Saturday, December 7, 2019
Tigers Make Blockbuster Deal With Vancouver
Links
https://whl.ca/video/giants-tigers-strike-blockbuster-deal-saturday-afternoon
https://tigershockey.com/article/tigers-make-blockbuster-deal-with-giants
https://vancouvergiants.com/article/giants-acquire-preziuso-longo-2020-first-round-pick-blockbuster-trade-medicine-hat
To: Vancouver
20 Tyler Preziuso
19 Trevor Longo
1st round Pick 2020
Conditional 5th round pick 2021
To: Medicine Hat
20 Dylan Plouffe
18 Lukas Svejkovsky
3rd Round Pick 2020
Conditional 3rd round In 2021
Dylan Plouffe
Lukas Svejkovsky
Thoughts
Both players were with Vancouver last season when they made the conference Finals. This is a very interesting deal. I don't feel it's a typical "blockbuster" but more of a balancing act within the lineup.
Preziuso + Svejkovsky
As Tiger fans, we know Preziuso had a lot of speed, but he had troubles with his finishing touch and puck control around the net.
I feel like here the Tigers were thinking if we could get a younger guy to take his place with more potential to be a finisher around the net and have chemistry with Hamblin it could be a big win.
Lukas only stands 5'9 159lb, but after watching him play his style reminds me of Edmonton Oil Kings centre Trey Fix Wolansky. Small speedy and intelligent with a long stick. Poised with the puck and has an ability to make quick skilled plays in traffic. I can see why the Tigers targetted him upfront.
I could be wrong here, but I think their lines of thinking are to pair him up with Hamblin and they might be able to squeeze out a lot of value. Svejkovsky put up pretty good points in the playoffs last season as a 17. I'm crossing my fingers he can click on the top line.
Longo + Plouffe
In terms of defence, I was surprised longo was moved. Plouffe is a 20 with whl finals experience last season. This year he had an A on his jersey.
From what I've seen he seems to be a good 2-way defenceman with an offensive flair to his game. He has the ability to walk in from the point and put up some points.
Overall
The Tigers did give up a 1st round pick but they also have 2 3rd rounders coming back. They also had an extra 1st rounder from the Gerlach/Lockner deal a couple years ago. They also gained 1 playing year in getting slightly younger.
I do wonder if that 1st would have been better spent on a more proven goalscorer but if Svejkovky can find a magic touch with the Tigers I could see the Tigers being quiet at the trade deadline and this being their last major move. If not they have a month yet to evaluate. They currently have the 2nd best record in the WHL & this is definitely a sign that the Tigers are going for it
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
142 comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Big trade with the Giants in the works it sounds like. Stay tuned....
December 7, 2019 at 1:27 PM Delete
To the tigers: Plouffe, Sjvesousky, 2 3rds. To Van: Prezizuo, Longo, 1st and 5th.
Well, guess the tigers have thrown their hat in the ring. We are going for it.
December 7, 2019 at 2:17 PM Delete
LOVE THIS MOVE!
Will miss Prezuso and Longo but this is going to be a great long term move for the team. Loading up for a run! Something we don't see often here!
December 7, 2019 at 2:20 PM Delete
I'm so glad I bought season tickets this year. The last few seasons I was getting annoyed at how many games there were. This season has been very exciting!
Go Tigers Go!
I think the key to this move is Plouffe, a 1st ranked PP just got stronger.
I hope the PK gets better a 77.7% clip will not cut it in the playoffs! Perhaps Plouffe may help there.
Can’t wait to see the new look. Have always liked Plouffe!! Go tigers go! Love how Willie builds a team!
Well that is bit quite the outcome I was hoping for. Price is in Everett, who did we trade him for again?
Hopefully they can get the new guys use to the system and we see some good hockey!!
We got a 5th round pick for Jalen Price in 2021.
The trades the Tigers made in my mind were outstanding for today and the future. They brought in some young veteran players for depth roles that could turn into more minutes as injuries make the rounds. We also brought in a veteran dman with offense side. Helps with struggling PK and improves a good PP. Letting Prez go was not a big deal in my eyes as he sure lacked finish. Opens up slots for younger guys to get more quality minutes. Giving up a first round pick was big since the draft is deep with quality kids but with our scouting staff the two 3rds makes that 1st not so hard to swallow. This team has so much overall skill and it just gets better as the season goes on and Willie influences grow.
Anybody hear what happened to the linesman that had to be stretchered off?
Prez with 2 goals in his Giants debut today.
The linesman that was injured during the Everett game broke his femur. He had surgery this morning. :(
Ouch. Sad to hear about the linesman that sounds painful.
----------
About the Everett game.
Wolfe played phenomenally. I thought the score both did and didn't reflect the nature of the game.
