Losing Ways Continue

In the return of starting goaltender Ryan Miller, Minnesota could feel only optimism about its chances against the Kelowna Cats. Team officials called the game the single most important game of the season up to this point when Minnesota was looking to break their 7 game losing streak against Kelowna.

The game started out even with a 0-0 tie going into the second period. Former Rink Rat Martin Rucinsky broke the scoring to take a quick lead in the second period and the Cats never looked back.

"They had a nice second period and unfortunately we didn't have enough to stop them tonight," said captain Marc Savard. "We were hoping to come out strong since Ryan is back and healthy but they just outplayed us. This makes our next game that much more important."

The Rink Rats' only goal came late in the 3rd period from rookie winger Petr Kalus when he was set up with a nice back-door goal from Matthew Lombardi. Ryan Miller made 24 of 28 saves in his return to the club. The Rink Rats are currently in 8th place in their conference, 3 games ahead of the Detroit Cougars.

Krejci Impresses Coaching Staff

Rookie centermen David Krejci has been looking sharp and this has not gone unnoticed by Rink Rats coaching staff. Through 19 games this season in the WFHL, Krejci is the second leading scorer in the league with 13 goals and 17 assists. His offensive potential was what impressed Rink Rat's scouts when they drafted him with the 30th overall pick in last year's draft.

"We're excited with how well David has played this season," said GM LaDouceur. "When we picked him up in the second round in this year's draft, we knew we were getting a guy that had a nose for the net and can set up great plays. We really hope David can find a role with the Rink Rats club sometime in the next 2 seasons".

Krejci will have a new test when he skates on a line without Brandon Bochenski who was recently recalled to the Vipers. The two have played the majority of the season on the same line and with Bochenski gone, Krejci will be on his own. Bochenski has 14 goals and 12 assists on the season.

Rats Recall Boyd

With the return of goaltender Ryan Miller, the Rink Rats have sent down Jimmy Howard to clear up a roster spot for rookie left winger Dustin Boyd. Boyd has been a healthy scratch the last 6 games but has provided plenty of offense throughout the rest of the 24 games he's played this season. Boyd is currently 6th in WHL rookie scoring with 15 points.

"It feels good being able to skate with the guys again," Boyd said. "It's been hard watching them the past few games and wishing I could help as they've struggled. We're all hoping we can turn things around a bit and make a run".

The Rats head to Kelowna to take on the Cats. The conference game will be a big test for the Rats as they've lost 7 straight.

Rats On Downward Skid

The Minnesota Rink Rats are falling hard. The team is on a 7 game losing streak and will play the Kelowna Catss on the road in their next game. Since moving to Minnesota, the team has been successful but injuries have limited them in their recent streak.

"We've had a couple of guys out of the lineup and have been banged up a bit. Ryan Miller has been out the last 6 games and we've also seen Toni Lydman and Karel Rachunek sit out because of injuries", said head coach Barry Melrose.

Miller is expected to return against Kelowna which only adds optimism for the club. The club hopes his return will mean a return to winning games. "If you take a look at the last 6 games and what it's meant for us to have Ryan out of the lineup, I think there's no question he is the MVP of our team. Ryan is the definition of a MVP type player. He goes down and we can't win a game. If he stays healthy the rest of the way, he should be an All-Star and be a good contender for the Vezina and Hart trophies."

In other Rink Rats news, the club has been in talks with other teams about bringing in a new defenseman or winger. Minnesota is looking for a youthful defenseman that brings some offensive upside to his game. The team lacks depth at left wing, so it is also looking at trading a draft pick for a veteran wing that could play on their 2nd or 3rd line.

GM LaDouceur said this about his players, "Ultimately to be competitive this season, we're going to have to make a move or two. The Cats and Fighting Irish have both made positive moves in the last couple of weeks to help their clubs and we need to do the same to compete. If we don't, we will have to evaluate things at the All-Star break to see where we're going. Our team has guys that are young enough now and are still quality players, it will be our more veteran players like Lydman or Savard that we will have to think about their future with the club."

Speedy Chemistry

Marc Savard & Derek Roy have become a lethal combination of speed and offense. The two have combined up for a lot of goals this season, playing the majority of their ice time together on even strength and power play lines. Savard has 14 goals and 36 points through 28 games this season and Roy has 5 goals and is among the league leaders in assists with 21.

Savard stated, "We play well together. Derek is a great young player and has a lot of potential. He worked real hard in the offseason to get himself to where he's at today. I think he's one of the better playmakers already in this league and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Head Coach Barry Melrose has stated on numerous occasions that Roy & Savard could someday be the best duo in the WHL if they continue to play on the same line & team. "These two guys are so fast and creative with the puck that other teams have this quiet fear of the two. We like having them paired up on the same line. We like the idea of keeping Derek on the wing but there's always an opportunity to move Roy to center and I have no doubt that between Savard & Roy, defenses will have a lot to worry about with our first two lines.

Roy exclaimed, "It's been great playing with a guy like Marc. He's a solid centermen – one of the best in the game. I hope he's around all the way through so we can continue to build on our already strong chemistry".

Silent Scorer

One of Minnesota's biggest surprises this season has been the strong play of centermen Josef Vasicek. Through 28 games this season, Vasicek has 15 goals and 23 points making him one of the top 5 goal scorers on the club. Last season, Vasicek scored 15 goals and had 33 assists in 72 games.

Vasicek credits an increase in talent and depth throughout the roster with his improvements. "I don't really feel like I've improved at all from last season", Vasicek stated. "The team has changed a lot in the last year. We have experienced a number of improvements on the club and I think this has been a big part of why I'm playing better this season. Playing on a line with guys likes Kobasew or Park and against other teams' 3rd lines rather then 1st line has made a positive impact on my game".

Vasicek was rumored to be on the move part way through this season and showed little interest from other GM's. "That surprised us a bit", stated GM LaDouceur. "We thought that because of his size and his ability to put the puck in the net that he would draw a bit more interest from other GM's and that wasn't the case. It wasn't that we were displeased with his production; it was more of a case where we had needs at other positions and wanted to try and use his value to increase our depth within our needs.

Rachunek Adds Spark to Roster

Karel Rachunek is enjoying his time playing in the WHL again. After returning from his hiatus from the WHL, Rachunek has found time playing on the 2nd and 3rd lines of the Minnesota Rink Rats club. On the season, Rachunek has played in 23 games and has 15 points.

Head Coach Barry Melrose stated, "Karel provides some great puck movement and experience for our club. We're happy to have him playing for us this year and he has been a tremendous part of our success thus far"."The one thing with Karel is that we wish he would take more shots. He's got 15 shots on the year and 1 goal. I know he doesn't have the hardest shot in the league but he does have a good one and we want to see him use that a little more".

Karel stated, "I'm happy to be part of this Minnesota team. I think I fit in well with their concept and we're having a great season thus far. Hopefully our success will continue and I can retire with this Minnesota club".