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February 28, 2003
Crunch time in the VJHL
Injuries and goaltending will highlight the playoffs.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Hockey, basketball and softball are just a few of the many athletic
team and individual sports in which members of the Jewish community
participate through the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
(JCC). In a new column, Bulletin writer Kyle Berger will
report, review and add his two cents about many of the exciting
things going on in the wide world of JCC sports.
It would be easy to take a quick glance at the standings of the
Vancouver Jewish Hockey League (VJHL), see the White Rhinos comfortably
perched at the top while the Red Rockets are still stranded on the
launching pad at the bottom and call your local bookie.
But in this sports realm, where anything can happen at any time
that could change everything, any belief that the regular season
standings could possibly predict playoff results would be a bad
one. So here are a few factors that should be considered before
making any bets on the upcoming VJHL playoffs, which start this
Sunday, March 2, at the Richmond Ice Centre:
• Missing pieces: There were two main ingredients in what made
the White Rhinos the hottest pot of soup in the league this season.
Goaltender Yale Weinstock and the league's most skilled forward,
Dean Fader. However, a few weeks ago, when Fader's leg decided
to go a different direction than the rest of his body, and then
snap, it meant the sniper would be out of action for the playoffs.
Without his leadership and skill, Weinstock will need a lot of help
from his teammates in order to lead the Rhinos to their second consecutive
championship.
The Blue Bulldogs have also lost defenceman Aari Steen for
the season. Deciding his commitment to his employer (Air Canada)
was more important than his VJHL career, Steen made a last-minute
move to Calgary.
• Red-y for takeoff: It's true that the Red Rockets have won
only one game this season, and even that was against a Blue Bulldogs
team playing without half of its line-up. But the second half of
the season showed a Rockets team that was often just one ingredient
short of winning each game. That ingredient was just one more goal.
In five of their last six games, three of which were against top-four
teams, the Rockets had only lost by a combined total of seven goals.
Red co-captain Gerald Tritt said that team chemistry is starting
to come around for the league's bottom feeders. And, with a one-game
knockout format in the opening round, a lucky bounce or two could
result in the Rockets sending leading scorers Alan Wasel,
Saul Casseres and the rest of the Black Panthers to the Richmond
Country Club's steam room a little sooner than expected.
• Goaltending: Purple Reign netminder Dave Taussig has
allowed 22 goals in three games against the Blue Bulldogs while
letting only 34 squeeze past him in the other 15 games. The normally
stable Norm Mammon of the Teal Lightning also showed some
lapses when a total of 23 goals got past him in a matter of two
games. In fact, all but the White Rhinos have allowed seven or more
goals against at least once this season, leaving one big question
hanging over this year's tournament; who will be able to stop the
rubber disks when the pressure is on?
If Taussig falters, his team, sporting the third weakest goals-for
average in the league, could be in tough for another appearance
in the finals.
Since we can't publish a playoff preview without some predictions,
here are a couple of possibilities. If history is any indicator,
look for the Panthers to choke at crunch time. Anything less than
the finals is a failure for them. Also, if speed really does kill,
don't be shocked to see the Teal Lightning make a suprise appearance
in the finals.
First round matchups
(Numbers in brackets indicate team standings.)
Black Panthers (2) vs. Red Rockets (7)
Purple Reign (3) vs. Blue Bulldogs (6)
Teal Lightning (4) vs. Golden Bears (5)
The White Rhinos get a first-round bye as the first place team.
More information can be found online at: www.esportsdesk.com.
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