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Some Random Thoughts on a Rare "Off" Day

Posted by Les Lazaruk on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 01:25:00 PM.

It's not just my imagination, but the Saskatoon Blades have played a lot of games lately! Most of them on the road! Once this weekend's home games against Edmonton Friday and Brandon Saturday are complete, the Blades will have played 18 games in just 33 days! And, there were six off days between a January 19th home game with Red Deer and a January 26th visit to Moose Jaw! In fact, this weekend will be the fifth time in the 33-day stretch where the Blades played four games in five nights!

No wonder I'm gassed...and all I do is call the game!

The schedule this season has been weird to say the least. The Blades have played 56 games, thus have 16 remaining...12 of them at home. In fact, once next weekend's three games-in-three nights swing into Red Deer, Calgary and Kootenay is done, the Blades have 10 of their final 11 games at Credit Union Centre! Methinks it's time the WHL put schedule-making into the hands of an independent body that uses a computer!

Boy, do I appreciate the work put in by Alan Caldwell out of Calgary and his blog, "Small Thoughts at Large"...you've gotta love playing around with numbers to get all the "magic" numbers for the entire league updated on a day-to-day basis. At least I don't have to do it! What I do know is, what people have figured ever since that early-season nine-game losing streak...the Blades' chances of catching an Eastern Conference playoff spot is fading...and fast! As it stands today, the "magic" number for Saskatoon to be eliminated is 9 points. Any combination of points lost by the Blades (two per regulation time loss and one point for every overtime or shootout loss) or won by Brandon (two per win and one for each overtime or shootout loss) equalling nine, between now and the regular season, officially puts the Blades on the sidelines.

Congratulations to two other regular bloggers...friends and broadcast bretheren Rod Pedersen in Regina and Regan Bartel in Kelowna. To Roddy and his very informative and thought-provoking blog, congrats on winning the first-ever Canadian Sports Blog award. To Regan, kudos on having been blogging for a full year. The time and effort required to regularly blog is "massive", the kind of time I find hard to commit to because of family and work...especially following the "Bridge City Bunch". (The quotes around the two words in this paragraph are for Regan's benefit, lol!)

Another blogger who gets my vote of support for "hanging in there" is Andy Kemper, the first-year play-by-play voice of the Portland Winter Hawks. With the Hawks on the verge of official elimination from the playoffs, those lop-sided scores against and huge shots on goal totals against are going to continue as the organization finds out which players are committed to playing for the crest on the front of the jersey as opposed to the name on the back. Trust me, Andy, I saw that first-hand in 2003-2004 when the Blades won just 7 games! I empathize and sympathize with you!

I know there are many out there who have responded on this blog by saying that this season's edition of the Blades is no better than that 2003-2004 team that won just 7 times. I am going to disagree and say that this Blades' team is also better than the 1996-97 "Young and Reckless" Blades that won just 18 times, the 1998-99 team that won just 16 games and the 2000-2001 "Bridge City Bunch" that won only 19 games. Let the contradictory posts begin...but my rose-coloured glasses tell me there are better years ahead, so long as the current regime is allowed to continue to build. Over the next week, it is my hope to post some numbers and facts that will explain this year's disappointment plus go back over the past 14 seasons and what has led to the discontent that is felt here in Saskatoon and area.

So, which appears to be the best playoff bound Saskatchewan-based W-H-L teams that I have seen of late? a) the Regina Pats...not that impressive in an overtime win and a 6-2 loss to the Blades, showing they can lose their composure at the drop of a hat...or helmet and glove if you will! b) the Moose Jaw Warriors, a pair of shootout wins at home over the Blades leads me to wonder about the intensity and urgency of their two prized 19-year-old defence acquisitions in Ty Wishart and Keaton Ellerby. They're good, but need to be better. c) the Swift Current Broncos. So long as they can stand up to the physicality that a Moose Jaw or Regina or any other team might throw at them, the Broncos' speed and skill might take them a long way in the post-season! I guess I'm saying c), Swift Current!

