Here's an update on the Bruins' injury situation entering tonight's game at Notre Dame.
Austin Yano is back in the lineup after recovering from his groin injury, giving the Bruins six healthy defencemen. The D pairings will likely look like this:
Kauk-Yano
Perrault-Soper
Bartel-Boesch
Matt Dochylo is over the flu and will also return to the lineup. That's a huge boost for a Bruins team that is still missing their captain.
Eric Baldwin is out with an upper-body injury suffered Saturday that could keep him out for the weekend as well. The Bruins have called up Stoughton forward Dayton Picard from the Moose Jaw Generals to take his place.
The 17-year-old centre is third on the Generals in scoring with nine goals and 18 points through 15 games. He'll most likely be on next year's team so it's a good chance for the Bruins to see him in game action.
Also, Josh Jelinski and Connor Milligan skated today but there is no timetable set for their return.
Check out tomorrow's Mercury for lots of Bruins news - there are stories on the loss to La Ronge, the team's AGM last week and a feature on the stellar play of Tyler Kauk and Austin Yano in the early going.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Ice Wolves double up Bruins 4-2
When the La Ronge Ice Wolves took a 4-0 lead early in the third period tonight, just about everyone figured the game was over. Kudos to the Bruins for scoring a couple and dominating a good stretch of the third period, but in the end their efforts fell short in a 4-2 final.
This was an inconsistent game from the Bruins. There were times when they buzzed around the Wolves' net and couldn't finish, and there were other times when the Wolves were clearly the better team. About half a dozen guys were really impressive, and some others didn't bring anywhere close to their A game.
La Ronge had all kinds of chances in the first period, but they were stonewalled by Derek Tendler and the teams went to their rooms scoreless. But the tide would turn for the Wolves in the second.
Less than two minutes in, on a power play, Marc-Andre Carre took a pass in the slot and buried it blocker side to break the ice.
Speaking of Carre, I forgot how much fun he is to watch. He was dominant in every aspect of the game. Along with his goal and assist (and another 1-on-2 rush where he fooled everyone and rang a shot off the post), he dished out a few big hits and he was excellent defensively. You could tell he's spent some time in the pros. Carre adds an entire other dimension to that team.
Just before the three-minute mark, Tendler got caught going the wrong way but still managed to lunge back and rob Brett McNevin with the paddle. Then Smerek took the rebound and scored on a wraparound.
With 8:20 left in the period, there was a delay of about 20 minutes due to an ice issue around the Wolves' net. It took a while to find a CO2 extinguisher to fix the problem. The delay was so long that both teams took a quick warmup when the ice was ready to go.
Not long after the game resumed, a Dom Perrault point shot was tipped by Calder Neufeld past Alex Rajotte but was called back on a high stick.
Shortly after that, the Bruins got a bad break when Skyler Hladun's shot (which was going wide) hit Ben Johnstone in the midsection and ricocheted back toward Tendler. He made the reflex save but the rebound was right there for Nathan Boyer to put in.
It was a tough momentum swing, going from 2-1 to 3-0, not to mention Johnstone, who was one of the best Bruin forwards all night. He threw some big hits.
I really wasn't impressed by the Bruins' play late in the second and early in the third, and less than a minute after they frittered away a power play, Zac Ashdown cleaned up a rebound off a Carre shot to make it 4-0.
The Bruins' comeback began at 7:38 on a fluke goal when Rajotte swatted at a puck in mid-air and accidentally knocked it into his net. Neufeld got credit for the power play goal. It came at a good time for the Bruins after the first 1:30 of that man advantage had been absolutely terrible.
Ryan Ostertag made it 4-2 less than two minutes later on one of the nicest goals you'll see all year. He flew down the left side, on his off wing, and unleashed a ridiculously quick shot that found a tiny hole in the top right corner, pretty much the only space Rajotte left open.
The Bruins pressed for the rest of the period but couldn't beat Rajotte again.
Both goalies were outstanding tonight. The next player who stood out for the Bruins was Tyler Kauk. With Yano and Milligan out of the lineup, he was relied upon even more than usual - I'd wager he was close to 30 minutes - and carried himself like a vet. He also showed a little extra confidence with the puck, carrying it deep a couple of times when it seemed no one else could break across the line.
Ostertag had several good chances and really used his speed to generate odd-man breaks. There's no telling what kind of numbers he could put up if he looked like that every night.
