Win Or Go Home

For the New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects, the clock is truly ticking on their regular season and for a few any hope of a professional contract.

For several teams the playoffs are already underway as you can use whatever cliche you want because now every win, every loss and every point really has meaning. Nobody wants to see their season end when the regular season does so now it really is "win or go home" time.

No matter whether you root for the Rangers or the Islanders; now is the time when you are watching your prospects to see if down the road they will help their team. If they can not handle the pressure of a CHL or NCAA playoff race then how the heck will anyone expect them to handle the NHL?

It is time to step up or go home because the playoffs to make the playoffs have started.

David Toews (NYI 2008 3rd) and his Brandon Wheat Kings  were given up for dead after they were wiped out 9-0 by the Edmonton Oil Kings. In 11th place of the WHL's Eastern Conference this year after hosting the Memorial Cup last year; things were looking bad for the Wheat Kings.

But someone forgot to tell Toews and his Wheat Kings that as since that loss on January 15th, the Wheat Kings have gone 8-3. On Saturday night after defeating the same Edmonton Oil King team 6-4, the Wheat Kings are sitting in 7th place just 3 points behind the same Oil Kings who sit in 6th.

Toews had one of his better games of the season scoring his 13th goal of the season and adding his 18th assist in the win. The Wheat Kings know the road to the playoffs is going to be tough as they have 4 games against the Saskatoon Blades who have the best record in the WHL.

Toews was the Islander's first star on Saturday and the rest of the Islander recap is right here.

For the Ranger fans the only thing that matters is "How is Dylan McIlrath's knee?" We are happy to report that McIlrath returned to action for the Moose Jaw Warriors after missing 3 straight games due to a "tweak" of a knee injury.

McIlrath looked perfectly fine but his Warriors lost to the Saskatoon Blades 5-3. McIlrath was more a side story to this game as there is some bad blood brewing between the Blades and Warriors after first Wednesday's overtime win by the Blades and tonight's 5-3 win for the Blades.

We are not talking the players but the coaches as the Blade's Lorne Molleken and the Warrior's Dave Hunchak took shots at each other in the media. Oh did we mention that once upon a time Hunchak played for Molleken during Hunchak's WHL playing days?

Things between the 2 teams are heating up as if things go the way as they look then guess which 2 teams would meet in the 2nd round of the WHL Playoffs?

The Ranger report for Saturday night can be found right here

(Toews/Brandon, McIlrath/Moose Jaw)