2013-14 WHL Regular Season Thread

[I am the Liquor]

Oil Kings can beat them (and did so), Kelowna can beat them, or if things go right in a series any one of the other Western Conference powers (Seattle, Spokane, etc.) can beat them.

I dont think anyone has beaten them since they got Dumba. You may be able to beat them. Once or maybe twice, but to beat them four times, before they beat you four times?

Highly unlikely. Im not that impressed with Kelowna tbh. The other American teams seem to have faltered a bit, specifically Everest. Portland is/was the most dangerous team I have seen this year other than Edmonton. Petan, Bjorkstrand, Leier, Leipsic, Pouliot, De Leo, and now Dumba who is a ppg...........

They just come at you in waves, or like one big wave, a tsunami....... its a little hard to take especially the way all the superstars seem to fall into their lap.

 

[Cloned]

I dont think anyone has beaten them since they got Dumba. You may be able to beat them. Once or maybe twice, but to beat them four times, before they beat you four times?

Highly unlikely. Im not that impressed with Kelowna tbh. The other American teams seem to have faltered a bit, specifically Everest. Portland is/was the most dangerous team I have seen this year other than Edmonton. Petan, Bjorkstrand, Leier, Leipsic, Pouliot, De Leo, and now Dumba who is a ppg...........

They just come at you in waves, or like one big wave, a tsunami....... its a little hard to take especially the way all the superstars seem to fall into their lap.

It's going to be a dogfight in the West Playoffs though, so if Portland makes it through the gauntlet of Kelowna/Spokane/Seattle/Victoria/Everett, they deserve to be in the finals. Those are all strong teams who could give Portland a run for their money - especially Kelowna who has the scoring potential to prey on Portland's only weakness: goals against.

OKs should make it through the East pretty easily (SHOULD)… they haven't really had any trouble with the East at all this year. Only teams I can see giving them a problem would be Kootenay or Calgary.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I fully expect Portland to overtake the Rockets in the standings by the end of the year, maybe by the end of the month, and likely they will be the overall pts leaders in the entire league.

At that point they host four games in each series they play, and its good night Irene.

Its not going to be close or interesting like you think it will be. They will just walk through everyone. One day it should catch up to them, when they have no decent draft picks, but when the best NCAA players skip out of their schools due to a "change of heart" and the team that owns their rights, trades them to Portland for a can of beans and some frozen weiners, because they know damn well the player will never agree to play for their team, and/or you get a Dumba situation, and the beat goes on.

 

[Cloned]

I fully expect Portland to overtake the Rockets in the standings by the end of the year, maybe by the end of the month, and likely they will be the overall pts leaders in the entire league.

At that point they host four games in each series they play, and its good night Irene.

Its not going to be close or interesting like you think it will be. They will just walk through everyone. One day it should catch up to them, when they have no decent draft picks, but when the best NCAA players skip out of their schools due to a "change of heart" and the team that owns their rights, trades them to Portland for a can of beans and some frozen weiners, because they know damn well the player will never agree to play for their team, and/or you get a Dumba situation, and the beat goes on.

OKs are on a pretty good run themselves. I don't think either will catch Kelowna for overall leaders in the league though; these are three good teams who can all go on prolonged winning streaks and despite the OKs and Portland doing so recently, Kelowna has kept up and I don't see them relinquishing their lead before the 72 games is up.

Think it might be more interesting than you think though. Portland has slightly more trouble playing teams with proficient offences and stingy defences. Give them a series or two versus Kelowna or Victoria (or the OKs), and it might turn against them over the course of 7 games.

As a side note, the OKs have had their own ways of procuring talent recently too. It's part of the lure of playing in a big city.

 

[BIitz]

Descheneau is really good.

 

[gphr513]

Anyone know if these WHL games are streamed somewhere online? Looking to check out a Portland game to watch Dumba tonight.

I'm not sure what HFBoards rules are about sharing info about "certain" streams, so PM me if need be.

 

[Slapstick204]

watch online

You can catch all WHL games online by going to the WHL website [ WHL.com] , go to "watch live" , pay for the game or order a few games , you have several options and you can see whatever you like.

 

[gphr513]

You can catch all WHL games online by going to the WHL website [ WHL.com] , go to "watch live" , pay for the game or order a few games , you have several options and you can see whatever you like.

Cool, thanks for the info.

 

[Hardyvan123]

I dont think anyone has beaten them since they got Dumba. You may be able to beat them. Once or maybe twice, but to beat them four times, before they beat you four times?

Highly unlikely. Im not that impressed with Kelowna tbh. The other American teams seem to have faltered a bit, specifically Everest. Portland is/was the most dangerous team I have seen this year other than Edmonton. Petan, Bjorkstrand, Leier, Leipsic, Pouliot, De Leo, and now Dumba who is a ppg...........

They just come at you in waves, or like one big wave, a tsunami....... its a little hard to take especially the way all the superstars seem to fall into their lap.

I agree that the Hawks are the team to beat Dumba is an amazing plus 21 in his 17 games and like stated they just come in waves at you, have a very experienced (and maybe better as a group) defense than last year and the only thing they really lack is size in their top 6, but their bottom 6 can play heavy and are a perfect compliment to the explosive scoring of the top 6

 

[timekeep]

Anyone know if these WHL games are streamed somewhere online? Looking to check out a Portland game to watch Dumba tonight.

I'm not sure what HFBoards rules are about sharing info about "certain" streams, so PM me if need be.

