10 games out of 72 is a small sampling. Having completed just 14 per cent of a season does not define trends but here are some early thoughts on the Prince George Cougars after having watched the six home games from the broadcast booth:
Following a horrendous 1-3 start with 25 goals allowed, the Cougars have settled down with much better performances in all areas. I believe opening home weekend hype worked against the Cats as they looked flustered and shell-shocked against the top ranked Rockets. Perhaps, one of the reasons for poor performance can be attributed to the quality of the opponent; nonetheless, emotionally, the players appeared worn out, especially when Kelowna was dominating on special teams.
The Cougars power play and penalty kill numbers are at or near the bottom of the WHL, but that’s a bit misleading. The Cougars had the only power play goal in the 2-1 victory against Vancouver (Oct 10th) and the next night (Oct 11) in the Cougars 2-1 triumph over the Giants, P.G. again had the edge with two power play goals to one.
The Cougars are 2-0 in one goal games and are coming off a weekend home sweep which has been a rarity. This can be perceived as a bit of a mental breakthrough that the team can build from.
The Cougars have been outscored 40-32, but much more importantly they are 6-4. If they keep that pace up (12 points in 10 games) they will not only be in the playoffs
but will place higher than 8th in the Western Conference.
Winning four straight on home ice doesn’t seem like a huge accomplishment, but it’s the first time in nearly 8 years this has happened for the Cougars (Dec, 2006). Having a home crowd more enthusiastic and engaged in the game has rubbed off on the players.
Attendance for the six home games has been 5,659 (7-2 loss to Kelowna), 2,581 (8-2 loss to Kelowna), 1,955 (5-3 win over Swift Current), 1,960 (6-2 win over Lethbridge), 2,401 (2-1 win over Vancouver) and 2,469 (2-1 win over
Vancouver). This is an average of 2,837 per game. These numbers have significantly increased from last season which is no surprise. There are still a lot of fans taking the wait and see approach (certainly understandable), and so far the team has delivered on and off the ice. The key will be to keep the momentum growing and that’s where winning is the best remedy.
The Cougars have a legitimate number one line with each player averaging more than a point per game. Both Jansen Harkins (2 goals, 13 assists) and Chase Witala (5 goals, 9
assists) are in the top 10 of WHL scoring, and Jari Erricson, (7 goals, 4 assists) is among the leading goal scorers. Each brings a different element. Harkins, as a playmaker, is showing why he is a projected first round NHL pick in 2015; Witala, a game breaker with speed, has a knack for scoring, and Erricson is feisty in front of the net who also does yeoman’s work in the corners. Now that other teams have game film to study, points will be more difficult to achieve.
Joseph Carvalho and Sam Ruopp have been the two most reliable defencemen, yet both play a different type of game. Carvalho has more of an offensive flair (8 assists, and a plus 7 in 9 games) while Ruopp is more physical (28 penalty minutes and plus 3 in 10 games).
Ty Edmonds has experienced the biggest pendulum swing. He was dreadful in net to start the season but has been electrifying during the win streak. The 18-year-old Edmonds was the main reason for the sweep of the Giants with back-to-back first star efforts, stopping 67 of 69 shots over the two games. His save percentage is just .888 and his GAA is just 3.55 but he is more focused, composed and confident in his last few starts and his personal win-loss record is commendable at 6-3.
The Cats are adding a high end 17-year-old forward in Jared Bethune, a projected 2nd or 3rd round pick in the 2015 NHL draft, but other teams have upgraded their roster with
players that have returned from NHL camps.
While improvement is evident, fortunes can turn in a hurry and the schedule will get more difficult. Keeping an even keel is necessary for consistency. The team appears to be having fun, which hasn’t been the case in recent years in P.G. If the players can continue to enjoy the game, the results, standings and other aspects will take care of itself.
From the Quote Rack:
Katy Perry will reportedly perform during the Super Bowl halftime show. Well, for many men that’s a pair of reasons to watch.
Raiders fans egged the Chargers’ team bus as it arrived at O.co Stadium for Sunday’s game. Fortunately, since this was Oakland, most of the eggs were intercepted.
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Justin Bieber just got back from Europe, but he already had cops pounding on his door at least twice on Tuesday. The first time, however, was to inquire if he had anything to do with the egging of the Chargers team bus in Oakland.
California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a law to ban plastic bags. He assured Raider fans, however, that he won’t sign one banning paper bags.
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder in an attempt to gain support for the name debate, sat with Navaho Chief Ben Skelly and his wife at the Arizona game. Not to be outdone, new Buffalo owner Terry Pegula invited 20 guys named Bill into his private box.
The NBA is considering shortening their games from 48 to 44 minutes. I’d go with 46, as it’s the last two minutes that take forever.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)
Ex-NHL tough guy Mike Milbury says it’s time to get rid of fighting on the ice. He wants it where it belongs — up in the stands.
HelpAge International’s global rating of 96 countries has listed the best places in the world for seniors to live. The top three are Norway, Sweden and the San Antonio Spurs.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
And in case you missed it:
Two Florida football players got into a fight after one pilfered the other’s cleats and wore them to practice. Moral of the story: If his shoe fits, don’t wear it.
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sidelinechatter/
Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for radio station TheGoat94.3 His column appears Fridays on hqprincegeorge.com. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller