Record: 27-11-0-2
Overview:
The La Ronge Ice Wolves have little to complain about. They have the top record in the SJHL, have the top three scorers in the league, and seem poised for another run at the SJHL's Credit Union Cup. The Wolves are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Estevan Bruins.
Who's Up Front:
The La Ronge Ice Wolves have the best line in all of Junior A Hockey. The trio of Doug Lindensmith, Travis Eggum and Marc-Andre Carre have combined for an astounding 220 points so far this season. Travis Eggum has scored 40 goals in 40 games, and is running away with the SJHL's goal-scoring lead. The great thing about these three is that they all bring something uniquely different to the table. Lindensmith is gritty, Carre is so talented, and Eggum is a pure sniper. Keeping these three in check will be objective number one for the Stars tonight.
Who's on D:
20-year-old defenceman Dayton Fossum is enjoying a sold season with the Wolves. Fossum has 27 points in 40 games, and provides La Ronge with a solid two-way style of play. Fossum should see a lot of ice tonight a long with the likes of Robert Monfore, Phil Belanger and newcomer Steven Cook.
Who's in Goal:
Tough call here for Bob Beatty.Adam Bartko is the clear number one, but statistically Myles Hovdebo is on quite a roll. He is 9-1 with a better save percentage than Bartko. Either way, Bob Beatty can't go wrong. It's not like Bartko is struggling with his record of 18-10-2.
X-Factor:
Tonight should mark the debut of Nick Keller in an Ice Wolve's uniform. Keller's gritty style fits Bob Beatty's team perfectly. Keller brings championship experience, and great versatility to a Wolve's team already loaded with experience. Keller always seemed to bring his best against the Stars when wearing Humboldt colors, and tonight I'd expect more of the same in his La Ronge debut.
Record: 19-20-1-1
Overview:
A couple of new faces could be in the lineup tonight for the North Stars as they try to even their record to 20-20-1-1. Ken Pearson was busy yesterday making subtle improvements to his team, and tonight we'll get an idea of just how good the Stars really are. A win for the Stars coupled with a Humboldt loss could put the Stars alone in third place in the Bauer Conference.
Who's Up Front:
The phenomenal rookie season for Kyle Hall continued this weekend with two more goals. Hall has 17 on the season, and leads all Star's rookies in scoring. Hall has really blossomed playing alongside Keith Grondin and Blake Tatchell, and it will be interesting to see whether Ken Pearson decides to leave this trio be given the addition of Cole Gibson to the lineup. Luckily for the Stars, Gibson can play either center or the wing.
Who's on D:
If the Stars want to win tonight in La Ronge it will have to be a collective effort defensively that gets it done. The Stars MUST keep the Carre,Lindensmith and Eggum trio in check, and they need to stay disciplined. If the Stars defenders can play a tenacious, physical game without taking penalties, they should find success.
Who's in Goal:
Kyle Birch has made four straight starts and has won them all. He struggled in the third period Friday, but otherwise has looked strong as his record now sits at 11-9. Graham Hildebrand could get the call tonight as he played really well against La Ronge on December 5th at the SJHL Showcase in a losing cause. Hildebrand is 6-10.
X-Factor:
The easy choice here is to pick Cole Gibson, but I'm not going too. Instead I'm choosing the Star's special-teams. The Stars CANNOT take unnecessary penalties against the Wolves. If they do, they'll be in for a long night. The Wolves have the top-ranked power-play which is clicking at close to 25 percent. The Stars have a good power-play in their own right, and if they can get that going, they'll give themselves a shot.
Tonight's game starts at 7:30, but you can tune in and catch the Sasktel Pregame Show at 7:15 on CJNB/CJNS.
6 comments:
Matt Ryan here, lookin forward to the game tonight. Very excited bout the moves Ken made. Some may underestimate the move to get johnson. If i had to compare him to a former northstar, it would be troy watt. An energy guy, who can score.
Any news on the D line ups? If the Stars released a D and acquired an injured D man does that mean Wakelin will be on the blue line again? He played well and looked comfortable last game but with the Wolves top line being as strong as they are the team could struggle defensively tonight.
Talking about D.. Did the stars acquire another defencemen?? I am reading the BCHL site and this is what it says "10-Jan-11 The Langley Chiefs Hockey Club transfers the playing rights of Brad Haber (90)(D) to the Battleford North Stars Hockey Club of the MJHL in exchange for future considerations"
http://www.bchl.ca/leagues/transactions.cfm?clientid=1413&leagueid=2393
3 years of WHL experience... COuld really help the blueline
BCHL must have made a mistake on their website. Haber was traded from Langley Chiefs to Winkler Flyers of the MJHL.
Wow, what a night for Grondin....and Lindensmith.
Sounded like the stars played good. We lost by 1 goal to a very good club. Some of the new guys werent playig. I like the makeup of our team.
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