December Highlights...

As promised...here are the December Highlights.

Music Credit - "2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx" - Rush - 2112

Busy Week...

This week will be a busy one for me as I make a road trip to Alberta to make sales calls for my real job and to also spend a little time around the WHL Bantam Draft on Thursday. I probably won't be doing live blogging from the draft, but I will report my thoughts later that day.

I'm also going to attend the WHL Awards Banquet on Wednesday afternoon. I'm looking forward to that as well.

On other fronts...

The Spokane Chiefs are now one win away from eliminating the Tri City Americans in the Western Conference Final after their 4-3, 2 OT, win on Saturday night in Kennewick. With four of the first five games going to OT, three of those to double OT, it should make for an incredible Game 6 tonight in Spokane.

So far in this post-season, the Chiefs when leading after one period are 8-0-0. They have the same record when leading after two periods. Including the regular season, the Chiefs have not lost in regulation when leading after two periods - going 48-0-0-3 in 51 games. Tri City is 42-1-1-1 in 45 games when leading after two. If one team has the lead after 40 minutes, the game is pretty much sewn up.

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Meanwhile, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are waiting for the winner and to find out where they will be playing this weekend. Either Spokane or Tri City will have home-ice advantage in the WHL Final against Lethbridge.

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In the NHL...how about them Dallas Stars?

Brenden Morrow and the Stars are now just two wins away from the Western Conference Final after sweeping the first two games at the HP Pavilion in San Jose against the Sharks this weekend.

The Stars have four lines that are really working hard all game and living up to their "pack" mentality. The motto for the Stars in the post-season is "pack" - as in a Wolf Pack - where the needs of the pack are greater than the needs of the individual.

There is no one better than Morrow to lead them in that style. As one of the talking heads stated on a braodcast this weekend, Morrow is built for the Stanley Cup playoffs. No surrender, no quit, no pain.

Compare that to the leaders of the Sharks - Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton - and you can see why Dallas is up 2-0.

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Meanwhile...let me just say that I hate the Detroit Red Wings.

But...the Wings are definitely the better team in their series against the Colorado Avalanche.

It is fun to watch Cody McLeod get as much playing time as he has in the post-season and his heart and desire needs to to rub off on his teammates. Colorado may have a Finger (Jeff) and a Foote (Adam) on their blueline, but they could use a little more heart.

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Speaking of McLeod...way to throw the octopus back on Saturday AM.

Flashback of Max Gordichuk throwing the fish back at the Key Arena in Seattle a couple years ago.

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The best second round series so far? Montreal and Philadelphia, IMO. Good speed, end-to-end, and a little bit of nastiness. This one could go the distance and it will be a lot of fun to watch.

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Lastly, I get the feeling that whichever teams wins the Penguins/Rangers series will be the team to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Final.

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I should have the December highlight video ready to go later today...

November Highlights...

As promised, here are the November highlights. Contains all goals scored in the month of November. December to follow later.

Music Credit - "One Little Victory" - Rush - Vapor Trails CD

Conference Finals...

Well, one series is all but done, the other is just beginning...

In the East, the Calgary Hitmen find themselves one game away from elimination after falling 6-0 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Game 3 last night in Lethbridge. While I haven't watched much of this series, it appears that the Hitmen are suffering from lack of goaltending as veteran Dan Spence and second year goaltender Martin Jones are both struggling.

Calgary has scored a league-high 55 goals this post-season but has given up a league-high 51 in their 15 games - an average of 3.40/game and a combined save percentage of 87.5%.

Lethbridge, meanwhile, seems to be on cruise control, getting contributions from up and down their line-up. Add in quality goaltending from 18 year old import Juha Metsola and the 'Canes appear poised to win the East.

I admit that the one time I saw Metsola play this year in person, in Lethbridge's win over Portland, I thought he looked average at best. Now he is playing stellar with a GAA of just over 2.00 and 3 shutouts in the post-season.

The 'Canes can wrap this series up tonight at home and then wait for the war in the West to finish up.

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The Tri City Americans took advantage of a rare gaffe from Spokane Chiefs goaltender Dustin Tokarski in OT last night to even their series at 2-2.

While short-handed, the Ams dumped the puck into the Chiefs zone...Tokarski went behind the net to play the puck and while being pressured tried to pass the puck around the boards, fanned on it and Drew Hoff picked it up and slid it to Kruise Reddick for the easy tap-in empty netter.

Ironicly, Reddick wouldn't have been in that situation if Hoff's normal PK partner, Blair MacAuley wouldn't have been the guy in the penalty box. Reddick has two goals this post-season, both short-handed.

After playing four games in five nights (with three going to OT), the two teams are off until Game 5 Saturday night in Kennewick. Game 6 will go on Monday in Spokane with Game 7 (if necessary) back in Kennewick on Tuesday.

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I should have the November goal highlight video done sometime later today.

Chynoweth Passes On...

Ed Chynoweth, a patriarch of the WHL, passed away today at the age of 66 due to cancer.