I think the Tigers hit 4 posts and had numerous good chances. Having said that the Tigers gave up the most odd-man rushes I've seen this year. Bjorklund played really well and the score could have been worse.
---------
I think Preziuso and Longo were well-liked in the dressing room. They just came off a very tough-fought win. A couple close friends getting traded, with Plouffe and Svejkovsky both newly inserted into the lineup with no practice time. Playing the leagues top team. I think it's ok to give them a pass on that game. They just didn't have it.
---------
The Tigers have a pretty hectic schedule coming up. 4 games in 5 nights starting Tuesday before they get a nice 13-day break.
I totally agree with TigerTurf…
Tigers are setting themselves up for years of success..Time for fans to start returning to the centre.
Such a smart move by Willie to flip an overage forward for an 18 year old forward with upside, especially with how many forwards the Tigers will be losing next season.
Plus he gets an overall upgrade on D for this season.
BTW Svej has potted his 1st two goals for the Tigers tonight in Saskatoon and the Tigers are mauling the Blades 10-3 late in the game.
McNabb!!! Wow! The trades that have been made in the last couple of weeks were good ones. McNabb with 3 goals and 1 assist and Svejkovsky with 2 goals! Plouffe looked really solid as well on D. The Tigers organization has a true eye for talent all the way from Willie to the scouts. 11-3 final score against the Blades. The line of Lockner, Brown and McNabb was impressive!
The Saskatoon game was awesome, does not happen often to get a score like that! Was a pleasure to watch. All guys are rolling! One thing, I am surprised that Plouffe is on the 3rd line, I thought he would be a first line pairing. I guess when you look at the defence Willie has paired a strong guy with a younger or maybe more “medium” player making each line strong. I am not sure if they see it as any line could be a first line defence but it sure seems like that!
The funny thing was it was the Blades stormed the game and had some good zone time in the first few minutes.
I think plouffe was playing with van Impe. (I only caught a small portion of the game) so I might be wrong.
IMO van Impe has massively improved this season to the point where he is showing 1st line pairing potential next season, if not this season. He hasn't been talked about very much, but he has blown me away with his progress over the past 2 months.
I think these were the combos they used.
Baker Clayton
Plouffe Van Impe
Krebs Gavlas
Clayton, Van Impe, Gavlas are all right-handed shots so they probably kept those 3 separate for those reasons. Great injury protection as well. If one of the "top 5" go down they have enough talent to keep going without much of an impact.
19 goals in 2 games, whoa, just whoa. Have not enjoyed tigers hockey since the Russell/Dorsett days!
Why did they play Fradette in goal tonight? Is Bjorklund hurt??
Night off I would suspect. Four games in five nights.
There's one glaring weak spot on this team right now and it's the penalty kill. Dropped to 19 in the league now and needs to be shored up before seasons end.
And, although the pp is first overall they also lead the league in shorthanded goals against. The five forward unit gives up a lot of scoring chances at times. Jimmy didn't look good trying to defend in last nights game and it cost them two goals.
Rough last 2 games, too bad, would have been nice to close in on Edm. But overall one cant be upset with the quality hockey we are seeing. I would think our trades are done for the season but time will tell.
Denmark Finished their tournament. They finished 5th out of 6th teams and came close to being relegated.
Brinkman had 1 assist in 5 games. Sogaard had a .904 save percentage, with 1 shutout, however, in that shutout, they lost in a shootout. Their team only scored 6 goals total, so it sounds like they were outgunned.
Austria won the pool and I think they move up next year.
I didn't watch a lot of the last 2 games.
The Edmonton game looked comical because I saw 3 times in a row Tiger defenceman slipped on the blueline and lost their footing.
----------
I do hope that the new Vancouver players get better once they have some practise time in. I imagine it's tough getting thrown into a new team then playing 4 games in 5 nights. I felt that at times Plouffe looked a little lost in his own zone, and I'm hoping it's just a difference in styles that he isn't used too.
Merry Christmas to Tiger Turf and all my fellow posters on this site. Hope the holiday season is good to all.
Oil Kings just lost goalie Scott. Cited personal reasons. That can't be good for Edmonton I'm thinking...
Their other goaltender 17yr old sebastian cossa just took over their starters role. Sporting a .925% save percentage over 20 games.
Their depth is quite young, but they should still be ok barring injuries
Where is everybody on this site??
It has been awful quiet for sure . Granted we had Christmas break, but we've had four games since and crickets! Lol
The games have been entertaining to watch. Last night was crazy!
The Kemp/Chyzowski/Sillinger line is very dangerous. Sometimes I think Kemp holds on to the puck a bit too much but his play this year compared to last is remarkable. Brown is really doing good things out there as well...
One thing I'm happy to see is that we play with a bit more grit and edge. It's not easy for teams to bully our guys out there like they used to but we kept our speed game intact. The player additions look like they've worked out well!
