By Glen Erickson /
In addition to ticket sales, the numbers that really matter to WHL teams are those found in the win-column. Generally, when the wins pile up, all of the other numbers tend to look pretty good.
In Kamloops, wins were expected to mount this season as the club returned a veteran group. However, the forensics to date, beginning with the 13-16-2-3 record, confirms the overall performance has been less than stellar. The club’s record has them sitting firmly in 18th place overall among the 22 WHL teams.
If not for the Prince George Cougars, the Blazers would possess a number of scoring futility standards through Dec. 17. Kamloops has surrendered 150 goals, tied with the Cougars for this dubious league-wide standard. The Blazers have tallied 106 times, for a differential of minus-44, third behind only Prince George (minus-75) and the Edmonton Oil Kings (minus-50). Only six WHL teams have scored fewer goals than the Blazers.
The Blazers are the most penalized team in the WHL, amassing a total of 769 minutes through 34 games. At the other end of the scale, the Spokane Chiefs have been assessed only 474 penalty minutes. Of prime concern in Kamloops is not only the number of infractions being committed, but the timing of penalties taken at crucial points in games.
The lack of discipline has made it difficult for the Blazers to hold on to leads, a situation that reared its ugly head in a Nov. 26 game against the Kootenay Ice. Leading 4-0 after two periods, Kamloops’ penalty trouble in the third frame led in part to five goals by the Ice and an eventual 6-5 shootout loss at the Interior Savings Centre.
Through 34 games, the Blazers have played shorthanded on 203 occasions and have given up 56 powerplay goals. That translates to a 72.4 percent penalty-killing standard, 20th among WHL teams. The team has scored two shorthanded goals.
On the powerplay, Kamloops has scored 41 times in 180 opportunities, good for a 22.8 percent rating and eighth overall in the league. However, the Blazers have given up seven shorthanded goals.
Another number of note from Blazerville is “six,” as in the number of veterans that have been traded since mid-November. Add to this the release of head coach Barry Smith in early November and it would appear there is a major culture change in the works.
Notes
CJ Stretch played in his 300th WHL game Dec. 4. The California-born forward is the fifth player to play 300 games in a Blazers uniform along with Erik Christensen (304), Greg Hawgood (310), Donnie Kinney (319), and Aaron Gionet (324)…On the same night, 2010 NHL Draft-eligible forward Brendan Ranford played in his 100th career game. The durable Edmonton, Alta.-native never missed a WHL game due to injury. |