Edit: Changed at 3:00 PM Sunday the whl website was inaccurate Saturday night when making this post.
Big 4 Points
Tigers Defeat Kootenay and Edmonton this weekend and gained a big valuable 4 points. The Tigers are now 1 point back of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Bob Ridley mentioned that David Quenneville has a lower body injury after the hit by Edmonton's Brandon Baddock in Friday's game in Medicine Hat. Baddock was suspended for the hit and his suspension is TBD.
Tough Schedule Coming Up
The Tigers go on a 4 game road trip out into BC. They'll have a very tough schedule the next 4 games as they take on Kelowna, Victoria, Prince George, and Vancouver. A good trip would be coming out with 4/8 points.
3/4 of those teams all have impressive records and vancouver has been the Tigers out of conference Rival. Former Tiger Trevor Cox has 27 points in 23 games with the Giants since being traded earlier in the season.
Scoreboard Watching
Regina
They are on a US division Road Trip. Cole Sanford scored a game winner against Everett in his first game as a pat. Regina lost friday night against seattle. Saturday they gained 1 point in a SO loss against Tri-City. Sanford picked up a goal and has 2 points in 4 games.
The Tigers sit 5 points back with 2 games in hand. Regina has been having a tough time lately and Edmonton/Tigers have slowly been gaining ground. It is not un-reasonable to think that all 3 teams will be in a tight race for the 7th/8th playoff spot, with once missing the cut. Saskatoon is also close behind as well.
While Regina is on their US trip, this is a rare year where the Tigers do not take a US road trip.
Edmonton Oil Kings
They lost both of their weekend games, but improved in the standings with the shootout loss against the Tigers, and an overtime loss against the Calgary Hitman. As a result the Tigers gained 2 points on them.
Edmonton plays Kamloops on Sunday. Both teams will be playing their 3rd game in 3 nights. Both games without captain Brandon Baddock out with the TBD suspension.
28 comments:
How can Quennevillie be listed so low on rankings. I think it is crazy! So under rated!!!
Anon 1:49 because he's small, and suspect defensively due to his average skating abilities.
Tough 8-2 loss against victoria. The new Tiger Brian Williams played. Tigers also had 2 affiliate players dressed.
They need tonight's game against Vancvouver, their next 2 games are also against difficult opponents.
Nick Schneider has been really good for a while but last night wasn't his best. Seemed out of position a lot and pucks were trickling through making for some easy tap ins for the Royals. Hope he gets the start in Vancouver to redeem himself.
Too bad about last night. Tigers started off good. As much as longtimefan does not like Quenneville, I think we are missing his offence from the point and the mintues he takes on as a 17 year old.
Well longtimefan is right.
Of course the defense is thin and quenneville has bright potential as a very good junoir player. If he wants to be drafted his games needs to reach another couple notches.
He has similar numbers to russel minus the goals being scored. Quenneville has a real deadly shot. If he makes it to the NHL that will be his prime talent.
I think Quenneville's best bet at being drafted is developing an ability to escape under pressure in his own zone with the puck(either via pass/or skating it out) and keep developing and peppering goalies with his shot. If he can do that and stay injury free his stock will increase.
In David Quennevilles draft year his skill set was compared to that of former Tiger allstar Kris Russell. Now, Russell's game really took off in his 18 year old season which Quennville will be at next season. Russell had tremendous speed and quickness that small defenders need that enabled him to avoid big hits and be a very good defensive player along with being a leader on offence. Rarely did he get beat to the outside by speed which is something that happens with Quenneville a lot. He will get his points because of his shot and power play time but until he improves his skating his defensive play will continue to be a weakness in his game.
Some Tiger fans can be the biggest homers. If you were to place Jake Bean, future top 15 draft pick and compare him next to Quenneville, who will be lucky to be drafted and you see the level Quennevielle has to scratch let alone reach to be that good. He's still a great player but he is not NHL talent by any stretch of the word. Jake Bean is the type of player you need to be to play in the NHL and as good as he is he is maybe a top 4 defenseman if he reaches his potential. Similar to a Kris Russel but with a little more polished attributes.
Homers? Really, you used that word?
Team did well to only allow 4 against Rockets. Game in PG tonight could be real high scoring for both clubs, or the Tigers just may suffer their worst blow out of the season.
Tell me why after Nick Schneider stops 43 of 47 shots against Kelowna does Clouston start Shields in net tonight? I know we ended up winning but almost blew it in the third which seems to me is what Shields does. If we are building for the future don't bench Schneider because he has one bad game (Victoria).
