Scout
12-28-2007, 11:52 AM
Chynoweth hands out critical mid-season grades to Broncos
By Steven Mah
Swift Current Broncos Head Coach / General Manager Dean Chynoweth recently sat down and handed out his mid-season grades after the Broncos 18-14-0-5 first half.
Goaltending
B
19-year-old Travis Yonkman is 14-12-0-5 with the 11th best save percentage in the Western Hockey League at .909 per cent.
Backup Ian Curtis is 4-2 and has an .856 save percentage.
"I just think that Travis had a real good start. Like our hockey club, he has had some poor games in the last month and a half, as a lot of our guys have had over that stretch. I don't think that the young guy (17-year-old rookie Ian Curtis) has played enough to have a real fair assessment of where he might be in the second half. He has had a typical first year start, with nerves and jitters. Some nights he looks calm and comfortable, other nights he has struggled a bit."
Chynoweth says that they have stuck with the game plan as far as which goalie receives the playing time this season.
"The plan going in was to try and get him (Curtis) in 15 games this year and ride the other guy (Yonkman). The other guy sat in that same position before. That is what you deal with when you are a first-year guy, you have to learn to deal with that. You have to work and treat every practice like it is a game and prepare for that next opportunity. I thought he was much better in the Everett game, whether that had a little bit to do with playing away from home sometimes helps."
Defense
C
"I would give the defense a C, only because of the position and its name, defense, not offense. I think that we have guys like Wilson and Doyle who have had tremendous starts offensively, and I think that defensively we need more out of those other four or five guys and for guys to realize what they are. What has happened at times is they see the other two get a few points and they think that they would like to get theirs too, instead of realizing what they are and what our needs are. Those other guys are, for the most part, defensive-oriented guys. That is an area that I definitely think needs to improve."
"I was really worried about losing Myles Rumsey. Guys probably don't fully appreciate, besides the coaching staff and his teammates, the minutes he logged and the situations he played in. Now you are throwing into those positions an 18-year-old in Derek Claffey and a 20-year-old in R.J. LaRochelle. So far they haven't been able to replace that and I didn't expect one guy to do that. They are kind of where I thought they would be. I will be honest, I was more surprised by the offensive output. I put that challenge out to Michael Wilson in the summer, comparing him to Michael Busto who had a very good 20-year-old year, and he seems to have taken that to heart. Eric, we knew, and know, will always put points up. It is the other areas of his game that he needs to work on away from the puck. We have a converted forward back there in Spencer (McAvoy), his start has been pretty good, all things considered. I would like to think that he will take off a bit here in the second half.
"Then you have those 18-year-old guys in Molle and Claffey, who I think a lot of times feel a lot of pressure, even though they are second year guys, in the expectations that I put on them. Young Joel Rogers has played more than we ever thought he was going to play due to some injuries and situations."
Forwards
B+
The Broncos have scored 122 goals, sixth most in the WHL. Captain Zack Smith leads the team with 36 points in 37 games, tying him for 24th in the league. Erik Felde's 35 points place him a tie for 29th. Felde leads the Broncos in goals with 18, followed by 19-year-old forward Dale Weise with 17 points in 30 games.
"We scored considerably more than we thought. We have been a little snake-bitten now and haven't scored at the pace that we were earlier, but I like our mixture that we have up front. There are some power forwards in guys like Weise and Wudrick, and Dansereau can barge his way. We have guys like Levi who compete very hard and has the skill; Felde who can skate and has good skill. Zack who does both or everything. Then you have guys like Stieler and Dalecky who have started to really come on. They are more pure skill guys to go along with Dowling as a first year. I like our make-up up there, but I still don't think that we have played our best. I think that they have been guilty at times of neglecting the defensive side of things and that is coaching and commitment and all things that take time to build. I have been pleased with the forwards."
Last season Chynoweth called Dale Weise the power forward that everyone wants who was not always willing to play the power forward role. This season Chynoweth believes Weise, along with fellow 19-year-old forward Zack Smith, has been solid for the Broncos.
