Mac's Week

Mac Carruth is becoming one of the dominant netminders in the WHL. In two home games and in his last three he has allowed two goals in total. His save percentage for the season is 95.2% with a GAA of 1.58, and he is 4-1 in 5 games. Then his backup is 9th in the WHL with a 92.5% and 2.63 GAA. Not bad for a couple of 18 year olds. But what is really starting to show is that Mac is making a case to this team that he will do his part to back stop this team on a run for the cup. You can't win a cup in the fall, but you can lose one and with Mac starting the year on the DL, it would have been easy to either rush him back or fall back in the standings. Portland stuck with Hamilton to allow Mac to fully heal and now they are taking off.

In the last couple of games Mac looked confident and unphased at the play in front of him. He wasn't just mechanical as many young goalies are becoming, he was involved. He played the way you want a goalie to play, it is all about the player the puck and the goal line. Mac has that all going right now.

It was great to see Portland go to the young guys in the shoot out last night. Ty Rattie is in another world right now and is quickly becoming the scoring threat we all saw in Everett as a 15 year old. And did you see the pure joy on Brendan Leipsoc face, before he got his chance in the shoot out? That grin will not soon be forgotten, that is what you want to see, a player out there for the joy of competing having fun. Hopefully we will see that through out the season.

Parents weekend is up next... Odd that the Hawks play the Rockets in back to back games, never the less Portland beat the Rockets last weekend so it should be a good couple of games for the parents.

The first 2010 - 2011 Hawkey Talk Pizza Update Show is Monday. New location, Flying Pie in Milwaukie. I am going to miss Stark Street, but look forward to the new place. Come on out and meet 6 players... Mac Carruth, Keith Hamilton, Taylor Peters, Seth Swenson, Brenden Leipsic and Derrick Pouliot.