"Opportunities always look bigger going than coming." - Anonymous
For the 2011-12 edition of the defending WHL champion Kootenay Ice, games such as Wednesday night's in Lethbridge are going to be looked back upon as missed opportunity.
The Ice let slip away leads of 3-1 and 4-2 en route to a 5-4 loss to the Canes and now find themselves even deeper into the crowded pool that is the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist as did Jesse Ismond, while John Neibrandt and Joe Antilla also scored. Mackenzie Skapski stopped 22 of 27 in a losing cause. The Hurricanes capitalized on some Ice penalty trouble in the third with two power play goals by Sutter and Tot, who got the game-winner.
Sitting 4th with 60 points and a 27-15-3-3 record, the Ice are now but a point clear of the Saskatoon Blades and the red-hot Calgary Hitmen - who they'll play five times before now and the end of the season - and two points ahead of the Regina Pats who currently occupy 7th. The Wheat Kings sit nine points back in the 8th and final playoff spot.
Not withstanding the 1-0 home loss Tuesday night to the Wheaties, after dismantling them on home ice 7-3 three nights prior, it is losses to the Canes in 11th-place that could do the most damage, especially when the two points is there for the taking with a couple of two-goal leads.
Missing F Drew Czerwonka (1-2 weeks, upper body) and D Luke Paulsen (concussion, 2-3 weeks) and now leading scorer Max Reinhart who is out with a minor injury after blocking a shot Tuesday and missed Wednesday's game in Lethbridge, three 19-year-old impact players out of the line-up at a crucial stretch could prove costly to the club.
Reinhart isn't expected to play this weekend with the club hosting the last-place Prince Albert Raiders (another lost opportunity in their previous meeting in PA when the Ice once again saw a big lead melt away) tonight at the Rec Plex and Saturday travel to Spokane for a date with the Chiefs.
But such is the ways of a team competing but rebuilding almost simultaneously. Players like 16-year-old Sam Reinhart playing minutes almost exclusively reserved for 19-year-olds anywhere else. Rookies Jon Martin, Jaedon Descheneau and on the blueline Mike Simpson, Jeff Hubic and Spencer Wand (dash-3 against the Canes) are facing a steep learning curve as the season gets longer, tougher and more intense that anything they're used to.
And while Sam's re-writing of the Ice rookie record book continues with his goal and assist Wednesday that gave him 17 goals on the season - eclipsing Czerwonka's rookie total of 16 four years ago - and 42 points on the season to move past Steve McCarthy's rookie mark set in Edmonton in 97-98 - it will be interesting to see how the young players react to the next level they'll face in the coming weeks as the playoff race tightens and the pressure cooker heats up.
The pressure on the 20-year-olds - Jesse Ismond and Joe Antilla, to be more precise, is on for them to pick up the slack left by the injuries. Both have started to score of late.
Wednesday's highlites are here while there's a write up here.
17 comments:
Remember when asked if .500 hockey would be enough to get into the playoffs? With 44 points still available, anything can happen. I think the season will come down to the 10 games (9 now) with Spokane and Calgary. The Ice will need 10 pts in this series to lock down the 7th or the final spot.
Hmmm...wonder whats going on with the d-men? Why so much trouble getting the puck out of their own end? If you play 80% of the game in your own end, pretty good chance of a loss.
If it wasn't for Lu, I don't think anyone would be talking about playoffs....
One word answer anon#2, fatigue. Luke was the #2 d-man for the ice I thought(big loss) and when he returns the rough waters will smooth out. I'll end with a positive for the d-men Think Dirk has come around nicely since the break and looks real good on the pp.
dirk is bad no defencsiablty .lu is good but where was he against p.a.
He had a bad game. Just cause he's supposed to be the star doesnt mean he's not human. he's had 1, 2 maybe 3 bad games this whole year. I think thats fair considering the ammount of games he has been our best player.
Jeff, if you had to pick RD orBRND, which one makes the playoffs? Or do you think they both will and someones else will fall off. I'm picking RD in at 8th and BRND out. Everyone else will be shuffled but none will fall out of the playoff picture. With a real good finish I also think the Ice can nail down 4th and home ice advantage in round one.
To Mr. Lu Fan, he is good and is having a good year - nobody doubts that- but how come you can get on here and criticize every other player and how they play! But just happens it is never on the games that Lu maybe has an off game because he is human. Hmmmm.....
I think that Brandon will get their stuff together and squeak in. I'm just not sold on the Rebels goaltending. Brandon will have to get Corbin Boes back however or all bets are off.
The Ice? They're in a slide, there's not doubt and have to get healthy. They need Paulsen, Reinhart and Czerwonka back - the latter two this weekend hopefully - if they want to compete. Lu cannot continue to stand on his head every night. The Calgary test - yes, a test - will be a big one. They play five times over the next two months and will play a big part on where they finish.
The 3 teams out of the playoff picture SC,PA and Leth play Brandon 7 out of the next 12 but I'll stick with RD to sneak in. Congrats to Sam for breaking Ice rookie scoring/points record. He is one of the most consistent players for the Ice and if he continues on this torrid pace he should also be under consideration for team mvp. Yes a rookie!
sam is playing great but max,lu,leach and neibrant are still are most consisant players every game.
Neibrandt one of the most consistant every game? HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thank you for making my day. Sorry, I guess he has been pretty consistant, just not in the way that it would warrant mvp talk.
Jeff is continually pricing himself out of peoples budgets here. Tickets at the door are now $22 each. And now dinner is $60 for two people. Ouch man, to much. I just cant do it anymore. No wonder nothing sells out around here anymore. Its not that people dont love this team and all it has accomplished, its that I cant afford to be a fan thats "there" anymore. Still a fan, just not there.
IceFan
Then buy a season pass - only $11 a game. And its the fan club putting on the dinner not the team (or Jeff) as you say.
Try a NHL game and see what it costs. If your staying over night,game, parking and 2beer you better have 500 dollars Sad but true. Ive been to both whl and NHL games and 9 times out of 10 the whl is the most entertaining. Cost to watch future star pro players----Priceless.
The price is very comparable to watching elsewhere as we do..and yes parking $2 very cheap compared to every other community.
Anyone think they didn't get there money's worth last night? What an exciting game! Going back tonight. Go Ice Go!
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