Record: 30-12-1-4 (Second Place in the Sherwood Conference.)
Who's Up Front:
The Hounds boast two of the best offensive players in the SJHL in Travis Janke (72 pts) and Kyle Ireland (57 pts). These two are seemingly scoring at will right now, and show no signs of slowing down heading down the stretch. The Stars did a great job Tuesday night keeping Matt Spafford off the score sheet, but they'll have to be even better tomorrow. If not, than whoever is in goal is going to be VERY busy.
Who's on D:
Defensively the Hounds are a very underrated team. 20-year-old defenceman Blayne Stevenson anchors a defense-core that isn't terribly offensive, but they're great in their own zone. David Lerner and Carson Grolla are two other d-men who can strike hard at both ends of the ice.
Who's in Goal:
Matthew Smidt and Russell Abbott have proven to be a very reliable tandem for coach Darren Evjen. Both have a GAA under three, and their save percentages are almost exactly the same. Whowever gets the call gives the Hounds a great chance to win.
X-Factor:
Tough call here, but the likely x-factor is 17-year-old rookie Trevor Cameron. Cameron is third in team scoring with 40 points, and has been under the radar of several pro scouts already. Cameron can do it all, and has proven to be a fantastic weapon for the Hounds this season. If the Stars can stop Cameron, and neturalize Janke and Ireland, then they'll have a good chance.
Record: 27-16-1-2 (Second Place in the Bauer Conference.)
Who's Up Front:
Depth has been a real strength for the North Stars all season long, and it will have to continue to be their strength if they want to make a real run at a league title. Brett Miller has seemed to have found his scoring touch, and will once again be one of the 'go-to' guys tomorrow night. His linemates Mitch Wall and Chad Filteau should be able to match the Ireland, Janke threat. At least on paper.
Who's on D:
Since Grant Fahnhorst arrived in the Battlefords, they're 7-1. A coincidence? I think not. Fahnhorst has provided a ton of defensive stability to the Star's back-end, and has even provided a little bit of offence recently. Fahnhorst's main role though is to shut-down the opposition, and no doubt he'll see a lot of time on the ice against Janke, Cameron and Ireland. A solid game from Fahnhorst and his D-Partner Coleman Brodbin will go a long way in allowing the Stars to keep their home winning streak alive.
Who's in Goal:
This won't be decided until tomorrow in the morning. I'll leave this one alone for now.
X-Factor:
The North Star's penalty-killers. Wall, Oak, Neufeld, Peake, Filteau, Tomac. The Hounds are so deep up front, and if given too many chances on the power-play they'll burn you. A strong effort from the PK, and the Stars are looking good.
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It's an important weekend for the Stars. If they can win both games, plus get some help from teams facing Flin Flon, it's not impossible for the Stars to still make a run at first place in the division. Heading into the weekend, the Stars are eight points back of the Bombers with a game in hand. A long shot? Yes. Impossible? No. The Stars have two games left against Flin Flon before the playoffs, and if they can bridge the gap to within four points before that road trip, we'll be in for some exciting hockey in mid-February.
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The La Ronge Ice Wolves are in some trouble. A one-point road-swing has opened a door for the Melfort Mustangs.
The Ice Wolves are currently one-point back of the Stars for second in the Bauer Conference, but have played six more games. The Wolves lead the Mustangs by four points for third place, but Melfort has played five fewer games.
If the Mustangs can win just two of their games in hand on the Ice Wolves, they'll find themselves in third.
Granted a lot of hockey remains this season, but after all of the hype about a possible Stars/Wolves playoff series, wouldn't it be something to see the Stars and Mustangs go head-to-head?
I love this time of year because it puts all sorts of different scenarios into perspective.
I leave you with this question:
Would you rather face Melfort or La Ronge in the first round? Share your reasons in the comment section below. Lets get a debate going here. If we reach five comments on this entry, I'll more than happily share my thoughts publically as well.
Hope to see you at the rink this weekend. Lets fill the place!
1 comment:
At this point, I would rather face La Ronge. It seems that Melfort is peaking, while La Ronge is going in the tank. Of course, the Playoffs are a different story. The Stars, although they have an impressive streak going, still haven't reached their potential. It should be an exciting March!
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