X75 Productions

Author: Shaggy901516

Whale Score, But Fall To The Beauts Again

Well, at least it wasn’t a shutout. Also, even though she got two assists in the game, Kelly Babstock didn’t score either. So they still haven’t been burned by an ex-player. But I will dispense with the humor here. The Whale once again played a really tough game against the Beauts last night. However, this time the score reflects that; as the final yesterday was 3-1. There was good action for both teams, and the goalies played really well. It was All Star Meeri Räisänen for the Whale and her All Star teammate Shannon Szabados for the Beauts.

In the first period, the Whale had some early power plays as Kelly Babstock was sent to the box twice before the seven minute mark of the first. However, even with the early advantage, the Whale couldn’t muster much in the way of offense. That was evidenced, as the Whale are officially credited with two shots on goal in the first. Everything looked like it would be a tie heading into the first intermission, but just before the end of the first, the Beauts Julianna Iafallo scored. With that goal, the teddy bears came flying on the ice.

In the second period, Buffalo got off to a good start getting a goal at the two minute mark. This goal came from Hayley Scamurra. This would be Scamurra’s fourth goal against the Whale this season, and her seventh point in the three games played. With a little over half of the period played, the Whale would get one back. The captain Emily Fluke scooped up the puck and rounded the circle in the offensive zone and she took a shot which was deflected in front and off the deflection, it got by Szabados. Who got the goal? Why, none other than Katerina Mrázová of course. She was in the right place to get this goal. It would be her sixth goal of the year, and her fifth in the last four games.

Not much happened in the third period. Both teams did trade chances; however it would be Buffalo getting the insurance marker. At the halfway mark of the period, a goal that came from Emily Janiga, which would be her first tally on the year. After that goal, the Beauts cruised on for the win.

Not a ton to write home about in this game. The Beauts simply played a better, grittier style in their defensive zone, despite the fact that before the game, the Beauts relieved their head coach and their GM of their job. Their style of defense held the Whale to 11 shots on goal through the whole game. That’s a lot like the first game that these two teams played this season, when the Beauts held Connecticut to 10 shots all game.

The penalty kill was once again good. I’ve said it a lot this season, but I really think that the penalty kill has been the best thing about the Whale all season long. The commitment to blocking shots and keeping teams to the outside, making the saves easier for Räisänen. Also, they have been doing a really good job getting the pucks out of the zone on every penalty kill. The Whale did an exceptional job staying out of the box and the penalty kill was perfect yet again. They stymied the Beauts and made them go 0 for 2 on their power play. This pushes their PK percentage up to 96% which is league leading and absolutely insane.

Also quick note, making her Whale debut was former Beauts defender Colleen Murphy. She played really well, registering a shot on goal and was a -1 in the game. Definitely looking forward to the veteran presence that she will bring to the Whale blue line.

3 Stars of the Game

Meeri Räisänen: She made 32 saves in the losing effort, however; she came up big when she needed to and kept the Whale in the game. Cause let’s be honest, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Emily Fluke: Tallying the primary assist on the Mrázová goal, she was leading the way in the offensive zone. (I actually thought the goal was her’s) She was tied with Mrázová in shots on goal in the game with two.

Katerina Mrázová: She got another goal. It’s crazy how well she’s been playing all season long. As stated above, it’s her team leading sixth goal on the year and her fifth in the last four games.

Boxscore

Here is the boxscore of the game:

https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207041?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

The While will have some time off, but their next game will be just before the new year; December 30th at home in Stamford, Connecticut against the Boston Pride. The game will be at 3p at Terry Conners Rink.

Happy Holidays Whale Fans!

December 10, 2018
Gameday Preview – 12/8/2018 – Connecticut Whale v. Buffalo Beauts

Whale And Beauts Set For Third Clash Of The Season

It’s game day for the Whale and they will square off against the Buffalo Beauts tonight. It’s a chance for the Whale to prove that they are much better than they were at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately in the previous two games against the Beauts; the Whale were unable to score, and the Beauts went on to win both matchups by a combined 11 goals. The first game was a final of 4-0 for the Beauts in Connecticut during the Whale home opener at Terry Conners Rink. Unfortunately the second game was worse, a 7-0 shellacking in Buffalo.

Definitely not scores we want to see repeated. Both Beauts goaltenders recorded a shutout in those games. However, like all things there are some positives to take from the game. The puck movement for the Whale was good at the start of the year, even though the shots were lacking. In the past three games, the Whale have done a much better job at taking shots from the point and collecting rebounds, which have led to some big goals.

