WHL Power Rankings – Week 17: Kelowna Climbing Back Up


WHL-power-rankings

It looks like that semi-slump that the Winterhawks endured was nothing more than a little holiday rust. They have since won four of five and have a favorable schedule coming up. With three road games against the Blazers and Cougars (twice), I expect to be writing this next week with six more points added onto Portland’s total.

Adin Hill has not kept up his early pace behind net but has still been pretty stout in the crease. He still leads the league in save percentage (.933) and has won twice as many games as he has lost. If I am Coach Kompon, I only put Adin on the bench when he needs a break. No more goalies splitting time, he has earned his chance to stay in full time.

It is almost impossible for the Winterhawks to catch the Rockets and claim the top spot in the west, but if they continue to play like this, jumping the Silvertips in the standings is very doable. Either way, this team looks to be improving everyday and seeding might not even matter come playoff time.

Checkout where the Winterhawks fell in Week 17’s WHL Power Rankings:

[table colwidth=”8%|18%|8%|8%|8%|50%” colalign=”center|center|center|center|center|left” rowlalign=”center”]
RANK,TEAM,REC,TREND,PREV,COMMENTS

1,Medicine Hat Tigers,29-10-2,—,1,”Medicine Hat Tigers~~The Tigers had a three game mini road trip last week including two teams in the top ten. What would surprise everyone is that they won both those games (Kelowna and Victoria) and dropped one to the Giants. I will credit that loss to just an off night on the road as the Tigers still look like the team to beat in the WHL. ”
2,Kelowna Rockets,33-7-3,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,3,”Kelowna Rockets~~It was a successful week for the Rockets as they go 2-1. Granted both those wins against two of the worst teams in the league, but the Rockets don’t choose who they play. This team is very good and has enough talent to beat anyone.”
3,Everett Silvertips,26-12-4,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,4,”Everett Silvertips~~Everett had a busy week last week with four games on the slate. They took full advantage too, winning three out of the four. It is always hard to play four games in five nights even for these young men but the Silvertips managed to come out with more wins than losses.”
4,Brandon Wheat Kings,30-9-4,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -2,2,”Brandon Wheat Kings~~The Wheat Kings couldn’t have started the week much worse than they did. With the scoring output they have shown this year, they got outscored 11-1 in back-to-back games. Fortunately, they were able to partially turn the week around with a road win at Calgary. ”
5,Red Deer Rebels,23-14-5,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,6,”Red Deer Rebels~~Red Deer is on a roll as of late. It is now nine straight games in which the Rebels have scored at least three goals. With a favorable schedule upcoming, I expect these guys to keep winning. ”
6,Portland Winter Hawks,23-18-3,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,7,”Portland Winterhawks~~Portland seems to have gained back some of the mojo they had pre-holidays. Winners of four of the last five, the Winterhawks look to keep the train rolling down hill with three games against two mediocre teams this week. ”
7,Regina Pats,25-14-3,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -2,5,”Regina Pats~~It was a disappointing week for the Pats. Without having to leave home ice, the Pats were only able to claim two out of a possible six points. This includes a loss where they scored five goals. Heading into a four game road trip, if they give up any more six-goal outings, they will continue to move down these rankings. ”
8,Calgary Hitmen,23-16-4,—,8,”Calgary Hitmen~~A busy week for the Hitmen as they played four games. Their offense was also clicking as they scored 19 goals in those four games. Unfortunately, their defense was not as they were only able to win two of those games. With four straight home games coming up, the Hitmen look to tighten up on the defensive side and stay in the top ten.”
9,Victoria Royals,22-19-3,—,9,”Victoria Royals~~Victoria is on a warm streak; I can’t call it a hot streak just yet. They have won five of the last six though. All six of those were at home though, so in order to be called a hot streak, they have to win a couple on the road. They have the chance to do that this weekend. ”
