WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes

February 10, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


2/10/2007: Calgary Hitmen @ Brandon 19:30, Keystone Centre

GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be hoping to end their current 4-game Western Hockey League home stand on a positive note Saturday night when they play host to the CALGARY HITMEN...In addition to looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the fifth place SASKATOON BLADES, the WHEATS will be hoping to move back into a share of fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a victory tonight...Leaders of the Eastern Division with a record of 28-18-2-7, the WHEAT KINGS trail CALGARY by two points, with two games in hand...The HITMEN moved into fourth place Friday with a 3-0 victory over REGINA...The 26-24-1- 4 PATS, who host BRANDON on Sunday night, currently trail the front running WHEAT KINGS by eight points...During the first three games of this current home stand, BRANDON is 1-1-0-1...Tuesday's loss to the BLADES was BRANDON'S first regulation defeat on home ice since dropping a 3-0 decision to the visiting MEDICINE HAT TIGERS on November 11th...Since then, the WHEATS had compiled an 11-0-1-3 record...Overall, BRANDON leads the division with a home ice record of 17-4-1-4 record...On the road, BRANDON is riding a 2-game win streak and 11-14-1-3 on the season...In their last ten games, the WHEATS are 6-3-0-1 and 1-1-0 in the month of February after going 7-4-0-2 during the month of January...Tuesday's loss snapped a streak of four games (3-0-0-1) that had seen the WHEAT KINGS collect at least a point...In games against Eastern Division teams, BRANDON is 13-8-2-5...Against Central Division clubs, the WHEATS are th ree games over the .500 mark (10-7-0-1) with two games remaining...After Sunday's game in REGINA, the WHEAT KINGS will play in SWIFT CURRENT on Tuesday, SASKATOON on Wednesday and MOOSE JAW on Friday, before returning home to face the WARRIORS one week from tonight at the Keystone Centre.

LAST GAME: The BLADES scored two powerplay goals and the WHEAT KINGS were 0-7 with the man advantage Tuesday night as SASKATOON defeated BRANDON 3-1 at the Keystone Centre...Tuesday's crowd of 2,926 was the smallest of the season...RYAN MENEI scored once and set up another for the BLADES, who outshot the WHEAT KINGS 30-29...DARYL BOYLE scored in a losing cause...Rookie JOE CALIGIURI stopped 27 shots.

VS. CALGARY: This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams...BRANDON is currently 2-1-0 against the HITMEN this season, with both victories coming at the Pengrowth Saddledome...In the only game played in BRANDON, CALGARY doubled up on the WHEAT KINGS 6-3 on Sept. 30th...WHEAT KINGS have outscored the HITMEN 11-10...Center CODEY BURKI (1-4-5) leads BRANDON in scoring while netminder TYLER PLANTE is 1-1-0 with a 4.00 goals against average and an .857 save percentage.

MILESTONES: Ntetminder TYLER PLANTE has moved to within six games of BYRON PENSTOCK and second place on the club's all time list for games played...PLANTE is also third in career minutes played (8796)...His 10 career shutouts are a franchise record while his 2.88 career goals against average is second only to ROBERT McVICAR (2.86) on the WHEAT KINGS' all time list...Former PORTLAND WINTER HAWK, who is 3-4-7 with the WHEAT KINGS, reached the 100-point plateau in his WHL career on January 31st vs. LETHBRIDGE...MARK DERLAGO is 7 games away from 200 in his career and 12 points shy of 150...CODEY BURKI is five assists shy of the century mark and 4 games away from 250 in his 4-year career...RYAN REAVES is 12 games shy of 200.

SPECIAL TEAMS: BRANDON'S is 4-51 with the man advantage over the course of the last nine games and is 13-103 since the Christmas break. WHEAT KINGS' powerplay has slipped to 6th in the WHL (19.4%)...MARK DERLAGO leads the WHEAT KINGS with 18 powerplay goals, second in the league while JURAJ SIMEK's 14 powerplay goals are fourth among first year players...Penalty killing, the WHEATS are 14th in the WHL at 81.5%.

BY THE NUMBERS: Defenceman DARYL BOYLE leads the club in scoring since Christmas (5-8-13 in 18 games)...JEFF TOPILKO (2-3-5) and JURAJ SIMEK (2-3-5) had 4-game point scoring streaks snapped Tuesday night against SASKATOON...CODEY BURKI is 9th in the WHL scoring race (26-37-63)...Left-winger MARK DERLAGO is third in goals (34), four behind COLTON YELLOWHORN of TRI-CITY...TYLER PLANTE is 13th in the league with a 2.72 goals against average, 5th in minutes played (2489), third in saves (1151)...JURAJ SIMEK is 6th in rookie scoring (24-26-50) while DANIEL BARTEK is second among first year players with three shorthanded goals...DUSTIN KOHN leads the club with a +15 ranking while DERLAGO leads the WHEAT KINGS with f ive game winning goals.

DID YOU KNOW? GM/Head Coach KELLY MCCRIMMON returns to the bench tonight after missing Tuesday's game while attending the WHL Governors Meeting in Calgary...The third winningest coach in club history is 5 victories away from 150...19-year old ST. LOUIS BLUES draft choice RYAN REAVES has been named the team's TIP TOP TAILORS PLAYER OF THE MONTH for January...THERAN YEO (wrist) has been sidelined indefinitely...Season Ticket holders have until Saturday, February 24th at 10 p.m. to reserve their 2007 Playoff Ticket Packages.

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