In The Corners - The Trip To Kamloops
01/28/2009 1:07 PM - Thom Beuning
Wednesday, January 28
It is a sunny winter’s day here in Kamloops. In other words, it is cold! The team arrived at approximately 4 a.m. After dropping the gear off at the Interior Savings Centre, it was off to the Coast Canadian Hotel for some much needed shut eye.
After a late breakfast, the players and staff took a walk around downtown to shake off the affects of the six hour, overnight bus ride. Nothing like some biting cold air to slap you back into reality. Then for most it was back to their hotel rooms to get some more rest.
Tuesday’s game is still fresh in the memory though. Certainly some good things to look back on; the play of Thomas Hickey first and foremost but also rallying twice from three goals down to get back within a goal each time only to come up just a bit short trying to get the equalizer was encouraging. Once again Devon LeBlanc and Chris Cloud were solid veterans playing physical. Paired with youngster Luke Lockhart that line was the team’s best against Medicine Hat. Sena Acolatse again showed signs he can be a force as a forward. The power play (minus the shorthanded goal allowed) was pivotal in the come backs.
Then of course there was Tyler Ennis, Medicine Hat’s one man wrecking crew. He was exactly as billed and of all the opposing players I’ve seen this season, he was worth the price of admission...well, he and Hickey. Those two clearly demonstrated why they were number one NHL draft picks. Both proved that good things come in small packages.
The second period may have been one of the best 20 minutes of hockey this season for the T-Birds. They dominated puck possession, out shot the Tigers, 14-1, created power plays with their physical style and crawled back in the game after trailing by three goals after the first period. The final minute of the first, in which the T-birds allowed two goals, could have devastated the team. Instead they responded with grit and determination and got back in the game.
Alas, it’s a 60-minute game and Seattle was consistent over the three periods and probably got the result they deserved. A chance to bounce back tonight though on the road in Kamloops. A win against the Blazers closes ground on the standings in the Western Conference playoff race. An effort similar (but slightly better) than the last time the two teams played will be needed. It was a week ago that Seattle fell to the Blazers, 3-1, despite getting 45 shots on goal. Finish a few more of those chances and your looking at picking up a crucial two points.
In The Corners - Home Cooking
01/26/2009 10:57 AM - Thom Beuning
Monday, January 26
Did we all not have the same thought as the puck took the unfortunate bounce off the glass and led to Portland’s lone goal Saturday? Seriously, I think I blinked and gave my head a shake just to make sure I wasn’t experiencing one of those déjà vu’ flashbacks to KeyArena. And think about this too; if not for that bad carom, Calvin Pickard was on his way to posting a shutout.
The crowd, again, was phenomenal. I think it’s a tremendous boost for the players when they come out to the ice before the puck is even dropped and the fans are on their feet.
The rule changes in hockey recently are meant to open up the game and create more scoring. I don’t know if scoring is, in fact, on the increase (although there have been a lot of big numbers put up in WHL games recently) but the rules do cut down on the clutching and grabbing that was hampering the top end players. I’m just one who likes to see the speed of the game on display, especially from those players who have that extra gear. We saw it Friday from Drayson Bowman of Spokane and we witnessed it again Saturday from Greg Scott. It’s the same kind of burst we also get from Jim O’Brien and Prab Rai and I’m of the opinion that both Charles Wells and Brenden Silvester have that same kind of hockey speed in them and hopefully we’ll get to see it the rest of this season but definitely over the next two years. Silvester’s solid play recently earned him some quality time on the first unit power play against Portland.
Now, you have to be able to control that speed. It is one thing to zip around a defenseman like the Flash, but still another to avoid the poke check, stick handle to the net and deke the goalie and score. That’s what made Scott’s second power-play goal against the Winter Hawks amazing as he was able to follow up his initial shot and knock in the rebound.
Seattle has also shown over the past week that you can play physical and stay out of the penalty box. The new rules that are in place to open up the game don’t preclude you from throwing the body around and finishing your checks. That’s a staple of the Vancouver Giants game under Don Hay and Seattle is showing that same ability under Rob Sumner.
