Sunday Notes

Happy Sunday! My coffee is tasting really good...so is yours I hope. 

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-it was a one-sided affair at Kyle Sports Centre last night as the hometown Kyle Elks beat the visiting Leader Flyers 11-1. The game was the first of a two-game total point series.

-most of the damage was done by Danny and Justin Williams. Each player netted a hat trick and added at least three assists.

-everyone expected the outcome to be much closer, given the fact that Leader is the defending champion in their league, the SWHL. It was close after the first period with Kyle leading just 2-0 but after that they ran with it. Leader's goaltending wasn't up to the task at all. The Flyers will have to beat the Elks by 10 goals tonight in Leader to have a chance at winning the series.

-it was sure fun to be present doing the public address announcing and music. The house was packed for this one. The 50/50 take-home portion topped out at $963. Ironically, Elks GM Rob Poole had the winning ticket and took home the cash.

-after the game we went to the Hotel for a couple beers. The best thing about the bar? The chairs. I have NEVER seen chairs like that in a small-town bar. Check it out sometime.

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Here at home, the Broncos allowed four goals in the third period and fell 7-4 to Saskatoon.

-earlier in the season, the Broncos lost most of their games on the road and were deadly at home. Now, they've lost five consecutive on home ice and are winning a large percentage of their road games. What has changed?

-out of all the teams currently within close proximity (in the 6-7-8-9-10 spots in the Eastern Conference) the Broncos have the toughest remaining schedule. They'll have to buckle up and find a way.

Up Next: Calgary is here on Wednesday.

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The Diamond Energy Wildcats blew their chance at a 2/2 weekend.

The Weyburn Gold Wings overcame a 2-0 third period deficit yesterday and beat the Wildcats 3-2. The winner was scored by Weyburn's Jade Popescul with just 52 seconds remaining in the third period. Megan French and Karrah Newkirk had scored for the Wildcats.

The girls' next game is versus Notre Dame this Wednesday at Fairview West. The puck drops at 7:45 PM.

Broncos Grab OT Win In Saskatoon / Wildcats Continue Dominance Over ND

  Taylor Vause did it again. The 18-year-old Calgarian scored his second overtime winner in two games tonight in Saskatoon, as the Broncos beat the Blades 4-3 in extra time. Vause and his team were coming off a victory similar to the one they earned tonight. On Tuesday, he had notched the winning OT goal in Moose Jaw. 
  The win was a big one for Swift Current, which moved back into a tie for 55 points and the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference. The Broncos outshot the Blades 14-8 in the third period and 43-34 overall. The visitors trailed on the scoreboard for much of the game but never by more than one goal. They managed to tie it 3-3 at the most critical time when Justin Dowling potted his 23rd of the season at 14:16 of period three. Vause then netted the OT winner later on. The other two Bronco goals were scored by Cody Eakin, who got his league-leading 36th of the year shorthanded to lock the game in a 1-1 tie, and Stepan Novotny, who knotted the game 2-2 in the second period. G Mark Friesen got the win between the pipes. 
  The Blades got two markers from Euro F Marek Viedensky and one from Brent Benson in the overtime loss. Their goaltender Steven Stanford made 39 saves in a losing cause. The game marked the end of a rather unsuccessful five-game home stand for Saskatoon which won just once in all five tries on home ice.
  The same two teams will meet in Swift Current tomorrow for the concluding game in the weekend home-and-home set. The Broncos are 2-4 versus the Blades this year. Four of six games in the season series have been decided by one goal. 

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The Diamond Energy Wildcats got two goals from Bailey Habscheid and one from Shelby Nisbet en route to a 3-2 home ice win over the Notre Dame Hounds tonight.
  It was the Wildcats' third win this year over the squad from Wilcox and leaves them with a perfect 3-0 record in the season series. Going into tonight's game, the Hounds had a seven-point lead over the Wildcats for second place. Swift Current out-shot Notre Dame 35-25. They got the 2-2 goal from Shelby Nisbet early in the third, before Bailey Habscheid scored what would be the game winner with 4:35 to go in period three.
  Despite the win, Wildcats head coach Terry Pavely wasn't completely satisfied with his team's effort. The 0/7 power play stat must have factored into his thoughts, although he cited some errors in the second period as his main concern: "I would say tonight we didn't deserve to win as much as in previous games against this team. We weren't very good in the second period. We turned the puck over way too much." The coach however, also gave credit where it was due: "In the third period we battled hard to get the lead and our girls bent a little bit but they didn't break. Anytime you can beat that team...and we've done it three times in a row.....it's a good win."
  The Wildcats will play Weyburn tomorrow at Credit Union i-Plex. The puck drops at 2:15 PM.    

Another Quick Post....

It's been that way lately. Life's hectic!

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The Broncos will head to Saskatoon tomorrow to kick off a weekend home-and-home with the big bad Blades. Swift Current finds itself two points back of a playoff spot despite beating Moose Jaw on Tuesday. They got bad news yesterday when Red Deer somehow beat Tri-City. And the Moose Jaw Warriors also moved ahead by a bit, picking up a loser point in Saskatoon. Now the Broncos have their sites set on the Raiders, who are also in the middle of that four-team dogfight but currently hold down the final playoff spot.

I would love to be there in person to take in the two Bronco games in this weekend, or watch them intently on Web TV for that matter.

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BUT....the Diamond Energy Wildcats are scheduled to take on Notre Dame tomorrow night. The face-off is planned for 8 PM at Credit Union i-Plex. It's the girls' first home game in two weeks. I'm excited that I'll be doing the P.A. announcing/music.