With Jelinski and Dochylo out of the lineup, the checking unit was comprised of Reich, Whitehill and Baldwin and I felt they did a good job of grinding it out against the Carre line. Reich was especially solid and played with a lot of fire.
Meanwhile, the Neufeld-Olson-Smith line created some chances but also failed to finish and were guilty of dragging their feet far too often. That has to change.
Yorkton Harvest defenceman Blake McMillen was AP'd for the game and, although there were a couple of mistakes, he didn't hurt the Bruins, which is about all you can ask for in that situation. He played mostly with Perrault.
Post-game reaction:
Ryan Ostertag Nov. 12 by lewis94
Keith Cassidy Nov. 12 by lewis94
This was an inconsistent game from the Bruins. There were times when they buzzed around the Wolves' net and couldn't finish, and there were other times when the Wolves were clearly the better team. About half a dozen guys were really impressive, and some others didn't bring anywhere close to their A game.
La Ronge had all kinds of chances in the first period, but they were stonewalled by Derek Tendler and the teams went to their rooms scoreless. But the tide would turn for the Wolves in the second.
Less than two minutes in, on a power play, Marc-Andre Carre took a pass in the slot and buried it blocker side to break the ice.
Speaking of Carre, I forgot how much fun he is to watch. He was dominant in every aspect of the game. Along with his goal and assist (and another 1-on-2 rush where he fooled everyone and rang a shot off the post), he dished out a few big hits and he was excellent defensively. You could tell he's spent some time in the pros. Carre adds an entire other dimension to that team.
Just before the three-minute mark, Tendler got caught going the wrong way but still managed to lunge back and rob Brett McNevin with the paddle. Then Smerek took the rebound and scored on a wraparound.
With 8:20 left in the period, there was a delay of about 20 minutes due to an ice issue around the Wolves' net. It took a while to find a CO2 extinguisher to fix the problem. The delay was so long that both teams took a quick warmup when the ice was ready to go.
Not long after the game resumed, a Dom Perrault point shot was tipped by Calder Neufeld past Alex Rajotte but was called back on a high stick.
Shortly after that, the Bruins got a bad break when Skyler Hladun's shot (which was going wide) hit Ben Johnstone in the midsection and ricocheted back toward Tendler. He made the reflex save but the rebound was right there for Nathan Boyer to put in.
It was a tough momentum swing, going from 2-1 to 3-0, not to mention Johnstone, who was one of the best Bruin forwards all night. He threw some big hits.
I really wasn't impressed by the Bruins' play late in the second and early in the third, and less than a minute after they frittered away a power play, Zac Ashdown cleaned up a rebound off a Carre shot to make it 4-0.
The Bruins' comeback began at 7:38 on a fluke goal when Rajotte swatted at a puck in mid-air and accidentally knocked it into his net. Neufeld got credit for the power play goal. It came at a good time for the Bruins after the first 1:30 of that man advantage had been absolutely terrible.
Ryan Ostertag made it 4-2 less than two minutes later on one of the nicest goals you'll see all year. He flew down the left side, on his off wing, and unleashed a ridiculously quick shot that found a tiny hole in the top right corner, pretty much the only space Rajotte left open.
The Bruins pressed for the rest of the period but couldn't beat Rajotte again.
Both goalies were outstanding tonight. The next player who stood out for the Bruins was Tyler Kauk. With Yano and Milligan out of the lineup, he was relied upon even more than usual - I'd wager he was close to 30 minutes - and carried himself like a vet. He also showed a little extra confidence with the puck, carrying it deep a couple of times when it seemed no one else could break across the line.
Ostertag had several good chances and really used his speed to generate odd-man breaks. There's no telling what kind of numbers he could put up if he looked like that every night.
With Jelinski and Dochylo out of the lineup, the checking unit was comprised of Reich, Whitehill and Baldwin and I felt they did a good job of grinding it out against the Carre line. Reich was especially solid and played with a lot of fire.
Meanwhile, the Neufeld-Olson-Smith line created some chances but also failed to finish and were guilty of dragging their feet far too often. That has to change.
Yorkton Harvest defenceman Blake McMillen was AP'd for the game and, although there were a couple of mistakes, he didn't hurt the Bruins, which is about all you can ask for in that situation. He played mostly with Perrault.
