Pats vs Tri-City

[CJSenterprise4]

The Pats dominated 50 minutes of this game...they played well and Tri-City looked like a team that was on the last game of a road trip and their 5th game in 8 night. Yet the Pats powerplay can NOT score at all, they had 2 lengthy two man advantages and nothing. They had some great chances on the second one but Pickard robbed them twice. You can't put the game away it comes back to haunt you...they run into penalty trouble and let Tri-City right back into the game. Seems like all they needed was a goal to get some more jump and it was downhill from there for the Pats. Rowat played good most of the game and i don't really fault him for the first two goals but the 3rd one he has to stop. The Mitchell penalty in OT was complete garbage there is no two ways about it. Thats the problem with 1 ref who turns and just sees a guy with one knee down on the ice infront of another player. Yet the story is the Pats CHOKING yet again with a 3 goal lead...what is it about that lead that makes this team play so poorly.. Lost it against Brandon, Gave it up in two minutes to Kootenay even though they won that game and again in the last 10 minutes of the game tonight..up by 3 and just brutal play by the Pats. Lets face it..unless they make a couple trades and get another good D man and a set-up man for Eberle and get the goalie situation settled they are really just a mediocre team and will end up 3 or 4 in the division.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

This game was the ultimate kick in the nuts. We dominated for 55 minutes, but to **** the bed once again in 5. This is like an exaggerated version of what always happens to the pats. We stick to the game plan for almost all of it, with all the hitting and the RELENTLESS forechecking, and shooting the puck...

...And then we stop hitting and try to beat them in their game, that being skating and run and gun style hockey. Of course we dont win that battle. It wasnt that Tri City elevating their performance by that much. It was more that we just need to maintain control the flow of the game like we did for the first 50. We need to establish who makes the rules... EXACTLY how we did in the first half of the game, we hit them and they try to hit back. They try to outmuscle us, and they wont, therefore we would then have the upperhand.

Speaking of who makes the rules, the officiating was just awful. Not just for us (though it ultimately killed us in the end), but for them too. Zalaski should be fired on the spot, though the league seems to be content with this bull****, and they protect it. It was probably pissing everyone in the whole arena off, because over half the calls were mistakes and he missed so much as well.


Some (mostly)Positive thoughts though . . .

- we showed that we arent exactly like a rebuilding team this year. Tri City is a legitimate contending team, and we were out playing them. They were on the end of their roadtrip but they werent exactly dead out there. We have just as much potential to compete as the next team. We need to do some touch ups, obviously, but we have an outside shot of contending this year.

Just need to stick to the game plan and actually play 60 minutes.

- Our PK was amazing last night. Great defensive effort until the end. Rowat looked very good out there....also, until the end. More on goaltending below.

- I like having Eberle on the point on the power play. He is definitely more dangerous there. More range for him to do his thing, though Derkatch needs to play him with 2 guys who arent completely inept like anus and douche nozzle. One of those guys is fine (doucet is a great faceoff man, and Macangus sometimes has decent touch around the net), but Eberle cant do everything out there and those two guys are offensively retarded. (and I think Jordan did fine, but he needs help out there. Weal needs to step it up though.)

I know alot of our goals have come seconds after the powerplay, but the fact remains that it still needs to be better. Id like to see this tried as our 1st PP unit, seeing as how the regular way hasnt been working.(I know that this leffler line is clicking, though someone tell derk that the PP doesnt have to be the same as the lines used during 5 on 5.)

1st PP unit:

Strueby(He has earned it. Been our best player) - Weal - Leffler
Eberle - Bartley

2nd PP unit:

Hricina - Cerveny (leads the league in +/- by the way) - Doucet
Teubert - Deli man

Though maybe the odd time, put slobozian on the point, and try put eberle on the wing....also take note of the lack of Macangus. He needs to play better, because he shouldnt be just entitled to PP time.

- Anyways...Mulder looked really good in the small amount of playing time he got. Very smart player out there, and created some chances with his defensive play. Could see him doing well here, though he needs more playing time. Probably cemented a spot on the team already.

- Rowat looked very good for the most part tonight. Made some REALLY good saves, and saved our asses a few times.....but after that first goal, he wasnt even close to the same. This is blatant evidence that he still has the same habits, and I think he should be on his way out of here. To be honest, I think he is the most talented goalie of the three, but the kid needs a change of scenary. He isnt confident, and even when he plays well, its easy for him to get rattled. Bosch on the other hand stayed consistant against Kootenay, and Ketlo showed some promise. He is pretty underrated.

In summary, Trade Rowat, while his value is high. Make a decision, already! (and bring in an offensive player in return!)

- and finally, we need to make some decisions on roster spots here. I think Favreau should be sent down now, and then the last guy should be sent down once Czibere comes back.

Maybe Hood... though he was decent last night. Made some good hits, good checker for now. I like Breitkreuz alot, though despite being efficient and skilled on both sides of the ice, he is slow and not that tough. I would personally still keep him, but he might be the one out because of that.

Weal and Mulder should definitely stay, and Hanson is staying in the WHL whether its on the pats or another team. So it is going to come down to the former beardy blackhawks kids. Maybe two, but probably one of those three will stay. Id go with Breitkreuz since the other two can learn more in midget (both are younger), but the Pats staff might think otherwise.

- Oh yeah, and Slobozian had a decent game last night. Great shot from the point and showed off his skating. About time Miller got scratched, he hasnt been playing too well the last 3 games. Hope he can regain his form.


- And at least we got 1 point last night. We almost didnt get that, and I thik people would have had a riot if that was the case. Old people would angry letters by the hundreds. It would be madness!