Least balanced team to ever hit the WHL? [Archive]

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smackitsakic

03-19-2005, 12:46 PM

The Brandon Wheat Kings are about to finished first in the East. In doing so, they will have the top three scorers in the league for the first time in, well, i'm assuming it's never happened before.
They have five players with 60 points or more, three of which have surpassed the 80 point mark. After that, however, they seem to completely fall off the map. Their sixth leading scorer has a mere 29 points and it gets consistently worse after that. Can anybody remember the last time a first place team was so dependent on such a few number of players? I'm sorry, but it's just not going to work come playoff time. Us Bronco fans know this oh too well.

BWK

03-19-2005, 01:32 PM

A rather unfair assessment of the Wheat Kings smackitsakic.

First of all about 40% of their goals this year were scored on the power-play so the same guys are going to be in on those.

The top three scorers have been are on the first two lines and the third line with Sami Sandel, Reeves and Burki are all rookies who, for the first half of the season didn't get much ice time but have earned the time (and points) they are getting now.

Jakob Sindel came at Christmas and had he been here all season, could have been a 40 goal scorer.

Lines one through three, I would match up with any team in the league. I think the Wheat Kings are much more balanced than you give them credit for.

"...In doing so, they will have the top three scorers in the league for the first time in, well, i'm assuming it's never happened before..."

The Wheat Kings have done it at least once in the 1970's when Brian Propp, Ray Allison and Laurie Boschman went 1,2,3. Between the three of them they went 220 - 276 for 496 points, all from one line. The next higgest point total was from Brad McCrimmon with 98.

They managed to make it to the Memorial Cup final.

smackitsakic

03-19-2005, 01:56 PM

I'm not trying to burn the Wheat Kings. I've only seen them once this year and am basing everything solely on the numbers. It appears quite heavily that it is the Eric Fehr/Ryan Stone show, much like it was the Jeremy Williams/Tyler Redenbach show and the Kyle Brodziak/Thomas Fleischman show.
Make all the comparisons you want, but that was in the 70's. The game changed hard in 1994. It just won't work to have so much dependance on two players. You've got a great team, i'm not saying you don't, it just won't take you to the Finals. The Dub champs this year will be from the Central, and even then, it's not going to matter much with Rimouski and London in the mix this year.

Billy Blade

03-19-2005, 03:33 PM

The Blades had a "one-line" team in 1995-96. Even still they were a lot of fun to watch that season. ;)

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0010051996.html

DeeJay

03-19-2005, 03:45 PM

"The Dub champs this year will be from the Central"

Smackitsakic, I admire your loyalty to the central division teams, but I think Kootenay or Kelowna might have something to say about that!!

http://members.shaw.ca/frioult/icelogo_8587_16029.gif

C.F

03-19-2005, 03:50 PM

Flathead

03-19-2005, 04:39 PM

I think the Wheaties have a very good chance to take the dub, especially if their goaltending can get hot.

Tinner

03-19-2005, 06:07 PM

there have been many so called "1 line teams" but remember, usually the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines are equal to other teams number 1, 2 and 3rd lines. the year RD won the Cup, our second line was equal to anyones first. the 1st line, as other posters have indicated, score alot of points on the power play.

smackitsakic

03-20-2005, 07:58 PM

Brandon will win the first round, obviously. They should even take the second, depending who they get paired with.
I can't disagree with the opinion of the two best teams being from BC. I haven't seen Kootenay or Kelowna this year, but i have seen others, and i do not like Brandons chances. It's only an opinion. If they win, good 'on 'em - I give them slim to no odds.