Scout
09-11-2007, 07:39 AM
Broncos off to good pre-season start
STEVEN MAH
The Swift Current Broncos returned home from their first three tests with two wins and one loss at the the Edmonton Oil Kings' Inaugural Pre Season Invitational.
The Broncos opened the tournament with a 4-3 loss to the Prince George Cougars despite outshooting them 34-13.
The Broncos jumped out to a first period lead off the stick of Geordie Wudrick, but allowed a trio of second period goals to trail 3-1 heading into the third period.
Defenseman Ryan Molle, 18, and forward Justin Dowling, 17, each scored in the third period, but it was not enough as the Broncos surrendered one goal in the final frame to make it a 4-3 final.
Ian Curtis made four saves in goal for the Broncos, while Chad Ketting worked 31:08 in relief and stopped six shots. Cougars' goaltender Real Cyr stopped 31 of 34 shots that he faced in the win.
On Sunday the Broncos rebounded to defeat the Kelowna Rockets 6-1.
RJ LaRochelle, Christian Magnus, Paul Postma, Wudrick, Brady Leavold, and Grant Toulmin each scored in the win.
Ketting played the opening 29:39 in goal, making 11 saves for the Broncos and allowing one goal to Tyson Barrie. Travis Yonkman relieved Ketting and stopped all 14 shot that he faced.
The Broncos outshot the Rockets 31-26 in the contest.
In game three the Broncos jumped out to a first period lead off the stick of Gervais.
Magnus stretched the lead to 2-0 with a second period marker.
Brendan Ranford closed the deficit to 2-1 for the Blazers before Broncos 18-year-old defenseman Derek Claffey added an insurance marker to make it a 3-1 final.
Yonkman started in net and and made nine saves without allowing a goal. Curtis stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced in relief.
Overall, Broncos' Head Coach and General Manager Dean Chynoweth was pleased with the weekend.
"I thought that we played with lots of intensity which was good. We were a little sluggish in the first game which might have had a little bit to do with the bus ride. But I thought that two of the three periods in that game we were alright. Then as the tournament went along I thought that we had some real good play from some of our younger guys that really showed our team speed."
Chynoweth and his staff are not concerned with the game results.
"I am more looking at individuals, how they play, how they adapt, and who steps out for us. Those are the areas that I definitely focus on as opposed to the end result."
Despite the 2-1 record, Chynoweth knows his team has some work to do before the start of the regular season.
"I think that the whole team game concept we are going to have to continue to work at. We will be as fast as we are able to move the puck. We have some real good skating forwards and it is going to be real important that the defense are moving the puck and giving it to guys when they are ahead of them."
The Broncos made two roster moves following the tournament sending 15-year-old 2007 first round bantam pick Christian Magnus back to his midget team in Saskatoon and 16-year-old goaltender Chad Ketting back his midget team in Vancouver.
The Broncos play pre-season games this weekend in Moose Jaw and Brandon and will likely trim their roster by one or two spots following the weekend.
One position that would seem to be set, after the Broncos reassigned Ketting to his midget team, is the goaltending spot with only 19-year-old Yonkman and 17-year-old Curtis remaining.
Chynoweth is optimistic about this key position.
"I thought that it was real good. I thought that Chad was maybe a little bit nervous in his first game and then settled down real nicely in the second. I thought that Ian played as good as he had from the time camp started. I thought his camp had been a little bit slow, but he has gotten better. I thought Travis, likewise, was better then he was the week before."
Heading into the weekend pre-season games, the competition for the few roster spots available is about to heat up.
"It is very competitive. There is no doubt that there is a group of 17 and 16-year-olds fighting for those last spots. We are going to have to sort through where some of the older guys fit in the mix and obviously we need to get healthy because we have had a lot of injuries through training camp and then it will take a little while to sort those things out," said Chynoweth.
The Broncos will have to get used to playing hockey on the road as they will play a total of 14 consecutive games away from Swift Current due to the Civic Centre expansion in the pre-season and the regular season.
"It is not something that we have focused on, in the sense that we have had to address it. The guys know what it is and there is nothing we can change about it, so it is what it is and we will make sure that we are prepared for that challenge."
