Hockey Spy
11-12-2010, 01:22 PM
Overview
The 16-2-1 Portland Winterhawks will look to make it 11 consecutive wins tonight by taking on the clad wearing 13-5-1 Saskatoon Blades in what could be a preview of the WHL Final in May. Adam Morrison will start tonight..
Tonights game will be interesting on many fronts besides the great match up. Kiss rocker, Gene Simmons will be in attendance with wife and Saskatoon raised Shannon Tweed. They are in Saskatoon to shoot an eposode for Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Also the Blades will be wearing the ugliest jersies in WHL history or atleast in modern-era WHL. A crowd of 7000+ is expected and the game is also televised on Shaw TV.
Home and Away Statistics:
The Winterhawks enter tonights game with the leagues best road record at 8-1-0 and have scored over 4 gpg at 37 in the 9 games thus far. While the Saskatoon Blades sport the leagues 2nd best home record at 7-1-0-1, while averaging also over 4 goals per game at home with 38 goals scored. Both teams have allowed around 3 gpg on the road and at home respectively. Saskatoon has dropped their past 2 home games, both to American oppenents. 3-2 to the Chiefs and a 5-4 SO loss to Seattle.
Portland Winterhawks Road: 8-1-0 37-26
Saskatoon Blades Home: 7-1-0-1 38-26
Specialty Teams:
Surprisingly enough the Winterhawks struggle on the road while a man up with just 6 goals on 33 chances for an 18.2% efficiency and 13th in the league. Their power-play overall is 9th in the league at just over 20.0%. Saskatoon is 9th at home on the PP and a disappointing 14th overall at just 17.9%.
The Winterhawks are great though on the PK on the road, ranking 4th, killing off 52/60 chances. Overall, Portland has the leagues best PK at 88.8%! Saskatoon's PK is 13th at 79.6% but continue to lead the league in SHG with 6.
Difference Makers:
Portland Winterhawks - Portland is a team loaded with stars. Ty Rattie currently leads their team with 30 pts in 19 games and is primed to be a 1st round selection in the NHL draft. His line-mate this year Sven Bartschi who is yet another Swiss Can't Miss prospect who leads the team with 14 goals. Bartschi also leads the rookie scoring race with 28 points, which is 7 ahead of the next player. However, their 3 high NHL draft picks are the pulse of the team in Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter and Brad Ross. All three will be ppg type players this year and watch for Niederreiter to break out any time now. He has just 1 goal in 6 games and 4 points. Brad Ross has talent and is a pain in the neck to deal with. Watch for the talented Portland defence to jump up in the play all game long.
The talent of Rutkowski, Aronson, Pouliot and Morrow give them ample amount of puck movers. Add in bruiser and captain Brett Ponich who leads the league in +/- at +18 and you have a very, very good defence.
Did you know?
Mac Carruth leads the league in save percentage at .942!
Tough guy Taylor Jordan and Derrick Pouliot are the only Saskatchewan born players on the roster. They have the same amount of Saskatchewan born kids as Swiss kids!
7 Winter Hawks players are 6'3 and over.
Saskatoon Blades:
Saskatoon will continue to look to their top line for production in this game. Viedensky, Nicholls and Hamilton are all in the top 28 in league scoring. Stefan Elliott continues to average a point per game with 7-11-18 in 18 games and his 5 game winning goals lead the league. Curtis Hamilton and Marek Viedensky are 2nd/3rd in +/-.
Did you know?
Chris Collinshas 4 pts in 3 games since coming over from Chilliwack. Also, during that span Brent Benson also has 4 pts in 3 games, 2-2-4.
The 16-2-1 Portland Winterhawks will look to make it 11 consecutive wins tonight by taking on the clad wearing 13-5-1 Saskatoon Blades in what could be a preview of the WHL Final in May. Adam Morrison will start tonight..
Tonights game will be interesting on many fronts besides the great match up. Kiss rocker, Gene Simmons will be in attendance with wife and Saskatoon raised Shannon Tweed. They are in Saskatoon to shoot an eposode for Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Also the Blades will be wearing the ugliest jersies in WHL history or atleast in modern-era WHL. A crowd of 7000+ is expected and the game is also televised on Shaw TV.
Home and Away Statistics:
The Winterhawks enter tonights game with the leagues best road record at 8-1-0 and have scored over 4 gpg at 37 in the 9 games thus far. While the Saskatoon Blades sport the leagues 2nd best home record at 7-1-0-1, while averaging also over 4 goals per game at home with 38 goals scored. Both teams have allowed around 3 gpg on the road and at home respectively. Saskatoon has dropped their past 2 home games, both to American oppenents. 3-2 to the Chiefs and a 5-4 SO loss to Seattle.
Portland Winterhawks Road: 8-1-0 37-26
Saskatoon Blades Home: 7-1-0-1 38-26
Specialty Teams:
Surprisingly enough the Winterhawks struggle on the road while a man up with just 6 goals on 33 chances for an 18.2% efficiency and 13th in the league. Their power-play overall is 9th in the league at just over 20.0%. Saskatoon is 9th at home on the PP and a disappointing 14th overall at just 17.9%.
The Winterhawks are great though on the PK on the road, ranking 4th, killing off 52/60 chances. Overall, Portland has the leagues best PK at 88.8%! Saskatoon's PK is 13th at 79.6% but continue to lead the league in SHG with 6.
Difference Makers:
Portland Winterhawks - Portland is a team loaded with stars. Ty Rattie currently leads their team with 30 pts in 19 games and is primed to be a 1st round selection in the NHL draft. His line-mate this year Sven Bartschi who is yet another Swiss Can't Miss prospect who leads the team with 14 goals. Bartschi also leads the rookie scoring race with 28 points, which is 7 ahead of the next player. However, their 3 high NHL draft picks are the pulse of the team in Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter and Brad Ross. All three will be ppg type players this year and watch for Niederreiter to break out any time now. He has just 1 goal in 6 games and 4 points. Brad Ross has talent and is a pain in the neck to deal with. Watch for the talented Portland defence to jump up in the play all game long.
The talent of Rutkowski, Aronson, Pouliot and Morrow give them ample amount of puck movers. Add in bruiser and captain Brett Ponich who leads the league in +/- at +18 and you have a very, very good defence.
Did you know?
Mac Carruth leads the league in save percentage at .942!
Tough guy Taylor Jordan and Derrick Pouliot are the only Saskatchewan born players on the roster. They have the same amount of Saskatchewan born kids as Swiss kids!
7 Winter Hawks players are 6'3 and over.
Saskatoon Blades:
Saskatoon will continue to look to their top line for production in this game. Viedensky, Nicholls and Hamilton are all in the top 28 in league scoring. Stefan Elliott continues to average a point per game with 7-11-18 in 18 games and his 5 game winning goals lead the league. Curtis Hamilton and Marek Viedensky are 2nd/3rd in +/-.
Did you know?
Chris Collinshas 4 pts in 3 games since coming over from Chilliwack. Also, during that span Brent Benson also has 4 pts in 3 games, 2-2-4.