Thunder Talk

Thunder Talk: March 4th

2009-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

At the risk of understating things a little, I'm very pleased to see that we have some signs of life. Our D-Zone coverage, especially in front of our own net, was suspect in the early stages of the game and that cost us early. As the game went on we became more aggressive everywhere on the ice and that was a major reason for pulling out the win.

Another huge difference last night was that our best players were our best players. When the Bouey-Minshull-Wasyliw line is flying it gives the rest of the team energy and opportunities to the other lines like the Bzdel-Derkach-Hladun line who buried the winner in the 3rd.

It's nice to see us hitting our stride last night and we need to continue in that vein the rest of the way. If we do, we can climb into the second round.

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I've been enjoying watching Tradecentre 09 Live on TSN.ca today. The most interesting moves so far:

- Jordan Leopold goes back to Calgary.
- Oli Jokinen to Calgary.
- Pascal LeClaire to Ottawa.
- Mark Recchi to Boston.
- Billy Guerin to Pittsburgh
- Daniel Carcillo to Philly for Scotty Upshall and 2nd Rnd pick. Interesting fit for both. (1:45 pm)
- Antropov to Rangers. (1:48 pm)
- Derek Morris to Rangers (Deadline)
- Dominik Moore to Buffalo (Deadline)
- Steve Eminger to Tampa (Deadline)
- Sami Paulson to Chicago (Dealine)
- Travis Moen and Kent Huskin to San Jose for Prospects and a Pick(Deadline)
- Justin Williams to LA for Patrick O'Sullivan (Deadline)
- Patrick O'Sullivan to Carolina to Edmonton for Eric Cole (Deadline)
- Kolzig and others to Toronto (Deadline)
- Ales Kotalik to Edmonton (Deadline)

Biggest news might be the guys not moved:
- Bouwmeester stays in Florida.
- Pronger stays in Anaheim.
- Neil stays in Ottawa.
- Kaberle stays in Toronto

Deadline was 2 pm SK time.
Watch for yourself at: http://www2.tsn.ca/window/tradecentre.aspx

Highlights of TradeCentre 09:

Duthie to McGuire: "You know you really need to get off the fence on some of these issues Pierre..."

Thunder Talk: March 3rd

2009-03-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

Once a week Kenny Trenton from CK750/CJVR checks in with us to give us his view of the NorthEast Hockey Scene.

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Hey hockey fans!

This is the greatest time of the year. Playoff hockey is here in all leagues in our area (except the WHL).

I’ve been covering the Melfort-Flin Flon series. The first two games were in Flin Flon this weekend with the Bombers winning 6-0 Friday, and 3-0 Saturday. The young Mustangs are in big trouble because they haven’t scored in four straight games and Bombers goalie Mat Weninger hasn’t allowed a goal in 4 games. In game one, the Bombers looked great, and Melfort looked overmatched. Rookie Mat Lecours had 5 points in game 1. Lecours was captain of the Telus Cup Champion Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves. It goes to show that once a winner, always a winner. Experience like that cannot be taught in practice or on film. However, the Mustangs have some winners too. Owen Roschuk and Tommy Brown each have two Telus Cup rings, and Devin Stillar was there last year for Sudbury. Games 3 and 4 are at the Palace tomorrow and the Mustangs NEED to win both games. We saw how momentum carried the Battlefords over the Nipawin Hawks. If Melfort can get the pendulum swinging their way, a comeback could happen.

Darryl Skender has been covering the Humboldt-Batrlefords series, which is even at one. Kyle Birch continues to play amazing goal for the Stars, but I still believe the Broncos will take this one in 5. Too much experience and skill for the Stars to keep up.

The Tisdale Trojans start their playoffs against the Prince Albert Mintos tonight as well in Tisdale at 8:00. They were 2-2 against the Mintos this year with each team winning their games at home. I think Tisdale will win this series in 4 games. However, in saying that, the Mintos are capable of pulling off an upset. While on the topic, I’ll offer my predictions on the other series’.

Notre Dame Hounds vs. Saskatoon Blazers. After seeing how disciplined the Hounds are, and how great their execution is, the Blazers will have their hands full. The Blazers have some explosive forwards, but the Hounds have a ton of skill, and are really well coached. Hounds in 3.

Saskatoon Contacts vs. Regina Pat Canadians. Regina’s Derek Tendler and Warren Shymko of the Contacts can make this a dandy in between the pipes. Shymko and Tender were 2nd and 3rd in the league in GAA respectively. Tender was 2nd in save percentage, while Shymko was 4th. Both teams have a good D, but Regina has three key injuries. Forwards Brent Struble and Andrew Rieder, are all out for the series. Struble would have led the team in scoring if he didn’t get hurt. I would have picked an upset here if Rieder, and Struble didn’t get hurt, but I cannot see Regina overcoming those injuries, but I expect a close series. Contacts in 5.

Beardy’s Blackhawks vs. Moose Jaw Warriors. The Warriors have the better goaltending with Jesse Ehnisz, but four of the top five scorers in the league play for the Blackhawks. Both teams are extremely well coached. Dale Grayston has done an amazing job in Beardy’s, but Ray Wareham’s attention to team defense could give Dylan Wruck’s line some difficulty, but Wruck is an outstanding talent who can win the series himself. Blackhawks in 4.

