Red white and blue mile

[Bighat]

Plan the parade lol. Just kidding but the boys are playing hard and what a come back.

[chopper]

It was a tough one but we gutted it out. The Pats are a hard team to play against. In case anyone hadn't noticed it was the teams 20th win. From the later part of the 2nd all through the 3rd they were all over the WK's. That quick 2-0 put them on their heels.

If they can just finish strong against Lethbridge tomorrow, it will be a good break. It's one of those trap games. Lehtbridge comes in on a high beating MJ and we have the long bus ride home. I think we'll be OK and it's weeny Wednesday.

[patsdude114]

being down by 2 4times during this game and coming back to win is a great come back no questioning that at all. Nice to see Klimchuk put up 3pts in his 1st game back since being cut by Team Canada, no better way to try to prove that they made a mistake by not giving him a better chance at that team. If Team Canada wins gold no one cares about who was cut but if they fail yet again there is always questions about certain cuts then, its a nice problem to have in this country with our hockey program.

I would really hate to be in Paddock's shoes right now this team has hit 20 wins before xmas and I don't think many Pats fans or hockey people around the WHL/CHL/NHL expected to see this type of play from the Pats this year. I still think Paddock needs to focus on the bigger picture and recoup some of those picks along with another quality 16 or 17 year old. This year has been a treat to watch and I do expect even without Klimchuk we are still a playoff team.

It would appear we would face SC in the 1st round and we have struggled against them all year long even though the games themselves have been a treat to watch. Wish I could be a fly on the wall during convo's involving ownership and Paddock in what to do this season.

[sbtatter]

That was a painful game to watch for Brandonites. Stoon, MJ and Regina give Bdn problems. 23 minutes from Bdn was not enough to beat 61 mins from Regina. The first reg goal was a weird one, a Pat poked for the puck from paps and the goalies catching mitt flew off, leaving Papirny tending without a glove, pats recognised this and shot high glove side, thankfully he didn't try to catch it bare handed! Klimchuck was the best Pat by far. The only consolations last night for Bdn were the 16's and 17's on the 4th line outplayed the Padakin line when matched, and that Bdn still got a point with an awful effort and no Hawryluk/Gabrielle. But give kudos to the Pats for grinding away all night even though Wapple wasn't very good, it was a deserved win. It will be really interesting to see if Regina sit or spin now with Klimchuck and Burroughs!

[patsdude114]

When BRN went up 2-0 69secs into the game I really thought were we're going to get our arses handed to us..... I'm not one to talk about the players that were not playing due to injuries as every team has them, yes BRN were without 2 top forwards but we were also missing a top 2 Dman for us and another Dman who logs big minutes for us as well in Hilsendager....

These teams match up good against each other but I do feel in a 7 game series BRN depth and talent beat us out in a long series. Our coaching staff didn't think we played a good game at all, said we only played 20mins of our style of hockey but yet still beat a top 10 chl team. We have some problems lately of putting in a full 60 and don't think we have since the Kelowna game.

[RWAH]

This week. Yahoo Sports "buzzing the net" "dynamic dozen" and the Pats move up 2 spots to 7th one behind Brandon

[chopper]

Geez what an ugly game tonight, worse than last night. I posted it could be a trap game and it was. We played like we had nothing to prove, and Lethbridge played like they had everything to prove. Wapple was brutal once again but Lord knows he wasn't alone.

The coaches were disgusted with the performance as were the few fans who attended. The guys must have been thinking of turkey but they ended laying one. There was nothing about this game that I liked. I witnessed a true lack of effort or grit.

We've had a good first half but this game should confirm we are just a very mediocre team without the effort. It's the hard work that has got us the success we've had. We're not final four calibre and should not deviate from the plan to get pieces we need to be one.

I imagine Paddock and crew will have a working holiday. Things will heat up between the 26th and Jan 10th.

[patsdude114]

And after a terrible loss to LETH they sll out of it completely merry christmas lol

What a terrible effort by the team tonight it's wasnt 1 or 2 players it was a group there was maybe 1 or 2 players that actually played good.

