It doesn't matter how they got the win, the important thing is they did get the win. Nick Carson scored in overtime to give the Express a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Albert Lea Sunday night on the road. I didn't expect it would be that close, but they found a way and that's all that matters.
- The Express finish the weekend where they started, in 3rd place in the division. Bismarck sits on top of the division with 31 points, Alexandria is in 2nd place with 30 points, followed by the Express with 27.
- The Express killed off all 5 Albert Lea powerplay opportunites, and now have the #1 ranked penalty kill unit in the NAHL at 91.38%.
- With one goal against Sunday night, Adam Buegler lowered his goals against average to 2.99.
- The Express are 3-0 in games decided in overtime this season.
- I saw several colleges scouting the Express over the weekend, including Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin-River Falls, St Olaf, and MSU-Mankato. I asked Sean Goldsworthy the head coach at St Olaf about former Express forward Spencer McMillan. He said the Spencer was medically cleared to play last week after the double shoulder surgery he had last season with the Express.
Next up for the Express is a pair of non-division games in St. Louis versus the Bandits. The Bandits started the season blazing hot, but have cooled some in the last few weeks. It will be a daunting task for our favorite junior team, but a great opportunity to see how they stack up against one of the best teams in the league.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Sunday, November 30, 2008
From the Jaws of Victory...
Saturday night's game sucked in a very special way. The silver lining is the guys don't have to wait a week to redeem themselves. The Express have gotten well several times this season at the expense of the Albert Lea Thunder, and guess who they play tonight??
Despite their horrible record, Albert Lea is capable of beating the Express. It just won't happen tonight. I think the Express are going to take out a few frustrations on the Thunder, and end the weekend on a winning note.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Express 7 - Thunder 1
The Thunder played in Bismarck Saturday night, and then had a lovely 9 or 10 hour bus ride back to Southern Minnesota in the middle of the night. Now they have to play a pissed off Express team who they have struggled with this season. The Express get a big win and 4 of a possible 8 points from the weekend.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Despite their horrible record, Albert Lea is capable of beating the Express. It just won't happen tonight. I think the Express are going to take out a few frustrations on the Thunder, and end the weekend on a winning note.
Big Kahuna's Prediction: Express 7 - Thunder 1
The Thunder played in Bismarck Saturday night, and then had a lovely 9 or 10 hour bus ride back to Southern Minnesota in the middle of the night. Now they have to play a pissed off Express team who they have struggled with this season. The Express get a big win and 4 of a possible 8 points from the weekend.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, November 28, 2008
From the Jaws of Defeat...
A beautiful individual effort by Stephen (Captain Kanga-)Carew on a game winning shorthanded goal in overtime gave the Express a 3-2 win Saturday night over the Springfield Jr Blues. The Express took an early lead in the first period on a very similar goal also by Carew. The Jr Blues had several good chances to tie the game following the Express goal, but couldn't crack the Express defense and goalie Jason Horstman until late in the period. Josh Daley put the Express back in front with his second goal of the season midway through the second period. That looked like it would be the deciding goal of the game until the Jr Blues got a soft goal late in the third period. They threw a shot on net from the corner behind the goal, which somehow found its way through Horstman's leg pads and into the net, and we headed into overtime. In a departure from normal, the Express took two penalties late in the game which had the Jr Blues on the powerplay for most of the overtime period, but Carew sent the home crowd to the exits with a smile on their faces.
It's a nice win for the good guys coming off the disappointing effort in Mason City two nights ago. The Express picked up two points, to keep pace with Alexandria and Bismarck who both won, and the point Springfield got for the overtime loss doesn't matter with them no longer in the Central Division.
- The Express killed off all 5 of Springfield's powerplays, and now have the second best penalty kill unit in the NAHL at 90.83%. Mahoning Valley's PK unit is first at 91.80%.
- Carew's shorthanded goal to win the game was the 5th shorthanded goal scored by the Express this season, tied with Alexandria for the most in the NAHL.
- In the last 47 times the Express have been shorthanded, they have only allowed 3 goals, while scoring three shorthanded goals of their own.
- Carew is tied for 4th in the league in goals scored with 14, and 19th overall in total points.
- Horstman improved his record to 6-2 and lowered his goals against average to 2.35, which is 9th best in the NAHL.
The good news I promised you the other night, which some of you were wondering about at the rink, is the addition of a new forward to the Express roster. His name is David Kurbatsky, and he was in the lineup tonight wearing #7 and playing on a line with Chris Darnell and Brian McGinty. He is a 1988 birth year from San Ramon, California. David started the season with the Wenatchee Wild, and played one game with the Wichita Falls Wildcats before coming to the Express. Prior to this season, he played with the Winkler Flyers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, where he scored 96 points over the last two seasons. It looks like the Express added another nice piece to the puzzle.
Next up for the Express is the second game of the series with the Jr Blues Saturday night in Owatonna, before the hit the road for a Sunday night showdown with the Thunder in Albert Lea.
See you at the rink.
--BK
It's a nice win for the good guys coming off the disappointing effort in Mason City two nights ago. The Express picked up two points, to keep pace with Alexandria and Bismarck who both won, and the point Springfield got for the overtime loss doesn't matter with them no longer in the Central Division.
- The Express killed off all 5 of Springfield's powerplays, and now have the second best penalty kill unit in the NAHL at 90.83%. Mahoning Valley's PK unit is first at 91.80%.
- Carew's shorthanded goal to win the game was the 5th shorthanded goal scored by the Express this season, tied with Alexandria for the most in the NAHL.
- In the last 47 times the Express have been shorthanded, they have only allowed 3 goals, while scoring three shorthanded goals of their own.
- Carew is tied for 4th in the league in goals scored with 14, and 19th overall in total points.
- Horstman improved his record to 6-2 and lowered his goals against average to 2.35, which is 9th best in the NAHL.
The good news I promised you the other night, which some of you were wondering about at the rink, is the addition of a new forward to the Express roster. His name is David Kurbatsky, and he was in the lineup tonight wearing #7 and playing on a line with Chris Darnell and Brian McGinty. He is a 1988 birth year from San Ramon, California. David started the season with the Wenatchee Wild, and played one game with the Wichita Falls Wildcats before coming to the Express. Prior to this season, he played with the Winkler Flyers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, where he scored 96 points over the last two seasons. It looks like the Express added another nice piece to the puzzle.
Next up for the Express is the second game of the series with the Jr Blues Saturday night in Owatonna, before the hit the road for a Sunday night showdown with the Thunder in Albert Lea.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Game Day - Springfield Jr Blues
So, the Outlaws knocked us down a peg Wednesday night, beating the Express 6-2. As much as we would all like the Express to go 58-0 on the season, it's not realistic. The guys are going to lose games from time to time, but the important thing is that they do not let that poor performance affect them tonight against Springfield.
The Express have had a spirited rivalry with Springfield over the years, and I would expect that to continue this weekend, even though the Jr Blues are no longer in the Central Division. The Jr Blues are in 3rd place in the South Division, with a record of 7-12-4. They have some offensive firepower, but have trouble keeping the puck out of their own net, giving up the 4th most goals against in the NAHL. Keep an eye out for former Express forward Scott Barrera who wears #10 for the Jr Blues.
Big Kahuna's Predictions:
Express 3 - Jr Blues 1
The Express rebound tonight with solid effort. They learned a lesson or two Wednesday night, and won't let that happen again tonight. I look for the Express to come out and play more physical, which will lead to scoring chances.
Alpena over Motor City
Mahoning Valley over Traverse City
Alexandria over North Iowa
Wenatchee over Alaska
Topeka over Wichita Falls
St Louis over Marquette
Bismarck over Albert Lea
Fairbanks over Kenai River
See you at the rink.
--BK
The Express have had a spirited rivalry with Springfield over the years, and I would expect that to continue this weekend, even though the Jr Blues are no longer in the Central Division. The Jr Blues are in 3rd place in the South Division, with a record of 7-12-4. They have some offensive firepower, but have trouble keeping the puck out of their own net, giving up the 4th most goals against in the NAHL. Keep an eye out for former Express forward Scott Barrera who wears #10 for the Jr Blues.
Big Kahuna's Predictions:
Express 3 - Jr Blues 1
The Express rebound tonight with solid effort. They learned a lesson or two Wednesday night, and won't let that happen again tonight. I look for the Express to come out and play more physical, which will lead to scoring chances.
Alpena over Motor City
Mahoning Valley over Traverse City
Alexandria over North Iowa
Wenatchee over Alaska
Topeka over Wichita Falls
St Louis over Marquette
Bismarck over Albert Lea
Fairbanks over Kenai River
See you at the rink.