As for the Tri-Town Thunder, here’s my advice to them. Not one period at a time, one shift at a time. Just remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. The Trojans were up 2-0 on the Blazers last year, and the Blazers ended up winning the series 3-2.

That’s my 2 cents.

Until next time, keep your head up.

Kenny

Thunder Talk: March 2nd

2009-03-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

You've probably noticed by now that I don't post much here when we lose. I guess that's because I really hate losing.

Friday nights loss in Game 1 of our Best of 7 was probably the most disappointing game of hockey I have ever been involved with. We had 5 days to rest and prepare and focus for are biggest game of this season and then we didn't show up. It was a half-hearted effort from start to finish and the results were predictable. Saturday we returned to the ice in the afternoon for practice and it was decided to alter the game plan from the week before. We made this change with the understanding that all the different strategies in the world would not make a difference if we didn't commit ourselves to executing the game plan. I was assured that this would not be a problem and that everyone felt more comfortable with this new/ old strategy and therefore would execute.

Unfortunately yesterday was, for the most part, more of the same. Our first period was a carbon copy of Friday nights game and subsequently we dug ourselves a 3 goal hole to climb out of. We talked about the promises we had made to ourselves in the intermission and how, as their coach, I was waiting to see who was going to come through. The 2nd period saw a change in momentum when we capitalized on some undisciplined Royals play and scored on 2 consecutive 5 on 3 powerplays. We carried this momentum into the 3rd and eventually took the lead late, only to give it up with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The OT goal was a great play by the Royals playing to bat the puck out of mid air and off the back of Jay Hudon. Unfortunately we allowed it to happen by not being committed to our DZone execution in the final minute of the hockey game.

We are not a defensive minded hockey club. The majority of us are offensive minded players and subsequently we have to play intense, focused, team defense in all areas of the playing surface. Over the final month of the regular season we have become less and less focused on this as a team and it is hurting us at the moment. I'm afraid that some of our go to guys are playing with their own agendas at the moment and not committed to the team concept.

There is still a lot of hockey to be played and we have proven how dominant a hockey team we can be when everyone is on board. Playoffs success is less about haircuts and all about commitment and sacrifice. I hope we can prove that this week.

Game time is 7:30 in Carrot River on Tuesday night and 9:00 in Saskatoon on Thursday at the Harold Latrace.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: February 26th

2009-02-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Prairie Junior Hockey League announced it's Award Winners for the 2008-2009 season and our organization was represented well again this year.

Captain Matt Minshull was a Co-Runner Up for the Most Sportsmanlike Player award that went to Fort Knox's Jarrett Waldbauer. This distinction for Matt couldn't be more deserved. Matt's character and leadership both on the ice and off has been a tremendous example for his teammates as well as other captains throughout the league. Matt finished 8th in league scoring with 57 points and 5th in goals with 29 to go along with his minuscule 6 penalty minutes over 38 games..... seriously Matt, 6 minutes?? How is that possible in this league!!!

Rookie goaltender and local product Jay Hudon was named Runner-Up Rookie Of The Year behind Fort Knox's Dane Bonish. One of a handful of 16 year olds playing in the league this season and the leagues youngest goaltender Jay was 2nd behind PJHL MVP and Top Goaltender winner Curtis Timmerman of Fort Knox in Wins with 17 in 26 starts this season. That type of workload on a 16 year old is impressive in itself and when you factor in his 2.94 GAA, which made him one of only 3 goalies with an GAA under 3.00 and at least 20 starts this season, the other 2 being Timmerman(2.33) and Nathan Unrau(2.62) of the Quakers, it is obvious that Jay has proven himself to not only be one of the best rookies this season but one of the best goaltenders and players in the PJHL.

Lastly, I was fortunate enough to be honored with the Peter Dittmann Memorial Coach-of-the-year Award. This is the second straight year that a Thunder coach has won this award with Gavin Holcomb winning last season. I believe that the leadership exhibited by the board, in management and within the the dressing room is the reason for the organizations success in this regard. The Thunder organization's past successes and reputation as a stand out franchise in Jr hockey sets expectations high every season, and that was a major reason for me signing on this spring. I am very proud that our team has met these expectations through the regular season and look forward to meeting them in the post season beginning Friday night.

On behalf of the Thunder I'd like to extend our congratulations to all PJHL award winners and runner-ups for this season.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: February 25th

2009-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

Every week Kenny Trenton from CK750/CJVR checks in with us to give us the insed track on the NorthEast Hockey scene.

Hey hockey fans:

Let me apologize for missing last week’s entry. As many of you can imagine, this is the busiest (and BEST) time of the year. I obviously want to talk about the Nipawin Hawks. First off, as some of you may have heard on the air, the series winning goal was scored by Battlefords North Stars captain Mitch Wall on a penalty shot. Torrie Dyck dove into Wall to try and prevent the breakaway. I was going on about how bad a call it was, but replays later showed in fact referee Curtis Howe made the correct call. Coaches, players, fans, and broadcasters are always hard on officials. Curtis Howe has always been one of the most consistent officials, so I apologize to him on a mistake I made.

