The Calgary Hitmen suffered two difficult losses over the past week to the Edmonton Oil Kings and Saskatoon Blades. Carter Souch and Eric Florchuk were both impactful as each forward recorded a hat trick against the Hitmen for his club. Calgary also allowed 15 goals against in this two-game span while only scoring seven. From here, the Hitmen will look to turn their three-game home stand around with games against the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Medicine Hat Tigers. Both teams have had relatively successful starts to their seasons and sit among the top three in their respective divisions.
The Moose Jaw Warriors feature a fairly young lineup with a number of exciting young players. The Warriors top-six also has a former member of the Hitmen who has experienced high end success in the early parts of the season. Ryder Korczak was part of the summer blockbuster deal that saw Moose Jaw acquire the speedy winger along with picks while sending Jett Woo south to Calgary. Korczak started the campaign with an impressive 10 points (2g, 8a) in his first five games and currently leads the Warriors with 12 (3g, 9a) in eight games played. Carson Denomie is also a player to watch as he currently holds a points streak over the past six games, scoring four times and adding six assists in that span.
The Warriors have lost their last two games and will host the Lethbridge Hurricanes before heading off on a two-game Alberta stint. The meeting between the two clubs will be the first of four this season as both teams will host a pair. Last season, the Hitmen dominated the Warriors, winning all four contests while the Warriors picked up only one point in a shootout loss.
Later in the week, Calgary will host a hot Medicine Hat Tigers club that has picked up nine out of the last 10 possible points. The last time the two clubs met, Calgary put on a defensive clinic and shut out the Tigers 2-0. Carl Stankowski also played lights out and picked up his first career WHL shutout, while Adam Kydd scored both Calgary goals. This time around, the Tigers look much more comfortable with their play. James Hamblin, Brett Kemp, and Cole Sillinger have also been offensive forces and will likely be relied upon during the team’s road stint, especially against the heavily skilled Central Division clubs.
For the Hitmen, the last two games have been tough for both netminders, as both allowed at least five goals in the games that they started. The Hitmen will have three days of rest before making a decision regarding a starter for the first game of the weekend. Captain Mark Kastelic has been excellent in his first three games back, as the centreman has potted three goals along with one helper and is likely a player the Warriors and Tigers will be monitoring closely defensively.
The Hitlist
- Both Jett Woo and Ryder Korczak recorded two assists against their current teams in the 2018-19 season.
- The Medicine Hat Tigers lead the WHL with 44 goals scored and are tied for third in goals against with only 20.
- Kydd will miss both games this week as part of his four-game suspension that was given after his hit on Edmonton’s Jacson Alexander on Saturday.
