Scout
02-05-2009, 05:44 AM
with Gregg Drinnan
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
THE MacBETH REPORT: F Mike Green (Kootenay) signs a one-year extension with Wolfsburg (DEL). He has 12 goals and 24 assists in 46 games this season, his first with Wolfsburg.
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The Spokane Chiefs are riding an 11-game winning streak as they prepare to face the visiting Vancouver Giants, who have lost four times in regulation time all season long, on Friday night.
Here are some notes from a Spokane press release:
“In its 11-game winning streak, Spokane has outscored the opposition 53-10, gone 16-51 (31.3 per cent) on the power play and 48-52 (93.2 per cent) on the penalty kill. The Chiefs have outshot the opponent 38.6-27.1. Five of the wins have come on the road and six at home.
“In the 39 games prior to the streak, Spokane averaged 2.89 goals for per game. In their 11-game streak, the Chiefs have scored 4.82 goals per game and now have an average of 3.32 goals per game.”
As well, some numbers on some Chiefs players:
Trevor Glass: plus-11 in his last 10 games.
Tyler Johnson: Eight goals and 16 points in his last 11 games.
Mitch Wahl: Five goals and 11 points in his last four games; seven goals and 15 points in his last eight games.
Brady Calla: Five goals and 11 points in 10 games since being acquired from the Kamloops Blazers.
Jared Spurgeon: Three goals and eight points in his last four games.
Ondrej Roman: Four goals, 11 points and plus-9 in his last 10 games.
Stefan Ulmer: Two goals, six points in six games
Levko Koper: Ten assists, 11 points in last eight games.
Drayson Bowman: Ten goals and 19 points in 10 games.
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Some notes from Dave Sheldon of the Giants, who notes that Friday’s game features the 2008 Memorial Cup champs (Spokane) against the 2007 Memorial Cup champs (Vancouver). . . . This is the first meeting between these teams since the Chiefs eliminated the Giants from the playoffs in the spring.
“The Giants are 44-4-0-3 on the season and an impressive 21-3-0-1 on the road. Vancouver is on an eight-game winning streak. The Giants clinched a playoff spot in just 46 games, a WHL record.
“Over their eight-game win streak, Casey Pierro-Zabotel has seperated himself from the pack in the WHL scoring race. Casey has scored 16 points (five goals and 11 assists) during the streak.
“These two teams have many things in common:
“1. They are the last two teams in the CHL to win the Memorial Cup, Vancouver in 2007, Spokane in 2008.
“2. Spokane is first in the WHL in goals against, allowing only 93 goals in
50 games (1.86 GAA). Vancouver is second, allowing 102 goals in 51 games (2.00 GAA).
“3. The Giants have the No. 2-ranked power play in the WHL, scoring 74 goals in 273 chances for a 27.1 per cnet efficiency. The Spokane Chiefs are third on the PP with 52 goals on 206 chances for a 25.2 per cent efficiency. Spokane is No. 2 at home on the power play; Vancouver is No. 2 on the road.
“4. The Giants penalty kill is first in the WHL on the road, allowing only 11
goals on 120 chances for nearly a 91 per cent success rate. The Spokane Chiefs are No. 1 at home on the penalty kill, allowing just 12 goals at home all season on 120 chances for a 90 per cent success rate.
“5. Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski is first in the WHL with a 1.75 GAA while Giants keeper Tyson Sexsmith is second with a 2.11 GAA. Tokarski is first in the league in save percentage (.944). Sexsmith is second in the WHL with 30 wins. Tokarski has the triple crown for goalies — first in GAA, save percentage and shutouts (6). Sexsmith is third in shutouts (4).
“Other notes:
“Vancouver holds down six of the top eight plus/minus ratings in the WHL.
Brent Regner (+55) leads, while Casey Pierro-Zabotel (+53), and Jonathon Blum (+48) follow. Garry Nunn (5th, +38), Evander Kane (6th, +37) and Craig Schira (8th, +33) round out the Giants in this category.
“Evander Kane is third in the WHL in goals, with 33 in 40 games. With 21 games left, Kane is on pace for 50 goals. The Giants’ single-season record for goals is 43 set by Adam Courchaine (2002-03).
“The Giants have already set a number of individual and team records this season:
1. The Giants clinched a WHL playoff berth in just 46 games, eclipsing the 48 games it took the Everett Silvertips to clinch a playoff berth in 2006-07.