--BK
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Turkey Day Eve Preview
Read the Owatonna People's Press preview here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31340
Read the preview from the Outlaw's website here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/pregame.asp?show=11/26/2008
Our favorite junior hockey team hits the road tonight for a 7:30pm matchup with the North Iowa Outlaws in Mason City. I won't bother going into too much detail, as you can get that from the two links above.
The Express are hot, the Outlaw's are not. If the Express play their game, and come out firing, they should be able to pick up the win. The Express have beat the Outlaws twice this season, once in a shootout, and once in overtime. It would be nice to avoid those scenarios tonight, and win by a couple of goals.
Big Kahuna's Predictions:
Express 5 - Outlaws 2
The Express defense and whichever goalie gets the start, will keep the Outlaws in check. The offense will continue to capitalize on their chances. Look for a big night from Chris Darnell's line.
Prediction for the other game tonight in the NAHL: USNTDP over Motor City - It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Machine now that they made a coaching change. Personally, I think they will get much better from here on out, but then again they have no where to go but up. They dug themselves a pretty deep hole, and will have a hard time making the playoffs.
- I have some good news that I will release following the game, so check back later.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Read the preview from the Outlaw's website here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/pregame.asp?show=11/26/2008
Our favorite junior hockey team hits the road tonight for a 7:30pm matchup with the North Iowa Outlaws in Mason City. I won't bother going into too much detail, as you can get that from the two links above.
The Express are hot, the Outlaw's are not. If the Express play their game, and come out firing, they should be able to pick up the win. The Express have beat the Outlaws twice this season, once in a shootout, and once in overtime. It would be nice to avoid those scenarios tonight, and win by a couple of goals.
Big Kahuna's Predictions:
Express 5 - Outlaws 2
The Express defense and whichever goalie gets the start, will keep the Outlaws in check. The offense will continue to capitalize on their chances. Look for a big night from Chris Darnell's line.
Prediction for the other game tonight in the NAHL: USNTDP over Motor City - It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Machine now that they made a coaching change. Personally, I think they will get much better from here on out, but then again they have no where to go but up. They dug themselves a pretty deep hole, and will have a hard time making the playoffs.
- I have some good news that I will release following the game, so check back later.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/25/2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/25/2008
1. Topeka (0)
2. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (+2)
3. St Louis Bandits (-2)
4. Traverse City North Stars (-1)
5. Bismarck Bobcats (+2)
6. USNTDP (-1)
7. Alexandria Blizzard (-1)
8. Owatonna Express (0)
9. Alpena Ice Diggers (+2)
10. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+2)
11. North Iowa Outlaws (-2)
12. Alaska Avalanche (-2)
13. Wichita Falls Wildcats (+2)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (-1)
15. Marquette Rangers (-1)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (0)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (0)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0)
The tie at the top was broken over the weekend as Topeka swept St Louis. Mahoning Valley jumps up to #2, with the Bandits struggling lately. Bismarck is hot and jumps into the top 5. I wanted to move the Express above the Blizzard, but I'll wait and see. If the guys play well in their 4 games this weekend, they could leapfrog both the Blizzard and the USNTDP.
Around the NAHL:
- The Motor City Machine has a new head coach. You can read the official release here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=706 , or the OPP article here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31328
- Express forward was named Honorable Mention Central Division Player of the Week after scoring a goal and an assist in Friday's 6-3 win over Alexandria.
- College students can get into this weekend's home games Friday and Saturday against Springfield for only $3 with a current college ID.
- Interesting article about the Albert Lea Thunder's new goalie: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/nov/25/goalie-lifting-thunder/
- Those who watched the #1 ranked University of Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Denver Pioneers on Friday night, got a glimpse of former Express goalie Lars Paulgaard in net for the Pioneers in mop-up time. Former Express defenseman Brian Schack of the Gophers had an assist and former Express forward Dusty Jackson started for the Pioneers.
- Many other former Express players were also in Division 1 action last weekend. Mike Montgomery started on defense for Minnesota-Duluth, Nate Hardy was in uniform for St. Cloud State. James Gaulrapp started for MSU-Mankato, Jason Wiley scored a goal for MSU-Mankato, Ryan Guentzel had the first assist on Notre Dame's game winning goal against Bowling Green, and his brother Gabe saw action for Colorado College. Tim Kirby had an assist and Scott Kozlak had a goal for the Air Force Academy, and Sean Murphy was in the lineup for RIT.
- On the professional side, former Express player Stu Bickel has played in 12 games so far for the Iowa Chops, who are the Anaheim Ducks affiliate in the AHL.
See you at the rink.
--BK
1. Topeka (0)
2. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (+2)
3. St Louis Bandits (-2)
4. Traverse City North Stars (-1)
5. Bismarck Bobcats (+2)
6. USNTDP (-1)
7. Alexandria Blizzard (-1)
8. Owatonna Express (0)
9. Alpena Ice Diggers (+2)
10. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+2)
11. North Iowa Outlaws (-2)
12. Alaska Avalanche (-2)
13. Wichita Falls Wildcats (+2)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (-1)
15. Marquette Rangers (-1)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (0)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (0)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0)
The tie at the top was broken over the weekend as Topeka swept St Louis. Mahoning Valley jumps up to #2, with the Bandits struggling lately. Bismarck is hot and jumps into the top 5. I wanted to move the Express above the Blizzard, but I'll wait and see. If the guys play well in their 4 games this weekend, they could leapfrog both the Blizzard and the USNTDP.
Around the NAHL:
- The Motor City Machine has a new head coach. You can read the official release here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=706 , or the OPP article here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31328
- Express forward was named Honorable Mention Central Division Player of the Week after scoring a goal and an assist in Friday's 6-3 win over Alexandria.
- College students can get into this weekend's home games Friday and Saturday against Springfield for only $3 with a current college ID.
- Interesting article about the Albert Lea Thunder's new goalie: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/nov/25/goalie-lifting-thunder/
- Those who watched the #1 ranked University of Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Denver Pioneers on Friday night, got a glimpse of former Express goalie Lars Paulgaard in net for the Pioneers in mop-up time. Former Express defenseman Brian Schack of the Gophers had an assist and former Express forward Dusty Jackson started for the Pioneers.
- Many other former Express players were also in Division 1 action last weekend. Mike Montgomery started on defense for Minnesota-Duluth, Nate Hardy was in uniform for St. Cloud State. James Gaulrapp started for MSU-Mankato, Jason Wiley scored a goal for MSU-Mankato, Ryan Guentzel had the first assist on Notre Dame's game winning goal against Bowling Green, and his brother Gabe saw action for Colorado College. Tim Kirby had an assist and Scott Kozlak had a goal for the Air Force Academy, and Sean Murphy was in the lineup for RIT.
- On the professional side, former Express player Stu Bickel has played in 12 games so far for the Iowa Chops, who are the Anaheim Ducks affiliate in the AHL.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Big Kahuna's State of the Express Address
With 19 games in the books, the Express are roughly 1/3 of the way through the regular season, and I thought it would be a nice time for a "State of the Express Address".
To fully appreciate where we are, we have to look back at where we have been. Seven months ago, Owatonna didn't even have a junior hockey team. The fans, sponsors, and volunteers of the Express had a bitter taste in our collective mouths after everything that happened last season. There were efforts to bring junior hockey back to Owatonna, but would it happen in time for the 2008/09 season?? On May 15th, we found it it would indeed happen for this season. However, questions still lingered. What kind of a team could we field with the short time frame we had?? Would the sponsors, fans, and volunteers come back?? A few days later, the Owatonna franchise drafted 17 players, and the ball started rolling. In June, this blog was born. In July, tryout camp was held, and the Express supporters got our first look at the new franchise on the ice. September came, with practice starting, and things started to come into focus. A horrible start at the NAHL Showcase let us know that there was a long way to go. Less than a month ago, the Express sported a 4-7 record. There were problems on defense, problems with scoring, no depth with goaltending, and the powerplay was awful.
So where are we now? Since the 4-7 start, the Express have gone 7-0-1. The addition of Jason Horstman has given us two really good goaltenders. The addition of Jake Sloat, the move from forward to defense of Joe Beaudette, along with the maturation and continued improvement of Puente, Smith, Carson, Fiala, and Tolkinen, have given the Express three solid defensive pairings for each game. Palmiscno, Darnell, Lugin, and McGinty were added to the mix on offense. The line combinations have come into their own. The rookies have adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NAHL game, and the team as a whole have bought into Coach Cullen's system. Right now, the Express is a team to be reckoned with in the Central Division, which leads to....
