Calm Before the Storm?

Playoffs start Friday against Vancouver.  A couple sets of numbers to throw your way in the meantime:

• 2009-10 season:  47 wins  Thankfully, not a lot of adversity/injuries
• 2010-11 season:  44 wins   LOTS of adversity/injuries including leading scorer

Both seasons Owsley out with injury for extended time but 2009 had a 19-year-old backup, this year a 16-year-old green backup.  I think it's hard to look at the wins and think that this season was bad.  Only 3 fewer losses than last year when they were Western Conference champs?  That's impressive.  It really is.

Also, this current team has 485 games of playoff experience.  RAWRR

A wise man passed a lot a quote from another wise man:  "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor".

I know there's some who are tired of the "injury excuse" but as I've mentioned before, it matters.  It matters a whole lot.

Another set of numbers that I threw out there in the liveblog last night (actually I'll cut and paste the whole comment):

Don Nachbaur has coached 936 WHL games (regular season)

Jim Hiller has coached 288 regular season games. Of course Don does everything "better". He's got the experience. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure that out. But even Don Nachbaur started somewhere and his record wasn't always so sparkling. There's a learning curve for everyone--players and coaches. Personally, and this is just me, I'm tired of the "blame Hiller" shit and the "outcoached by Nachbaur" garbage. Of course he's outcoached by Nachbaur, most coaches in the WHL just because of Don's experience.

Stats from hockeydb.com and playoff stats are not listed.  But a little bird passed along the following:

• Don Nachbaur,   6 seasons in Tri-City 4 play-off series wins
• Jim Hiller, one season in Tri-City 3 play-off series wins

People are going to see what they want to see.  Those who don't like Hiller for whatever reason have every right but he's taken this team further than Nachbaur ever did.  When that statement comes up inevitably the argument is that Hiller has more talent to work with.  Meh, that's neither here nor there.  Don had some damn good players in his time in Tri.

As for last night, Captain Clutch to the rescue again with his overtime game winner, his 20th of the season.  Big Mess had a 3-point night, Yuen ended the regular season a +41.  FORTY ONE.  Hot damn.

"We're getting close to the playoffs, and Kruise has elevated his game," Hiller said of his captain, who reached 20 goals for the third time in his career. "He's scoring big goals again. He has a long history of that." (Examiner)

Around here things might be slow with the week off but I'm trying to get a couple interviews lined up so keep an eye out for those if I can get 'em done. 

I hope playoff beards are growing.