As you know, the Hawks were swept in three, and although the penalty shot call was no doubt a big factor, we can’t ignore the first two games either. I didn’t make the trip to North Battleford for game 2, but in game one, the Hawks were outworked badly in a 7-4 loss. Goaltending was also a big factor. Kyle Birch made huge saves when he needed to, whereas Currie and Waselenchuk struggled. No matter how good your team is, you have to overcome adversity to be successful. However, the North Stars played better, and earned the right to move onto the semi finals and face the Humboldt Broncos. I expect the Broncos to win the series in 5 games. They’re a well rested bunch, and they play Friday in Humboldt.

Also starting on Friday is the Melfort-Flin Flon series. It’s the fourth time these teams are meeting in the post-season. Each time, the Mustangs had a better regular season record, but Flin Flon advanced, including last season. This year, the Mustangs are the underdogs, so could this represent a change? I’ll be covering this series, and am really excited. I haven’t seen the electricity in a Junior A rink as high as it is at the Whitney Forum. I cannot wait to be calling games in that environment again. As far as my predictions go in this series, I expect Melfort to win if they can earn a split this weekend in the Flon (or get both), but if they come home down 2-0, it’ll be very difficult.

Some other notes, I want to congradulate the Tisdale Trojans on finishing in fourth place. Well done for a team that was in a rebuilding mode. They’ll either face Prince Albert or Moose Jaw in round one (I expect it’ll be PA). They finish the regular season tonight in Delisle against the Saskatoon Blazers. I also want to give some love to Coach Kingwell’s Tri-Town Thunder. It came right down to the wire, but they got home ice advantage, which everyone knows is HUGE this time of the year. Good luck to them Friday night against the Royals.

Until next time, keep you head up.

Kenny

Thunder Talk: February 24th

2009-02-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's are usually when Kenny Trenton from CK750/CJVR checks in with us with his NorthEast Hockey Wrap Up but we are still waiting on his installment for this week. So I decided to post Kenny's current favorite Viral Video from the web for us to enjoy while we wait. Enjoy!

I think she recovers quite nicely.

Thunder Talk: February 23rd

2009-02-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a long and winding road, but we've finally reached the end of the regular season. After some well documented growing pains at the beginning of the season, we rebounded and passed the Royals for 2nd place in the North, home ice in at least the 1st round of playoffs and no worse then 3rd place overall in the PJHL.Things always seem to move slower when your not doing well and the last 4 months have been somewhat of a blur compared to the first 2. The fact that we followed a 3-6-0-1 start to finish 26-4-0-2 is a testament to the players on this team buying in early. Our leadership group is also responsible for the seamless integration of our new players who joined us in the midst of our run to 2nd place and although we have sputtered as of late with our consistency we have still been finding ways to win hockey games. I'm confident that we are ready for a long and successful playoff run.

A quick recap of our numbers throughout the season, broken down into 4 quarters:

Q1: 7 Pts (3-6-0-1)(PP:22%/ PK:79% = 101 STR)
Q2: 18 Pts (8-1-0-2) (PP:24%/ PK:80% = 104 STR)
Q3: 20 Pts (10-0-0-0) (PP:28%/ PK:86% = 114 STR)
Q4: 16 Pts (8-3-0-0) (PP:22%/ PK:89% = 111 STR)
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Tot:61 Pts (29-10-0-3) (PP:24%/ PK:84% = 108 STR)

Thunder Talk: Febuary 20th

2009-02-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

From Starred Photos

Our finished team picture. Feel free to download it. If you left click the image it will take you to our Thunder Pics folder. Download the photo through the Download tab. Feel free to browse the other pictures in the photo and download any you like.

Thunder Talk: Febuary 17th

2009-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

With a week left in the season and home ice hanging in the balance, the Hockey Gods are not making life easy. 3 weeks ago we were, for the most part a healthy hockey club. Now, not so much. Tyler Bouey has been out since Feb 1st with a mild concussion. Joel Basson went down Feb 3rd with a bruised shoulder. Beau Purves bruised his hip on Feb 7th and as of this post is not ready to play. Mike Cross recently injured his back and neck on Feb 12th. Lain Ralph injured his collarbone this past Saturday and has been sent to Florida to rehab it at DisneyWorld for the week. Riley Hengen is down for 2 weeks after reinjuring his MCL in his left knee in Sunday's game in Delisle and Colton Leblanc, Brandyn Wasyliw, Mike Bzdel and Kale Hidlebaugh all have significant injuries that would probably keep them out of games if not for our short bench.

The good news for us is that we have another 10 days till the start of playoffs and said Hockey Gods have a way of smiling on those who work hard and battle through adversity. Faith in them may be our best strategy to date.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 16th

2009-02-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend was what it was. We needed to pick up the four points over the Chiefs to continue to have an opportunity to pass the Saskatoon Royals for 2nd place in the North and gain home ice for the first round of playoffs. Going into the weekend with quite a few key players on the shelf with injuries, I knew it would be interesting to see how the remaining players would react to the increases in ice time. The line of Kendrew Friesen, Brett Derkach and Jody Blais were dominant to say the least, in combining for 15 points over the 2 games. Kale Hidlebaugh also chipped in with his first PJHL goal on the power play on Sunday Afternoon.