Where are we going from here?? The Central Division has 4 fairly equal teams at the top right now, but the Express have more room for improvement than Alexandria, Bismarck, and North Iowa. Those 3 teams are more of a known quantity at this juncture. They will continue to improve as the season progresses, but they pretty much know what they have. Whereas the Express have room to get markedly better than they are now. Alexandria's top line with Freismuth, and Jordan Singer's line in Bismarck are capable of winning games by themselves, but can their 2nd and 3rd lines take over a game?? The Express can roll Carew/Lugin/Vierling, followed by McDonald/Thorson/Bournazos, followed by Darnell/Palmiscno/McGinty, any of which can score on any given shift, and don't forget that John Kruse will be back after Christmas. No other team in the Central can compete with the depth the Express have on defense, and not only can they play stifling defense, they are also helping create on the offensive end. There are some good goaltenders in the division, but the Express have the benefit of being able to throw out either guy, and not see a decrease in ability.
What does it all mean?? In a nutshell, I say Central Division Championship. When the rubber meets the road, the Express have everything needed to win the division. They have depth, they have multiple forwards that can score, they have defense, they have goaltending, they have the best coaching, they are the least penalized (a/k/a: most disciplined), they have the best penalty kill in the division, and by the end of the season, they will be the best conditioned. Get your tickets now, it's going to be a hell of a ride.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
To fully appreciate where we are, we have to look back at where we have been. Seven months ago, Owatonna didn't even have a junior hockey team. The fans, sponsors, and volunteers of the Express had a bitter taste in our collective mouths after everything that happened last season. There were efforts to bring junior hockey back to Owatonna, but would it happen in time for the 2008/09 season?? On May 15th, we found it it would indeed happen for this season. However, questions still lingered. What kind of a team could we field with the short time frame we had?? Would the sponsors, fans, and volunteers come back?? A few days later, the Owatonna franchise drafted 17 players, and the ball started rolling. In June, this blog was born. In July, tryout camp was held, and the Express supporters got our first look at the new franchise on the ice. September came, with practice starting, and things started to come into focus. A horrible start at the NAHL Showcase let us know that there was a long way to go. Less than a month ago, the Express sported a 4-7 record. There were problems on defense, problems with scoring, no depth with goaltending, and the powerplay was awful.
So where are we now? Since the 4-7 start, the Express have gone 7-0-1. The addition of Jason Horstman has given us two really good goaltenders. The addition of Jake Sloat, the move from forward to defense of Joe Beaudette, along with the maturation and continued improvement of Puente, Smith, Carson, Fiala, and Tolkinen, have given the Express three solid defensive pairings for each game. Palmiscno, Darnell, Lugin, and McGinty were added to the mix on offense. The line combinations have come into their own. The rookies have adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NAHL game, and the team as a whole have bought into Coach Cullen's system. Right now, the Express is a team to be reckoned with in the Central Division, which leads to....
Where are we going from here?? The Central Division has 4 fairly equal teams at the top right now, but the Express have more room for improvement than Alexandria, Bismarck, and North Iowa. Those 3 teams are more of a known quantity at this juncture. They will continue to improve as the season progresses, but they pretty much know what they have. Whereas the Express have room to get markedly better than they are now. Alexandria's top line with Freismuth, and Jordan Singer's line in Bismarck are capable of winning games by themselves, but can their 2nd and 3rd lines take over a game?? The Express can roll Carew/Lugin/Vierling, followed by McDonald/Thorson/Bournazos, followed by Darnell/Palmiscno/McGinty, any of which can score on any given shift, and don't forget that John Kruse will be back after Christmas. No other team in the Central can compete with the depth the Express have on defense, and not only can they play stifling defense, they are also helping create on the offensive end. There are some good goaltenders in the division, but the Express have the benefit of being able to throw out either guy, and not see a decrease in ability.
What does it all mean?? In a nutshell, I say Central Division Championship. When the rubber meets the road, the Express have everything needed to win the division. They have depth, they have multiple forwards that can score, they have defense, they have goaltending, they have the best coaching, they are the least penalized (a/k/a: most disciplined), they have the best penalty kill in the division, and by the end of the season, they will be the best conditioned. Get your tickets now, it's going to be a hell of a ride.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Statement Victory
The Express got it done Friday night, knocking off the 1st place Alexandria Blizzard 6-3 in Alexandria. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and held off a Blizzard comeback attempt in the 3rd period. With the victory, the Express now sit only 3 points out of first place in the Central Division. The Express are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, but the non-believers claimed it was lack of competition. What do you think of our favorite junior hockey team now??
Next up for the Express is a 4 game in 5 day stretch this week. The guys travel to Mason City for a rare Wednesday night game versus the Outlaws. The Springfield Jr Blues come to Owatonna for a pair of games Friday and Saturday at the 4 Seasons Centre, and then the Express finish the weekend with a Sunday night rematch with the Albert Lea Thunder.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Next up for the Express is a 4 game in 5 day stretch this week. The guys travel to Mason City for a rare Wednesday night game versus the Outlaws. The Springfield Jr Blues come to Owatonna for a pair of games Friday and Saturday at the 4 Seasons Centre, and then the Express finish the weekend with a Sunday night rematch with the Albert Lea Thunder.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday Night Preview - Express @ Blizzard
Read the Owatonna People's Press Preview here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31220
Read the Alexandria Echo Press Preview here: http://www.echopress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=60590§ion=sports
The Express hit the road for a game tonight against the Central Division leading Alexandria Blizzard. This is only the second meeting this season with the Blizzard, who ruined our home opener by beating the Express 4-2 on October 3rd. The early loss to the Blizzard doesn't really worry me, as the Express are a different team now than they were then. This should be an interesting game tonight. The Express haven't lost on the road since the first game after the Showcase, and are playing their best hockey of the season. Alexandria is coming off a disappointing performance last weekend, getting swept at home by Bismarck.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 102-58 on the season)
Express 3 - Blizzard 2
Our favorite junior team only has one game this weekend, so they can leave it all on the ice tonight. The key tonight is they have to come out strong, and play the full 60 minutes. If they come out flat the Blizzard have the talent to jump on the Express, and it will be more difficult to make up a deficit than it was against the Thunder last Friday night. The Express can make a statement with a win tonight, and I think they are ready to do that. Express win a nailbiter.
Other NAHL games:
USNTDP (U18) over Marquette
Mahoning Valley over USNTDP (U17)
Topeka over St Louis
Springfield over Wichita Falls
North Iowa over Bismarck
Fairbanks over Kenai River
Alaska over Wenatchee
- The NAHL released the details for the Top Prospect Tournament today. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=695 . Right now, the 3rd place Express would have 3 guys on the Central Division team. If they can climb into 2nd place by Christmas, they would send 5 guys, or if they can climb into first place, they would send 6 guys. Even more reason to keep winning.
- Alexandria traded their backup goalie Dylan Woodring to the Alaska Avalanche on Tuesday this week.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Read the Alexandria Echo Press Preview here: http://www.echopress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=60590§ion=sports
The Express hit the road for a game tonight against the Central Division leading Alexandria Blizzard. This is only the second meeting this season with the Blizzard, who ruined our home opener by beating the Express 4-2 on October 3rd. The early loss to the Blizzard doesn't really worry me, as the Express are a different team now than they were then. This should be an interesting game tonight. The Express haven't lost on the road since the first game after the Showcase, and are playing their best hockey of the season. Alexandria is coming off a disappointing performance last weekend, getting swept at home by Bismarck.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 102-58 on the season)
Express 3 - Blizzard 2
Our favorite junior team only has one game this weekend, so they can leave it all on the ice tonight. The key tonight is they have to come out strong, and play the full 60 minutes. If they come out flat the Blizzard have the talent to jump on the Express, and it will be more difficult to make up a deficit than it was against the Thunder last Friday night. The Express can make a statement with a win tonight, and I think they are ready to do that. Express win a nailbiter.
Other NAHL games:
USNTDP (U18) over Marquette
Mahoning Valley over USNTDP (U17)
Topeka over St Louis
Springfield over Wichita Falls
North Iowa over Bismarck
Fairbanks over Kenai River
Alaska over Wenatchee
- The NAHL released the details for the Top Prospect Tournament today. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=695 . Right now, the 3rd place Express would have 3 guys on the Central Division team. If they can climb into 2nd place by Christmas, they would send 5 guys, or if they can climb into first place, they would send 6 guys. Even more reason to keep winning.