Thoughts anyone?
We need size on the 4th line to play physical and give the top players a break.
Anon 7:31 - They have McNabb on 4th line most of the time and he is a big guy and fast. But ya some additional players with size would be good.
We need some toughness
Love Kemp, he was a good trade. He has a bit of an edge to him.
Sillinger is going to be a first rounder. He is so good!!!
Plouffe has caught on to the tiger type of game and I like it. It also seems as though he is having fun out there.
Go tigers go!!!
And it looks like Moose Jaw has a new coach...
It's Moose Jaw's turn at the bottom part of the cycle. They are missing a bundle of top draft picks. They are going to be poor for a few seasons. I am wondering if, during the break, Tim Hunter said he wasn't going to come back, so the warriors just fired him a couple weeks later.
-----
I'm impressed with Lethbridge keeping up without Cozens, Addison, or Okuliar in the lineup. They just added Brett Davis but had to drop OA D-Jay Jerome to fit him in.
--------
Edmonton added an OA goaltender, a 19yr old Defenceman. I feel like they will look to also add a 1st/2nd line centre that can score goals.
----------
Calgary made it known they are looking for a defenceman, but it's probably going to be a depth defenceman or a 2nd line guy.
Their position in the standings seems interesting, because 4th place and a wildcard means they may have the "easiest route"
-----
Trade Deadline is January 10th.
Not sure if this team as it is has the ability to win the eastern conference. They haven't proven they can consistently beat the top teams. I expect another move before the deadline on Friday. We shall see.
Brandon game terrible. Like they did not care to be out there.
Sogaard has been so-so at best. He was so dominant last year - is there an issue with the new goaltending coach? I don’t feel like Sogaard is anywhere near where he was last year.
Guys got to get it together!!
Gee they still had 47 shots on goal and Brandon scored with 1 second left. It couldn't have been all bad.
It looked lazy. Probably why Brandon scored with 1 second left. It was not tigers hockey. Nothing like previous games. You lose some games, we all know that, some games you don’t get bounces, but this game seemed sloppy and like the guys were not into it. Too bad.
Maybe make a trade for next we have too many 19 year olds.
I agree the players had an off night against Brandon. They arent very consistent but Brandon's game winning goal went off Clayton's leg and in. Is it Sogard's fault if there is a bad bounce?
Not Sogarrds fault at all about the bounce, that crap happens. But I think if you look at his play in general it is not as good as last year. He seems deep in his net. His goals against is up. I think it looks like he is fighting the puck a bit more. Last year looked so easy for him. He was a big body who played high in the crease, he took away any space. Now he seems deep in the net and unsure. I know Ottawa wanted him deeper in the net and were changing his style a bit. I wonder if that combined with a different goalie coach has caused a disruption of what worked for him and thus he has lost his confidence a bit. You can not hang a loss on him for a bounce and frankly, the comment on Sogaard is not about the Brandon game alone, it is in general, he is not the same, big, confident goalie as last year. I think he is brilliant and will come around to find what works for him. But I just think he is struggling a bit with a new style/confidence.
Maybe trade sogard the return would be very high. With Brown out for a month they maybe forced to trade for another forward.
They have two very strong forwards waiting in the wings to get some playing time. Both Danielson and Willms have proven that they are going to be a big part of our team. Looking forward to see what they can bring! We will miss Brown for sure - I have never seen anyone other than Hamblin work so hard. Sogaard is still playing great - he had a ton of shots on him and some unfortunate bounces. I still see that fire in him and I know he will continue to be one of the best goalies in the WHL. Excited to see where next season takes him - I'm assuming AHL but not sure?
Looks like the Tigers are done trading
Sogaard is 20th in the league in goals against and 25th in sv%. Bjorklund has worse numbers.
Once again stand pat medicine hat
The trade deadline is tomorrow at 3pm not today. They can still make a move or two, but they already made a pretty big trade with Vancouver.
They have 10 Dmen, 14 forwards and 2 goalies that are all capable of stepping up when needed. Its a very deep team.
Oh wow ...the pack is about to seperate with the latest trades... not even close to as deep as Lethbridge or Edmonton
Peeps...life in the Central Division is about to get verrrry interesting! Lol
Calgary took a huge hit today losing their top defenceman Egor Zamula for probably the rest of the year to a back injury that requires surgery. Expected to be out 3 -4 months.
WoW, That's a huge blow for Calgary. 3-4 months essentially mean no playoffs as well.
I wonder how that changes things for them at the deadline? Their GM has stated they were looking for a defenceman previously and they haven't made a move on it yet. Now they need 2 of them.
----
I feel If the Tigers have weaknesses solvable through trade it's developing more of potent top line with hamblin and their defensive game has dropped a notch since the Vancouver trade for some reason.