I was very disappointed that Sportsnet didn't take the opportunity to show more CHL games during the Olympic break. Maybe TSN will pick up more next year.

 

[Royal Canuck]

I was very disappointed that Sportsnet didn't take the opportunity to show more CHL games during the Olympic break. Maybe TSN will pick up more next year.

Sportsnet just signed that monster deal with the CHL.

Looking forward to 12 more years of OHL juggernaut games (London, Erie, etc.) with the odd WHL game every month or so.

 

[phillipsj89]

Sportsnet just signed that monster deal with the CHL.

Looking forward to 12 more years of OHL juggernaut games (London, Erie, etc.) with the odd WHL game every month or so.

yep, pretty much sums it up.

 

[S E P H]

Yeah, Winterhawks are on a complete roll. Don't have the some of the insane talent like in the past with Nino and Jones, but their depth is the best in the league by a good margin. The streak they're on, 21-0-0-1. And now with the Western Conference being the "more weak" conference (compared to the recent dominant years West has had) Portland will just destroy the first 2 rounds of the playoffs.

Seattle is also a good team and they haven't had Honey for practically the whole season as well. But they're goaltending is still iffy and Yakubowski has been pretty.....well.....bad.

 

[Suter to MacInnis]

Funny I never would have thought anyone would call the east the stronger conference, not a wide gap but outside of Calgary and Edmonton the east is pretty bad imo and Edmonton is a lot weaker than they have been, they lost half their team from last year, I think the third best team in the west (vic) is as good as either of them. Watched the pats a bit ths year following klimchuk and for them to be in 3rd over there says a lot. PA and Brandon really missed an opportunity this year imo. Subjective anyway.

Kelowna looks like they might be able to hang on, Portland is 5 pts back with 9 to go and Kelowna has a game in hand. Still Portland have to be favourites to win the west playoffs with the roll they're on. Regular season banner might be the best the rockets get. Should be a good playoffs anyway.

 

[phillipsj89]

Yeah, Winterhawks are on a complete roll. Don't have the some of the insane talent like in the past with Nino and Jones, but their depth is the best in the league by a good margin. The streak they're on, 21-0-0-1. And now with the Western Conference being the "more weak" conference (compared to the recent dominant years West has had) Portland will just destroy the first 2 rounds of the playoffs.

Seattle is also a good team and they haven't had Honey for practically the whole season as well. But they're goaltending is still iffy and Yakubowski has been pretty.....well.....bad.

Portland vs Kelowna could be a dandy

 

[ChaoticCoffee64]

I'm pumped for the playoffs, anything can happen!

Should be some great games.

 

[arsmaster*]

Funny I never would have thought anyone would call the east the stronger conference, not a wide gap but outside of Calgary and Edmonton the east is pretty bad imo and Edmonton is a lot weaker than they have been, they lost half their team from last year, I think the third best team in the west (vic) is as good as either of them. Watched the pats a bit ths year following klimchuk and for them to be in 3rd over there says a lot. PA and Brandon really missed an opportunity this year imo. Subjective anyway.

Kelowna looks like they might be able to hang on, Portland is 5 pts back with 9 to go and Kelowna has a game in hand. Still Portland have to be favourites to win the west playoffs with the roll they're on. Regular season banner might be the best the rockets get. Should be a good playoffs anyway.

The East looks poor to me. I don't know how anyone could think the East was the stronger conference. They have 2 more teams. Saw off Lethbridge and Kamploops, and the next worst teams in the league are in the east (saskatoon and Moose Jaw).

Next season may change that, but as of now the East is worse. A lot more underachiever's in the East as well, Red Deer and Prince Albert were expected to be a lot better than they have been.

 

[S E P H]

I'm only talking about playoff teams.

Compared to the last 5 years of dominance the West has had, this year has been much closer in terms of equilibrium.

 

[arsmaster*]

I'm only talking about playoff teams.

Compared to the last 5 years of dominance the West has had, this year has been much closer in terms of equilibrium.

Looks like more of the same to me. Instead of Kamloops, this year it's Victoria along with Portland and Kelowna...with Seattle being a darkhorse.

The East is still, Edmonton and Calgary.

 

[Regina Pat]

Pats get the OT win against SC last night. That much closer to the East division title. At the beginning of the year no one gave them a hope in hell.

 

[ChaoticCoffee64]

Rockets beat Giants 3-1 and are 52-9-0-4 on the season with 108 pts.

9 point lead on Portland for 1st overall.

 

[Jamie Benn]

Really excited for the playoffs as a Royals fan. They are looking to play Everett in the first round (Would rather play Everett then Spokane or Vancouver any day of the week.)

Which means they have a chance of getting past the first round this year! (I hope.)

 

[BIitz]

Okay Graham Black is SO ridiculously fast.

 

[Killemdeader]

Really excited for the playoffs as a Royals fan. They are looking to play Everett in the first round (Would rather play Everett then Spokane or Vancouver any day of the week.)

Which means they have a chance of getting past the first round this year! (I hope.)

Haha I wouldn't be so sure about that. Everett's finally recovering from injuries and 6-0-0-1 in their past 7, including trouncing Kelowna last night 5-1. It'd be quite the interesting series IMO, both teams are riding hotstreaks... Although I would never pass up a series vs Seattle if we can catch Spokane.

 

[Greasy Sliders]

What are the rules on underage call ups wearing visors? Is it if your teams season is over then you are permitted to wear one? Or do you have to turn 16?