I can not explain why we have Shields or why we are giving him so many starts. And yes, why did Schneids have a great performance and then rest him. Hurt/sore maybe?
Cat fan I 100% agree. The only reason they weren't totally embarrassed in Kelowna was because of one guy, Nick Schneider.
shields was outstanding in PG obviously they were banking on him being inspired against his old team
Schneider has started 6 of the last 10 games and played in 7 of the last 10 games.
He has played in 30/48 games this season.
PG also has one of the bigger sized teams. Facing heavy shot totals and on the road I don't have any qualms about how the Tigers used their tenders, and I would have done the exact same thing.
Bigger question is, why do we have a 20 year old back-up?
I really like the TEAM game the Tigs are playing now! Mowbrey is on fire since he was given the A and Welcome back Mr Owre!!!!!
Owre is huge to have back. Hope this team can close the gap on Edmonton. They all need to stay healthy!
It's hurt even more that Mackenzie Stewart was available and is exactly a piece the tigers need but that'd be a smart move and we know this GM
9-3, and all at even strength. Ouch. That was the blow out that I expected might happen in Kelown or PG, but I did not expect in MJ. We made Point look pretty good in this one just one night after making him look pretty average.
The team was ravaged with the flu going around. I could see against MJ on friday they didn't have the same jump.
The Tigers faced their toughest part of their schedule the last couple weeks. Add to the fact they just played 3 Games in 3 nights, with a flu ravaged dressing room. They still fought to pick up a valuable 2 points.
They lost some ground sitting 5 points back now. It's edmonton's turn for a tough schedule.6 of their next 8 games are against really tough opponents, although they play kootenay on tuesday.
Regina has an extremely tough schedule. IF the Tigers can go on a run here they should gain a lot of ground. The Tigers next 2 games against swift and regina are mustwins. If they win both they will be right back in the race.
I feel so bad for them. Frazer said that last night Ty Schultz for one was puking all night and finally had to quit playing after the second period. Props for putting up a good fight against PA but 3 games in 3 nights, a long bus trip and Shields in net instead of Schneider did them in.
Makes Schultz, Rassall, Bradley were all down and out with the flu. I'm sure their were others as well. Shaw was banged up and left with a charlie horse.
Clayton Kirichenko, Schultz and Clouston were all out of the lineup yesterday leaving them with 5 dmen of which one of them was a recent list addition from Medicine Hat named Dylan Mcpherson.
This is a must win tonight against Swifty. Lose and they are most likely 7 points back of Edmonton at days end with the Kings playing Kootenay. That in my mind may be to big a gap to close. Looking ahead if it comes down to the end of the schedule both teams have tough opponents to close out the year. Edmonton a home and home with Red Deer and the Tigers home and away with the Hurricanes.
The Tigers are .533 in their last 15 games. A .500 record won't be good enough for the playoffs unless regina completely falters, which we shouldn't expect them too.
Edmonton has been winning recently at a .600 record their past 15 games, however 10/15 have been at home, and they have a big .200% winning percentage difference between Home & Away. One would expect them to cool down, with only 8 Home, and 13 Road games. If they keep their current pace up, they will soon overtake regina. Edmonton has the toughest schedule in terms of competition IMO. If they get in the playoffs it's because they deserve to be their. They have no significant injuries.
Regina has a home Heavy 2nd half, but their home record is almost the same as their road record. Even with the acquisition of Sanford they have been sputtering a a slight notch below .500. They lost 2 big bodies on the back-end in Hobbs and overage Colby Williams. Sanford only has 4 points in 8 games with regina.
They really need to win 3 of their next 4 games (Swift, Regina, Brandon, Saskatoon) to get back in the race.
That was a pretty terrible hockey game. Their not going to make the playoffs with that sort of effort.
On the plus-side that new defenceman looked very good. Great instincts, quick and mobile, I hope the Tigers keep him in their lineup.
Think the remnants of the flu bug and 4 in 5 nights had a lot to do with the outcome last night. That and their inability to get the puck through the neutral zone. Had no speed entering the zone and when they did were trying to be to fancy. Swifty goalie played well but he gave up rebounds all night and the Tigers unwillingness to shoot and get pucks to the net cost them. Nick Schneider played well again and had to fight through bodies all night to make saves. And once again the guy I've been talking about being a defensive liability got stripped of the puck that led to the game winner.
Post a Comment