The injury list seems to be getting longer with Tyler Bouey, Joel Basson, Beau Purves and Mike Cross all on the sidelines this weekend. Lain Ralph missed Sundays game with discomfort with his collarbone from Saturday and Riley Hengen had to leave Sundays game after re aggravating his knee injury from earlier this month. All totaled we had 172 combined points and 5 of our Top 10 scorers sitting in the stands on Sunday. None of these players are expected back in the lineup for Tuesday nights game in Arborfield against PA.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 14th

2009-02-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

We will be missing some key players for tonight's tilt against the Chiefs in Carrot River at 7:30. Tyler Bouey and Joel Basson are both still long term with concussion symptoms and a bruised shoulder respectively. Beau Purves, who skated on Thursday in Saskatoon, will be resting his briused hip and Defenseman Mike Cross, who crashed into the boards head first on Thursday, will be out indefinitely until his back and neck begin to loosen up enough for him to play. Nathan Howard returned home to Red Deer, AB earlier this week for personal reasons and has assured us he will be returning for the start of playoffs.

Two affiliate players will be joining the fold for a second time this weekend. Tyler Soucy and Paul Frecon are both playing with the Arborfield/ Zenon Park Midget Flyers for provincial playoffs and will get the opportunity to play up this weekend and throughout the week as the Flyers are on their February Break. Both players were very capable for us early in the regular season and we will be looking for them to do the same here at the end.

Keep Your Stick On the Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 13th

2009-02-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last nights loss was a total team effort. If we want to all get credit for playing great, we need to be willing and ready to accept the credit for playing like crap. Not that we played like crap, although a 7-1 loss would suggest that. But there were a few glaring problems on Thursday night, and they all combined to make for a spectacular loss at a very bad time of the season.

The first problem was the complete lack of intensity at any point of the game. When you play without intensity you may as well play without a brain. This leads directly to 4 PP goals given up and 1 Short handed, the cardinal sin for any hockey team. This is unacceptable at this time of year.

The second was the fact that the guys who normally lead the way, didn't. Too many times last night our best players took short cuts and looked to be hoping to make something spectacular happen as oppose to allowing something simple to happen. These guys are our go to guys because they have stuck with the program this year and are proof that doing this will bring yourself and the team success. Last night should of been a wake up call for them.

The third, defensively we were suspect at best. From our goal out we were lack luster. Because we were picking and choosing our spots instead of making the hit first, every time and creating loose pucks we gave up too many quality scoring opportunities. Couple that with 7 of 29 shots hitting the back of the net and you have a completely unacceptable defensive effort from all involved. You won't win many games at any level, Pee Wee to Major Junior, with a save percentage of .758. We need to come to rink with an attitude that everyone contributes both ways, every shift.

Saturday and Sunday need to be a bounce back. Not just on the score board, but within the dressing room.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 11th

2009-02-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

Every week Kenny Trenton from CJVR/CK750 will be touching base and sharing his insights on the NorthEast hockey scene.

Hey Hockey Fans:

First off, let me apologize for being late on my weekly post. It’s been a really busy week as we’re gearing up for the final drive for the playoffs.

I called what I feel was the best game I ever had the pleasure of calling. It was the Tisdale Trojan’s 2-1 win over the Saskatoon Contacts at the Schroh Arena. It was a real physical back and forth game, and the first time the Contacts lost at home in regulation this season. Kyle Hall had a goal and an assist, while Rylan McKinnon had a huge slapshot from the point for his second of the year. I thought McKinnon played an amazing game after captain Joey Leach was ejected early in the third. Tisdale had to overcome 17 Saskatoon power plays, and a few 5-3 opportunities (some of them 2 minutes or more). They beat the Battlefords 5-3 Saturday, but lost 2-1 Sunday. I saw Sunday’s game, and didn’t think Tisdale’s work ethic was there, while Coach Kingwell’s old team simply wanted it more. The Trojans are in Prince Albert tomorrow, and then go to Notre Dame to take on the Argos Sunday, and the first place Hounds Monday.

This weekend, I saw Melfort and Nipawin play their home and home Friday and Saturday. Melfort looked really good Friday in Nipawin in a 4-1 win, while Nipawin was outstanding Saturday in Melfort earning a 3-2 win. Nipawin has the tiebreaker should the teams finished tied in the standings for that third spot. The Hawks made things interesting playing a great game in Flin Flon Sunday winning 3-2 in overtime. Last night, things got really interesting as Melfort won 2-1 in Humboldt, while the Hawks lost their last road game of the season 4-3 in the Battlefords. Simply put, the Hawks were outworked by a hungry Northstars team that wanted it more. Coach Colin O’Hara said his team needs to be more desperate this time of the year. The Mustangs need three points to clinch third place (and a rematch against Flin Flon). They take on La Ronge tonight, Melville Friday for their last home game of the season, and head to Flin Flon Tuesday to finish the regular season. The Hawks are home to Humboldt Friday, and the Battlefords Tuesday. The Mustangs and Hawks could face the Bombers and Northstars respectively in the playoffs so both teams will be fired up for their games on Tuesday.

Good to see the Thunder respond with a win over the Royals last week. I think it’s really important for any hockey team to have close games heading into the post-season because lopsided wins against much weaker teams doesn’t get you into playoff mode. Hard hitting, physical games that are back and forth do get you ready. In my opinion, with teams in all leagues pushing for position, the playoffs have already began. See you at the rink.

