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OT: Winnipeg ICE sold - Moving to Wenatchee, Washington renamed Wenatchee Wild

jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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Feb 20, 2020
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Well, the Oil Kings showed everyone who the top dog in the Eastern Conference is as they continued their dominance over the ICE. Sigh.

As has happened numerous times this season including most recently Saturday night vs. Red Deer, the ICE jumped out to an early lead and then surrendered it after switching to cruise control and letting the other team set the pace (kind of the opposite of the Jets in some respects who typically wait until the 3rd period to really get going). The defence was noticeably slow to react to Edmonton chances giving up a good number of odd man rushes and breakaways that Edmonton was able to convert.

The good news is that there is plenty of time to get this right before the playoffs begin, the bad news is that this team may not actually be able to. Edmonton is just that strong in all facets of the game.
 
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blueandgoldguy

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Great team, but management blew it by not addressing the one weakness on the team-defense. They will almost certainly miss a once-in-a-decade? chance at the Memorial Cup due to this inaction.

Geekie's numbers have been pretty unimpressive the past several weeks on an offensively dominant team. I doubt he will be some #1 centre in the NHL like some posters seem to be predicting. Probably project more like a second-line player in all likelihood.
 
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jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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blueandgoldguy said:
Great team, but management blew it by not addressing the one weakness on the team-defense. They will almost certainly miss a once-in-a-decade? chance at the Memorial Cup due to this inaction.

Geekie's numbers have been pretty unimpressive the past several weeks on an offensively dominant team. I doubt he will be some #1 centre in the NHL like some posters seem to be predicting. Probably project more like a second-line player in all likelihood.
Click to expand...

In fairness Tanner Brown has been playing well for the ICE since he joined the team, he has been a good addition. But yeah, it is a bit like adding a knife to your arsenal when your rival has added a cannon, i.e., Edmonton getting Guhle and Prokop. I wonder if the ICE held back at the trade deadline out of concern that the playoffs might not actually play out completely?

Geekie is a pretty sound playmaker and it doesn't seem that unreasonable to expect him to be a 1C a few years down the road but at the same time it isn't a lock.

The ICE have really been screwed by the pandemic situation more than most other teams. If things had gone normally they probably would have gone on a long playoff run in 2020 (maybe to the conference championship before losing to PA). Then they would have been legitimate championship contenders in 2021 and 2022. As it stands the 2020 and 2021 opportunities were wiped out. They still have 2022, and since I expect Savoie and Geekie to come back for 22-23 and with Benson getting better every day I'd imagine there will be one more all in championship contender season before the team drops off in 2023-24. But still, that's brutal for a new team looking to find a foothold in this city to lose two years of their championship window.
 
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jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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The ICE almost let that one slip away too. Holding on to a lead is a sore point with this team.
 
jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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Guardian17 said:
It's definitely a pattern with this team.

Get a 2 or 3 goal lead and sit back allowing our opponent to get back in the game.
Click to expand...

OOOF

You were saying?

Luckily there is plenty of time for the ICE to get this sorted out before the playoffs. But this is a problem for sure, it seems that no lead is safe for this team.
 
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Guardian17

Guardian17

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jetsmooseice said:
OOOF

You were saying?

Luckily there is plenty of time for the ICE to get this sorted out before the playoffs. But this is a problem for sure, it seems that no lead is safe for this team.
Click to expand...

I think Coach Patrick nailed it when he said the ICE get a little too overconfident.

I am interested to see how they perform in the playoffs and hopefully the Memorial Cup when t hey play teams just as good as them.
 
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jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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At least this time it was a comeback that fell short as compared to a blown lead, but still. How do you go down 3-0 to Lethbridge in the first period? I wasn't able to make last night's game so I didn't see what happened. But these big, physical Central Division teams seem to be the ICE's kryptonite.

The ICE are almost in a legit slump now which hasn't really happened since the early months of the 2019-20 season.
 
jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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surixon said:
Well atleast they are facing the adversity now and not in the playoffs.
Click to expand...

Ha. I was thinking the same thing. Work this stuff out now before the playoffs begin.

Curious that McClennon didn't get a turn in the shootout. Did he get hurt last night?
 
Guardian17

Guardian17

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jetsmooseice said:
At least this time it was a comeback that fell short as compared to a blown lead, but still. How do you go down 3-0 to Lethbridge in the first period? I wasn't able to make last night's game so I didn't see what happened. But these big, physical Central Division teams seem to be the ICE's kryptonite.

The ICE are almost in a legit slump now which hasn't really happened since the early months of the 2019-20 season.
Click to expand...

surixon said:
Well atleast they are facing the adversity now and not in the playoffs.
Click to expand...

My greatest concern going into the playoffs has been a lack of adversity.

We are a good team, but, with the exception of Edmonton, we are not playing the most talented teams in this division.

Hopefully, we are learning some important lessons right now.
 
jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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Guardian17 said:
My greatest concern going into the playoffs has been a lack of adversity.

We are a good team, but, with the exception of Edmonton, we are not playing the most talented teams in this division.

Hopefully, we are learning some important lessons right now.
Click to expand...

Lately it's looked like the Central Division teams have been giving the ICE all they can handle. Edmonton especially but also Red Deer and now Lethbridge. Even Swift Current beat them last week.

I do agree though, I hope lessons are being learned.
 
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jetsmooseice

jetsmooseice

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Well this sucks



Not surprisingly the ICE don't report on their own injuries, so I'm hoping one of the local reporters can tease out a few details. Obviously these two are absolutely essential to the ICE's playoff hopes.
 
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