"Dale Weise, for me, has walked the talk. He and Zack Smith have been our most consistent forwards in my opinion. Both guys are running out of time and know that there is a lot at stake, so it is nice to see them have some success. Both play in all situations and I expect them to lead."
Weise has scored 17 goals in 30 games, one off his career high set last season.
Powerplay
B
The Broncos powerplay is ranked eighth in the WHL at 19.7 per cent. The Broncos have also had the fourth most powerplay opportunities with 213.
"I have been pleased with it. It has been a factor in a lot of our games. Special teams are so important. They are a factor in games we have won and also a factor in games we haven't won, where we haven't capitalized, so it is pretty important statistically for our group. The number of opportunities we have had as opposed to other teams, we are in the upper echelon of number of opportunities so we are working for the most part with those extended opportunities."
Chynoweth conceded that this season he has a few more options available to him.
"We had trouble last season putting one group together let alone two. They all think they can play it, but we play a certain system and what does each guy bring to it? This is the most flexibility we have had. We also have some young guys who don't play it but will play it in the future that will be natural in that position on the ice. Dowling on the half boards is a smart smart heady guy, you guys don't get to see him. Brad Hoban shoots the puck really well as a 16-year-old right-handed shot off the off-side. I like that whole make-up. Our depth is not necessarily in our numbers it is in our line-up."
Last season, as the powerplay struggled, the Broncos worked on it every practice. This season the same emphasis has been put on the powerplay, but with the departure of assistant coach Dave Hunchak, Chynoweth has taken over the reigns of the powerplay.
Penalty Killing
D
The Broncos penalty kill is ranked 13th, operating at an 81.8 per cent clip. The Broncos have scored three shorthanded goals, while allowing four against this season.
"How about a D, because I haven't liked it at all. I think that we have been too passive. I think that at times we haven't been committed to paying a price to block shots. Thirdly, I don't think that our goaltending has been good enough. Your best penalty killer has to be your goaltender and those other two things you have to do. I think we have fallen short in that area."
This weekend the Broncos will face the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday night at 7:30 at the Credit Union iplex and Saturday night in Medicine Hat.
By Steven Mah
Swift Current Broncos Head Coach / General Manager Dean Chynoweth recently sat down and handed out his mid-season grades after the Broncos 18-14-0-5 first half.
Goaltending
B
19-year-old Travis Yonkman is 14-12-0-5 with the 11th best save percentage in the Western Hockey League at .909 per cent.
Backup Ian Curtis is 4-2 and has an .856 save percentage.
"I just think that Travis had a real good start. Like our hockey club, he has had some poor games in the last month and a half, as a lot of our guys have had over that stretch. I don't think that the young guy (17-year-old rookie Ian Curtis) has played enough to have a real fair assessment of where he might be in the second half. He has had a typical first year start, with nerves and jitters. Some nights he looks calm and comfortable, other nights he has struggled a bit."
Chynoweth says that they have stuck with the game plan as far as which goalie receives the playing time this season.
"The plan going in was to try and get him (Curtis) in 15 games this year and ride the other guy (Yonkman). The other guy sat in that same position before. That is what you deal with when you are a first-year guy, you have to learn to deal with that. You have to work and treat every practice like it is a game and prepare for that next opportunity. I thought he was much better in the Everett game, whether that had a little bit to do with playing away from home sometimes helps."
Defense
C
"I would give the defense a C, only because of the position and its name, defense, not offense. I think that we have guys like Wilson and Doyle who have had tremendous starts offensively, and I think that defensively we need more out of those other four or five guys and for guys to realize what they are. What has happened at times is they see the other two get a few points and they think that they would like to get theirs too, instead of realizing what they are and what our needs are. Those other guys are, for the most part, defensive-oriented guys. That is an area that I definitely think needs to improve."