With the injuries to David Richard and Lindsay Nielsen the move of Sena Acolatse to forward is going to continue. Sena becomes even more important to the team’s success with those two players out of the line up for an extended period. He just missed scoring when he rang one off the cross bar Saturday and he continues to win most of his battles along the boards. What’s really nice to see is he is starting to take the puck to the net.
With Wells suspended until the league review of his hit on Spokane’s Ryan Letts, T-Birds coaches pushed another defenseman, Erik Fleming, up to forward against Portland. In fact, not only did he give a good accounting of himself up top but I do believe I saw him win a face-off.
Young teams go through a lot of ups and downs as they learn to play through a long season. The Portland team we saw Saturday didn’t look like the same team that beat Seattle twice right after the holiday break. It seemed they may have either hit a low cycle or they’ve leveled off under the new coaching regime. Still, they are a much better team now than they were back in October. Killian Hutt will be a force before his WHL career is over. He’s got that speed and puck control that I was talking about earlier.
Thomas Hickey’s return has really solidified and settled down the T-Birds back end. But I still think the key to the ‘Birds blue line corps will be the play of youngsters like Fleming, Brenden Dillon and Steve Chaffin. Chaffin had been splitting time between the blue line and a forward line but it appears the coaches have settled on him being a defenseman the rest of the way.
I chatted with Dillon before the game Saturday, specifically about his #41 ranking in the Central Scouting Bureau’s mid season report card of players eligible for this springs’ NHL draft. It was refreshing to hear a young player talk about the mental part of the game and improving on his “hockey intelligence” as well as his physical talents. Brenden seems keen on learning how to approach different situations as they arise during the game. It could be as simple as knowing when to jump up and join the rush, when to pinch or when to sit back and concentrate on defensive zone coverage. Some of that comes naturally but a lot of it is studying video or watching the better players, like Thomas Hickey. But a big part of it is understanding your own strengths and limitations.
Seattle ends their six-game home stand Tuesday against Medicine Hat. Immediately after the game they board the bus for Kamloops and Wednesday night’s game against the Blazers. Kamloops sits two spots ahead of Seattle in the Western Conference standings, so if the T-Birds are to climb up in the standings, this game is crucial.
The Blazer game also starts a two game, mini road trip for the ‘Birds who are in Everett to play the Silvertips Friday. This is the last time this year, and only time the second half of the season, the T-Birds will play back-to-back games on the road. Believe it or not, after Friday Seattle has only five road games left and all will be against the U.S. Division. In fact, the T-Birds finish with 9 of 10 on home ice.
In The Corners - Comeback Win Against Americans
01/19/2009 12:05 PM - Thom Beuning
Monday, January 19
Six games at the “Sho” a record of 5-0-0-1, 11 of a possible 12 points earned in the new building and free parking to boot. It’s nice to be home.
Scintillating; I think that is the word I’ll use to describe the come-from-behind win the T-Birds pulled off Sunday against Tri-City. I thought the ‘Birds were a bit devoid of emotion for the first 10 minutes Sunday and I think that was because they had just played two emotionally charged games against Everett the previous two nights. Eventually though, they got their energy back and got back in the game using the same game plan they used to beat Everett Saturday; play physical hockey. The last two games the T-Birds have delivered more hits than the Beatles and Elvis combined.
That’s what an intimate setting in an arena designed for hockey can do for you. It was a really good Sunday night crowd, considering the T-Birds game was going head-to-head with the NFL playoffs. The building was just over half full but you couldn’t tell it by the way the crowd was into the game, especially in the third period. That sounded more like a full house. Meanwhile, props to the crowd for not abandoning the team when the ‘Birds fell behind 3-0 midway through the first period. Instead they were patient and waited. Then when the T-Birds got the snowball rolling, the fans were on their feet making noise and showing their appreciation for good hockey. When crowds of 4,000 and above are a regular occurrence at the ShoWare Center that arena is going to be a very difficult place for opposing teams.
