Game #20 & 21 PATS vs MJ

[patsdude114]

just going to keep this in 1 thread instead of 2 separate for the home & home series...

This is a very big Home & Home for both teams if by chance either team can win them both it would give abit of a separation between the 2 teams in the standings (of at least a couple points). With how things are going so far in tonites games as i type this BRN will leap the Pats for 2nd spot by 2 pts & SAS will have a 3pt cushion for 1st.....

Its been awhile since the top 4 teams in the East Division have been this tight (especially with the Pats being invovled in the top spots) I think the biggest hurdle for the Pats in this weekend's series against the Warriors is the Warriors team toughness, the Pats lack a true tough guy who can intimate the other team (or at least some push back) Bidlevskii had a great fight with McIlrath last year but the Pats cant expect only Bidlevskii to stand up to McIlrath, Beach, McFaull & Lyon thats alot of toughness with those 4 guys alone.

This game definately has some star power with Howden & Weal leading the way, im excited to watch Rielly play tomorrow nite as he was a treat to watch last year even as a 16yr old. Goaltending will be a great match up as well Siemens vs Hewitt (would be my guess but dont count out Beukeboom playing either) the key for the Pats on home ice will be to get the #1 line away from the Warriors top shutdown pairing, also standing up for Weal when someone takes shots at him (like what happened in MJ almost 2 weeks ago).

A weekend split would be great im sure neither team would complain with a split, it will keep things even tighter for abit longer. The Pats definately need a win in this series before they head out on the road to the US division.

The Pats are coming off a 4-3 OTW against MH the 2nd time beating MH this year as well. The Pats have beat some of the top teams this year, so having another solid game against the rival Warriors is not out of the picture. Im excited for a great game tomorrow nite. Lets hope the stats on paper result in a good game on the ice as well. My only question on this series is who the 4 blind mice will be on the ice... they will make or break this weekend series.

[patsdude114]

here is a post from Roddy's blog of an interview with Coach Conacher.....

The Regina Pats (12-7-0) enter a brand new week tied for first-place in the WHL's East Division with the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Pats are off until Thursday night when they play host to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Pats coach Pat Conacher answered reporters' questions Tuesday at the Brandt Centre:

Q. Talk about the play of rookie LW Morgan Klimchuk...
CONACHER: I don't attach any expectations on anybody. You gotta let players come in and be who they are, especially at this level. They have to come in, work hard, however they go. Having been around so long, maybe when players are tagged as 'the next one', you're setting the kid up to fail. You have to put him in a position to have success and teach him along the way. Let's face it, he's only 16-years old. Here's the puck, go get it, and here's how to play in all three zones. But Morgan comes to play every day and he listens and he learns. We've played him against everybody, especially on the road. Since I don't have last change, I roll the lines and keep to short shifts. He may be overmatched at times but it's not because he's not working. You can see his maturity in his play. Just the wear and tear, the three-in-fours, that catches up to you right away but the kid's very mature for his age.

Q. How about the play of goalie Matt Hewitt?
CONACHER: The goaltender helps everybody. Matt's come in and has never let our team down in terms of giving us a chance to win. He's played the full 60 minutes every game. The incident in the Calgary game (where Hewitt knocked the game-winning goal into his own net), those things happen. Every day, the guys are confident playing front of Matt Hewitt. It was great for him to beat Medicine Hat the next night, but I didn't expect anything less. But it was everybody. Everybody was disappointed by losing to Calgary and we had to be determined the next night, play 60 minutes, and that's where it started. Medicine Hat's a quick team but we showed up, played well, and were rewarded.

Q. How much does it help being a first-place team?
CONACHER: We point it out to the kids everyday. It's great to wake up in the morning and see yourself at the top or near the top. That's what it's all about, the two points. That's what I get a charge out of, the kids are talking about it. Not who's getting points individually, but the team is. The goal at the start of the year was to make the playoffs. All games are so important and the conference is so tight. We're trying to get as many points as possible because they all count no matter what time of year it is.

Q. How about the home-and-home with Moose Jaw?
CONACHER: They're a big, physical team who can move the puck. They can skate. If you look at their team on paper and what they do on the ice, they have it all. They can beat you in a lot of different ways and it's a great challenge for our guys. We can't beat ourselves. If a team beats us by playing better, I can take that but we have to play our best. At the end of the day, if Moose Jaw's going to beat us they're going to have to play well.

[patsdude114]

tough loss tonite it wasnt for the lack of effort 38 shots on goal & Siemens stood on his head most of the night alot of quality chances for the Pats. A few bad positioning errors lead to all 3 of MJs goals little key mistakes costed us this game tonite.

We started off very strong & then midway point in the 1st we started to make soft plays which MJ fed off of, they got their legs going from out turnovers & got a PP goal out of there hard work. The 2nd goal came off a rocket of a shot from Kirsch that hit bar & sat down perfectly for Eberle to swat home...... 2-0 MJ & stood that way until midway thru the 3rd when Weal went roof on Siemens, the 3rd goal was partly caused by the ref getting in the way on a routine play down low while reversing the breakout to the other D, caught up in the refs skated outfront scores 3-1 MJ & game over.