10,Spokane Chiefs,23-15-3,—,10,”Spokane Chiefs~~Spokane did exactly what I thought they would do and stayed inconsistent. They were able to win two of three this week but are only 3-3 in the last six. If this team wants to compete they will need to string a few wins together. ”
11,Edmonton Oil Kings,21-17-5,—,11,”Edmonton Oil Kings~~If you have read some of my other rankings, the biggest thing holding the Oil Kings back was inability to win multiple games in a row. Well they have now won five of the last six. With seven straight games at home for the Oil Kings, this is the chance to prove they can defend their title. ”
12,Seattle Thunderbirds,20-16-5,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +2,14,”Seattle Thunderbirds~~Seattle had a mediocre week with a home and home against Tri-City. They lost the road game and won the home game. Up next is three games against teams in the top ten on these rankings so I expect them to move down next week. ”
13,Swift Current Broncos,20-19-5,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -1,12,”Swift Current Broncos~~The Broncos are in a real slump right now. Not only did they lose three straight to end the week last week, but they also have lost five of six. They have almost slipped all the way back to .500. Does anyone remember when the Broncos were in the top five in these rankings? Yeah, me neither.”
14,Kootenay Ice,21-20-1,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -1,13,”Kootenay Ice~~This team started the season as one of the worst teams in the league. Then went on to be the hottest team in the league for about a month to get back to .500. Now seem to be staying around .500 with a 3-3 record over the last six. This team has the talent to compete but I don’t think has the capabilities to utilize that talent. ”
15,Tri-City Americans,20-20-2,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,16,”Tri-City Americans~~Seems like I keep repeating myself, but the Americans also had a mediocre week. It seems like teams are content with staying around .500. Tri-City gave up eight goals to the Cougars and followed that up by scoring five and winning the next night. Like I said before, I expect this team to remain in the middle of the pack.”
16,Prince George Cougars,20-23-1,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,17,”Prince George Cougars~~You may be wondering why the Cougars moved up after only winning one out of four games last week. Well two of those losses came on the road to a very good Royals team who is playing well right now. This team isn’t a top tier team, and that wont change anytime soon.”
17,Vancouver Giants,19-21-2,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -2,15,”Vancouver Giants~~Vancouver plays well at home but not on the road. That would lead most to believe they are a .500 team and that is exactly hat they are. Things do not look good for the Giants though, as they start a seven-game road trip next week. ”
18,Prince Albert Raiders,19-23-1,[icon name=icon-arrow-up] +1,19,”Prince Albert Raiders~~Look at that, the Raiders put together a winning streak. They have won three in a row, averaging five goals a game. If they keep that up the rest of the year, they will most likely still miss the playoffs. ”
19,Moose Jaw Warriors,17-23-4,[icon name=icon-arrow-down] -1,18,”Moose Jaw Warriors~~Even with the win on Saturday, the Warriors still had another bad week losing the other three games they played. Moose Jaw has solidified itself as one of the worst four teams in the WHL.”
20,Kamloops Blazers,14-24-6,—,20,”Kamloops Blazers~~The Blazers were the least surprising team of the week this week. They lost both games they played in and only scored three goals total. Like I said, that doesn’t surprise anyone.”
21,Lethbridge Hurricanes,10-24-6,—,21,”Lethbridge Hurricanes~~They Hurricanes got a win last week! Granted it was against the one team below them in the rankings, but it was still a win. This team is permanently stuck in the 21st spot.”
22,Saskatoon Blades,10-29-3,—,22,”Saskatoon Blades~~Even though this team has the best logo in the WHL, they are the worst team. Though they are currently riding a one-game winning streak, they had lost four straight before that. I expect them to lose four more straight to finish off this home stand”

[/table]

Tags:
0 shares
Ryan Boshoven
Ryan is a former Division 1 athlete now working in the world of sport marketing. He earned his Master's Degree in Sports Business. He likes to spend his free time playing golf and going to sporting events. Ryan also has two brothers that are the same age as him. "Being a triplet is pretty awesome!" he says.
Previous Post

Winterhawks Finalize Canada Road Trips

Next Post

Winterhawks Make Moves at the Trade Deadline

X