25 per cent of a season is enough of a sample size to begin to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of a team.
The Prince George Cougars are exactly at the one-quarter pole with 18 of their 72 games complete.
They have been the best team in the Western Conference since opening night and have had the most points in the WHL also right from the start.
Early season success does not guarantee a banner, or a deep playoff run but the indications are the Cougars seem to be a vastly improved team.
Don’t expect P.G. to match the 13-3-2 record in any of the three remaining quarter-marks, however, there is no reason to suggest that the Cougars will suffer a massive tumble like they did last season after the Christmas break.
Here are some of the reasons for the improvement and why the Cougars are ranked 3rd this week in the CHL:
# They are the road warriors. The Cougars have earned a whopping 17 out of a possible 18 points away from CN Centre going 8-0-1. In 2015-16, they were below .500 with a road record of just 15-18-2-1.
# First year coach Richard Matvichuk has received plenty of praise for taking the team to the next level. He promised better discipline and so far the team has delivered. The Cougars are 13th in the WHL in penalty minutes at 13.2 per game. Prince George led the league in penalty minutes in each of the last two seasons averaging 17.9 in 2015-16 and 18.2 in 2014-15.
# Special teams are in the top 10. The Cougars penalty kill is #3 at 85.4 % and the power play is tied for 9th at 21.3 %. In 2015-16, they finished 3rd on the PK but with an 82.1 % efficiency and were 17th on the PP at 18.5 %.
# The Cougars have excelled in the third period having doubled their opponent with 20 goals for and 10 against.
# When the score is close, P.G. is 5-0-2 in games decided by a goal.
# Starting goalie Ty Edmonds is 4th in the League with a 2.31 goals-against-average and his save percentage is 8th with a .917 mark. Edmonds was voted the Cougars MVP for the months of September and October. In 2015-16, his GAA was 2.75 and his save percentage stood at .913.
# Half of the team is averaging 1/2 a point per game or better and the big three of Jesse Gabrielle, Jansen Harkins and leading scorer Brad Morrison are all more than a point per game clip. Secondary offensive production can be a difference between the average team and a good one.
# The Cougars are plus 16 in goal differential scoring just over 3 1/2 goals per game while surrendering slightly more than 2 1/2. Last season they were only plus 15 in goal differential over a 72 game period.
Beyond statistics, there are intangibles that have helped. They include:
-Many of the key players are veterans into their 3rd or 4th season.
-Early season success has led to a more calm, relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room.
-Attendance is up which has led to a more positive feeling around CN Centre.
-The team has been relatively healthy although Colby McAuley is currently on the sidelines.
-Depth should not be understated as the Cougars have stronger third and fourth lines.
To summarize, the Cougars 13-3-2 record speaks for a terrific first quarter. For what it is worth, they have not lost in regulation yet on a weekend.
Granted, the team started well in 2015-16 before hitting the wall which they never recovered from.
Most of the players this year were part of the team last year and should be able to use that experience to help make the mental adjustment to keep the team consistent.
Games will be tougher the rest of the way especially with Prince George now having a target on its back. P.G. was reminded of this Wednesday when they lost 6-4 to Medicine Hat.
There is, however, a strong belief the Cougars are set up to succeed which is far cry from recent history.
From the Quote Rack:
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is denying reports that he yelled out “Trump!” to signal an audible during a recent game. Manning said actually “Trump” is a signal for “Illegal Use of Hands.
Conan O’Brien
Taunting penalties in the NFL are up 220 per cent. I blame bad habits picked up from watching presidential debates.
Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald
A golf outing for President Obama and Tiger Woods cost U.S. taxpayers $3.6 million. And you thought it was expensive playing golf with Michael Jordan.
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Tim Tebow, who is hitting .147 in the Arizona Fall League, apparently slightly injured his right knee trying to steal second base. Many sports fans were shocked that he ever got to first base.
Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
GM Theo Epstein has now guided the Red Sox and Cubs to World Series wins snapping the two longest droughts in baseball championship history. In related news, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to hire him.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver http://alwaysfunny.com/
And in case you missed it:
Fox Sports called Danica Patrick “the hero NASCAR needs.” One thing’s for sure: as a driver she doesn’t have a checkered past.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat. He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller
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