Hockey Math with Iginla & Crosby

87 + 12 = 99

Put another way ...

+

 

=

or...

Eastern Conference= Malkin Captians x 2

Put yet another way ...

 

Good luck, Jarome Iginla!!

And yet, a slightly different result...

Should have picked Boston?  Who knew?

Preston Fired. Robson Hired. NEW rebuild countdown?

"Somebody get me some Tums!"

Hope that finger is pointing down the road... or maybe at the new guy coming to replace him right in the middle of his EIGHT year special plan rebuild... Wikipedia UPDATED. Done and done.



Brad Robson



Well, Mr Robson.  Have you been working on your own version of a rebuild plan these past four years?  I am very much looking forward to your sixth overall pick this year.  Please try and pick a player we won't want to trade away before they turn 18?

Cease and Desist on Lethbridge Hurricanes Logo? Really?

Seriously?  The Washington Capitals are upset that the Lethbridge Hurricane looks too much like theirs?!

Our stick isn't even shooting the same way!!   Get lost, Ted Leonsis !!  Spend more time trying to get Ovechkin to score and LESS time harrassing the Lethbridge Hurricanes.  We are already in debt, we sure don't have any ROYALTY money for YOU!

So, I guess there are no similarities between other WHL team logos with NHL teams?

Funny!  I could almost SWEAR that I have seen a logo resembling the Portland Winterhawks somewhere before...   WHERE was it I wonder...  I will have to ask Kris Versteeg... Maybe he knows....

Here is Chicagos:

Here is the Neepawa Natives of Manitoba:



Charleswood Hawks MMJHL, Manitoba



Better just go with this one then to be on the safe side



Lethbridge at Medicine Hat - Devin Klein 1st star of game

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/62572

As motivated and as good as Ramsay and the Lethbridge Hurricanes were just a night earlier in Lethbridge,  from the drop of the puck, it was clear that the Tigers were informed in no uncertain terms that their coach, their fans, and their team mates would not accept a repeat of the previous nights' embarrassment.  Boston Leier got the message; loud and clear.  He was very good in this game.

I was a bit worried when I learned that Klein was going to be one of the officials, because the games that he is involved in never end well for the Canes.   He has always been full of himself, and to add malice to his arrogance, he got a real hate-on for Rich Preston when Preston drew attention to his inability to officiate during the Canes game in Kelowna where Preston finally saw more than he could take and let Klein know via his "controlled tantrum" in response to some of Klein's most incompetent work to date (The game of the phantom "spear" by Graham Hood who was penalized despite neither official witnessing the infraction, and no opposition player being injurred.  A Hurricane goal was revoked, and about a minute of the game was replayed)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFaZltFRrM&feature=player_detailpage#t=31s

http://reganbartel.blogspot.ca/2011/03/just-my-two-cents-on-prestons-antics.html

Devin Klein has always been the poster boy for "Narcissist," and I am reminded of this fact every time he "practices" his craft in Lethbridge.  Any and every time the puck goes in the corner or against the boards, this pompous fool is yelling, "MOVE...MOVE...MOVE" within a second of the puck and two players getting together.    Nobody wants to hear you, you dumbass!  Let the players play, just keep your trap shut while you get out of the way!  Play in the corners is just as much a part of the game as play in front of the net or across the red line, and in certain circumstances, it is very much a strategic advantage for a team in their management of zone time.  It is not against the rules of the game so don't impose your personal preferences on the play, you jackass!  Try to be INVISIBLE, not inevitable! 

When Devin Klein officiates, he behaves as if he feels he needs to be the first star of the game, the most noticeable skater on the ice, and an integral part of the competition and of the fan experience.

The officiating was nonfactoral until half way through the first period.   A few overlooked hooks and holds both ways went uncalled, which was fine.   Pilon was given a hooking penalty which was a good call, and that was it, until.... the game became a textbook sample of the incompetent officiating in the WHL.

It was as if he decided before the game began that he was going to do his part to get the Tigers their 8 goals to make up for their humiliating defeat suffered during mostly 5 on 5 play the night before in Lethbridge.  A game that if HE were officiating, I am certain would have ended quite differently.  And what of the second official?  Stephenson was trying to do a fair job, but in the end, he was just along for the ride.  Window dressing.  Being groomed by Klein to similar levels of incompetency and perversion.