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Then on Saturday I'm headed out to Kyle for a HUGE Kyle Elks game. I was invited one more time to do the P.A. announcing/music and could not pass it up despite the Bronco home game that night. The game will be a big one as the Elks play in provincials. Elks GM Rob Poole said today he expects to see a packed house there to take in the action. Have you attended a game there? If not, you're missing out! They're wild about hockey and it's especially exciting on a Saturday night!  And there are sure to be a few fisticuffs as well. 

In any case, I can't wait to be there Saturday and do my best to fire up that crowd.

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Maybe part of the reason I'm missing the Bronco game is the fact that I'll have to wear a "rag" at the next home game due to a lost bet, and would like to postpone that one for as long as possible. The "rag" is also called a jersey by Canucks fans. Now that I've mentioned this, you can probably figure out why I have to wear the thing.  Don't look for it on Saturday. ;)

Enjoy your Friday.

SC Indians In Need Of Financial Support

With the start of a new calendar year, the Swift Current Indians Board of Directors reconvened in preparation for the 2010 season. Riding high on the recent announcement by the City of Swift Current regarding the successful repayment of the stadium lights, President Brad Woods was optimistic about the future of the community’s Western Major Baseball League franchise.
The initial support by the community following our October Public Meeting, gave us enough confidence to commit to the 2010 season at the WMBL’s Annual general Meeting in early December. Following that commitment, a positive announcement by the City just prior to Christmas seemed to be a good sign on our decision to move forward,” stated Indians President Brad Woods. “I believe we all (Board) entered into the holiday season with a renewed optimism for the coming year.”
"Last night’s board meeting showed that that confidence and optimism may have been premature as the sponsorship committee reported to the Board that the commitment made before the holiday is yet to be seen in actual advertising and sponsorship dollars raised.
"Our initial success prior to the holidays may have in fact had an adverse effect on the sponsorship committee and their ability to sell advertising and sponsorships for 2010,” said Woods following last nights meeting. “I think we may have had too much good news too early. The announcement by the City in no way solves our immediate need to sell advertising and sponsorships. We still have a $50 000 Advertising and Sponsorships budget line to cover.”
For the next couple of months, representatives from the ball club will continue to meet with businesses and residents in the community securing marketing packages and season tickets for the upcoming year. If you are interested in advertising, sponsoring and/or making a donation to the ball club and you have not been contacted you can leave your contact information on the team’s website found at www.scindians.ca/contact_us and someone will be in touch with you. If you would like to contact a representative directly, you can call Carlin at 741-9629 or Laurie at 741-6773.
The SC Indians are an important part of summers in Swift Current offering another opportunity for summer recreation and entertainment for residents.  The WMBL is the premier baseball league in Western Canada offering a high quality product for fans in Swift Current and Southwest Saskatchewan. The SC Indians Baseball Club has been a perennial powerhouse well respected across the league. Since the team's re-inception into the league in 1985, the team has made the playoffs an unprecedented 23 times in 24 years, playing in the championship final on 14 occasions, with nine league championships titles earned.
If would like additional information or comments please do not hesitate to contact Club President Brad Woods at president@scindians.ca or by calling 306 772-0472.

Legionnaires, Broncos Pull Off Wins

It was a good Tuesday for Swift Current hockey fans.

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At the Credit Union i-Plex, the Home Hardware Legionnaires beat the visiting Moose Jaw Midget Warriors 4-3 on the strength of two third period goals and a 42-save effort by starting G Kyler Beckett. (Moosomin SK)

Shaunavon's Dyson Stevenson netted two goals for the Legionnaires, his 13th and 14th respectively, including a tally in the third period that would stand up as the game winner. Brett Penner and Colton Heffley each added three assists to help the cause. The other two goals came from Alex Laird and Trent Winzer. The latter of the two dangled his way around three defenders for a third period power play marker.

The Legionnaires sit in ninth place after tonight's victory, now seven points behind the Saskatoon Blazers who hold the league's eighth and final playoff spot. The Legionnaires will face the Blazers three more times this season, including twice in a home set to close out the regular season. There is still a glimmer of hope that they'll make playoffs.....the Blazers are the team they're chasing and facing them three more times gives the Legionnaires a little pull in the situation. But they only have seven games remaining and of those five are on the road. Swift Current is also riddled with injuries to key guys including Dylan Balaski, Dayton Reinboldt, Mason Logan and Grayden Turner. They'll have to hope for some favors from other clubs, and win pretty much all of the remaining seven games. 

Brayden Holloway, Josh Jelinski, and Rylan Badduke replied for the Warriors, who had won three of four games entering tonight's contest.

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The Swift Current Broncos pulled off a 3-2 OT win in Moose Jaw tonight to close out their season series 5-1 over the Warriors.

-I was unable to focus my complete attention on the game while running the i-Plex sound booth.

-I did see though that the Broncos (as the 44-27 shots in their favour would indicate) dominated parts of the game, especially the second period in which they out-shot the hosts 16-5. Moose Jaw G Jeff Bosch stayed right on his game.

-the Broncos power play sort of struggled to convert again going 1/6, but I thought for some reason it looked more opportunistic and not as dismal as it had looked the past few weeks. I also discussed it with someone who attended the game and that person thought they definitely did a better job of getting shots through on the man advantage and such. So that's great.

-F Taylor Vause (right) is continuing his stellar play. He tied the game 1-1 in the first period tonight and then tipped a Bobbee point blast home at 2:30 to end the overtime period.

-I didn't watch closely enough to comment on Broncos starting G Mark Friesen. He did stop Moose Jaw's Antonin Honejsek on a first period penalty shot, and obviously got the job done in goal tonight.

-the Broncos are now a combined 18-2 versus Moose Jaw the past three years.

Unreal, isn't it?