2. Tyson Sexsmith now is the all-time career shutout leader in the CHL with 24 (and counting). Sexsmith passed the record of Leland Irving of Everett and Brian Bridges of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who both had 21.
3. Casey Pierro-Zabotel now holds the Giants record for assists in a season (62 and counting) and points in a season (89 and counting).”
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The Chiefs definitely will be without D Jared Cowen, who suffered a knee injury Friday against the Chilliwack Bruins. Spokane may find out Thursday just how long Cowen might be gone.
“The MRI is done, but they have to get it read and do all of that stuff,” Tim Speltz, the Chiefs’ GM, told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We should know by (today) but we’re not expecting anything good. It’s going to be long-term, we’re sure.”
KREM-TV in Spokane is reporting that “team doctors believe Cowen partially tore his medial collateral ligament. . . .
“They are still analyzing his MRI's, so the injury could still be worse or better than originally thought. They should know the severity of Cowen's injury by the end of the week.
“That means Cowen will likely miss the remainder of the regular season, but could be back for the Western Hockey League playoffs.”
———
And let's not forget that LW Kyle Beach makes his return to Everett with the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday. Beach, perhaps the most polarizing player in the WHL today, spent two-plus seasons with Everett, which selected him 10th overall in the 2005 bantam draft. The Silvertips dealt him to Lethbridge early in January, where he has (a) been in the middle of a line brawl, (b) been suspended for three games for shooting a puck into the crowd after a game in Red Deer, and (c) picked up 16 points, including nine goals, in 10 games. He also is plus-8. . . . You can bet he will get a royal welcome from the fans in Everett.
The CHL’s weekly rankings, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts that is sequestered in a cave somewhere near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border:
1. Windsor Spitfires (44-6-0-1)
2. Vancouver Giants (44-4-0-3)
3. Calgary Hitmen (44-7-3-1)
4. Shawinigan Cataractes (40-11-2-0)
5. Drummondville Voltigeurs (40-9-0-3)
6. Quebec Remparts (39-10-0-3)
7. London Knights (37-12-0-2)
8. Belleville Bulls (34-14-2-2)
9. Saskatoon Blades (38-12-3-1)
10. Brampton Battalion (34-14-1-1)
———
JUST NOTES: Former WHL head coach Curtis Hunt now is head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Hunt left the Pats after last season to sign on with head coach Craig Hartsburg and the Ottawa Senators. Hartsburg was fired Monday and replaced by Binghamton head coach Cory Clouston, a former head coach of the Kootenay Ice. Hunt, who spent four seasons with the Pats after coaching the Moose Jaw Warriors for three winters, also lost his NHL job but was offered the Binghamton position. Hunt, with two years left on his contract, asked for time to think about it, likely decided he still wanted to get paid and decided to jump back into the coaching pool. . . . The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers now own the Golden Baseball League’s Edmonton Cracker-Cats. Katz Baseball Corp., owned by Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz, purchased the independent baseball team for $400,000. The Oilers also own the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
———
In Prince George, the Cougars dumped Chilliwack 4-1 and now lead the Bruins by eight points in the hunt for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. . . . F Marek Viedensky scored twice for the Cougars.
———
In Moose Jaw, the Red Deer Rebels scored with 22 seconds left in the third period and went on to beat the Warriors 4-3 in a shootout. . . . The Warriors led this game on three separate occasions. . . . Red Deer F Landon Ferraro forced OT with his 29th goal of the season. . . . Each team sent five shooters to the line in the circus, with Red Deer D Luke Egener the only one to score.
———
In Kamloops, the Blazers overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit to beat the Everett Silvertips 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Forwards C.J. Stretch and Kenton Dulle scored for Kamloops in the circus, with Tommy Maxwell replying for Everett.
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In Edmonton, the Saskatoon Blades scored five third-period goals and beat the Oil Kings, 7-1. . . . Saskatoon F Walker Wintoneak scored two second-period PP goals, giving him 21 goals this season, to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . Edmonton F Brenden Down got that one back, with his 23rd, on a PP at 12:29 of the second. . . . The Blades then got three goals in the first 4:31 of the third period, including shorthanded markers from Travis Toomey and Curtis Hamilton, to take control. . . . Saskatoon is 23-3-1-0 on the road.
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In Portland, D Luca Sbisa had a goal and two assists to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Winter Hawks. . . . Sbisa, returned to the Hurricanes earlier in the week from the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, scored on the PP at 3:36 of extra time. . . . Lethbridge was 3-for-7 on the PP.