[Bighat]

The game wasn't that bad guys we had a few players look good like the 1st line klimchuck steel and Christopher, brooks and padikin on the backend Harrison had a good game. Wappel looked tired. Chopper if any team doesn't show up including the top teams they will loose. We looked tired tonite and skinner made some big saves and a little luck.

[sbtatter]

Seems like all the eastern division teams are inconsistent with their effort, no one is immune.....thats teenagers for you!!!!

[chopper]

There have been 5 or 6 games lately where the coaching staff hasn't been real happy with effort. Yet we got points in a lot of them, and that's inflated our record. A few guys had a few shifts but it was real spotty. Let's not forget they were playing Lethbridge. In Swift Current, Saskatoon, Brandon last week, and tonight we gave up 2 goals leads. We got points in all three of four of those games. Watching webcasts we get to see for ourselves. Last night Struch wasn't happy and tonight McKechnie wasn't happy. Seems to be a theme happening here.

McKechnie didn't feel anyone was good and really didn't single anyone out for a good game. I concur. Having the odd bad game where the work ethic isn't there is understandable but 3 or 4 games in a row. The law of average will catch up, especially in the 2nd half.

I guess the next question will be who's all back on the 26th.

[nivek_wahs]

Off topic.....

Here's something for you chopper or anyone else that cares to know. This might take you back:

Did you know that since the 1983-84 (yes I said 1983-84) season the Pats have reached the 20-win plateau at the 33 game mark of the season 5 times? 1983-84, 1985-86, 1997-98, 2007-08 and 2014-15.

[patsdude114]

5 times in 30yrs that's sad and 20 of those years are with the Parkers ok im no longer shocked by this stat lol

[Bighat]

How many times did we hit the 40 win plateau. I remember as a kid with strum it was a yearly feat.

[nivek_wahs]

How many times did we hit the 40 win plateau. I remember as a kid with strum it was a yearly feat.Since 1983-84
1983-84 - 48
1984-85 - 43
1985-86 - 45
1996-97 - 42
1997-98 - 46
2000-01 - 40
2001-02 - 40
2005-06 - 40
2007-08 - 44

[chopper]

Since 1983-84
1983-84 - 48
1984-85 - 43
1985-86 - 45
1996-97 - 42
1997-98 - 46
2000-01 - 40
2001-02 - 40
2005-06 - 40
2007-08 - 44

Those are some nostalgic and interesting stats. Here is a bit more from the Strum era from when he took over. He had some ridiculous winning stats:

79-80 - 47 (Last time League Champion):(
80-81 - 49
81-82 - 48
82-83 - 48

The early success the Parkers had were in no small part due to the tremendous job that Graham Tuer did as head scout. The team was never the same after he was let go by BP. While the Parkers may have got to the 40 win plateau six times the teams only advanced to the 2nd playoff round twice. The 96 and 97 teams were Grahams. The rest were Parkers and they usually sold the farm to get the players required to win 40 game. 2001 and 2007 come to mind quickly. They had the mindset to rent players with draft picks.

Then you look at the Medicine Hat Tigers who who ran a recent string of 40 wins something like 8 out of 10 season sin a row. And the Kootenay Ice who have been in the playoffs like 15 times in a row. These teams build through the draft.

I think the new owners want to get back to have a successful team on a yearly basis as opposed to once in a while. They along with their GM need to maintain the course, regardless of the early success this season. That's the only way to truly build a team.

The past problem of having bare cupboards is because there were no picks. They had been traded for rental players. It happened year in and out. Trying to list after everyone has drafted is a tough way to build. It usually perpetuates the rental cycle.

Better management leads to better teams.

[Bighat]

So the q doesn't have a trade freeze team canada member fucale traded today for a boat load of picks. I knew in the past q players were traded while at the wjhc.

[patsdude114]

From my understanding the league allowed this trade to happen now instead of allowing it to be a distraction to a key member of Team Canada (the starting goalie)........... this trade has been talked about ever since Fucale left for this camp, I think its good that the QMJHL/CHL/Hockey Canada allowed the trade to process to get it out of the way.