Quick Monday Night Post

How was your Monday? I've been busy the past couple of days doing the same thing everyone else is: Moving snow. Wether that's with a front bumper, a shovel, or tires doesn't matter. There's just a whole s**t-load of the stuff around is all.

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I'm fresh off a Swift Current Indians BOD meeting that was held tonight. Expect an extensive update on the team's situation within the next day or so. There is good news since the public meeting and the plea for more support but the club is still facing a glaring shortfall in one particular area. Look or listen for the update tomorrow or the next day....

Remember, the club WILL field a team for the 2010 WMBL season.

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I'll not make tomorrow's Bronco game in Moose Jaw due to the Legionnaire game here at home. The Legions will be hosting the Moose Jaw Midget Warriors with the faceoff set for 8 PM at Credit Union i-Plex.

The team has three home games and five road games remaining.

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The Broncos will try their luck in Moose Jaw tomorrow facing a team they've had success against the past two seasons and this year as well with a 3-1 record so far.

Can it be labeled as the biggest game of the year? I think so. What about you? The standings tell the story. They're right here. It's getting dark out for the Broncos. Their playoffs start right now.

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Check back tomorrow.....

Pats 5 @ Broncos 2

A few thoughts...

-the Broncos' power play with it's inability to convert was a major factor in the game again. They went 0 for 5, while the Pats scored once in four chances.

-they outshot Regina 36-27, but Pats G Damien Ketlo made some great saves to help his team to victory.

-it's a bad time of year to be going downhill as a team. The Broncos' intentions are good but that's not enough when it comes down to crunch time. We'll see if the guys can dig deeper and turn on the brakes on this downward spiral. 

There was a bigger story in the game: The power went out in the second intermission and as a result there were few fans there for the third period when it finally did start. What a night!

Here's a complete recap courtesy www.rodpedersen.com.:

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SWIFT CURRENT -- It was a memorable night in the Frontier City. The Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos sat through an hour-and-ten-minute delay after the second period, but Regina kept the pedal to the metal and escaped with a second straight victory over their Highway #1 rivals.

The Pats, who beat the Broncos 6-5 in a shootout Friday, jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Brett Leffler and Matt Strueby. The only goal of the second period came from the Broncos' Dillon Wagner and it was 2-1 Regina after forty minutes. As the zamboni was resurfacing the ice in the break, all power to the arena was lost.

The delay last an hour, and WHL officiating supervisor Brad Howard said they would wait until 10:15pm and if the power didn't come back, the game would be called. However at 10:05 the lights came back on and after a five minute warmup, the game was back on.

Colten Teubert made it a 3-1 game with a powerplay goal at 3:38 of the delayed third period. Swift Current's Adam Lowry made it a 3-2 game converting a goal mouth scramble at 9:17. However the Pats' top line finished the game off with goals by Cody Carlson and Jordan Weal, both set up by Carter Ashton and Jordan Eberle.

Game over: Regina 5 Swift Current 2

STATS: Regina was outshot 36-27 ... The Pats were 1/4 on the powerplay and 5/5 killing penalties ... The Pats lead the season series 3-2 ... With the win the Pats improve to 22-24-3-1 but remain six points behind Red Deer for the final playoff spot by virtue of Moose Jaw's 3-1 loss to the Rebels.

MOLSON 3-STARS: 1) Ketlo 2) Lowry 3) Wagner. Taylor Toyota Hardest Working Pat: Brett Leffler.

Legionnaires @ Blazers Postponed

Just got word from Legionnaires GM Scott Rumpel that tonight's game versus the Saskatoon Blazers has been canceled due to poor road conditions.

The game will be rescheduled for a later date.

Pats Edge Broncos in Circus

  The Swift Current Broncos were involved in a second consecutive high scoring affair Friday night, this time at Regina's Brandt Centre. Despite having two-goal leads at three different points in the game, the Broncos couldn't hold on and were beaten 6-5 in the shootout by the Pats.

  Many aspects of the game were exciting, but it would also be safe to call it ugly. Both teams were equally unimpressive defensively and in goal. Sometimes there was good coverage and hard hitting, while other times it opened up wide and odd man rushes were plentiful. The Broncos gave up 2-0, 4-2, and 5-3 leads. Each time the Pats tied the game, the Broncos would regain some momentum and pull ahead again with spurts of heavy offensive pressure. Overall the play shifted back and forth throughout the contest as the many lead changes would indicate.

  One week ago the Broncos had trouble putting the puck in the net. Today, the problem seems to have passed them by as the team has scored 11 goals in it's last two games, only to be winless in both. Consistency has continued to elude the hockey club. If it's not one area of the game it's another. Perhaps the listless power play would be a good place to start. It went 0 for 4 again tonight, including a lengthy 5 on 3 chance in period one and sits 16th in the WHL from a percentage standpoint.

  The Pats meanwhile scored on two of their four man advantages and capitalized quickly each time they sensed a lapse by the Broncos. They could have gone away but chose not to and ended up reaping the rewards in the end. Regina native Garrett Mitchell got them on the board in the second period to make it 2-1. Also scoring were Jordan Eberle, Mitch McColm, Colten Teubert, and Cass Mappin. Eberle and Jordan Weal then both scored in the shootout. The Pats picked up a big two points in their push for a playoff spot.

  The Broncos got two goals from Michael Stickland and singles by Adam Lowry, Justin Dowling and Matt Tassone. The single point was a silver lining in the shootout loss. The last playoff ranked team, the Red Deer Rebels were idle tonight and now sit just one point ahead of the Broncos, however they have two games in hand.

  The Pats will make the trip over to Swift Current for the rematch tomorrow.

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  Don't forget, the Swift Current Legionnaires will travel to Saskatoon tomorrow to battle the Blazers in a game that will be broadcast live from Saskatoon's Harold Latrace Arena. The Legions are very injured, have lost three consecutive, and given up 22 goals in the last three games.

