WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes

Published on January 20, 2007 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


1/20/2007: Swift Current Broncos @ Brandon 19:30, Keystone Centre

GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be hoping to tighten their grip on top spot in the Western Hockey League's Eastern Division Saturday night when they close out a 2-game weekend home stand against the second place SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS...BRANDON'S 1-0 win over SPOKANE Friday night, coupled with the BRONCOS 5-2 loss to the WARRIORS in MOOSE JAW, moved the WHEAT KINGS eight points up on SWIFT CURRENT...The WHEAT KINGS bring a 3-game win streak into Saturday's game...BRANDON has also won three straight games on home ice...The WHEAT KINGS enter Saturday's game with a record of 24-15-2-6, go od for 56 points...BRANDON is 15-3-1-3 at home (best home ice record of any team in the East Division) and 9-12-1-3 on the road...The WHEATS are 6-2-0-2 in their last ten games...2-2-6 in games decided by overtime this year...4-2-0-1 in 2007 and 6-2-0-2 since the club's 10-day Christmas break...As for the Eastern Conference, the WHEAT KINGS have moved past RED DEER and into sole possession of third place - one point up on both the REBELS and CALGARY HITMEN...Wednesday's 5-2 win in MOOSE JAW snapped a 2-game winless streak (0-1-0-1) on the road...BRANDON kicks off a 4-game western excursion Tuesday in MEDICINE HAT - a trip that will see the WHEAT KINGS play in LETHBRIDGE (Wednesday), CALGARY (Friday) and KOOTENAY (Sunday)...Eight of 13 games this month will be played on the road.

PLANTE OFFICIALLY SETS CLUB RECORD: Netminder TYLER PLANTE made history Friday night, blanking SPOKANE and registering his 9th career WHL shutout (10th career if you include the one that he shared with KURT JORY on Sept. 29th 2006)...PLANTE broke the previous record of 8 that he shared with JAMIE HODSON and current WASHINGTON CAPITALS' coach GLEN HANLON...PLANTE enters Saturday's game with a sparkling 2.71 goals against average in 36 appearances and is on the verge of moving past ROBERT McVICAR and into third place on the club's all time list for both games and minutes played...The FLORIDA PANTHERS' second round draft choice is one game and two minutes shy of McVICAR.

LAST GAME: Friday's game featured stellar netminding at both ends of the rink...While PLANTE was turning aside all 30 shots that he faced, including 12 in the final period, Winnipeg's KEVIN ARMSTRONG was busy, stopping 31 of 32 BRANDON shots...The only player to beat either goalkeeper was WHEAT KINGS' center ANDREW CLARK, on a first period powerplay...BRANDON finished the game, going 1-4 with the man advantage while killing off all four SPOKANE powerplays.

VS. SWIFT CURRENT: This is the fourth meeting of the season between these two teams and BRANDON is still looking for its first win (0-2-1-0)...BRONCOS have outscored BRANDON 12-7 and in the only game played between these two at the Keystone Centre, SWIFT CURRENT tied the game in the final minute of play and then won in Overtime 2-1 on December 9th...BRANDON was 3-0-2-0 in five games against the BRONCOS last season...In this year's season series, CODEY BURKI (2-2-4) and MARK DERLAGO (1-3-4) lead the WHEATS in scoring.

OTHER MILESTONES: Last Friday's hat trick in PRINCE ALBERT was MARK DERLAGO'S second of the season (his other was in a 9-5 WHEAT KING victory over LETHBRIDGE on Oct. 20th)...Defenceman DUSTIN KOHN picked up his 100th career assist in Wednesday's win over MOOSE JAW...Newly acquired left-winger ROB KLINKHAMMER, who is 0-2-2 in four games with the WHEAT KINGS, is currently 5 points shy of 100 in his WHL career...CODEY BURKI is 7 assists shy of 100 and 12 games away from 250 in his career.

BY THE NUMBERS: CODEY BURKI is 4th in the WHL scoring race (23-35-58) - three points behind RED DEER'S MARTIN HANZAL...MARK DERLAGO is 10th (30-22-52) and tied with COLTON YELLOW HORN for the league lead in goals...DERLAGO'S 17 powerplay goals also lead the WHL...JURAJ SIMEK is 5th in Rookie Scoring, second in goals (22) among first year players...Rookie DANIEL BARTEK is 4th in the WHL with 3 shorthanded goals...DUSTIN KOHN is 7th in scoring among blueliners (2-34-36)...Netminder TYLER PLANTE is 13th in the WHL with a 2.71 goals against average in 2146 minutes played (5th in the WHL). His save pct is .912 (5th)...THERAN YEO is fifth in the WHL w ith 143 minutes in penalties.

DID YOU KNOW? BRANDON'S powerplay has regained top spot in the WHL, having scored 65 goals in 303 opportunities (21.5%)...Penalty killing, the WHEATIES are 14th (80.9%)...MARK DERLAGO leads the club with 5 game winning goals...DUSTIN KOHN leads the team with a +14 ranking, followed by RYAN REAVES at +11...17-year old defenceman KEITH AULIE is the only WHEAT KING still looking for his first goal of the season...When outshooting their opponent, the WHEATS are 14-5-0-3 and they're 18-0-0-4 when leading through 40 minutes of play and 17-3-2-2 when they score the game's first goal...WHEAT KINGS currently have 24 players on their roster - 2 goalkeepers, eight defenceman and 14 forwards.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 20, 2007


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