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Thread: Mucha Vents Frustration

  1. #1
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    Default Mucha Vents Frustration

    from heraldnet.com

    WHL notebook

    Portland goaltender vents his frustration

    By Nick Patterson
    Herald Writer

    Kurtis Mucha is a good soldier.

    For nearly two seasons Mucha has had the unenviable task of tending goal for the woeful Portland Winter Hawks. Portland was easily the worst team in the league last season, and the Winter Hawks are well on their way toward reclaiming the title again this season.

    Because of the lack of support in front of him, the talented 18-year-old finds himself regularly subjected to 40, 50, even 60 shots per game. On many occasions Mucha is the only obstacle standing between Portland and double-digit defeat.

    But through it all, Mucha has absorbed the punishment without complaint.
    Until now.

    The understated Mucha let slip a small sign of frustration in an interview with the Portland Tribune last week.

    Mucha told the Tribune he wants to stay in Portland and that he didn’t request a trade at the trade deadline — there was much speculation swirling around whether the Winter Hawks would deal Mucha to a contender.

    However, he did say he’s becoming weary of all the shots and losses — Portland is a dismal 26-96-2-3 and has been outscored 552-224 during Mucha’s two seasons as the entrenched No. 1 — and he hinted that he might ask out if the Winter Hawks don’t improve next season.

    “It’s not a good thing, really, because I don’t want to be accustomed to it,” Mucha said of the losing. “But I don’t know what to do.
    “Hopefully we’re good next year. If not, I think it might be time for a change.”

    Mucha also expressed some frustration with his teammates.

    “You see some players on our team who think they’re better than they are. Too cocky,” Mucha said. “And then there are a couple players who shouldn’t even be in this league. It’s not their fault. They’re being thrown into a situation they’re not used to, and almost set up to fail. But we’ve got nobody else.”

    Around the WHL: As rough as Mucha has had it this season, his backup Jordan White did him one better when he faced 72 shots in Portland’s 4-0 loss to Seattle on Saturday. White made the bulk of his 68 saves before the T-birds finally got on the board with 6 minutes, 51 seconds remaining in the game. ... The bad blood reached the boiling point between the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades. The teams played twice in six days last week, with both games erupting in line brawls. In total the league handed out $2,500 worth of fines between the two teams, with each team still subject to another fine of undermined size. Also, both Regina coach Curtis Hunt and Saskatoon coach Lorne Molleken were suspended for indefinite periods. ... Calgary center Ryan White was named the WHL Player of the Week. White had five goals and five assists as the Hitmen went 4-0.

    League leaders: Points — Colin Long (Kelowna) 82; goals — Colton Yellow Horn (Tri-City) 36; assists — Long 59; penalty minutes — Scott Gabriel (Portland) 179; wins — Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver), Chet Pickard (Tri-City) 33; goals against average — Sexsmith 1.95; save percentage — Jacob DeSerres (Seattle) .922.
    _____________________
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  2. #2
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    Can't say I blame the guy. If the Hawks are not better next year, the team should do the right thing and trade him.

    Sec. C Row 12 Seat 18

  3. #3

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    I think that he has A LOT of Potential and that he needs to be on a good team! I would like to see him go to the Silvertips next year when they lose Irving! He would be a great fit with that team I believe!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ams4life
    I think that he has A LOT of Potential and that he needs to be on a good team! I would like to see him go to the Silvertips next year when they lose Irving! He would be a great fit with that team I believe!
    That's an interesting thought, and he'd certainly be welcome. Mucha already has lots of fans in our barn. Even wearing a Winterhawks jersey, he draws a lot of applause and bell-ringing every time he sets foot on the ice here.

  5. #5
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    Default I think the Tips are happy with

    I think the Tips are Happy with Shayne Barrie. He'll get every opportunity to be the #1, IMO.

    the flip side ot that is we are all assuming Irv wil be gone to the AHL next year. I'm not sure he's proven he is ready for that.

    We'll see.

    I would like to see Mucha get a chance somewhere else as well.
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  6. #6

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    I don't know Irving is like a great goalie I would be very very surprised if he didn't go next year! I thought for a while he was the next Carey Price but it seemed that he slumped off a bit the last year.

  7. #7

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    Too bad for Mucha...the guy has to be one of the top 5 goaltenders in the dub...especially if you're basing it off of character. He never quits. The bad thing is, James Reimer is in the same situation in Red Deer...but it goes partially unnoticed there.

  8. #8
    MrSimmons Guest

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    Since the talk has moved the Mucha replacing Irving, it made me wonder - What ever happened to Chris Ward, the goalie trade to Portland from the Tips last season? I know he got rocked whenever he played the Tips.

    Regarding Mucha, I don't see Portland letting him go to a US team, no matter what the situation might be.

  9. #9
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    You gotta feel for Mucha -- he's been a huge part of that team since he was 16 (or before) and deserves the chance to play in front a team and coach that at least have some form of defense on their mind.

    The Winterhawks seem to play a pretty loose style for a such a young and defensively suspect team and I blame the coach for that. Taking care of your own end first doesn't mean boring hockey necessarily and it would give their goalies who are very solid the opportunity to get them wins.

    I mean White turning away 68 shots without allowing one by him and then losing the game when his team decided they'd allow another 4 shots, three of which went in. For most teams that two or three games worth of shots for a goalie and watching the 'Hawks they are bad, but they aren't that bad. The boys don't seem to care if they win or lose now and that's the saddest thing of all.

    Frankly I applaud Mucha for letting his feelings show finally -- he's kept his mouth shut for a long time and it hasn't changed and in fact has gotten worse so maybe this'll shake something up.
    My Vancouver Giants focused Blog

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  10. #10

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    We suffered through it here in Spokane.

    We were never that bad...but we had some personnel issues and the players didn't seem to care what happened on the ice. Pretty much had three seasons go down the drain, at the end of the third season they dealt away most of our older players for Kevin Armstrong and Evan Haw...and alot of people were surprised when the Chiefs began to win, going unbeaten through 11 before succumbing to injuries and dropping out of the race.

    I wasn't surprised...most of us good hockey fans knew a change was in need, there were alot of locker room issues. One player (I won't say who) was overheard as saying "I'm scoring my points, that's all that matters". Or something along those lines anyways...that was the general feeling of the team for awhile.

    Hopefully the Hawks organization can get it together next year...I really do enjoy the rivalries they have in the US division.

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