This is the third time in the past 22 months the T-Birds have roared back against the Americans. In their 2007 first round playoff series Seattle fell behind 4-0 in game four in Kennewick and charged back, thanks to a late Bud Holloway goal, and got the game even at 4 late in the third period to force overtime. The Americans did win that game in the extra period, but Seattle won the series by winning the next game, 6-2, at KeyArena (that was the game where Tri-City defenseman Tyler Schmidt infamously shot the puck into his own net).
Earlier this season (November 1st), Seattle trailed the Americans, 4-0, after one period at the Toyota Center only to fight back to tie the game 4-4 in the third thanks to a pair of Jim O’Brien goals. Again, Tri-City prevailed in overtime. So, it was probably a good thing after fighting back from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits Sunday, that the ‘Birds settled this thing in regulation.
Years from now, when Chance Lund recounts his first ever WHL goal, he can boast about how it was the game winner in one of the more exciting come-from-behind wins you’ll ever witness. No need to embellish on that one, especially considering he was able to beat a pretty good goalie in a battle for a rebound.
The Sena Acolatse as-a-forward experiment continues with more success. He picks up assists on each of the T-Birds first two goals and was a force down low in the offensive zone. And I also like him camped out in front of the goal when the ‘Birds are on the power play.
Despite the loss Friday up in Everett, a quality weekend for Seattle as they earn 4 of 6 points and are one point closer to the 6th spot in the Western Conference standings than they were when the weekend started.
In The Corners - Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings Come Out
01/13/2009 2:19 PM - Thom Beuning
Tuesday, January 13
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau has released its mid-term rankings and Seattle defenseman Brenden Dillon was ranked 41st among skaters in North America who are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. That’s pretty good for a young man who was only 5’3” in his bantam draft year a few short years ago and went undrafted before being listed by Seattle. Of course he shot up that summer and is now 6’2” and 198 lbs. I think the scouts see a lot of potential in Dillon. He definitely has the size the pros like and you can’t teach size. I think parts of his game are still raw but he comes across as very coachable, although I’ll let the T-Birds coaching staff answer that one. At the very least he’s the kind of player who doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice.
By the way the Central Scouting Bureau also released its mid-term rankings for European players and former Thunderbird property Ondrej Palat was only listed 58th among skaters. You toss in all the North American players and the goalies and Palat isn’t going to be a high draft choice in the NHL in June. Remember too, he was the 66th player chosen in the CHL Import Draft last summer. I would suspect that if he is drafted he’ll come over to North America to play, but if he goes undrafted there may not be any incentive for him to leave the Czech Republic for Chilliwack. So, the ‘Birds sending him to Chilliwack in the deal that brought Seattle the rights to Oscar Moller doesn’t seem that costly.
I have a feeling another drafted European player will end up with the T-Birds next season, much in the way the T-Birds selected Stefan Warg and Riku Helenius the past two seasons. They are European players drafted by Seattle after they were drafted by an NHL club.
Don’t forget, those Central Scouting Bureau rankings are a mid-season report card of draft eligible players. More stock might be put into those players following the second half and the postseason. So there is still time for draft eligible T-Birds players like Sena Acolatse and Jeremy Boyer to leave an impression. I think Boyer needs to become a more consistent goal scorer and the experiment of playing up as a forward could help Acolatse’s cause.
Remember too, the Central Scouting Bureau rankings are not the end-all-beat-all of rankings. NHL teams do their own scouting and may have a different take on the talent available.
Thunderbirds penalty killers have been perfect the past four games (9-for-9). The biggest part of that number has been the team discipline and allowing the opponent, on average, just two power play chances per game. During that same time span the T-Birds power play has gone 3-for-15, although one of their even strength goals came just as a power play expired so they are more like 4-for-15. Those are numbers the team needs to keep up if special teams are to have a positive impact on the second half of the season.
I’d have to go back through the archives but I don’t remember too many home-and-home series between the T-Birds and Everett Silvertips the past five seasons, at least not on back-to-back nights. I believe there have been instances of a game in one barn on a Saturday and a return engagement to the other rink the following Friday (or a Wednesday/Friday situation) but this weekend the T-Birds are in Everett on Friday night and then host the ‘Tips at the ShoWare Center on 24 hours later.
