PJHL Media
There’s a month of hockey behind us now as the PJHL calendar has flipped to October and as several teams move into double digits of games played, we have more news and notes on the latest trends around the league.
Dominant D-Men: Over the first four weeks of the season, rookie blueliner Mattias Uyeda leads defencemen with 11 points including eight assists and is also part of a defensive unit that has allowed just 24 goals in 10 games. Uyeda has points on the power play and while shorthanded in addition to six points at even strength.
Across the league, defencemen are driving offense for their teams. Ridge Meadows rearguard Jakob Loewen is going at a point-per-game clip and has five points on the man advantage. The Flames are also a stingy defensive squad, with Loewen contributing on a team that has surrendered just 20 goals in nine games, a league-leading 2.22 goals-against per game. Grandview’s Cameron Northard is at better than a point per game and has four multi-point games already this season .
PK Prowess: The Richmond Sockeyes have been tough to score on while a man short. They have a PJHL-high 220 penalty minutes as a team, and though they’ve been shorthanded just 45 times as a result, they are killing it at a 91.5 per cent clip
The Ridge Meadows Flames have a surreal 95.8 per cent PK success rate. It’s the smallest sample size in the league though because they’ve been shorthanded just 24 times despite 170 PIMs, the sixth-highest total in the league. The Delta Ice Hawks are running at a 92.1 per cent clip on the kill and when you look at their 27 per cent conversion rate on the power play, they are the most effective special teams unit in the PJHL right now.
Cash Money: After losses in his first two starts this season, Surrey Knights goalie DJ Cash has won two straight decisions while stopping 62 of 66 shots in victories over Chilliwack and Poco. He recorded a .939 save percentage in the two latest triumphs and also stopped all four shootout attempts and was 1st Star with 35 stops in the win over Chilliwack.
Blazers Win: The Port Coquitlam Trailblazers are on the board after a 3-1 win over Aldergrove Sept. 29. It is the first win in franchise history for the expansion club. The game-winner came off the stick of Poco native Marcus Jack, his fifth goal of the year. Evan Paul got the win in net making 28 saves.
