Torres, Bateman continue hot streaks
Posted: Saturday, March 11, 2000 3:59 p.m.
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Raffi Torres notched his 40th goal of the season on Friday night in Sault Ste. Marie, becoming the first Battalion player to reach that level and extended his latest consecutive games points streak to seven games. Torres had an OHL season high goal scoring streak of nine games broken on February 24 against the Plymouth Whalers but he has wasted no time and started another streak the next night against Mississauga and has racked up 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in the seven games since. Centre Jeff Bateman is currently riding a team-high 11 game scoring streak. He has scored 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) in that span.
Torres and Bateman were responsible for much of the Battalion offence while veteran forwards Kurt MacSweyn, Lukas Havel and Richard Kearns were out of the lineup and the pair responded, racking up a total of 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 16 games from January 14 to February 20.
Torres felt that the return of those veterans has had a lot to do with the team’s improved play over the last couple of weeks. “Everybody is contributing, doing their job,” he said recently. “(And) we’re starting to play better right off the bat instead of waiting until the second period to get going.”
In addition to shouldering much of Brampton’s offensive load this year, Torres, who has 85 points (40 goals, 45 assists) in 64 games, has also had the added distraction of being chosen for both the OHL All-Star Game and CHL Top 40 Prospects Game to deal with. Torres is ranked seventh among North American players by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau for this year’s NHL Entry draft.
“It comes with the territory,” he said when asked about dealing with the extra attention from media, scouts and fans. “If you want to get into this business you’re going to get a lot of that. You just have to take it day by day, game by game, and you can’t let it get into your head. You can’t let your head blow up and start thinking you’re the best player out there. You have to work hard everyday, in the gym, at practice and that reflects in how you play in the games.”
Torres racked up 62 points (35 goals, 27 assists) in 62 games last year in his rookie season for the Battalion. The young team struggled in its inaugural season, winning only 8 games but Torres said that he was able to learn something from last year’s trials and tribulations and apply it towards the success the team has enjoyed in its sophomore season. “”I learned that losing (stinks),” he said with a laugh. “I don’t want to be a part of that anymore.”
Battalion goaltender David Chant played Junior A hockey with Torres in 1997-98 when the two future Battalion stars were with the Thornhill Rattlers and has dealt with Torres’ offensive prowess every day in practice.
Chant laughed when asked if he had any sympathy for his fellow OHL netminders who have to deal with Torres in game situations. “He’s not somebody that I would want to play against,” he said. “Raffi is such an unbelievable goal scorer. He can really score. He’s got unbelievable moves. Playing against him in practice every day can be difficult and frustrating but it’s really good for me. We have great players up front and competing against them every day and trying to beat them helps me in games.”