- Alexandria traded their backup goalie Dylan Woodring to the Alaska Avalanche on Tuesday this week.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/18/2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/18/2008
1.(tie) St Louis Bandits (0)
1.(tie) Topeka Roadrunners (+1)
3. Traverse City North Stars (0)
4. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (+2)
5. USNTDP (-1)
6. Alexandria Blizzard (-1)
7. Bismarck Bobcats (+1)
8. Owatonna Express (+2)
9. North Iowa Outlaws (-2)
10. Alaska Avalanche (-1)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+1)
13. Springfield Jr Blues (+1)
14. Marquette Rangers (+2)
15. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-3)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (-1)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (0)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0)
I couldn't decide who to put at the top of the rankings this week, so I called it a tie between Topeka and St Louis. The tie should be broken this weekend when they play a pair of games against each other in Topeka. Mahoning Valley jumps up a couple of spots after sweeping the Bandits last weekend. Four Central Division teams, including the Express, are ranked #6-9. All four have looked good at times, but I'm not sure if any of them can distance themselves from the rest. Wichita Falls is a trainwreck, and I'm starting to realize I total misread the Wildcats in my preseason predictions.
- Tuesday's Interesting Fact: The Express are the only team in the NAHL & USHL without a fighting major this season.
- Watch video of Express forward Cory Thorson's game-winning goal in overtime to beat North Iowa a couple of weeks ago, here: Express celebrates Thorson winner
See you at the rink.
--BK
1.(tie) St Louis Bandits (0)
1.(tie) Topeka Roadrunners (+1)
3. Traverse City North Stars (0)
4. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (+2)
5. USNTDP (-1)
6. Alexandria Blizzard (-1)
7. Bismarck Bobcats (+1)
8. Owatonna Express (+2)
9. North Iowa Outlaws (-2)
10. Alaska Avalanche (-1)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+1)
13. Springfield Jr Blues (+1)
14. Marquette Rangers (+2)
15. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-3)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (-1)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (0)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0)
I couldn't decide who to put at the top of the rankings this week, so I called it a tie between Topeka and St Louis. The tie should be broken this weekend when they play a pair of games against each other in Topeka. Mahoning Valley jumps up a couple of spots after sweeping the Bandits last weekend. Four Central Division teams, including the Express, are ranked #6-9. All four have looked good at times, but I'm not sure if any of them can distance themselves from the rest. Wichita Falls is a trainwreck, and I'm starting to realize I total misread the Wildcats in my preseason predictions.
- Tuesday's Interesting Fact: The Express are the only team in the NAHL & USHL without a fighting major this season.
- Watch video of Express forward Cory Thorson's game-winning goal in overtime to beat North Iowa a couple of weeks ago, here: Express celebrates Thorson winner
See you at the rink.
--BK
Monday, November 17, 2008
Zach Vierling Named Central Player of the Week
Express forward Zach Vierling has been named the NAHL's Central Division Player of the Week
Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm
This makes 2 straight weeks that an Express player has garnered this honor with Cory Thorson getting it last week. Like Thorson, Zach is a 1990 birth year in his rookie season in junior hockey.
Congratulations Zach, keep it up.
--BK
Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm
This makes 2 straight weeks that an Express player has garnered this honor with Cory Thorson getting it last week. Like Thorson, Zach is a 1990 birth year in his rookie season in junior hockey.
Congratulations Zach, keep it up.
--BK
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Rollin', Rollin' Rollin', Keep them Dogies Rollin'
The Express train is rolling. Our favorite junior hockey team took the Thunder out back of the woodshed Saturday night, and delivered a 10-2 beatdown. Everything was working right for the Express Saturday night, and they extended their win streak to 4 games, and have now picked up at least one point in the standings in 7 straight games. The Express leap-frogged the North Iowa Outlaws in the standings, and now sit in 3rd place, 2 points behind Bismarck, and 5 points behind division leading Alexandria.
Saturday night's boxscore: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763959
Game story from the Owatonna People's Press: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31040
Next up for the Express is a single game this coming weekend, Friday night versus the Alexandria Blizzard in Alexandria. This game will be the second meeting of the year between the teams, with the Blizzard beating the Express 4-2 on October 3rd in Owatonna. This should be a whale of a game, and check back in later in the week for a more thorough preview.
Statistics, Statistics, and More Statistics:
- Only 6 teams in the NAHL have more standings points than the Express
- The Express are 4th in the NAHL in goals scored. Not bad for a team that struggled to score early in the year.
- The Express are the least penalized team in the NAHL with 252 total minutes and an average of 14 minutes per game.
- The Express are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
- Defenseman Tim Smith is tied for 6th in the league for points scored by a defenseman with 11 points. Troy Puente is tied for 15th with 9 points
- Forward Stephen Carew (Captain Kanga-Carew) is tied for 4th in the league in goals scored with 11. He leads the entire league in shooting percentage at .367% (11 goals on 30 shots).
- The Express are 9-2-1 when they score the first goal of the game.
- The Express are 9-4-1 in Central Division games. 6-0 against the Thunder, 1-1-1 against the Bobcats, 2-2 against the Outlaws, and 0-1 versus the Blizzard.
- The Express penalty kill unit is #1 in the league at home, killing off 93.3%, and 3rd overall at 90.5%.
- The Express are 9-0 when leading after the first period, 8-0 when leading after the second period, 7-1 when they outshoot their opponent, and 5-1-1 in 1 goal games.
Looking way ahead to the playoffs, I did a little bit of math. Both the Express and the Thunder have 40 games left in the regular season. If the Express only go 20-20 in those games, Albert Lea would have to go 29-11 to pass the Express in the standings. I don't see any of those scenarios happening. The Express are playing well, and should only get better, so a .500 record the rest of the way would be a disappointment. The chances that the Thunder go 29-11 is about the same as me winning a Pulitzer Prize for blog-writing . At their current pace, the Thunder will win their 29th game late in the 2013-2014 season. Anyways, since most of us already realized the Express will make the playoffs, this paragraph was just a way for me to take a few more cheapshots at the Thunder.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Saturday night's boxscore: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763959
Game story from the Owatonna People's Press: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31040
Next up for the Express is a single game this coming weekend, Friday night versus the Alexandria Blizzard in Alexandria. This game will be the second meeting of the year between the teams, with the Blizzard beating the Express 4-2 on October 3rd in Owatonna. This should be a whale of a game, and check back in later in the week for a more thorough preview.
Statistics, Statistics, and More Statistics:
- Only 6 teams in the NAHL have more standings points than the Express
- The Express are 4th in the NAHL in goals scored. Not bad for a team that struggled to score early in the year.
- The Express are the least penalized team in the NAHL with 252 total minutes and an average of 14 minutes per game.
- The Express are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
- Defenseman Tim Smith is tied for 6th in the league for points scored by a defenseman with 11 points. Troy Puente is tied for 15th with 9 points
- Forward Stephen Carew (Captain Kanga-Carew) is tied for 4th in the league in goals scored with 11. He leads the entire league in shooting percentage at .367% (11 goals on 30 shots).
- The Express are 9-2-1 when they score the first goal of the game.
- The Express are 9-4-1 in Central Division games. 6-0 against the Thunder, 1-1-1 against the Bobcats, 2-2 against the Outlaws, and 0-1 versus the Blizzard.
- The Express penalty kill unit is #1 in the league at home, killing off 93.3%, and 3rd overall at 90.5%.
- The Express are 9-0 when leading after the first period, 8-0 when leading after the second period, 7-1 when they outshoot their opponent, and 5-1-1 in 1 goal games.
Looking way ahead to the playoffs, I did a little bit of math. Both the Express and the Thunder have 40 games left in the regular season. If the Express only go 20-20 in those games, Albert Lea would have to go 29-11 to pass the Express in the standings. I don't see any of those scenarios happening. The Express are playing well, and should only get better, so a .500 record the rest of the way would be a disappointment. The chances that the Thunder go 29-11 is about the same as me winning a Pulitzer Prize for blog-writing . At their current pace, the Thunder will win their 29th game late in the 2013-2014 season. Anyways, since most of us already realized the Express will make the playoffs, this paragraph was just a way for me to take a few more cheapshots at the Thunder.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday Wrap-up & Saturday Preview
For a complete wrap-up of Friday's 3-2 victory over the Thunder read the OPP article here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31038 or see the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=763952 .
