(Under) A Minute to Win it in Edmonton

5-3 Hurricanes over Edmonton Oil Kings

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/65442

This is definitely not the same Edmonton Oil Kings team that came to Lethbridge in early 2012 that made the Canes look like a girl's bantam hockey club.

They looked much slower, much less organized, and even a bit disinterested.  Despite this, they were still clearly the better hockey team for most of this hockey game.

A strong first period performance by Corbin Boes gave the Lethbridge Hurricanes a chance in this one.  Out played for the majority of the game, the Canes caught a break and capitalized first when Watson netted the first goal and despite being outshot 20 to 7 after 20 minutes, they enjoyed a 1-0 lead.

Seemingly inspired by a early third period Tyler Wong goal, Ramsay and Blomqvist would make great shots to notch their first goals of the season.  All three would count and have them at centre ice again in less than a minute, and to the surprize of the Oil Kings and themselves, they then owned a 4-2 lead.

Henrik-I'll-hit-you-everytime-from-behind-Samuelsson was up to his usual cowardess in this one.  Such a talented player, and yet an absolutely despicable and ruthless one.  No question, for me he is easily in the Top-5 of the dirtiest and most cowardly players I've ever watched in the WHL.

He accidentally on purpose threw his stick into the face of Russ Maxwell to earn the games' first sin-bin-sit almost half way through the first.  After throwing a few elbows into the faces of oncoming Hurricanes without consequence, he finally got caught again for his second two minute infraction of the game when he made his usual and customary hit from behind.  Then, for an encore, and since, for some reason unknown to me, no Hurricane would hit this pussy coward, he ran his elbow into an unsuspecting Blomqvist in the neutral zone to send him to the showers (or hospital?) 7 minutes into the third.  Its the same thing every time with this kid.  Good thing his old man has such persuasive power over the WHL discipline office.  Any other player would have been thrown out of the league for the malicious play he has gotten away with.

I was hoping that Yakubowski or Derko would show Samuelssen what a clean hit looked like after this, but apparently revenge wasn't on the list today... just the victory.

Samuelssen is only the second player I've watched play in the WHL (Former Medicine Hat Tiger Derek Dorsett being the first) that makes me want to see a player leave the ice crying with a bleeding and broken nose from an opposition teams fist.  We do meet them five more times this year; there is always next game.

Hurricanes 2 at Tigers 6 - Revenge is a dish best left unserved?

http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/65413

No blatant incident(s) of officiating problems in this one (Just the usual and customary inconsistency and incompetence that WHL fans expect).   This was a decent practice/scrimmage for the Tigers against a less than mediocre opponent.

Canes showed little to no resolve to make amends for previous evening embarrassment at their season and home opener in Lethbridge.  Tigers remained more determined to start their season 2 and 0, and to send their faithfuls home with a good feeling about the year to come.   The real test for the Tigers is coming up next week against the Oil Kings.

Token fight of the night featured Spencer vs Spenser.  No real victor in this one, though SpenCer (Lethbridge) gets a point for being on the upside after the throw-down.

Canes 0/9 for the weekend (season totals) power play, while Tigers managed 3/11.

Next up:  Lethbridge in Kootenay to battle the Ice, Friday, Sept 27, 2013

2013-2014 Season Series record in opposing each other:  Tigers 2/2, Canes 0/2 (8 matches)     

Medicine Hat Tigers 6 at Lethbridge Hurricanes 1

  
http://www.whl.ca/video/index/id/1379788371

All the hype from the local media and new coaching staff about the Canes early season high level of conditioning was sure not evident in this one.... unless the Tigers have started calling themselves "Canes."

Nice tilt less than a minute in featuring Tigers #5 Lewington and Canes captain #28 Derko.  Derko surprised Lewington with a solid right and Derko finished on top with the take-down.  Decision to Derko in this one.

Cheater-Clouston trains his boy, Cox, to accidentally on purpose run over the Canes rookie tender, Hogue, early in the scoreless first.  The Tigers were only charged two for what should have been a 5-minute major penalty on Cox.  Small price to pay for the momentum it generated.

Wong has several logos from the Enmax boards now transferred to the front of his helmet, thanks to the Tiger defenders.  I can't help but wonder if those companies will have to now pay extra for the extra advertising space.  No penalties called on any of these hits from behind, in case you were wondering.

Insult to injury.  If the Canes had any hopes of mounting a third period comeback, the two blind mice made sure that was not going to happen in this season opener.   #10 Broadhead has already been suspended for cheating this pre-season, so he decided to conceal his cheating a bit better.  Recognizing he was the middle attack man on a Tiger 3 on 1 and that he has pretty much zero offensive talent, Broadhead ignored the puck and ran straight into the Cane defender resulting in a easy 2 on 0 goal for the remaining Tiger attackers.  What any minor league official would have recognized as interference, was somehow not seen by the idiots calling this game.   The goal should have been waived off and a 2 minute powerplay awarded to the Canes.  At 4-1 with plenty of time left in the third, it would have been nice to see the game play out with the Canes chance at 4-2.  Instead the goal stood and it was 5-1 at center ice.

Next up:  The Canes in Medicine Hat Saturday, Sept 21, for the Tigers Home Opener.  It always smells like rats in that arena, but this year with the flooding, its going to smell like wet rats.  Good luck getting a fair shake in that barn.  Looks like an 0-2 start for the Canes may is imminent.