Seattle picked up a huge win in Spokane on Wednesday night that moved them two points clear of Everett for the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
Seattle gets 4 of their last 5 games at home, including Prince George tonight and Everett tomorrow. Followed by Tri-City and Portland with a trip to Portland squeezed in there.
Everett is in Spokane tonight and Seattle tomorrow. Their season ends with a 3 in 3 where they have to travel to Victoria Friday night before returning for the Royals on Saturday and finishing home against Tri-City. Advantage Seattle.... but they have to take that advantage.
Why, exactly, does this matter?
Let's see if our hunch can be confirmed through some stats.
Vs. Portland this year:
2 Wins, 8 Losses
Total Averages - 2.3 Goals For, 5 Goals Against, 29.7 Shots For, 42.7 Shots Against
At Home - 2.6 Goals For, 5.6 Goals Against, 31.2 Shots For, 38.8 Shots Against
On Road - 2 Goals For, 4.4 Goals Against, 28.2 Shots FOr, 46 Shots Against
Now let's look at Kelowna, since they appear to be the opponent for the 7 seed. Kamloops still had a chance to catch them, but it's looking like the Rockets.
1 Win, 2 Losses, 1 OTL
Totals - 2 Goals For, 4.5 Goals Against, 24.25 Shots For, 32.5 Shots Against
At Home - 3.5 Goals For, 3 Goals Against, 30.5 Shots For, 35 Shots Against
On Road - 0.5 Goals For, 6 Goals Against, 18 Shots For, 30 Shots Against
The totals for Kelowna are pretty similar to that of Portland but if you take out the 8-0 drubbing the Tbirds took up in Kelowna they've actually played them much tighter and even more so at home.
Seattle might actually have a punchers chance to win one or two games at home in Games 3 and 4 against the Rockets and that might actually make the series interesting. Beyond that, you never know.
I have to miss the game again tonight with a family situation. I will be watching from home though and tweeting some thoughts.
17 comments :
I like the T-Birds chances more against the Rockets (although it is somewhat slim) than over the Winterhawks. The Hawks usually play their number 2 goalie Burke against the T-birds. With the playoffs the lines get smaller, and they would see even more of Rattie, Petan,and 4 TOP D-men. My 2 cents.
Brian in Sherwood
Doesn't matter who we play...it'll be four and done with 2 home games. At least we got a big fat deposit down on next year's season tickets.
Anon 6:54 Please go find another team to bitch about...no one wants your negative opinion.
A point is a point. Lets pull it out tomorrow night Birds.
@Anon March 8, 2013 at 9:21 PM
Stop kissing the ground Farwell walks on.
Fans are ALLOWED to have any opinion they want.
Those refs last night should not be allowed in another WHL building. They didn't call anything on either team unless it was matching minors or to end a PP one team had somehow found themselves on. The last penalty for covering the puck the ref pointed several times to center ice and them seemed to change is mind and give the PP instead of the PS. Though you really gotta score on a 4-3 PP, there is too much open ice not too.
T-birds seem to be having trouble figuring out that they are not good enough to only play one or two periods and win. It's frustrating to see them beat Tri-city and Spokane on the road and then lost to PG at home. Hopefully they have a fire lit under them tonight and it burns for three periods.
It was really nice to see Honey back on the ice :)
@ Anon 9:21, stop ruining my opinion that Anonymous = negative ;)
Anon at 9:21
Freedom of opinion is still allowed. Please move to IRAN where you will fit right in. (Good luck watching their hockey team)
The officiating was just fine last night. He didn't close his hand on the puck in the crease 2 min pp was the absolute right call. They let the players decide the outcome of the game I would take that any day. Just FYI the official was pointing to the penalty box not center ice but I have a great angle to that particular play
I agree, the officiating was not the problem last night. Not hitting the net with shots was the problem.
I didn't say the reffing was the problem, I said I thought it was bad last night from where I sat, though maybe the hoard of drunk idiots sitting around me was affecting how I saw the game. I also said they didn't call anything on either team.
The problem is the T-birds play to the level of their opponent, which is good when they play Tri-city, Spokane, Kelowna, but not so good when they play PG and Everett.
I totally agree they have to get the puck on net. It seems like they get the puck on net when there is no screen and no one to get the rebound and miss the net when they have the screen and people looking to collect the garbage.
I think it is weird for a ref to point repeatedly at a penalty box when the guy who is going to go there is laying on the ice, but I sit in 104 so I'm off to the side and to me it looked like he was pointing to center ice which makes sense for his action. Generally when I see a ref point at the penalty box he points at the player then the box.
Hopefully they will play hard in all three periods tonight and extend their lead over Everett to 5 points.
At Anon 12:02 pm, spot on on your comment about not hitting the net.It seems like our acruracy is hoorible of late, especially Delnov. That guy has been missing all year. Just think how many goals he would have this year if his acruaracy was half way decent.
It seems shots on goal is the problem but not this weekend. Not only are they not hittin the net but are missing it when they do. Thus why many fans yell "shoot!" Tired of being out shot on many occasions. With that said...almost a OK weekend for the T-Birds. I would have loved a win but with this team I'll take a point. Go T-Birds!
Regardless of the final score that was interesting. Good to see a wild game at home once in a while. That's the one benefit of lousy whl officiating is we get to see those crazy moments every now and then.
Why does this team struggle so much to win games at the ShoWare Center???
With two referee's in each league above junior, you now get the "bottom of the barrel" for referee's in this league, and it shows. When the game is tied, in the NHL, the referee's realize (most of the time) the game needs to be decided by the players and put the whistle away. Not so in this league.
I wish the referee's realize that the fans didn't come to see their inability.
Certainly, I can't say the bad officiating cost us the game both teams were dead even all night in futility, but the officiating 100 percent caused the brawl. The check from behind needs to be called it was blatant and cheap and right in front of the official, it's sad wardley retaliated the way he did with his own cheap shot but that's what happens when officials try and dictate games. Even the make up trip with a minute left was laughable the guy never touched Lockhart.... And gibby if two goalies are going get out of the way
Pretty much agreeing spot-on with that 12:12 comment. Officiating may not have been the finest, and there's a case to be made when Seattle only gets one powerplay to Everett's 5 that Everett had an advantage. But in both games Fri/Saturday we had Prince George, Everett, and the Thunderbirds.. The low-tier, bottom of the barrel teams to go along with the bottom-tier refs of the WHL battling it out in a battle of the futiles. When you get these kinds of matchups, luck often prevails over skill or officiating, and Everett and Prince George both got the bounce.
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