CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):
Up to games ending on November 16, 2020
Miners 5-Game (Nickel) Record: 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 13 wins, 7 losses, 3 OT Loss = 24 points total. Currently sit in 6th place in the Canosa Conference, 10th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 19.3% (12th); Penalty Kill – 81.2% (10th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Defenceman Roman Josi (7G – 22A = 29 pts; 14th Overall in the CCHL)
Inconsistent.
There is no other way to describe the Miners play the past few weeks, and considering the talent level on this club, the results have been a bit disappointing so far.
“We can’t seem to find a rhythm right now”, stated Coach Derek Sutton. “It seems like we have one line that is good per night, but can never get 2 or 3 rolling at the same time. It’s a balance and as a coaching staff, we are trying different combinations to get something to work. But, ultimately it falls on the players to produce, and some of them need to look in the mirror and get it into gear”.
Miners management is not willing to be as patient with this group though, considering its investment. General Manager Terry James was able to orchestrate a trade to part with under-performing winger Artemi Panarin. In return, the Miners received wingers Tanner Pearson, Luke Kunin and a couple of draft picks, not to mention the salary savings.
But, the message was sent to the players loud and clear. Miners management will not sit still and watch this season go off the rails, so it is safe to expect that under producing players could find their way out of the Nickel City.
MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Nikita Kucherov
As goalie’s know around the CCHL, Kucherov is a great shooter. Has an explosive skating stride and has great one-on-one moves. He can beat defenders on the outside with relative frequency and ease. He simply oozes offensive talent. He is not very big, so you will not see him engage physically with opponents on a regular basis, but that doesn’t take away from what he is – one of the top offensive players in all of the CCHL.
MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Victor Soderstrom
Soderstrom is seen as a talented, all-around defenceman prospect with good upside. He has very good hockey IQ and overall feel for the game, which are traits that set him apart from other prospect of his age. He is very mobile and a great skater and excels at both ends of the ice. He can be relied upon to eat up chunks of ice time in any game situation. He does lacks a little in size and strength for the CCHL game, so he must bulk up in order to maximize his talents. CCHL arrival: 2023-24.
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