Cougars/'Hawks Feb 9/07

[Sput]

FROM: www.pricegeorgecitizen.com

Saturday, February 10, 2007
Cougars hammer Winter Hawks
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

Friday was a no-win proposition for the Prince George Cougars.

The Cougars were expected to post a victory over the Portland Winter Hawks, the WHL’s worst team, so no one’s about to start singing Prince George’s praises over a 9-0 thrashing.

A loss, of course, would’ve brought jeers. That goes for last night’s game, and tonight’s rematch at CN Centre. Better the as-expected result than the disaster.

And better the two points, even for a team cemented in third place in the B.C. Division, than no points.

“First and foremost, we wanted the win, so we’re glad about that,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck.

“Our guys played hard, and I thought we had some fortunate goals, but that’s the bounces of hockey. (Today) is a new day. Yes, it’s nice to get on track, but a lot of bad habits come out of games like that… guys start cheating to the offensive side, and I saw a little of that, especially in the second period. You always want to play the same way.”

The Cougars, winners in five of their last seven, are back within a game of the .500 mark at 24-25-2-4. The Hawks, a young but big squad that seems too slow to deal with the evolving style of play under the new standard of officiating in the WHL, dropped to 15-38-1-1. The Hawks have come up short in 12 of their last 13, shut out in the last two games.

After a slow start to the first period, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead to the second, the product of Eric Hunter’s bad angle goal.

The Cats exploded for four more in the middle frame. Jared Walker had two, and Devin Setoguchi had a pair, one from long range on a power play, the other out of a pro’s repertoire, undressing a defenceman and tucking a backhand under the crossbar.

Setoguchi completed the hat trick 3:13 into the third period, and Ty Wishart hit the 10-goal mark with a power-play goal a minute later. Greg Gardner and Dale Hunt added to the laugh track for the Cougars.

Setoguchi has his team’s two three-goal games on the season, both coming against Portland, it must be added. The Cougars, with nine NHL draftees on the roster, scored three power-play goals against the Hawks, a team with one NHL pick (defenceman Cameron Cepek).

“We were pretty good in the first period, then took a bad penalty at the end of the period and they took it to us after that,” said Portland coach Mike Williamson.

“Our confidence level is obviously at an all-time low, and we looked like two different hockey teams. Some of our younger players were good tonight, but we’re a team that needs everybody and most of our older guys weren’t very good.”

Prince George outshot Portland 34-16. Oft-injured Cougars defenceman Jesse Dudas, playing his first home game since November, had five assists, and centre Chris Durand had three. Dudas is one point away from joining Setoguchi as the only Cats averaging a point-per-game (18 points in 19 games). Setoguchi, with three goals and an assist Friday, has 42 points in 40 games.

“It’s good to be out there again playing in front of our fans,” said Dudas.

“I like playing here, and our team is starting to peak now. We have a great group of players. Devin is playing like the best player in the league and the lines are starting to click. I want to do what I can to help.”

The Cougars got a chance to rest centre Nick Drazenovic, who is recovering from a charleyhorse. Goaltender Real Cyr also sat out with an irritating knee problem, but that allowed 16-year-old prospect Joel Danyluk to dress for his third game as backup. Schoneck said there was consideration to sending Danyluk out for the third period to give him his first WHL playing time, but Scott Bowles was working on his 15th career shutout, so that clinched the decision.

Bowles stopped 16 shots, an easy outing for his seventh-straight start. Danyluk may get his first WHL action tonight, but that’s something the coach wanted to sleep on.

“If they had a goal (against Bowles), I would’ve thought about it, but Bowles has carried the load for us and deserved to finish it,” said Schoneck.

“I’m sure we’ll start Bowles, and maybe we’ll look at something (with Danyluk) as it goes. Most important is to get another two points.”

KITTY LITTER: Announced crowd was 2,640. The good news is none of the men in attendance are claiming to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter… Light moment of the night — Schoneck had to do a matrix-like move to get out of the way of a puck fired into the bench by rookie defenceman Lance Redden in the second period. That’s no way to get more icetime, rookie… Watch out in the future for Portland’s Taylor Jordan, 16. The six-foot-six, 171-pound rookie, with all the thickness of a composite stick, took a beating early in a fight with six-foot-eight, 241-pound Vladimir Mihalik, 19, but rebounded to wrestle Mihalik to the ice… Odd call of the evening — Portland’s Scott Gabriel was given a fighting major and game misconduct late in the second, with no other infraction called. Gabriel dropped the gloves to fight Durand but Durand wasn’t biting.

[Sput]

Wow. All I can say right now is wow. This is a different team than I've watched all season so far. Yes its was Portland they beat, but they are supposed to beat the lower teams. I just never expected to see the Hawks handled as completely as they were.

