Moderator Ricer13 2,836 Posted December 8, 2019 Moderator Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) Where to Start? It is hard to find a place to start when doing my midseason review. I really want to take some time to talk about the Hounds season so far but I also want to break down how well Kris Rice has done individually while also mentioning a teammate or two along the way. I think ill break down exactly how I mentioned and start with a breakdown of the Hounds season so far. The Mississauga Hounds Season 69 has been a complete success to date for the Mississauga Hounds. They have 34 wins, 8 losses and 3 overtime losses just over halfway through the season. They currently sit second place three points ahead of Mexico City. If the Hounds continue on this pace, they will set a new regular season record for the franchise. The most interesting thing I find about the Hounds and their season is that they aren't a high scoring team. In fact there are three other teams currently ahead of them in team scoring including Saskatoon, Mexico City, and San Diego. Where the team thrives is on the defensive side of the ice. Mississauga is ranked 2nd in goals against only behind Saskatoon with 91 goals against and giving them the 2nd best goal differential in the VHLM despite the lack of offense. So despite the team not having much high end talent, the team as a whole works well defensively. Of course being backstopped by a true #1 goaltending prospect in Jimmy Spyro doesn't hurt either. To wrap things up on the Hounds, the season to date has been a huge success and I expect a strong finish the rest of the way. Do they have what it takes to get the job done when the playoffs come around? Only time will tell. Hounds Standouts Now I want to take a moment to mention a few players on the Hounds roster that deserve to be mentioned for their play this season. These players are leaders amongst our team and if not for their efforts this season the Hounds wouldn't be doing as well as they have. Patrik Tallinder : Talli has been the most consistent Hound this season. For most of the season he has led the Hounds in points and all season has led the team in goals scored. He currently has 41 goals which puts him 2nd in the VHLM for goals scored. He is the most clutch performer on the Hounds roster with 11 game winning goals. This leads the entire VHLM which shows when the big moments come around and you need a guy to step up to seal the victory, Talli is your guy. Tallinder is a silent leader in the Hounds locker room, where his leadership speaks the loudest is on the ice and the Hounds have been lucky to have him. Finnegan MacBurn: Finn is the rock on the back end for this team. He is one of the most sound defenders in all of the VHLM. He is currently ranked in the top 10 in defenseman scoring along side teammate Will Clarke and leads his team in assists with 53 on the season to date. The 53 assists also puts him top 5 in the entire league which shows he is one of the best playmaking defenseman this season. While MacBurn can dish the puck and contribute well on the offensive side of the ice, he is just as competent in his own end. He currently leads his team in shots blocked with 62. He is always willing to throw his body on the line in order to help his team get the win. The Hounds are very fortunate to have such a consistent player on their back end. Jimmy Spyro: Spyro is a popular locker room guy. He is always so upbeat and positive that it tends to rub off on the other guys in the room. Not only is he captain positivity but he is also a big stats nerd. He is constantly following each game and tracking personal stats as well as teammates statistics. He is consistently reminding the team how they are progressing through the season and its nice to have someone around who is such a huge help in the Hounds locker room. Where Spyro shines the most is in the crease. He is one of the best goalies in the VHLM this season and for the stats guy himself I have a lot of stats to back that up. He currently sits second in wins with 34, also 4th in the league in save percentage with a .891 % which continually continues to rise, he's 3rd in the league with an insane 1.96 GAA, number one in the league in shutouts with 6, and has let in the second fewest amount of goals this season. This guy is a maniac and I am personally very excited to see where his career takes him. There are many talented players on our roster, a few honorable mentions are newcomers Will Clarke and Nate Wright who have been great additions to this team. Cheezy and Frost are also having good rookie seasons in the VHLM. Now its time to breakdown the season its been for myself. Kris Rice What a second season it has been for myself. To be apart of this team with so many talented players has been a surreal experience. I am trying to enjoy each moment of it as it could be something very special. This is going to be my last season in the VHLM as I make the jump next year but I do not want to look to far ahead just yet. We still have just under half a season to play and playoffs soon after that. Lets breakdown a few areas of my game for old times sake and have a look at what I need to do to improve my game for the next step in my career. Offense: A tale of two completely different seasons it has been during my two years in the VHLM. Last year was purely developmental and I barely hit the score sheet on a regular basis. My game was solely defense focused because we had the talent to carry the offensive load. Now that our star players from the past season have moved up to the VHL this season, a few players such as Patrik Tallinder and myself have had to step into bigger roles for this team. Tallinder is a huge reason I have done so well this season offensively. I thrive to be the best and to be the best you have to beat the best and Tallinder is the best. He has given me a reason to continue to produce and thrive offensively so that I can one day say I stood up to the standards he has set for this team. After 45 games I am leading the team in points with 82 points. Second on the team in goals with 40 behind Tallinder and have contributed 42 assists. I never would have thought that I would have hit 40 goals in my life time being a playmaking winger but this year Talli and I have had to share the load to get us these wins. Needless to say the stats speak for themselves, offense has not been an issue this season. Defense: This is the part of my game I will always take pride in. Even when I make the jump to the VHL the sole focus of my training to begin my career there will be to improve on my defensive game first and allow my offense to build off of that. This season has been a continuance of last when it comes to my defensive game. Currently tied for 3rd in +/- with a rating of +27 and have contributed 11 blocks this season. I cant stress enough the importance of defense and our team as whole this season has been a defensive juggernaut. Physicality: An area of my game that I used to shy away from was the physical side. I am not the biggest of players nor was I ever the most physical player growing up. I have realized though that as you play in the VHLM and move up to play in the VHL you will be playing against men. The game gets tough and other players are physical and you have to be able to hold your own when the time arises. This season I worked a bit on my strength and as a result of that I have played with a bit of an edge. I am 4th on the team with 70 hits and 1st on the team in PIM's. I am not particularly proud of leading in penalty minutes but sometimes you have to make the tough choice to prevent a goal and I have had to do that a time or two. Also I think headbutting a guy and getting thrown out of a game will get those numbers up as well.... To wrap up what has been a long and drawn out article, I just want to say its been a hell of a season so far with the Mississauga Hounds. From the very top with management making the tough choices with trading players and setting lines, right down to the 4th line grinders battling in their own ends every night, this organization is building towards something special this season and I am excited that I get to be a part of that. Go Hounds Go! WORD COUNT: 1585 Edited December 8, 2019 by Krice13 DarkSpyro, Berocka, Patrik Tallinder and 2 others 2 3 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Ricer13 2,836 Posted December 8, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted December 8, 2019 Claim 1/3. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/#findComment-693850 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSpyro 981 Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 I'm humbled by your praise Cap. So far the Hounds have been very fortunate this season, and as we continue to grow we will be ready for the playoffs. Then before we move up to the VHL, we will bring the Cup home to Mississauga! Ricer13 1 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/#findComment-693867 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Ricer13 2,836 Posted December 22, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted December 22, 2019 Claim 2/3 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/#findComment-698904 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Ricer13 2,836 Posted December 30, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted December 30, 2019 Claim 3/3 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/#findComment-700350 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Ricer13 2,836 Posted January 3, 2020 Author Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2020 Claim for free doubles week! Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/73940-kris-rice-and-the-hounds-midseason-review/#findComment-701328 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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