WHL Opening Weekend!

Welcome back Hockey Season! The WHL season-opening weekend also corresponds to the Autumnal Equinox and the official start of fall!


Game One Tigers Defeat Canes 5-2
 I thought the Tigers were the better team in the first half of the game and Lethbridge was the better team during the 2nd half. The second half the Canes were fueled by a 5-minute major powerplay, which I'll talk about below. This evaporated a 3-0 lead into a 1 goal game. Fortunately for the Tigers, they scored a short-handed goal soon after.

The Tigers looked very good in the opening period.  Unfortunately, that would be their best period of the first two games.

Game Two Canes Defeat Tigers 4-2
I thought the Tigers didn't play very well in the Home Opener. While they did have a handful of chances and managed to convert a few, their overall play looked uncoordinated and out of sync.
I felt their passes were off and they played too much of a perimeter game.

Hurricanes goaltender Reece Klassen played very well, but there were numerous dangerous rebounds that went unclaimed by Tigers forwards. 

A big positive was that the Tigers managed to score 3 times shorthanded through the first two games.

Players I Noticed For Good Reasons
Jordan Hollet, Cole Clayton, Dan Baker, James Hamblin, Ryan Jevne, Bryan Lockner, Dalton Gally

Players I felt could have played better
Ryan Chyzowski
Elijah Brown
Gary Haden
Hayden Ostir

Those players need to be the core guys that are effective every game. They were largely invisible and need to play better.

Penalties
Last season the Tigers were the least penalized team in the league. After two games they lead the league as they took 8 penalties in both games.

Stick Lifting
The referees were watching stick lifts like a hawk. If you lifted the stick of an opponent and your stick came anywhere close to the hands of an opponent, you were getting called for hooking.

The Tigers took 5 of these penalties through the first two games.

Pinning Against the Boards
One of the traditional set plays from a defenceman is putting your knee into the boards when pinning a forward. Dalton Gally was penalized as soon as the Hurricane forward attempted to move. It seems like you can pin the guy, but you must immediately unpin or face a penalty.


Fisticuff Action
I wanted to talk about 2 fights that happened Friday night in Lethbridge and both plays were off scrums and ensuing fights developed.

Fight #1
A Hurricanes player nailed Rybinksi into the boards and an ensuing scrum develops. In the scrum, Dan Baker is being attacked by 2 Lethbridge players, Matthew Stanley and Jackson Shepard.

Overage Cane Matthew Stanley sheds his gloves and starts punching Baker as he is fending off 2 players.

 An instigator penalty was missed here. Stanley should have received 2 minutes for instigating, 5 minutes for fighting, and a ten-minute misconduct.




Fight #2
It starts when Dawson Heathcote gives Calen Addison a crosscheck in front of the net. Addison comes back at him, and the two exchange some high sticks. Addison comes back and throws the second round of punches.  Heathcote throws his gloves off and gets in a quick punch that KO's Addison





 Heathcote was given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct as well as a 1 game suspension. Addison wasn't penalized at all.


What are your thoughts?
I  don't like that Addison didn't receive at least a 2-minute minor for roughing, as twice he initiated a retaliation. It sends a message its ok to punch back with gloves on.

I feel Heathcote should have received 2, 5 and a 10-minute misconduct, while Addison should have received 2 for roughing. It would still give out a 5 minute PP, but it seems much more appropriate. I was actually surprised the league handed out a suspension here.


What are your thoughts on the opening weekend??

Tigers Make A Trade

Last Update: Sept 19th ( Chyzowksi sent back, added Quenneville NHL Goal)

Tigers prospect Jalen Price, has been traded to the Everett Silvertips for a 5th round pick in 2021. The 17-year-old Campbell River native picked up 3 assists in 4 games played for the Tabbies during the 2018 WHL Preseason.

http://tigershockey.com/article/tigers-announce-roster-moves
SideNote: Ryden Fedyck has officially been sent down.


Players Away At Camp
Ryan Chyzowski  Returned
Jordan Hollet- Returned
Dylan MacPherson (Sent to Springfield AHL)
Linus Nassen ( Sent to Springfield AHL)
David Quenneville (Islanders)
Mason Shaw (Expected to play pro)

MacPherson & Nassen Sent to AHL
https://chatnewstoday.ca/article/573075/macpherson-nassen-heading-springfield-thunderbirds-camp
https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/florida-panthers-announce-roster-changes/c-300209952

Thoughts
Being sent to the AHL is relatively normal and isn't uncommon for 20yr olds. It's the underage players that are often sent right to Juniors.

AHL training camps largely start at the end of the week, which coincides with the WHL season starting.

Florida's  AHL affiliate has 8 signed defencemen so it is rather unlikely that either Tiger player will stick. They are likely "fillers" until the Panthers have sent down all their cuts.

There is still outside potential that either player could be offered 1 year 2-way AHL/ECHl deals for injury replacement. (it makes more sense for Nassen due to his Import status than MacPherson)

 It does look like that neither player may be here to start the season, unless they choose to come back and not attend Springfields camp.

Clip of Quenneville's NHL Exhibition Goal 

A 🚀 from @Dquenneville19! #Isles tie it up 1-1. pic.twitter.com/ByApZoyE1I

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 19, 2018