The biggest positive that I noticed, seeing the boxscores of the two games played already; as it has been all year long, the Whale penalty kill has been spectacular. It stymied the Riveters in the last three games, and the Beauts are no exception either. In the two games the Whale penalty kill were perfect again, by making the Beauts go a combined 0 for 8. If the games against the Riveters proved anything, it is that momentum can be gathered from a successful penalty kill.

The game will be in Buffalo at the HarborCenter at 6p and can be seen live on Twitter.

3 Players to Watch

Meeri Räisänen: Recently coming off a shutout on her birthday in Pittsburgh, she looks to continue her good play and improve upon the 93 saves she has made in the past three games.

Katerina Mrázová: The leading scorer for the Whale is on fire. She has five goals on the year, and she has four goals in last three games.

Haley Scamurra: In the two games she played against the Whale, she scored three goals and added three assists for six points.

Boxscores

Here is the boxscore for the first game:

https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207010?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

Here is the boxscore for the second game:

https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207013?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

December 8, 2018
Five Whale Players Going To Nashville!

The NWHL’s All Star Team was named the other day and there are five players headed to Nashville this season for the Connecticut Whale. Last year the Whale had four players at the All Star Game in Minnesota, and it was Kelly Babstock, Sydney Rossman, Sam Faber, and Amanda Boulier who went.
The Whale players playing for Lee Stecklein’s team will be captain Emily Fluke and Michelle Löwenhielm.
The Whale players playing for Shannon Szabados’s team will be Meeri Räisänen, leading scorer Katerina Mrázová, and Shannon Doyle.
Let’s take a look at the stats that got them there.

Voted to the All Star Game via fan vote; in the six games played so far this season, she has tallied a goal and has two assists for three points. While not the most stellar of numbers, she has been one of the hardest working forwards on the top line.

In her first season in the NWHL; in the six games she has played, she has done really well. She is still waiting for that elusive first goal, but she has registered three assists. Including a sweet assist to Mrázová while the Whale were shorthanded against the Riveters.

She has quite honestly been one of the Whale’s best players all season long. In the six games she has started, she has gone 2-3-1, with a 2.72 GAA and a .918 save percentage. In her last game, she recorded a shutout on her birthday.

In the six games she has played, she has been one of the Whale’s best defenders on the ice, blocking numerous shots. She has also recorded two goals this season, both goals came in her last three games, including a late game winner against the Riveters.

In her first season in the NWHL, in the six games she has played, she leads the team in goals and points. She has tallied five goals and two assists for seven points. She also leads the team in shots on goal with 22. Two of her five goals have been on the power play. Also, one goal came while the team was shorthanded against the Riveters.
Congrats to all the players selected, it is absolutely well deserved!

NWHL All Star graphics courtesy of the NWHL. Special Thanks to Chris Botta for permission for the use of the NWHL graphics.

December 7, 2018
NWHL All Star Rosters Announced!

The NWHL named their All Star rosters yesterday. There will be two teams which will be captained by Minnesota Whitecaps defensemen Lee Stecklein and Buffalo Beauts goalie Shannon Szabados.
Let’s look at the rosters:

The captain of the all star team is still looking for her first goal of the year, but she has tallied six assists, one on the power play, in the eight games she has played.

The US goalie boasts a record of 1-1 with a 2.00 GAA and a .889 save percentage on the year. She also has recorded a shutout, which came against the Whale in Connecticut.

The starting goalie for the Whitecaps has had a great season, boasting a record of 6-2 with a 2.32 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

In the six games that she has played this season, she has registered one goal on the year.

In the six games that she has played so far this season, she has tallied one goal and added three assists for four points on the year.

In the five games that she has skated this season, she is still looking for her first goal of the year, but she has tallied two assists. One of those assists came on the power play.

In the seven games played she has registered one goal and one assist. Her goal came on the power play.

The Swedish NWHL rookie is still looking for her first goal but she has tallied three assists, including one on the power play and one while shorthanded.

One of the players voted to the All Star Game via fan vote; the captain of the Whale, in the six games she has played, has registered one goal and two assists for three points on the year. One assist came on the power play.

In the eight games she has played, she has registered three goals and three assists for six points on the year. One of her goals came while the team was shorthanded.

In the four games that she has skated, she has tallied one goal on the year while also contributing five assists for six points.

In the seven games she’s played, she has registered six goals and three assists for nine points. She is tied for the team lead in goals and she leads the team in points.

In the eight games she has played, she has tallied four goals and seven assists for eleven points on the year. She leads the Whitecaps in points.

