pontcanna
12-21-2011, 01:28 AM
-Interesting comment from Habby on Sundher...
Plenty of growing pains for Royals in first half
BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM DECEMBER 20, 2011 11:06 PM
This time last year, Marc Habscheid was GM and head coach of a veteran-laden Chilliwack Bruins team in the Western Hockey League. He knew then that the following season — now the current 2011-12 campaign — would be for rebuilding.
He just couldn’t have imagined it would be in Victoria.
With the WHL’s annual Christmas break, Habscheid finally has time for reflection after a hectic year in which he and the franchise moved across the strait.
And got much younger in the process with several key Bruins from last season graduated. The growing pains have been self-evident in a 13-20-4 start. The goaltending has been mercurial, blowing hot and cold, and the defence has at times been shambolic in giving up a league-high 181 goals.
The offence has been OK with leading scorer and recently Buffalo Sabres-inked Kevin Sundher (21 goals, 55 points) receiving balanced support with Logan Nelson (14 goals, 36 points), Robin Soudek (17 goals, 34 points) and Jamie Crooks (17 goals, 33 points) contributing strongly in turns.
The one A grade this group receives is in compete level, which is always high.
“In the last three weeks I’ve thought we played quite well, to be honest,” said Habscheid, as he broke it down by categories.
On goaltending, he noted: “You win as a team and lose as a team. But we need our save percentage to be better.”
Keith Hamilton has a 4.38 goals-against average and .874 save percentage and Jared Rathjen is 5.95 and .801.
The most problematic aspect of this club has been defence, but Habscheid said he sees a move in the right direction.
“We had a lull with our defence,” he admitted.
“But the shots against have come down. And all in all, it’s not too bad. Our five men in the D zone needs to be better. And our young guys need more opportunities [to play].”
Offence has been more stable with a crew of under-sized but peppy and scrappy forwards led by Sundher.
“We’ve gotten some goals and some growing consistency in our two-way game,” said Habscheid.
In the intangibles department, the Royals boss rates his group highly.
“They never cash in their chips and bring it every night,” said Habscheid.
“It’s a close-knit group but being good friends isn’t enough. You have to be good teammates, too, by challenging each other, not being satisfied and expecting more from one another.”
Habscheid touched on the youthfulness of this team, which boasts several 16- and 17-year-olds.
“We want to keep growing and building with our youth, with the older guys giving good support,” he said.
But a sense of realism needs to prevail with such a group.
Habscheid said you always swing for it but admitted the Memorial Cup is a longshot dream this season.
It’s not out of the question, however, that if the right spark was lit at the right time, this team is feisty enough to make a run in the second half of the season with momentum building for the playoffs. But right now it is in seventh place in the 10-team Western Conference with Seattle three points behind with six games in hand and Prince George four points behind with two games in hand.
It is the brutal and harsh reality of major-junior hockey that in such scenarios, 19-year-olds are especially vulnerable. The temptation is often too great for teams on the verge of a championship to overlook a potential trade for a player who can help them immediately. Meanwhile, shrewd younger teams can use that to their advantage by loading up on even more prospects for the future. Like if the Royals drop out of the playoff picture, does Sundher become a trade asset?
“We look at every option,” said Habscheid, of the business. “We feel we have needs. And our future is with our youth. You have to look at the big picture. Nothing can be ruled out.”
Following the Christmas break, Victoria plays Dec. 28 and 30 in Portland against one of those older championship-calibre teams. The Winterhawks are 21-11-3 with a roster loaded with pro prospects.
Plenty of growing pains for Royals in first half
BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM DECEMBER 20, 2011 11:06 PM
This time last year, Marc Habscheid was GM and head coach of a veteran-laden Chilliwack Bruins team in the Western Hockey League. He knew then that the following season — now the current 2011-12 campaign — would be for rebuilding.
He just couldn’t have imagined it would be in Victoria.
With the WHL’s annual Christmas break, Habscheid finally has time for reflection after a hectic year in which he and the franchise moved across the strait.
And got much younger in the process with several key Bruins from last season graduated. The growing pains have been self-evident in a 13-20-4 start. The goaltending has been mercurial, blowing hot and cold, and the defence has at times been shambolic in giving up a league-high 181 goals.
The offence has been OK with leading scorer and recently Buffalo Sabres-inked Kevin Sundher (21 goals, 55 points) receiving balanced support with Logan Nelson (14 goals, 36 points), Robin Soudek (17 goals, 34 points) and Jamie Crooks (17 goals, 33 points) contributing strongly in turns.
The one A grade this group receives is in compete level, which is always high.
“In the last three weeks I’ve thought we played quite well, to be honest,” said Habscheid, as he broke it down by categories.
On goaltending, he noted: “You win as a team and lose as a team. But we need our save percentage to be better.”
Keith Hamilton has a 4.38 goals-against average and .874 save percentage and Jared Rathjen is 5.95 and .801.
The most problematic aspect of this club has been defence, but Habscheid said he sees a move in the right direction.
“We had a lull with our defence,” he admitted.
“But the shots against have come down. And all in all, it’s not too bad. Our five men in the D zone needs to be better. And our young guys need more opportunities [to play].”
Offence has been more stable with a crew of under-sized but peppy and scrappy forwards led by Sundher.
“We’ve gotten some goals and some growing consistency in our two-way game,” said Habscheid.
In the intangibles department, the Royals boss rates his group highly.
“They never cash in their chips and bring it every night,” said Habscheid.
“It’s a close-knit group but being good friends isn’t enough. You have to be good teammates, too, by challenging each other, not being satisfied and expecting more from one another.”
Habscheid touched on the youthfulness of this team, which boasts several 16- and 17-year-olds.
“We want to keep growing and building with our youth, with the older guys giving good support,” he said.
But a sense of realism needs to prevail with such a group.
Habscheid said you always swing for it but admitted the Memorial Cup is a longshot dream this season.
It’s not out of the question, however, that if the right spark was lit at the right time, this team is feisty enough to make a run in the second half of the season with momentum building for the playoffs. But right now it is in seventh place in the 10-team Western Conference with Seattle three points behind with six games in hand and Prince George four points behind with two games in hand.
It is the brutal and harsh reality of major-junior hockey that in such scenarios, 19-year-olds are especially vulnerable. The temptation is often too great for teams on the verge of a championship to overlook a potential trade for a player who can help them immediately. Meanwhile, shrewd younger teams can use that to their advantage by loading up on even more prospects for the future. Like if the Royals drop out of the playoff picture, does Sundher become a trade asset?
“We look at every option,” said Habscheid, of the business. “We feel we have needs. And our future is with our youth. You have to look at the big picture. Nothing can be ruled out.”
Following the Christmas break, Victoria plays Dec. 28 and 30 in Portland against one of those older championship-calibre teams. The Winterhawks are 21-11-3 with a roster loaded with pro prospects.