** Watch the WHL Live video to see the blatent officiating incompetence **

At 8:26 of the first period, Pearce was checked by Maxwell and retaliated immediately by swinging his stick in Maxwell's face, cutting him, and earned 4 minutes for his efforts... NOT from Klein who watched the play disinterestedly from ten yards away yet decided it not worthy of a call, but instead from Stephenson, who made the call from centre ice, half the rink away.  But Klein would quickly regain the spotlight from his counterpart.

At about 9:50 into the first period during the Hurricanes powerplay that followed the same Pearce double-minor penalty, Ryckman threw Wong to the ice while no where near the puck, about 5 feet above the hash marks right in front of Lanigan (obvious interference), but no call was made to give the Canes a 5-on-3.

Only seconds later, at 10:00 of the first period, Bredo cross-checks Wong strongly, and from behind into the boards behind the Tigers net (thankfully, Wong was not injurred on the play.  It should have been cross-checking or boarding to result in a 5-on-3), but again, no call.  In the same sequence, as Wong was trying to get up without the puck, Ryckman pushes him (in the face) down to the ice yet again, (should have been either interference or roughing),... but instead, still no call.  A few seconds later, Watson pushes Bredo over the still prostrated Wong with a push,... and receives the only 2 minutes... to take away the remaining Cane powerplay.  Three blatent Tiger infractions overlooked then Watson was penalized to even things up. 

I don't know what the Cane coaches were doing during this play, but they most definitely should have been in the face of both officials defending the safety of their players and inquiring as to the missed calls and pointing out the three rule violations that were overlooked!

Was Watson's push a penalty?  Probably.  He pushed Bredo over Wong toward the boards and Bredo wasn't controlling the puck.  A play that happens all the time in the corners, yet is only called sometimes. 

Were there three missed infractions against Bredo and Ryckman in the ten seconds that preceded that penalty call that should have resulted in a Cane 5-on-3 before Watson ever had a chance to take a penalty?  Absolutely!  Watch the video!  Decide for yourself.  I sure wish that the head of WHL officials would watch it.  Klein should be permanently relieved of his duties and the WHL could begin the retraining of Stephenson, before its too late for him, too.  Instant evidence of biased and inconsistent officiating!

It was at this point, I realized the Hurricanes were not going to get a fair game as long as Klein was involved.

After the penalty call on Watson, the homer-fool calling the color play-by-play with Ridley talked only about the "vicious cross-check out of no where" by Watson.   It was certainly neither "vicious" nor "out of no where."  Bredo fell only because Wong was at his feet, and Bredo didn't even hit the boards as he fell.  If Wong were not at his feet, Bredo would not have likely even fallen from the push by Watson;  that is how non-vicious the push was.  There was of course, no mention in their rose-colored-glasses-for-the-home-team commentary of any of the three blatent Tiger infractions against Wong in the preceding ten seconds that were overlooked.   Nice broadcasting, Homers!

This is why Canes fans don't often go to games in the Alberta version of "Deliverance," and why I cannot stand to listen to the squeaky and annoying commentary of Ridley and company.   It is really a bad experience for opposition team fans.  Even if you don't get beer spilled on you from all sides while sitting in the stands,  and even if there isn't some inbred yelling "don't you have any Canadians on that team?" (after Alberta-born Colton Yellow Horn has just scored), the fans in that arena have no clue about competition or fair play, or about enjoying a hockey game without destroying it for everyone around them.   They are quick to boo the home team, and they are quick to celebrate opposition injuries;  I have personally witnessed both of these rituals in my previous visits. All home team fans obviously have bias, but Tiger fans... how do I put this without offending the rare exceptions...are morons.

(Leier scored a beauty, embarrassing defenseman Pilon who was impersonating a pylon, less than a minute into the four on four play that should have been a 5-on-3 Cane powerplay).  Period would end 1-0, Tigers.

