Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, January 16 vs Edmonton at 6:00 p.m.
January 16, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN (26-17-1-1, 54 pts.) vs EDMONTON OIL KINGS (17-21-5-1, 40 pts.)
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 - 6:00 p.m. - Scotiabank Saddledome
TODAY'S GAME
This evening the Calgary Hitmen will play their second game in as many nights when they welcome the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Scotiabank Saddledome. Both teams are looking to avenge last night's losses as Calgary dropped a 7-4 road decision in Swift Current and Medicine Hat edged Edmonton 4-3 in a shootout. Four different Hitmen scored for Calgary in the setback with markers from Pavel Karnaukhov, Jordy Stallard, Beck Malenstyn and Keegan Kanzig. The Hitmen outshot the Broncos 29-22 but trailed most of the game, facing deficits of 2-0, 3-1, 5-2 and 6-3. The Hitmen, at 54 points, are third in the WHL's Central Division, 10 points back of the Eastern Conference-leading Lethbridge Hurricanes and six points behind the Red Deer Rebels. Edmonton sits in the second and final Wildcard spot with 40 points.
HITMEN BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)
Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com
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STREAKS
- Travis Sanheim (2g, 8a) has points in seven straight contests, matching a personal best he twice set last season (Nov. 23 - Dec. 7/14 and Jan. 14 - Feb. 7/15).
- Keegan Kanzig (4g, 1a) is on a career-high three-game goal-scoring streak.
- Jordy Stallard (2g, 2a) has points in his last three games while Jake Bean (2a) and Jackson Houck (2a) both have points in back-to-back contests.
- Radel Fazleev (1g, 3a) and Micheal Zipp (1g, 1a) both saw their two-game point streaks end last night in Swift Current.
NOTEWORTHY
VS EDMONTON: Tonight is the fourth of six regular season meetings between the Hitmen and Oil Kings. Edmonton leads the season series 2-1 after opening the six-game set with a home-and-home sweep in early November. Carsen Twarynski leads the Hitmen with four points (4a) against Edmonton while Lane Bauer (3g, 2a) is the top scoring Oil King with five points in the series. Over the last five seasons, Calgary is 12-14-1-0 against the Oil Kings including a 5-7-1-0 record when playing at the 'Dome. The two clubs next meet on Mar. 11 at Rexall Place in Edmonton.
2015-16 REGULAR SEASON SERIES RECAP
- Nov. 6/15 at CAL: EDM 4 CAL 1 ... Edmonton built period leads of 2-0 and 2-1.
- Nov. 7/15 at EDM: EDM 3 CAL 2 ... Oil Kings erased a 2-1 third period lead.
- Jan. 9/16 at EDM: CAL 4 EDM 3 (OT) ... Micheal Zipp scored the game winner 63 seconds into overtime while Keegan Kanzig had a game-leading two-goal effort.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Shots on Goal: CAL 77 EDM 85
- Power Plays: CAL 2-13 (15.4%) EDM 1-13 (7.7%)
'DOME SWEET 'DOME: Including tonight, the Hitmen will play their next five games on home ice. The Hitmen are 13-6-1-0 when playing in the 'Dome this season, including a 4-3 mark in their last seven home games, and have outscored their opponents by a combined 70-62.
BIG STAGE: Hitmen defenceman Jake Bean will play for Team Orr at the 2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Thursday, Jan. 28, in Vancouver. He has also been named an alternate captain. With the addition of Bean, a CHL-high 27 Hitmen players will have participated at this event since 1996 including 16 who have gone on to play in the NHL.
QUIET TIMES: Calgary has played three games since Jan. 4. Counting today, the Hitmen will play just six times in 19 days between now and Feb. 3.
TRADE WINDS: The Hitmen completed a pair of transactions on WHL Trade Deadline Day. In the first move, the Hitmen acquired 18-year-old centre Matteo Gennaro, 16-year-old defenceman Ty Prefontaine and a sixth-round selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for 18-year-old right winger Layne Bensmiller and 18-year-old defenceman Loch Morrison. The second trade saw Calgary acquire 19-year-old defenceman Scott Allan from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2017. Gennaro has joined the Hitmen while Prefontaine (Saskatoon Midget AAA Contacts) and Allan (BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors) will remain with their respective teams.
ROSTER MOVE: On Jan. 7, the Hitmen reassigned 17-year-old goaltender Kyle Dumba to the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Calgary Mustangs. Dumba appeared in eight games this season, posting a record of 2-3-0-1 along with a 4.58 goals-against average. Since joining the Mustangs, Dumba has won two of three starts while posting a 2.67 goals-against average and stopping 118 of 126 shots for a .936 save percentage.
TEETER TOTTER: Calgary has been through a series off three different runs this season. They started the 2015-16 schedule 5-1-0-1 before going 4-9-0-0 in their next 13 games. Since then, the Hitmen have posted a record of 17-7-1-0.