My take: Very simply, I think the Express stole one Friday night. The Express flipped on the proverbial switch for the last 5 minutes of the 2nd period, scoring 3 pretty goals, and then held on through the 3rd period for the victory. It doesn't matter how they did it though, a win is a win. Chris Darnell finally got the scoring monkey off his back when he sniped Thunder goalie Tom Lescovich for a beautiful short-handed goal. The Carew/Lugin/Vierling line tied the game a minute later, before defenseman Nick Carson jumped out of the penalty box after serving a tripping minor, took a pass from Darnell, and skated in all alone on Lescovich for the game-winner. .....and the crowd goes wild!!!
The Express victory coupled with losses by North Iowa and Alexandria tightened the race in the Central Division. Our favorite junior hockey team is still in 4th place, but now trails 3rd place North Iowa by only 1 point, 2nd place Bismarck by only 2 points (with 2 games in hand), and 1st place Alexandria by only 7 points (with 1 game in hand). If things go right tonight, you could see the Express in 2nd place in the standings going into next Friday's game at Alexandria.
Around the league from Friday night:
- Former Express forward Jordan Singer scored in the 7th round of the shootout to give the Bobcats a 4-3 win over the Blizzard. The 1st place Blizzard have lost all 3 games against the Bobcats this season. These teams square off again tonight in Alexandria.
- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms scored a short-handed goal with 46 seconds left in overtime to hand the St Louis Bandits a second straight loss.
- The Springfield Jr Blues did the Express a favor by knocking off the North Iowa Outlaws 2-1. Hopefully the Jr Blues can do the same tonight.
Saturday Preview:
Saturday night in the NAHL features the same 7 matchups as Friday night, and I would expect another great night of hockey.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 99-54 on the season)
Express 5 - Thunder 2 - The Express make it 6 for 6 against the Thunder this season.
St Louis over Mahoning Valley
Traverse City over Marquette
North Iowa over Springfield
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Wichita Falls
Fairbanks over Wenatchee
See you at the rink.
--BK
My take: Very simply, I think the Express stole one Friday night. The Express flipped on the proverbial switch for the last 5 minutes of the 2nd period, scoring 3 pretty goals, and then held on through the 3rd period for the victory. It doesn't matter how they did it though, a win is a win. Chris Darnell finally got the scoring monkey off his back when he sniped Thunder goalie Tom Lescovich for a beautiful short-handed goal. The Carew/Lugin/Vierling line tied the game a minute later, before defenseman Nick Carson jumped out of the penalty box after serving a tripping minor, took a pass from Darnell, and skated in all alone on Lescovich for the game-winner. .....and the crowd goes wild!!!
The Express victory coupled with losses by North Iowa and Alexandria tightened the race in the Central Division. Our favorite junior hockey team is still in 4th place, but now trails 3rd place North Iowa by only 1 point, 2nd place Bismarck by only 2 points (with 2 games in hand), and 1st place Alexandria by only 7 points (with 1 game in hand). If things go right tonight, you could see the Express in 2nd place in the standings going into next Friday's game at Alexandria.
Around the league from Friday night:
- Former Express forward Jordan Singer scored in the 7th round of the shootout to give the Bobcats a 4-3 win over the Blizzard. The 1st place Blizzard have lost all 3 games against the Bobcats this season. These teams square off again tonight in Alexandria.
- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms scored a short-handed goal with 46 seconds left in overtime to hand the St Louis Bandits a second straight loss.
- The Springfield Jr Blues did the Express a favor by knocking off the North Iowa Outlaws 2-1. Hopefully the Jr Blues can do the same tonight.
Saturday Preview:
Saturday night in the NAHL features the same 7 matchups as Friday night, and I would expect another great night of hockey.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 99-54 on the season)
Express 5 - Thunder 2 - The Express make it 6 for 6 against the Thunder this season.
St Louis over Mahoning Valley
Traverse City over Marquette
North Iowa over Springfield
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Wichita Falls
Fairbanks over Wenatchee
See you at the rink.
--BK
Friday, November 14, 2008
Game Day - 11/14/2008 vs. Albert Lea Thunder
Ian Stauffer from the Owatonna People's Press, pretty much covered what I was going to say about tonight's game. So rather than repeat it, you can just read his article here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=31005 .
While I would love to beat the Thunder by 4 goals, as the Express did last Sunday evening, I look for this weekend's games to be closer contests. The Express got the jump on the Thunder last week, scoring three goals in the first period on their backup goalie. I would guess their #1 goalie Tom Lescovich will get the starts this weekend. Although their record doesn't show it, the Thunder have been playing better since he arrived in Albert Lea.
Another key for the Thunder is the health of their leading scorer Danny Wood. The Albert Lea newspaper reported that he separated his shoulder in last Saturday's Thunder game, but I couldn't find any more information. If he is out for this weekend, it's an obvious blow to the Thunder's ability to score, and good news for the Express.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 95-51 on the season)
Express 4 - Thunder 2
St Louis over Mahoning Valley
Traverse City over Marquette
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Wichita Falls
Springfield over North Iowa
Fairbanks over Wenatchee
It should be a great night of hockey across the NAHL tonight:
- The 2-time defending Robertson Cup champions and #1 ranked St Louis Bandits play at the #5 ranked Mahoning Valley Phantoms, the team that lost to the Bandits in both of those championship games. It also marks the first NAHL game at the 5500 seat Chevy Center.
- Topeka and Wichita Falls square off tonight in Texas, in the first of what should be a hard-nosed season series between the teams. Wichita Falls leads the NAHL in penalty minutes with 532, and Topeka is third in penalty minutes with 459. They better spray some WD-40 on the penalty box door hinges before tonight.
- The Wenatchee Wild make the long trip up to Fairbanks to face the Ice Dogs. The Wild swept a three game series from Wichita Falls at home last weekend, but will the road take its toll on the Wild?? FYI, Wenatchee, Washington is 2300 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska. By way of comparison, it is only 1575 miles from Wenatchee to Owatonna.
- North Iowa is in Springfield for a 2 game series against the Jr Blues. Even though Springfield isn't in the Central Division anymore, don't forget that the Jr Blues knocked the #1 seeded Outlaws out of the playoffs this past spring. I would guess the veteran Outlaw players might still be a little miffed about that.
- In the other game involving the Central Division, the Bismarck Bobcats are in Alexandria tonight to play the Blizzard. It will be interesting to see if the defensive-minded Bobcats can slow down the NAHL's leading scorer, Jerry Freismuth of the Blizzard. If the Express take care of business this weekend, they will pick up ground in the standings on one of these two teams.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
While I would love to beat the Thunder by 4 goals, as the Express did last Sunday evening, I look for this weekend's games to be closer contests. The Express got the jump on the Thunder last week, scoring three goals in the first period on their backup goalie. I would guess their #1 goalie Tom Lescovich will get the starts this weekend. Although their record doesn't show it, the Thunder have been playing better since he arrived in Albert Lea.
Another key for the Thunder is the health of their leading scorer Danny Wood. The Albert Lea newspaper reported that he separated his shoulder in last Saturday's Thunder game, but I couldn't find any more information. If he is out for this weekend, it's an obvious blow to the Thunder's ability to score, and good news for the Express.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 95-51 on the season)
Express 4 - Thunder 2
St Louis over Mahoning Valley
Traverse City over Marquette
Alexandria over Bismarck
Topeka over Wichita Falls
Springfield over North Iowa
Fairbanks over Wenatchee
It should be a great night of hockey across the NAHL tonight:
- The 2-time defending Robertson Cup champions and #1 ranked St Louis Bandits play at the #5 ranked Mahoning Valley Phantoms, the team that lost to the Bandits in both of those championship games. It also marks the first NAHL game at the 5500 seat Chevy Center.
- Topeka and Wichita Falls square off tonight in Texas, in the first of what should be a hard-nosed season series between the teams. Wichita Falls leads the NAHL in penalty minutes with 532, and Topeka is third in penalty minutes with 459. They better spray some WD-40 on the penalty box door hinges before tonight.
- The Wenatchee Wild make the long trip up to Fairbanks to face the Ice Dogs. The Wild swept a three game series from Wichita Falls at home last weekend, but will the road take its toll on the Wild?? FYI, Wenatchee, Washington is 2300 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska. By way of comparison, it is only 1575 miles from Wenatchee to Owatonna.
- North Iowa is in Springfield for a 2 game series against the Jr Blues. Even though Springfield isn't in the Central Division anymore, don't forget that the Jr Blues knocked the #1 seeded Outlaws out of the playoffs this past spring. I would guess the veteran Outlaw players might still be a little miffed about that.