Second Period - A period dominated by officiating bias

Staples placed a real nice shot under the bar to beat Chris Tai who was down in the butterfly and conveniently screened by d-man Joel Topping, less than 3 minutes into the second period to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

What followed, was yet another blatent example of Klein's bias and incompetence in this game for anyone willing to watch the video.   Six minutes into the second period, on the same play where Macoy Erkamps made a pretty good hockey play to check Valk to the ice, Shrinkaruk drives the net very intentionally pushing Watson (who was trying to stop in front of his net) from behind into goaltender Chris Tai and the net off its moorings...  Kleins' verdict?? -- instead of Shrinkaruk getting two minutes for blatent goaltender interference, Klein gives only a cross-checking penalty to Erkamps?  Just another bad decision by a biased official, and he missed the only dangerous infraction on the play which was Shrinkaruk's play into the back of Watson at the tender.  At worst, it should have been two minutes for each. 

Again, where were the Canes coaches after this call?  Maybe they already know that trying to appeal to Klein about anything is impossible, but that missed call on Shrinkaruk would prove pivotal in the play and continuing poor officiating that followed.  At least try to appeal to Stephenson; maybe he would have paid some attention to the play that followed.

40 seconds later while the Tigers were on the powerplay, Pearce gives Chris Tai an extra slash under the chin after he froze the puck,  and Henry gives him a face wash for this action, and wouldn't you know it, Klein-the-omnipotent and merciful, lets Pearce off scott-free, and gives Henry the only penalty to put the Canes down 5-on-3.  How is that the right call?  (Once again, the moron homer color-commentator says something to the effect of "Pearce is just doing his job, going to the dirty areas of the ice," omitting the part about him hacking at the goaltender after the puck was clearly frozen... while going to the dirty parts of the ice).

The WHL claims that they are a development league for officials, and that is fine, but Klein is terrible, and has cost teams games unfairly throughout his time in the league.  Klein has been especially vindictive toward the Hurricanes ever since he provoked Preston into a water-bottle tossing scene in Kelowna.

Valk made a great shot from the slot to make it 3-0 early in this 5-on-3 awarded unfairly by Klein, and the Hurricane players seemed to realize it was going to be impossible to play against both a refocussed Tigers team and the officials.

At 10:03 of the second, a couple of shifts later, as Ridley and his color bitch were praising Doty's "sportsmanship" for NOT running into Chris Tai on a rush, the incompetent officiating expose continued. 

Staples makes a reckless and cowardly play by running Russell Maxwell into the boards from behind,... no call, and of course, Ridley and his seeing-eye-dog are just as blind to the dangerous play as the oblivious officials. 

A mini scrum ensues along the boards in the Canes zone as Ryan Pilon takes notice of the dangerous hit and grabs Staples to have a conversation about the hit, and while they continue to wrestle one-on-one, Ryckman comes in and knocks Pilon away from Staples, tackling him to the ice.  Erkamps and Labelle square off until Erkamps catches him squarely on the chin and knocks him down.   Klein watches Broadhead pull Maxwell's jersey over his head, but according to him,  that is within the rules of the game and displays good sportsmanship??

After all the body part protectors are collected, Pilon and Ryckman each get two minutes (ok), Erkamps and Labelle each get five (naturally), but the cowardly root cause of the entire melee, Staples, receives a free pass for his dirty check, as does Broadhead for his bullying, both against Maxwell, while CanesTyler Wong, who was sitting on the Canes bench the entire time, somehow earns a 10-minute misconduct despite not having been on the ice at any point during the play!  Nice work, Klein and company!  Very thorough detective work!

Shortly after, McVeigh scores a nice goal even-strength on a nice shot off a single handed unassisted rush from his own blue line, and its 4-0 Tigers.

Initially awarded to Graham Hood, the Canes finally get on the board a minute later following a rush by Jamal Watson and a puck left in the crease in front of Lanigan.  The puck must have bounced in off of the Tiger's defence since the goal was later credited to Watson, suggesting Hood's rush to the net did not involve contact with the puck.

The very next shift, during another scrum along the boards (again, you need to watch the replay to see how ridiculous this sequence and call is),  Klein somehow figures that despite each player battling with near equal effort and aggression with neither comitting any real obvious foul, at the end of the play, Ramsay deserved two minutes while McVeigh was innocent.  During this same play along the boards, Spenser Jensen held Josh Derko's stick tightly under his arm for a full TEN SECONDS of game time, but apparently holding the stick is not against the rules as long as you are wearing a Tiger jersey, when Klein is officiating.  -  And the onslaught of incompetence continues!