  Tomorrow's game could go a long way in determining their fate in regards to reaching a playoff spot, with the Blazers being the team they're trying to catch for the final berth.

  We'll see what they can come up with. The pre-game show will start at 7 PM. Look for a link to listen online right here, or you can also call in and listen live via your home or cell phone. (long distance) The number is (724) 444-7444. The ID you'll be prompted to enter is 60891. 

Quick Post

  How was your Thursday? Mine was alright but there's better news: Tomorrow is Friday! :) This past week has been the worst that I can remember and truly I just want it to be over with.
  I'm in the process of watching the Canucks/Stars in Vancouver and thought to type a brief post on the blog since I've had little free time to do so the past couple days. Stars G Alex Auld just gave the puck right to Canucks F Alex Burrows and the quick burial thereafter now has the teams tied 2-2 after 40 minutes. Auld's pretty good at playing the puck but he's not Turco.

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  Care to read about the Bronco/Ice game last night? I'm not so sure I'd like to discuss it, even in writing. A quick look at the final score should give you a fair assessment of what went down. Yes, it was what you think it was. Wether that's ugly or exciting, I'm not sure. It depends on what you like to see on the ice!
  The Broncos will try again in Regina tomorrow night. Red Deer and the other couple teams leading the Broncos closely are playing very good hockey right now. The Broncos will have to take matters into their own hands, keep up to, and pull ahead of those clubs. At the very least they'll need to attain a split this weekend. And considering way they've been playing of late, that could be a stretch.
  We'll see what happens. This group has dug deep before.

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  As the situation looks right now, I hope to travel to Regina with a friend tomorrow night for the game. However a major storm or terribly icy conditions could change our minds. He's got 4X4 though...so...we should get there right? Ha. Time will tell.

Tuesday

If you like reading, good. I haven't blogged for three days, and this post could go on for a while.... :)


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First off, than you so much for all the comments of sympathy and the supportive emails I received from blog readers and friends the past few days during what has been a very testing time for myself and family. Cancer took someone close to us suddenly at the young age of 29. HE dealt us a tough blow and it sure is devastating, but with His help we'll get through it as best we can like so many others have.  


Again, thanks for all the messages. It is VERY much appreciated. 


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Now to hockey....


I don't think anyone expected the Broncos to overcome a 3-0 first period deficit in Regina Saturday night.


I had a chance to watch the game courtesy WHL Web TV archives yesterday. Almost unexpectedly, the Broncos slipped back into it with Eakin's goal early in the second and then Dowling and Bobbee added singles to tie, with the 3-3 goal coming in the final minute of period two. They got some momentum when starting G Mark Friesen was replaced by Morgan Clark after three goals allowed. A mid-game goaltending change has been known to have that effect. Clark did a great job as well, stopping 31 Regina shots from the time he was given the nod. 


The Pats didn't play a bad game. In fact I think they played well enough or better to preserve the lead, but the Broncos' speed and quick transition seemed to burn them almost out of nowhere. The Pats allowed little space, but the Broncos needed little.   


What gets said about three-goal leads all the time? Are they "the worst lead in hockey," or is it the two-goal lead that fits that description? "No lead is safe," perhaps?   


Having said all of that, maybe the Broncos' rally was caused by what went on inside the dressing room between periods one and two. Sometimes when the going gets tough, guys start holding each other accountable in a serious sort of way. It's not a bad occurrence. Apparently that's what went down in Regina on Saturday.

The Broncos escaped with a 4-3 shootout win.

It'll be very interesting to see what transpires tomorrow when Swift Current hosts the cruising Kootenay Ice. Kootenay has won it's last 12 games coming in, but the Broncos were winners the last six times the two teams met. You guessed it..something's gotta give! 


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What about AAA Midget? I truly do not want to sound negative, but I can't say I've received much good Legionnaires news the past few days. 


Trent Winzer, Brett Penner, and Dayton Reinboldt were part of Team South in the SMAAAHL All Star game Saturday in Tisdale. Penner scored one while Reinboldt got an assist in a 9-7 North win. Winzer was kept off the scoresheet.

Otherwise, the news is mainly about injuries, and unfortunately they've been a big story for most of this season. In fact the Legionnaires, already short captain Dylan Balaski and Jordan Cleghorn, lost two more players to injury this past week. D Grayden Turner is now out with a broken wrist. The time of his return is undetermined. D Mason Logan sits with a torn MCL so he'll be gone for the rest of this season, or six weeks if the Legionnaires make playoffs or the Medicine Hat Tigers choose to call him up during their postseason run.  


Coupled with that were the team's two lopsided losses in P.A. this weekend, 9-3 and 7-1 respectively. 


Yes they can still make playoffs, but the margin is getting smaller and the line-up thinner. They're a great group of kids, but they'll have to dig deep down the stretch here. 


Coming up this Saturday night the team will travel to Saskatoon to face the Blazers, a club they have three more meetings with this season. The game will air live on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network.


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The Diamond Energy Wildcats are doing alright, and are sitting with a 11-7-2-1 record on the year. Their next home ice action is Friday, January 29 when they host Notre Dame at the i-Plex. 


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That's all for today....ciao.

Due to a tragic death of cancer in my extended family, there won't be any posts at erniewaldner.com for a few days, nor will there be a Legionnaire broadcast out of Prince Albert this weekend.

I need some time to gather my thoughts. Thanks for understanding.

Frustrating Trend Continues For Broncos

The Broncos racked up their third consecutive loss tonight, losing 4-3 to the visiting Saskatoon Blades.

