Game Day @ Edmonton

First some tidbits from around.

A Tuesday afternoon tweet from TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie: “No decision req'd until trade deadline but my sense is TBL more inclined to keep Brett Connoly in NHL than return him to Tri City (WHL).”
McKenzie, Part 2: “If Connolly finishes NHL season with TBL, and Bolts miss playoffs (as expected), he can be assigned to Norfolk for AHL playoffs.” (Taking Note)

There's more from Tampa:

Connolly has done less and less. He has no points in his past 14 games, and in eight games since winning a bronze medal with Canada at the world junior championship, the right wing has played more than 10 minutes only once, has nine shots and was demoted to a fourth line.

More to the point, Connolly, 19, has struggled defensively, which Boucher said is the primary reason for the loss of ice time.

But instead of sending Connolly back to juniors, Tampa Bay decided to continue his development in the NHL with what Boucher called "tough love."

"We said as a staff that if we're going to take him back after Team Canada, that he'd fit wherever he deserved to fit at that moment," Boucher said. "He's not a young kid anymore. He's part of the team and subject to the same positive or constructive criticism as the other guys who have been in the league for 10 years.

"We've taken a lot of time with him, probably more than any other guy. It's a question, now, of his willingness to focus on the small details to become a complete professional."

Quite a change from the feel-good story in which Connolly surprised even the Lightning by earning a job out of training camp, getting power-play time and playing on a line with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

"With the puck he's fine," Boucher said of Connolly, who has four goals and eight points in 36 games. "But he's got to improve without the puck. He gets surprised defensively."

That is "normal for a 19-year-old," Boucher said, but added, "He has a lot to learn."

"Be hard on the walls," Connolly said. "Make sure you have your guy in the slot. Little things, little things that go a long way."

Steven Stamkos, who at 18 struggled through the first half of his rookie season, knows what his teammate is going through, so he offered perspective.

"It's a tough situation," Stamkos said. "You're used to being the go-to guy all the time, and you're used to playing all situations. … You know you have the capabilities, but sometimes you have to take a step back and realize you are at that age and it's a learning process and it's not going to happen overnight." (Tampa Bay Times via Red Light District)

So there you have it.  It doesn't sound like he'll be coming to Tri.  Obviously, that could still change, but I'm not holding my breath.

From the WHL discipline department:

01/21/12 Campbell Elynuik Prince George Four games for one man fight at Calgary on January 20
01/21/12 Campbell Elynuik Prince George One game for receiving third game misconduct of season at Calgary on January 20

So...let me get this straight. Walter gets six games for his one-man fight in Kelowna, but Elynuik only gets 4? And no explanation? Apparently the league felt the circumstances were different, but they have posted no explanation like they did on the discipline page when Walter was suspended. Don't get me wrong, I think a one-man fight has got to be one of the dumbest things ever, and both players pretty much deserve the suspension, but it just is yet another reflection of the inconsistency of the league. How frustrating.

In the Things That Must Matter to Some People department there's this:

1. Tri-City Americans, WHL (.565 RPI, —) — What's better heading into a showdown of conference leaders, to be on a win streak or have been tested by top teams? Tri-City no doubt hopes it's the latter, since they had tough outings against two of our ranked clubs, Kamloops and Spokane, last week. One could give the Ams a partial pass on those results. The losses to the Chiefs and Blazers came in their ninth and 10th games in an 18-day stretch. That's almost too much hockey. One bonus for Jim Hiller's team is they do not play back-to-back during a three-game Alberta swing this week. (Buzzing the Net)

I have to agree with BTN here, that was a lot of hockey.

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Some are calling it the 'game of the year' at Rexall Place. Tonight the Edmonton Oil Kings play host to the Tri City Americans. Edmonton leads the Eastern Conference while The Americans are 2 points back of top running Kamloops in the Western Conference.

When you look into the match up statistically it's even more intriguing. Edmonton is the highest scoring team in the league with 208 goals through 48 games while Tri City is #1 defensively with just 112 goals against this season.

While they are tied for points with 69 which is just 2 back of Kamloops, the Americans are clicking at a .750 win percentage and have 2 games in hand on the Oil Kings.(Coming Down the Pipe!) 

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Call it the Dub Bowl.


It’s not an indisputable, conclusive championship title. Like the NCAA football Bowl setup, it will just add further debate as to who’s the best.

But the real beauty of it is that nobody knows how the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Tri-City Americans stack up next to each other. Until the buzzer blows.

It’s also a game all eyes concerned with the WHL will be looking to see what happens.

Two teams from different conferences playing their only game of the season against each other.

Because the hot-damn Kamloops Blazers used their game-in-hand (with a 9-1 run) to slip ahead of the Americans, this won’t be a showdown between first-place East and West.

But it will be a showdown.  (Edmonton Sun)

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Remember earlier game time tonight because of time zones, pre-game starts at 5:45.  Bring the funny.