The game is just underway but here's a chat I had with Penticton broadcaster Ryan Pinder on the fifth and deciding game of the Vees/Spruce Kings series.
Vees Broadcaster Ryan Pinder on Game 5
Click here to download
Good luck to both teams. It's only been a few days and I'm missing the hockey badly.
UPDATE: The Vees take it in dramatic fashion. Congrats to Penticton on a hard fought win. Also congrats to former Smoke Eater Andrew Pickering and the Spruce Kings for nearly pulling off the upset. Playoff hockey at its best. Now the second round is set with Penticton vs. Vernon, Westside vs. Salmon Arm, Surrey vs. Powell River and Cowichan vs. Victoria. I do also want to note that I went 3/3 in my predictions!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
08-09 Highlight Video (LINK UPDATED)
If you want your own copy of the Smokies highlights video (without the youtube censorship of my music and audio) check it out here: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/
Post Playoff Audio
(The Warriors and Smokies battle - Photo Randy Emery)
Just wanted to say a quick congrats to Andrew Pickering for a hell of a playoffs so far. That line of Ambrosie/Pickering/Muchalla has willed the Spruce Kings back into their series with Penticton. It's the only first round series going to a fifth game. Should be a war in Penticton with Vernon licking their chops to play the battered winner. I wish we were seeing a game 5 tomorrow... man it was close!
More to come on the end of the season for the Smokies. I want to spend some time breaking down what went right and wrong this season. I want to talk about the 20 year olds whose junior careers are now over. I want to spend some time thanking everyone who made this season possible. However, it's 2am and I have to get to bed. For now here's some audio to tide you over. Of note, I couldn't get access to the first or second period of Monday's game. That's why the highlights are limited to the third and overtime.
Game 3 Third Period and Overtime Highlights
Click here to download
Trail Smoke Eaters Coach Jim Ingram
Click here to download
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thanks You Smokies
Thanks to the fans, coaches, volunteers, executive and players for a fantastic season. You are all class acts. I only wish it ended much later. A fantastic effort that just fell a little short. Thanks for all the hard work and entertainment. I had a blast. With 17 players eligible to return (though really only 15 thanks to limits on the number of 20 year old players) I can only hope to see most of these guys back next year for a run at the Fred Page Cup.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Game 3 Game Day
DO OR DIE
Here's how the season series breaks down...
Sept 13: Westside 4 at Trail 2
Oct 25: Trail 3 at Westside 5
Nov 22: Westside 4 at Trail 6
Nov 23: Westside 3 at Trail 2
Dec 14: Trail 4 at Westside 5
Feb 5: Trail 3 at Westside 4
Feb 14: Westside 4 at Trail 2
Feb 17: Trail 1 at Westside 4
Feb 27: Trail 1 at Westside 5 (Game 1)
Feb 28: Trail 2 at Westisde 3 (Game 2) OT
TOP SCORERS
TRAIL
Ryan Bulach (2-8-10)
Danny DeKeyser (4-4-8)
Brandon Clark (2-4-6)
JF Boisvert (3-2-5)
Paul Mailey (2-3-5)
Travis St. Denis (3-1-4)
Nick Sandor (2-2-4)
Brett Corcoran (1-3-4)
Patirck Raley (0-4-4)
Sean Nugent (1-2-3)
Justin Brown (2-0-2)
Patrik Martin (0-2-2)
Adam Gummer (0-2-2)
Riley Loyst (1-0-1)
Scott Jacklin (0-1-1)
Jadon Porterfield (0-1-1)
Graeme Strukoff (0-1-1)
Jayson Reardon (0-1-1)
WESTSIDE
Ron Kelly (4-9-13)
Rob Bailey (7-5-12)
Corey Pritz (4-6-10)
Chad Gehon (2-7-9)
Jordan Gange (6-2-8)
Justin Schultz (3-4-7)
Vince Mihalek (3-4-7)
Kyle Singleton (3-4-7)
Garrett Watson (2-5-7)
Alex Grieve (3-3-6)
Cam Reid (3-2-5)
Brad Plumton (1-4-5)
Joel Woznikozki (0-4-4)
Brendan Ellis (0-3-3)
Craig Eisenhut (0-3-3)
Grayson Downing (1-1-2)
Tyler Krause (1-0-1)
Michael Quinn (0-1-1)
Jordan Gidaro (0-1-1)
GOALTENDERS
Paul Barclay (TRA) 0-6, 3.82GAA, 0.888% (Playoffs: 0-2, 3.86GAA, 0.890%)
Marco Raimondo (TRA) 1-2, 3.82GAA, 0.882%
Kevin Jebson (WES) 4-1, 2.70GAA, 0.907% (Playoffs: 2-0, 1.45GAA, 0.952%)
Devon Murtagh (WES) 2-0, 2.50GAA, 0.898%
LINE UP
TRAIL
Affiliate Players: Sam Olson from the Grand Forks Border Bruins, Alex Ross from Kootenay Major Midget
WESTSIDE
BROADCAST
No home radio broadcast but the game is available on BCHL PPV with my call and in the BCHL Fanzone with both home and road feeds.