In the seven games she’s played, she has registered six goals and added two assists for eight points. She is tied for the team lead in goals.

In the eight games she has played, she has put up two goals and two assists for four points on the season.

In the eight games that she has skated, she tallied four goals and four assists for eight points on the year.

The captain of the all star team and the second Beauts goalie at the all star game, the Canadian Olympian boasts a record of 2-2 with a 1.75 GAA and a .934 save percentage. She has also registered one shutout on the year.

The first year NWHLer and Finnish Olympian boasts a record of 2-3-1 and has a 2.72 GAA and a .918 save percentage. She also has one shutout registered on the year, which she got on her birthday against the Riveters in Pittsburgh.

In the six games she has skated this year, she is still looking for her first goal of the season, but has tallied two assists for the Beauts.

In the six games she has played this season, she has tallied one goal for the Beauts this season.

In the seven games she has played this season, she is still looking for her first tally of the year, but has contributed four assists.

Just recently named to the US Women’s National Team Winter Camp, she has had a good season with the Riveters registering one assist in the nine games she has played this year.

The defensemen has had a great year blocking many shots but also tallying two goals on the year. These two goals have come in her last three games including a late game winner against the Riveters.

The former Whale defender and a All Star last year has had a great season, tallying three goals and two assists, including a game winning goal against the Riveters on their opening night at Prudential Center.

One of the players selected by the NWHL Fan Vote, this NWHL rookie has tallied six goals on the year in the nine games she has played. She even recorded a hat trick against the Whale. Interesting fact, all six of her goals have all been at home.

The US Olympian has played six games this season for the Whitecaps. She has registered one goal and four assists for five points on the year. The lone goal that she scored was shorthanded.

In the seven games she has played, she has registered two goals and two assists for four points on the year. One of her goals came on the power play.

The US Olympian and the better Kessel sibling, has had a great year in her NWHL return. She has one goal on the year but leads the team with six assists and also leads the team with seven points.

The Rockville, MD native has had a great start of the year, in the six games she has played, she has tallied three goals and five assists for eight points on the season.

The Czech first year NWHLer has had a great season. She leads the team in goals and points. She has five goals on the season, and has added two assists for seven points. Two of her goals have come on the power play and one of her goals came while her team was shorthanded.

In the nine games she has skated, she has tallied three goals and one assist for four points on the year. Including a two goal performance in the Riveters home opener in the Prudential Center.

She is having an incredible season for the Beauts, she leads the team in goals, assists and points. She has registered five goals and has added seven assists for twelve points on the year.

Number of Players by Teams

Boston Pride- 6 Players

Buffalo Beauts- 8 Players

Connecticut Whale- 5 Players

Metropolitan Riveters- 5 Players

Minnesota Whitecaps- 8 Players
The All Star weekend will take place in Nashville, TN. The Skills Competition will be done on February 9th and the All Star Game will be on February 10th.

NWHL Graphics Courtesy of the NWHL. Special Thanks to Chris Botta for permission to use these graphics.

December 7, 2018
Game Recap – 12/2/2018 – Metropolitan Riveters v. Connecticut Whale