Those are difficult to address because of the moves they already made and the potential cost would be large.
In the end, the central is still going to be hell to get out of the first 2 rounds so adding at a large cost is extremely risky unless you are getting a player capable of playing more than just this season which is even more expensive.
I feel they already made their moves and will go with what they have. I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings, Changes or no changes.
Stand pat, don't mess with the team chemistry. The goalies will be fine, I already love Bjorklund's game.
In the 2007 playoffs, the Tigers had to play through two very tough teams in calgary and red deer...both series went to game 7. That combined with the Vancouver series (game 7 OT) made for some of the best hockey I have seen in my life. This year is stacking up the same. The question is if the Tigers have the skill and the character to push through...I think we will see some great hockey yet this year!
Tigers made a minor deal acquiring prospect Defenceman Luke Rybinski for a 6th round pick.
---------
It looks like nothing major was done by central division teams today
^ Meant no Major additions by the central division teams.
Swift Current and Red Deer obviously sold some big-name players.
----
Is Luke Rybinski related to Henri Rybinski?
They're both from Vancouver, but their EP profiles aren't linked like they usually are with siblings.
Luke is Henry's brother
Skills competition tonight was well done once again! Love the relaxed fun atmosphere and I like getting to see some of the personalities of the players come out! The 'Showtime Shootout' is always my favorite and all of those taking part did an awesome job but I would agree with the judges that McNabb was the winner! Great job putting that Frazer impersonation together it was perfect! The hosts always do a great job as well and they added Brown to the mix which was awesome. You can tell the boys really get along great with each other. Cheers!
So sad to have missed it this year as I am down with a cold. I wish more people would come out for it but the bitter temps probably didn't help.
Big win against the Cane Train tonight! This city needs to hop on this bandwagon now! Hamblins a beast!
They always seem to come out with a pretty good bang after they get some rest & practice time. Played waaay better defensively. The Vancouver kids played very well.
Jeez the Tigers D and goaltending is suspect...the PK is BRUTAL!
First major injury of the year for the team. Hopefully Sillinger is back sooner than later and also hope that an extended stay on the injury list doesn't cost him the rookie of the year nomination.
What is Cole's injury?
Separated shoulder.
With Brown and Sillinger out we should see lots of Willms and Danielson for a while here, and they've both looked pretty good all season when given playing time. Good for them.
Ya I love Willms speed. I can see him on the team for the long haul.
My bad, forgot about Browns foot injury. Would imagine Brinkman will stay up on the line with Chyzowski and Kemp but he needs to step up his game if he wants to stay there. Very timid when it comes to the physical part of the game.
I would put Willms or Danielson on the top line and see how they do. More talent and drive there I think.
I don't think they are ready for top line minutes. They would have to compete against the other teams top guys.
I just want to send a 'shout-out' to our captain, James Hamblin! First off he is having another incredible year of hockey. As of this afternoon he has played 48 regular season games this year with 30 goals, 47 assists for a total of 77 points!!! He is averaging 1.60 points per game!!! Incredible!! Not only is he an amazing player - he is also an amazing person. James has the kindest heart and is always willing to help out wherever needed around the community. I have been a Tigers fan for nearly 40 years and James is my favorite player of all time. I wish him so much luck ahead and I can't wait to see what the future brings for him!! Cheers James!
Sogaard was rather brutal in the game today. 4 goals on 19 shots. I think we need Bjorkland starting more games to be honest: Sogaard has not been the same goalie since last year.
As for the comment on Hamblin, he is one of the best tiger captains and I agree, from what I hear is also a great person! I hope he finds himself with a pro contact at the end of his WHL career. He leads the team by example. When he graduates it will be a big loss for the team.
Here here for Anon 1:06! Hardest working Tiger over many years... And again tonight - although the game was brutal overall.
Terrible officiating, Mads was not sharp, and a strong clutch/grab defensive team pretty much shut the Tigs down. Tons of blind pass giveaways, too. Not one to single out players but I was amazed that Plouffe got second star. For what? Watched him a bit and not much grit at all for a senior defenseman. Doesn't want to hit or be hit.
We're getting spoiled with this years team - and I know they can't win every night, but I differ from Rids and Fraser in the fourth period. Not a good game against the Wheaties. They need to figure out how to play when the opposition keeps 3 or 4 lines up on the blueline...
Anon10:22, which one should he have stopped?
Really, you happy with 4 goals on 19 shots? That will win you a championship. 15 saves a game won’t cut it. Case in point I guess. The other end of the ice had some decent goaltending. Heck of a lot more the 15 saves.
I don't give a shit how many shots he had against him, I'll ask you again, which one of the three should he have stopped? I'll wait for your answer.
