Pats sprinting down the home stretch....

[chopper]

Yup one win and one loser point is what we need. Considering the Pats are a .600 team over the season I'm thinking we should be able to split our last four games. Nothing is given but we do have two home games coming up this week. We have to view it that it's in our hands and we won't be concerned about SC.

We're a little wounded now but that can sometimes make a team very dangerous to play against. We have to take the junk yard dog mentality into the game tonight. Who knows maybe we could have this this won by the time the nights's over.

[patsdude114]

The lack of fire power for KOO could play in our favour only RD has scored less then them for eastern conference playoff teams. Its time for Stephenson's line to finally come out ontop between star lines, something they haven't been able to do for the last 2 weeks or so. KOO doesn't give you lots as their a very good defensive team, depth wise I do believe we have more offensive punch through our lineup, its time for us to prove it.

I do believe if we play our style of game for 60 minutes we can beat anyone in the league as we have proved it in the past. Time to prove it again & put ourselves in a great position to clinch 1st in the division. This pats fan will be listening on the radio tonight while hauling all the damn white stuff

[RWAH]

The last weekly report shows Koot with 5 players injured or ill, yet last night beat MH and scored 5 goals. Need a 60 min high tempo game tonight. a rapid and relentless for check, pressure their D. And stay out of the penalty box. MacAuley need to find his November form.

[chopper]

This was a tough game in many respects. The defence played pretty well and didn't give up an even strength goal. MacAuley was good. So why did we lose?

After two periods we had only 9 shots on goal. You can't win anything with that. We picked it up in the third but too little too late. Watched the game on webcast and we played two periods on the perimeter. As soon as we started driving the net and shooting we started to carry the play. Two needless penalties cost us two goals, and we went 0-6 on our PP. Very clearly the forwards didn't help us tonight. A real lost opportunity. Don't much like our very defendable PP. Time to put Zagraggen in front of the net and go old school.

I guess we'll see what this week brings.

[RWAH]

Chopper: Agree with all of your post. The Pats can play with any team in the conference if they play 60 min. and stay in their structures. They just go through the motions at times not competing.
On another note . When was the last time, with three game remaining, there was so many possibilities for playoff positions. Pats and Swift 2nd, 5th or 6th: Koot 4th or 5th; Red Deer, Brandon and PA 7th, 8th or golf. Hope for a win this week.

[chopper]

LOL...this will prove to be an interesting week and it keeps the interest up in the league all over. There will be a couple hungry teams coming here in Brandon and PA so I hope we're a bit more determined than Saturday night. I would sure like to see us polish this thing off with a 40 win season.

We are clearly not in the elite status of some teams in this league, but winning a pennant would mean a great deal and be a building block. The experience and winning culture would be something the young guys could use going forward. After being in the crapper for about six years the Portland Winter Hawks started by making the playoffs and continually built on that. Look at where they are today. Just read where the Kootenay Ice have made the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons. They have a Memorial Cup, League, conference and division titles along they way. They moved from Edmonton a few years after Parker bought this franchise here. When you compare their success to ours it's a real indictment of the Parker regime. Sadly they are on the brink of losing their franchise.

At 2nd or 7th I have felt all along we could possibly win one round. Finishing 5th or 6th wouldn't be ideal. In any given game we can beat anyone, however that's why they play best of seven. Winning four of seven from any of the top four in the Central Conference would be a huge task. The Pats best avenue for any playoff success is to finish 2nd seed.

I am acutely aware of our limitations but we have punched our ticket to the dance. We will find out shortly who is on our dance card.

[Shooter]

Special teams will be the difference in playoffs and those teams that have elite coaches that put in the time and energy to make sure the puck is managed with a potent POWER PLAY! Teams are rewarded and will move on series by series with a great PP! Team discipline is a must and is something that is controllable and has to be enhanced.

Last but not least a goaltending can steal games or series and teams with game breaking goaltenders have a chance to win any night in the WHL, which is the scary part of hockey at all levels!

What Pats players are banged up right now?

We need boys healed up to be ready for battle game 1 of playoffs and if healthy lets put money on the Pats!

Anyone know the Power Play-Penalty Kill Rankings for our conference?

Pats can win their conference if all parts of the machine are greased and working!

[patsdude114]

Pats can win their conference if all parts of the machine are greased and working!

I don't think anyone has ever thought this, we are so far from saying those words it isn't even funny. Getting into the 2nd round would be a huge step in the right direction for our franchise, our biggest problem is not putting in 60minute efforts we have played 69 games and we still cant put a full game in that will be our Achilles heel come playoff time.

[chopper]

I don't think anyone has ever thought this, we are so far from saying those words it isn't even funny. Getting into the 2nd round would be a huge step in the right direction for our franchise, our biggest problem is not putting in 60minute efforts we have played 69 games and we still cant put a full game in that will be our Achilles heel come playoff time.

That pretty much tells the story. You notice elite teams in this League playing as hard in the last minute as the first. At times we look like we're making headway but then regress. That will be our downfall along with poor special teams. When we get 19 shots in the 3rd period and really carry the play it shows capability, however a total of 9 shots in the previous two shows the opposite. Your right about what were really capable of. This team can be exciting and frustrating at the same time. The inconsistency shows we haven't arrived at elite status yet.

A sour note is that Phil the Thrill is reporting that that Burroughs and Williams sat out practice today with head injuries. If it's concussion that's real bad because there is a seven day protocol I believe. Andrews had said on the broadcast that Williams looked like a whiplash. Cameron said that Burroughs got the wind knocked out of him and both were sat for precautionary reasons. I for one hope on the positive side but with these two gone, it puts our aspirations in deep jeopardy.

[patsdude114]

As long as Williams & Burroughs are ready for Game 1 in playoffs I can live with them being out all week. Guys like Schacher, Harrison & Mumby just have to step up & prove that they belong in the defensive picture for next season. There are games where Schacher looks like he can dominate with his size & strength & then games where it just seems whatever he does doesn't work.

Williams & Burroughs are big loses to our blueline they log so many minutes pretty much 90% of the time 1 of these guys are on the ice. I know there is a lot of talk/dislike towards Williams on this board from a select few, I've always stood behind him except for maybe 2 or 3 games where he was just flat out horrid. Williams does a lot of small things right, he's 1 of those players in his minor league years who got by on his talent alone & never really had to learn the defensive side of the game. You can fault minor league parent coaching for that he is still learning each & every day & that won't change. Yes he makes mistakes out there but he does way more good things with or without the puck then he does bad things.

I personally believe Williams is ahead of Burroughs in development WITH the puck where Burroughs is better without the puck. Which is a fully based on Burroughs learned a lot about the defensive game as a 16yr old playing as much as Reagan is this year. Williams was playing AAA with the Pat C's at 16 where his main development there was still offense first. If there had been room on our team that year for both Williams & Burroughs I think we would be in a much better situation defensively then we currently are.