Weekend Playoff Audio
With game 3 coming up tonight at 7:30pm in Trail, here's a look back at the first two games in West Kelowna on the weekend.
Trail Smoke Eaters Coach Jim Ingram
Click here to download
Westside Broadcaster Kevin Parnell
Click here to download
AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Feb 27 Trail 1 at Westside 5
Click here to download
AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Feb 28 Trail 2 at Westside 3 (OT)
Click here to download
Trail Smoke Eaters Coach Jim Ingram
Click here to download
Westside Broadcaster Kevin Parnell
Click here to download
AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Feb 27 Trail 1 at Westside 5
Click here to download
AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Feb 28 Trail 2 at Westside 3 (OT)
Click here to download
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Overtime Heartbreak, Retraction, Barclay
Last night's game was what sports writer Bill Simmons calls a "stomach punch game" for Smokies fans. Trail was terrific all night and looked set to earn a split on the road. However, as it has been lately, it seemed like the hockey gods are against them. From major season ending injuries to very strange turns of events, the Smokies just don't ever seem to get the bounces.
If only one of their odd man rush chances had gone in to extend their lead to 3-0 or 3-1. Jebson continued to deny Trail's shooters... if they had extended that lead we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Quickly I want to apologize for being so hard on Brett Corcoran after the shorthanded turnover that turned into Westside's first goal. I didn't see it from my vantage point, but I'm told that Brett took an elbow just as he was getting set to release the puck. Corcoran has been very good for Trail so far in the playoffs including his key play on the 5 on 3 to help Trail convert on both of those chances. Up in the press box last night I couldn't understand how Corcoran ended up turning that puck over right onto the stick of Schultz in Trail's zone while the Smokies are on the PP. It turns out my answer was that he took an elbow and that caused the turnover. Very unfortunate for Trail that the referee missed it and Schultz buried the opportunity.
Speaking of unfortunate, the penalty shot call was borderline as well. From what I understand the rule about touching a puck in the crease is that you can be penalized for falling on the puck in the crease or picking up the puck from the crease area. Did Bulach pick the puck up and throw it or did he push it away with his glove? To me it wasn't cut and dry. I'm far enough away from where we were that the call really could have gone either way. The part that is so frustrating is not that it was necessarily a totally blown call, it's that lately it seems like so many factors conspire to stomp out Smokies victories. Not a conspiracy so much as just repeated kicks to the gut for a team that is working so hard.
Sean Nugent probably also wasn't feeling good after the game as Gagne stole the puck from him to score the OT winner. Well Nugent was a force last night and if it wasn't for his work on the puck (including generating the first goal for Trail) they wouldn't have made it to overtime. Same as how if it wasn't for Corcoran's execution on the power play Trail wouldn't have had a 2-0 lead. The unfortunate thing for Trail lately seems to be that when they do make a mistake it creates the kind of unstoppable clear cut opportunity that results in a goal.
Credit the Westside Warriors for taking advantage of the chances they get. Sometimes that's the difference between winning and losing. The Warriors have opportunistic skilled players who will burn you when they get wide open opportunities. A guy like Gagne was mostly invisible all game after coming back from injury, but give him one chance and he'll kill you. That's why Westside is up 2-0.