Kenny

Thunder Talk: Febuary 9th

2009-02-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Saturday nights win was not only a huge confidence boost for us but also a huge boost in our goal of finishing first overall. With that win we put ourselves in a position to finish with 65 points if we can win our remaining 6 games. The Royals can only reach 64 points by winning there remaining 4 games and the Quakers can finish with 67 points by winning there remaining 4 games. Where it gets interesting is that the Royals and Quakers square off on Tuesday and we then play the Quakers on Thursday. This means that one or two of the three of us will lose significant ground in the chase for first overall and home ice through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs. We definitely hold our destiny in our own hands and give ourselves a legitimate shot at the league pennant if we can win our final 6 games. In the south Ft. Knox has lost there last two and can also only finish with 65 points in there last 5 games.

Home ice is hugely important to us as was evident on Saturday night in Carrot River. Once again we started slow against the Royals, but were able to stop the bleeding at 3. The momentum shift after our first goal was electric and it help carry us into a second period which was one of our best periods of hockey to date.

We will be out in all 3 communities this evening selling our 50/50 Lotto tickets. So don't try pretending your not home when you hear us at your door... we're trying to help you win up to $5000!!!

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 7th

2009-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

I took in last nights Mustangs/ Hawks tilt at the Centennial Arena in Nipawin and was lucky enough to catch one of the best hockey games I've watched so far this season. I was meeting my Dad there, who was traveling in from North Battleford, for tonight's Thunder game and to visit for the weekend. The boys had a Captain's Practice in Arborfield to gear up for today's matchup with the Royals. Talking to Mat Minshull, I've been reassured that we are ready to go bell to bell tonight unlike last Friday.

Joel Basson will not be dressing tonight as he is still recovering from the shoulder injury that occurred at the end of the Ft. Knox game on Tuesday. Tyler Bouey should be a game time decision.

This week in practice we concentrated a lot on our defensive responsibilities and playing defensively as a 5 man unit. The Royals are a good puck moving team and have some skilled players that, if we don't play tight, can burn us. Look for forwards supporting up the middle of the ice on the back check, with D-Men stepping up and squeezing the neutral zone to slow up the Royals attack.

Tonight is going to be great hockey to watch, we're looking forward to packing the rink in Carrot River where we haven't played in quite awhile.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 4th

2009-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last nights game against Ft. Knox at Le Collisee de Zenon Park, was a great example of playing 60 minutes of hockey. From start to finish our effort was there and although we didn't play a perfect game... we did play a committed game. We committed ourselves to moving our feet and making plays and when you do that you give yourself a chance to learn from each play you make. What works and what doesn't.

Mike Bzdel had a particularly strong game pulling double duty centering his own line with Brett Derkach and Mike Kochan, and filling in for Tyler Bouey on the left side with Captain Matt Minshull and Brandyn Wasyliw.

Also a big congratulations to Wasyliw as he tied and broke Dustin Hildebrand's single season scoring record with his 60th and 61st points of the season. When reached for comment Hildebrand stated, "Your rue the day you crossed me, Wasyliw...". The next time you see Wazzy make sure to shake his hand and congratulate him on a tremendous season so far.

With 3 practices remaining this week, we have some time to prepare and heal before our big game against the Royals on Saturday. To say that this is our biggest game to date, is a massive understatement.

On the injury front, Tyler Bouey did not play last night because of a mild concussion that he sustained sliding into the boards in Sunday's game against the Westleys. The Doc has sat him down for the week, so he is questionable for Saturday. We will see how he feels as the week goes on. Also, Joel Basson will be seeing his doctor today about his shoulder that he injured on a big hit at the end of last nights game. He was experiencing considerable pain and limited movement this morning and has headed home to The Pas to get it checked out.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: Febuary 3rd

2009-02-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday Keeny Trenton of CJVR/CK750 will be filling us in on the all the action in the NE SK Hockey scene.

If anyone tuned into the hockey action on CJVR and CK750, you heard a little of everything this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, you heard the Nipawin Hawks go to the Battlefords and Kindersley and pick up three of a possible four points. On Saturday and Sunday, you heard some Long Lake Hockey action, and on Sunday, you heard the Tisdale Trojans take on Beardy’s in Waldheim.

Melfort is two points up on the Hawks, but Nipawin has a game in hand. They play La Ronge tonight, and Melfort gets the Ice Wolves tomorrow. The Credit Union Cup has been to different SJHL centres and goes to Melfort Wednesday so fans will have a chance to see the cup at The Palace that night. This home and home between Melfort and Nipawin could very well determine who gets a bye to the semis, and who has to play in the survivor series. They’re in Nipawin Friday, and Melfort Saturday, so when you come to the rinks, be sure to have your radios with you as Darryl Skender will have the call both nights.

I called the game between the Lanigan Pirates and Drake Canucks Saturday, and that was a lot of fun. Lanigan ended up winning 6-3 and swept the season series (4 games), to clinch 3rd place. Some SJHL fans may remember names like Brett McRuvie, Mike Holmes, Evan Bryksa, and Scott Odelein just to name a few. Drake has guys like, Evan Folden, all who play with Lanigan. Evan Folden, Dave Spooner, Brad Toews, and Kevin Shmyr are some names on Drake. There’s lots of talent in the Long Lake League, and all teams in provincials are off to good starts, but that’s another topic for another time.