Shrinkaruk would score less than a minute into this most recent undeserved powerplay, and the momentum is right back in the home team's favor while the deficit on the scoreboard increased to 5-1.

Third Period

Pearce hacked at Reid Duke's feet taking him down early in the third, and not even corrupt and paid off officials can get away with letting that obvious infraction go.  They did however, pass up an opportunity to award the Canes a 5-on-3 when Boston Leier hooked and dragged down Joel Topping behind the Cane net during that same penalty kill.  Both Klein and Stephenson watched the entire play as there was nothing else to look at, but they were both duped sufficiently as Leier was smarter then both of them and crafty enough to fall down as he was taking Topping down with his stick held behind his back.  Brutal officiating exhibit #9.

Four minutes into the third period, Wong is hacked and hooked during a breakaway and is unable to get a shot on net.  Klein sees an opportunity to be a star and he theatrically awards a penalty shot.  During the Wong penalty shot, the idiot color man has nothing better to say than to talk about the fans booing the penalty shot decision.... as if booing is anything unusual in that urine-stenched barn of drunken idiots.  What exactly did he add to the broadcast with comments like that?

On the Canes final goal of the night, Wong makes a strong play on Ryckman in the high slot, causing him to turn over the puck in the Tiger's zone (ironically, in about the same spot as where Ryckman pulled Wong down, when Wong didn't have the puck, earlier in the game, but for some reason, the Tiger broadcasters didn't have anything to say about that play), the play continued and Reid Duke scores on a nice shot, beating Lanigan-its-in-again high glove-side while partially screened by Ryckman. 5-2 Tigers.

Once again the moron color man adds his two cents saying that Ryckman was interferred with, and then the Tiger's veteran commentator, Bob-the-squeakbox-clueless-Ridley adds the same nonsense.  Guys, when you have the puck, and you get checked by the opponent, is not referred to as "interference," its called "hockey," its pretty popular in Canada, you should get out and watch a game sometime. 

Shortly after this, Koules makes a pass back to Lewington at the point which is deflected out of the zone by Graham Hood, and Klein-the-dumbass just watches and ignores Lewington push his arm into Hood's chest as Hood tries to skate after the puck (this, Mr Ridley, IS called interference, but only by competent and unbiased broadcasters, and by competent and unbiased officials, in both WHL and in NHL arenas, all across the country)

At 6:48, Ryckman was caught for another obvious hooking infraction, and during that Cane powerplay, Lewington probably saved a goal as he got away with another obvious hook under the arm of Reid Duke above the paint.  Predictably and laughably, the Tiger's color man guest immediately commented about what a great play Lewington made to "come to the aid of his goaltender."

It looked like Watson roofed a cross-crease pass with a shot into wide open top half of the net as the twine shot up about 2 inches during the powerplay during some sustained pressure, but it must have been a stick hitting the twine as it was immediately waived off by the stripes,... although who knows?

9:05 - Broadhead cross-checks Russell Maxwell from behind near the blue line at the top of the Canes zone, then takes the puck in and shoots on Tai.  The save is made, and Maxwell comes in and takes the body hard but cleanly on Broadhead.  Pilon and Staples are assessed 10 minutes, Maxwell got two for roughing, and Broadhead received nothing, despite delivering a very unsportsmanlike push on Maxwell once he realized he wasn't getting tagged for a penalty.  Klein watched the push from five feet away and it should have negated any powerplay, but he didn't make the call.

10:04 - Tripping penalty assessed to Brady Ramsay - Yet another pathetic call made by this dynamic duo.  Lanigan came out to the far boards to play the puck during the Tiger powerplay and he could have just as easily been given a penalty for interference as he held his stick out forcing Ramsay to go widely around him to pursue the puck.  As Ramsay chased Bredo around the net, Bredo literally fell on his own, no hook and no stick in the feet whatsoever from Ramsay; just pursuit.   An opportunity for Klein-the-magnificent to award the Tigers another 5-on-3.