Of course the history of the rivalry suggests a split with the home team winning as has been the case with the first four meetings between the two teams this season. The Thunderbirds finish the busy weekend with a home game against Tri-City Sunday at 5 pm. The ‘Birds are still looking for their first win against the Americans this season. The closest they’ve come was an overtime loss in Kennewick back on November 1st and last Friday’s shootout loss in Kent.
Here’s a WHL oddity; two U.S. Division team’s (Seattle and Tri-City) play in Washington state cities beginning with the letter “K” (Kent and Kennewick) yet neither organization uses their host city name in their team name. Meanwhile a Central Division team, the Kootenay-with-a-“K” Ice, play in Cranbrook-with-a-“C” British Columbia.
There is always the Kamloops Blazers who play, well, in Kamloops. They just change the name of their arena every 5 or 6 years (Riverside Coliseum/SportMart Place/Interior Savings Centre).
In The Corners - Three of Four Points on Weekend
01/12/2009 12:12 PM - Thom Beuning
Monday, January 12
It was a very productive weekend for the T-Birds as they earn three of a possible four points in the two games played. Of course if we could have scored at least one goal in the shootout Friday against Tri-City, we’d have tallied another point in the standings. Still, in four games at ShoWare Center, the team has earned 7 of a possible 8 points. Keep that train on the tracks the rest of the way and you’ll end up with a nice second half home record.
Congratulations to Eric Fleming who scored his first WHL goal Sunday against Prince George. I also hope Eric thanked Devon LeBlanc who went and retrieved the puck from the referee before play resumed. Fleming is a fairly quiet guy and he has quietly improved his game in the past month by taking advantage of more ice time in the absence of Thomas Hickey.
Will he or won’t he? I’m sure everyone wants to know if Oscar Moller will be donning a T-Birds sweater at some point this season after Seattle obtained his rights from Chilliwack at the WHL trade deadline. Some have said it is a high price to pay especially if the NHL’s L.A. Kings decide not to reassign him to the WHL. The deal is Chilliwack gets a 4th round bantam pick this spring from Seattle, along with the rights to Ondrej Palat just for trading Moller’s WHL rights to the T-Birds. Yep, Even if Moller never plays for the Thunderbirds, the Bruins keep the pick and the player. Now, if Moller does play for the ‘Birds that pick is upgraded to a 2nd round choice.
Who is Palat, you may be wondering? Seattle selected him in the 2nd round of last year’s Import Draft (Stefan Warg was their 1st choice). The T-Birds were anticipating bringing him over next season. I have no reason to think he won’t come over to play for Chilliwack now that he’s their property, but he’s not obliged to and could stay in his native Czech Republic and play there. Unless they are NHL draft picks, more and more Import Draft picks are staying home or just don’t make the grade when they come to North America, but I’m sure Seattle can find someone in this spring’s Import Draft to fill that spot for next season. Heck, Lukas Matejka was just releaseda by Kelowna and if no one else claims him he could be available this off-season.
So, now it comes down to the draft choice. I think Moller is worth a 2nd round pick if he comes to Seattle. At the very least he should upgrade an inconsistent power play and he’ll give Seattle three solid lines. But, is it worth losing that 4th round pick if Moller never shows up in Kent? Sure it’s tough to lose that pick but remember Seattle got a steal in last year’s draft when they selected Colin Jacobs and he opted to go the WHL route rather than college. So, they are playing with house money and could afford to gamble that choice for Moller’s rights.
In The Corners - The Journey Back From Kelowna
01/09/2009 10:13 AM - Thom Beuning
Friday, January 9, 2009
Here’s how I would sum up Seattle’s game against the Kelowna Rockets earlier this week: it was an okay performance, good but not great and they needed to be better than good or okay to earn a win. They did a nice job of being disciplined and keeping the Rockets dangerous power play off the ice. They were full marks for clamping down on the Rockets big guns of Jamie Benn and Colin Long but then let the Rockets second and third lines beat them to too many loose pucks.
