrated, especially early like this. Guys have got to keep positive.”
The game marked the first ice-time as a Cougar for Marcus Watson, a centre from San Jose, Calif. The Cats picked up the 19-year-old Watson off waivers on Monday from Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Watson, who traveled from San Jose on Friday to be in Prince George in time for the faceoff, got caught in a numbers crunch in the QMJHL.
“Because of their 19-year-old rule, he became available to us and we're going to give him a look and see where it goes,” Schoneck said. “(In the QMJHL) they have a certain number of 19-year-olds they can have on their team and he was a victim of that. I thought he was fine (Friday).”
One member of the Blazers who had an enjoyable night was defenceman Darcy Huisman, a Smithers product who played junior A last season for the Prince George Spruce Kings. Huisman finished the game with a pair of power-play assists. Dean Clark, general manager and head coach of the Blazers, expects Huisman to make a significant contribution this season.
“All the things he has done so far point in that direction,” Clark said.
“He has looked good for us so far in pre-season. The way he played (Friday), and the way he played on the power play, he did a really good job.”
The Cougars now have a 1-3 record in pre-season play.
The Cougars and Blazers will meet again tonight in Kamloops.