Starting With Game Thoughts
The Klippers have now dropped 3 games in a row and are in their toughest skid of the season. Last nights game was a very similar story to the past few games. The Klippers for the most part outplayed their opponent but couldn't get the W. This is becoming a huge cause for concern as it doesn't matter how many shots your firing at the opponents goalie or opportunities you are creating , you need to bare down and get things done. The loss of Andrew Dommett is starting to become evident. When Andrew is in the game for the Klippers alot of these one goal games could of certainly went the Klippers way. Nonetheless Larry mentioned that the team can not make excuses , they are happy with the group of guys right now but some guys need to be held accountable. This team on paper is a championship team and there is no excuses to the way this team is playing. On to the good news though , it's a long season , and a tough patch will usually always come to any team. The Klippers could certainly turn things around at any time and rally off 5 or 6 straight wins, and that could start tonight against Nipiwin.
A few game notes :
- Justin McDonald had a tough game last night. He let in 4 goals on 20 shots and was pulled in the second. For a rookie goaltender that can sometimes be expected. I think Justin has been very solid in the pipes this season and that maybe his nerves got to him. For the kid it must of been tough , with lots of factors going on in his head. Scotty Hellyer just quit , leaving him as the only goalie on the roster this weekend , until Alexandre Pec arrives from BC likely early next week.
- Patrick Johnson came in for relief in the second period and saved all 12 shots that were fired his way. I was very impressed with the kid , especially considering he just arrived in Melfort before the game and was put into a tough situation. If Patrick plays in Kindersley next season then the Klippers will have a very good 1-2 combo with McDonald and Johnson next year.
- Sanfred King got back on the goal sheet. This is great for the Klippers. Sanfred has been putting up points all season long but when he starts scoring he really seems to heat up. Kinger played awesome last night scoring 2 goals and he could go on a tear like he was on to start the season. He is certainly capable of it.
- Klippers penalty kill went 4-4 last night against the leagues number 2 PP. The penalty kill truly looks to be coming into form. 3 out of the past 4 games the PK has looked good. It struggled against Yorkton but your pk is not going to go 100 % every game.
- Klippers now have 23 players on the roster. This is a good number to be at for the team. Rather than sitting 4 or 5 guys out each game , they now only have to sit out 2 or 3. This is good because it will allow the 3rd and 4th lines to build more chemistry
My Thoughts On The Trades
I have mentioned all the deals in my past few posts , but I havent really got into detail on what I think on the deals.
- Starting with the Scotty Hellyer trade. Firsty on Scotty , he quit the team because of a lack of passion for the game not because he didn't want to be a Klipper. The Klippers have went out and dealt his rights to the BCHL in exchange for Alexandre Pec. Hellyer may or may not report to the BCHL, I don't know what he is thinking at this point because I have not talked to him but I will be surprised to see him report. From the info I have gathered he truly quit hockey completely , but we will have to wait and see.
- On the Alexandre Pec front , I think this is a great trade for the Klippers. They get a goalie with a proven track record who was having a tough year for the Cowichan Capitals. A change of scenery may just be what the doctor ordered. I had a chat with Lorne Hill one of the Klippers long time scouts. He said he was very excited about the trade , and thinks Alexandre will fit right into this team. He also mentioned he has seen Alexandre play a few times over the past couple seasons and thinks hes a great goaltender.
- Onto Pearce Gourley and Beau Taylor. Tough situation for both kids. They are both great team guys and both also helped pitch in at times this season. For Pearce Gourley , he was in tough with Justin Gerwing playing so well. Gerwing has out performed Gourley and in my mind that is what the decision came down to. I do believe Gourley has a solid future in the SJHL and will become a force as a 19 or 20 year old. I wish him the best of luck. As for Beau Taylor , another great kid in the community and for the team. He was in tough from the get go with all the rookies and returning vets back on the team. He was a bit inconsistent this year and didn't really fit into the lineup. I think he can still be a very solid player on another team. I know this was a very tough decision for Larry to make and he is trying really hard to send Beau to a good situation. Afterall the kid is from Austrailia.
- Onto Brett Penner : He has requested a trade from the club. Thats all I can report on this at the time, but I will keep you updated.
So that's the update on the trade front. Larry is still trying to find homes for those 3 players. It is uncertain if the Klippers will get anything back in exchange so we will have to wait and see.
Thats your weekend Klipper round up , for more info listen to my interview with Larry Wintoneak in the previous post. I may have more come game time , so check back.
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