I was under the impression that the T-Birds had completed their long-bus-ride portion of the schedule, but someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. After Wednesday night’s game in Kelowna the team was informed that the Coquihalla Pass was closed due to heavy snow and a mud slide that covered both directions of the highway. A quick check showed most other passes were closed as well or conditions were too treacherous (falling rocks, avalanche danger) to make an attempt in the middle of the night.
So, the team returned to the Coast Capri Hotel and spent another night in Kelowna. The word was that the Coquihalla could open by noon Thursday although confidence in that happening was relatively low. Sure enough, the next morning the outlook was grim. One option was to head south to through Penticton to Highway 3, but that had just opened and conditions were not favorable and they could close that route down again.
After a late morning breakfast, and kudos to the Coast Capri staff for setting that up on such late notice, the team gathered its gear over at the arena and headed west out of Kelowna towards Merritt. The hope was that by the time we got to Merritt, the Coquihalla would be open but if not, Driver Eli Johnson would point the bus north toward Kamloops and cut over to Cache Creek and then wind our way down the Fraser River Canyon.
Well, assistant coach Turner Stevenson’s sister, a travel agent up in Prince George, and the Gray Line dispatcher back in Seattle, were keeping tabs on the pass and just a few miles outside of Merritt they informed us via text message and phone call, that the Coquihalla was still closed. So, north we went toward the scenic route because the drive down the Fraser River Canyon is a winding tour of British Columbia on a two lane road.
Yes, it did add a few hours to the trip but it wasn’t that bad and there were some spectacular views, where looking out the right side of the bus you could see a sheer drop of a few thousand feet to the river down below. And Turner, who has made the trip more than a few times in his travels back and forth to his home town of Prince George, played tour guide and pointed out a few of the highlights along the way.
Actually the team travels that route every year on their way up and back playing the Cougars in Prince George, but this was the first time the trek was made in daylight and the players were awake.
We stopped in Chilliwack at the always reliable Bozzini’s Restaurant for dinner. Again, nice job by their staff to accommodate 27 dinner patrons on such short notice. We had to wait until we got out of the Fraser River Canyon to get cell phone service so we didn’t make the call to the restaurant until about 45 minutes before our arrival. On the way out of Chilliwack we noticed a sign at one of the car dealerships in town. It read: Oscar (Moller) is in L.A., want to buy his Jeep?
Next we reached the border crossing at Sumas and were nearly turned back because many of the roads from Sumas to I-5 in Bellingham were under water. But we coaxed some back road directions out of the border guard and weaved our way through Lynden and around Bellingham and hit Interstate 5 without much further delay.
Once on I-5 it was smooth sailing. Seeing the water levels of some of the rivers as we passed over them was awe inspiring in that, you-can’t-believe-the-damage-until-you-see-it sort of way. The Nooksack River for example, looked more like Lake Nooksack.
The team arrived back at ShoWare Center at about 9:30pm. Personally though, my journey wasn’t complete. I had to drive south into Tacoma. As I neared Federal Way, the electronic reader board warned: Incident on I-5 just north of Fife. Expect long delays. But I saw no tail lights and no build up of traffic, so instead of exiting and hopping over to old 99, I chanced it and made it through with no problem. Apparently their had been water over the Interstate due to a breached levy but only one lane was out of commission and whatever back up there had been was long gone.
As for the trade deadline, again it arrives tomorrow. Looks like the top four teams in the Western Conference are jockeying for position. Based on the deals made as of this writing, I give Vancouver the edge. I’m not sure they needed Nick Ross and Alex Rodgers from Kamloops but they kept other teams from getting them. For instance, I bet Tri-City would have loved to have made a deal to get Ross to Kennewick. Still, the Americans did add Mitch Fadden to the team earlier this season. I’m not sure the Spokane trade of Seth Compton to Kamloops for Brady Calla is much of an upgrade and it could upset their chemistry. The Chiefs best move was getting Ondrej Roman back after he played overseas the first half of the season. Kelowna doesn’t pay too steep of a price to get Riley Grantham from Moose Jaw and they’re about to add Swedish import and Calgary Flames draft pick Mikael Backlund to their roster but will it be enough if they don’t upgrade their goaltending position?
