Big Ern
12-09-2007, 12:15 AM
It was a pretty good tilt tonight from Spokane, as the Broncos, a highly offensive team, faced off against the Chiefs, undoubtedly the best defensive team in the CHL.
The Broncos really brought their game tonight...especially in the first and third period. The second period was a bit sloppy.....the defensive coverage was a bit questionable. Travis Yonkman was exceptional in goal again, as he stymied Spokane on many occations. He stayed with the play very well, and kept the Chiefs at bay...especially late in that third period with a slew of Bronco penalties. There was one big glitch in this one, however. Frustration boiled over for our team late in the third period, and three of our veterans took consecutive penalties...really not a helpful thing to do if you're relied upon to lead the charge. That probably killed any chance to Broncos had of a comeback. Frustration will do that sometimes....you can't really fault our team tonight. They not only kept this team at bay for most of the game, they scored first. Levi Nelson and Dale Weise caught the Chiefs on a bad change, and the puck found it's way behind Kevin Armstrong for the first Swift Current tally. Besides that, the Broncos threw out some thunderous hits in the third period. I thought the physical aspect of the game was played very well by our guys, and that certainly helps along. I'm not amazed, but mostly satisfied with the effort. The guys stayed with the Chiefs pretty much throughout. Hopefully, the next paragraph will explain this a bit more.
The Chiefs are amazing on defense. Spokane has a paltry 60 goals allowed so far this season...by FAR the fewest in the league. I've taken the time to watch about six Spokane games this season on my WHL webcast subscription. This defense is what every coach dreams of. They make me think of how New York Islanders coach, Ted Nolan, described the Dallas Stars' (excuse me for bringing up Dallas again, but inevitable...lol) defense the other day. "You get your small chances at the beginning, but once they burp the lid, you're done." That's how the Chiefs seem to operate. Whatever got by their defense, was swallowed by their goalie tonight. You can call it one h*ll of a trap. But it brings them success, and that's what matters at this point. Here's the trouble: The Chiefs might collapse in the playoffs. For some reason, teams like that can't get it done when it counts at the end. The proof once again, is in Dallas. How successful have they been in the playoffs? Not very. When you're a top team relying on the defense to win you games, the pressure seems to take effect when playoffs roll around. Eventually, it gets the better of every team that operates this way. That would include Evrett in last year's playoffs. Anyway...right now the Chiefs own the best D that I've seen so far this season. We'll see how they do in playoffs when they get there, I guess.
The Broncos, meanwhile, will enjoy a day off tomorrow. That will no doubt bode well for the club...the guys need to have some fun and do some shopping with that high Canadian dollar in their pockets. haha Must be nice. And then on Monday, hopefully they can bring the same effort as they did tonight and focus on a few aspects a bit more. Confidence is very high! This is a great team.
LET'S GO SWIFTY!!!
NOTES:
-I missed four minutes of the game tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed another night of P.A. announcing for the PEWEE Broncos at Fairview East. My game ended there just as the Bronco game started in Spoke. Anyway....the young guys managed a 5-3 win over the Weyburn Youngfellows, and are looking to follow that up with another victory tomorrow at 12 noon. I can't wait!
-isn't the Spokane Arena GEORGEOUS? The colours are really what gets me. Be it the scoreboard, the stands, or the all-around TV setup, that arena is lit up with georgeous colours. Call it a light show...if you will.
-Spokane broadcaster, Mike Boyle, is a great announcer. He has a completely different style...kind of a slow drawl, but still manages to make the game sound very exciting. It's not the first time I've listened to him, and will not be the last time either. He is really unbaised too...calls it like it really is. That impresses me.
-for all those who noticed: In some of my posts lately, I've repeatedly called the Broncos' goaltending consultant, Kevin Swanson, "Dave Swanson." I've met too many new people in the last year and as a result, this stuff happens. His name is Kevin...not Dave. haha
Have a great weekend!
The Broncos really brought their game tonight...especially in the first and third period. The second period was a bit sloppy.....the defensive coverage was a bit questionable. Travis Yonkman was exceptional in goal again, as he stymied Spokane on many occations. He stayed with the play very well, and kept the Chiefs at bay...especially late in that third period with a slew of Bronco penalties. There was one big glitch in this one, however. Frustration boiled over for our team late in the third period, and three of our veterans took consecutive penalties...really not a helpful thing to do if you're relied upon to lead the charge. That probably killed any chance to Broncos had of a comeback. Frustration will do that sometimes....you can't really fault our team tonight. They not only kept this team at bay for most of the game, they scored first. Levi Nelson and Dale Weise caught the Chiefs on a bad change, and the puck found it's way behind Kevin Armstrong for the first Swift Current tally. Besides that, the Broncos threw out some thunderous hits in the third period. I thought the physical aspect of the game was played very well by our guys, and that certainly helps along. I'm not amazed, but mostly satisfied with the effort. The guys stayed with the Chiefs pretty much throughout. Hopefully, the next paragraph will explain this a bit more.
The Chiefs are amazing on defense. Spokane has a paltry 60 goals allowed so far this season...by FAR the fewest in the league. I've taken the time to watch about six Spokane games this season on my WHL webcast subscription. This defense is what every coach dreams of. They make me think of how New York Islanders coach, Ted Nolan, described the Dallas Stars' (excuse me for bringing up Dallas again, but inevitable...lol) defense the other day. "You get your small chances at the beginning, but once they burp the lid, you're done." That's how the Chiefs seem to operate. Whatever got by their defense, was swallowed by their goalie tonight. You can call it one h*ll of a trap. But it brings them success, and that's what matters at this point. Here's the trouble: The Chiefs might collapse in the playoffs. For some reason, teams like that can't get it done when it counts at the end. The proof once again, is in Dallas. How successful have they been in the playoffs? Not very. When you're a top team relying on the defense to win you games, the pressure seems to take effect when playoffs roll around. Eventually, it gets the better of every team that operates this way. That would include Evrett in last year's playoffs. Anyway...right now the Chiefs own the best D that I've seen so far this season. We'll see how they do in playoffs when they get there, I guess.
The Broncos, meanwhile, will enjoy a day off tomorrow. That will no doubt bode well for the club...the guys need to have some fun and do some shopping with that high Canadian dollar in their pockets. haha Must be nice. And then on Monday, hopefully they can bring the same effort as they did tonight and focus on a few aspects a bit more. Confidence is very high! This is a great team.
LET'S GO SWIFTY!!!
NOTES:
-I missed four minutes of the game tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed another night of P.A. announcing for the PEWEE Broncos at Fairview East. My game ended there just as the Bronco game started in Spoke. Anyway....the young guys managed a 5-3 win over the Weyburn Youngfellows, and are looking to follow that up with another victory tomorrow at 12 noon. I can't wait!
-isn't the Spokane Arena GEORGEOUS? The colours are really what gets me. Be it the scoreboard, the stands, or the all-around TV setup, that arena is lit up with georgeous colours. Call it a light show...if you will.
-Spokane broadcaster, Mike Boyle, is a great announcer. He has a completely different style...kind of a slow drawl, but still manages to make the game sound very exciting. It's not the first time I've listened to him, and will not be the last time either. He is really unbaised too...calls it like it really is. That impresses me.
-for all those who noticed: In some of my posts lately, I've repeatedly called the Broncos' goaltending consultant, Kevin Swanson, "Dave Swanson." I've met too many new people in the last year and as a result, this stuff happens. His name is Kevin...not Dave. haha
Have a great weekend!