Post-game reaction:
Ryan Ostertag Nov. 12 by lewis94
Keith Cassidy Nov. 12 by lewis94
Bruins-Ice Wolves preview
The Bruins will swing back into action tonight after a week off by welcoming the La Ronge Ice Wolves for the third meeting of the two teams this season.
The Bruins and Ice Wolves split a pair of games in La Ronge last month but it's the Wolves' first visit to Spectra Place other than the two games they played during the SJHL Showcase.
Estevan is coming off a not-so-great weekend and this is an important game for them to get back into the win column, especially with Weyburn having pulled even for top spot in the Sherwood.
The week off came at a good time for the Bruins, who are suddenly a little banged up. Four players will be out of the lineup tonight. Josh Jelinski, Austin Yano and Connor Milligan are still out with injuries they suffered last week, and Matt Dochylo is out with the flu. Yorkton Harvest defenceman and Carnduff native Blake McMillen will be in the lineup as an AP. The absence of Yano and Milligan also means that Lyndon Soper will draw in for only his fifth game of the season.
Missing both Jelinski and Dochylo is a huge blow for the Bruins. Both guys are gritty vets who set the tone every night and their work ethic is sorely missed. Yano and Milligan obviously leave two major holes on the back end. It's a chance for several rookie players to step up and take on more responsibility.
The big story in La Ronge is the return of Marc-Andre Carre. Last year's co-scoring leader and league MVP has been cut from the CHL's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and he made his return to the Ice Wolves last night, chipping in an assist in a 5-4 shootout loss to Weyburn. Although Carre won't have the likes of Travis Eggum, Doug Lindensmith or Logan Herauf on his wings, he will certainly be a focal point for the Bruins and should open up some space for a few other Wolves who can put the puck in the net.
The Bruins and Ice Wolves split a pair of games in La Ronge last month but it's the Wolves' first visit to Spectra Place other than the two games they played during the SJHL Showcase.
Estevan is coming off a not-so-great weekend and this is an important game for them to get back into the win column, especially with Weyburn having pulled even for top spot in the Sherwood.
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| Estevan Bruins (14-8) |
Missing both Jelinski and Dochylo is a huge blow for the Bruins. Both guys are gritty vets who set the tone every night and their work ethic is sorely missed. Yano and Milligan obviously leave two major holes on the back end. It's a chance for several rookie players to step up and take on more responsibility.
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| La Ronge Ice Wolves (12-11-0-2) |
The other story in La Ronge in the past week is the likely retirement of defenceman David Greyeyes. The 20-year-old had a bright career ahead of him before suffering a serious concussion in camp with Prince George in 2009. He then sat out two full seasons before joining the Ice Wolves this year. Greyeyes, who had five points in eight games this season, reportedly took a hit to the head last weekend from Wings forward Jack Kennelly and, according to Wolves voice Daniel Fink, will probably be forced to retire. It's a sad story but thankfully he's putting the rest of his life ahead of hockey.
I'll be doing colour tonight on the La Ronge broadcast. If you can't make it to the game, you can tune in online at mbcradio.com.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wednesday thoughts
We have snow on the ground and with that, the SJHL trade market is beginning to heat up. There seems to be no shortage of league news from the past week to break down.
Melville shook things up on Friday with a pair of trades. Zach Rakochy and Mark Owen were shipped to the Steinbach Pistons for 18-year-old forward Russell Trudeau, who produced at nearly a point-per-game pace last year. Trudeau got off to a quick start with two points in his first SJHL game against the Bruins on Saturday.
The Mils then sent Roger Tagoona to the North Stars for 20-year-old goalie Blake Voth. Voth backstopped the Vernon Vipers for the past two years and was shopped around by the Stars after returning from a USHL tryout. Despite dealing Rakochy, the Mils' tandem of Voth and Alex Wakaluk is a formidable one, assuming Voth lives up to expectations.
Also on Friday, Flin Flon sent defenceman Gabe Minville to Portage for 19-year-old forward Andrew Allan.
For more thoughts on those deals, check out my column in today's Mercury.
Since then, one marquee player has returned to the SJHL and a second one is likely on the way. Defenceman Woody Klassen has returned to the Battlefords after a stint with the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors. The 20-year-old made his debut last night against Flin Flon. Klassen is a premier point-producing blueliner who immediately makes the first-place Stars even more scary. There's no question they are a legitimate Credit Union Cup threat. It's good to see after they fell well short of expectations last year.
