Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
Fort St. John at Grande Prairie [Thu., Jan. 31]
LINE: Grande Prairie by 2 1/2
A playoff preview between the two West teams. Will either team want to send a message? Depends on your point of view.
GP has won three of five vs FSJ this season including 7-2 and 3-0 home ice wins. FSJ comes into the game with back-to-back shutouts over DC and MAN.
GP has the advantage in special teams ranking third in PP and second in PK while FSJ ranks fifth in both. However, in their last three games, FSJ is 8-18 on the PP while opponents are 2-15.
GP has the second most shots on goal per game while FSJ gives up second least. FSJ takes the fifth most shots, GP allows the fourth least. Overall, GP ranks second in shots on goal for and against with a +130 while FSJ is fifth at +36.
Penalties could be key. FSJ is the second least penalized team while GP is sixth most penalized. Overall, FSJ ranks first in PIMs for and against at +159 PIMs while GP is sixth, but at -65 PIMs.
Both teams excel at winning when scoring first. GP is 10-2, FSJ 8-1 after last night.
Leading after each period, both teams are lethal. GP is 10-0 and FSJ 9-0 after one period; GP is 10-2 when leading after two periods, FSJ 10-0.
GP scores the most goals on average in the first period; FSJ allows the least goals in the second period. Overall, GP is +33 goals in the third period but only +7 in the first and +11 in the second so they get stronger as the game proceeds. The second period is FSJ’s best. They are +17 in the second but only +6 in the first and +3 in the third.
GP has blown leads in 21.05% of its games and they take the second most stick foul PIMs in the league. FSJ takes the least PIMs in stick fouls.
It’s hard to guess how much importance these teams will put into this game. Both are loaded with veterans so a loss shouldn’t affect either team too much.
FSJ comes into the game red-hot with two straight shutouts so it looks like they’ve clamped down with playoffs looming.
FSJ has lost six straight regular season games in GP and been outscored 32-12. However, this game means nothing in the standings. I also think a win for GP here is more important than for FSJ.
GP to win but FSJ with the goals.
NOTE: David Temple, former NPHL linesman and avid NPHL fan, sets the lines, which are set on the Sunday previous for the games from Jan. 22-25.
WEDNESDAY’S RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 1-0
WEDNESDAY’S RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 1-0
SEASON RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 47-26
SEASON RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 40-33
The Season Series
1. Sat., Oct. 27 – Grande Prairie 5 at Fort St. John 6
2. Sat., Nov. 3 – Fort St. John 2 at Grande Prairie 7
3. Fri., Nov. 30 – Grande Prairie 4 at Fort St. John 5
4. Sat., Dec. 8 – Fort St. John 0 at Grande Prairie 3
5. Thu., Jan. 10 – Grande Prairie 6 at Fort St. John 3
6. Thu., Jan. 31 – Fort St. John at Grande Prairie
The Stats Pack
[Ranking in Parenthesis]
[Stats as of Sunday, Jan. 27]
Category Fort St. John Grande PrairieRecord 11-8-0-0 [3-West] 12-4-3-0 [2-West]
Power Play 23-87, 26.44% [3] 21-90, 23.33% [4]
Penalty Kill 17-69, 75.36% [5] 26-112, 76.79% [3]
Shots For 38.56 per game [5] 44.95 per game [2]
Shots Vs 36.56 [2] 38.11 per game [4]
Shots For/Against +36 [5] +130 [2]
PIM For 16.06 per game [2] 29.11 per game [6]
PIM Vs 24.89 per game [4] 25.68 per game [5]
PIM For/Agasint +159 [1] -65 [6]
Scoring 1st 44.44% [6] 63.16% [2]
Record Scoring 1st Goal 7-1 [2] 10-2 [3]
Record Allow 1st Goal 3-7 [4] 2-5 [5]
Lead After 1 Period 8-0 [T2] 10-0 [1]
Trail After 1 Period 1-6 [5] 2-3 [T2]
Lead After 2 Periods 9-0 [2] 10-2 [6]
Trail After 2 Periods 0-6 [T5] 0-5 [4]
Goals Scored in 1st 1.78 per game [T3] 1.74 per game [5]
Goals Scored in 2nd 1.89 per game [3] 1.79 per game [4]
Goals Scored in 3rd 2.11 per game [2] 2.68 per game [1]
Goals Allowed in 1st 1.44 per game [4] 1.37 per game [3]
Goals Allowed in 2nd 0.94 per game [1] 1.21 per game [4]
Goals Allowed in 3rd 1.94 per game [3] 0.95 per game [1]
Goal Diff in 1 +6 [4] +7 [3]
Goal Diff in 2 +17 [3] +11 [4]
Goal Diff in 3 +3 [3] +33 [1]
Come From Behind Wins 16.67% [6] 21.05% [4]
Blown Leads 11.11% [2] 21.05% [3]
Team Stick Fouls 2.28 PIM/Game [1] 4.63 PIM/Game [6]