Those recent games against Regina have brought back memories of "Old-Time Hockey". It even has folks, who know better than I do, comparing some players of today to those from those very popular Blades' teams of 20 years ago. Assistant coach Dave Struch, who played on those teams, compared super-pest Mike Reich to Shawn Yakimishyn. G.M. and head coach Lorne Molleken likened 16-year-old rookie Darian Dziurzynski to Shane Calder. Based on what he did last time into Regina, I'd compare Garrett Klotz to Tony Twist...someone I did see do very well in scraps with Gord Donnelly of the Winnipeg Jets when the Jets held training camp in Saskatoon in 1989 and '90 and hosted the St. Louis Blues in pre-season action. In fact, if the Blades had a few more guys on this team who played like Ryan Fujita, Mark Wotton, Mark Raiter, etc. from that era...they might actually have some long-time fans not wanting to consider never coming back as the feedback I'm getting now would indicate!

3 Comment(s) | Leave a Comment

Comments

comment by Dave strusch
from Donna Brrette on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 01:25:23 PM
i was very disgusted by the comment that dave made on the radio after the game that the blades had the 13 man shootout(sorry cant remember who they played) he said " wow,only 2 players left that haven't shot being philp and flatters. i think i'd go with zemlak before either of them" and laughed about that. well, i didnt find that funny in any way infact i think it was down right rude!! what kind of support is that? thats as bad as some of the fans that constantly say stupid things. if that's the kind of support they have on the bench no wonder they're having problems. not every team can be a winning team every year.i have been supporting the blades for many years going back to the old barn and i have never heard a member of the team ever say anything like that before and it disgusted me actually.if he cant be more supportive of his team maybe he should either keep his mouth shut or walk away. i'm sure the guys he commented on really appreciated it(not!!!)

comment by Dave strusch

from Donna Brrette on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 01:25:23 PM

i was very disgusted by the comment that dave made on the radio after the game that the blades had the 13 man shootout(sorry cant remember who they played) he said " wow,only 2 players left that haven't shot being philp and flatters. i think i'd go with zemlak before either of them" and laughed about that. well, i didnt find that funny in any way infact i think it was down right rude!! what kind of support is that? thats as bad as some of the fans that constantly say stupid things. if that's the kind of support they have on the bench no wonder they're having problems. not every team can be a winning team every year.i have been supporting the blades for many years going back to the old barn and i have never heard a member of the team ever say anything like that before and it disgusted me actually.if he cant be more supportive of his team maybe he should either keep his mouth shut or walk away. i'm sure the guys he commented on really appreciated it(not!!!)

watching from afar
from Will on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 05:46:23 PM
I wanted to comment from afar as a fan of a couple players in particular whom I have watched from their early years. I find it deplorable that you could ignore the development of a great goalie who has been every bit as talented and recognizable as Holtby. Zemlak demonstrated last year he was a keeper that could contend with the rest. He should be have been playing as many games. He has not even been given an opportunity this year.Why??? At the end of the season this year the only diiference it would have made is that the team could have fared better. What a shame .Now what? At least show some respect for the kid and send him on to another WHL team who will appreciate him and see him perform and develop.You have only shot yourself in the foot with the lack of play for him in many ways. In a couple weeks when the season is over, I hope you can justify that it was worth singling out one great kid and player with such unsupportive treatment.I doubt you will.

watching from afar

from Will on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 05:46:23 PM

I wanted to comment from afar as a fan of a couple players in particular whom I have watched from their early years. I find it deplorable that you could ignore the development of a great goalie who has been every bit as talented and recognizable as Holtby. Zemlak demonstrated last year he was a keeper that could contend with the rest. He should be have been playing as many games. He has not even been given an opportunity this year.Why??? At the end of the season this year the only diiference it would have made is that the team could have fared better. What a shame .Now what? At least show some respect for the kid and send him on to another WHL team who will appreciate him and see him perform and develop.You have only shot yourself in the foot with the lack of play for him in many ways. In a couple weeks when the season is over, I hope you can justify that it was worth singling out one great kid and player with such unsupportive treatment.I doubt you will.

(no subject)
from steve on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 06:35:57 PM
Zemalk is not on the same levill as Holtby is, not even close. It's the nature of the beast, if zemlak wasn't happy he would have either left the team or quit hockey. He will gain more respect this way than quiting. I doubt he will be looked at another team in the WHL he's just not that good, SJHL he will be in forsure next season mark my words.

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