Meanwhile, Ice Wolves play-by-play man Daniel Fink is reporting that star centre Marc-Andre Carre has been waived by the CHL's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, and has since cleared waivers. It's very likely that he will now return to La Ronge to finish his last year of junior hockey.
The Wolves seem to be hitting their stride after a slow start and adding Carre, who tied for the league scoring lead last year, should make them a solid bet for a top-three finish in the north, at the least. Carre had one assist in five games of pro hockey.
Finally, Kindersley has shipped checking forward Ryan Elliot to Swan Valley for 18-year-old forward Beau Stewart, formerly of the Bombers. Elliot was brought in by the Klippers last December while I was covering the team and carved out a niche as an extremely hard-working energy guy who could chip in timely goals. It sounds like he's struggled to start this year though.
Melville shook things up on Friday with a pair of trades. Zach Rakochy and Mark Owen were shipped to the Steinbach Pistons for 18-year-old forward Russell Trudeau, who produced at nearly a point-per-game pace last year. Trudeau got off to a quick start with two points in his first SJHL game against the Bruins on Saturday.
The Mils then sent Roger Tagoona to the North Stars for 20-year-old goalie Blake Voth. Voth backstopped the Vernon Vipers for the past two years and was shopped around by the Stars after returning from a USHL tryout. Despite dealing Rakochy, the Mils' tandem of Voth and Alex Wakaluk is a formidable one, assuming Voth lives up to expectations.
Also on Friday, Flin Flon sent defenceman Gabe Minville to Portage for 19-year-old forward Andrew Allan.
For more thoughts on those deals, check out my column in today's Mercury.
Since then, one marquee player has returned to the SJHL and a second one is likely on the way. Defenceman Woody Klassen has returned to the Battlefords after a stint with the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors. The 20-year-old made his debut last night against Flin Flon. Klassen is a premier point-producing blueliner who immediately makes the first-place Stars even more scary. There's no question they are a legitimate Credit Union Cup threat. It's good to see after they fell well short of expectations last year.
Meanwhile, Ice Wolves play-by-play man Daniel Fink is reporting that star centre Marc-Andre Carre has been waived by the CHL's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, and has since cleared waivers. It's very likely that he will now return to La Ronge to finish his last year of junior hockey.
The Wolves seem to be hitting their stride after a slow start and adding Carre, who tied for the league scoring lead last year, should make them a solid bet for a top-three finish in the north, at the least. Carre had one assist in five games of pro hockey.
Finally, Kindersley has shipped checking forward Ryan Elliot to Swan Valley for 18-year-old forward Beau Stewart, formerly of the Bombers. Elliot was brought in by the Klippers last December while I was covering the team and carved out a niche as an extremely hard-working energy guy who could chip in timely goals. It sounds like he's struggled to start this year though.
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You can read my story on the Bruins' weekend split against the Mustangs and Millionaires, along with injury updates, here.
Also, the Bruins are holding their AGM tonight at the Days Inn, so check out next week's paper for a look at their financial picture from last season.
Edit - Also, congrats to Dylan Smith on being named the SJHL player of the week. Smitty put up five goals and four assists in three games, including a hat trick on Friday and a four-point night Saturday.
Edit - Also, congrats to Dylan Smith on being named the SJHL player of the week. Smitty put up five goals and four assists in three games, including a hat trick on Friday and a four-point night Saturday.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Bruins pull out tight win over Mustangs
Greasy is the word I'd use to describe tonight's 6-5 win over Melfort. There was another word that Keith used but I don't think it's suited for this blog.
It certainly was not an impressive performance, but in the end Dylan Smith's hat trick empty net goal stood up as the winner.
Give the Mustangs credit - not many people would have given the last-place club a chance tonight, but even after Smith's empty-netter made it 6-4 with 62 seconds to play, Melfort kept fighting and made it a one-goal game again when Carter Berg scored with 36 seconds left.
The Bruins found themselves down 3-1 midway through the game despite outshooting the 'Stangs by a wide margin. Two of those goals were ones I'm sure Brandon Stone would like to have back.
Melfort opened the scoring 33 seconds into regulation when Avery Van Blaricom followed the puck into the corner and the Bruins left Curtis Fontaine all alone in front. Van Blaricom managed to get the puck out to him and he lifted it over Stone's glove.