- In the other game involving the Central Division, the Bismarck Bobcats are in Alexandria tonight to play the Blizzard. It will be interesting to see if the defensive-minded Bobcats can slow down the NAHL's leading scorer, Jerry Freismuth of the Blizzard. If the Express take care of business this weekend, they will pick up ground in the standings on one of these two teams.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/11/2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/11/2008
1. St Louis Bandits (0)
2. Topeka Roadrunners (0)
3. Traverse City North Stars (0)
4. USNTDP (0)
5. Alexandria Blizzard (+1)
6. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (-1)
7. North Iowa Outlaws (+1)
8. Bismarck Bobcats (+2)
9. Alaska Avalanche (-2)
10. Owatonna Express (+2)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-3)
13. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (0)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (0)
15. Kenai River Brown Bears (+1)
16. Marquette Rangers (-1)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (+1)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (-1)
The Express jump into the top 10 for the first time this season, while Albert Lea is back to the bottom.
- The Wenatchee Wild had a great weekend, sweeping a 3 game series from the visiting Wichita Falls Wildcats. The Wild now have a vicious road trip to Alaska, playing 7 games in 9 days against the 3 Alaska based teams. Good luck to our fellow expansion team.
- Two stats that Roy Koenig brought up in the "Express Coaches Show" Monday night: The Express are 7-4-1 in Central Division games, and 6-2-1 over the last 9 games.
- Also from the Coaches show: Cullen talked about injured Express forward John Kruse. He said that Kruse has been skating with the team, and riding the bike. He also mentioned there is a chance he could be back earlier than originally thought. It will be a nice boost for the Express to get John's +7 rating and experience back in the lineup.
- Bismarck Bobcat goalie David Bosner committed to Air Force. He will join Express forward Stephen Carew, and former Express players Tim Kirby, Kevin Wright, and Scott Kozlak at the Air Force Academy. I thought I saw Air Force coach Frank Serratore at Friday night's game with Bismarck, but figured he was their to watch his son, who is a member of the Bobcats. Read the full article here: http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=681
Big Kahuna's Veteran's Day Message: It doesn't matter what your personal opinion is of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or whether you voted for McCain or Obama. We as American citizens need to support the men and woman that have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. You don't need to support the war to support the soldiers fighting in the them, so thank a veteran the next time you see one.
See you at the rink.
--BK
1. St Louis Bandits (0)
2. Topeka Roadrunners (0)
3. Traverse City North Stars (0)
4. USNTDP (0)
5. Alexandria Blizzard (+1)
6. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (-1)
7. North Iowa Outlaws (+1)
8. Bismarck Bobcats (+2)
9. Alaska Avalanche (-2)
10. Owatonna Express (+2)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-3)
13. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (0)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (0)
15. Kenai River Brown Bears (+1)
16. Marquette Rangers (-1)
17. Wenatchee Wild (0)
18. Motor City Machine (+1)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (-1)
The Express jump into the top 10 for the first time this season, while Albert Lea is back to the bottom.
- The Wenatchee Wild had a great weekend, sweeping a 3 game series from the visiting Wichita Falls Wildcats. The Wild now have a vicious road trip to Alaska, playing 7 games in 9 days against the 3 Alaska based teams. Good luck to our fellow expansion team.
- Two stats that Roy Koenig brought up in the "Express Coaches Show" Monday night: The Express are 7-4-1 in Central Division games, and 6-2-1 over the last 9 games.
- Also from the Coaches show: Cullen talked about injured Express forward John Kruse. He said that Kruse has been skating with the team, and riding the bike. He also mentioned there is a chance he could be back earlier than originally thought. It will be a nice boost for the Express to get John's +7 rating and experience back in the lineup.
- Bismarck Bobcat goalie David Bosner committed to Air Force. He will join Express forward Stephen Carew, and former Express players Tim Kirby, Kevin Wright, and Scott Kozlak at the Air Force Academy. I thought I saw Air Force coach Frank Serratore at Friday night's game with Bismarck, but figured he was their to watch his son, who is a member of the Bobcats. Read the full article here: http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=681
Big Kahuna's Veteran's Day Message: It doesn't matter what your personal opinion is of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or whether you voted for McCain or Obama. We as American citizens need to support the men and woman that have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. You don't need to support the war to support the soldiers fighting in the them, so thank a veteran the next time you see one.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Monday, November 10, 2008
Cory Thorson Named Central Player of the Week
Express forward Cory Thorson was named the NAHL's Central Division Player of the Week.
Read the full article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm
It's a nice honor for Cory, and good press for the team. He is the first Express player honored this season. There have been some great individual performances this season, but the schedule has hindered our guys when it comes to POTW honors. Too many one-game weekends when the rest of the division is playing 2-3 times. Also the goalie rotation hurts, as a lot of other teams goalies are starting every night, and get the nod when the honors come out.
Don't forget that Cory is one of the youngest players on the roster, and is currently tied for the team lead in scoring with Stephen Carew. Congratulations Cory, keep it up.
--BK
Read the full article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm
It's a nice honor for Cory, and good press for the team. He is the first Express player honored this season. There have been some great individual performances this season, but the schedule has hindered our guys when it comes to POTW honors. Too many one-game weekends when the rest of the division is playing 2-3 times. Also the goalie rotation hurts, as a lot of other teams goalies are starting every night, and get the nod when the honors come out.
Don't forget that Cory is one of the youngest players on the roster, and is currently tied for the team lead in scoring with Stephen Carew. Congratulations Cory, keep it up.
--BK
Sunday, November 9, 2008
2 out of 3 Ain't Bad
The great American born poet/songwriter Meatloaf said it best: 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
The Express finished up their 3 game weekend run with a 6-2 victory over the Albert Lea Thunder Sunday night. That win coupled with Saturday's overtime win over North Iowa, and Friday's shootout loss to Bismarck, gives the Express 5 out of possible 6 points for the weekend. Our favorite junior hockey team still sits in 4th place in the division, but closed the gap on the 3 teams in front of them. The Express are 2 points behind Bismarck, 3 points behind North Iowa, and only 8 points behind 1st place Alexandria.
Sunday night's game with Albert Lea pretty much followed the script I expected. The Express controlled the flow of the game, capitalized on a few scoring chances and took the lead. Just as predictable was Albert Lea's response to being down several goals, they got chippy. Hats off to defenseman Nick Carson for standing up for your goalie after he was slashed. Hats off to Jason Horstman for not getting goaded into a pointless goalie fight late in the game. Hats off to Cory Thorson for not dropping the gloves when one of the Thunder's goons dropped his, which resulted in a 7 minute Express powerplay.
Memo to the Thunder players: Maybe you should worry more about your 1-14 record than talking crap to the Express when coming off the ice after warm-ups. Do you ever think that your division leading 443 penalty minutes might have something to do with your inability to win games??
Memo to the Thunder fans: The reason the Express players didn't drop their gloves and fight your goons, is because they are disciplined and well coached. Why would the Express risk breaking a finger punching your guy in the head, in a game they are leading 6-2?? There is a time and a place for fighting in the NAHL, and that wasn't it.
Next up for the Express is two more games against the Thunder this coming Friday and Saturday, both in Owatonna. See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
**** Update: You can see a couple of video highlights of the game, including the beautiful McDonald pass to Thorson for an Express goal by clicking here: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S654081.shtml?cat=10151
--BK
The Express finished up their 3 game weekend run with a 6-2 victory over the Albert Lea Thunder Sunday night. That win coupled with Saturday's overtime win over North Iowa, and Friday's shootout loss to Bismarck, gives the Express 5 out of possible 6 points for the weekend. Our favorite junior hockey team still sits in 4th place in the division, but closed the gap on the 3 teams in front of them. The Express are 2 points behind Bismarck, 3 points behind North Iowa, and only 8 points behind 1st place Alexandria.
Sunday night's game with Albert Lea pretty much followed the script I expected. The Express controlled the flow of the game, capitalized on a few scoring chances and took the lead. Just as predictable was Albert Lea's response to being down several goals, they got chippy. Hats off to defenseman Nick Carson for standing up for your goalie after he was slashed. Hats off to Jason Horstman for not getting goaded into a pointless goalie fight late in the game. Hats off to Cory Thorson for not dropping the gloves when one of the Thunder's goons dropped his, which resulted in a 7 minute Express powerplay.
Memo to the Thunder players: Maybe you should worry more about your 1-14 record than talking crap to the Express when coming off the ice after warm-ups. Do you ever think that your division leading 443 penalty minutes might have something to do with your inability to win games??