Scout
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
THE MacBETH REPORT: F Mike Green (Kootenay) signs a one-year extension with Wolfsburg (DEL). He has 12 goals and 24 assists in 46 games this season, his first with Wolfsburg.
———
The Spokane Chiefs are riding an 11-game winning streak as they prepare to face the visiting Vancouver Giants, who have lost four times in regulation time all season long, on Friday night.
Here are some notes from a Spokane press release:
“In its 11-game winning streak, Spokane has outscored the opposition 53-10, gone 16-51 (31.3 per cent) on the power play and 48-52 (93.2 per cent) on the penalty kill. The Chiefs have outshot the opponent 38.6-27.1. Five of the wins have come on the road and six at home.
“In the 39 games prior to the streak, Spokane averaged 2.89 goals for per game. In their 11-game streak, the Chiefs have scored 4.82 goals per game and now have an average of 3.32 goals per game.”
As well, some numbers on some Chiefs players:
Trevor Glass: plus-11 in his last 10 games.
Tyler Johnson: Eight goals and 16 points in his last 11 games.
Mitch Wahl: Five goals and 11 points in his last four games; seven goals and 15 points in his last eight games.
Brady Calla: Five goals and 11 points in 10 games since being acquired from the Kamloops Blazers.
Jared Spurgeon: Three goals and eight points in his last four games.
Ondrej Roman: Four goals, 11 points and plus-9 in his last 10 games.
Stefan Ulmer: Two goals, six points in six games
Levko Koper: Ten assists, 11 points in last eight games.
Drayson Bowman: Ten goals and 19 points in 10 games.
———————
Some notes from Dave Sheldon of the Giants, who notes that Friday’s game features the 2008 Memorial Cup champs (Spokane) against the 2007 Memorial Cup champs (Vancouver). . . . This is the first meeting between these teams since the Chiefs eliminated the Giants from the playoffs in the spring.
“The Giants are 44-4-0-3 on the season and an impressive 21-3-0-1 on the road. Vancouver is on an eight-game winning streak. The Giants clinched a playoff spot in just 46 games, a WHL record.
“Over their eight-game win streak, Casey Pierro-Zabotel has seperated himself from the pack in the WHL scoring race. Casey has scored 16 points (five goals and 11 assists) during the streak.
“These two teams have many things in common:
“1. They are the last two teams in the CHL to win the Memorial Cup, Vancouver in 2007, Spokane in 2008.
“2. Spokane is first in the WHL in goals against, allowing only 93 goals in
50 games (1.86 GAA). Vancouver is second, allowing 102 goals in 51 games (2.00 GAA).
“3. The Giants have the No. 2-ranked power play in the WHL, scoring 74 goals in 273 chances for a 27.1 per cnet efficiency. The Spokane Chiefs are third on the PP with 52 goals on 206 chances for a 25.2 per cent efficiency. Spokane is No. 2 at home on the power play; Vancouver is No. 2 on the road.
“4. The Giants penalty kill is first in the WHL on the road, allowing only 11
goals on 120 chances for nearly a 91 per cent success rate. The Spokane Chiefs are No. 1 at home on the penalty kill, allowing just 12 goals at home all season on 120 chances for a 90 per cent success rate.
“5. Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski is first in the WHL with a 1.75 GAA while Giants keeper Tyson Sexsmith is second with a 2.11 GAA. Tokarski is first in the league in save percentage (.944). Sexsmith is second in the WHL with 30 wins. Tokarski has the triple crown for goalies — first in GAA, save percentage and shutouts (6). Sexsmith is third in shutouts (4).
“Other notes:
“Vancouver holds down six of the top eight plus/minus ratings in the WHL.
Brent Regner (+55) leads, while Casey Pierro-Zabotel (+53), and Jonathon Blum (+48) follow. Garry Nunn (5th, +38), Evander Kane (6th, +37) and Craig Schira (8th, +33) round out the Giants in this category.
“Evander Kane is third in the WHL in goals, with 33 in 40 games. With 21 games left, Kane is on pace for 50 goals. The Giants’ single-season record for goals is 43 set by Adam Courchaine (2002-03).
“The Giants have already set a number of individual and team records this season:
1. The Giants clinched a WHL playoff berth in just 46 games, eclipsing the 48 games it took the Everett Silvertips to clinch a playoff berth in 2006-07.
