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HARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (A PEAK AT THE STANDINGS) NOVEMBER 17th, 2017 EDITION 654

Photo Courtesy of the Prince George Cougars & James Doyle Photography

The Prince George Cougars have played 20 games, the Spruce Kings 25, the Cariboo Cougars 16, and the Vancouver Canucks 19.

The four teams have a sample size to give their fans an idea of where they stack up in their league.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS:

The Cougars sit ninth out of 10 in the WHL Western Conference, but they are only two points out of a wild card spot and just four points behind the third place Vancouver Giants in the BC Division.

The 7-9-2-2 Cougars look to make up ground in the next few weeks with nine of their next 11 games at the CN Centre.

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However, they are just 2-5-2 at home compared to 5-4-0-2 on the road.

Based on winning percentage, the BC Division is just third best out of four.

The Central Division is a distant last with only one team (Medicine Hat) out of six having a winning record.

 

PRINCE GEORGE SPRUCE KINGS:

The Spruce Kings will finish anywhere from first to fourth in the Mainland Division, although their final placing won’t mean much, since all four will make the playoffs.

In fact, 16 of the 17 BCHL teams qualify for the post-season, which basically devalues the 58-game regular-season.

The 11-9-2-3 Spruce Kings have their next eight at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA) where they are 7-1-1-1 compared to 4-8-1-2 on the road.

The Spruce Kings are tied with Surrey for 3rd in the Mainland, just a point back of Chilliwack and six behind Langley.

They are also a whopping 19 points in front of Coquitlam.

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The Interior Division is the strongest in the league where the fifth place team (Wenatchee) has the sixth best winning percentage in the BCHL.

 

CARIBOO COUGARS:

It appears the defending Major Midget champions will again compete for a Provincial title.

The 12-3-1 Cariboo Cougars share top spot with the 12-2-1 Valley West Hawks, six points in front of the third place Greater Vancouver Canadians.

The Hawks are technically ahead of the Cougars because they have played one less game and are 2-0 against Cariboo.

The 11-team BCMML appears more balanced this season, particularly in the middle of the pack with just six points separating fifth from 10th.

Only 2-14 South Island appears out of contention.

 

VANCOUVER CANUCKS:

Even the diehard Canucks fans would have to admit this team is overachieving with a 9-8-2 record.

After Thursday’s 5-2 loss to Vegas, the Canucks are part of a
logjam in the Western Conference where the standings change nightly.

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Vancouver is one of five teams with 20 points (6th most in the
Conference) while two others have 19.

Just nine points separate second (Winnipeg) from 14th (Edmonton) in the conference, leaving Arizona out in the cold.

The 3-15-3 Coyotes have the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the NHL.

Arizona’s 5-4 Thursday victory in Montreal was the Coyotes first win this season in regulation time.

The Canucks have a 6-3 road record which likely indicates they have caught many teams napping in their building.

Vancouver is just 3-5-2 at home.

The Canucks are fourth, among Canadian teams (tied with Calgary), ahead of Montreal and Edmonton.

Last year, five teams from the Great White North made the playoffs.

This season, that number could be matched, but I suspect, with 63 games left in the marathon, the Canucks have plenty of time to fade out of the picture.

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The Prince George sports fan is in for a rare weekend with the PG Cougars, PG Spruce Kings, Cariboo Cougars and UNBC Timberwolves all having home doubleheaders.

The PG Cougars entertain the Edmonton Oil Kings tonight and Saturday, the PG Spruce Kings host the Nanaimo Clippers this evening and the West Kelowna Warriors Saturday, the Cariboo Cougars welcome the Vancouver NW Giants to Kin 1 Saturday night and Sunday morning and the UNBC Canada West basketball teams, in their final league home games of 2017, host the Regina Cougars tonight and Saturday.

In addition, a midget Tier 2 minor hockey tournament is on at the Kin Centre and senior high school zone volleyball tournaments are featured at Duchess Park (boys) and College Heights Secondary (girls).

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Big Olympic news: The IOC said they may consider including pole-dancing, poker, and foosball in the next Olympics Games. They also said it’s the first Olympics that will be held in a frat house basement.

*Conan O’Brien of TBS

 

I read that Papa John’s stock went down due to poor sales. You could tell they were tight on cash when Peyton Manning said, “My cheque didn’t clear last month.”

*Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon

 

Papa John’s has apologized for being ‘divisive’ over the NFL protests. To which half the fans are saying it’s about time they apologized with the other half saying they should have stood their ground.

*Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va., http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/

 

The New York Knicks blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter Monday to lose by three (104-101) to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who do they think they are, the Atlanta Falcons?

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*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

An Italian fourth-division soccer player (Giovanni Liberti) has been suspended five games for urinating toward the opposing team’s fans. What, no yellow card?

*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/

 

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was among the first passengers to ride a new driverless bus in Las Vegas. To make her feel comfortable, they had it follow 33 cars.

*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

A streaker ran onto the field in Buffalo during the 4th quarter of the New Orleans Saints 47-10 blowout victory.
The fan was trying to show the Bills how to run the Naked Bootleg.

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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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