2009-10 Calgary Hitmen/WHL thread

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by Frankster

Hey Flickered, do you watch the out-of-town games online? Was this really another case of the Hitmen hitting an insanely hot goalie, or did their shots just make him look good...

Also, without seeing the game, 8 goals on 35 shots is beer-league stats...lol

Well Zemlak made probably 5 or 6 real good saves but most of the shots were directly at the logo on his jersey. The power play let them down last night. I try to catch as many games as I can, I actually don't miss that many. Following the Hitmen and the dub has become an expensive hobby for me. I have season tickets here in Red Deer but usually catch 15+ games at the dome plus all the games I pay to watch online.

[Flickered Flame]

Hitmen down 2-0 already in Saskatoon. With the Blades on the power play again.

[Flickered Flame]

3-0 now. Rigby finally decides to fight. Too little too late for the Hitmen? This team has fallen apart in an awful hurry.

[Flickered Flame]

Stebner might have his first as a Hitmen. Looks like it tipped off a Blade. 3-1 Blades late 2nd.

[Flickered Flame]

The Hitmen are down in Lethbridge tonight. It is 2-0 Hitmen in the 2nd, goals from Stone and Sylvester.

The bad news, Joel Broda suffered a concussion in Saskatoon the other night and is out. I am not sure how long he will be out.

[Flickered Flame]

Kris Foucault makes it 3-0 late in the 3rd. Much better effort tonight from the Hitmen. Even though they are playing the Canes, the Hitmen needed to be much better in their own zone and for the most part, they have been good.

[Flickered Flame]

The Kootenay Ice, the WHL's hottest team continued their winning ways with a 3-1 over the Hitmen Sunday evening. For the Hitmen, it was another lackluster game with little effort. I wasn't impressed with the Hitmen game at all. Sure there were a couple of fights but the team, once again, didn't really compete in the tough areas on the ice. They didn't compete in the corners, along the walls. I thought the Ice were able to skate around without being touched. I think there are some serious issues with the Hitmen right now and I am not sure Williamson knows how to fix the problem. I read somewhere that Williamson only signed a one year deal so maybe he won't be back? The way the Hitmen have been playing the last month or so, they will be knocked out in the first round.

[Resolute 14]

Tough to watch this team right now - even tougher than the Flames. Last night was a team with confidence vs. a team questioning itself, with predictable results.

The frustrating part is that they are playing so tentatively. Stop, look for a guy, pass to where he is, turnover, start all over. They aren't anticipating well, and it is killing their ability to use their speed.

[604flames]

Put to rest any news of PG moving... for now.

The team signed a 10-year lease at CN Centre, although there is an escape clause similar I believe to what there used to be in Cranbrook.

Personally, I'd really like to see the franchise turn around. Ten years ago they were selling out the Multiplex every night and the team put through a number of decent NHL prospects.

[LockedOut]

Moose Jaw @ Calgary Hitmen game is on Shaw channel tonight starting at 7:00 PM.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Capgary put together probably their most complete game of the season. Jones played his best hockey since the World Jrs, and maybe all season.

Broda returned from the IR and scored the natural hattrick. The shots inplied that the game was closer than I thought it was, but maybe that's because our goalie played lights-out tonight, and our forwards found some finish.

[Flickered Flame]

Yeah if Jones wasn't on the top of his game early in that 2nd period the Warriors would have blown that game wide open. The Hitmen (Broda) did the right thing but getting pucks at the net but Bosch let in 2 very bad goals, the first 2 Broda scored. Both of those wrist shots had to be stopped. Nevertheless, it was the best effort in probably a month or so.

[Jesse834]

Vancouver Giants are getting James Wright back from the Lighting.

[604flames]

Originally Posted by Jesse834

Vancouver Giants are getting James Wright back from the Lighting.

Heard about this the other day.

Every Giants fan I've spoken to wondered aloud what the heck he was doing in Tampa after his 9 games to begin with..

[GrrlGoalie33]

Special teams were the story in Calgary's 6-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Calgary went 5-7 on the PP, while killing all 7 of Lethbridges PP opportunities.

Other interesting notes from the game:
- Lethbridge had built up a 2-0 lead early in the 2nd period when Calgary scored their first goal of the game...inexplicably, Preston decided to use his time-out. I think it really cost his team as within 3 minutes of that goal, the Hitmen would score 3 more times to make it a 4-2 game.

- Shultz and Donaghy got around the automatic game for removing your helmet prior to a fight, by taking each others off. It earned them an extra 2 for unsportsmanlike, but it was very funny to watch.

- Once again, Calgary seems to be finding their rythmn again after Jones and Kozun returned, and the addition of Stebner, Shattock and Bubnick. It's nice to see (I know that Lethbridge isn't all that strong, but every time they play Calgary, they really seem to elevate their game)

[Berger]

Originally Posted by Frankster

- Shultz and Donaghy got around the automatic game for removing your helmet prior to a fight, by taking each others off. It earned them an extra 2 for unsportsmanlike, but it was very funny to watch.

2 top fighters in the league showing respect for one another. At the end of the fight they both patted each other, pure class by both men.

The final 20 something games should be fun to watch with the Tigers, Ice, and Hitmen all battling for the top spot in the division.

[Resolute 14]

The sequence that led to that fight was ridiculous. Lethbridge was already frustrated at their performance and starting scrums after many whistles. After Rissling boarded the Hurricanes player, Johnston went out and deliberately thew a high head shot from behind on an unsuspecting player nowhere near the puck in Fisenko. Johnston should have been thrown out of the game for that.

[Resolute 14]

Missed last nights game, but given how the third went, I'm glad. That was a hell of a 40 minute effort...

[GIAA]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Missed last nights game, but given how the third went, I'm glad. That was a hell of a 40 minute effort...

Yea, I was at the game last night. We seemed to be doing a good job shutting them down and holding their shot count down. But after we made it 3-1 the floodgates opened for them.

[Resolute 14]

Made up for it yesterday though. That was an outstanding performance against the best team in the league. Probably the best game of the year for Calgary.