nivek_wahs
12-31-2007, 09:29 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=22cc5d8f-6786-481b-a6e0-603b4c6131eb
Pats should take a page from the Riders
Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Monday, December 31, 2007
How could the Regina Pats succumb to a fallible team that failed to generate a shot on goal in the third period?
How could the Pats lose to the Saskatoon Blades, period?
It keeps happening -- again and again and again ...
Pats fans experienced more incredulity Sunday night at the Brandt Centre, where the Blades eked out a 2-1 Western Hacking League victory.
Despite the pronounced disparity between the teams -- Regina leads the six-team East Division, in which Saskatoon occupies the cellar -- the Blades have been uncannily successful in head-to-head combat.
In five games against Regina this season, Saskatoon has three victories, one defeat and one shootout loss (the latter being a 3-2 loss to the visiting Pats on Saturday). Regina emerged from Sunday's eye-glazer with a 24-15-1-1 record. Saskatoon improved to 13-21-2-1.
Saskatoon prevailed on Sunday despite being devoid of offensive ambition in the third period. The secret?
"Goaltending and good defensive play in our zone,'' said Blades assistant coach David Struch, who ran Saskatoon's bench on the weekend because Lorne Molleken was away on a scouting trip.
The other secret? A no-frills game plan, which translated into no thrills for 5,088 unfortunate eyewitnesses -- all of whom deserve refunds and a complimentary dosage of Ibuprofen.
"We kept everything simple for the guys and used real simple terms for their understanding and my understanding,'' said Struch.
Struch went on to note that his team did not sit back during the third period. At the same time, it was evident that the Blades weren't bound and determined to emulate the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers.
Pats defenceman Colten Teubert cited the Blades' propensity for dumping the puck. Pats interim head coach Terry Perkins noted that Saskatoon employs a trapping style.
"You're never going to get a lot of odd-man rushes or a lot of free flow to the game,'' Perkins said.
As mentioned previously in this space, the absence of flow is a problem that afflicts the league in general. Once again, the WHL's warts were exposed for all to endure Sunday night.
As this incurable hockey purist descended to the dressing rooms for postgame interviews, the cell phone started ringing. The call was from one dissatisfied customer who simply had to vent about the Pats-Blades eyesore.
"The Pats' game against Moose Jaw that you ripped was a Game 7 final compared to this,'' he snorted. "This was horrid. This was bad.
"I've never wanted to leave a game before it was over, but this one pushed the limit.''
Pats fans were understandably rankled by the outcome because, honestly, teams such as Saskatoon should be disposed of more readily than Bobby Goldsboro records.
If the Pats have genuine aspirations of remaining atop the East Division, they must find a way to routinely solve lesser teams such as the Blades, Prince Albert Raiders, Red Deer Rebels and Portland Winter Hawks.
Yes, the Pats had chances during a third period in which they dominated. Yes, Jordan Eberle hit the post with 3:40 remaining on Sunday. Yes, the officiating was indecisive, suspect, etc.
But, as Perkins correctly noted after the game, the Pats needed to expend comparable effort in the first period. Instead, they were blase during the earlier stages and the tone was set for the latest inexplicable letdown.
Top-drawer teams subdue vulnerable foes. Why were the Saskatchewan Roughriders so much better in 2007? Because they seldom donated rare victories to the CFL's soup cans -- who had tended to upend the Roughriders before Kent Austin became head coach.
In previous years, the Roughriders' tendency to lose in unfathomable fashion cost the team home playoff games, among other things. The Pats, it appears, are mired in a similar rut. That was painfully obvious on Sunday, when everyone was looking for answers ... or the exits.
Here is one sporting suggestion: Maybe, just maybe, the Pats should spend an hour with Kent Austin.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Pats should take a page from the Riders
Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Monday, December 31, 2007
How could the Regina Pats succumb to a fallible team that failed to generate a shot on goal in the third period?
How could the Pats lose to the Saskatoon Blades, period?
It keeps happening -- again and again and again ...
Pats fans experienced more incredulity Sunday night at the Brandt Centre, where the Blades eked out a 2-1 Western Hacking League victory.
Despite the pronounced disparity between the teams -- Regina leads the six-team East Division, in which Saskatoon occupies the cellar -- the Blades have been uncannily successful in head-to-head combat.
In five games against Regina this season, Saskatoon has three victories, one defeat and one shootout loss (the latter being a 3-2 loss to the visiting Pats on Saturday). Regina emerged from Sunday's eye-glazer with a 24-15-1-1 record. Saskatoon improved to 13-21-2-1.
Saskatoon prevailed on Sunday despite being devoid of offensive ambition in the third period. The secret?
"Goaltending and good defensive play in our zone,'' said Blades assistant coach David Struch, who ran Saskatoon's bench on the weekend because Lorne Molleken was away on a scouting trip.
The other secret? A no-frills game plan, which translated into no thrills for 5,088 unfortunate eyewitnesses -- all of whom deserve refunds and a complimentary dosage of Ibuprofen.
"We kept everything simple for the guys and used real simple terms for their understanding and my understanding,'' said Struch.
Struch went on to note that his team did not sit back during the third period. At the same time, it was evident that the Blades weren't bound and determined to emulate the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers.
Pats defenceman Colten Teubert cited the Blades' propensity for dumping the puck. Pats interim head coach Terry Perkins noted that Saskatoon employs a trapping style.
"You're never going to get a lot of odd-man rushes or a lot of free flow to the game,'' Perkins said.
As mentioned previously in this space, the absence of flow is a problem that afflicts the league in general. Once again, the WHL's warts were exposed for all to endure Sunday night.
As this incurable hockey purist descended to the dressing rooms for postgame interviews, the cell phone started ringing. The call was from one dissatisfied customer who simply had to vent about the Pats-Blades eyesore.
"The Pats' game against Moose Jaw that you ripped was a Game 7 final compared to this,'' he snorted. "This was horrid. This was bad.
"I've never wanted to leave a game before it was over, but this one pushed the limit.''
Pats fans were understandably rankled by the outcome because, honestly, teams such as Saskatoon should be disposed of more readily than Bobby Goldsboro records.
If the Pats have genuine aspirations of remaining atop the East Division, they must find a way to routinely solve lesser teams such as the Blades, Prince Albert Raiders, Red Deer Rebels and Portland Winter Hawks.
Yes, the Pats had chances during a third period in which they dominated. Yes, Jordan Eberle hit the post with 3:40 remaining on Sunday. Yes, the officiating was indecisive, suspect, etc.
But, as Perkins correctly noted after the game, the Pats needed to expend comparable effort in the first period. Instead, they were blase during the earlier stages and the tone was set for the latest inexplicable letdown.
Top-drawer teams subdue vulnerable foes. Why were the Saskatchewan Roughriders so much better in 2007? Because they seldom donated rare victories to the CFL's soup cans -- who had tended to upend the Roughriders before Kent Austin became head coach.
In previous years, the Roughriders' tendency to lose in unfathomable fashion cost the team home playoff games, among other things. The Pats, it appears, are mired in a similar rut. That was painfully obvious on Sunday, when everyone was looking for answers ... or the exits.
Here is one sporting suggestion: Maybe, just maybe, the Pats should spend an hour with Kent Austin.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007