I didn't think the Tigers had a stellar game either. I think the boys spent the first 2.5 periods reacting to Brandon's style of play and being frustrated by the appalling officiating. The last ten minutes, they played their own game and scored two goals and came within a whisker of tying it up.
The Tigers need to play their game consistently and get their defensive stuff sorted. I watched two Brandon opportunities in the second miss by a whisker when they had a guy coming in for the cross goal pass without a tiger even aware they were there.
Sogard didn't play terrible. There was one goalie think he would take back... The third or fourth one I think, he caught a piece of with his mitt but not enough. He made some awesome saves too...
The shots for and against were heavily for the Tigers... But most of them were not prime scoring opportunities in my opinion. Yes the puck hit the goalie but he saw it coming forever because we struggle parking anyone in front.
Just my two cents...
I would agree with your take Kevin. Of the 34 shots on goal Patera only had a handful of difficult saves with little to no traffic in front of him. Shots on goal can be a misleading stat, it's quality no quantity.
Tigers have trouble with teams that clog up the neutral zone which Brandon did very well last night.
I'm a little worried about Sogaard as well. He just doesn't look as confident right now. Bjorklund on the other hand really impresses me. He is very fast and athletic, plays his position well. He lets in some bad ones occasionally but seems to bounce back very well and stays calm.
3rd goal was the one I thought he should have had. I do think Bjorklands game is a lot better.
Save percentage still means something. Was not great for Sogaard last game. I still think he looked a lot better last year. Hope he gets back on track but it is getting late in the season.
Tough one to lose tonight. Couple little lapses is all it took. Bjorklund played pretty good. Made some key saved. Baker had a good game I thought. But for most of the game, the Tigers struggled to hit their passes and just looked off. They hung in there though and it looked like a win till PA tied it up on a defensive lapse.
Playoffs will be short if they can't find consistency.
Wow did that game suck or what! We keep finding ways to lose it seems. Too many dumb mistakes for this time of year, and boy do we miss Sillinger and Brown!!!
Hmm, 4 goals on 22 shots. Shouldn't the standard be the same for both goalies.
Yeah Garin didn't have a great game either but being a rookie I give him more slack. He made some very good saves and the 4th goal with the PA goalie pulled wasn't really his fault.
Mads had an incredible game tonight in Brandon! Great effort by the whole team!
Huge win tonight for three reasons, 1 they finally beat Brandon, 2 coming back and winning after the way they lost against PA and 3, their starting goalie played probably his best game of the year. I would run him out against Winnipeg tomorrow night.
The win was a good confidence boost on several levels... Which, after last week, I'm sure they needed! I'll bet they come out flying in the 'peg tonight!
Wish we would have seen some of that flying in the peg. Miss Sillinger in the line up. Tigers seem to have lost a little zip in their game. Hope they can get it back. I think the goalies have played a bit better lately!
Not blaming Bjorklund for the loss but after his first star effort in Brandon on Friday I’m not sure why (unless sick or injured) they wouldn’t have played Mads in back to back games. They need him to get his game back in shape before playoff time.
I was just doing some basic trending and the Tigers have fairly consistently been giving up 3 goals a game all year regardless of who was in net. The trade didn't seem to put much of a dent on this. Although Mid to the End of November seemed to be their best stretch of hockey (right after that Kamloops loss)
Scoring Wise, they've put up 1,3,3,3,4 in their last 5 games, which is an average of 2.8. So If you are giving up 3 goals a game nightly and scoring 2.8 goals a game. It isn't going to win hockey games.
---
I've felt with their offense their creativity has taken a hit. They look predictable. Their offence went on a bit of a run in early January and it feels like they have all hit speed bumps at the same time, except McCarry who has stepped up his game a few notches.
Perhaps losing the most creative guy in Brown, and a solid presence in Sillinger is affecting that. It will be nice to get them back, but hopefully, everyone else can stay healthy.
The weekly report last week said Sillinger was 1-2 weeks away, and Brown was 7-10 days.
------
Tonight they seemed to have some swagger back against Regina. Thought they looked more creative and Madds looks more solid. Like old form.
One thing I did not get, how did Regina only get one penalty for fighting in the scrum with Parker and Kemp?? They were paired up yet Regina got one fighting penalty and MH got 2. And, why did Kemp get a game misconduct?? And will he miss next game due to this? I did not see anything other then the charge/high hit that would have warranted a game. Thoughts??
I was wondering about that too. Also earlier why did Kemp get a penalty for holding when the Regina player had him pinned against the boards and then took him down? Great to see Brown back, a great return!!
They must have deemed that the guy Kemp was involved with didn’t fight, no other explanation.
But he did fight, he is swinging.
Does Kemp miss next game? Bizarre call!!
Watched the replay. Kemp got hit by Regina pat Jake Johnson, then gavlas came in and knocked him down.
