Bruins in Kelowna Tonight

January 9, 2008

The Bruins will try to make it three wins in a row when they visit the Kelowna Rockets tonight. Game time is 7pm. It's the fifth of ten meetings between the two clubs this season. Through the first four meetings, the Bruins have one win, two losses and one overtime loss.

Game Notes:

Win / Loss Record:

Overall Record 20-17-3-1

Home Record: 12-10-0-0

Road Record: 8-7-3-1

January Record: 2-0-0-0

Wednesday Record: 2-1-0-0

vs Kelowna 07/08: 1-2-1-0

vs Kelowna All Time: 5-6-1-0

at Kelowna All Time: 1-3-1-0

2007/08 Power Play:

Overall: 4th  46/215 (21.4%)

Home: 15th  20/120 (16.7%)

Away: 1st  26/95 (27.4%)

Vs Kelowna: 5/19 (26.3%)

SHGA: 5

2007/08 Penalty Killing:

Overall: 8th  188/228 (82.5%)

Home: 6th  104/122 (85.2%)

Away: 13th  86/106 (79.2%)

vs Kelowna: 10/14 (71.43%)

SHGF: 3

Kulhanek Traded: Earlier this week the Bruins acquired 17 year old defenseman Matt Strong from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 18 year old forward Colby Kulhanek. Strong, (6’2” 200 lbs), has appeared in 49 WHL games with the Red Deer Rebels and Everett Silvertips. 

McNaught Added: The Bruins have added 17 year old forward Randy McNaught to their active roster. McNaught joins the Bruins from the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. In 25 games with the Clippers this season, McNaught recorded 2 goals and 3 assists to go with 54 penalty minutes.

Santorelli Leads: Bruins forward Mark Santorelli leads the WHL in scoring with 65 points, two better than second place Colin Long of the Kelowna Rockets.

Bruins in the top ten:

Points: Mark Santorelli 1st (65) / Oscar Moller Tied 10th (50)

Goals: Oscar Moller Tied 5th (25)

Assists: Mark Santorelli 1st (44)

PP Goals: Brandon Campos and Oscar Moller Tied 3rd (10)

PP Assists: Mark Santorelli 1st (25) /  Brandon Campos Tied 8th (17)  

Penalty Minutes: Matt McCue 9th (109)

Wins: Matt Esposito Tied 8th (16)

Defenceman Points: Nick Holden Tied 6th (33)

Iron Men: Cody Smuk and Mark Santorelli are the only two players to have appeared in every game the Bruins have played. Including five playoff games, both have played in 117 consecutive games.

Career Highs: Nick Holden scored his ninth goal of the season last Friday in  Everett, one more than he had in 67 games last season. Holden has also surpassed his point total of last season with 33, two better than last season. Matt Esposito set a new personal best and Bruins team record when he earned his 16th win of the season Saturday vs Prince George

Potter Pots A Pair: Bruins rookie forward Jadon Potter scored twice in Saturday’s game vs Prince George, his first two goals in 28 games. Potter now has seven goals and nine assists in 40 games this season.

Pighin Awarded: 19 year old forward Evan Pighin has been named the Bruins Player of the Month for December. In 11 games in December, Pighin scored six times and added five assists. On December 4th vs Prince George Pighin had a personal best four points (2g 2a).

After forty tells the story: Chilliwack has a record of 15-1-0-0 when leading after forty minutes of play. When trailing after two periods, the Bruins are 1-13-1-0.

Howse named to Team Pacific: Bruins rookie forward Ryan Howse scored two goals and added three assists at the World Under 17 Challenge held in London Ontario recently. Howse was a member of Team Pacific who finished fourth in the ten team tournament.

Moller at World Juniors: Bruins forward Oscar Moller won a silver medal with Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships that ended Saturday in the Czech Republic. Sweden was defeated by Canada in overtime in the Gold Medal Game. Moller, a 2nd round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2007 NHL had three goals and two assists in six games during the tournament. Moller leads the Bruins with 25 goals this season.

Extra Time: The Bruins are 1-3 in overtime and 3-1 in shootouts this season.

Road Warriors: On the road this season the Bruins power play is clicking at 27.4% (26/95). Since the 1996-97 season only five WHL teams have finished a season with a better success rate on the road. Three teams did it during the 1996-97 season: Brandon 30.3% (37/122), Lethbridge 29.9% (47/157) and Red Deer 29.7% (41/138). The Calgary Hitmen finished the 1999-00 season at 27.1% (48/177) and the Seattle Thunderbirds at 27.6% (51/185) in 2000-01. Last season the Bruins were 29/217 (13.4%).

2007/08 Bruins Regular Season Leaders:

Goals: Oscar Moller (25)

Assists: Mark Santorelli (44)

Points: Mark Santorelli (65)  

Powerplay Goals: 10 – Brandon Campos (1 with Everett, 9 with Chilliwack) / Oscar Moller

Powerplay assists: Mark Santorelli (25)  

Powerplay points: Mark Santorelli (34)  

Shorthanded Goals: Mike Proudley / Mark Santorelli / Brandon Campos (1)

Plus/Minus: Mark Santorelli (+10)

Penalty Minutes: Matt McCue (109)

Wins: Matt Esposito (16) 

Goals Against Average: Mark Friesen (2.84)

Shutouts: Matt Esposito (1)

Save Percentage: Mark Friesen (90.7%)

Roster Notes: The Bruins currently have 25 players on their active roster including two goaltenders, nine defencemen and fifteen forwards. By age, Chilliwack has two 16 year olds (Howse, Ramsay), seven 17 year olds (Robinson, Metz, Darragh, Einhorn, Friesen, Strong, McNaught), nine 18 year olds (Meropoulis, Potter, Proudley, Smuk, Moller, Hobbs, Hoda, Van Duynhoven, Esposito), four 19 year olds (Santorelli, Bhungal, McCue, Pighin) and three 20 year olds (Campos, Holden, Chapman).

Drafted Players: Mark Santorelli (Nashville 4th round 2007) Oscar Moller (Los Angeles 2nd round 2007)

Injuries: Partik Bhungal (leg) - indefinite