Around Hockey XXV (All Non-Jackets Hockey Talk Here)

[Doggy]

This "is" and "is not" Jackets hockey talk. My wife and I and some friends made the two hour drive to Youngstown yesterday to watch the Phantoms take on the USNTDP. We thought it would be a treat to see the development team live...which it was...but we were really impressed with the play of the home team. These kids play really high level hockey, almost all will be playing D1 college hockey in a year or two, and they play hard and physical.

We had an absolute blast, great tickets at a reasonable price and getting in and out of Youngstown was easy peasy...but I do get it...it is a two hour drive. That said, we broke up the drive making a day of it. Stopped for a nice lunch in Kent which has a bevy of nice dining options and while we did not need to we stopped on the way home for dinner.

It's a shame the building was so empty. I know it's not right around the corner and the building isn't exactly Nationwide or Rocket Mortgage Field House but it's nice enough and we really had fun. Look forward to going back sometime. Not disrespecting our Cleveland friends but I think I enjoyed the USHL hockey more than the AHL hockey.

I hope some others consider going sometime. Chance to see Strahl in action plus a couple of other soon to be likely top two rounders in Adam Benák and Jack Hextall. Go Phantoms!

 

[Doggy]

As of this morning, the final WC spot is on pace for 82 points in the East which seemed pretty low to me (FTR, the West is only 87 right now). I decided to look back to find what the projected final WC spot in the East was on November 19 in previous seasons...

2024: 82
2023: 91+ (actual was 91)
2022: 91+ (actual was 92)
2021: 102+ (actual was 100)
2020: pandemic
2019: 98+ (pandemic shortened, actual after 68 games would project to 96+)
2018: 102+ (actual was 98)
2017: 100+ (actual was 97)
2016: 109+ (actual was 95) WOW, what happened!!!
2015: 95+ (actual was 96)
2014: 96+ (actual was 98)

So yeah...as of right now a serious outlier from the last ten years although a bit of a declining trend in the last three.