Game Day @ Spokane

"Give credit to them, they came out strong," Hughesman said of Everett. "After we got down 2-0, we played good for 50 minutes. It may have been an ugly win, but we'll take it. We expect a tough game (today). We have to play better than we did (Friday)."

With 106 points, Shinnimin overtook Brandon's Mark Stone (105 points) for the lead in the league scoring race.

"When I get the puck, I'm looking to shoot," said Shinnimin, who has 18 goals and 32 points during his current 11-game point streak. "On that power-play goal, a lane opened up. Short-handed, I made a pass to Holly, he made a great fake, gave it back and I tapped it in. Then Hughesman scored the game winner. It was a great team effort. We showed great character against a team desperate for points." (Herald)

I think Hughey is being generous saying they played good for 50 minutes.  Everett came out the hungrier team and it showed.  Coach said after the game against the Tips on Tuesday that they would come in wanting revenge and he was right.  I wonder if he broke out a good ol' "I told you so" on the boys in the first intermission.  Telling teenagers "I told you so"--if I had a dollar for every time I did that I could quit my day job.  But then I'd have no teenagers to say "I told you so" to.  Vicious cycle, and I digress.

They looked sloppy and discombobulated in the 1st.  They looked more tired than they did a week ago when they were running on 10 forwards (9 if you don't count Lukas Walter who rarely played during the injury pileup).  Things did come together in the 2nd half of the game, and I mean come on, Brendan Freakin' Shinnimin.  This kid is hotter than the sun right now.  His 106 points not only leads the WHL, but the entire CHL.  Smokin' hot.  And I was going to bring a stopwatch to the game so I can try to keep track of his ice time, because I'm just curious.  Maybe I'll remember on Tuesday.

It used to be the Shinny-Hughey show, but it's now almost the Shinny-Holland show.  Either way, the work they're doing is phenomenal.

Seeing Captain Mason Wilgosh on the ice again was such a relief.  Not only that, he played like he hadn't missed a beat.  I noticed he had clear plastic covers over the boots of his skates, I assume they're a rather stiff plastic, designed to protect his healing foot but also to protect his wheels while he's blocking shots.  I was talking with Mr. Spokant about these, that there are shot-blockers in the NHL who wear these things all the time and we found it curious that Mason hasn't worn these for like his whole WHL career.  He's a master shot blocker.  I have to wonder if the covers are in some way prohibitively stiff or inflexible in some way as to make a player not want to wear them on a regular basis.  Yes, these are the random thoughts I have during warmups.