Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663
Game day thread: Portland Winterhawks @ Wheat Kings, 7 PM
11/16/2010 at 1:57 PM
Portland Winterhawks (18-3-0-1, 1st in Western Conference)
Top scorers: Ty Rattie (14 goals, 24 assists, 38 points), Sven Bartschi (16+17=33), Ryan Johansen (10+11=21), Brad Ross (9+10=19)
Top scoring defenceman: Troy Rutkowski (3+11=14)
Probable starting goalie: With Mac Carruth () having started last night in Moose Jaw, I'll guess that tonight is Keith Hamilton's (6-1-0, 2.47 goals against average, 0.931 save percentage) turn. Both goalies are having standout seasons so far with save percentages over .930
Manitobans: Brendan Leipsic (Winnipeg)
Brandon Wheat Kings (11-11-0-1, Tie-6th in Eastern Conference)
Top scorers: Mark Stone (14 goals, 15 assists, 29 points), Scott Glennie (4+20=24), Shayne Wiebe (11+7=18), Brodie Melnychuk (3+14=17)
Top scoring defenceman: Melnychuk (3+14=17)
Probable starting goalie: Liam Liston (9-5-0-1, 2.79 goals against average, 0.909 save percentage) has started six straight games (5-1) and it would be hard to envision him not getting his seventh consecutive start against the high-powered Winterhawks.
The suddenly hot Wheat Kings (three straight wins and 7-2-0-1 over their last ten) face their biggest test of of the season so far tonight when they take on the Portland Winterhawks. The Hawks have lost just three times in regulation through the first 22 games of the season and if they continue at their current pace would finish with 121 points... just four shy of the record-setting 78-79 Wheat Kings' 125 points.
The Winterhawks are perhaps even more stacked on forward than last year's Wheat Kings. They feature NHL first rounders Nino Niederreiter (NY Islanders) and Ryan Johansen (Columbus) and second-rounder Brad Ross (Toronto). Their top two scorers Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi are two of the top three ranked WHL skaters for this summer's NHL draft. As well defenceman Brett Ponich is a second round pick of St. Louis.
So far on their Eastern road trip Portland is 4-1, having outscored their opponents 26-15 in the process.
I'll have scratches and lineups 30-45 minuts before game time. As always it would be great to hear what others think of the matchup and our chances of stacking up against the high-powered Hawks are.