Memo to the Thunder fans: The reason the Express players didn't drop their gloves and fight your goons, is because they are disciplined and well coached. Why would the Express risk breaking a finger punching your guy in the head, in a game they are leading 6-2?? There is a time and a place for fighting in the NAHL, and that wasn't it.
Next up for the Express is two more games against the Thunder this coming Friday and Saturday, both in Owatonna. See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
**** Update: You can see a couple of video highlights of the game, including the beautiful McDonald pass to Thorson for an Express goal by clicking here: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S654081.shtml?cat=10151
--BK
Saturday, November 8, 2008
He shoots......he scores!!!
Cory Thorson scored an unassisted goal 1:31 into overtime to give the Express a big 4-3 win tonight over the Outlaws in Mason City, Iowa. That's 4 straight road wins for our favorite junior hockey club who have now fought back to a .500 record. The other Express goals were scored by Bournazos, Puente, and Sloat, with assists going to Thorson (2), McDonald, and Smith.
The Express finish their 3 game weekend Sunday night at 5pm with a home game against the Albert Lea Thunder. If the Express can continue their dominance of the Thunder with another win, I will call this weekend very successful, picking up 5 of a possible 6 points.
- The State of Hockey was in overdrive tonight, with the Gophers, Wild, and Express all in action. First the Gophers throttled New Hampshire, the #5 team in the country, 6-2 at Mariucci. Former Express player Brian Schack was patrolling the blueline for the Gophers, and made his presence felt with some physical play. The Express picked up their win in North Iowa, and the Wild are currently in action in Vancouver against the Canucks.
- The Motor City Machine broke their 13 game losing streak by beating the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in Detroit tonight.
- Former Express goalie Nick Graves pitched a shutout tonight in Alpena's 1-0 win over Marquette.
- The Bismarck Bobcats avenged last weekend's loss to Albert Lea by beating the Thunder 2-1 tonight in Albert Lea.
- St Louis extended their winning streak to 16 games with a 6-1 win over Springfield. The Bandits haven't lost since the 2nd day of the Showcase.
- Joe Beaudette played his second straight game tonight on defense for the Express. This isn't the first time Cullen has moved a forward back to defense. Stu Bickel was a forward when he came to the Express, was moved to defense, and now he's playing in the Anaheim Ducks organization.
Sunday afternoon when you're done watching the Vikings beat the Packers, pack up the family and head to the rink to catch the Express tangle with the Thunder. Bring your buckets and other assorted noisemakers, and lets let the guys know that Owatonna supports junior hockey.
See you at the rink.
The Express finish their 3 game weekend Sunday night at 5pm with a home game against the Albert Lea Thunder. If the Express can continue their dominance of the Thunder with another win, I will call this weekend very successful, picking up 5 of a possible 6 points.
- The State of Hockey was in overdrive tonight, with the Gophers, Wild, and Express all in action. First the Gophers throttled New Hampshire, the #5 team in the country, 6-2 at Mariucci. Former Express player Brian Schack was patrolling the blueline for the Gophers, and made his presence felt with some physical play. The Express picked up their win in North Iowa, and the Wild are currently in action in Vancouver against the Canucks.
- The Motor City Machine broke their 13 game losing streak by beating the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in Detroit tonight.
- Former Express goalie Nick Graves pitched a shutout tonight in Alpena's 1-0 win over Marquette.
- The Bismarck Bobcats avenged last weekend's loss to Albert Lea by beating the Thunder 2-1 tonight in Albert Lea.
- St Louis extended their winning streak to 16 games with a 6-1 win over Springfield. The Bandits haven't lost since the 2nd day of the Showcase.
- Joe Beaudette played his second straight game tonight on defense for the Express. This isn't the first time Cullen has moved a forward back to defense. Stu Bickel was a forward when he came to the Express, was moved to defense, and now he's playing in the Anaheim Ducks organization.
Sunday afternoon when you're done watching the Vikings beat the Packers, pack up the family and head to the rink to catch the Express tangle with the Thunder. Bring your buckets and other assorted noisemakers, and lets let the guys know that Owatonna supports junior hockey.
See you at the rink.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Friday Night Preview
Game 1 of a big 3 game weekend tips off tonight at 7pm, with the Bismarck Bobcats as the opponent. The 4th place Express trail the 3rd place Bobcats by 3 points in the standings, with 3 games in hand. If things go well for the Express, the Bobcats could be looking up at the Express by the end of the weekend. This is the third meeting this season with Bismarck, with each team winning once. Both games have been low scoring contests featuring great goaltending performances by both teams.
The Express have continued to get better as the season progresses, and hopefully the powerplay unit, which came to life last Saturday night, has it figured out. The first two times Bismarck was in town, I would have said they were the better team, but I think the Express have pulled even with them over the last few weeks.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 88-43 on the season)
Express 3 - Bobcats 2
This should be a tight game, and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes overtime or a shootout to decide a winner. The Express get the victory and head to North Iowa Saturday night with a .500 record.
Mahoning Valley over Motor City
Marquette over Alpena
Alexandria over Albert Lea
St Louis over Springfield
Wichita Falls over Wenatchee
Alaska over Kenai River
See you at the rink.
--BK
The Express have continued to get better as the season progresses, and hopefully the powerplay unit, which came to life last Saturday night, has it figured out. The first two times Bismarck was in town, I would have said they were the better team, but I think the Express have pulled even with them over the last few weeks.
Big Kahuna's Predictions: (I'm 88-43 on the season)
Express 3 - Bobcats 2
This should be a tight game, and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes overtime or a shootout to decide a winner. The Express get the victory and head to North Iowa Saturday night with a .500 record.
Mahoning Valley over Motor City
Marquette over Alpena
Alexandria over Albert Lea
St Louis over Springfield
Wichita Falls over Wenatchee
Alaska over Kenai River
See you at the rink.
--BK
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/04/2008
Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 11/04/2008
1. St Louis Bandits (0)
2. Topeka Roadrunners (+1)
3. Traverse City North Stars (-1)
4. USNTDP (+1)
5. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (-1)
6. Alexandria Blizzard (0)
7. Alaska Avalanche (0)
8. North Iowa Outlaws (+1)
9. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-1)
10. Bismarck Bobcats (0)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Owatonna Express (+1)
13. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+2)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (-2)
15. Marquette Rangers (-1)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (0)
17. Wenatchee Wild (+1)
18. Albert Lea Thunder (+1)
19. Motor City Machine (-2)
St Louis stays at the top for another week, and Topeka climbs back up to #2. Wichita Falls continues to fall down the list and are really struggling lately. The Express climb a spot this weekend after the sweep of the Thunder. Motor City has completed their free-fall to the bottom by extending their losing streak to 12 games, and then trading away two of their best players. At the Showcase, the Machine needed overtime to beat Wenatchee, and a shootout to beat the Thunder. If those games were played today, I think Wenatchee gets a win, and Albert Lea for sure beats the Machine. Albert Lea has gotten noticeably better since the first time the Express played them.
See you at the rink.
--BK
1. St Louis Bandits (0)
2. Topeka Roadrunners (+1)
3. Traverse City North Stars (-1)
4. USNTDP (+1)
5. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (-1)
6. Alexandria Blizzard (0)
7. Alaska Avalanche (0)
8. North Iowa Outlaws (+1)
9. Wichita Falls Wildcats (-1)
10. Bismarck Bobcats (0)
11. Alpena Ice Diggers (0)
12. Owatonna Express (+1)
13. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+2)
14. Springfield Jr Blues (-2)
15. Marquette Rangers (-1)
16. Kenai River Brown Bears (0)
17. Wenatchee Wild (+1)
18. Albert Lea Thunder (+1)
19. Motor City Machine (-2)
St Louis stays at the top for another week, and Topeka climbs back up to #2. Wichita Falls continues to fall down the list and are really struggling lately. The Express climb a spot this weekend after the sweep of the Thunder. Motor City has completed their free-fall to the bottom by extending their losing streak to 12 games, and then trading away two of their best players. At the Showcase, the Machine needed overtime to beat Wenatchee, and a shootout to beat the Thunder. If those games were played today, I think Wenatchee gets a win, and Albert Lea for sure beats the Machine. Albert Lea has gotten noticeably better since the first time the Express played them.
See you at the rink.
--BK
Monday, November 3, 2008
Express Related Article in Tuesday's Paper
Read it here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=30694
Now that the fall sports season is over, hopefully the Express can get a little bit more coverage from the local fishwrap. The thing that stood out to me was the fact that this year's team has a better record after 13 games than the first 2 Cullen coached teams. Thanks Ian.