I was really excited to be able to call some more Tisdale Trojans hockey Sunday. They downed Beardy’s 6-4 to take their 5th in a row. Blake Voth was sensational in goal for the Trojans. In January, he had a 1.25GAA, and a .953SP. He started off February making 38 saves against a lethal Beardy’s offense. He’s listed by the Melfort Mustangs, and Head Coach Darrell Mann told me Voth committed to the team last week. Their balanced attack saw six different players’ score, with all four lines getting involved. Beardy’s has a really dangerous first line with Dylan Wruck, Dylan Smith, and Spencer Baht. Wruck and Baht are both in the top 5 in league scoring so keeping them in check most of the game was quite a challenge. Wruck did score twice in the span of 19 seconds, but at 16, he’s an unreal talent. Both he and Baht are listed with Humboldt, but Wruck signed with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Nipawin prospects, Tyler Paslawski, Spencer Lindsay, and Wilson Dumais looked great for Tisdale, while Beardy’s netminder Brandon Thiessen (Nipawin prospect) struggled for the Blackhawks.

I’m back on the road with Tisdale Thursday when they visit the Saskatoon Contacts. I love the SMAAAHL because I get to see the SJHL and WHL stars of tomorrow. Barry Archibald and Colin Ruether are two great coaches, and the players are fun to be around. It keeps me young. It’s a 7:45 start on CK750 Thursday so hope you can tune in.

And finally, to weigh in on the Thunder, I haven’t seen a game in quite some time, but what a run of 12 straight (and 13 of 14). A loss to the Royals like that could be exactly what the Dr. ordered. It’s a lesson of the attention to detail needed to beat teams like the Royals or Quakers. Tonight against Fort Knox, and Saturday against the Royals will really tell how the Thunder stack up against the league’s elite. It just goes to show that no matter how much of a roll you are on, you MUST keep up good habits. It should be interesting.

Until next time, see you at the rink.

Kenny

Thunder Talk: Febuary 2nd

2009-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterdays game against the Westley's in Arborfield had the outcome we were looking for, and for that it served it's purpose. However, playing an understaffed, under talented team like them wasn't necessarily what the doctor ordered following our loss to the Royals on Friday. Our problem on Friday was that we didn't come prepared to play a full 60 minutes of Thunder Hockey. In a lot of ways we had it very easy over the 4 games before the Royals. In all cases we took on teams that either weren't capable of playing a full game with us or, in the case of the Storm, gave us way too many opportunities to beat them. In retrospect, these four games did not prepare us to play our game vs the Royals because we did not have to be disciplined against those other teams. Now, I'm not talking discipline as in taking stupid penalties, we very rarely play an undisciplined game that regard. I'm talking about having the discipline to execute the game plan as a team, every time with no shortcuts or next times. When you play games like yesterday, it's very easy to get lazy because you know you will most likely be able to recover from any mistakes you make. But when you get lazy, you begin to play the game on your heals. And when you play on your heals, instead of on your toes, you begin to make more and more mistakes... reaching for pucks instead of skating through them... poke checking instead of taking the body... hesitating and getting caught instead of committing and making a play.... playing passive instead of playing aggressive. These are things that contributed to our terrible 1st period on Friday and unfortunately they were not things that we had to change on Sunday to beat the Westleys.They are things that we will need to change if we are to beat Fort Knox tomorrow.

Tyler Bouey will be seeing the Doc today to make sure everything is ok with his head. Tyler slid into the end boards and hit his head mid way through the 3rd period yesterday. We sent him off for the rest of the game as a precaution as he rang his bell on the play. We will see how he is feeling tonight at practice.

Watch tomorrow for Kenny Trenton weekly report on the NorthEast Hockey Scene.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 31st

2009-01-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

This loss was good for us. Why? Because there is a lesson to be learned from it. Now, one would assume that it would be obvious to most that spotting your opponent a 5 goal lead on 9 shots isn't a good idea, last night however, we decided to learn this the hard way. Even though we may have out shot the Royals throughout the game, and even though we may not have gotten the bounces in the 2nd period, it is glaringly obvious that not coming prepared to play every shift full out, from start to finish, will cost us. I would much rather learn this lesson in January than in March.

The only mistake that is unacceptable is the one you don't learn from. So we will take what we can from last night and move forward.

Also, today was picture day... here's you 2008-2009 Tri Town Thunder.

Thunder Talk: January 30th

2009-01-30T11:37:00.001-08:00

Bus is leaving today at 3:30 for the game in Wakaw. We had a good practice last night concentrating a lot on our special teams. We know that the Royals are a talented team and tonight's game may be won or loss with special teams play.

Tonight will be Asst. Coach and long time Thunder Dustin Hildebrand's final game with us this season. Dustin is returning to school in Kelowna in Febuary. Make sure you come out and say your goodbyes and wish Dusty good luck at school. I know I will miss having him around a lot.

We should have a healthy squad tonight, with a couple players nursing bumps and bruises, and the remnants of a few flus.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 29th

2009-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Last nights game story is told by the boxscore. In a blowout of that proportion, the best you can hope for is not to develop any bad habits. Luckily we have no time for bad habits as we are meeting the Royals in Wakaw tomorrow night in as big a game as we've played this year. We took the last meeting with them before Christmas and we're planning to take another 2 points in the standings again this time around.