The Bruins tied it up at 8:33 on a great shift by Ben Johnstone that would end with him setting up a Calder Neufeld goal.
But the Mustangs pulled ahead again eight minutes later on some poor defensive coverage by Estevan that allowed Anthony Pickering to walk in for a quality chance. His wrister glanced off Stone (either his shoulder or blocker) and fluttered up and into the net.
Useless fact: all three goals in the first period came x minutes and 33 seconds into the game (0:33, 8:33, 16:33).
Pearce Gourley made it 3-1 nearly 12 minutes into the second on a five-hole shot that Stone got a piece of, but it trickled in.
The Bruins responded with two goals in 61 seconds late in the period. It began with a shorthanded rush that saw Cole Olson feed Taylor Reich for a goal at 17:23. Then Smith got his stick on a Dom Perrault point shot to tie it up going to the intermission.
Brendan Tash would put the Mustangs back on top at 1:08 of the third with a shorty of his own, but again the Bruins replied with a pair of quick goals.
The Neufeld-Olson-Smith line was reunited in the third period and it paid off. Smith's second of the night came on the power play at the seven-minute mark when he finished off a cross-ice feed from Olson on the doorstep.
Then, 47 seconds later, Matt Brykaliuk gave the Bruins their first lead of the night on a bad-angle shot that somehow got between Jesse Ehnisz and the post.
The Bruins were missing a pair of key guys tonight. Josh Jelinski won't play tomorrow in Melville and it's not clear yet if he'll be ready to return to the lineup next weekend against La Ronge. Austin Yano suffered a groin injury in practice this morning and also won't play tomorrow, but he's expected to start skating again on Monday.
Dylan Smith Nov. 4 by lewis94
Keith Cassidy Nov. 4 by lewis94
It certainly was not an impressive performance, but in the end Dylan Smith's hat trick empty net goal stood up as the winner.
Give the Mustangs credit - not many people would have given the last-place club a chance tonight, but even after Smith's empty-netter made it 6-4 with 62 seconds to play, Melfort kept fighting and made it a one-goal game again when Carter Berg scored with 36 seconds left.
The Bruins found themselves down 3-1 midway through the game despite outshooting the 'Stangs by a wide margin. Two of those goals were ones I'm sure Brandon Stone would like to have back.
Melfort opened the scoring 33 seconds into regulation when Avery Van Blaricom followed the puck into the corner and the Bruins left Curtis Fontaine all alone in front. Van Blaricom managed to get the puck out to him and he lifted it over Stone's glove.
The Bruins tied it up at 8:33 on a great shift by Ben Johnstone that would end with him setting up a Calder Neufeld goal.
But the Mustangs pulled ahead again eight minutes later on some poor defensive coverage by Estevan that allowed Anthony Pickering to walk in for a quality chance. His wrister glanced off Stone (either his shoulder or blocker) and fluttered up and into the net.
Useless fact: all three goals in the first period came x minutes and 33 seconds into the game (0:33, 8:33, 16:33).
Pearce Gourley made it 3-1 nearly 12 minutes into the second on a five-hole shot that Stone got a piece of, but it trickled in.
The Bruins responded with two goals in 61 seconds late in the period. It began with a shorthanded rush that saw Cole Olson feed Taylor Reich for a goal at 17:23. Then Smith got his stick on a Dom Perrault point shot to tie it up going to the intermission.
Brendan Tash would put the Mustangs back on top at 1:08 of the third with a shorty of his own, but again the Bruins replied with a pair of quick goals.
The Neufeld-Olson-Smith line was reunited in the third period and it paid off. Smith's second of the night came on the power play at the seven-minute mark when he finished off a cross-ice feed from Olson on the doorstep.
Then, 47 seconds later, Matt Brykaliuk gave the Bruins their first lead of the night on a bad-angle shot that somehow got between Jesse Ehnisz and the post.
The Bruins were missing a pair of key guys tonight. Josh Jelinski won't play tomorrow in Melville and it's not clear yet if he'll be ready to return to the lineup next weekend against La Ronge. Austin Yano suffered a groin injury in practice this morning and also won't play tomorrow, but he's expected to start skating again on Monday.
Dylan Smith Nov. 4 by lewis94
Keith Cassidy Nov. 4 by lewis94
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Johnstone shines on home ice
Script writer 1: So we've got this kid returning to his hometown with his new team in his rookie season. How should he do?
