Each week, Ryan Drury will preview the CKNX Cherrey Buslines OHA Hockey match-up, with pre-game analysis, reports, and quotes from the 2 teams.
Tonight features a PJHL Pollock Division match-up between 2 clubs that are having polar opposite seasons so far. The Kincardine Bulldogs are having a bounce-back year so far as they continue to establish themselves as one of the upper-tier teams in the division, while the Goderich Flyers are again trying to pull themselves out of the basement that they currently share with the Hanover Barons.
Kincardine won what was the last ever Western Junior C championship in 2015. They've always hovered around the middle of the pack ever since, but this year they're back to being the solid defensive team that they prefer to ride in Bulldog country. They sit 3rd with 25 points behind only Walkerton and Mount Forest. The Bulldogs has a very respectable goal output despite the defensive acumen, tied for 3rd with Wingham at 69 tallies. Defensively they've been pretty good as well, though they would surely like to improve on the 55 goals they've allowed which puts them 4th behind Mount Forest, 45, Walkerton, 49, and Mitchell, 51. The team that won that 2015 title was built from the net out, and while that backbone still remains, a new focus on more speed and creativity has the team giving opponents different looks. There aren't as many 2-1 grind outs as there were, as 5-2 and 4-3 decisions become more common. Head Coach Shawn Burrows is squeezing more collective offence out, led by team leading scorers Keegan Angel and Mike Fiegehen, with 17 points each. Damien Demarco-Sutton, Jordan Caskenette and Brett Burrows all have double digit point totals as well up front, rounding out a more complete offensive picture for the Bulldogs.
On the blue line, Kincardine relies on the always improving Hunter Robins-Gibbons. He has improved his point totals and all around play each year, and plays the type of physical shut down role that any competitive team needs. While hockey in general has become a lot more about speed and wide open play, it's still nice to have a bit of nasty in your lineup, and luckily Robins-Gibbons provides both. Robert White, who Coach Burrows has called "One of the most feared physical players in the league," is always out against top scoring threats, and kills loads of penalties. He sacrifices his body a lot, be it with hits, blocked shots, and getting involved after whistles to set a tone. Other defensive help comes from newbie Jesse Carnahan who continues to get more comfortable with the league, as well as fellow newcomer Jake Fair, with veterans in Jesse Dunlop and Kent Ribey. This D-core isn't as mobile and offensive as some others in the division, but in terms of stout play in guarding the net, they're up there.
In net, the Bulldogs have been thrilled with the play of Craig Luinstra. In his 13 starts he has an 8-5 record, 2 shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and a very solid .916 save percentage. He has done nothing short of carry the mail for this team, and as he gets more help, the team's record of 11-7-1-2 will climb (5-3-1-1 at home, 6-4-0-1 away). Luinstra gets capable backup help from Ethan Primeau, who in 8 starts has a 3-4-1 record with a shutout, a 2.71 GAA and .909 save percentage. Both netminders give the Bulldogs ease of mind no matter who mans the crease on any given night.
Goderich continues to try and bring their program out of the lower rung of the division, but it's still very much a work in progress. Tied for last with the Barons, both teams still sport single-digit point totals with just 8 each. The Flyers are 2nd last in both goals for, 59, and goals against with 99. Scoring will come and go, but the defensive numbers first and formost have to get way better if this team wants to climb the standings and feel good come playoff time. It doesn't matter if you can score a lot in this league if you can't lock it down in your own end. But it would be nice to see the offensive totals spike a little. Chase Meurs has had a standout season so far with 21 points in 18 games, but he's well ahead of his teammates. Next closest is Noah Nurse with 13, but he was one of the best Flyers last year and can easily get hot and be a point-per-gamer. Guys like Mitch Fisher and Cody Treble will need to keep growing for this team to become a more potent threat, but early signs have shown adequate skill and speed to cause damage if the team starts gelling more offensively.
On D, the Flyers get an honest and complete effort from the ever more impressive Morgan Benniwies, who has 11 points so far and plays with an edge in his own zone, as his 62 PIM will tell you. Any team would benefit from Benniwies. He plays the right way, can skate and distribute, and cause a forward to pause before going in a corner. Braeden Duncan is having a solid year, with 10 points, but offensively the blue line points drop off after that. More importantly, this team needs to figure out a more structured way to play. They can score, and have good talent, but nothing will improve until they get a bit more of a robust set up in their own zone.
Goaltending has been up and down, but you have to feel for Brandon Bean and Kevin Linker, who have split the games. In Bean's his 9 appearances, he's 2-5-0 with a 5.78 GAA and .847 save percentage. But he's also made 200 saves and sees loads of power play shots, more than most. Linker in 10 games has marginally better numbers with a 5.33 GAA and .852 save percentage. He's been forced to make 281 saves, again with many in short handed situations. The numbers aren't pretty, but it's really hard to gauge how good a goalie is or how bad when the team stats are so fluctuated in a negative way. These two can certainly make saves and stay in games, but the team often takes too many penalties and gets in early holes and it's too late for the goalies to shine outside of a nice stop here and there.
Tonight's game will hopefully be a big step forward for Goderich, and more of the same for the Bulldogs. Both teams are plenty physical and the game should be chippy and edgy early. Whether the score remains competitive after 20ish minutes will tell the story tonight. Enjoy the broadcast at 8:25 with pre-game around 8:10 with Steve Sabourin and Scott Bridge on CKNX AM920 and CKNX.ca.