Boy did Paul Barclay make it hard on Westside last night though. After a rough game 1 he was absolutely fantastic in game 2. That was perhaps the best game I've seen Barclay play and under the most intense pressure. Is this perhaps a landmark game for the Smokies goaltender? The only way the Warriors could beat him last night was when they had clear cut breakaways essentially. Elite players like Schultz, Reid and Gagne coming in all alone? Not too many goalies are going to stop those. Barclay stopped 43 other shots including a ton of them through traffic to give Trail a chance to win last night. He was spectacular and deserved a victory.
The whole team really gave it everything they had. They had the Warriors on the ropes and unfortunately Westside got back up. The Warriors won the round, but we're not at the final bell yet. Trail can beat these guys. They were so close last night. They played right with them in both road games. All it will take is a win tomorrow night to get them right back in this thing.
Don't give up hope yet Smokies fans. They were fantastic yesterday. With some strong support from you Trail fans on Monday night it could push them over the top.
Lets fill that rink tomorrow and I honestly believe some playoff magic could happen.
If only one of their odd man rush chances had gone in to extend their lead to 3-0 or 3-1. Jebson continued to deny Trail's shooters... if they had extended that lead we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Quickly I want to apologize for being so hard on Brett Corcoran after the shorthanded turnover that turned into Westside's first goal. I didn't see it from my vantage point, but I'm told that Brett took an elbow just as he was getting set to release the puck. Corcoran has been very good for Trail so far in the playoffs including his key play on the 5 on 3 to help Trail convert on both of those chances. Up in the press box last night I couldn't understand how Corcoran ended up turning that puck over right onto the stick of Schultz in Trail's zone while the Smokies are on the PP. It turns out my answer was that he took an elbow and that caused the turnover. Very unfortunate for Trail that the referee missed it and Schultz buried the opportunity.
Speaking of unfortunate, the penalty shot call was borderline as well. From what I understand the rule about touching a puck in the crease is that you can be penalized for falling on the puck in the crease or picking up the puck from the crease area. Did Bulach pick the puck up and throw it or did he push it away with his glove? To me it wasn't cut and dry. I'm far enough away from where we were that the call really could have gone either way. The part that is so frustrating is not that it was necessarily a totally blown call, it's that lately it seems like so many factors conspire to stomp out Smokies victories. Not a conspiracy so much as just repeated kicks to the gut for a team that is working so hard.
Sean Nugent probably also wasn't feeling good after the game as Gagne stole the puck from him to score the OT winner. Well Nugent was a force last night and if it wasn't for his work on the puck (including generating the first goal for Trail) they wouldn't have made it to overtime. Same as how if it wasn't for Corcoran's execution on the power play Trail wouldn't have had a 2-0 lead. The unfortunate thing for Trail lately seems to be that when they do make a mistake it creates the kind of unstoppable clear cut opportunity that results in a goal.
Credit the Westside Warriors for taking advantage of the chances they get. Sometimes that's the difference between winning and losing. The Warriors have opportunistic skilled players who will burn you when they get wide open opportunities. A guy like Gagne was mostly invisible all game after coming back from injury, but give him one chance and he'll kill you. That's why Westside is up 2-0.
Boy did Paul Barclay make it hard on Westside last night though. After a rough game 1 he was absolutely fantastic in game 2. That was perhaps the best game I've seen Barclay play and under the most intense pressure. Is this perhaps a landmark game for the Smokies goaltender? The only way the Warriors could beat him last night was when they had clear cut breakaways essentially. Elite players like Schultz, Reid and Gagne coming in all alone? Not too many goalies are going to stop those. Barclay stopped 43 other shots including a ton of them through traffic to give Trail a chance to win last night. He was spectacular and deserved a victory.
The whole team really gave it everything they had. They had the Warriors on the ropes and unfortunately Westside got back up. The Warriors won the round, but we're not at the final bell yet. Trail can beat these guys. They were so close last night. They played right with them in both road games. All it will take is a win tomorrow night to get them right back in this thing.
Don't give up hope yet Smokies fans. They were fantastic yesterday. With some strong support from you Trail fans on Monday night it could push them over the top.
Lets fill that rink tomorrow and I honestly believe some playoff magic could happen.
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