The Nickel Report - Volume 2.
The Nickel Report – Evaluating the 2021-22 Sudbury Miners: Volume 2
CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):
Up to games ending on October 31, 2021
Miners 10 Game (Dime) Record: 6 wins, 4 losses, 0 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 13 wins, 6 losses, 1 OT Loss = 27 points total. Currently sit in 2nd place in the Canosa Conference, 3rd overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 22.1% (9th); Penalty Kill – 80.0% (11th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Auston Matthews (13G – 10A = 23 pts; 6th Overall in the CCHL)
There is no amusement park in the Greater Sudbury area, but in the past 10 games, the Miners provided their fans with a bit of a roller coaster ride.
After starting out this last 10 game stretch with a 3-game losing streak, the Miners seemed to figure things out and have won 5 of their last 6, including a 4-game win streak. It’s no secret that management would like to have the team start playing with a bit more consistency and a high level.
“We have been having some lazy habits starting to creep in our game lately”, stated Coach Craig Berube. “It seems like guys have read some of their own press about being Kehler Cup contenders and are forgetting that the games are played on the ice and not on paper. Hopefully, this last run of games has made us realize that we need to work on the ice to get where we want to be.”
The next run of games will be very important to the Miners, as they play 8 out of their next 10 games versus division opponents. A good record in this next stretch is what management and the team is shooting for.
MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Ondrej Palat
Acquired in the off-season in a trade with Amos, Palat is seen as a creative, playmaking two-way winger. He is shifty and can be very elusive one on one. He has all the skills and ability to be a natural point producer and is ideally suited for a 2nd or 3rd line role. His attention to detail in his own end, also make him a valuable commodity. Palat is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2021-22 CCHL season.
MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Wyatt Johnston
Johnston, who was drafted in the second round by the Miners this past summer, is seen in scouting circles as a tactical two-way forward who has some positional versatility with the ability to play on the wing or down the middle. He is quick and is a shifty “in-your-face”, two-way forward who uses speed and hustle to neutralize opposing breakouts. He has a good hockey sense and thinks the game at a high level for an 18 year-old. Johnston will use this year in Windsor (OHL) to further develop his offensive game moving forward. Projected CCHL arrival: 2023-24.
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