10:30 - Unearned 5-on-3... again. Valk in the slot... again.  Good shot... again.  6-2 Tigers.

10:49 - Tigers press after a offensive zone face off.  Canes have lost interest.  Chris Tai overplays a puck and is way out of the net, Broadhead scores into the empty net left behind.  7-2 Tigers.

12:34 - Final "lowlight of the night" from the archives of this exhibition of incompetent officiating.  Reid Duke comes around the net after a nice rush with the puck up ice into the Tiger zone and makes a strong and clean hit on Cole Sanford.  From centre ice,  clueless-in-Seattle-Klein calls him for "charging."  Duke can't believe it.  Heck, Sanford can't believe it.  There isn't a hockey analyst in this country that would agree with Klein's call that Duke should have been given a penalty on that check.  PATHETIC and indefensible. He should be suspended from officiating.  Does Klein even know what "charging" involves?  If the WHL won't fire him, he should just quit on his own and try to find something he might be good at.



Before the final series after the mini-melee, they showed Clouston with his chest puffed out, prancing confidently across the Tigers bench.    He won't have this same look after the Blades finish the Tigers in four games.  It won't even be close.... unless they bring Klein along in the bus. Then all bets are off.  With Klein and company on your side, the other team has no chance.

This was a meaningless game for both clubs, and Klein saw an opportunity to earn first star.  The Tigers played well, but the Canes did not play poorly.   It is really unfortunate that this officiating duo took away all possibility of a fair game to end the season for the Hurricanes.

Tirade complete.

UFC 158 Georges St Pierre VS Nick Diaz - Saturday, March 16, 2013, Montreal

Georges St Pierre VS Nick Diaz



George has been so respectful of his opponents... until now.  Will this one need a decision?   Is GSP afraid of Diaz?   Will he regret acting so (atypically) confident?  "Are you crazy in the head?"




Carlos Condit VS Johny Hendricks - A very nice penultimate match-up.  This one could be over in seconds.  The longer it takes, the more likely Condit is to win.

No playoffs. No problem. Canes embarrass Tigers 8-fore in Lethbridge!

THANK YOU LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES!

The Lethbridge Hurricanes were down 4-2 after 40 minutes, then found a way to fire 26 shots at Merek Someone-or-other-hamer and score 6 unanswered goals in the third to send the fans from Medicine Hat home in plenty of time to watch it all again tomorrow night in their home town.



Monster Brady Ramsay



Josh Hossa Derko



Russell Parise Maxwell






Graham Hitman Hood



Ty Allsave Rimmer




The Real Macoy Erkamps

  

Ryan Plus-Five Pilon




Tyler Wild Thing Wong

 I shouldn't single out just a few players in this game where everyone played so well, but in no particular order, these guys were all awesome in this game.  26 shots in the third period! Wow!  Where was this effort all year?

Doesn't it drive a team NUTS when they see what kind of performance they are capable of... when they actually try?

Thank you, Lethbridge Hurricanes!  That was priceless.  Memorable for a long time!  Looking forward to watching the Tigers lose four straight to the Blades!

4-2 Canes over Ice. Hood nets winner. Hackman gets first WHL goal.

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/62554



Captain Graham Hood





Lenny Ironman Hackman



Congratulations to Lenny Hackman, who has played so well all year for the Hurricanes, for scoring a well deserved goal.  A "defence first" player, Ironman-Hackman scored his WHL goal while four-on-four in his 70th game, and it was a very nice goal!  The puck was quickly retrieved by his team mates, and the 3700+ in attendance all seemed to be aware of the significance of this particular tally.  Thanks for your hard work, Lenny, and have a great summer!  See you in the fall!

The Hurricanes final two games of the season will be against their most hated rival, the Medicine Hat Tigers.  Unfortunately for the Canes, the two games are for pride only.  The Canes played one of their best games since Christmas against the Kootenay Ice in this one that meant nothing.  Cane fans are hoping for the same effort this weekend against the Tigers to send us home for the summer to look forward to this fall.

3-1 Kootenay Ice over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Can you hear her?