Wyntinck came with a crosscheck at gavlas, and then kemp immediately grabbed Wyntinck and they wrestled to the ice. Kemp got up and immediately dropped his gloves and starting throwing punches while Wynticnk was still on the ground. Kemp ragdolled him for a bit and they got back up. Kemp had his gloves off for 10 seconds and was taking it to him, before his opponent dropped his gloves.
In the ref's point of view, when one side doesn't drop their gloves (even when there is a lot of rough stuff) they see it as a one-sided fight. Wyntick didn't even receive a penalty and was back on the ice the next shift.
It could be possible Kemp misses a game. I see 1 other occurrence of a fighting major and game misconduct suspension, but that was back in 2016.
One game suspension for Kemp.
That's a tough loss especially considering their next game is against Edmonton.
Once again have to question the choice of the starting goaltender. Mads coming off of two real good starts, named a star in both and a shutout in the last. I don’t get it.
I agree! Should have been Mads in net. Garin is a good goalie but when your starter is hot keep him in. We just can't seem to solve the Oil Kings. I feel Edmonton has the depth that we are lacking.
Ya I hope Willy and the boys make some big moves in the off season. We need to release or trade some of the boys that just aren't seeing a lot of playing time. A fresh start somewhere else or possibly Jr A would may be a better fit for about three of them. I will leave names out of this because I would hate to hurt feelings in case these boys are reading this but I just don't see the drive or stamina they need to compete at this level.
Tigers are struggling on the PP as of late. They are 4/32 in their last 10 games which is 12.5%. Swift has the worst PP in the league at 12.4% for comparisons.
Against Edmonton, the Tigers PP is 1/27 =3.7% and Edmonton has 1 shorthanded goal.
-----
Edmonton is pretty deep. They've been in the basement and have recovered the right way. They've also made some excellent trades for dirt-cheap costs. They will only be better next season.
---
Calgary keeps inching closer and closer. 6 points away with a game in hand.
----
Good news is that the Tigers have a good home stretch coming. 9 of their next 10 games are at home. Tigers are .750 at home and .583 on the road, so hopefully, they can string a bunch of wins together.
We are really missing Sillinger on the power play and Brown just got back. I feel they will get going again. I love Bjorklund but I must admit I was puzzled with not going with Mads playing the top team in the conference.
I didn't mind the goalie decision. I can think of a bundle of reasons why you would put Gavin in.
Often times when coaches don't like their odds, they will put the backup in to shake things up and provide a spark.
The Tigers record against Edmonton isn't great. The Road record isn't as strong as our Home Record. 2/3rds of the top scoring line is out. It's a long weekend which often means more fans in the seats..... Edmonton had 5 days off prior to their weekend games so chances are they were looking strongly at the Medicine Hat Game.
Your #1 in Mads just put in 2 strong performances after a bit of a slump. Let's give this one to the young kid to provide a spark to the team and fuel Mads desire to want that division rival game.
The Edmonton game was a really good test and a great game for learning. Garin looked a bit overexcited at times but the more times he is exposed to that environment the more comfortable he will get. Gavin also gave up 7 goals previously against Edmonton so this was a shot at redemption.
---
I'm sure you could make just as many arguments for mads as well.
Big 4 point game, he's been hot the last 2 games.
Bigger crowd, the experienced goaltender is likely better able to handle it.
2/3rds of the scoring line already down, need all the help we can get.
I guess the bright side of today is that Lethbridge also lost so the Tigers didn't lose any ground there. They need to find a way with these teams that do a good job of clogging up the middle...
I admit I haven't watched many hockey games lately, but I saw the first and 3rd periods tonight and I didn't like their forecheck, especially in the 3rd period.
They are clumping up and their circular forecheck rotation is often breaking down.
They gave up 5 odd-man rushes in the first 5 minutes of the third period, simply because they are making positional mistakes in their cycle game.
-------------
With the Tigers, F1 is jumping in, and F2 is immediately attacking as well. It's leaving F3 forced to cover the F2 spot.
If you watch the highlights you will often see 3-4-5 tigers all clumped up in a small area with 2-3-4 players just watching the battle and not a single eye on where the opposition is or putting themselves in a spot to block a potential passing outlet lane.
F2 and F3 are "forgetting" about blocking passing lanes when they come in. That is key. Also F1 and F2 are not rotating back, they are battling too long and becoming puck chasers.
Passing is faster than skating. When you block passing outlets you cut the opponents speed by default because they need to make 2 passes or a great play.
Totally spot on...
Hamblin must easily play 1/2 of every game. His hustle, even getting two goals and third star tonight, is way underrated. Amazing end to end player - another few with his work ethic and skill and we'd be a lock for another couple of banners...
That backhand goal was pretty sweet. Tigers will miss Hamblin next year. He always hustles hard. He's also 5th in the league in faceoff percentage and 3rd in the league in points.