-you could almost describe the game's ugly end result as normal. Lately, the Broncos have failed to capitalize on great scoring chances and haven't played a complete game in ages. A combination of relevant teams winning and the Broncos losing has them reeling to try and grab back the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, they're on the heels of a third straight one-goal loss. Close games and missed chances have been very deflating for the hockey club.

-leading 3-2 after two periods the home team was in good position to pull off a win, when the Blades turned up the heat and overpowered the Broncos in period three. The tying goal finally came as the Broncos scrambled in their own territory for an extended period of time. The game winner was scored shorthanded, exactly what happened when the two teams met a few days ago. The stat is a testament to how powerless the Broncos have been on the man advantage this season. They also took some needless penalties in the game, including one in particular that drew a ten-minute misconduct.  

-Dillon Wagner got two goals for Swift Current and Cody Eakin scored the other on a night when the Broncos were again unlucky around the opposing net. Stefan Elliot scored two for Saskatoon, while newly acquired Marek Viedensky and Charles Inglis both added singles.
 
-the Blades did a tremendous job in their defensive zone and again, out-competed the hosts in the third period to earn the win. One could easily see why they own the top record in the Eastern Conference.

-F Taylor Vause was out with an injured finger and rookie D Brody Luhning was a healthy scratch. 18-year-old D Joel Rogers was also a healthy scratch....for the second time in three games. The move to sit him has many scratching their heads. 

The Broncos will travel to Regina tomorrow and try to reverse their recent slide with a win at the Brandt Centre.

Legionnaires 2 @ Contacts 6

The Legionnaires dropped a 6-2 decision to the Contacts up in Saskatoon tonight.

Colton Heffley and Reiley Grose scored for Swift Current. Both goals came on the power play, which capitalized twice in nine tries tonight and gave up one shorthanded goal. The teams were very evenly matched through two periods. However the Contacts took over in the third stanza, outshooting the visitors 13-6 and outscoring them 3-1. Lukas MacDonald took the loss in goal for the Legions and made 35 saves in a losing cause.

Injuries have hampered the team's progress throughout this season, and tonight was no different. The Legionnaires were without four of their lineup regulars including Balaski, (concussion) Turner (wrist) Logan (knee) and Cleghorn. (concussion)

For the game summary, click here. 

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Up next: The Legionnaires will travel to Prince Albert to face the Mintos for a two-game set on Sunday/Monday. Sunday's game will air live on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network starting with the pre-game show at 3:50 PM. Monday's game WILL NOT be broadcast.

NOTE: The SMAAAHL All Star game is this weekend in Tisdale SK. Three Legionnaires will partake including F Brett Penner, (Medstead SK) D/F Trent Winzer, (Maple Creek SK) and F Dayton Reinboldt. (Fox Valley SK)

Thursday Update

For those wondering why there's been a day or two without new content at erniewaldner.com, the simple answer is that I've been too busy with other things in life the past couple of days. My business vehicle has not had it's best week. I've hectically embraced whatever it's thrown at me, including two breakdowns. It makes for a tonne of running around trying to make up for lost time. When that stuff happens, one's daily schedule takes a twist and in my case the blog takes a seat.

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The Broncos lost another frustrating game last night, not unlike the loss in Saskatoon the night previous. They chased the game from the get-go and then turned on the jets late only to fall short by one goal.

From one perspective you could make an excuse and attribute the Broncos' recent offensive struggles to good goaltending on the other side. That includes last night, when Lethbridge G Linden Rowat had a whale of a game and played better at the iPlex than he ever did in three years with his prior team, the Regina Pats.

BUT. If there's one thing the Broncos have a lot of, it's talent at the forward position. One or two goals per game doesn't cut it for any team, and won't here either. The Broncos have enough guns up front to overcome a good opposing goalie, or at least they should have. They haven't helped their own case much by allowing the first goal in the past five games. The team that chases the game always has to work a lot harder than the other team, especially if goals are allowed early on.

It's a bad time of year to lose a third game in a row. Here's hoping the boys can fill the net tomorrow night versus the Blades.

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The Home Hardware Legionnaires are in Saskatoon tonight to play the league best Saskatoon Contacts.

The game will not be heard on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network, but I'll have the result posted here after the game ends.

Broncos Fall / Legionnaires Win

The internet was down at Credit Union i-Plex tonight, so I couldn't juggle Legionnaires public address announcing/music and watching the Bronco game off to the side on WHL Web TV.

Apparently the Broncos worked hard to tie a game they trailed 2-0 versus the top team in the Eastern Conference, and then ended up giving up a shorthanded goal which turned out to be the game winner. They then brought more heavy pressure late, but were stymied by Blades' G. Steve Stanford.

There is a good recap available at Keen's Korner.

A tough way to lose, no doubt. But that's hockey. Here's how tight the conference is standings wise: The Broncos have won six of their last eight games and still sit in ninth place after tonight. That should give you an idea.

There was also no help from the WHL scoreboard. Somehow the Raiders managed to beat the Calgary Hitmen 8-1 tonight, and Moose Jaw beat Brandon 2-0. The cliche is certainly applicable here: Any team can beat any other team on any given night.

Swift Current will host Lethbridge tomorrow.

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The Home Hardware Legionnaires pulled off a 3-2 home ice win over the visiting Regina Pat Canadians tonight.

Two power play goals by Brett Penner in the second period and the winner by Jeff Olson in the third propelled the Legions to victory.

G Lukas MacDonald got the win in goal, making 26 saves on 28 shots. Swift Current Broncos prospect Taylor Ernst beat MacDonald early for a 1-0 Regina lead. Jordan Paddock scored late to bring it close, but it was not enough.

