Junior Blues look to wreck havoc in second half

Jr. Blues' goal-scorer Josef Pontasch

The first half of the 2011-2012 NAHL season is getting closer and closer to making it's abrubt occurance, and head coach Joe Dibble and his Springfield Junior Blues are currently sitting in fourth place in the MidWest division with a total of 25 points through thirty-one games this season.

The Junior Blues are 12-18-1 overall, and with the 25 points that the team has accumulated, they currently sit twenty-five points behind the Saint Louis Bandits for first place in the division. The team has made some strides this season, but still has a lot of improvement to make if they are serious about a Roby Cup championship run.

Springfield is always known as a rough and aggressive team--and this season's squad is no different. They currently rank second in all of the NAHL in penaly minutes per game, and that has poised a lot of problems as they haven't been the best team while being shorthanded against the powerplay advantage. If this problem can change, a lot of problems would be resolved sooner than many may believe.

Another big problem for Springfield has been the man behind the net. The team is still in need of a go-to netminder between the pipes, or just in need of somebody stepping up and filling in the role as his own. Both Connor Girard and Tyler Parks have been splitting time in the role, and while Parks currently holds the better numbers, the Jr. Blues rank 24th in the NAHL in goals against average, allowing a 3.65 goals against per game average. If this team wants people to believe this team can make a title run, one of these netminders will have to step it up big time--and trust me, this is a very high possibility with the potential that both guys bring to the table.

One problem that Springfield doesn't have though, is putting the puck in the net. The Junior Blues are one of only six teams in the NAHL that currently have three players with atleast thirty points or more on the season. Kyle Cook, who is tied for the team lead in points, leads the team in goals on the season with sixteen.

Jr. Blues' Chris Sitler

Josef Pontasch has a had huge month for the team, as has Chris Sitler, who in a lot of peoples minds is one of the most underated players in the NAHL. The performances from the trio has certainly been a bright spot for Springfield, and if this team can slip into the "second season" ala the playoffs, they will poise themselves as a threat to anybody if healthy.

So while the team hasn't impressed too many outside of Springfield, this team is definetely one to keep an eye on. They currently have one of the best offenses in the entire NAHL. If this team's penalty problems can calm down, and they get better defensively with some improvement between the pipes, this team could suprise a whole lot of people.