HITMEN VS: (BDN 2-1), (EDM 1-2), (EVT 1-0), (KAM 1-0), (KEL 0-1), (KTN 5-0), (LET 1-2), (MH 1-2), (MJ 0-3), (POR 0-0), (PA 2-1), (PG 1-2), (RD 2-0-0-1), (REG 3-0-1-0), (SAS 3-0), (SEA 1-0), (SPO 0-1), (SC 1-1), (TC 1-0), (VAN 0-1), (VIC 0-0).
KANZIG'S COUNT: Calgary Flames prospect Keegan Kanzig has found his goal-scoring touch this season. The 20-year-old Hitmen defenceman already has 10 goals, eclipsing his career total of six coming into the 2015-16 campaign. He also has six goals in his last six games which includes a pair of two-goal contests.
NUMBER SWAP: With the addition of Matteo Gennaro, Hitmen forward Bryce Platt has changed numbers. Gennaro will wear No. 21 while Platt moves to No. 22.
HOUCK'S HANDIWORK: Jackson Houck returned to the Hitmen lineup on Dec. 27 against the Kootenay ICE after missing 13 games with an injury. The 20-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., has 218 career WHL points including 20 points (4g, 16a) in 18 games since arriving in a late October trade from Vancouver.
STUKEL'S STATS: Since joining the Hitmen as part of a trade with the Vancouver Giants on October 27, Jakob Stukel has been nearly a point-a-game player. In 31 games with Calgary, Stukel has 30 points (21g, 9a). The 18-year-old from Surrey, B.C., had recorded 24 career points in his first 67 WHL games before arriving in the Stampede City.
DYNAMIC DUO: Calgary has two of the top 12 scoring defencemen in the WHL in Jake Bean and Travis Sanheim. Bean (15g, 25a) has 40 points to sit tied for third among defenceman while Sanheim's (8g, 24a) 32 points place him in a four-way tie for 11th. Bean's career-high 15 goals, six power play markers and two game-winning tallies are second among all blueliners.
NHL DRAFT WATCH: Hitmen defenceman Jake Bean, forward Beck Malenstyn and goaltender Cody Porter were all named to the National Hockey League's Players to Watch list for November in advance of the 2016 NHL Draft. The list, compiled by NHL Central Scouting Service, groups prospects by league and gives each player an individual rating. Bean, one of 49 players from the Western Hockey League on the list, received an "A" ranking which indicates a first-round candidate. Malenstyn and Porter received "C" ratings, indicating a fourth, fifth or sixth-round selection.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Calgary's power play, which has scored at least once in the last three games (4-13), is sixth in the WHL at 21.9%. The Hitmen penalty kill, which has surrendered three goals in its last 18 shorthanded situations, is tied for fifth in the league at 82.3%.
OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITY: Hitmen prospect Tristen Nielsen, a 2015 first-round WHL Bantam Draft pick, will represent Canada in ice hockey at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, set for February 12-21 in Lillehammer, Norway. He is one of nine forwards and 17 players named to the team.
POST-GAME AUTOGRAPHS: Meet forward Carsen Twarynski after the game at the Hitmen Booster Club table located behind section 212 on the concourse.
Western Hockey League Stories from January 16, 2016
- Broncos Get Past Rebels 2-1 - Red Deer Rebels
- Prince Albert earns five out of possible six points on road trip - Prince Albert Raiders
- Hitmen win in OT - Calgary Hitmen
- Burman Backstops Broncos to 2-1 Win - Swift Current Broncos
- Oil Kings Lose in Overtime to Hitmen - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Cougars Come Back to Beat Giants - Vancouver Giants
- Game Notes: Red Deer Rolls into Town - Swift Current Broncos
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, January 16 vs Edmonton at 6:00 p.m. - Calgary Hitmen
- Wheat Kings Host Warriors Tonight - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Sweet Revenge for Wheat Kings - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Silvertips Edge Giants 3-2 - Everett Silvertips
- Canes Power Play Downs Blazers - Kamloops Blazers
- 3rd Period Comeback Falls Short against Americans - Saskatoon Blades
- Royals Edge Rockets 4-3 Friday Night in Victoria - Kelowna Rockets
- Royals Knock off Rockets - Victoria Royals
- Game 44: January 16 Vs. Kootenay - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Victoria wins over Kelowna - Kelowna Rockets
- T-Birds Power Past Pats - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Americans Hold off Blades 4-3 - Tri-City Americans
- Pats lose 4-2 - Regina Pats
- Giants Fall to Everett - Vancouver Giants
- Rebels Blanked 4-0 in Brandon - Red Deer Rebels
- Chiefs Fall Short on Friday Night - Spokane Chiefs
- Schneider Brilliant in Shootout Victory - Medicine Hat Tigers
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