Everyone should be healthy and ready to go for this one.

Whether your a hardcore fan, or someone who starts coming out at playoff time this is a game you don't want to miss. Let's get everyone out from all 3 towns and pack the rink tomorrow night.

I guarantee you will get your monies worth and more.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 28th

2009-01-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Bus is pulling out of Carrot River at 2:00 this afternoon.

Defencemen Lain Ralph and Nathan Howard will both sidelined with The Flu tonight.

Puck drop is 7:45 tonight at the Harold Latrace Arena, so pop in if your in the city.

Thunder Talk: January 27th

2009-01-26T21:04:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday Kenny Trenton from CK750/ CJVR will be popping by to give us his take on the local hockey scene

First off, a special thanks to Noel for allowing me to add my two cents. As Noel mentioned before, my name is Kenny Trenton and I work for CK750/CJVR as a news/sports/play-by-play announcer. I'm originally from Montreal, but have been living in Saskatchewan the last 2+ years and am loving every second of it.

The first topic I want to tackle today is the Melfort Mustangs and Nipawin Hawks. Previously in the SJHL, the top 5 teams would make the playoffs in each division, with 4 and 5 facing each other in a best-of-7 series while the top three teams would play a round robin, with the winner of that choosing their semi-final opponent. This season, the round robin has been shelved, so the top three teams advance directly to the semis, while the fourth and fifth seeds will battle it out in a best of 5 series.

Over the last 2 weeks, the Hawks and Mustangs have been flip flopping between that third and fourth spot. At one point, the Mustangs were really struggling having lost 10 of 11, but the return of Kyle Fraser, and former Saskatoon Blade forward Mike Reich has really helped. They've won 5 of their last 6. Last Wednesday, Jordan Washburn (Hudson Bay) picked up his first SJHL shutout kicking aside 34 Estevan shots in a 6-0 win; big congratulations to him.

The Hawks have had an even better month at 6-1-0-1. Guys like Torrie Dyck, Brent Ottmann, and Mike Rey have been lighting it up. And let's not forget Schael Hechter, who has at least a point in every game this month. One thing the Mustangs and Hawks have in common is the fact both teams have two goalies who can get it done. Melfort doesn't lose a beat with Washburn or David Tetrault, just like Mark Currie and Wyatt Waselenchuk.

Both teams are on a roll right now, which means the weekend of February 6th, when these teams have a home and home, will likely decide who gets a direct ticket into the semis, and who has to fight to make it there. The winner of that one would get the defending RBC Cup Champion Humboldt Broncos, who have clinched the regular season title already.

I also want to give MAJOR respect to Coach Kingwell and the Tri-Town Thunder. An 11 game winning streak is just insane. Another stat about the Thunder that really sticks out is their 10-1-0-1 record on the road since November.

Have a good week, and feel free to post some questions or comments. I love talking with fans at the rink, so whether it's talk or type, there's no such thing as talking too much hockey.

Stay warm!

Kenny

Thunder Talk: January 26th

2009-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Fridays big game against the Royals in Wakaw is just over the horizon and although we don't want to overlook the last place Westleys, I'm finding it harder and harder to know what to expect from our opponents on any given night. We always plan to have our opponents bring their A game to rink against us and most nights this is the case, but it seems that lately, both the Royals and the Quakers have been playing very inconsistent hockey. On the 7th the Quakers lost to what looked to be a vastly improved Regina Capitals team 8-2 in Regina. Judging from that score we expected the Caps to give us a tough game this weekend and of course we all know how that turned out. But yesterday the Caps turned around and beat the 2nd place Royals in Saskatoon, 7-3. Is this parity or is this the mighty falling. I'm sure the Royals will come out with a much more concentrated effort on Friday night.

There are no major injuries to report from the weekend. Nathan Howard hurt his thumb on his right hand in a one sided fight at the start of the 3rd period on Saturday night. Kale Hidlebaugh took on big Storm D Man Zach Johnson, after Brett Derkatch and Jody Blais were jumped by two Storm players in front of our net, and got a nice cut on his forehead to add to his collection of war wounds. He should be good for a few zippers and ready to roll later this week. Mike Bzdel sat out this weekends games with an elbow and wrist injury but will be back on the ice fulltime this week.

Tomorrow we will have contributor Kenny Trenton from CK750/ CJVR Radio checking with us for the first time this season. Check in to find out his thoughts on the Mustangs/ Hawks rivalry and the stretch run to the SJHL playoffs.

Wednesday night we are heading into the Harold Latrace arena to take on the Westleys for the last time on their home ice. The Westley have put together some good games lately and pushed us the last time we were there, making us work for a 6-5 come from behind victory Dec 17th.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 25th

2009-01-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

This afternoons game was a great test for us as the Storm came out aggressive looking to put us on our heels early. Credit has to go to all our guys for pushing back just as hard and allowing the Storm to unravel and play most of the game short handed. As tough as we are to beat even strength, I think it's safe to say that trying to beat us down-a-man is nearly impossible and the Storm proved that today.

With the two wins this weekend we officially have won all our Southern Division road games for the season and with one game remaining against Ft. Knox at home next month, we have put ourselves in a position to take 10 out of a possible 12 points out of the south.

