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Thread: Pressure

  1. #1
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    Default Pressure

    http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/i...907&Itemid=562

    Tired Cougars backsliding (0)
    (Top Stories) Monday, 12 November 2007, 23:18 PST
    JIM SWANSON Citizen Sports Editor

    The Prince George Cougars took so many steps backward on the weekend that the positive strides of late October have been nearly forgotten.

    The Cougars, who were at the .500 mark on Nov. 5, completed a four-game collapse with weekend home drubbings at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets.

    And, after dropping 6-1 and 5-1 contests to their division rivals, things do not get any easier for the Cats. Coming off a draining stretch that saw them play six games in nine nights, they are in Spokane tonight to open a four-games-in-five-evenings ordeal, with two stops in each of Tri-City and Spokane.

    No, this is not the soft part of the regular-season schedule.

    “All I have to do is look at our schedule here the last little while,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson.

    “By the end of this part of the trip, it will be 10 games in 16 nights and then we’ll finally have an opportunity to practice four times -- that’s as much as we’ve had since Nov. 2. (The weekend) was frustrating because everyone worked so hard to get back to .500, and that’s where we were a week ago.

    “It doesn’t get easier -- (Spokane and Tri-City) are two of the top teams in the conference, and we played them at the beginning of the year when we weren’t going at all, and they were playing well. That played a part in our (1-6) start, but it’s shown around the league that anyone can beat another team on any given night, and we’re looking to get out of this trip, like we do for every other one, at .500 or better.”

    The Cats have lost four in a row, almost all the damage against coming while shorthanded. Prince George is dead last in the WHL at 72.1 per cent, and at home it’s worse at 68.5 per cent.

    To go too far into Saturday’s gruesome details would cause pain for all involved. Suffice it to say missed chances early and a horrible defensive play by Patrik Magnusson got the snowball rolling in Kelowna’s favour, and the Rockets never looked back in what was, essentially, a very easy road victory. Ty Wishart had the lone Cougars goal, that mustered by a power play unit that is third-best in the WHL at 23 per cent, but Kelowna was 4-9 on the man-advantage.

    In front of one of the largest CN Centre crowds of the season, 3,350, Lucas Bloodoff put two pucks past beleaguered overage goaltender Real Cyr, with singles from Colin Long, Dylan Hood, Brady Leavold and Kyle St. Denis.

    Thompson is preaching patience -- though his tone hints at a need for more urgency.

    “We have some time here and I want to get our team back from injury (see sidebar),” said Thompson.

    “If we get that first goal things go very different for us, that’s been a constant all year, but we have to stick up for ourselves a lot more. We have guys in the dressing room who can help us stick up for ourselves more, they know who they are, and they’re not doing it for whatever reason. We need to bring our physical play up, and I expect to see that on this trip.”

    Thompson said the challenge has been handed to Cyr, who was shaky again on the weekend and saw his goals-against average (4.80) and save percentage (.855) go the wrong way again. Those digits are by far the poorest of all WHL goalies with more than 420 minutes in the crease -- and they are threatening to tarnish the career of the player who holds the franchise mark for career shutouts (12).

    “The penalty killing, that starts from the goaltender and moves out to the defencemen and forward -- we need some more timely saves,” said Thompson.

    “We’ve talked to (Cyr), done all the talking we can do, and it just comes down to him stopping the puck. He’s had struggles. Look at the games he’s played, the whole team has struggled on those nights and that hasn’t helped him, but he has to be better and the team has to be better when he’s in the net.

    “We’re not expecting him to win every game on his own, we want him to make the first save. He’s prided himself on being a No. 1 and a stand-up guy, and he’s putting a lot of pressure on himself right now.”

    n Prince George native Don Nachbaur earned his 350th WHL coaching win on Sunday as his Tri-City Americans handled lowly Portland 5-1.

    n The Red Deer Rebels sent overage forward Clayton Bauer to Everett, along with a sixth-round bantam pick, for winger Brennan Sonne, 20, and bluelinder Matt Strong.

    n Former Kootenay Ice defenceman Chris Chubb, 27, was killed in a weekend car accident north of Edmonton.
    Anyone else see the contradictions here? When the team lives in the penalty box and the penalty kill starts at the goal tender (I always thought the goalie was the last line of defense), are they really not expecting the goalies to win every game on their own? (Tommy included) Hey, I know Cyr isn't playing close to his potential, but from these comments it still sounds like the weight of the team continues to be rested upon his shoulders, I can't understand why he could possibly be putting a lot of pressure on himself right now?
    For What It's Worth

  2. #2
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    Default Thompson

    His comments - ridiculous. I was at the game and Cyr might not have played his best the rest of the team didn't step up. 3 injured players and a team that seemed to give up early. If he thinks it's Cyr's fault then why didn't he put Tommy in after a few goals?!

