The Season

What could have been?

When the 2016-17 season started, how many people predicted that the club would have gone on to win 52 games? I’m a Pats fan through and through and I never dreamt that they would do as well as they did. I did expect them to be a good club… but 52 wins? No.

The playoff run was something that I’ve been basically waiting for my entire life. The last time they made it this far I was in kindergarten, so it’s basically a new experience to me. I’m not going to lie, I may have shed a tear or two when the Pats came out for game one of the WHL final. It’s been a long time.

Did the playoffs go the way I was hoping? No. I’m not going to sit here and complain about the quality of officiating. I’m not going to sit here and critique roster moves or lack of moves or players. This has been done to death, I’m one that questioned a lot of things but I don’t think it’s worth me writing about. I’ve thought long and hard and figured that I will not say anything and just enjoy this. No need to question the what-ifs. I’m happy that the club made it to the Finals and I’m going to celebrate them.

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I’ve been telling people that there were 5 things that I didn’t expect the Pats to do in my lifetime. I’ve become a complacent Pats’ fan and never figured that the following 5 things would never happen. This club reached 3 of those 5.

#1. Breaking 100 points – the Pats reached the mark in their 66th game and I’m still impressed with that. They finished with 112 obliterating the previous record by 12 (previous high was 100).

#2. Getting 50 wins – the Pats got their 50th win in their 70th game and finished with 52; besting their club record by 3 (49 was the previous record)

#3. Winning the Scotty Munro Trophy – for the first time in my life they finished first overall.

#4. Winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup – 2 wins short…. So close.

#5. Winning the Memorial Cup – One day…. I hope.

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2016-17 Pats Stats

Team Records Broken/Tied:

Wins: 52 (previous record 49 in 1980-81)

Points: 112 (previous record 100 in 1980-81)

Fewest regulation losses: 12 (previous record 14 in 1973-74 *68 game schedule*)

Fastest to 40 Wins: 53 games (previous record 57 in 1980-81)

Most road wins: 28 (previous record 20 in 1979-80 & 1983-84)

Fewest regulation road losses (WHL): 5 (previous record 10 in 1973-74)

Fewest road goals against (WHL): 95 (ties record 2001-02)

Most team shutouts: 7 (ties record 2006-07)

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Player stats:

50 GOAL CLUB: Sam Steel scored 50 goals making it just the 47th time in Franchise History someone scored 50 in a season. With that being said he's just the 36th player to score 50 (8 players did it multiple times).

MULTIPLE 80 ASSIST CLUB: With his 87 assists this season; Adam Brooks is just the 3rd player All-Time to record 80 assists in multiple seasons in Franchise History. He joins Pats legends Jock Callander and Dale Derkatch in this club.

Callander: 86 (1980-81) & 111 (1981-82)
Derkatch: 80 (1981-82), 95 (1982-83) & 87 (1983-84)
Brooks: 82 (2015-16) & 87 (2016-17)

Season Stats:
POINTS
131: Steel T-17th (with Sillinger 1988-89)
130: Brooks T-19th (with Flockhart 1979-80)
89: Leedahl T-95 (with 5 others)

GOALS
50: Steel T-43rd (with 4 others)
43: Brooks T-77th (with Weal 2010-11)

ASSISTS
87: Brooks T-7th (with Derkatch 1983-84)
81: Steel T-11th (with Wickenheiser 1979-80)
54: Leedahl/Hobbs T-84th (with 9 others)

Defense:
GOALS
31: Hobbs 1st

ASSISTS
54: Hobbs T-13th (with Miner 1984-85)
42: Harrison T-30th (with 5 others)

POINTS
85: Hobbs 6th
48: Harrison T-45th (with Miller 1986-87 & Wilkie 1993-94)

Goalies:
(Minimum 36 GP/2160 MIN)

GP
50: Brown T-31st (with 5 others)

MIN
2885: Brown 31st

GAA
2.64: Brown 4th

SO
5: Brown T-2nd (Koberinski 1959-60, Walters 1956-57 & Fisher 1967-68)

SV%
.911: Brown 2nd (since 1973-74)

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That's it for now.
on May 22, 2017 by Kevin Shaw |