Script writer 2: Hat trick?
Script writer 1: Nah, too cheesy.
Script writer 2: Yeah I guess you're right.
You couldn't write the script for Ben Johnstone's homecoming in Carlyle last night. The rookie forward scored a hat trick, doubling his season goal total, to lead the Bruins to an 8-3 walloping of the Notre Dame Hounds in a neutral-site game at the Carlyle Sports Arena.
Here's what Ben had to say after a too good to be true performance in front of his family and friends.
Ben Johnstone Nov.2 by lewis94
Script writer 2: Hat trick?
Script writer 1: Nah, too cheesy.
Script writer 2: Yeah I guess you're right.
You couldn't write the script for Ben Johnstone's homecoming in Carlyle last night. The rookie forward scored a hat trick, doubling his season goal total, to lead the Bruins to an 8-3 walloping of the Notre Dame Hounds in a neutral-site game at the Carlyle Sports Arena.
Here's what Ben had to say after a too good to be true performance in front of his family and friends.
Ben Johnstone Nov.2 by lewis94
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wednesday tidbits
Good afternoon. The Bruins are preparing for a neutral-site home game tonight against the Notre Dame Hounds in Carlyle. Game time is 7:30 at Carlyle Sports Arena.
I'm heading up for the game, so check my twitter feed for updates and come back to the blog for a post-game recap.
It's the Bruins' first game since last Wednesday's 9-0 loss to the Terriers. That game is in the distant past now for the players, especially after their weekend trip to Grand Forks to check out the Fighting Sioux playing St. Cloud State.
Keith Cassidy called the trip "an eye-opener" for the players. Apparently there's nothing like watching a game at the Ralph, something I haven't experienced but hope to this winter.
Moving on to tonight's game, one of the focuses will obviously be on Ben Johnstone, who's from Carlyle. The rookie forward had a slow start to the year offensively but he's been heating up the last couple of weeks. It would be great to see him score one in his hometown.
In terms of roster notes, Dom Perrault will be back in the lineup and I believe Michael Hengen will be as well. Derek Tendler hasn't started since Oct. 21 in La Ronge and my guess is we'll see him tonight. That said, I don't have any info as to who will start.
If the Bruins' schedule wasn't already a little quirky, after two games this weekend they'll have ANOTHER full week off. Seriously?
I'm heading up for the game, so check my twitter feed for updates and come back to the blog for a post-game recap.
It's the Bruins' first game since last Wednesday's 9-0 loss to the Terriers. That game is in the distant past now for the players, especially after their weekend trip to Grand Forks to check out the Fighting Sioux playing St. Cloud State.
Keith Cassidy called the trip "an eye-opener" for the players. Apparently there's nothing like watching a game at the Ralph, something I haven't experienced but hope to this winter.
Moving on to tonight's game, one of the focuses will obviously be on Ben Johnstone, who's from Carlyle. The rookie forward had a slow start to the year offensively but he's been heating up the last couple of weeks. It would be great to see him score one in his hometown.
In terms of roster notes, Dom Perrault will be back in the lineup and I believe Michael Hengen will be as well. Derek Tendler hasn't started since Oct. 21 in La Ronge and my guess is we'll see him tonight. That said, I don't have any info as to who will start.
If the Bruins' schedule wasn't already a little quirky, after two games this weekend they'll have ANOTHER full week off. Seriously?
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If you haven't yet read Mike Stackhouse's blog post with comments from two former Neepawa Natives, please do. It contains a lot of disturbing information about the way Bryant Perrier treats his players.
The failure of the Natives' executive to dismiss Perrier is unacceptable and smacks of incredible arrogance. This is more fuel for the fire.
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You've no doubt heard about Raffi Torres and the uproar over his Jay-Z Halloween costume. I think the backlash is ridiculous. Here's why.
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The Canada West and Canada East rosters were named this week for the World Junior A Challenge. Canada West has 14 players from the BCHL, with Humboldt's Riley Kieser being the only SJHL player picked. Canada East has 17 players from the OJHL.
These two teams are supposed to represent 10 leagues. Five of those leagues don't have a single player on the roster. Another league, the SJ, only has one player. What a joke.
How about we send Team BCHL and Team OJHL next year?
