Overview:
So far the Edmonton Oil Kings are 1-1 in the preseason. They fell 4-2 to Swift Current on September 4th, but followed up with a 3-2 victory over Medicine Hat on September 5th. Last season against Prince George, the Oil Kings finished 3-1 in the regular season.
Who’s Up Front:
The 2010 WHL Bantam Draft may prove to be a special one for the Edmonton Oil Kings. After the Cats selected Alex Forsberg first overall, Edmonton followed up by selecting center Curtis Lazar second. So far in two preseason games Lazar has tallied one assist, but is considered by many to be one of the brightest prospects in the entire league.
Who’s on D:
17-year-old Griffin Reinhart is coming off an excellent rookie campaign. Last season he tallied six goals and 25 points, and finished second in team scoring for defenceman. Add the fact that he stands 6’4” and weighs 202 pounds, and you’ve got the makings of an elite defenceman.
Who’s in Goal:
The Oil Kings will either go with Jon Groenheyde (91) or Tristan Jarry (95). Each netminder has seen 30-minutes of playing time so far in the preseason. Jarry took the loss against Swift Current on September 4th.
X-Factor:
To me, the ultimate X-Factor for Friday will be two 20-year-old forwards: Rhett Rachinski and Josh Lazowski. Rachinski has already registered one goal in the preseason while Lazowski is looking for his first point of the preseason. The Cats will need to be mindful of these two experienced forwards if they want to find success.
Overview:
The Prince George Cougars come into this game searching for their first preseason victory. The Cats dropped a 2-1 decision to Red Deer on September 4th, and followed up with a 6-5 overtime set-back to Calgary on September 5th.
Who’s Up Front:
Jordan Tkatch leads the way with a goal and two assists for Prince George. The 16-year-old has been able to use his size and skill to his advantage, and has given himself a realistic chance at making the opening-night roster. If Tkatch can continue this type of play, the coaches will have a very difficult decision to make before September 24th.
Who’s on D:
Offensively the Cats have been led by 16-year-old defenceman Joseph Carvalho. Carvalho leads the Cougars blueline with two points in two games, and has shown that he can compete at both ends of the ice. Odds are that the Cougars will be inserting some older defenceman into the mix for Friday’s game, which will no doubt help calm the nerves of some of the younger blueliners.
Who’s in Goal:
The ‘Battle for Backup’ is now down to two. Devon Fordyce and Tyler Santos are both vying to backup Drew Owsley in 2011-2012. Both saw 40 minutes of action in St. Albert, but neither one was able to lead the Cats to victory. There’s also a realistic chance that Drew Owsley will see some playing time at home against Edmonton.
X-Factor:
Discipline will be the ultimate X-Factor for the Cats during Friday’s game with Edmonton. It’s no secret that things that very chippy in St. Albert and penalties were prevalent. If Prince George can win the special-teams battle, than they stand a great chance of finishing Friday night with a 1-1-1 record.
1 comment:
Nice work Dan, very imformative write up. Glad to see the 95 group contibuting so far this pre season. Just a note on a misspelled name, it's Carvalho not Carvahlo. Keep up the good work, thanks for keeping us informed with what's going on with the team.
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