Scout
09-14-2007, 11:03 PM
BY STEVEN MAH
The Swift Current Broncos have only one pre-season game remaining before they drop the puck on the 2007-08 regular season on Sept. 21st in Moose Jaw.
This Friday night the Broncos will be in Kindersley for their sixth and final pre-season game. The Broncos have won three times and lost twice in their five previous pre-season games.
18-year-old defenseman Derek Claffey has been impressed with his team through their first five pre-season games.
"So far I think that we have been pretty good. We have a lot of speed and basically the same team as last year with the addition of a few really skilled young guys. Hopefully we can put together a good season."
Claffey is not worried too much about the team's 3-2 record in the pre-season one way or the other.
"I don't think that it means too much. I think that it is a good step for the young guys to get used to the quickness and speed. Obviously last year we were 6-0 and got off to a good start so it helps. But in the end I don't think that it means too much."
Despite having a veteran laden squad and five games under their belt, Claffey knows there is some work to do yet.
"Just our all around playing as a team we need to work on. On the whole we are pretty skilled and pretty motivated and hard-working, it is just a matter of getting the systems down and that kind of stuff."
Claffey is well aware that there will be some increased expectations this season.
"I think that all of our expectations are pretty high and I think that we have a lot of good skilled players that have a shot at doing something here and hopefully we can carry that out and go far into the post-season."
19-year-old forward Levi Nelson agrees that this year's squad is an exciting one.
"I think that we should be real strong this year. There is no reason why we can't be first in our division. So far I think that we have a lot of young talent coming in and it should be really good for us. The older guys have to step up their game and help those younger guys."
Nelson, who is nursing a knee injury, is eager to join his teammates in game action.
"It has been some bad luck this year sitting out training camp and the pre-season, but it's something that is out of my control. The only thing that I can control is staying positive and hockey tough and just healing up and getting better for the season."
The Broncos were expected to make roster moves following the weekend but as of Tuesday night the only move was the return of 19-year-old forward Zack Smith who had been skating with the Vancouver Canucks rookies on a free-agent basis.
Broncos Head Coach/General Manager Dean Chynoweth stressed that at this point it is the team aspect that needs some polish.
"It is going alright, but it is going to take time. There is a lot of areas of our game that the guy know but they need a refresher on it and they need to come together quickly on it. I think that when you have a veteran laden team part of getting off to a good start is showing that experience. Right now we have some work to do in that area."
With two relatively unproven goaltenders remaining, that position will be a focus for the team early on.
"I thought that both guys played well in Moose Jaw and I thought that Ian played very well in the Brandon game even though he did not have a lot of help. They came at us pretty hard, it was their first game so there was a lot of energy and emotion there. I thought he held us in especially to keep us close when it could have been blown away," said Chynoweth.
Broncos' Assistant Coach Tim Kehler pointed out the positives in the team's win in Moose Jaw on Friday night.
"There was a lot to like on Friday in Moose Jaw. I thought that we had a really good effort from our entire group. I thought that the return and debut of Dale Weise for this season, that was a real good injection of life and he was strong throughout the night
Yonkman played very well in net with another shutout performance. He has yet to be scored on in pre-season which is very encouraging.
Up front it is probably going to be a real balanced attack. That has shown through for the first few games where we get scoring right through the four line s and I think that balance is going to be a real key for our group this year."
The Swift Current Broncos have only one pre-season game remaining before they drop the puck on the 2007-08 regular season on Sept. 21st in Moose Jaw.
This Friday night the Broncos will be in Kindersley for their sixth and final pre-season game. The Broncos have won three times and lost twice in their five previous pre-season games.
18-year-old defenseman Derek Claffey has been impressed with his team through their first five pre-season games.
"So far I think that we have been pretty good. We have a lot of speed and basically the same team as last year with the addition of a few really skilled young guys. Hopefully we can put together a good season."
Claffey is not worried too much about the team's 3-2 record in the pre-season one way or the other.
"I don't think that it means too much. I think that it is a good step for the young guys to get used to the quickness and speed. Obviously last year we were 6-0 and got off to a good start so it helps. But in the end I don't think that it means too much."
Despite having a veteran laden squad and five games under their belt, Claffey knows there is some work to do yet.
"Just our all around playing as a team we need to work on. On the whole we are pretty skilled and pretty motivated and hard-working, it is just a matter of getting the systems down and that kind of stuff."
Claffey is well aware that there will be some increased expectations this season.
"I think that all of our expectations are pretty high and I think that we have a lot of good skilled players that have a shot at doing something here and hopefully we can carry that out and go far into the post-season."
19-year-old forward Levi Nelson agrees that this year's squad is an exciting one.
"I think that we should be real strong this year. There is no reason why we can't be first in our division. So far I think that we have a lot of young talent coming in and it should be really good for us. The older guys have to step up their game and help those younger guys."
Nelson, who is nursing a knee injury, is eager to join his teammates in game action.
"It has been some bad luck this year sitting out training camp and the pre-season, but it's something that is out of my control. The only thing that I can control is staying positive and hockey tough and just healing up and getting better for the season."
The Broncos were expected to make roster moves following the weekend but as of Tuesday night the only move was the return of 19-year-old forward Zack Smith who had been skating with the Vancouver Canucks rookies on a free-agent basis.
Broncos Head Coach/General Manager Dean Chynoweth stressed that at this point it is the team aspect that needs some polish.
"It is going alright, but it is going to take time. There is a lot of areas of our game that the guy know but they need a refresher on it and they need to come together quickly on it. I think that when you have a veteran laden team part of getting off to a good start is showing that experience. Right now we have some work to do in that area."
With two relatively unproven goaltenders remaining, that position will be a focus for the team early on.
"I thought that both guys played well in Moose Jaw and I thought that Ian played very well in the Brandon game even though he did not have a lot of help. They came at us pretty hard, it was their first game so there was a lot of energy and emotion there. I thought he held us in especially to keep us close when it could have been blown away," said Chynoweth.
Broncos' Assistant Coach Tim Kehler pointed out the positives in the team's win in Moose Jaw on Friday night.
"There was a lot to like on Friday in Moose Jaw. I thought that we had a really good effort from our entire group. I thought that the return and debut of Dale Weise for this season, that was a real good injection of life and he was strong throughout the night
Yonkman played very well in net with another shutout performance. He has yet to be scored on in pre-season which is very encouraging.
Up front it is probably going to be a real balanced attack. That has shown through for the first few games where we get scoring right through the four line s and I think that balance is going to be a real key for our group this year."