"I was really worried about losing Myles Rumsey. Guys probably don't fully appreciate, besides the coaching staff and his teammates, the minutes he logged and the situations he played in. Now you are throwing into those positions an 18-year-old in Derek Claffey and a 20-year-old in R.J. LaRochelle. So far they haven't been able to replace that and I didn't expect one guy to do that. They are kind of where I thought they would be. I will be honest, I was more surprised by the offensive output. I put that challenge out to Michael Wilson in the summer, comparing him to Michael Busto who had a very good 20-year-old year, and he seems to have taken that to heart. Eric, we knew, and know, will always put points up. It is the other areas of his game that he needs to work on away from the puck. We have a converted forward back there in Spencer (McAvoy), his start has been pretty good, all things considered. I would like to think that he will take off a bit here in the second half.
"Then you have those 18-year-old guys in Molle and Claffey, who I think a lot of times feel a lot of pressure, even though they are second year guys, in the expectations that I put on them. Young Joel Rogers has played more than we ever thought he was going to play due to some injuries and situations."
Forwards
B+
The Broncos have scored 122 goals, sixth most in the WHL. Captain Zack Smith leads the team with 36 points in 37 games, tying him for 24th in the league. Erik Felde's 35 points place him a tie for 29th. Felde leads the Broncos in goals with 18, followed by 19-year-old forward Dale Weise with 17 points in 30 games.
"We scored considerably more than we thought. We have been a little snake-bitten now and haven't scored at the pace that we were earlier, but I like our mixture that we have up front. There are some power forwards in guys like Weise and Wudrick, and Dansereau can barge his way. We have guys like Levi who compete very hard and has the skill; Felde who can skate and has good skill. Zack who does both or everything. Then you have guys like Stieler and Dalecky who have started to really come on. They are more pure skill guys to go along with Dowling as a first year. I like our make-up up there, but I still don't think that we have played our best. I think that they have been guilty at times of neglecting the defensive side of things and that is coaching and commitment and all things that take time to build. I have been pleased with the forwards."
Last season Chynoweth called Dale Weise the power forward that everyone wants who was not always willing to play the power forward role. This season Chynoweth believes Weise, along with fellow 19-year-old forward Zack Smith, has been solid for the Broncos.
"Dale Weise, for me, has walked the talk. He and Zack Smith have been our most consistent forwards in my opinion. Both guys are running out of time and know that there is a lot at stake, so it is nice to see them have some success. Both play in all situations and I expect them to lead."
Weise has scored 17 goals in 30 games, one off his career high set last season.
Powerplay
B
The Broncos powerplay is ranked eighth in the WHL at 19.7 per cent. The Broncos have also had the fourth most powerplay opportunities with 213.
"I have been pleased with it. It has been a factor in a lot of our games. Special teams are so important. They are a factor in games we have won and also a factor in games we haven't won, where we haven't capitalized, so it is pretty important statistically for our group. The number of opportunities we have had as opposed to other teams, we are in the upper echelon of number of opportunities so we are working for the most part with those extended opportunities."
Chynoweth conceded that this season he has a few more options available to him.
"We had trouble last season putting one group together let alone two. They all think they can play it, but we play a certain system and what does each guy bring to it? This is the most flexibility we have had. We also have some young guys who don't play it but will play it in the future that will be natural in that position on the ice. Dowling on the half boards is a smart smart heady guy, you guys don't get to see him. Brad Hoban shoots the puck really well as a 16-year-old right-handed shot off the off-side. I like that whole make-up. Our depth is not necessarily in our numbers it is in our line-up."
Last season, as the powerplay struggled, the Broncos worked on it every practice. This season the same emphasis has been put on the powerplay, but with the departure of assistant coach Dave Hunchak, Chynoweth has taken over the reigns of the powerplay.
Penalty Killing
D
The Broncos penalty kill is ranked 13th, operating at an 81.8 per cent clip. The Broncos have scored three shorthanded goals, while allowing four against this season.
"How about a D, because I haven't liked it at all. I think that we have been too passive. I think that at times we haven't been committed to paying a price to block shots. Thirdly, I don't think that our goaltending has been good enough. Your best penalty killer has to be your goaltender and those other two things you have to do. I think we have fallen short in that area."
This weekend the Broncos will face the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday night at 7:30 at the Credit Union iplex and Saturday night in Medicine Hat.