Ed was named President of the WHL in 1972 and stayed there for 23 years and his legacy is the 22 team WHL that exists today. It is only right that the WHL named the WHL Champsionship trophy after him and it will forever be known as the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Ed's two sons, Jeff and Dean, are still playing important roles in the WHL with Jeff being the VP and GM of the Kootenay Ice and Dean being the GM and Head Coach of the Swift Current Broncos.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Chynoweth family.

Video Highlights...

I have taken some time to put together a highlight video of the Hawks goals scored during September and October of 2007 to start the 07-08 season.

Due to technical difficulities with the video from the WHL Livestream Archive, it is missing the four goals scored in the Kamloops game from 10/14 and the second goal the Hawks scored against Brandon on 10/27.

I will now start to work on the November goals and will post that when it is ready to roll.

(Music Credit: "The Main Monkey Business" - Rush from their Snakes and Arrows CD)

Monday Musings...

I did something this weekend that I haven't done in a long time...from the time I turned off the laptop on Friday evening, I left it off until Monday morning. I don't remember the last time that I went the weekend without turning on the computer. (Of course, I cheated by having my Blackberry for checking e-mail and keeping up-to-date on the WHL playoffs...but still.)

It was a nice weekend, as my seven year old daughter Aiden had a swim meet on both Saturday and Sunday in Forest Grove and it is always fun to watch her compete. At her age, the focus of these meets is to participate, try to set a personal best time and most importantly, to have fun. It was a refreshing change to attend an athletic competition and just be a spectator and proud father. (Oh, and speaking of that...Aiden finished in the top six in three of her five individual competitions and finished in the top three in both of her team relay competitions, meaning five ribbons, which to her are like gold.)

It was also a nice break from the discussions of leases, possible relocation, ownership and anything else revolving around the current hockey team in Portland.

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The Spokane Chiefs and Tri City Americans have now played ~ 165 minutes of hockey in two games to start the WHL Western Conference Final and the two teams have combined for two goals. I did check the video archive of the first game to make sure the two teams weren't playing soccer.

All kidding aside, the goaltending in this series has been incredible with Dustin Tokarski and Chet Pickard going save for save and setting this series up to be an all-time classic. Unfortunately, due to arena issues, the scheduling could impact the play of the two teams as they are forced to play three-in-three and four-in-five to start the series.

They have already have played almost three full games (with the OT periods included) and they have to go tonight and tomorrow in Spokane. They will get a break before returning to TC for Game 6 on Saturday, but if the OT trend continues, there will be some tired bodies the next two nights.

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Through 12 games, the Spokane Chiefs have allowed one first period goal against.

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Bad news for the U.S. Division - both Tokarski and Pickard are 18 years old...meaning they both "should" be back next season.

Add in Kurtis Mucha in Portland, Jacob DeSerres in Seattle and Shayne Barrie in Everett and the U.S. Division just may have the best goaltending of any division in the WHL for 2008-09.

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Meanwhile, in the East, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are up 2-0 over the Calgary Hitmen after winning both games at the Saddledome to start their series.

Austin Fyten, a 16 year old call up, scored the OT winner in game 2 for his first WHL goal.

You have to think that whichever team wins the East is hoping that the Ams and Chiefs go double OT for seven games and wear themselves out before the WHL Final.

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In the NHL, congratulations to Brandon Dubinsky and the New York Rangers, Marian Hossa and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Cody McLeod and the Colorado Avalanche and Brenden Morrow and the Dallas Stars for advancing to the 2nd round.

Braydon Coburn and the Philadelphia Flyers will look to close out their series against the Washington Capitals in Game 6 on home ice while Andrew Ference and his Boston Bruins will look to knock out the #1 seed Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

The first round playoff games were all incredible with great action and intensity. It only gets better from here...

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Next up for the Hawks is the Bantam Draft next Thursday, May 1st. Right now, it looks like I'll be in Calgary and hopefully in the room while the draft takes place where I can provide live updates.

More on that next week...

BC Prospects Update...

Got a note today from Matt Bardsley, the Winter Hawks Director of Player Personnel, regarding the Hawks '92 draft year prospects in British Columbia.

Each year, BC Hockey holds a Male U17 High Performance Program to determine the players that will ultimately represent BC and Team Pacific in the U17 championships.

This year, 276 players were invited to take part in the program, spread out in six different camps across BC. From those 276 players, 120 were chosen to take part in the BC Cup tournament to be held at the end of this month.

All of the Hawks '92 draft year players selected in last May's Bantam Draft have made the cut:

Kyzen Loo
Keith Hamilton
Taylor Peters
Ryan Johansen
Teal Burns

Those 5, and the other 115 invitees will battle to make the next cut, where BC Hockey reduces the number to 46, prior to camps to be held later this summer.

Of those 46, 11 players will be selected to represent BC on Team Pacific in the next U17 Championships.

Congratulations to all the players and best of luck in the BC Cup!

For more information, go to: http://www.bchockey.net/HighPerformance/MaleHPUnder17.aspx

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This years Bantam Draft will take place in Calgary on Thursday, May 1st. The Hawks hold the 2nd overall pick.

