Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Streaking Wickenheiser one 'Ray at top of game

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Thursday, December 30, 1999

Streaking Wickenheiser one 'Ray at top of game
Five-game goal scoring streak, 14-game flurry haven't been enough to get IceRays on track
By Mark Button

Caller-Times

Wickenheiser
During the last month and a half, no Western Professional Hockey League player has performed at a higher level than the IceRays' Kurt Wickenheiser.
   No one has been more frustrated, either.
   Wickenheiser has recorded 34 points in the last 14 games. He has registered at least one point in each of those games. Even more impressive, perhaps, is Wickenheiser's short-term streak. He has scored a goal in each of the last five IceRays' games. He'll try to continue both streaks today against Odessa in a 7:05 p.m. game at Memorial Coliseum - but not for personal glory.
   The 35-year-old Wickenheiser is no stat geek. Truth is, there's only one figure that matters to the 14-year veteran: his team's record. In that area, the IceRays are struggling at 13-12-6, mired in last place in the WPHL Central Division.
   "I don't like looking at (individual) streaks too much," Wickenheiser said. "Once a player starts getting greedy, then he is thinking more about himself than the team."
   That's something for which Wickenheiser will not stand. He's a team player, one not used to losing.
   "I'm a winner," said Wickenheiser, who played 11 years in Europe. "I think I've only been on one losing team in all of my career. So this has been frustrating. I'm glad I'm helping out the team as much as I can, but it's frustrating that the end result is that we're losing. But maybe I can play a little bit better to help out even more."
   It's a bit difficult to pinpoint where he could improve. He leads the IceRays in goals (25), power-play goals (9), game-winning goals (5) and plus/minus ratio (plus-13).
   "I would cash it all in for a 10-game winning streak," he said. "But to go on that kind of streak, I think the team needs me to be playing at my best - everyone else, too."
   Geoff Bumstead has certainly been playing at his best: He is riding a 15-game assist streak in which he has recorded 31 points.
   Color him frustrated, too.
   "Hockey is a team sport," Bumstead said. "Everyone is an individual and in order to enjoy yourself and your personal success, you have to win. You have to have team success first."
   So why all the losing?
   Wickenheiser points to the same problem Corpus Christi coach Taylor Hall has been harping on all season: poor defense.
   "I think we have the third most goals in the league, but we have the third worst goals-against," Wickenheiser said. "I don't know why. Maybe it's like a big jigsaw puzzle and we need one or two more pieces to finish it all."
   IceCubes
   A ALL STARS TO BE NAMED: The WPHL will release the All Star rosters today. IceRays nominated for the Jan. 14 game in Amarillo include Bumstead, Wickenheiser, Tobin Praznik, Jody Praznik, Bob Quinnell and Eddy Skazyk.
   A REVISED SCHEDULE: The WPHL will release its revised schedule on Monday. Because of the suspended operations in Waco and Abilene, the league had to amend its schedule.
   A PLAYOFF CHANGES: Also because of the losses of Waco and Abilene, the WPHL has modified its 1999-2000 playoff format. The new format most greatly effects the Central Division. Only the top two teams in the Central Division will automatically gain berths to the playoffs. The top three teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions are guaranteed playoff games. The remaining four playoff berths will be of the wild-card variety, going to the top four teams in any division after the eight automatic qualifiers.
   Last year, the top three teams in each division received automatic berths, with the remaining three spots going to wild-card teams.



Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

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