The home team, already missing captain Dylan Balaski and D Jordan Cleghorn with concussions, lost D Mason Logan to a lower body injury. Trent Winzer also sat the game out serving the last of a two-game suspension after his fighting major and game misconduct in Tisdale.   

The Legionnaires will need every point they can muster to make playoffs, and their postseason appearance already depends on the results of games between certain other teams. One loss to a team lower than them in the standings could almost seal their fate. A playoff spot might be a ways away but it's still mathematically possible. And until it's not, the team will keep pushing for it and hope for the best.

Tonight's win was a good example of that. 

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The Legionnaires will head to Saskatoon this Thursday to face the league leaders, the Saskatoon Contacts. The game WILL NOT be broadcast on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network. That for several reasons combined, not the least of which is me having to work until 5 o'clock. There is also no real broadcast location at Schroh Arena. My view was severely obstructed in the booth I had last time.

See you at th rink tomorrow....

"Weasel" Named AHL Player of the Week

Courtesy www.theahl.com.

 

The American Hockey League today named Wolf Pack right-wing Dale Weise the Reebok AHL Player of the Week for this past week. He is the first Wolf Pack player to win the award this season.

Weise scored goals in all four of the Wolf Pack’s games on the week, totaling five goals, the longest goal-scoring streak by a Pack player thus far this year.

In Wednesday night's game against Lowell in Newark, NJ, a 3-2 defeat, Weise's goal at 6:43 of the third period tied the score at two, after the Pack had entered the third session down 2-0. The second-year pro then notched his third two-goal game of the season Friday night, in a 5-2 win in Worcester, earning Third-Star honors. Saturday night in Albany, Weise netted his fourth shorthanded goal of the season, which was the only Hartford tally in a 3-1 loss. Weise then finished the week with a power-play goal in Sunday's 2-1 overtime win at Providence.

With six goals and an assist in his last six games, Weise has upped his totals on the year to 15-14-29 in 41 games, good for second on the Wolf Pack team in goals and third in points. A 6-2, 209-pound native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Weise, 21, was a fourth-round draft pick of the parent New York Rangers in 2008.

Broncos Ship Brown, Acquire Verdino / Legionnaires Conclude 0-2 Weekend

My blog was tuned out at the WHL trade deadline due to the Legionnaire broadcast from Tisdale. There's enough other great blogs over there on the right. You were well informed!

But anyway...here's what went down in Broncoland....

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The Broncos shipped F Mike Brown to the Tri-City Ams in exchange for a 2011 fifth round draft choice. They then catapulted the draft pick directly to Kelowna in exchange for 18-year-old F Kyle Verdino.

The Broncos and Rockets are very familiar trading partners, having hooked up for a large number of deals the past few years.

Earlier, I pegged Verdino as a defenseman. Actually, he's listed as a left winger but apparently he's also very good at playing defense.  

If the Broncos choose to play him on defense this move will add some much needed experience on the back end. The only other 18-year-old on the blue line is Joel Rogers.

For more WHL trades, go to www.rodpedersen.com.

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The Legionnaires lost 8-4 to the Tisdale Trojans this afternoon.

It was a disappointing loss and weekend alike. The sought after playoff position is now even further away from the Legionnaires than it was to start the two-game weekend.

Trailing 4-0 after 20 minutes, they locked things down in the second and scored two to bring it close. But everything exploded again in the third. The game featured a few fisticuffs and the third period ejection of head coach Regan Darby.

The Legionnaires will play the Regina Pat C's this Tuesday at the i-Plex.

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One other note....

The Bantam Kabos Raiders erased a 2-0 deficit and surfaced with a 5-4 shootout win in the final game at the Greater Saskatoon Bantam Invitational. Full marks to the Raiders for winning the tournament.

Legions Fall In Tisdale / Randoms

The Swift Current Legionnaires were thumped 7-2 tonight by the hometown Tisdale Trojans at Tisdale RecPlex.

The Trojans opened a 5-0 lead in the first period, jumping all over the Swift Current squad. The Legionnaires replied with goals of their own in the second and third period but they were quickly answered each time and Tisdale took the win with relative ease. Austin Connor and Dayton Reinboldt scored for the road team. Tisdale was 3 for 8 on the power play, while Swift Current was 1 for 9. The Legionnaires got out-shot 42-19. Their team defense was weak to start the game and they generated virtually no offense.

G Lukas MacDonald was chased from the nets after allowing the first four goals. He was replaced by Kyler Beckett, who joined the team today in Melfort. Beckett made a few phenomenal saves on the Trojans' top guns and had a stellar outing in his first game as a Legionnaire.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 2 PM. (Legionnaires Broadcast Network...pregame at 1:50 PM)

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I was unable to watch any of the Bronco game in Edmonton. But according to the lopsided shot total the Broncos were only in a shootout tonight due to a great performance by Oil Kings G Torrie Jung.

In any case, they managed to win another shootout and go 2-0 on the weekend.

No matter how bad the Oil Kings struggle, they have always given the Broncos a run for their money. 

Tomorrow is the WHL trade deadline. Nothing has happened around the league so far. Any thoughts?

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The Kabos Bantam Raiders won the semifinal 6-2 tonight at the Greater Saskatoon Bantam Invitational. They'll play the Saskatoon Generals tomorrow in the tournament final at 2:30 PM. The game will be played at Credit Union Centre.

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I am not happy that I'll miss tomorrow's Olympic Torch celebration in Swift Current. The weather will be beautiful. Please cheer for me too if you're attending.

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It's time for bed here in Tisdale.

Ciao. 

On The Road...

We're headed to Tisdale for a pair of games this weekend. Listen tonight on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network. (link to the left) The pregame show starts at 7:50 PM.

