That is Why You Play The Game

So there we were last night talking about how David Toews (NYI 2008 3rd) and his Brandon Wheat Kings could not buy a break last night at home against Dylan McIlrath (NYR 2010 1st) and his Moose Jaw Warriors losing in the shoot out 4-3. So as the rivals switched locations for the 2nd half of their "home and home" they also switch roles of which team was hot and which was not.

Friday Night it was Toews who was the Brandon offense with 3 points as they lost so on Saturday night it was Toews who was held scoreless as his Wheat Kings whipped on the Warriors 6-1. On a night where it was the Warriors who could not do anything right as they were just whipped in every area of the game.

Toews was scoreless and wins while McIlrath had an assist (for a 3 game scoring streak) on the Warriors only goal but was a -2.  Both teams are now off on their holiday break with Toews at 8-12-20 while McIlrath is 3-8-11.

Friday night, Christian Thomas (NYR 2010 2nd) had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, and fight) as his Oshawa Generals defeated the Plymouth Whalers. Their opposition the Barrie Colts were humiliated 10-0 by the Niagara IceDogs so  it should be an easy win for the Generals right?

Of course not as the Colts behind 4 third period goals upset the Generals 7-5 as Santa brought the Colts a badly needed present. Thomas who leads the Ranger prospects in scoring added his 25th goal in a losing effort to improve his numbers to 25-17-42.

Teammate and Islander prospect Tony DeHart (2010 5th) was a healthy scratch on Friday, back in the lineup on Saturday in what could his last game as a General was a -3. DeHart is 20 and in the CHL teams are only allowed to play 3 20 years but the Generals at the moment have 4.

Back to Thomas as he is 3rd in goals in the OHL and is on a pace for a 55 goal 37 assist season which break the Prospect Park record for goals (50 by Nigel Dawes 04-05) and points (80 by Evgeny Grachev 08-09). Thomas with his goal now has a 4 game goal scoring streak along with 13 goals in his last 10 games.

Jason Wilson (NYR 2010 5th) and his Niagara IceDogs helped themselves to some early stocking stuffers on Saturday as they defeated a Scott Stajcer-less Owen Sound Attack 5-2. For Wilson he helped himself to the gift of payback as he got to help defeat the team that traded him at the beginning of this season.

Wilson had an assist for his 15th point of the season and points in back to back games as the power forward gets to go home to visit with friends and family on a happy note as the IceDogs now have a 5 game regulation unbeaten streak.

Finally Max Campbell (NYR 2007 5th) may not have scored but his Western Michigan Broncos continued to be giant killers as they upset 10th ranked Union College 2-1. The Broncos are now 4-2-1 this season against ranked opponents which may not seem like much but at 9-6-4 on the season means the Broncos are 23rd in the very important "Pairwise" rankings as well as 21st in Krach and 23rd in RPI.

When this season started nobody gave Western Michigan any possible chance at earning an NCAA tournament spot but for Christmas, Santa is bringing them the gift of "Hope" something that has not been a visitor at WMU for several years.

Sunday will mark the end of the first half of the season as we will shift gears a bit as we get ready for the World Under-20 Championships.

(Toews/Brandon, Thomas/Oshawa)