Bruins on both ends of lopsided scores
Here's the story in today's Mercury about the Bruins' blowout win and blowout loss last week. Check back later today for a preview of tonight's game against the Hounds in Carlyle.
The Estevan Bruins learned why it's better to give than to receive last week.
A remarkable shift in less than 24 hours saw the Bruins go from flattening the Notre Dame Hounds 9-2 on Tuesday to getting slaughtered 9-0 by the Yorkton Terriers the next night.
The Jekyll and Hyde routine moved Estevan to 12-7 on the year, two points ahead of Weyburn in the battle for first place in the Sherwood Conference.
"You have a game like (Tuesday's win) and you're feeling really good about yourself and you feel like you can do nothing wrong, and you forget what you did to earn that," said Bruins head coach Keith Cassidy, who added that the difference between the two games "isn't personnel, it's the way we showed up mentally."
The only change to the lineup Wednesday was the absence of defenceman Dominic Perrault, who was attending to a personal matter. Jeff Bartel took his place.
After the loss to Yorkton, the Bruins got a week off leading into tonight's game against the Hounds in Carlyle. They used the time off to take a weekend trip to Grand Forks and watch the University of North Dakota take on St. Cloud State twice.
The Yorkton game began badly for the Bruins when a Terriers shot went off a skate and rolled slowly past goalie Steven Glass, barely crossing the goal line after hitting the post. Curtis Oliver got credit and would score another one 18 seconds later.
"We've gotta be mentally tough enough to battle through that and not let it affect us," Cassidy said. "Even from that point, I think we still had a reasonable effort. Our execution from that point on was pretty terrible."
Justin Lamontagne would give the Terriers a three-goal lead before the end of the period.
The visitors continued to bring the pain, scoring four times in the second with markers from Brady Norrish, Keven Cann, Riley Paterson and Zak Majkowski to open up a 7-0 cushion after 40 minutes.
Ryon Sookro and Lamontagne, with his second of the night, rounded out the scoring in the third.
Cassidy didn't make any excuses for the poor showing.
"I'm through with saying these guys are a young team. I'm through with saying it's five games in six nights. It doesn't matter when we play, we gotta show up and play."
Tuesday's win was a much happier affair for the Spectra Place faithful, with the game summary following much the same path.
Read the rest of the story here.
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The Estevan Bruins learned why it's better to give than to receive last week.
A remarkable shift in less than 24 hours saw the Bruins go from flattening the Notre Dame Hounds 9-2 on Tuesday to getting slaughtered 9-0 by the Yorkton Terriers the next night.
The Jekyll and Hyde routine moved Estevan to 12-7 on the year, two points ahead of Weyburn in the battle for first place in the Sherwood Conference.
"You have a game like (Tuesday's win) and you're feeling really good about yourself and you feel like you can do nothing wrong, and you forget what you did to earn that," said Bruins head coach Keith Cassidy, who added that the difference between the two games "isn't personnel, it's the way we showed up mentally."
The only change to the lineup Wednesday was the absence of defenceman Dominic Perrault, who was attending to a personal matter. Jeff Bartel took his place.
After the loss to Yorkton, the Bruins got a week off leading into tonight's game against the Hounds in Carlyle. They used the time off to take a weekend trip to Grand Forks and watch the University of North Dakota take on St. Cloud State twice.
The Yorkton game began badly for the Bruins when a Terriers shot went off a skate and rolled slowly past goalie Steven Glass, barely crossing the goal line after hitting the post. Curtis Oliver got credit and would score another one 18 seconds later.
"We've gotta be mentally tough enough to battle through that and not let it affect us," Cassidy said. "Even from that point, I think we still had a reasonable effort. Our execution from that point on was pretty terrible."
Justin Lamontagne would give the Terriers a three-goal lead before the end of the period.
The visitors continued to bring the pain, scoring four times in the second with markers from Brady Norrish, Keven Cann, Riley Paterson and Zak Majkowski to open up a 7-0 cushion after 40 minutes.
Ryon Sookro and Lamontagne, with his second of the night, rounded out the scoring in the third.
Cassidy didn't make any excuses for the poor showing.
"I'm through with saying these guys are a young team. I'm through with saying it's five games in six nights. It doesn't matter when we play, we gotta show up and play."
Tuesday's win was a much happier affair for the Spectra Place faithful, with the game summary following much the same path.
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