- Former Express forward Andy Inderieden was traded to the Marquette Rangers today. The Motor City Machine traded Andy along with former North Iowa Outlaw defenseman Reed Rushing to Marquette for forward Josh Bussell and a 3rd round draft pick in the 2009 draft. Motor City originally acquired Rushing in the trade that sent former Express forward Brandon Brodhag to North Iowa. Pointstreak doesn't have Inderieden included in the trade, but the NAHL homepage does include in him in the trade. Pointstreak also has him listed as a former member of the Rangers, which could be an innocent mistake, or maybe there is more to the story.
--BK
Now that the fall sports season is over, hopefully the Express can get a little bit more coverage from the local fishwrap. The thing that stood out to me was the fact that this year's team has a better record after 13 games than the first 2 Cullen coached teams. Thanks Ian.
- Former Express forward Andy Inderieden was traded to the Marquette Rangers today. The Motor City Machine traded Andy along with former North Iowa Outlaw defenseman Reed Rushing to Marquette for forward Josh Bussell and a 3rd round draft pick in the 2009 draft. Motor City originally acquired Rushing in the trade that sent former Express forward Brandon Brodhag to North Iowa. Pointstreak doesn't have Inderieden included in the trade, but the NAHL homepage does include in him in the trade. Pointstreak also has him listed as a former member of the Rangers, which could be an innocent mistake, or maybe there is more to the story.
--BK
Sunday, November 2, 2008
2 Games + 2 Wins = 4 Point Weekend
The Express did what they needed to do this weekend, with 2 big wins over the team chasing them for the final playoff spot in the Central Division. Friday night, the Express squeaked out a gutsy 4-3 win, getting the game winning goal with 6 seconds left. Saturday night, the Express powerplay came alive, accounting for all 3 goals in a 3-1 victory in Owatonna. The Express have creeped to within 1 win of a .500 record, and have their first winning streak of the season. In addition, Friday night's victory in Albert Lea was their 3rd straight win on the road.
Things are starting to click for our favorite junior hockey team. After a slow start to the year, where the guys were getting outplayed for vast stretches of the game, they have now strung together a fairly impressive 6 game stretch. Starting with the shootout win at North Iowa, the Express have gone 4-2, and are playing their best hockey. Sure there was a letdown early in the 3rd period Friday night, and a couple of other small stretches were they didn't play particularly well, but overall, the guys are making it happen on the ice.......and it's only going to get better.
Next up for the Express is a mini tour of the division this weekend where they will play 3 games in 3 nights against 3 different opponents. Friday night, Bismarck makes their 3rd appearance in Owatonna this season. The Express currently trail the 3rd place Bobcats by 3 points in the standings with 3 games in hand. The previous 2 games (2-0 loss & 1-0 win) with Bismarck were defensive battles with outstanding goaltending on both sides. Saturday night, the guys head back to Mason City for another game with North Iowa. The Express are 1-2 so far this season against the Outlaws, and it should be another great game between these traditional rivals. Sunday afternoon, the show shifts back to Owatonna for another game with the Albert Lea Thunder, where the Express will be looking for their 4th straight victory in the series.
So, mission accomplished this weekend against Albert Lea, with another important 3 game mission on the docket for next weekend. The Express train is picking up speed, so get off the tracks or get run over!!
See you at the rink.
--BK
Things are starting to click for our favorite junior hockey team. After a slow start to the year, where the guys were getting outplayed for vast stretches of the game, they have now strung together a fairly impressive 6 game stretch. Starting with the shootout win at North Iowa, the Express have gone 4-2, and are playing their best hockey. Sure there was a letdown early in the 3rd period Friday night, and a couple of other small stretches were they didn't play particularly well, but overall, the guys are making it happen on the ice.......and it's only going to get better.
Next up for the Express is a mini tour of the division this weekend where they will play 3 games in 3 nights against 3 different opponents. Friday night, Bismarck makes their 3rd appearance in Owatonna this season. The Express currently trail the 3rd place Bobcats by 3 points in the standings with 3 games in hand. The previous 2 games (2-0 loss & 1-0 win) with Bismarck were defensive battles with outstanding goaltending on both sides. Saturday night, the guys head back to Mason City for another game with North Iowa. The Express are 1-2 so far this season against the Outlaws, and it should be another great game between these traditional rivals. Sunday afternoon, the show shifts back to Owatonna for another game with the Albert Lea Thunder, where the Express will be looking for their 4th straight victory in the series.
So, mission accomplished this weekend against Albert Lea, with another important 3 game mission on the docket for next weekend. The Express train is picking up speed, so get off the tracks or get run over!!
See you at the rink.
--BK
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Express Special Teams Play
After going 0 for 9 on the powerplay and giving up a short-handed goal Friday night in Albert Lea, I did some research today with the intention of showing how special teams play has cost the Express some victories this season. However, as I found out, the numbers don't necessarily back that up.
Going into tonight's game in Owatonna against the Thunder, the Express powerplay is second to last in the NAHL at 7.46% (5 goals in 67 chances). By comparison, the league average is 14.73%. Even worse, in the 8 games since the Showcase ended, the Express have only scored 1 powerplay goal in 42 chances. However, the Express have a record of 4-4 in those 8 games. In the 4 wins the Express were 0-23 on the powerplay, and in the 4 losses the Express were 1-19. The 4 losses were all by two or more goals, and 3 of the 4 wins were by only 1 goal. So can you definitively say that the lack of powerplay goals is costing the Express?? I would say not necessarily, but obviously, we would all like to see a marked improvement on the powerplay. Another thing that worries me is that the Express have given up 3 shorthanded goals this season. So that must have cost the Express some games, right?? Actually no, the Express have won all three games in which they gave up a shortie.
On the other side of the red line is the Express penalty kill which is currently the 4th best in the NAHL at 88.06%. The PK has been really good this year, and if there was a statistic for killing 5 on 3 man advantages, the Express would lead the league. A strong PK is a trademark of a smart, disciplined team which is what we expect with Pat Cullen at the helm. The Express are by far the least penalized team in the league, and when you kill off close to 90% of the penalties you do take, good things will happen.
Bottom line: The powerplay won't stay at 7% all year. Cullen and the guys will get it figured out, it'll start to produce, and start winning them some games. The Express seem to understand the PK system, so I think that will stay about where it's at.
Big Kahuna's Prediction for tonight: (7-0 last night/82-39 on the season)
Express 5 - Thunder 3
Traverse City over Mahoning Valley
USNTDP over Motor City
North Iowa over Bismarck
Alexandria over Marquette
Topeka over Springfield
Alaska over Kenai River
Wichita Falls over Fairbanks
See you at the rink.
--BK
Going into tonight's game in Owatonna against the Thunder, the Express powerplay is second to last in the NAHL at 7.46% (5 goals in 67 chances). By comparison, the league average is 14.73%. Even worse, in the 8 games since the Showcase ended, the Express have only scored 1 powerplay goal in 42 chances. However, the Express have a record of 4-4 in those 8 games. In the 4 wins the Express were 0-23 on the powerplay, and in the 4 losses the Express were 1-19. The 4 losses were all by two or more goals, and 3 of the 4 wins were by only 1 goal. So can you definitively say that the lack of powerplay goals is costing the Express?? I would say not necessarily, but obviously, we would all like to see a marked improvement on the powerplay. Another thing that worries me is that the Express have given up 3 shorthanded goals this season. So that must have cost the Express some games, right?? Actually no, the Express have won all three games in which they gave up a shortie.
On the other side of the red line is the Express penalty kill which is currently the 4th best in the NAHL at 88.06%. The PK has been really good this year, and if there was a statistic for killing 5 on 3 man advantages, the Express would lead the league. A strong PK is a trademark of a smart, disciplined team which is what we expect with Pat Cullen at the helm. The Express are by far the least penalized team in the league, and when you kill off close to 90% of the penalties you do take, good things will happen.
Bottom line: The powerplay won't stay at 7% all year. Cullen and the guys will get it figured out, it'll start to produce, and start winning them some games. The Express seem to understand the PK system, so I think that will stay about where it's at.
Big Kahuna's Prediction for tonight: (7-0 last night/82-39 on the season)
Express 5 - Thunder 3
Traverse City over Mahoning Valley
USNTDP over Motor City
North Iowa over Bismarck
Alexandria over Marquette
Topeka over Springfield
Alaska over Kenai River
Wichita Falls over Fairbanks
See you at the rink.
--BK
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