----
Looks like Tigers officially punched their playoff ticket last night!
In terms of playoff opponents, things are still pretty close with both Calgary and Lethbridge points-wise.
In the battle for Home Ice Playoff positioning, Lethbridge is 4 points up, but the Tigers have a game in hand and a much easier schedule down the Home Stretch.
Lethbridge probably has the toughest schedule down the stretch. They play Edmonton 3 times, they also have matches against Brandon, Calgary, Kamloops, 2 against the Tigers. Their only easy matches are against Prince George and Kelowna
Calgary has a bit of a crazy schedule coming up. After their game tonight they will have a 4-day break. Then they play 7 times within 10 days. All 7 of those games are against tough competition. They also end the season with 4 games against Swift and Red Deer
The Tigers play a lot of their remaining games against weaker competition. 3 games against Swift Current, 2 against Regina, 2 against Red Deer. 7 out of 12 games against non-playoff teams. Their toughest matchups are against Spokane(tonight) Edmonton and their final 2 against Lethbridge.
They control their own fate and have a real shot at catching Lethbridge. Let's hope that down the Final 12 games they can be playing the best hockey of the season. Structurally they looked a bit better against Tri-City but they also looked hesitant at times. Let's hope they give Spokane a real good fight. I think these 2 teams have a history of blowing each other out.
I'm super confused why Brown has been playing forth line??? He should be top 2 in my opinion. Just don't understand this. Can someone shed some light on this for me? I had him as a possible 20 year old for next season. Brown has always impressed me with his skill, speed and hockey IQ - I don't want to see us lose him over this.
In my view There’s a good possibility Brown won’t be back as an overages next year. Chysowski and Kemp unless they go on to play pro would be my two forward choices along with an overage dman whether it’s Cole Clayton or one via trade.
If in tonight’s game the neutral zone play doesn’t improve there’s a good chance they could get lit up by Spokane. Way to many turnovers last night that led to some good chances by tri cities that weren’t cashed in. That won’t be the case with the chiefs.
I felt like The Tigers played phenomenal tonight. The ice was lopsided in the Tiger's favor, yet somehow Spokane pulled it out.
I really liked how Clayton was stepping up and providing some offense, gavlas also played very well.
If they keep playing like that they will win more hockey games! Hopefully, Sillinger is ready to go next week.
I felt like the Tigers could've won except for Spokane's goal tender and a few unlucky bounces. Nonetheless, playoffs will be short if they can't find a way to win these kinds of games.
This team will be fine and hitting their stride in March. Hopefully the injury bug stays behind us and it looks like Sogaard is finding his game. He's looked good the last handful of games even though the team hasn't managed to win them all.
What's the word on sillinger???
The WHL injury report that came out today says he has returned
Thank u!!
A 3 point night on his return to his hometown!
---
The good news is Calgary lost so the Tigers regain a 4 point lead over them. Bad news is Lethbridge beat Edmonton so Lethbridge remain 4 points ahead.
Sat
Tigers rematch with Regina
leth Vs Brandon
Calgary - No Game
Sun
Cal Vs Leth
Let's hope that one doesn't go to OT
Wasn't at game but didn't see Sillinger in line up... Anyone know what's up with that?
Sillinger was in the lineup on Friday and is playing tonight. Had a couple of good chances so far tonight.
Disregard
I don't understand why the Tigers picked up Mcnabb.
They have too many 19 year olds.
I like the group of 18 year old forwards and of course the 16 year old Sillinger is unreal, but they should be playing their two 17 year old forwards more instead of 19 year olds like Mcnabb. Even Baxter Anderson...tonight they had three 19 year olds playing in their bottom six. I doubt any of those three are back next season, and guys like Willms and Danielson would probably contribute just as much if you gave them the ice time and room to grow.
Is what it is now I guess.
Depth. I like McNabb and think he was a great pickup for a 6th rounder. He is an ideal 3rd line player. Plays hard, has some size. He's putting up almost a .5ppg rate.
We gotta remember that earlier in the season the Tigers were competing for 1st in the division and were short forwards. (Less than 2 extra players are largely considered to be short for injury protection). In that case, for a potential run, you want veteran depth.
The Tigers also had a shortage of RW'ers with Lockner and Prezusio. (Hopwo is listed as a RW, but shoots left)
McNabb was a pickup for some size and depth and was cheap to acquire. A 6th rounder for his value is exceptional value IMO, whether or not he is here next season. I like him because he always plays hard and brings energy and wins puck battles. I think he is an ideal 3rd line player.
------
The Tigers have also been very lucky in terms of injuries. They haven't had very many. In past years Wilms/Danielson may have played the full complement of games with all the injuries the Tigers have had. knock on wood, that everyone continue to stay healthy*
--------------
--------------
Lethbridge lost last night, the Tigers only sit 2 points back of them and 4 points ahead of calgary.
