Weekend Split....

A tale of two goaltenders over the the two game home set for the Ice as the club ran into a red-hot one in Steven Sanford Friday night as the 20-year-old Blade netminder stopped 39 of 40 shots - a few of the spectacular variety - in a 2-1 loss to Saskatoon. 24 hours later the Ice did the same thing only this time six of those 40 shots found the back of the net in a 6-1 win over the PA Raiders. There's highlites of Friday's match-up here.



Some Thoughts:



Sanford clearly had the ability to block out nearly everything - including a group of Ice fans 'in the crowd' clearly trying to get under his skin - Friday night where his counterpart Saturday - Jamie Tucker could not. Last night that group could've sent Tucker into therapy.

There was some discussion after a Friday night where the Ice went 0-8 on the power play that keeping the puck to the perimeter didn't do them any good and it showed. The next night started the same way only Matt Fraser sent a shot from an impossible angle, 25 feet to the left of Tucker that got by him. It was the beginning of a long night for the former Vancouver Giant who wasn't good in the first, stellar in the second, but again sub-par in the third and the frustration showed by the third when Tucker could be seen barking at his teammates and then talking to himself. Not a good sign.



Kootenay must of beat their team record (I'm looking, but haven't found it) for fastest two and three short-handed goals as Jagger Dirk and Max Reinhart scored two goals on the same PK 1:13 apart in the third period. 1:15 later, on a different PK, Kevin King got another to make it 6-1.



It was a complete about-face for King's performance from the night prior. Friday the 20-year-old had no points and was dash-2. Saturday he was the club's best player with two goals and plus 3.



17-year-old D Jagger Dirk is starting to show signs of a number one/power play QB type D-man - he reminds me of a Trevor Johnson-type of D-man - with two goals over the weekend and a plus-2 with all kinds of quality minutes.



G Brett Teskey was solid against the Raiders but still seems to fight the puck somewhat.



Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth wasn't in attendance last night and was likely watching his son Ryan play for the Lethbridge Midget Hurricanes in their 6-4 win over Lloydminster but scuttlebutt continues to build over his efforts to secure a top-3 forward before the trade deadline and more likely, before Christmas. Weal and Ashton out of Regina; Eakin out of Swift Current and of course Brayden Schenn of Brandon, if he's ever sent back from the LA. Kings. Schenn is currently with the AHL Manchester Monarchs on a conditioning stint that will last another week or so and the four names are the biggest targets Chynoweth could have in his sites. Following the stint the Kings have to bring him up and continue him being a healthy scratch (the last five games) or play him in two more games that will kick in the first year of his contract. Schenn has played 8 so far. LA could also keep him with the club until the December 10 invites go out for the WJC team, of which Schenn will most certainly be a part of. If so, that could further delay things.

And what does Chynoweth have to offer? Well, that deal that landed the club D David Musil and the subsequent 1st round pick of the Vancouver Giants gives the club two first round picks in May's Bantam Draft. One of them plus a roster player or one from the deep prospect pool could be dangled for one of the aforementioned. Either way it's not going to be cheap but the time is now for this club to push for a title and they're a 'go-to' guy away from doing that.



Schenn's availability is obviously contingent on his return and even then it might be a bit as the Wheat Kings decide where they fit into the grand scheme of the Eastern Conference... Weal is only 18 and will be back next season so I doubt the Pats will part with him whereas Ashton and Eakin are both signed by their respective NHL clubs (Tampa Bay and Washington) and most definitely won't be back next season. Eakin was close to making a very deep Capitals club so that shows how high they are on him. If I were a betting man one of those two (Ashton or Eakin) are the prizes and have the best chance of coming to Kootenay. FYI, I'm sure that Eakin is still bothered by a wonky hip that's been giving him trouble this season. You'll notice that these candidates are from the Eastern Conference and there's been no word from possibles from the West. Truth is, they're so close in the West (seven point seperate second from 10th in the conference) that I doubt anyone will be looking at the rebuild option until there's more seperation. Guys like Connelly out of PG probably aren't available because PG is perpetually rebuilding and actually have a team to at least make the post-season this year. Mitch Callahan out of Kelowna could be a target but the Rockets are playing better. I'm a big fan of Callhan who can score, get dirty and throw 'em. Just don't think he'll be available but if the Rockets falter, the 19-year-old California product is signed by the Red Wings (6th round pick last year) and likely won't be back for his 20-year-old season.



Complicating things are the World Juniors - which each of the aforementioned players could be a part of. There's also a new policy within the CHL that players that are away with the World Junior team aren't traded until they are back. That's about four days or so before the deadline in January and by December 11 when the selection camp opens, hence the urgency to get something down now. So with three weeks to go before WJC Selection Camp, one could surmise that the deadline derby has already begun.



Okay, lastly, attendance. Does anybody, besides the strong support of the retired folk or empty-nester/baby boomers in this town, really care or have the ability to support the Ice anymore? The announced attendance of 2250 last night flattered that number. If it was 1500 I'd be surprised. The average announced attendance this season is 2429 through 13 home games, a drop of about six percent or 150 a game over last season. Good 15-year lease deal signed last year or not, the lack of hockey fans in the 20-45 age group in the city is alarmingly low.



Now, the drop in attendance is league-wide so this is clearly a reflection of a sputtering economy in which people are watching their discretionary spending dollars closely but here it's becoming an old argument of which I'm still not hearing answers. You can blame lots of things - the lack of real marketing; a finicky public; the economy; whatever but on the ice the success isn't one of them. A top ranked team that's top of the Eastern conference usually sells itself but not now. The last question I have is when the deal for a top six, impact forward is made - and it's going to happen, this year's team is the closest the Ice have come to a championship contender is some time - will that be enough to kick-start the attendance?



Lots of questions, not a lot of answers...