First things first, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Meeri Räisänen! Happy Birthday to you! And Many More!! Is there anything sweeter than getting a chance to play a professional hockey game on your birthday?
That is exactly what Meeri Räisänen got to do on Saturday. She put on a spectacular performance against the Riveters, in which she blanked them for an incredible shutout in Pittsburgh. She officially was credited at the end of the game with 31 saves and it earned her the first star of the game. It was some of the best goaltending I’ve ever witnessed. She made some insane stops and really timely saves, especially when the Whale needed it the most throughout the game. She has played really strong through the last three games against the Riveters. How good? In the three games, she has made 93 saves out of the 97 shots she has faced in them. That’s truly unbelievable!
A recap of the shutout in Pittsburgh, in the first period, the Whale jumped out to an early lead. The goal coming from Nina Rodgers, it was her first goal of the year, and it came off a rebound of a Taylor Marchin shot. It seemed to settle the team down as there was good back and forth action between the two teams. The only other good offensive chance was a Juana Baribeau semi breakaway that was stopped by Katie Fitzgerald. The Riveters led in the shot department seven to four at the end of the period.
In the second period, it was more of the same. Good back and forth action with not much ice being given up as the defenses were blocking shots and the goalies were making some good saves. The breakthrough came at a little over halfway in the period, when a Jordan Brickner shot was tipped in front by Nina Rodgers and fell on the stick of the hottest Whale player, Katerina Mrázová. She scored her team leading fifth goal of the season, and her fourth goal in three games. Again the Riveters led the period in shots, twelve to seven.
In the third period, saw some more of that great action that saw some good scoring chances between the two teams. However at about the eight minute mark of the third, a Riveters turnover lead to a breakaway for Shannon Doyle, who deked Fitzgerald, giving the Whale an insurance marker they really needed. For Doyle, it was her second goal of the season, and her second goal in three games. Putting the icing on the cake was Juana Baribeau. She stashed home the empty net goal sealing the victory for the Whale. It was Baribeau’s first goal of the year, and it must have felt good for her, making up for some of the penalties she had taken earlier in the game. The Riveters also led the shot department twelve to seven.
In what I am dubbing the “Räisänen effect” the team has played better in front of her. The defense has stepped up and it was very evident yesterday. They kept the Riveters to the outside, they cleared away any rebound chances, and made some key blocks as the game when on. The penalty kill was once again spectacular; they were once again perfect in this game against the Riveters. The Riveters were 0 for 4 on the power play yesterday; and in the last three games, the Riveters were a combined 0 for 13 on their power play. The last time the Whale were scored on while on the penalty kill; it was against the Boston Pride on October 20th. Now the penalty kill is operating at still league best 95.7%, and it comes down to the defense and goaltending.
So what have we learned about the Whale in the last three games they have played against the Riveters? I think in the last three games, they have shown that they have turned a corner. When you think about it, they started off 0-3, and some may have thought, oh no here we go again. In these last three games against the defending Isobel Cup Champions, I think they have proven that there is no quit in the team. They have gotten a point in the last three games and are not in the basement in the standings. I am looking forward to the continued building chemistry that the team has developed and seeing how the rest of the season will play out.

3 Stars of the Game

Nina Rodgers: She had an incredible game getting her first goal of the season and adding an assist on the second goal of the game. This performance now pushes her point totals to three and she is skating really well on the Whale top line.

Katerina Mrázová: What more can be said about the performances she has been able to turn in these six games played? She adds another goal and pushes her point totals to the team leading seventh of the season.

Meeri Räisänen: As if there was ever a doubt. She got the best gift a goalie could ever ask for, a birthday shutout!

Boxscore
You can check out the boxscore here:
https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207040?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047
It is a quick turnaround for the Whale, as the next game they will play will be, once again, on the road against the Buffalo Beauts at the HarborCenter in Buffalo. The game will be played at 6p on Saturday December 8th.

December 4, 2018
NWHL Game Preview – 12/2/2018 – Metropolitan Riveters v. Connecticut Whale

Are You Ready For Part 3?!

Let’s get ready to rumble one more time, as the Connecticut Whale will once again square off against the Metropolitan Riveters today at 3:30p. While the Whale are going to be the designated home team for this matchup, but the two teams will be playing in the neutral location of Pittsburgh, PA. This will be the second year in a row that the Connecticut Whale will be playing in Pittsburgh. Last year, they played a regular season game against the Buffalo Beauts, in which they fell 4-3.

This year promises to be another great game between the Riveters and the Whale. The first two games between the two teams have been nothing short of spectacular. The first game they squared off, it was the Whale coming out on top of that game with a late third period goal from Shannon Doyle, which beat Riveters goalie Katie Fitzgerald from the point.

As awesome as the first game was, the second game was even better. Both teams trading goals and close chances; Riveters forward Audra Richards even recorded a hat trick in that game. In the end, it came down to a shootout where Amanda Kessel got the shootout goal and Riveters backup goalkeeper Kimberly Sass stopped all three Whale shootout attempts.

Today’s game, as I said, will be the third game between these two awesome teams, before the Whale will have their next game six days later on December 8th against the Buffalo Beauts in Buffalo; and the Riveters will play their next game against the Boston Pride back in Newark, NJ on December 9th. I am looking forward to the excitement that these two teams always seem to provide in these games. There is always great back and forth action between them, and if the first two games were any indication, we should be in for some great hockey tomorrow.

Players to Watch

Katerina Mrázová: Probably the best Whale player so far this season. She leads the team in goals and points, as well as shots on goal. She is also coming off a two goal performance in the last game these two teams played. Also, she has a total of three goals against the Riveters this season.

Audra Richards: Hard to argue with the best Riveters player as well. Like Mrázová, she is on a hot streak too. She leads the team in goals, with six. Also in the last two games, she has tallied four goals. Interestingly enough, all six of her goals have been at home.