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With the depature of G Jay Hudon for Melfort in the SJHL, the Legionnaires have acquired the services of 15-year-old G Kyler Beckett. The Moosomin native plays with Pipestone in AA Midget, and is expected to meet the team in Tisdale.

F Alex Laird will also rejoin the Legionnaires today after some time spent with SJHL Yorkton. He scored one assist in three games.

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One other minor hockey note....

The Kabos Bantam Raiders have made it to the semifinal and will play tonight at 8 PM in the Greater Saskatoon Bantam Invitational. I will have a final score from that game later today.

Broncos Mount Comeback And Beat Rebels

The Broncos rallied back from a 2-0 third period deficit and surfaced with a 3-2 shootout victory in Red Deer tonight.

The road team was out-shot 24-15 through two periods and was definitely a step behind. The Broncos may have been feeling the effects of another five-day stretch without a game. They've endured a lot of that this season due to unusual scheduling. Whatever the cause, they were slower than the Rebels for 40 minutes and Red Deer capitalized twice with goals from Landon Ferraro and Andrej Kudrna. Broncos G Mark Friesen made some very key saves to prevent the game from getting out of reach. His performance included an impossible save on the aforementioned Kudrna, whom he stymied on a 2 on 1 rush in the first period by sliding across the crease and committing robbery.

Swift Current then picked it up and completely dictated the flow in the third stanza. Their very first power play chance came early in the third. For a minute or so the Rebels' kill looked solid. But Cody Eakin defied that and blasted his 29th goal of the season past Rebels G Darcy Kuemper at 2:18 to cut the lead in half. Just over a minute later, captain Derek Claffey screamed up the left wing and hammered another one by Kuemper to knot things at 2-2. The pace was quick from there and the scoring chances were many, but Swift Current never managed to net a go-ahead marker. The third period shots were 15-3 in favour of the Broncos. 

In the shootout, the Rebels made an interesting move and put Kraymer Barnstable between the pipes in Darcy Kuemper's stead. Apparently they were trying to recapture Barnstable's magic from a previous shootout victory. The move became irrelevant as the Broncos rallied one more time. With his team trailing 1-0, Brad Hoban went in as the third shooter and scored a clutch goal to extend the circus. Mark Friesen then made his third save in four shots to keep it tied, and that sent Justin Dowling in with a chance to win, which he did.

It was a huge win for the Broncos, who were trailing the Rebels by three points entering the game. They'll conclude their two-game central Alberta road trip in Edmonton tomorrow night.

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I'm going to get ready for tomorrow morning's Legionnaire bus trip to Tisdale. Have a good night and enjoy your weekend!

Broncos Head For RD / Legionnaires Back At It This Weekend

Friday is almost upon us! It was a tough week to work through with all the holidays ending abruptly last Sunday, but I think we can do it! One more day.....

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The Broncos took off for Red Deer this afternoon, where they'll face the Rebels tomorrow to kick off a two-game Alberta weekend. They'll conclude it in Edmonton on Saturday.

The Rebs lost 4-2 in Swift Current back on October 4/09 in the teams' only meeting this season. They were around or on the .500 mark until December, when they started picking it up and now find themselves six games above .500.

They missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. It's safe to say that after two consecutive years of missing the postseason, the faithful Red Deer fan base was expecting more when this one kicked off. If you've been keeping tabs on Red Deer media, a Rebels playoff appearance this year has never really been in doubt. And as it stands now they appear well on their way there, sitting in sixth place in the conference.

But Red Deer is not out of the woods yet. There are still only six points separating 5th from 9th place in the conference, so they'll have to keep winning consistently.

So the Broncos will have their hands full at the Enmax Centrium tomorrow evening.

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In Midget AAA news, the Swift Current Legionnaires will kick off the remaining third of their schedule with two games in Tisdale this weekend after 3 1/2 weeks of Christmas break.

The Trojans are a competitive bunch. Expect no different this time around. Every year they seem to find a way to mire themselves comfortably in a playoff spot.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to seeing the town and it's hockey fans, and calling the play-by-play of two games from there. Word is they have the best fans around the SMAAAHL, because it's the highest level of hockey in town. Also, former Legionnaires D Tyler Bird plays on their team and I'm looking forward to chatting with him again. We were good friends when he was here.

The Legionnaires will get some help on the blue line with the return of D Brandon Pratt. He's been out with a knee injury since way back in October. Captain Dylan Balaski won't be playing due to the concussion sustained in Regina just prior to Christmas. It is also not apparent that G Jay Hudon will be returning from the SJHL's Melfort Mustangs. So expect Saskatoonian Lukas MacDonald to be handed the ball between the pipes for the rest of the season, possibly getting a few games off in favour of a call-up goaltender. 

Colton Heffley was in Kelowna the past week and a half playing his 15 year-old limit of five games with the injury depleted Rockets. He flew back to Saskatchewan today and will play in Tisdale. Hopefully I can catch up with Colton and run an intermission interview. We'll talk about his WHL experience among other things.

As for the standings, the Legionnaires sit nine points out of a playoff spot. The two teams above them, Moose Jaw and Tisdale are tied for points with 30. But Moose Jaw has three games in hand on Swift Current and Tisdale has five. So the Legions making the postseason is becoming a stretch, especially given the fact they have 10 road games remaining and only four at home. But if they piece a good run together anything could happen. Until a team is mathematically eliminated the sights are always set on playoffs.

Both games can be heard on the Legionnaires Broadcast Network with the pre-game show on Saturday starting at 7:50 PM.

Bronco Trade Talk

Keep in mind the following is just me jotting down my thoughts and ideas.... :) There are two perspectives below.


Trade deadline anyone?

It's been rather quiet in Swift Current on the issue. The date in question, January 10, is looming. The Broncos have been involved in big deals at the deadline the past few years. That seemed to be a trademark of then GM Dean Chynoweth's, literally.