A spirited tilt tonite between Burroughs & Johnson 2 young guys trying to spark there teams up, Burroughs did alot better in this fight then his 1 against Hood (from LETH) was an entertaining hockey game tonite forsure tomorrow nite in MJ should be just as good.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

honestly I thought that game was embarrassing for us. It was clear who the better team was in every way.

...and it certainly looks like we could use that tough guy.

Our top players were pressured all night without much support, though some of our rookies played well, especially Hunt...but that it.

Is blidstrand even still with the team or what? I have not seen him this year really.

[patsdude114]

i didnt think we played that bad we did alot of good things.... a few vets were making a few soft plays (passes..... Weal & Davidson) but they were also the 1s creating chances offensively too.

[patsrock83]

honestly I thought that game was embarrassing for us. It was clear who the better team was in every way.

...and it certainly looks like we could use that tough guy.

Our top players were pressured all night without much support, though some of our rookies played well, especially Hunt...but that it.

Is blidstrand even still with the team or what? I have not seen him this year really.

SAJ, Do you actually watch the games or what? If you do, you literally know nothing about the game. Moose Jaw was not clearly the better team at all. i think they are a better team but not last night. The whole team has the flu(or so i have heard) if so i think they played really well and deserved to win that game buy a large margin. as for a tough guy yes we need one lol i miss games with some flare. Hunt is officially my favorite player he seems to give 110% every game if he keeps it up he will be a top player for us in a couple years. if anything at least the games are good and competetive this year thats all we can ask, but as for embarassing i think not. BTW kevin, get ur ass in gear with the blueliner i dont like going to it with no updates lol

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

SAJ, Do you actually watch the games or what? If you do, you literally know nothing about the game. Moose Jaw was not clearly the better team at all. i think they are a better team but not last night. The whole team has the flu(or so i have heard) if so i think they played really well and deserved to win that game buy a large margin. as for a tough guy yes we need one lol i miss games with some flare. Hunt is officially my favorite player he seems to give 110% every game if he keeps it up he will be a top player for us in a couple years. if anything at least the games are good and competetive this year thats all we can ask, but as for embarassing i think not. BTW kevin, get ur ass in gear with the blueliner i dont like going to it with no updates lol

I wasnt aware that agreeing with you was a prerequisite to knowing anything about the game.

I just see what I saw. I thought our team was out played in every aspect in the game at the Brandt centre, not that I necessarily thought we played particularily bad. To me, just the fact we were pushed around so easy was embarrassing.

Players having the flu would be news to me.

We caught up with them near the end but it was still overall one sided if you ask me. If we want to be able to compete with a team like that, I think a couple moves need to be made, like getting a new tough guy, and moving a player or two that doesnt go with the system.

[patsdude114]

Tough weekend series for the Pats, at least they were able to squeek out 1 key point in the series. Siemen's was definately the difference in both games this weekend, turning into a Pats killer.

Neither fans can complain about the entertaining hockey games this weekend in both barns. A weekend split would of been nice for the Pats but that didn't happen. I think watching (& listening to the game in MJ) it is very key that the Pats bring home a tough guy/goon type player from there US Division swing. As mentioned before Seattle has 2 (both 18yrs old) & EVT has 1 either payer would look great in a Pats jersey. Hell maybe the Lang could even swing a deal for Maxwell from EVT as well with him going public that he wants to be traded that has to hurt his stock, didn't he score 40goals last year?

I definately had alittle chuckle last nite when the Warriors got Weal taken off the ice for wearing a chain (they tried it in Regina as well) & Marantz came on to replace Weal & scored the game tying goal.

I think both fans (Pats & Warriors) can both be happy that this rivalry is finally alive again, every game has been close right down to the wire even tho the Warriors have won all 3 games either game could of gone the other way just as easy.

Now both cities move on to host the Subway Series which should be a treat to watch, on Thrusday nit Team OHL beat Russia 10-7 if Regina & MJ r in for this kind of hockey it will definately be a treat to watch.
Just a question maybe a Saskatoon fan can answer it, in years past Russia has let WHL Russsians play on there team for the games against WHL is Makarov playing goal for a game at all against WHL?

[lordstanley]

Common trend it seem's every oposition goalie is stealing wins away from the Pats are the Pats that unlucky ? cause it seem's to me from what i hear if not for the other teams hot goaltenders the Pats could be 15-5-1 or something

As for Makarov he is playing in atleast 1 game that i know

[patsdude114]

Its crazy the goaltending we have been facing lately but yet against a team like MH & Bunz we have no probs scoring on. I have never taken anything away from the other teams goalie when he plays great against us, it takes a quality goaltender to make those 2nd & 3rd chances saves. It has nothing to do with Pats effort as long as the effort is there & those chances are still there thats all you can ask for it wont be like that all the time just need to bare down abit more when u get those types of chances. Outside of Weal it is score by committy for the Pats as like most teams in this league.

Great to hear Russia is giving Makarov a chance to play in the WHL vs Russia Subway Series.... is a deal made with the CHL & Russia that they must play any Russians in at least one game??? just a question not sure if anyone truely knows, or maybe just a good deed done by the russians.