As for the T-birds, I guess we’ll see if they are buyers, sellers of stand-patters (is that a word?) by Saturday afternoon.
In The Corners - Arrival in Kelowna
01/07/2009 1:54 PM - Thom Beuning
Wednesday, January 7
Just a quick update from Kelowna before tonight’s game between the T-Birds and Rockets. The journey from Kent took longer than expected because of slushy snow up the Coquihalla which made travel less than ideal and in fact had traffic at a crawl. The team should have arrived at their hotel at approximately 11 pm last night but didn’t pull in until 2am this morning. The trip back could be just as slow because of snow in the passes and the anticipated flooding in the B.C. lower mainland and around Bellingham.
Snow capped hills in Kelowna as seen from Thom's hotel room
The team went over to Prospera Place for a morning stretch. The Rockets were on the ice for their morning skate and all their World Junior players are back. I’m not sure if that means they will be in the lineup tonight but I do know Seattle’s Word Junior players will not be as the organization gave Thomas Hickey and Jim O’Brien a few days off to spend a belated holiday with their families. Back with the team for this game are Calvin Pickard and Chance Lund, fresh off their participation in the U-17 tournament in Port Alberni, B.C.
One player who won’t be with the team is David Richard. Now, before you start speculating on a player being held out pending a trade etc, Richard suffered an injury in practice back at Kent and thus is unavailable for tonight’s game.
The Zamboni cutting the ice at Prospera Centre
The Portland Winter Hawks are also in town. In fact they’ve been here for a few days and will be here long after the T-Birds leave. Portland made the trip up from Spokane where they played this past weekend, yet they don’t play in Kelowna until this coming weekend. In fact, they have a game in Kamloops before they go up against the Rockets.
Big trade yesterday in the WHL as Everett shipped Kyle Beach and Mike Alexander to Lethbridge for two players and a bantam pick. One of those players the ‘Tips got back in return is a former Lethbridge number one bantam pick (6th overall in 2007) and the bantam pick is the Hurricanes number one bantam choice in next spring’s draft. Everett seems to be setting up for the future (maybe eying another Memorial Cup bid in three years?) while the Hurricanes may be looking at beefing up for next season. While some believe Beach might end up in the NHL next season, I think the odds are pretty high that he’ll be back in the WHL, especially since his NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks have a glut of good young forwards.
In The Corners - First Two Games At ShoWare Center
01/06/2009 9:41 AM - Thom Beuning
Sunday, January 4
I’ve been to Prospera Place in Kelowna for a decisive game seven in the playoffs, before a full house, and Saturday at ShoWare Center was the equal of if not a better atmosphere. And while it would have been a real topper to the evening had the T-Birds laid down a shutout, didn’t it seem more appropriate to have that first game go right down to the final buzzer keeping everyone of the 6,125 in attendance on the edge of their seats?
As he said in the post game interview Jake DeSerres has been working with goaltending coach Paul Fricker on improving his play with his glove hand. It’s the one area of his game that I think has been off this season and, as a result, a reason for his un-DeSerres like play the first half of the season. Last night he had it working and if that’s a sign of things to come then watch out because the Jake of the last two seasons may be back!
Most everyone seems to be in agreement that the T-Birds waived off goal in the second period should have counted. The T-Birds won the game without the goal but that doesn’t mean the powers that be get off the hook. Unfortunately I’ve seen too many goals that should count waived off or vice versa. Why would you consult with the other officials and the goal judge on Everett’s first goal but not on the Seattle waived off goal?
Speaking of that Everett goal; since when doesn’t a whistle mean play is over? How many times have we seen a referee blow the whistle because he loses sight of the puck, negating a scoring chance because the puck is still loose outside the crease? The goal judge did his job and turned the light on because he is taught to do so when he sees the puck cross the line but it came well after the whistle. This isn’t football where the play is blown dead and then you unpile everyone to see where the ball is. Once the whistle blows, end of story.