Today's win not only means that we have beat every team in the league at least once, but also that we have avenged every loss that we've taken this season.

We went into today's game with a playoff mindset, and although we have some work to do to tighten our game up completely, we showed ourselves just how good a hockey club we are capable of being.

A great weekend all around.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice.
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 24th

2009-01-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

The bus is pulling out from Carrot River Arena at 11am this morning and we're planning on arriving in Regina at 3 o'clock. Pre-game meal at 4 and at the rink for 6. Puck drop tonight is 8 pm.

Check back in tonight after the game for results and news from tonight's game.

______________________________________________________________________________

Not a lot to say about tonight. The score tells most of the story. Our Energy Line played major minutes tonight in the 3rd and Bruce Crowe had his best night in the PJHL with 2 goals and 2 assists.

Tomorrow poses a much bigger challenge in Pilot Butte. All indications point to us being ready for it.

Thunder Talk: January 23rd

2009-01-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

It's Friday before the Southern RoadTrip and I've given the boys the night off practice to recharge their batteries before this weekends games.

Mike Bzdel will be on the shelf this weekend with an injury he sustained last week during the Chiefs game at home. Mike was hit away from the play and a penalty was assessed for Interference. Mike finished the game, but went to Tisdale for x-rays Monday and has sat out practices this week and Tuesday nights game in PA. He talked to his Doctor on Thursday and got the relatively good news that he had a slight crack in his elbow and a sprained wrist. This is good in comparision to a broken elbow that would of seen him miss 4 to 6 weeks of hockey. Instead he should be able to suit up next week. This will open a hole on the 3rd scoring line with Jody Blais and Brett Derkach. I am expecting to insert Rookie Defenceman turned Forward Mike Kochan into Bzdel's spot, as his positional and physical play have opened up significant room for his linemates, Skyler Hladun and Bruce Crowe. That line has seen themselves chip in signicantly on offense for us lately, as well as being our main Energy Line. Crowe and Hladun will likely see some minutes in Bzdel's position throughout the weekend as well.

Also, Phil Binkley is day-to-day with a nagging ankle injury that has bothered him considerably throughout the season. Phil, not one to take a day off, has been playing with discomfort in the ankle for the majority of the season and with our lineup filling in, specifically our D-Core with new arrivals Brendan Boyle and Nathan Howard, it has given us the opportunity to give Phil some much needed rehab time.

Don't forget to check in Saturday and Sunday afternoon for updates from the road and after the games for my thoughts and analysis as well as roster news. Our home website will also have the boxscores from each game as well.

Also starting next Tuesday, Kenny Trenton from CJVR 750 AM Radio will be contributing a regular column on all the hockey action throughout NorthEast Saskatchewan.

Lastly, please feel free to comment on this or any other post at the end of the article. If you have any question for myself or any Thunder player, ask us in the comment field as well.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell

Thunder Talk: January 22nd

2009-01-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome Thunder Fans to the first post of Thunder Talk.

I hope to be keeping you all up-to-date on the daily happenings of the hockey club, direct from the source, the coach himself.

As most of you know, things have been going very well for us the past 3 months. After starting the season slowly, 3-6-0-1 in our fist 10 games, we have picked up our play, come together as a team and attempted to add further pieces of the puzzle. The results have been successful in a way that a coach rarely imagines.

We are currently riding a 9 game winning streak and have only lost once in regulation since those first 10 games. We have outshot our opponents 853 to 536 and outscored them 107 to 57 in those 18 games. While our special teams have been good with a 28% PP and 83% PK, we feel that we can be better, especially on the kill where we'd like to be 90% during the last quarter of the season into playoffs.

Last night we were in Prince Albert to take on the IceHawks. As expected the game was a rough one and for the second time in our last two trips there we fell behind and had to work hard in the 3rd period to pull out a win. Although overall we felt we controlled the play and outplayed the IceHawks we also realize that we have to be willing to simplify our game against them and just get pucks to the net and crash it. PA's success comes through hard work and physical play, as beyond their first liners Juravinski and Kalika, they are lacking in overall talent and secondary scoring. They stick with what works for them and play a very rough brand of hockey. Their achilles heel many games is that the can go too far and play undisciplined as was evident last night in a incident where they were sending players over the bench mid way through the 2nd when a scuffle had broken out following one of the IceHawks punching our new goaltender, Riley Hengen, during a stoppage in play. Ultimately, we stuck to our puck possession game and borrowed a little of there's by throwing pucks into the crease and trying to pound them in that way. It worked and we're still on the winning streak.

This weekend we head down to Regina to take on the Captials on Saturday night and the Pilot Butte Storm on Sunday afternoon. Both teams will pose a challenge for us with the Capitals recently beating the Quakers 4-2, and the Storm beating us at home at the beginning of the season.

Listen for Thunder Rumblings on CJVR today at 4:45 and watch Thunder Talk Friday for Injury Updates for the weekend.

Also watch this weekend here for my post game thoughts and analysis as well our home website, www.tritownthunder.com, for our box scores.

I hope to add more content from around the PJHL and Canadian Jr Hockey and also hope to bring in some regular contributors to report on us and other teams and leagues.

Keep Your Stick On The Ice
Coach Kingwell