2. Tyson Sexsmith now is the all-time career shutout leader in the CHL with 24 (and counting). Sexsmith passed the record of Leland Irving of Everett and Brian Bridges of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who both had 21.
3. Casey Pierro-Zabotel now holds the Giants record for assists in a season (62 and counting) and points in a season (89 and counting).”
———
The Chiefs definitely will be without D Jared Cowen, who suffered a knee injury Friday against the Chilliwack Bruins. Spokane may find out Thursday just how long Cowen might be gone.
“The MRI is done, but they have to get it read and do all of that stuff,” Tim Speltz, the Chiefs’ GM, told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We should know by (today) but we’re not expecting anything good. It’s going to be long-term, we’re sure.”
KREM-TV in Spokane is reporting that “team doctors believe Cowen partially tore his medial collateral ligament. . . .
“They are still analyzing his MRI's, so the injury could still be worse or better than originally thought. They should know the severity of Cowen's injury by the end of the week.
“That means Cowen will likely miss the remainder of the regular season, but could be back for the Western Hockey League playoffs.”
———
And let's not forget that LW Kyle Beach makes his return to Everett with the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday. Beach, perhaps the most polarizing player in the WHL today, spent two-plus seasons with Everett, which selected him 10th overall in the 2005 bantam draft. The Silvertips dealt him to Lethbridge early in January, where he has (a) been in the middle of a line brawl, (b) been suspended for three games for shooting a puck into the crowd after a game in Red Deer, and (c) picked up 16 points, including nine goals, in 10 games. He also is plus-8. . . . You can bet he will get a royal welcome from the fans in Everett.
The CHL’s weekly rankings, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts that is sequestered in a cave somewhere near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border:
1. Windsor Spitfires (44-6-0-1)
2. Vancouver Giants (44-4-0-3)
3. Calgary Hitmen (44-7-3-1)
4. Shawinigan Cataractes (40-11-2-0)
5. Drummondville Voltigeurs (40-9-0-3)
6. Quebec Remparts (39-10-0-3)
7. London Knights (37-12-0-2)
8. Belleville Bulls (34-14-2-2)
9. Saskatoon Blades (38-12-3-1)
10. Brampton Battalion (34-14-1-1)
———
JUST NOTES: Former WHL head coach Curtis Hunt now is head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Hunt left the Pats after last season to sign on with head coach Craig Hartsburg and the Ottawa Senators. Hartsburg was fired Monday and replaced by Binghamton head coach Cory Clouston, a former head coach of the Kootenay Ice. Hunt, who spent four seasons with the Pats after coaching the Moose Jaw Warriors for three winters, also lost his NHL job but was offered the Binghamton position. Hunt, with two years left on his contract, asked for time to think about it, likely decided he still wanted to get paid and decided to jump back into the coaching pool. . . . The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers now own the Golden Baseball League’s Edmonton Cracker-Cats. Katz Baseball Corp., owned by Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz, purchased the independent baseball team for $400,000. The Oilers also own the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
———
In Prince George, the Cougars dumped Chilliwack 4-1 and now lead the Bruins by eight points in the hunt for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. . . . F Marek Viedensky scored twice for the Cougars.
———
In Moose Jaw, the Red Deer Rebels scored with 22 seconds left in the third period and went on to beat the Warriors 4-3 in a shootout. . . . The Warriors led this game on three separate occasions. . . . Red Deer F Landon Ferraro forced OT with his 29th goal of the season. . . . Each team sent five shooters to the line in the circus, with Red Deer D Luke Egener the only one to score.
———
In Kamloops, the Blazers overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit to beat the Everett Silvertips 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Forwards C.J. Stretch and Kenton Dulle scored for Kamloops in the circus, with Tommy Maxwell replying for Everett.
———
In Edmonton, the Saskatoon Blades scored five third-period goals and beat the Oil Kings, 7-1. . . . Saskatoon F Walker Wintoneak scored two second-period PP goals, giving him 21 goals this season, to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . Edmonton F Brenden Down got that one back, with his 23rd, on a PP at 12:29 of the second. . . . The Blades then got three goals in the first 4:31 of the third period, including shorthanded markers from Travis Toomey and Curtis Hamilton, to take control. . . . Saskatoon is 23-3-1-0 on the road.
———
In Portland, D Luca Sbisa had a goal and two assists to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Winter Hawks. . . . Sbisa, returned to the Hurricanes earlier in the week from the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, scored on the PP at 3:36 of extra time. . . . Lethbridge was 3-for-7 on the PP.
Scout