WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes

Published on February 2, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


BRANDON GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be hoping to salvage a split in their home and home Western Hockey League series with the MEDICINE HAT TIGERS Wednesday night.The game will be the first of back to back home games before heading to the U.S. for the WHEAT KINGS, who lost 5-1 to the TIGERS in MEDICINE HAT on Saturday night.Former KAMLOOPS BLAZER ERIK CHRISTENSEN, with his tenth as a WHEAT KING and 20th of the season, scored the lone goal for BRANDON, who posted a 1-3-0 during their 4-game in five night road trip.The only victory came Friday night when JOSH HARDING stopped 46 shots and backstopped the third place WHEAT KINGS to a 4-1 victory over the Central Division leading BRONCOS in SWIFT CURRENT.During the 4-game excursion, BRANDON was outscored 14-8. BRANDON has won just two of it's last nine games (2-6-0-1), leaving them just six points up on fourth place REGINA in the Eastern Division and two back of seventh place LETHBRIDGE in the Conference.The WHEATS are currently 19-26-6-3 on the season (12-11-3-1 at home and 7-15-3-2 on the road), with five of those road wins coming since Christmas.BRANDON plays host to the PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS on Friday night - a game that will be televised on ROGERS SPORTSNET.

VS. MEDICINE HAT: Entering the fifth meeting of the season between these two clubs, BRANDON is still looking for it's first victory (0-3-1).ERIC FEHR (3-0-3) and RYAN STONE (1-2-3) lead the WHEAT KINGS in scoring.

WHERE'S THE OFFENCE: For a team that returned after Christmas and scored eight goals against REGINA on December 27th and went on a ten game points streak (7-0-2-1), the WHEAT KINGS have suddenly hit a dry spell when it comes to scoring goals.Not only has the club scored just ten even strength goals during the past nine games, they were 1-22 with the man advantage during their recent road trip.

WHOSE HOT? RYAN STONE had his career high 10-game point scoring streak snapped Tuesday night in MOOSE JAW. During that stretch, the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS' second round draft choice was 4-12-16. Stone has at least a point in 11 of his last twelve games (4-13-17).Overage center TYLER DYCK is averaging a point per game this season (27-27-54 in 54 games played).ERIC FEHR'S 62 points (33-29-62) has moved him back into the league's top ten in scoring.Netminder JOSH HARDING continues to lead the Eastern Conference with a .920 save percentage (second only in the WHL to KELOWNA'S KELLY GUARD) and in BRANDON'S last two victories, he's stopped 93 of 96 shots. HARDING has played in 12 of 13 games since joining the WHEAT KINGS, compiling a 5-7-0 record and a 2.97 goals against average.

INJURY UPDATE: Captain TIM KONSORADA (shoulder), LANCE MONYCH (shoulder), JEFF TOPILKO (knee) and DEREK LEBLANC (shoulder) have all returned to the lineup in the past week .MONYCH rejoined the lineup Friday night, assisting on two goals.KONSORADA missed the first four months of the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September. He's 2-3-5 in six games since coming back.Veteran defenceman OLE-KRISTIAN TOLLEFSEN (bruised sternum), newly acquired STEVEN LATER (shoulder) and Slovakian RICHARD JASOVSKY (shoulder) remain on the sidelines.

MILESTONES: 16-year old rookie defenceman MARK LOUIS picked up his first ever WHL point last Friday, assisting on ERIC FEHR'S second period goal against the WARRIORS.JOSH HARDING surpassed the 8,000 minute mark in his WHL career Wednesday in REGINA.BRANDON'S top three scorers - ERIC FEHR (32), TYLER DYCK (26) and LANCE MONYCH (24) - have career highs in goals this season.LANCE MONYCH is five games away from 250 in his WHL career.

STATISTICAL ODDS 'N ENDS: Former MIDGET AAA WHEAT KING scoring star MARK DERLAGO leads BRANDON'S rookie scoring (7-14-21) .BRANDON is 16-8-2 when opening the scoring.WHEATS are 2-3-6 in overtime games this year.Defencemen JON WEBB leads BRANDON with 145 penalty minutes.Overage center TYLER DYCK has moved to within two goals of the league lead in powerplay goals (16). BRANDON'S powerplay is ranked third in the leagu, while it's penalty killing is 15th in the WHL.

DRAFTED PLAYERS: ERIC FEHR (Washington, 2003), RYAN STONE (Pittsburgh, 2003), LANCE MONYCH (Phoenix, 2002), TIM KONSORADA (Columbus, 2002), ERIK CHRISTENSEN (Pittsburgh, 2002), TYLER BOLDT (Atlanta, 2002), JOSH HARDING (Minnesota, 2002) and OLE-KRISTIAN TOLLEFSEN (Columbus, 2002).

DID YOU KNOW? Veteran center RYAN STONE missed the past weekend after he was slapped with an indefinite suspension from the WHL for a knee-on-knee hit during Wednesday's game in REGINA. The WHEAT KINGS hope to have him back Wednesday night. Individual winners at last Sunday's 2nd Annual Skills Day included REAGAN LESLIE (Rapid Fire), TIM KONSORADA (Accuracy), MARK LOUIS (Breakaway Shootout), ERIC FEHR (Hardest Shot) and JEFF TOPILKO (Fastest Skater).TSN football analyst GLEN SUITOR, MAPLE LEAFS' play-by-play announcer DENNIS BEYAK and former OTTAWA SENATORS' GM MARSHALL JOHNSTON headline this year's SPORTSMAN'S DINNER to be held Saturday, February 7th in the Keystone Centre.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2004


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