Just a quick note that the WHL finally announced Wardley's suspension.
Four games total, with one already served.
Looks like the first game he could come back would be Friday November 15th, in Victoria.
If it was as bad as it looked live (and I have not seen a replay yet), then 4 games seems about right based on the other suspensions handed out lately.
What worried me about this a little is the future.
The next penalty like this for Wardley, and he is a repeat offender.
So the next suspension could be getting longer.
Hockey Challenge 2014
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
38 comments :
You would think a Seattle blog would spell his name right...it's Wardley.
When you're down 3-0 and your team needs a spark- someone has to step up. I can't criticize the Wardog's choice to deliver a big hit, but it's unfortunate that Adam got hurt.
Hockey is a fast game, and when you're breaking out of your own zone with your head down injuries are bound to happen.
20 year old players...Elliot =2pts. Benoit =8 pts. Swenson =14 pts. total pts.=25 combined.
Sanvido =20 pts. Did the Birds keep the right 20 year old ?
I don't know if Vido would've had 20 points in Seattle. When they came through ShoWare, he was playing on their 1st line. Likely wouldn't have been the case here.
James....Maybe not 20 but I'm sure it would be more than 2
sanvido would not have 20 pts here but sean is right, keeping elliot was a mistake. the right move would of been giving up on him instead of getting rid of forsberg. the way our d has looked the last few games have really been disappointing, especially in everett. wolf is not ready for the whl and is a big reason why hes been on the bench. forsberg is looking awfully nice now, and so pilon from lethbridge.
Wow. Totally agree with the above comments. Management has had problems finding new 20 year old players (and not replacing the 20 year olds that were on the team in previous years--). Perry and Scott were great 20 year olds.
Look at the stats of the 20 year olds on other teams (Sanvido is just one)
I still think Elliot should have been made a defenseman one or two seasons ago. Too late now.
I have to agree. Keeping Sanvido and Forsberg along with Swenson would have been a best case scenario. Last night when Elliot basically fell down and knocked the goal off its moorings (which eliminated what surely would have been the game tying goal) and then took a goaltender interference penalty with six minutes left in the game, I lost it. That was the worst mistake on the night because it came at such a crucial time, and because Elliot (from what I could see) was not really a part of the play itself. Theodore worked his insane magic to get the puck in the slot with the goalie already going down, and Elliot in one fell swoop stole that goal out of our hands.
Am I over reacting? Yes.
On a different note, there was one moment in the third last night when I could have sworn that the puck bounced into the back of the Victoria net and back out again only to be frozen by Vollrath. Was that just a post because I didn't hear a post get hit, and I was fairly close to the action. I also was not the only person who thought it went in. Any insight as to what happened? Anyone?
It hit the post. I had a great angle and it clearly hit the post, ricocheted back of Volrath and stayed out. Just typical T-birds bad luck. Now, if it had been a Victoria shot and it hit the post and then the Seattle goalie, it would have gone in.
I look forward to your guys take on this team and 4 game losing streak with all this talent. This is not acceptable play! Did last weekend get into the minds of these guys ?
Fire Konowalchuk.
Fire coach K? I don't think his message has changed in the last few weeks from when the team was winning. But Russ needs to figure out a good team is more than just the sum of its parts. When you trade away a hard working heart and soul player that is team first (Sheen) and add several players that are good but obviously me first the chemistry is going to change and the last few games are the result. Lets hope the team can turn it around and learn to do what it takes.
If you're trying to tell me that Yak and Mac are selfish "me first" players I'm really going to wonder what games are you watching.
It hasn't worked up to this point but that opinion is way off.
I think there's too much talent on this team for them to have had the results they've had in three of the last four games. If players aren't playing the right way (which is what Konowalchuk keeps repeating after every loss) some of the blame for that has to rest on the coach. Its his message that isn't getting through, so find a way to get it through or change the message.
I agree with anon. 11.26. When players who are supposed to be your leaders blame the coaches for their poor performance---11games 1 goal----9 games 1 goal 2 assists then demand a trade instead of stepping up their game and help/lead the team....what else can you call that?
I call that looking at stats and not actually watching or knowing the game you're watching.
Neither player has played selfishly. Both have skated hard and played a team game. Yak has thrown his body around and dropped the mitts a couple of times already.
I'd hardly call that selfish.
I like some of the grit they bring, but they ain't scoring goals, they ain't assisting on goals, and the two of them combined are even in +/-. None of this is exactly setting the world on fire, particularly when you consider that we gave up a solid two way player with eight points in twelve games before the trade. Maybe its too soon to say one way or the other.
Tyler...What I'm saying is they were selfish with their former team .They have not shown it here yet, but if they,ve done it before they might do it again..to me it,s a blemish on them as a team player.
I see.
Fact is, we don't know what happened in Lethbridge and the only facts I have is that Pilon now wants out as well.
That leads me to think it had far less to do with players being selfish and far more to do with the situation in Lethbridge. That's just speculation on my part.
What we do know for sure is that they didn't go home and request a trade... they requested a trade and they were sent home. In my mind there is a huge difference.
The fact is the team was doing well, playing well over .700 hockey, ranked as one of the best teams in the league and then Russ made the trade and the team hasn't been the same. Not saying just saying
It has also only been 4 games.