There are a couple rumours floating around. One has Justin Dowling going to Saskatoon, and the other has Cody Eakin going to Brandon. Personally I would be very surprised if those two players went anywhere. Clubs seldom trade away players they're building around (Eakin) or steady offensive catalysts (Dowling) in that 18-19 range. When it has happened in recent years, the price has been absolutely huge. The Broncos probably won't move either of those two guys because both of them are more than likely to return next season to help the team do some damage. Also teams like Brandon, Saskatoon and Calgary are separating themselves from the pack right now and playing extremely well. Why would they want to sell the farm to gain some offense they might not need? These teams are fine offensively. The Blades might look for a forward to add a couple goals, but they're not going to pay a big price. They'll want to keep winning next year. A team like Brandon will be out for a solid defenseman and the Broncos have none to trade away. You can bet they're fielding a few calls regarding Derek Claffey, but they need him in the worst way.

From another standpoint, some of the above seems possible. This year really isn't the Broncos' year to go a long way in playoffs. They've been fairly inconsistent and young guys are getting a lot of ice time especially on the back end due to the lack of veteran defensemen. The goal is probably to slip into the playoffs as the fifth or sixth seed and see what happens from there. Given those circumstances......Cody Eakin would still be very unlikely to get traded. In order not to be here next year, he has to play in the NHL. Justin Dowling might play pro next season though, so that may open the door for him to get moved at a slightly reduced price. Remember when we thought Dale Weise and Zack Smith were surely coming back as 20 year-olds? The 19 year-old Euro Stepan Novotny could also be a candidate for a Saskatoon or a Spokane depending on the asking price.

Look for the Broncos to make a minor move or two, one perhaps involving one of their two 19 year-old goaltenders.

I guess we'll sit back and see what unfolds!

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There are all kinds of rumblings about Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert being traded. I have no comment. About a month ago, it appeared like Brent Parker was going for it again with all the future they gave up in a few trades. Who knows now? The Pats are 1-9 in their last 10 games. Will they jump ship and start dumping?

Red, White and Gold

Watching the game was not unlike riding a roller coaster....but...

Congratulations to Team United States for halting Canada's drive for six straight WJHC Gold Medals. What a game!

One more point...Jordan Eberle is a magician!

More blogging tomorrow.

Prediction

Not much today....just a prediction for tomorrow's Gold Medal game. If this grabs you the wrong way, sorry. I cheer for Canada as much as you do. I'm also not at all superstitious and thought it would be cool to throw this one out there because there isn't much of it on my blog.

And everyone likes serious prognostications in sport, don't they?

USA 5  Canada 2

I hope I'm wrong.

It should be a dandy though!

Tigers Earn Weekend Split

The final score from Medicine Hat....

The Broncos showed good work ethic for the most part but didn't find the chemistry to do the damage needed. Their many odd man rushes up ice never connected. As a result the game went the other way, and Swift Current had it's four-game win streak snapped. Although they got 34 pucks to the goal, Deven Dubyk was strong in the Medicine Hat net. Michael Stickland was beautifully set up by a hardworking Cody Eakin and scored his second goal in as many nights to bring the score to 2-1 in the third. Any momentum from the goal though was quickly extinguished when the Tigers replied seconds later to make it 3-1. The Broncos' power play also sputtered to 0 for 4 on the night while the Tigers capitalized once on three chances.

For the second straight game, the Tigers kept ringing the iron frame behind Bronco G Mark Friesen. But this time they persevered and finally managed to open up a sizable lead in the third period. After that they did a good job of putting the game on ice.

The Broncos will be off until next Friday, when they visit the Red Deer Rebels. 

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Warmup

Warmup is underway in Medicine Hat. Broncos G Mark Friesen. (Above)


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Broncos Crawl To Win Over Tigers

The Broncos scored a timely goal in the third period and pulled out a 3-2 home ice victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers for their fourth straight win.

Brad Hoban was the man of the moment, scoring a third period power play marker with just 5:16 remaining and the game tied 2-2. The Broncos also got a goal from Michael Stickland, and Jordan Peddle scored his first of the season on a very pretty setup late in the first. F Taylor Vause was kept off the stat sheet but was one of the best players today. 

Joey Frazer, from Brainerd Minnesota, scored both goals for the Tigers.

Broncos G Mark Friesen (left) started for the seventh time in a row and performed exceptionally well between the pipes. The Tigers clanked a few pucks off the posts and crossbar behind Friesen, but he did a good job of controlling rebounds and ended up with 32 saves and the win for a 5-2 record through his last seven starts. Friesen had to bail out his team on a few occasions.

Swift Current definitely didn't play to full potential but in the end it managed another win, and that's the stat that gets looked at. The Broncos tarried for two hours while the Tigers' arrival was delayed by a snowstorm. That may have had a negative effect on the team, but the game was still a big one and several players did not put their best foot forward. Their power play went 2 for 8 on the night but looked lackluster for the most part, especially through five chances in the first period.

The two teams will meet again for a rematch tomorrow in Medicine Hat. If the Broncos hope to pull off a sweep, they'll have to come up with an effort greater than the one they brought forth today.


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I'm 'Hat bound tomorrow. The Legionnaires will continue their schedule next weekend so my WHL travel time will again be limited from that point on. I'm thinking a trip to Medicine Hat would be a great idea.

Look for a recap after the game and possibly some photos.

They're Here!

The Tigers made it here. Warmup is underway at CU i-Plex.


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Delay

The Broncos are shooting for a 4:30 PM faceoff as the Tigers crawl down the #1 highway. As of 2:10 PM, they were still West of Maple Creek.