STEVEN MAH
The Swift Current Broncos returned home from their first three tests with two wins and one loss at the the Edmonton Oil Kings' Inaugural Pre Season Invitational.
The Broncos opened the tournament with a 4-3 loss to the Prince George Cougars despite outshooting them 34-13.
The Broncos jumped out to a first period lead off the stick of Geordie Wudrick, but allowed a trio of second period goals to trail 3-1 heading into the third period.
Defenseman Ryan Molle, 18, and forward Justin Dowling, 17, each scored in the third period, but it was not enough as the Broncos surrendered one goal in the final frame to make it a 4-3 final.
Ian Curtis made four saves in goal for the Broncos, while Chad Ketting worked 31:08 in relief and stopped six shots. Cougars' goaltender Real Cyr stopped 31 of 34 shots that he faced in the win.
On Sunday the Broncos rebounded to defeat the Kelowna Rockets 6-1.
RJ LaRochelle, Christian Magnus, Paul Postma, Wudrick, Brady Leavold, and Grant Toulmin each scored in the win.
Ketting played the opening 29:39 in goal, making 11 saves for the Broncos and allowing one goal to Tyson Barrie. Travis Yonkman relieved Ketting and stopped all 14 shot that he faced.
The Broncos outshot the Rockets 31-26 in the contest.
In game three the Broncos jumped out to a first period lead off the stick of Gervais.
Magnus stretched the lead to 2-0 with a second period marker.
Brendan Ranford closed the deficit to 2-1 for the Blazers before Broncos 18-year-old defenseman Derek Claffey added an insurance marker to make it a 3-1 final.
Yonkman started in net and and made nine saves without allowing a goal. Curtis stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced in relief.
Overall, Broncos' Head Coach and General Manager Dean Chynoweth was pleased with the weekend.
"I thought that we played with lots of intensity which was good. We were a little sluggish in the first game which might have had a little bit to do with the bus ride. But I thought that two of the three periods in that game we were alright. Then as the tournament went along I thought that we had some real good play from some of our younger guys that really showed our team speed."
Chynoweth and his staff are not concerned with the game results.
"I am more looking at individuals, how they play, how they adapt, and who steps out for us. Those are the areas that I definitely focus on as opposed to the end result."
Despite the 2-1 record, Chynoweth knows his team has some work to do before the start of the regular season.
"I think that the whole team game concept we are going to have to continue to work at. We will be as fast as we are able to move the puck. We have some real good skating forwards and it is going to be real important that the defense are moving the puck and giving it to guys when they are ahead of them."
The Broncos made two roster moves following the tournament sending 15-year-old 2007 first round bantam pick Christian Magnus back to his midget team in Saskatoon and 16-year-old goaltender Chad Ketting back his midget team in Vancouver.
The Broncos play pre-season games this weekend in Moose Jaw and Brandon and will likely trim their roster by one or two spots following the weekend.
One position that would seem to be set, after the Broncos reassigned Ketting to his midget team, is the goaltending spot with only 19-year-old Yonkman and 17-year-old Curtis remaining.
Chynoweth is optimistic about this key position.
"I thought that it was real good. I thought that Chad was maybe a little bit nervous in his first game and then settled down real nicely in the second. I thought that Ian played as good as he had from the time camp started. I thought his camp had been a little bit slow, but he has gotten better. I thought Travis, likewise, was better then he was the week before."
Heading into the weekend pre-season games, the competition for the few roster spots available is about to heat up.
"It is very competitive. There is no doubt that there is a group of 17 and 16-year-olds fighting for those last spots. We are going to have to sort through where some of the older guys fit in the mix and obviously we need to get healthy because we have had a lot of injuries through training camp and then it will take a little while to sort those things out," said Chynoweth.
The Broncos will have to get used to playing hockey on the road as they will play a total of 14 consecutive games away from Swift Current due to the Civic Centre expansion in the pre-season and the regular season.
"It is not something that we have focused on, in the sense that we have had to address it. The guys know what it is and there is nothing we can change about it, so it is what it is and we will make sure that we are prepared for that challenge."