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How do you grade the Lethbridge Hurricane "Coaching" staff:

1. Four straight years with the same core coaching group making all the decisions, calling all the plays, choosing the team, making the trades, drafting the players (even TRADING away their FIRST ever and HIGHEST ever Hurricane pick (Jay Merkley, #3 overall, 2010 Bantam draft), teaching, motivating, grooming...
2. Four straight years missing the playoffs, and they will finish the year with FEWER wins this year than last year.
3. In a "must win" game to extend your playoff chances, this is how you prepare OUR team?

• Only 13 then 9 shots in the first and second periods?
• Down 3 to 1 to start the third, and you coach your players to take THREE penalties and are able to motivate them so successfully to get THREE shots on goal in the last 20 minutes fighting for your playoff lives?  Is this REALLY the highest level of compete these players have?  This is your idea of "push back?"  Looked more like "push over."

My favorite 2012/2013 Lethbridge Hurricane coaches quips from their fourth straight year missing the playoffs:

"If we can just .... we'll be fine..." (CC)
"They don't have a better team than us, they just have a better record." (RP)
"We don't practice the 5-on-3 because they rarely happen in this league." (RP)
"You tell me, Pat, and we will both know." (RP)

What next?

I haven't decided if the GM is incompetent or if the head coach is incompetent, or both?
I haven't decided if the GM's previous relationship with a group that has previously expressed interest in purchasing this team has anything to do with the depreciation of this hockey club; though it sure seems so.
If he is actually trying to succeed, would you not argue that he is simply lousy at his job(s)?
How much longer does the publicly owned Lethbridge Hurricanes Board of Directors allow this man to run this city's team while he continues to deliver such poor results?


How many years does it take to "build/rebuild" a WHL team in the Eastern Conference?

• Edmonton Oil Kings went from 11th (first year in the league, 2008) to 8th place and a playoff berth (2009) to 12th; 3 points worse than the Hurricanes (2010) to 7th and another playoff berth (2011) to 1st (2012) and seem very likely to repeat at 1st again (2013).
• Calgary Hitmen went from 1st (2009 & 2010) to 12th for only one year (2011) then back to 3rd (2012), and are currently in 3rd (2013) and more likely to rise to 2nd then fall to fourth.
• Red Deer Rebels went from 11th (2009) to 6th (2010) to 2nd (2011) to 9th (2012) and back to solidly in 4th this year (2013).

How much longer does Rich Preston need to "rebuild" this team just to reach an 8th place playoff berth?

PATHETIC!  Time to find a new career more suitable to your skill set!

Two wins against the Ice, or Curtains?

Canes, Ice, or Tigers vs Oil Kings in first round?

The Canes managed zero points in their three most recent "must win" games this past week against Red Deer (twice) and the Calgary Hitmen.  Thankfully, the Kootenay Ice scores were also a bit thin on their recent trip south of 49, and as a result, the Eastern Conference playoff race continues for this final week of the regular season.

Both Ice and Canes have 4 games remaining.  It is possible for the Ice to catch the Tigers for third place with wins against the Canes and Hitmen.  With their recent lack of performance, the Canes are able to catch only the Ice for the eighth and final spot, and with only one win in their past 12 games, they are lucky to even have a chance, and even less likely to deliver the victories to fans.

For the first time this season, the Canes truly "must win" both their Tuesday and Wednesday games against the Ice.  At very worst, they can give up single points in both games, but the Canes MUST get wins via either OT or the shoot-out in both games to still have a mathematical chance at the post-season.  If the ice wins either of these two games in regulation or otherwise, or if the Ice gets to 71 points in the games that follow, then the Canes are immediately eliminated from playoff contention... Officially.

If the Canes do only just scrape by with OT or shoot-out victories, then not only do they have to hope for two Ice (regulation time) losses in their final two games against the Hitmen, the Canes would also have to win both of their final two games against the Tigers just to create a tie-break at 70 points with the Ice. (Regular season end tie breaks are also possible between the two clubs at 68 and 69 points).

Best case for the Canes?   Run the table with 2 regulation time wins against the Ice and 2 (any way they can get them) wins against the Tigers.  This would get the Canes to 70 points, but it would mean that the Ice would have to get at least 3 of 4 points from the Hitmen in order to avoid the 70 point tie break.