Brenden Silvester, welcome to the trivia books. Nice, greasy goal to start the scoring at ShoWare Center. I hope they grabbed that puck and pulled it aside for historical purposes.
We’ve been waiting for players to step it up coming out of the break and finally we got a complete 60 minutes from the entire bench. I thought Luke Lockhart deserved a star for his efforts. His strong fore check led directly to two of the T-Birds goals. And while it wasn’t confirmed, I think the call over the P.A. for the doctor probably means that Brad Haber broke Kyle Beach’s nose.
I thought all three of Seattle’s overagers were big contributors in the win. Obviously Greg Scott had a goal and an assist but Chris Cloud and Devon LeBlanc were relentless with their physical play. Cloud earned every minute he got on the power play.
I’ve said it before but I like Sena Acolatse up as a forward. He had a nice assist on the Silvester goal and his own goal was a thing of beauty. And yes, I asked him after the game and he meant to bank that one in off the back of the Everett goaltender. Remember Dustin Byfuglien when he played for Prince George? He was a defenseman with the Cougars but is now a forward with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Sena’s not as big as Byfuglien but he’s probably as strong and possibly a better skater and I think he could make the transition as well.
Finally, he had no goal or any assists and he took a late penalty that allowed Everett to score a goal to make it interesting in the end but Swedish defenseman Stefan Warg played a very solid and physical game. Now he gets to sit back Monday and watch his countrymen battle Thomas Hickey and Team Canada for the gold medal at the World Junior Tournament.
Monday, January 5
I think it is too easy to say “welcome back Jake” after goalie Jacob DeSerres played this weekend like the goaltender we saw last year. He recorded one shutout and two near shutouts in going 3-1 in his last four starts. I don’t think Jake went missing in action the first half of the season, I just think he hit a bad stretch of hockey where maybe some of his mechanics weren’t 100-percent. He didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play the position though. You don’t become an NHL third round draft choice on reputation. Jake earned that selection because he’s a quality net minder with vast potential.
And it appears the best way for him to play out of that funk was to play and play a lot. So, Calvin Pickard going to the U-17 tournament was the best thing that happened for Jake and maybe, in the long run, the best thing for the T-Birds. The way DeSerres was stopping nearly everything that came his way the last two nights reminded me of his first few games with Seattle a couple of seasons ago when he came up for a few games as a 15-year-old. Starting six straight games certainly can help you get into that zone that all goalies need to get in to have an extended stretch of good play.
Again, someone explain to me how just-turned-16 year old Luke Lockhart didn’t get picked for the U-17 tournament? Was it his late birthday, since he didn’t turn 16 until early November? He’s one of the best two-way 16-year-old centers I’ve seen in recent years. Watch him battle along the boards, especially against bigger and older players. He rarely loses those battles because he knows how to leverage his body. And like that Chumbawamba song from the late ‘90s (Tubthumper), when he gets knocked down, he gets up again. Aside from the performance of DeSerres, Lockhart was the star of this weekend’s two wins to open the ShoWare Center, registering a goal and two assists, and we had him as such on our radio broadcasts.
I like the fact that Sena Acolatse is open to playing forward. In our interview for Sunday’s radio broadcast he said as much. Would he prefer to be a defenseman? I’m sure he does but he doesn’t mind playing as a forward and looked very comfortable in that slot the last two games. So many players are reluctant to switch positions for fearing of getting out of their comfort zone but not Sena who just wants to play. It’s also a pretty good “team first” attitude. It could be the difference when it comes to next spring’s NHL Entry Draft. By the way, that line of Acolatse, Lockhart and Brenden Silvester showed a lot of energy in the two wins and accounted for 6 points (3g, 3a) and were a combined plus-6.
It looks like defenseman Stefan Warg has found his comfort zone. It many cases it does take some time for the import players to adjust to playing in North America and that may have been the case with the big Swede. Over the last week, Warg has been Seattle’s best defenseman. Maybe not the most improved defenseman though, as I think that would be Brad Haber who has become very steady now that he is getting regular ice time.
