PDA

View Full Version : Kraus taking time to heal



nivek_wahs
03-14-2008, 07:01 AM
Kraus taking time to heal (http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=e5445627-f4b5-487c-85eb-95e9db66567d)


Kraus taking time to heal

Greg Harder, Leader-Post
Published: Friday, March 14, 2008

Tim Kraus has the playoff bug.

The Regina Pats' No. 1 centre may elect to sit out the final two games of the regular season due to a virus that has been diagnosed as tonsillitis. Kraus has already missed two straight games but -- since Regina clinched the East Division title on Wednesday -- there's no urgency to rush him back into the lineup against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

"I had a couple rough days but I feel better and better each day," offered Kraus, who still has a nasty cough that kept him out of Thursday's practice. "I'll probably just take the weekend off and make sure I'm healthy. I'm glad I came down with it now (instead of next week). I have some time to rest. I've got (athletic therapist) Greg (Mayer) here to take care of me and make sure I'm strong for the playoffs."

Kraus joked that the team hasn't missed a beat in his absence, building upon a streak that has reached six straight wins. Scott Doucet has seamlessly taken over on the top line between Jordan Eberle and Michael MacAngus, with the new trio combining for five goals and six assists in the past two games.

"I'm glad (Doucet) has come in there and that line hasn't slowed down at all," said Kraus. "Scoring has been up and they looked really good on the power play."

The Pats will be that much better with the return of Kraus, their top playmaker. He's second on the team with 61 points in 65 games.

"He's a valuable piece of our puzzle, no question about it," said head coach Curtis Hunt. "(Doucet) stepped in there and has done a tremendous job. That speaks to the depth of our team. What it does now is it provides us with some options, whether we want to put Timmy back in that hole (on the No. 1 line) or maybe move him to another hole. We're in a good situation that way. Sometimes every cloud has a silver lining."

Kraus, who has been dealing with a swollen throat and a high fever, nearly dressed for Wednesday's game in Moose Jaw but was held out at the last minute. It turned out to be the right call, as the Pats clinched the East Division title with a 5-4 win over the Warriors.

"Having to watch sucked, but I'm glad the guys pulled through," said Kraus, who joined his teammates for a low-key post-game celebration. "It's good for a moment (to win the division). It's not what we're entirely focused on but it was definitely a relief to get that done."

It's the third straight division crown for Kraus, who won the past two B.C. Division titles with the Vancouver Giants. That team won the WHL final in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007.

The Pats are a long way from achieving that level of success, but Kraus does believe they're peaking at the right time.

"It looked pretty bad there when we lost some games we shouldn't have but I think the guys responded really well," he added. "We've shown we can play and we're ready for the playoffs."

SCOUTING REPORT:

BRANDON (41-24-3-2) at REGINA (43-21-4-2)

Today, 7 p.m., Brandt Centre

Radio: 620 CKRM

Key injuries: REGINA -- LW Josh Elder (knee, indefinite), C Tim Kraus (tonsillitis, day-to-day); BRANDON -- D Chad Erb (wrist, indefinite), D Theran Yeo (knee, indefinite).

Overview: The Pats and Wheat Kings could meet in the first round of the playoffs. Regina is ranked No. 2 in the conference, with an outside shot at first. Brandon will finish anywhere from fifth to eighth . . . The season series between the Pats and Wheat Kings is a saw-off, with each team winning three times. The goals-for, goals-against category is also tied 15-15 . . . Brandon is down to six defencemen, which places extra pressure on rookies Brodie Melnychuk of Balgonie and Alex Grill Donovan . . . The Wheat Kings are the highest-scoring team in the East Division (3.5 goals per game). Their No. 1 line comprises veterans Andrew Clark (16-38--54, 47 GP), Tyler Dittmer (31-26--57, 60 GP) and Matt Lowry (24-36--60, 70 GP). Brandon's No. 2 unit features the outstanding all-rookie trio of Brayden Schenn (28-42--70, 65 GP), Matt Calvert (24-38--62, 70 GP) and Scott Glennie (24-32--56, 56 GP) . . . The Pats (3.03 goals per game) are the lowest-scoring team among the eight playoff-bound clubs in the Eastern Conference . . . RW Jordan Eberle (42-33--75, 68 GP) is third in the league with 42 goals. D Logan Pyett (20-34--54, 60 GP) is the only other member of the team with 20-plus goals . . . Brandon has won two straight games while the Pats are riding a six-game streak, one short of their longest this season . . . The Wheat Kings are the most-disciplined team in the WHL (14.9 penalty minutes per game). Regina has the fourth-highest average (19.8) . . . Brandon is ranked sixth on the penalty kill (83.9%) and 18th on the power play (16.4%). Regina is 13th on the PK (81.5%) and fourth on the PP (20.3%).


© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008