Sunday Thoughts...

On Thursday I hooked up my new 46" LCD TV with high definition...hence my lack of posts since Wednesday.

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There is nothing better than the NHL playoffs (when your WHL team is out of the playoffs, that is) and the crystal clear HD picture really makes it that much better.

Same can be said for watching The Masters in HD, the beauty of Augusta National is just immaculate. With that...congratulations to Trevor Immelman who held on, barely, down the stretch to win his first major champtionship. I truly thought that once Tiger Woods made that long putt on 11 that he would rally to make it interesting, but he just couldn't make another putt down the stretch.

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In the WHL, congratulations to Tri City, Calgary and Lethbridge for advancing to the Conference Finals. Spokane needs to win one of the next two at home to be the fourth and final team, if they lose both, the Vancouver Giants will advance to the third round for the third straight year.

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If Spokane advances, it will be an all US Division Conference Final for the first time since 2000-01 when the Winter Hawks knocked off Spokane 4-1.

The Hawks would fall in five games to Red Deer in the WHL Final.

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The Braydon Coburn pass to spring R.J. Umberger for the Philadelphia Flyers first goal this morning was an absolute thing of beauty.

Coburn just may have had the best first pass of any Hawks d-men in the past 20 years.

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Brandon Dubinsky scored his first two NHL playoff goals tonight against New Jersey...but the Devils won 4-3 in OT when John Madden...BAM!...scored in OT.

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What about Sean Avery of the Rangers on the 5 on 3 power play in the second period? Avery in the face of Martin Brodeur waving his hands and stick to try and distract the Devils goaltender. That may be the first time I've seen that tactic, but it may not be the last.

Avery wound up scoring a minute later, off a nice feed from former Am Scott Gomez.

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Thats it for now...

Random Thoughts...

Mid-week ramblings on a variety of topics...

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First off, regarding all that is going on with the audit and the comments from Randy Leonard - it really is unfortunate that this is all being played out in the press. While the information is interesting to read, it is allowing the public to play judge and jury based on partial information.

It would have been best for the WHL to quietly do their audit and then present what they found, instead of the non-stop speculation on what they will, or will not, find.

To those of you that will think that I'm defending the ownership group...I'm not. They are to blame for allowing it to get to this level and for making some rather questionable statements to the media. But, it goes the other way too. I think the Ron Robison showed very poor judgement when he publicly declared that Jim Goldsmith was incompetent to be the Director of Hockey Operations. While Robison may think that, to say it publicly is incredibly unprofessional.

The audit is going on now...what will it show? Chances are, all of the facts will never be revealed publicly and the league will only announce what they want to. When that will happen is anyone's guess.

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Lastly, on the Portland Tribune. I know Jason Vondersmith and I respect him as a journalist. I just wish that I would have seen him at one game...any game...this season.

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Quote from Nick Hotson in the Lethbridge Herald:

"Being in Portland it was just like, get the year over with and I’ll probably end up going to school next year because being on a team like that you probably won’t get a good chance to go and play pro.”

Perhaps, Jacob Dietrich (now playing pro with the Victoria Salmon Kings), feels differently.

It was this kind of attitude that made the big trades in November necessary. I'm not saying that all the players shipped out shared the same attitude as Hotson, but this comment shows me that Hotson wasn't interested in making the situation better for himself, or the team, to start the season.

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Normally, when your power play goes 50% on the night while your opponent goes 25%, you feel pretty good about your chances to win the hockey game.

But, when your 50% comes from going 2 for 4 and your opponents 25% comes from going 4 for 16, that changes everything.

Such was the case last night in Cranbrook, where the Lethbridge Hurricanes got the 16 opportunities in Game 3 and scored four times in a 5-2 road win over the Kootenay Ice.

Referee's Andy Thiessen and Graham Skilliter handed out the 20 power plays.

Lethbridge leads the series 2-1.

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Speaking of power plays, the Tri City Americans, who went 4 for 30 in their four game sweep of the Kamloops Blazers, have now gone 7 for 14 in the first three games of their series with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Seattle is 1 for 24 in the series on the man advantage after going 10 for 33 in Round 1 vs. Kelowna.

The Ams got two power play goals last night in a 3-2 win at Key Arena to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

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In the best game of the night, Ryan White scored with just 53 seconds left in the second overtime to lead Calgary to a 6-5 win over the Swift Current Broncos in Calgary to take a 2-1 lead for the Hitmen.

White's wrister from between the circles beat Travis Yonkman high glove, but Yonkman was terrific in the OT sessions, including a pin-wheel save on Brandon Kozun. Yonkman made 56 saves in the loss.

Calgary was down 5-2 halfway through the game, but got a late second period goal from Karl Alzner and then two in the third from Brock Nixon and Ian Schultz to force OT.

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Best line of the night...in OT...with the score tied 5-5...Shaw Broadcaster Dan Russell said "we hope you're enjoying the 1988 WHL playoffs live on Shaw".

Russell was eluding to the 10 goals scored and the end-to-end action of the OT period....reminiscent of years past.

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That's it for now...