Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 12/10/2008
1. Topeka (0)
2. Mahoning Valley Phantoms (0)
3. St Louis Bandits (0)
4. Bismarck Bobcats (0)
5. Traverse City North Stars (0)
6. USNTDP (0)
7. Fairbanks Ice Dogs (+3)
8. Alpena Ice Diggers (+1)
9. Alexandria Blizzard (-2)
10. North Iowa Outlaws (+1)
11. Owatonna Express (-3)
12. Wichita Falls Wildcats (0)
13. Alaska Avalanche (0)
14. Marquette Rangers (+1)
15. Springfield Jr Blues (-1)
16. Wenatchee Wild (0)
17. Kenai River Brown Bears (0)
18. Motor City Machine (0)
19. Albert Lea Thunder (0)
The top and the bottom stayed the same this week, while the middle jumbled around a bit. At this point in the season, the teams ranked #4-#16 are almost interchangeable. I dropped the Express down 3 spots after getting swept by the Bandits, although they shouldn't hold their heads too low, as St Louis is pretty darn good. I think Cullen and the guys learned a thing or two and when the Bandits visit the 4 Seasons Centre next weekend, I would expect a highly competitive series. I couldn't keep Fairbanks down any longer, so they moved up 3 spots this week. Although I'm still not entirely sold on the Ice Dogs, and the rest of that division.
An extended road trip for the Big Kahuna meant no new posts on the blog for the last few days, but it looks like I didn't miss out on much.
- Former Express goalie Zach Hansen is now tending goal for the Kenai River Brown Bears. He went from Motor City (5 wins) to Kenai River (8 wins), changed 4 time zones, and a distance of just over 4000 miles. To put in in context, that's roughly the same distance as from Detroit to Paris, France.
- The Alaska Avalanche are also struggling in the goaltending department. This season they have tried Garrett Tinkham (former Springfield Jr Blues), Austin MacGinnis (former North Iowa Outlaw), Dylan Woodring (former Alexandria Blizzard), and now have acquired Nathaniel Pellegrino from the Alpena Ice Diggers. Pellegrino spent the 2006/07 season with the Avalanche, before getting the starting job in Alpena to start the 2007/08 season. He lost his starting job in Alpena to former Express goalie Nick Graves after Nick left the team and joined the Ice Diggers early last season. When Graves left for the USHL at the beginning of this season, Pellegrino was once again the starting goaltender, but it didn't last long, as Graves didn't stick in the USHL and came back to Alpena. It's safe to say that Graves won't be getting a Christmas card from Pellegrino this year.
- The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, who lead the West Division, have gotten great goaltending from another retread NAHL player in former Springfield Jr Blues goalie Phil Cook. Cook is 15-3-2-1 this season with a 2.30 GAA.
Wait a second, did I just spend half an hour breaking down the goaltending situation with the 3 Alaska teams?? I need a hobby.
See you at the rink.
--Big Kahuna
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2 comments:
Dear Blog Man.
Why do you always put down some other teams.
Cant you continue to be positive?
Thanks,
"Dear Blog Man.
Why do you always put down some other teams.
Cant you continue to be positive?"
- Which team am I constantly putting down??
If your answer is Motor City, I'll just say that I have used extraordinary retraint in regards to the Machine. I have purposely not published many stories about the Machine, and kept most of my opinions to myself.
I started this blog with the intention of keeping it positive, and I feel that I have succeeded in doing just that.
--BK
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