Don’t expect either Thomas Hickey or Jim O’Brien to rejoin the team in time for Wednesday’s game in Kelowna. They probably won’t be back until this weekend when the ‘Birds return home for a pair of games. Do expect Chance Lund and Pickard back for the game against the Rockets after they conclude their participation in the U-17 tournament.
FYI, the WHL trade deadline is Saturday. I have no insight on whether the T-Birds are buyers, sellers or will just stand pat. It’s getting to be like the trade deadline in baseball though with so many teams still in contention for a playoff spot, you might want to stand pat but some other team’s moves deal may force your hand.
Which nickname do you prefer for the new building? I like calling it “The Sho” because it has a nice double meaning. I know some prefer the Bird’s Nest, but I just can’t get the image out of my head of a bunch of twigs up in a tree with a little itty bitty robin’s blue egg inside and this state-of-the-art arena is anything but that. I just don’t think of a fierce predatory bird when I hear the word “nest”.
In The Corners - ShoWare Opens
01/01/2009 2:58 PM - Thom Beuning
Thursday, January 1
Who knew that when all the white stuff melted we would find so much red rust underneath the snow. The T-Birds have looked fairly lethargic in their first four games following the two week holiday layoff.
Speaking of the snow, my brother visited from Toronto over Christmas. When he left Toronto it was raining, when he arrived in Seattle it was snowing. Where’s Al Gore to explain that one.
I suppose it was only appropriate, in what may go down as one of the worst sports years in Seattle history, what with the Sonics bolting town, the Mariners losing over 100 games, the Huskies football team going winless and the Seahawks missing the playoffs with a 4-12 record, that the T-Birds, the final Seattle team to play in 2008 would lose on the last day of the year.
Portland is a much improved team and the stockpiling of all the young talent the past two seasons is starting to pay off. That and the new ownership and new coaching regime could make the Winter Hawks a playoff team this spring. I still believe that the T-Birds will right the ship once Hickey, O’Brien and Pickard return (not to mention any deals they’ll make at the trade deadline) and challenge for a 5 or 6 seed in the West, but with Chilliwack’s laundry list of injuries and lack of offense and with the struggles of Prince George, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Portland can grab a playoff spot.
Even with three overage spots open on their roster, I don’t expect Portland to make a deadline deal if it means trading away any of the young players currently in their system.
A nice touch by the KeyArena and Seattle Center staff to send the T-Birds off to Kent with an autographed photo during a pregame ceremony prior to the last game at the Key. Do you think Clay Bennett and the Sonics received the same as they slunk off to Oklahoma City?
Here are the answers to those trivia question surely to pop up in the future: last T-Birds opponent; the Chilliwack Bruins; last goal scored by Seattle’s Lindsay Nielsen. And the last fighting majors? That would be Oliver Gabriel of Portland and Brenden Dillon of Seattle at 15:06 of the third period of the T-Birds Winter Hawks game December 27th. That’s right, not one fighting major in the last two KeyArena games.
Oddest trivia answer would be Luke Lockhart. The question? Who was the last T-Birds player to spend two minutes in the KeyArena penalty box? It’s a tricky answer because Lockhart wasn’t assessed a penalty. He was serving out a Devon LeBlanc roughing minor at 17:58 of the third period in the last game because LeBlanc was also assessed a ten minute misconduct.
Will there ever be another hockey game at KeyArena? Not with that seating configuration. The only chance is with a remodeled stadium. Even with teams in Anchorage, Victoria and Boise I doubt the ECHL could survive in Seattle with the
stronghold the WHL has on this market with teams in Kent and Everett. Besides, the ECHL is having trouble keeping teams viable on the west coast having lost a franchise in San Diego two years ago and seeing the Fresno club fold shop last week.
I’m pessimistic that even then the NHL would ever come to Seattle but if there is a remodel and the rumors of Calgary moving their AHL team from Quad City to a new arena in Abbotsford, B.C. would the AHL be interested?
Well, the wait is just about over as the T-Birds christen their new arena Saturday against Everett. Let’s hope they’ve shaken off this post-holiday funk and open the ShoWare Center with a win.
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