News & Notes Jan.19

PJHL Media

With less than 20 days to go to the Stonehouse Cup playoffs, five teams have an ‘X’ beside their name in the PJHL standings. Other things we check on in News & Notes this time are the PJHL scoring race, the Jan. 13 PJHL All-Star game, some special teams stats, grist for the mill on goalies and whatever else we can fit in.

DOWN THE STRETCH – The scoring derby between Ridge Meadows’ Zack Lagrange, Richmond’s Nicholas Noren and Delta’s Mateo Sjoberg (who scored the OT game-winner in the Jan. 13 All-Star game) looks to be in the hands of the Flames forward and with 18 points (5G, 13A) in his last six games, Lagrange managed to stretch out his lead in both goals and points. He has 40-52-92 in 41 games so far and looks like he’ll post the highest total for a scoring leader since Abbotsford’s Baylee Wright went for 48-77-125 in the 2018-19 season. In this year’s race, all the contenders have lots left to play for; each player’s club has seven games remaining and all are in a tie for their division’s lead. Unfortunately, there are no more head-to-head games involving the Flames, Ice Hawks and Sockeyes as the playoffs approach.

WORKHORSENick Peters was a great story in the PJHL this season as his work in net for the Coastal Tsunami resulted in a credible debut campaign for the expansion side. Peters’ 29 games played and 1,668 minutes played are still both tops in the league despite the fact he has moved on to the SIJHL. For the third-lowest scoring team in the league, Peters as the last line of defence was key; his .919 save percentage gave Coastal a chance to win most times while his three shutouts are tied for second in the league.

Elsewhere in the crease, Luke Roberts is the busier netminder in Chilliwack (1,590 MP) but both he and Nicholas Muc have provided reliable stopping power for the Jets. In White Rock, Garin Wickstrom deserves credit for playing over 1,500 minutes as a rookie and responding with 15 wins so far and a .913 save percentage.

FOR THE RECORD BOOKS – With a power play clicking at an astonishing 37.4 per cent, the Ridge Meadows Flames can take a run at the 96 power play goals scored by the 2006-07 Abbotsford Pilots, which is the most since the PJHL website was established. The Flames have 82 goals on the man advantage with seven games to go and Zack Lagrange, Nolan Bowsher, Theo Kochan and Lukas Ravenstein all have over 30 points on the power play. Ridge Meadows’ conversion rate on the PP is likely to be a new mark; the 96 goals scored by the Pilots 18 seasons ago came on 430 power-play opportunities for a 22.3 per cent success rate. Each team in the PJHL had over 400 looks on the PP that year; most teams this season will barely crack 200.

WHO DO YA LIKE? – The PJHL regular season wraps on Feb. 8 so playoff picks are a legit conversation starting now. Defending champs Ridge Meadows have to remain the favourite though Chilliwack has been extremely impressive keeping pace with them and taking the division lead for long stretches. Richmond seems to ice a contender season after season though Delta has three games in hand on them while tied atop the Tom Shaw Conference. Want a dark horse? The Port Coquitlam Trailblazers have taken leaps and bounds in their second season and recently iced four standouts (Braeden Wynne, Tait Humphries, Markus Jack, Bailey Ewonus) in hosting the PJHL All-Star Game. Poco is a stellar 14-5-2 on home ice; if they can get past North Van to earn the right to host two of the three games in a possible survivor series, that could tilt in their favour and get them rolling into Round 1. Topping it off, Poco and North Van face each other on the Feb. 8 season-ending contest.