You will be able to watch the game tomorrow on https://www.nwhl.zone/watch

I will be at the game today; you can follow me on twitter at @shaggy901516 for live updates!

December 2, 2018
NWHL Game Recap – 11/25/2018 – Connecticut Whale v. Metropolitan Riveters

The Connecticut Whale played a very strong game today against the Metropolitan Riveters; unfortunately, it was enough to earn them a point but not enough to seal them the victory. The good news is that there were a lot of positives to take from the game. The Whale did a much better job putting pucks on goal, having a shot total at the end of the game at 36. Their penalty kill was once again, really solid as the Riveters were 0 for 4 on the power play including one in overtime. The Whale are leading the league in Penalty Kill Percentage at 94.7 ahead of the Whitecaps and Beauts who also boast an over 90 percent PK rating. Last but not least, the already good puck movement was even better today. They look like they are building some great chemistry and look like they are turning the corner.
Here is a quick summary of the game. In the first period, the Riveters opened the scoring, a goal coming from Audra Richards. This would be her second game in a row where she would open up the scoring. Also all the goals she has scored this year have all been at home. Two minutes later, the Whale would get one back, a goal on the power play coming from girl-on-fire Katerina Mrázová and assisted by captain, leader, legend Emily Fluke. Unfortunately, with less than a minute to go in the first period, the Riveters would go ahead before the end of the period. Another goal coming from Audra Richards, and on this particular goal, it was the second assist of the game for Miye D’Oench, as this was the first game for her coming back from a campaign in Kentucky.
In the second period, it was all Whale dictating the play and getting both of the goals that came from the period. It was a little over half of the period played when the first goal came from Kayla Meneghin. It was her first NWHL goal and it came in her home state of New Jersey. The second goal of the period came while the Whale were shorthanded. It was Katerina Mrázová again who netted the goal on a beautiful feed from Michelle Löwenhielm.
The third period was good back and forth action, and it looked like the Whale were going to escape but with about nine minutes left to play, a crazy bounce off the boards and Audra Richards again got the goal, banking it in off of Meeri Räisänen. This was Richards’ third goal of the game giving her the hat trick.
Overtime had some exciting action in it too. Each team had some time on the power play but unfortunately no one could win the game in overtime, although the Riveters probably had the best chance to win the game in OT. In the shootout, the only goal came from Amanda Kessel, who got it through off of Räisänen’s glove.

3 Stars of the Game

Katerina Mrázová: She had another excellent game today. Getting two goals for the Whale today and pushing her goal total for the year up to four goals. She also leads the team with five points and leads the team in shots on goal as well with 19.

Michelle Löwenhielm: She made it back on the list. She had a great game today, she skated well and she had the beautiful assist on Mrázová’s second goal. It was the two of them against the world and they still managed to score, shorthanded.

Kayla Meneghin: Hard to argue with putting someone on this list when she got her first NWHL goal! She also did it in her home state of New Jersey and it was certainly a goal the Whale needed at the time to gather them some momentum and tie the game.

Boxscore
You can check out the boxscore of this awesome game here:
https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207034?subseason=512423

The next game that the Whale play will indeed be against the Riveters again, however it won’t be in Newark, NJ. Although the Whale will be the home team, the game will be in the neutral location of Pittsburgh, PA. The Riveters and the Whale will square off at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex at 3:30p. I will be in attendance for this game and I am really excited for it. The first two games they have played against each other have been spectacular and I can’t wait for what the third straight game between these two teams will bring.

November 25, 2018
Game Recap – 11/18/2018 – Whale Get First Win Of The Season

The Whale came into today’s game looking for their first win of the season. They had to play against a tough Riveters team who were coming off a win against the Pride back on October 27th. It was a very tight game, with both defenses playing well and blocking shots. Ultimately it was the Whale who came out on top at the end of the game to earn them their first win of the season.

The Riveters opened up the scoring in the fourteenth minute of the first period. A shot from Audra Richards bounced off of Räisänen’s glove and in the net. The Whale, in the last minute of the period, would get a great goal from Katerina Mrázová to tie up the game before the period ended. In the second period, there was no scoring but there was great back and forth play, and high energy between both teams. In the third period, it was more of the same, however with about a minute and a half remaining, a shot from the point by Shannon Doyle managed to find pay dirt and squeak past Katie Fitzgerald to give the Whale the lead. They would hang on from there to seal the win for the first time this season. Räisänen stood on her head and made some incredible saves that kept the Whale in the game and got them the win.

