Wildcats have concerns despite strong start
Published Tuesday September 29th, 2009
Shootouts have become an extension of Moncton's scoring woes
Moncton Wildcats head coach Danny Flynn tried to put things into perspective.
"For me, this was a hard-fought 3-3 tie on the road,'' he said after his club's four-game winning streak was snapped with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Sunday at Harbour Station.
"With our division being so tight, the shootout points are going to be really key in determining who finishes where. The extra point that's up for grabs in the shootout could make a big difference in the final standings.''
Moncton has played six games and three of them were decided in a shootout. It has struggled badly in the shootout with just four goals on 19 attempts, but still has two shootout wins.
The Wildcats have used 12 different players in the shootout. Those who scored were Ted Stephens (one goal on three attempts), Scott Brannon (1-for-2), Daniel Pettersson (1-for-2) and Allain Saulnier (1-for-1).
Devon MacAusland, David Savard, Matt Brown, Pierre-Marc Lessard and Raphael Bussieres are all 0-for-1. Randy Cameron, Matthew Bissonnette and Marek Hrivik are all 0-for-2.
Bussieres is 0-for-2 and Cameron is 0-for-3 if you factor in the club's shootout game in the pre-season schedule.
"We try to chart our success against each goaltender,'' said Flynn. "We try to keep a tally in terms of how our players have done in shootout opportunities. We also try to see which guys on our team have had success against certain goalies in the past. We factor that into our selections (for who we use in the shootout).
"This season, we're going to put together a video package on each goalie we've faced in shootouts and our guys can watch this before the game. It will give our guys a look at how that goalie has played our shooters and any tendencies he might have.''
Moncton, 4-1-0-1, is third in the Atlantic Division and one point out of top spot. Saint John, 5-2-0-0, and the Prince Edward Island Rocket, 4-1-0-2, are tied for first place.
The Wildcats will play their next two games at the Moncton Coliseum, facing the Rimouski Oceanic on Friday and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday. Both are 7 p.m. starts.
The Wildcats are off to a strong start, earning nine of a possible 12 points. That's despite playing four of their six games on the road, an almost non-existent offence at even strength and their struggle to score in shootouts.
The Wildcats have also had a tough schedule with five of their first six games against opponents that could challenge for the Atlantic Division title. They've faced P.E.I. twice, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles twice and Saint John once.
Moncton scored on both attempts in the shootout in a 4-3 win over P.E.I. The Wildcats have scored just twice on 17 attempts in their two shootout games since then, a 5-4 win over Cape Breton and a 4-3 loss to Saint John.
Does Flynn already know before the game who he will use if it goes to a shootout?
"I put a batting order together of about seven guys,'' he said. "Then at the end of the second period, based on how the game is going, I might shuffle the order a little bit. I usually finish my list with nine shooters.
"My top three aren't the same guys every game. It depends on who we're playing. It depends on how certain individuals have played that game. It depends on what success our shooters have had in the past against that goalie. You try to factor all those things in.''
The Wildcats have looked dismal in their last two shootouts.
"We try to incorporate into practice at least once per week some type of a shootout competition,'' said Flynn. "I know the kids spend some time on their own after practice working on it as well.
"Some guys are pressing a bit to score five-on-five. We haven't scored a lot of five-on-five goals this season and I think it's a carry over that the guys are pressing a bit in the shootout. We've been working hard in practice on trying to bury our chances in scoring situation type drills.''
Moncton was expected to have more offensive punch this season, but that hasn't transpired so far. The club scored an average of 3.47 goals per game last season and it's averaging just 3.16 this campaign.
The Wildcats have only scored 19 goals in six games. The real cause for concern is that 13 goals have come on the power play or shootout and they've managed just six goals at even strength.
Six goals at even strength in six games just doesn't cut it. The saviour for Moncton has been its league best power play (11-for-35 or 31.4 per cent) and its strong defensive play with a 2.40 team goals-against average.
Despite some obvious shortcomings, the Wildcats have earned points in their past five games and their .667 winning percentage is fourth best in the 18-team league. Just imagine if they improve their scoring during even-strength play and shootouts.
Allain Saulnier, a 17-year-old rookie forward, has been in and out of Moncton's lineup simply because of roster depth. But he's been the club's best goal scorer with nine goals in 10 games in the exhibition schedule and regular season combined.
What's more, he's scored on both his shootout attempts in the exhibition schedule and regular season. Nobody else on the club is perfect in that category.
If somebody emerges as the Wildcats' top shootout scorer, would that have an impact on lineup decisions?
"It could,'' said Flynn. "You would like to go into the game thinking that you need your best 20 players to get you to the shootout or perhaps win without needing the shootout.
"With the division being so tight this season, if we think a certain guy is significantly better than the others in the shootout, I think it will increase his chances of being in the lineup. It will be another factor in his favour.''
Cat Tracks
* Val d'Or Foreurs forward Jonathan Hazen is the QMJHL Offensive Player of the Week. He had eight points, including two goals, in four games.
* Drummondville Voltigeurs goaltender Antoine Tardif is the QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week. He posted a 0.96 goals-against average and .961 save percentage while winning both his starts.
* Neil Hodge is a Times & Transcript sports reporter who covers the Moncton Wildcats.
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