It's time to look at the Good, Bad and Ugly from the world of sports on this Saturday Night. Now I tend to be a very positive person so there's a lot of good but there is some negative. Let's get at it…
THE GOOD
SHOWRON GLOVER
A historic Saturday Night at the University of Saskatchewan. Showron Glover became the first Huskie Men's Basketball player to ever record a triple-double in a game. The 2nd year Huskie out of California had 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 101-66 victory over the Manitoba Bisons. An unbelievable performance by one amazingly talented player on this Huskie squad.
More importantly, with the win the Huskies are 9-6 on the year and just one win away from clinching a playoff spot. They'll host the Manitoba Bisons on Sunday Night at 8pm at The PAC.
BREANNE GEORGE
Breanne George is proving why she should be a candidate for Canada West MVP. The third year forward with the Huskies Women's hockey team scored four goals and added an assist in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Regina Cougars. Her five points moves her into top spot in the Canada West in scoring.
A terrific individual effort and of course, helping her team inch closer to clinching a playoff spot.
TAYLOR PETRUCHA
The records continue to fall at the University of Saskatchewan. At the 41st Sled Dog Track and Field Meet, Huskies superstar Taylor Petrucha set a Saskatchewan pole vaulting record by clearing 5.31 metres. Just two weeks ago, he broke an 11-year old team record with a vault of 5.21m so it's unbelievable to see him soaring to new heights.
One of the benefits of my job is that I get to see and meet so many talented athletes. There are times when you see someone compete and you just know right away that there's something special about them and they've got some amazing things ahead of them – Taylor Petrucha is one of those athletes.
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DALLAN MUYRES & JOSH HEIDT
There's a youth movement in Saskatchewan when it comes to curling. Two teams skipped by Dallan Muyres (22) and Josh Heidt (20) have earned a spot at the SaskTel Provincial Men's Tankard in Lumsden. What a story this has become… two great junior teams proving they belong among the best in this province. They both won their "B" Finals in the Northern Men's playdowns and are on the verge of something spectacular. They will be among sixteen teams that will compete at Tankard for a chance to represent Saskatchewan at the Tim Hortons' Brier. There's no doubt that their success is a huge step forward for the sport for years to come.
SASKATOON BLADES
Back on track, the Saskatoon Blades went bronco bustin' on Saturday Night as they defeated Swift Current 7-4. It was the Blades highest scoring game since late October and with the win, they reclaim top spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference. The Captain, Derek Hulak, and Charles Inglis each with a pair of goals in the game. The Blades will next see action on Wednesday when they visit the Prince Albert Raiders.
This team is exciting to watch, they're first in the East and are defending East Division Champions… here's hoping they get proper fan support at future home games.
JAROME IGINLA
If Jarome Iginla plays at the Olympics like he did tonight on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, then Canada will have a great shot at winning the Gold Medal. Iginla with an unbelievable performance at the Pengrowth Saddledome… the "Gordie Howe Hat-Trick" – 2 goals, 2 assists and a fight. Add in a +4 and not only was he a big factor in the Flames 6-1 drubbing of the Oilers but he made many fantasy pool owners happy with that performance.
By the way, with that 6-1 win the Calgary Flames made some history. For the first time ever, the Calgary Flames swept the "Battle of Alberta" winning all six meetings against the Edmonton Oilers. I'll have more on the Copper and Blue in just a bit.
OTTAWA SENATORS
The Ottawa Senators are on Cloud Nine. Thanks to Mike Fisher's overtime goal against the Montréal Canadiens, the Sens have set a new club record with their 9th straight win. They sit 5th in the Eastern Conference with 66 points and I must remind you the previous winning streak was eight games – which the Sens did in their Stanley Cup run. Could we see history repeat itself in 2010?
THE BAD
AMBER HOLLAND
It's a mix of good and ugly so naturally, we're going to put Amber Holland's foursome into the "bad" category. Amber Holland got off to a great start at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts today, winning the Ford Hot Shots competition. Her prize – a two year lease on a Ford Tauraus SEL FWD, worth more than $25,000.
The ugly part was the opening game of the tournament. Holland's foursome, who curl out of the Kronau Curling Club, got off to an early 3-0 lead only to allow ten unanswered points against Kathy O'Rourke of Prince Edward Island. So Saskatchewan drops to 0-1 at the Scotties and it won't get much easier tomorrow afternoon as they go up against the two time defending Scotties Champion Jennifer Jones.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Just when it lookedl ike the Leafs would come up with a big win on a Saturday Night – they blew it. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the visiting Vancouver Canucks and even managed to chase Roberto Luongo out of the net. Things should have gone even better as Luongo's backup is Andrew Raycroft who was chased out of Toronto a few years ago. Instead, Raycroft stood his ground and stopped all 13-shots he would face. To make matters worse, the Leafs allowed five unanswered goals en route to a 5-3 loss to the Canucks. Brutal.
THE UGLY
EDMONTON OILERS
The Fall for Hall continues in the City of Champions. I can't even find the right words to describe the Edmonton Oilers. They're last in the NHL with 38 points… 15 back of the Columbus Blue Jackets who are second last in the Western Conference. They're 23-points out of a playoff spot – in other words it'll be another long off-season in Edmonton.
The Oilers have lost 20 of their last 21 games and are on a 13 game losing streak. The team record is 14 – which they set back in 1993/94.
I'm all for the Oilers tanking this year in order to get Taylor Hall in the draft and start the rebuilding process but this is really hard to watch. I realize the future is bright with Jordan Eberle, Linus Omark, Anton Lander and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson – but seriously, this is tough to watch. It's beyond ugly… it's disgraceful.
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