  3. #3
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    Default

    If anyone should be taking the blame it is Tommy T. That game in Vancouver was not as close as the score suggests. 3 flukish goals on Sexsmith. Tommy was all over the place. He spends too much time trying to be a sideshow rather than just stopping the puck.

    Giants need a backup that can get a start without throwing 2 points out the window once the puck drops. I have a trade for Mr. Thompson since he is so down on Cyr (and he would probably take it):

    To Vancouver: Real Cyr
    To PG: A bag of pucks and a 6 pack

    Sec. C Row 12 Seat 18

  4. #4
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    Thumbs down No Insults Needed in the PG Forum

    Quote Originally Posted by old_time_hockey
    To Vancouver: Real Cyr
    To PG: A bag of pucks and a 6 pack
    I find absolutely no humour in this sarcastic post. Shame on you. Go back to the Giants forum if this is how you intend to behave in here! :burningma
    A PROUD MEMBER OF LEAF NATION

  5. #5
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    Default Clarify

    Quote Originally Posted by old_time_hockey

    Giants need a backup that can get a start without throwing 2 points out the window once the puck drops. I have a trade for Mr. Thompson since he is so down on Cyr (and he would probably take it):

    To Vancouver: Real Cyr
    To PG: A bag of pucks and a 6 pack
    Can you clarify your comments Old Time? I think Westleaffan took them the wrong way. I think the insult was intended for Thompson not Cyr.

    We all know Cyr is worth much more than a six pack and a bag of pucks .
    For What It's Worth

  6. #6
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    Default Thanks

    Quote Originally Posted by puckmam
    His comments - ridiculous. I was at the game and Cyr might not have played his best the rest of the team didn't step up. 3 injured players and a team that seemed to give up early. If he thinks it's Cyr's fault then why didn't he put Tommy in after a few goals?!
    Thanks for your comments puckmam, it's always nice to hear from someone who has seen the game. We try to listen to the game here on the net, with some difficulty (dial-up). Plus, we have to listen to it on the opposing team's radio station because PG station doesn't (or can't always) air it live. They (opposing station) usually manage to tick me off within the first 5 minutes of the game. If you haven't already noticed, I get a little defensive when it comes to negative things being said about Cyr.
    For What It's Worth

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TwoBits
    Can you clarify your comments Old Time? I think Westleaffan took them the wrong way. I think the insult was intended for Thompson not Cyr.

    We all know Cyr is worth much more than a six pack and a bag of pucks .
    Very much so that insult was meant for Dallas Thompson and the whole Cougars managment. Thompson would be the only GM that would probably pull off the trade that I suggested.

    They took a proud team that I would drive all the way from Kitimat (600Km one way) in a snow storm to watch into team that is always just on the edge of being 4th or 5th place.
    Last edited by old_time_hockey; 11-13-2007 at 06:01 PM.

    Sec. C Row 12 Seat 18

  8. #8
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    Thumbs down I Went Overboard!

    Quote Originally Posted by old_time_hockey
    Very much so that insult was meant for Dallas Thompson and the whole Cougars managment. Thompson would be the only GM that would probably pull off the trade that I suggested.

    They took a proud team that I would drive all the way from Kitimat (600Km one way) in a snow storm to watch into team that is always just on the edge of being 4th or 5th place.
    Sorry Old Time Hockey, I over reacted. Please accept my apologies.
    A PROUD MEMBER OF LEAF NATION

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    Thumbs up Thanks TwoBits!

    Quote Originally Posted by TwoBits
    Can you clarify your comments Old Time? I think Westleaffan took them the wrong way. I think the insult was intended for Thompson not Cyr.

    We all know Cyr is worth much more than a six pack and a bag of pucks .
    Good call TwoBits. I engaged my mouth before my brain! Gotta quit that.
    A PROUD MEMBER OF LEAF NATION

  10. #10
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    Default

    No prob. Sometimes unless people know my views about certain things (or people) my sarcasim doesn't come across right.

    But I was serious about the Giants needing a quality goalie to give Sexy time off. If Thompson just wants a scape goat and thinks Cyr can be that, get rid of him. Let him go to a team that will treat him with respect and let him finish his WHL career with dignity and respect.

    Sec. C Row 12 Seat 18

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