The shots of the game were 28 for the Riveters and 20 for the Whale. It could’ve been more, but both teams were blocking shots all over the ice in their respective defensive zones. A huge shout out goes to the entire Whale penalty killers; they did a really good job of keeping the Riveters to the outside and not giving them any significant opportunities. They made sure that the Riveters went 0 for 5 on the power play.

My 3 Stars of the Game

Meeri Räisänen: Once again, she was absolutely spectacular. A bit of bad luck on the Riveters first goal, but she bounced back nicely; and she was a brick wall for the rest of the game. She made 27 saves on 28 shots.

Katerina Mrázová: She has adjusted beautifully to the NWHL game and you can see that with every shift she takes. She moves the puck very well and she is always in the right areas in the offensive zone, as evidenced on the goal that she scored today.

Shannon Doyle: Truth be told, before she scored the goal, I was going to put her here anyway. I was very impressed all game with how she was performing in the defensive zone. She also had some great blocks on the penalty kill and made life very difficult for the Riveters. However, it was icing on the cake, when she scored that shot from the point.

The next game the Whale will be playing is again against the Riveters next Sunday at the Barnabas Health Hockey House at 2:00pm.

Boxscore

You can check out the boxscore of the game here:

https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207031?subseason=512423

You can watch TXHT Live this Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

November 18, 2018
NWHL Gameday Preview – Whale Prep For Clash Against Riveters

Connecticut Whale (0-3-0 0pts) v. Metropolitan Riveters (1-5-0 2pts)

Time – 2p EST

Location – Barnabas Health Hockey House – Newark, NJ

Watch Live on Twitter

Preview:

After what seems like a forever wait, the Connecticut Whale actually has a game against the Metropolitan Riveters today at 2:00pm at the Barnabas Health Hockey House. So as the schedule of games resume, let’s take a look back at how the Whale has done the past three games.

Unfortunately, it has not been a good start of the year for the Whale. They have only scored two goals in three games. The goals came from captain, leader, legend Emily Fluke and Katerina Mrázová. Interestingly enough, both of the tallies have come in the second period. What also is unfortunate, in the three games, only five players have registered points; Mrázová, Fluke, Michelle Löwenhielm, Nina Rodgers, and Taylor Marchin. It is Mrázová leading the team with two points, a goal and an assist.

Some bright spots that the Whale have had this season is that they boast a 90% penalty kill, as they have only allowed one powerplay goal in three games. And probably the biggest bright spot on the team this season is Meeri Räisänen. Who despite having a 0-3 record still has a .876 save percentage. This may not seem all that great but considering the amount of shots that she has faced this season, has been excellent.

Things that I would like to see the Whale do is take more shots. They do a great job of moving the puck in the offensive zone, but at the same time, they don’t really shoot the puck. I have seen this team move the puck great low to high, but then the points don’t really shoot the puck in a timely manner.

Hopefully they come out strong against the Riveters, as they look to avenge the playoff loss that they suffered at the hands of the champions last season.

You can watch TXHT Live this Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

November 18, 2018
How Good Are The Whitecaps? Scary Good.

When we were doing our previews for the NWHL teams, we asked how well the Whitecaps would transition into the league. Just a quick reminder, the Whitecaps were already an established franchise, and that this was their first season in the NWHL. It’s pretty fair to say, after six games, that they are one of the best teams in the league and are playing like legit Isobel Cup title contenders.

They are currently in first place, having won all six games that they have played. They have put up the most goals for with 23 and have only allowed nine goals against, for a goal differential of +14. Breaking down their scoring by period, they have scored seven goals in the first period, six goals in the second period, and 10 goals in the third period. So they are getting pretty balanced scoring throughout the game.

Already this season eleven players have found the back of the net for the Whitecaps. Leading the team in scoring is actually a tie with Jonna Curtis and Katie McGovern, both having scored four times. Another 14 players have also found the score sheet, with Lee Stecklein leading the team with six assists. However, it is Jonna Curtis leading the team in points, with nine.

Complimented with their good play, their goaltending has been nothing short of phenomenal. It is Amanda Leveille leading the way having won all six games that she’s played. She has also put up some stellar numbers in all six games, she currently has a 1.50 GAA, a .947 Save Percentage, and she has also posted one shutout. She has truly picked up where she left off having already been named NWHL Goaltender of the Year for 2018.

Currently the Whitecaps have a nice long break, as their next game will be on Saturday December 1st against the Boston Pride in Minnesota.

You can watch TXHT Live tomorrow at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

October 30, 2018