Giving the team a lot of credit, they didn't view this Hawks team lightly. Ya, they had a slow first period, but I almost expected that from the travel they inccured this week (Kamloops tues, Vancouver wed then home for these two with Portland= lots of miles).

Pretty much felt sorry for Mucha in the third. It looked like he had a Bantam team infront of him for good portions of the second and third. Frightening to say that IMHO Gordichuck was probably one of Portland's best skaters all night. Not sure what Gabriel was thinking jumping Durrand from behind like he did. Chris probably would have dropped the gloves had he actually seen what was happening, but most of the punches were tossed from behind him, so Chris did the smart thing and kept his gloves on and tried to protect himself.

A few great hits in the third as well. Mahalik, for all that he doesn't usually throw hard open ice hits, drilled a Hawk at the blueline (with his head down) which lead to the Jordan/Mahalik fight. Decision Vlad, but giving Jordan an honorable mention for getting away from the boards and trying again. Rapak caught another Hawk with his head down and got a beauty open hit ice in, which lead to his tussle. I'd call that one a draw. Fuller and McClearen had a couple set-to's on the night, the first not really amounting to much (and Montgomery was also involved in this one) and the second was a draw. more of a wrestling match than anything.

Hats off to Schoneck for rolling all four lines for good parts of the game. And after Seto got his second hat rick of the season, I don't think I saw Seto, Hunter or Tyrell on the ice for more than one shift after the 10 minutes mark of the third. This gave a lot of other guys the chance to be on the ice, in key situations, and they all played mix and match with the line combos from then on.

Key scorers on the night: Setoguchi with 3 goals, Dudas with 5 assists, Durrand with 3 assists, Wishart with 3 points(1G-2A), Walker with 2 goals and Rapak with 2 assists.

Best "oops" of the night: Lance Redden firing the puck cross ice, missing the glass by a mile and almost KO'ing Schoneck with the puck.

[PGFlyfisher]

Yup. Good on the Cougars for doing what they should be doing against a "rebuilding" team. Despite a slow start and a few minute lull in the second period, the boys came out pretty hard.

I did feel bad for Mucha though. He was left hung out to dry. Williamson should have changed up the tending for the 3rd. That kind of shelling has to play a little on the kid' s psyche!

5 things last night that I thought really stood out:

1) The puck movement on the power play was some of the best I' d seen all season. They kept the Hawk' s PKers scrambling with hard, fast and crisp passing. Coincidence that a certain "scratch" wasn' t out there hoarding the puck along the boards and missing the passing lanes when they open up?

2) The first time I can recall a 5 minute fighting major handed out to 1 player only and nothing to the other player. Refs were right to not call Durand as he did absolutely nothing but try to skate away. However, the Hawk' s penalty should have only been a 2 or 4 minute roughing/unsportsmanlike IMO.

3) The age difference between the 2 teams really showed last night.

4) I thought it showed class that Shoneck gave the 3rd and 4th lines a ton more ice time and not have the big guns "run away with it". Also, no "hot dogging" by the boys when the game became out of reach for the Hawks.

5) The officials were bang on with most of the calls they did make. However, I counted at least of 3 legitimate infractions that the Cougars got away with. I feel that Hawks fans have every right to cry foul today. On the other hand, maybe it was a little restitution for the game earlier in the season in Portland when the PPs were 13-5 in favor of the Hawks.

Keep up the hard work boys. I' d expect a different Portland team out there tonight.

[smileyjones]

For all of the crap this organization takes, I have to say they got this one right. No crazy whooping it up, or rubbing anyone's nose in the loss. Lots of ice for the fourth line in this one. I think they walked a fine line between not letting up and not running up the score very nicely. It showed some class, because I think as much as the fans like to see a 9-0 game, everyone feels for the kids on the other side.

As for Portland - I don't think they ever stopped working, but what the heck are they doing leaving Mucha in for 9 goals. This kid is the future in net, and he's going to have a rough time with his confidence. I guess amybe it shouldn't be such a surprise that Butler is blossoming in Kamloops.

[Tidball]

I kinda laughed when i saw that the final section in that article is called "Kitty Litter" We call ours "Blades Bits"

[Tidball]

2) The first time I can recall a 5 minute fighting major handed out to 1 player only and nothing to the other player. Refs were right to not call Durand as he did absolutely nothing but try to skate away. However, the Hawk' s penalty should have only been a 2 or 4 minute roughing/unsportsmanlike IMO.
.

Blades have had 2 of those in the last 2 games. Fighting majors to 1 person and no the other. Klotz vs Stoesz (which is rather shocking) And Leffler on Gillies i believe. Cloud faught Festerling, but Cloud only got 2 roughing minors.