Tyler... correction...six games
To blame Yakubowski and McKechnie for this losing streak is laughable. I guess with Sutter gone and Elliot bashing approaching beating dead horse status, might as well make the new guys scapegoats. As far as I'm concerned these two have not been "passengers" as coach K refers to certain players on this team. I liked Sheen a lot and was impressed with the way he was playing, but he wouldn't have prevented the last four losses anymore than Barzal did. This team hit adversity and folded. It's up to them to fight through it or take a knee.
OK. Back to the coach then. Fire Konowalchuk.
I'm not sure how you can watch the games this weekend and think the team didn't step up after that pathetic performance the week before. They did a LOT of things right this weekend, just didn't get the results we all wanted. If they keep playing like this, get some guys healthy and back from suspension it will turn around. I think losing Honey has hurt this team more than the trades.
You're right... 6 games and they're 2-4. So that kind of proves my point further.
the problem isnt those two players, the problem is there defense. it is absolutely horrific. which shows exactly why the move to keep elliot and not keep forsberg was just plain dumb. i understand wardley has been out. but the point is you get rid of a leader back there, and rely on players who have no experience or just arent plain good, the offense is gonna have to drop back more and are never going to get anything going. i think they should make the move to get pilon and see if there is an available 20 year old dman and end the mitch elliot experience and and end the kevin wolf austin douglas experience.
I don't believe the problem with this team's defense is the defensemen as much as it is the forwards who don't consistently play well in the d-zone. The forwards have to be better back checkers and give the d-men an option for getting the puck up ice.
Hey ladies and dudes, this is our first real "the sky is falling" thread, and we are already twenty games into the season this time and playing 600. hockey.
Its good to be a t-bird fan in the Barzal era isn't it?
My 2 cents on Elliot: I've been too hard on him in the past, but nevertheless his spot on this team is becoming tenuous because of his 20 y/o status.
My 2 cents on Gropp: He needs a lot more development than we anticipated but the skills are there.
My 2 cents on Mac and Yak: These two are gangbusters! Mac made the Benoit - Swenson line work wonders a week or so ago and Yak looks like bulldog out there always ready to play hard 2-way hockey.
My 2 cents on what happens from here: The D will tighten up by the time we reach December, but right now we have a lot of new pieces trying to fit together and there is still a lot to figure out. This team will finish the season playing better than 500. hockey but may end up in 4th place in the division unless Spokane actually collapses the way we've been predicting for years.
Should the D be better by now? Yes. Will they always be this bad? No.
What I prescribe: Only take Pilon if you are willing to pay a high price, otherwise try to pick off a guy like Dalton Thrower, who will probably be moved by the deadline this year regardless of whether its to Seattle or Portland or Everett, Kelowna, Edmonton, etc.
Go Birds!
^^^ TOTALLY AGREE with this post.
And so who sits when either Pilon or a 20yo is acquired? The whole concept with trading Forsberg was to allow Bear to play nightly. Of the current top 6 who would you sit in favor of Thrower? Not worth acquiring a 20yo to me.
My biggest concern is having a team that is so old and not necessarily able to go deep in the playoffs. Benoit, Elliot, Swenson, Delnov and Lipsbergs are gone for sure next year. After that the team is only able to keep 3 of the following: McKechnie, Hickman, Trook, Honey, Yakubowski, Henry and Wardley. That's 9 players off of this year's team gone. My "prescription " would be to allow coach K and company the opportunity to get the team rolling through November and December. If things work out then you can look at making some minor tweaks if necessary. If things don't get better, start selling assets and prepare for next year.
The whole concept with trading Forsberg had nothing to do with playing younger players. He was the only 20 year old that anyone offered anything up for. The fact that we had Bear though made it possible to be able to give him up.
My problem is that your 20's should contribute night in and night out and not be given days off. If you are giving a 20 a day off and there isn't an injury you might as well drop him from the roster and play someone who has an upside.
I believe that we need to do something about our goaltenders. Out of the two we have I really enjoy Danny's play (except for the fact he needs to be bungie corded to the net). I also think that there should be a older goaltender in front of him. Having Calvin was a blessing and a curse in that it was great to watch him every night but by doing that we developed no replacement for him.
i think the point that was being made is that the defense needs to be fixed. you ask who you sit if you pick up a 20 year old and pilon? well personally anyone but theo can sit. chances are you will trade away players to get players and again, i would get rid of any defender except theo and bear. i would trade any other defender and draft picks for pilon. twenty year olds like thrower or craig from sask, grist from kamloops or whoever else will be available would be an obvious upgrade over a 20 year old who is being a healthy scratch. i would trade smith and a draft pick for one of those guys and release elliot or trade him. i would trade hauf douglas or wolf and whoever else with draft picks to lethbridge for pilon. then you have d pairing of theo 20 year old, pilon, henry, wardley and bear. not saying any of those moves are made, but to me putting out what we have now is not good enough, and relying on forwards to constantly drop back as far as they have been is not helping the offense out at all. for example in everett. i watched the forwards falling back too deep in our zone having to help out way to much, especially when hauf, wolf, bear, and henry were on the ice. honestly no one had a good game but that isnt the first time ive seen that situation with those players.
HOLY MOLY!!!! Just make anon 4:00 PM the GM of this team...it is so easy to fix this problem. Why didn't anybody else think of all these brilliant moves? LOL
At anon 10:55am Spokane will never collapse , coach nauchbauer will never let that happen. By the way nauchbauer and hiller of Tri are the best coaches in the WHL, those guys amaze me year in and year out.
I wonder if Farwell or coach K reads this jabber?
They would be fools if they did.
I know they have read it at times but I also know they don't read things regularly.
Post a Comment