And what does all this get the eighth place team in the Eastern Conference?  A chance at WHL immortality and the underdog achievement of all time if they can conjure an upset against the Edmonton Oil Kings who will be favored against either club by everyone on the planet who has ever heard of the WHL, by, oh I don't know, at LEAST 100-1.

...And the Ice thickens... or is it the plot??

Must win? Could have gone either way right up to the ninth unanswered Hitmen goal!

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/62537

At the end of four years of rebuilding while making all the decisions, and in a "must win" situation for his team,  Rich Preston's team takes a 0-9 drubbing at the hands of the Calgary Hitmen.

Really?  This is how the Hurricanes bench boss inspires his club to achieve greatness in a "must win" game?  Was this goaltender also "the best in the league?"

Absolutely disgraceful!  And leave your #1 netminder in for 8 goals?!  You have ONE win in your past ten with Rimmer in net.  How much worse do you think it is going to hurt your chances if your backup plays once in a while?  What exactly does this coach DO on the bench... other than to call time-outs prior to 5-on-3s only to pace on the bench for 30 seconds while his 4th from worst in the league "PP line" has a rest.

If I was a Lethbridge Hurricane board member that cared about the ongoing viability of this club (and I hope and expect that they all care), I would/should be considering what GM in the WHL would keep a coach with a four year record as bad as Rich Preston's.   The season is not officially over yet, but it looks like the Canes will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.  No team in the Western conference has missed the playoffs these four straight years.   No team in the Eastern conference has missed the playoffs these four years. 

If after the Canes are mathematically eliminated from 2012-2013 playoff contention,  Rich Preston does not announce that he is stepping down as coach and beginning the search for a qualified successor, then the board should have grounds to terminate him (without penalty) for breach of contract.

Thankfully for Rich Preston and his Hurricanes, the Spokane Chiefs were able to defeat the Kootenay Ice in regulation, keeping his playoff hopes alive for one more game.

Rankin scores 3 for Tri-City against Ice - Another Canes 5 on 3 PP just rank

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/62527

With three goals and five points against the Kootenay Ice by the North Vancouver product, Connor Rankin, Tri-City gave Lethbridge a great chance to get back into the playoff fight.  Unfortunately for the hapless Canes, a broken stick on an attempted shot from the point resulted in an empty net goal and the second of the night for Tyson Ness of the Rebels.  Yet another squandered opportunity to draw within four points of the Kootenay Ice for the final playoff position in the Eastern conference.

The Canes don't have to wait long for another opportunity to draw within striking distance of the Ice.  The Canes will have an hour head start as they face off against the Hitmen at 7pm at the Saddledome Saturday night.  Kootenay will try to match the motivation of Spokane as the Chiefs try to overtake the Tri-City Americans in the seesaw battle for the final home place spot in the Western Conference.

Maybe too tall an ask for the Canes now, but if the Canes can somehow find some heart and two points with it in Calgary Saturday night, the Tuesday-Wednesday home and home with the Ice should be very interesting for both clubs.

An unsensored blog for Lethbridge Hurricanes fans

The Lethbridge Hurricanes may not be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs come this Sunday, but if they cannot defeat both Red Deer and Calgary while on the road this weekend,  the final four games against the Kootenay Ice and the Medicine Hat Tigers will just be prolonging the agony for Canes fans while at the same time, providing some soft and disinterested competition for the visitors.

With a couple of unlikely road wins though, and the past month will be quickly forgotten. The Cane faithful will be right back on Cane Train, ready to fill the seats at the Enmax centre for two more daunting challenges.

While I can't give up all hope on this group completely, with each missed opportunity the chances for captain Hood and our Hurricanes to reach the playoffs just seems beyond their reach for yet another year.  If the Canes do miss the playoffs again this year, they will be the only team in the Eastern Conference to have missed each of the last four years.   Despite having accumulated more points than last season already, with six more games to play, they still need to win three more games to equal their win total from last season.

I am afraid Rich jumped the gun on this interview by a couple of weeks.  Maybe a couple of years.




http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/HARDER+Patience+pays+Lethbridge+Hurricanes+head+coach+Rich+Preston/7929982/story.html