Lethbridge and Calgary play a big game today at 4pm.
In my view, McNabb helped address an issue with size that I felt the Tigers had. I thought we lacked a couple bigger forwards who could play physical bearing down on the opposing dmen and McNabb helped address that. Gavlas was an acquisition on the back end to help give us a more physical dman. Clayton can throw some good hits but I think Gavlas plays just a little meaner and the Tigers need some mean to bolster their skill and speed. Gavlas is no slouch in the skill and speed side either.
I like watching Danielson especially and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the young guys next year
Big win tonight! HUGE game on Friday!
Tigers 2 points back of Lethbridge with same games played. Tigers are in a good spot to get home ice against Lethbridge in round 1.
Tigers play Calgary and Edmonton at home this weekend, but then they get 4 straight games against Red Deer and Swift before ending the season home and home with Lethbridge, who the Tigers have matched up against pretty well this year.
Yes they won. Yes they created a lot of offensive chances, but, they are still having way to many turnovers in the neutral zone. Last night there were 6 that led to an odd man rush and a real good scoring chance against. They want the dmen involved in the offence by joining the rush but turning it over when they go is a recipe for disaster. They’re getting away with it against the weaker teams but if they don’t clean it up it’s going to be their downfall.
Bang on. It was a really sloppy game last night by the Tigers. 2 or 3 break aways plus all the odd man rushes.
What. A. Game! I loved the intensity of all the guys tonight. Anderson was great! Reminded me of old time hockey! He really got under the skin of the Calgary players. Looking more playoff ready! Tomorrow will be a big test! Go tigers go!
Tigers were firing on all cylinders tonight. Great Game! The Tigers made the Hitmen look like a last-place team.
It will be extremely difficult for the hitmen to catch the tigers in the standings. Calgary will have to run the table as 4 tiger points earned or Hitman points lost will clinch at least a 3rd place finish.
-----
In the meantime, Lethbridge lost tonight, so the Tigers now move into a tie for 2nd with 1 game in hand. Tigers hold the first TieBreaker in total wins.
Both teams play tomorrow.
Tigers play Edmonton
Lethbridge plays Kelowna
It would be pretty crazy if the last 2 games of the season against Lethbridge decided home Ice and then have both teams see each other in the playoffs.
Where was Gavlas last night?
Why is Dru Krebs not playing lately or am I just imagining things?
Must have been resting up for the game tonight. They said on the radio he was a game-time decision.
--------
Another great game from the Tigers! I thought their first period was a bit hesitant but they certainly turned it up in the second period and most of the 3rd.
Edmonton has a really intelligent and consistent hockey team, but the Tigers looked very good against them tonight.
--------
It feels like when the Tigers can pressure the opposition defenceman they have a big edge in puck possession. In the first period, they weren't able to pressure the Oil Kings defenceman and I thought Edmonton looked like the better team in the first period. After that, the ice was tilted in the Tigers favor
----
Lethbridge lost for the 3rd straight game so the Tigers now jump into 2nd place. 2 point lead with a game in hand.
Upcoming Schedule
The Tigers play twice against Red Deer & Swift Current followed by a Home & Home against Lethbridge
Lethbridge has a Home & Home with Edmonton, a game against Swift, then finishes the season with a Home and Home with the Tigers.
Tigers clinched at least a 3rd place finish. Calgary can no longer catch them.
A 1st round match-up against Lethbridge is almost guaranteed now.
2 More points gained by Edmonton or lost by Medicine Hat will clinch first for Edmonton.
3 Points gained by Lethbridge or lost by Calgary will mean Calgary is a wildcard team.
Tigers magic number to clinch 2nd is 7 points gained or lethbridge points lost.
If the tigers win their next three games the home and home vs Lethbridge to end the season means nothing standings wise. Tigers would hold both tie breakers, total wins and wins against the Canes if they end up tied.
This coronavirus might end up wreaking havoc on the playoffs. The whl is meeting today with their next steps.
2 US teams Everett and Seattle have banned mass gatherings
The NHL is expected to announce something later today after the NBA suspended their season.
Crazy times
Believe my comment above is going to be a moot point. I suspect that the season is going to come to a screeching halt by the end of today and put the playoffs or at least the existing format in jeopardy.
The Canadian Hockey League and its three regional leagues, the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League, take the health and safety of our players, fans, volunteers, staff, and general public very seriously. CHL President Dan MacKenzie with Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have been monitoring the situation in regards to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) including what local, provincial, and federal health agencies have recommended. Following consultation with medical professionals and meetings today among the CHL Executive Council, and regional league Board of Governors, the CHL announces that the balance of the 2019-20 season and all hockey activity shall be paused immediately until further notice.
Well crap...
Post a Comment