Temper temper

Shane McColgan (Saskatoon Blades)

I can't count how many times when I have sat and watched as a coach or a scout would talk with a New York Ranger or New York Islander prospects about playing with discipline on the ice. I think I got the speech almost memorized word for word.

"You are an important part of the team but you can't score when you are sitting in the penalty box. The only ones you are helping is the other team as they don't have to worry about you."

And even I have to admit that sometimes when the officiating is at it's worst that sometimes so is the discipline (or lack of). You would think that players when they see that the referees are doing a bad job that they would play with more discipline.

You don't even have to be in the locker room after the game to know what a coach is saying to his players. In the case of Shane McColgan (NYR 2011 5th) and his Saskatoon Blades, it sticks out like a sore thumb as the Blades lost to the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-6 on Wednesday night.

The difference was that the Wheat Kings went 3 for 8 on their power play while the Blades were 0 for 3. Not sure which hurt more having to kill 8 Brandon power plays or giving up the 3 goals themselves.

When you break it down then the Blades were shorthanded for 13:52 and that cost them their 2nd loss in their first 3 games. Every coach is going to tell you that when you play shorthanded as much as the Blades were then it is no surprise that they lost.

McColgan had a frustrating evening as despite registering his 3rd assist of the season (secondary on the Blades's 4th goal), McColgan was a -3 on the night. McColgan's night ended a little early when he earned 12 minutes in PIMs with just under 90 seconds remaining in the game.

I have to admit I am still scratching my head over this one as McColgan and the Wheat King's Nick Buonassisi were both called for "delay of game". Never saw 2 players called for "delay of game" at the same time as what really happened was that both players were squaring off to fight when the linesmen prevented the fight.

And then McColgan said those magic words to earn himself the extra 10 minutes and the early shower. Not going to jump all over McColgan but he has to watch himself as these misconducts are now counting towards possible suspensions.

And if McColgan is wanting that Ranger contract, he can't earn one if he is sitting out games.

In Lethbridge, Michael St. Croix (NYR 2011 4th), Griffin Reinhart (NYI 2012 1st) and their Edmonton Oil Kings were using Lethbridge Hurricanes goalie Ty Rimmer for target practice firing 60 shots at him.

That the Oil Kings won by only a 3-0 score was because Rimmer put on one heck of a show keeping his team in the game almost until the final 2 minutes. What a shame that Rimmer's teammates couldn't give him any real support going 0 for 5 on their power plays and barely managing 20 shots on the Oil Kings.

St. Croix for the first time this season did not score in the game's opening 2 minutes but his assist on Edmonton's 2nd goal (a power play goal in the 3rd) gives him a 3-2-5 mark after 3 games. Even better if you are a Ranger fan is that Croix is 1-2-3 on the power play with both assists as primary ones.

Reinhart had a secondary assist on Edmonton's 3rd goal which sealed the win for them. It was Reinhart's 3rd point on the season (0-3-3). Someone should not have said anything about fighting being down in the WHL as there were 9 fighting majors (2 instigators) handed out in this one.

In the QMJHL, Islander prospect Loic Leduc (2012 4th) got hit with a 10 minute misconduct of his own; only his might be more serious as he was called for "abuse of officials" and that is subject to review by the discipline perfect of the QMJHL. Leduc's Cape Breton Screaming Eagle though lost the game to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 4-1.

Leduc was a -1 and recorded 1 hit for his efforts.

What stands out the most here is that the Titan never once got a power play in this game. Every time the Screaming Eagles were called for a penalty, one of the Titans went off with him negating any possible power play.

I do know one thing and that is I would just love for someone with any of the 3 leagues to tell me with a straight face that while fighting majors are reportedly down; is the number of roughing penalties down as well?

The Weekly CHL Poll

The weekly CHL poll is out and there are some changes

1 Quebec Remparts (2-0-0-0) same

2 Edmonton Oil Kings (2-0-0-0) same (St. Croix NYR, Reinhart NYI)

3 London Knights (2-0-0-0) same

4 Kitchener Rangers (2-0-0-0) up 1

5 Halifax Mooseheads (2-0-0-0) up 1

6 Portland Winterhawks (2-1-0-0) down 2

7 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2-0-0-0) up 1

8 Kamloops Blazers (2-0-0-0) not ranked

9 Belleville Bulls (2-0-0-0) not ranked

10 Calgary Hitmen (2-0-0-0) not ranked