Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
The final week before the Christmas break, except for GP, who started their break after the Saturday win over GRIM. They don’t play until Jan. 3, a break of 19 days. Meanwhile it’s not all bad for winless HP. Every team makes the playoffs and HP has only four more road games left after their trip to FAL this week: FAL and MAN, and GRIM twice with one game at PR. Seven are at home. David Temple, former NPHL linesman and avid NPHL fan, sets the lines. To his credit, Temple called the GRIM upset over GP last week.
Fort St. John at Dawson Creek (Sat., Dec. 22)
LINE: Dawson Creek by 1/2
It’s the fourth of six meetings this season and third in nine days between the BC rivals. Each team has won on the road this season: DC 9-7 and FSJ 7-4 [Thursday’s result not included in this preview]. DC dominates the stats sheet. DC has the advantage in special teams, ranking second in PP and first in PK compared to FSJ’s sixth-ranked PP and fourth-ranked PK. DC also ranks first in shots on goal for and shots on goal allowed while FSJ is fifth for and fourth against. Overall, DC’s shots for and against is a sparkling +122 to FSJ’s +21. Don’t expect many penalties. This is a match of the two least penalized teams in the NPHL – FSJ takes 17.30 PIMs per game, DC 17.80 PIMs. They also rank first and second lowest in stick fouls PIMS per game: FSJ is 3.10 PIMS per game, DC is 3.30 PIMs per game. FSJ ranks first in PIMs per game for and against at +51. The first goal appears to be vital: DC is 5-0 when scoring first, FSJ is 5-1. When they allow the first goal, DC is 3-2 and FSJ 1-3. Both teams have scored first in half their games; both teams are 4-0 when leading after one period, both teams are perfect when leading after two periods [DC is 8-0, FSJ 5-0], and both teams are winless when trailing after two periods [DC is 0-2 and FSJ 0-3]. Getting a lead is a huge bonus for these teams. DC has not blown a lead this season, FSJ has blown only one lead in 10 games. Neither team allows more than two goals on average in any period. FSJ has actually enjoyed far more success in DC than at FSJ having won eight if nine in DC. On home ice, however, DC has won two of the last three, and three of five, in FSJ. The teams have split the last eight games and the last 10 in FSJ. In a nutshell, the teams seem to alternate wins in FSJ. So, since DC won the last game, FSJ to win and take the half-goal.
The Season Series
1. Fri., Nov. 16 – Dawson Creek 9 at Fort St. John 7
2. Thu., Dec. 13 – Fort St. John 7 at Dawson Creek 4
3. Thu., Dec. 30 – Dawson Creek at Fort St. John [preview written earlier]
4. Sat., Dec. 22 – Fort St. John at Dawson Creek
5. Tue., Jan. 15 – Fort St. John at Dawson Creek
6. Wed., Jan. 30 – Dawson Creek at Fort St. John
The Stats Pack
[Ranking in Parenthesis]
Category Fort St. John Dawson CreekRecord 6-4-0-0 [3-West] 8-2-0-0 [1-West]
Power Play 10-47, 21.28% [6] 16-44, 36.36% [2]
Penalty Kill 9-37, 75.68% [4] 8-39, 79.49% [1]
Shots For 39.30 per game [5] 45.80 per game [1]
Shots Vs 37.20 per game [4] 33.60 per game [1]
Shots Diff +21 [4] +122 [1]
PIM For 17.30 per game [1] 17.80 per game [2]
PIM Vs 22.40 per game [4] 19.90 per game [2]
PIM Diff +51 [1] +21 [4]
Scoring 1st 50.00% [T3] 50.00% [T3]
Record Scoring 1st Goal 5-1 [2] 5-0 [1]
Record Allow 1st Goal 1-3 [6] 3-2 [2]
Lead After 1 Period 4-0 {T2] 4-0 [T2]
Lead After 2 Periods 5-0 [3] 8-0 [1]
Trail After 1 Period 1-3 [T5] 1-2 [T3]
Trail After 2 Periods 0-3 [5] 0-2 [4]
Goals Scored in 1st 1.50 per game [T5] 1.70 per game [3]
Goals Scored in 2nd 2.20 per game [3] 2.80 per game [1]
Goals Scored in 3rd 2.40 per game [2] 1.70 per game [5]
Goals Allowed in 1st 1.50 per game [4] 1.30 per game [1]
Goals Allowed in 2nd 0.80 per game [1] 1.30 per game [2]
Goals Allowed in 3rd 1.90 per game [3] 1.10 per game [2]
Goal Diff in 1 0 [5] +4 [T2]
Goal Diff in 2 +14 [3] +15 [2]
Goal Diff in 3 +5 [3] +6 [2]
Come From Behind Wins 10.00% [6] 30.00% [T2]
Blown Leads 10.00% [2] 0% [1]
Team Stick Fouls 3.10 PIM/Game [1] 3.30 PIM/Game [2]LAST WEEK’S RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 5-2
LAST WEEK’S RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 4-3
SEASON RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 27-12
SEASON RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 25-14