Monthly Archives: November 2010

Jinxed Indeed…

Posted on by
Reply

Ok, I will take a little responsibility for having written the last post.  I had a feeling an 11-0 win in game one would not be a good start.  Oh ye cruel hockey gods.

Game two found the Colts up against a stronger, hungrier opponent who took it to them physically and handed out a 3-1 loss.  With much less time to think and react, the passes weren’t as crisp, the shots didn’t find the necessary openings.  This was not one of their better performances.  The Boy, for his part, left game two with a fair-sized bump on the knee that he would ice for the remainder of the day and night.

The team did battle back in game three, literally, as it was a bit of a chippier game. The Boy himself was on the wrong end of said chippiness as a taller defenceman dropped him with a well-place elbow to the head.  The Boy hit the ice and hockey mom popped to her feet as he lay face down while the trainer rushed out to his side.  We would find out later that while the blow did some damage, the Boy did spend a little more time on the ice in an effort to milk a bigger penalty for the offender.  Two minutes for elbowing was the ref’s call.  This would be one of many power plays the team would have over the weekend, but like the others this one would end up fruitless, that is to say, goalless. Something to work on the next time they hit the ice to practice.  The team did, however, manage to score five goals in a 5-1 win that would earn them a berth in the semi-finals.

The Colts came out fast in the semi-final this morning, but were turned away by a few good saves from the opposing keeper.  Before the end of the first period the other team would score a goal on a scramble in the slot. They would then score two more goals in the second period.  Further, they would remove a Colts player from the game on a nasty hit that only resulted in an interference call; a hit that left the recipient with a separated shoulder, a trip to the hospital and most likely a month on the shelf.  The team would only manage to scrape out a single goal in the third as the other goalie made a few more solid stops.  After one spectacular glove save about half-way through the last frame I had the sense the game was all but lost.  Bounces were just not going the right way again — ala game two.  A trip to their third tourney final in three chances was not in the cards.

So we almost had the rest of the weekend off…almost. The Devil had yet to play a Sunday night game here in town; “here in town” being the operative phrase.  We were glad to not be the team driving an hour on a Sunday night to get here.

The Devil’s team is also not without its drama as they’ve lost their one and only goaltender to a non-hockey related ankle injury; which has left the coaching staff scrambling to find a replacement.  Tonight the replacement was a player from an age group down, but her presence was certainly welcomed and she would perform admirably despite some admitted nerves.  At the same time, this will be used as a rallying call to have all of the players step up to compensate for the loss of their regular backstop. And step up they did tonight as they defeated the visiting team 6-1; marking their largest goal output and margin of victory to date.  This was admittedly a weaker side, but served as a good boost of confidence under the latest circumstances.

These are the ups and downs of a hockey season that make it all the more interesting.  Most teams have to fight through these trials and tribulations that the hockey gods put before them in order to grow as a team and to reach their goals.

As for me, I’m done with prognostication — I should know better.  I’m sure hockey mom will remind me of the same before I go spouting off again.

#imahockeydad

Jinxed Indeed…

Posted on by
Reply

Ok, I will take a little responsibility for having written the last post.  I had a feeling an 11-0 win in game one would not be a good start.  Oh ye cruel hockey gods.

Game two found the Colts up against a stronger, hungrier opponent who took it to them physically and handed out a 3-1 loss.  With much less time to think and react, the passes weren’t as crisp, the shots didn’t find the necessary openings.  This was not one of their better performances.  The Boy, for his part, left game two with a fair-sized bump on the knee that he would ice for the remainder of the day and night.

The team did battle back in game three, literally, as it was a bit of a chippier game. The Boy himself was on the wrong end of said chippiness as a taller defenceman dropped him with a well-place elbow to the head.  The Boy hit the ice and hockey mom popped to her feet as he lay face down while the trainer rushed out to his side.  We would find out later that while the blow did some damage, the Boy did spend a little more time on the ice in an effort to milk a bigger penalty for the offender.  Two minutes for elbowing was the ref’s call.  This would be one of many power plays the team would have over the weekend, but like the others this one would end up fruitless, that is to say, goalless. Something to work on the next time they hit the ice to practice.  The team did, however, manage to score five goals in a 5-1 win that would earn them a berth in the semi-finals.

The Colts came out fast in the semi-final this morning, but were turned away by a few good saves from the opposing keeper.  Before the end of the first period the other team would score a goal on a scramble in the slot. They would then score two more goals in the second period.  Further, they would remove a Colts player from the game on a nasty hit that only resulted in an interference call; a hit that left the recipient with a separated shoulder, a trip to the hospital and most likely a month on the shelf.  The team would only manage to scrape out a single goal in the third as the other goalie made a few more solid stops.  After one spectacular glove save about half-way through the last frame I had the sense the game was all but lost.  Bounces were just not going the right way again — ala game two.  A trip to their third tourney final in three chances was not in the cards.

So we almost had the rest of the weekend off…almost. The Devil had yet to play a Sunday night game here in town; “here in town” being the operative phrase.  We were glad to not be the team driving an hour on a Sunday night to get here.

The Devil’s team is also not without its drama as they’ve lost their one and only goaltender to a non-hockey related ankle injury; which has left the coaching staff scrambling to find a replacement.  Tonight the replacement was a player from an age group down, but her presence was certainly welcomed and she would perform admirably despite some admitted nerves.  At the same time, this will be used as a rallying call to have all of the players step up to compensate for the loss of their regular backstop. And step up they did tonight as they defeated the visiting team 6-1; marking their largest goal output and margin of victory to date.  This was admittedly a weaker side, but served as a good boost of confidence under the latest circumstances.

These are the ups and downs of a hockey season that make it all the more interesting.  Most teams have to fight through these trials and tribulations that the hockey gods put before them in order to grow as a team and to reach their goals.

As for me, I’m done with prognostication — I should know better.  I’m sure hockey mom will remind me of the same before I go spouting off again.

#imahockeydad

Colts Tourney is On

Posted on by
Reply

The Boy and his mates opened a home tournament last night with a severely lopsided victory.  It was 2-0 three minutes into the game and you could just tell it wasn’t going to be pretty.  The next couple of goals were both scored while the team was killing penalties. It got worse from there.  The opposing coach switched up his goalies after the third goal, but to that point it hadn’t really been a goalie-issue.  Our boys were taking it to them pretty hard.  By the end of the second period it was 10-0. Our home side fans stopped cheering goals after about the sixth tally. The score clock never went higher than 8-0 in an effort to minimize the blow.

You do start to feel a little uncomfortable as each goal goes in.  Unfortunately, one of the determining factors in the round robin standings is goals for and goals against so it is really in the teams best interest to make the victory as lopsided as possible. But that sure doesn’t make for a fun game to watch or, for that matter, play in. 

There was a break for the Zamboni to clean the ice between the second and third periods.  I believe everyone would have just rather that the game continued without the break. As the teams left the ice, the Boy was pulled aside by the head referee.  The referee properly suggested that the team ease up in the third period, particularly from a body-checking perspective, so as not to provoke any retaliation borne of frustration from the other side.  There had already been a few penalties that you could tell were a result of the uneven goal margin.

In the third period the clock was set to run without stopping for the entire 15 minutes as opposed to stopping after every whistle, which is the normal course. The tournament rule stated that this be the case if the goal difference was six or higher.

The Colts for their part certainly took their proverbial foot (or skate in this case) off the pedal.  One more goal would be scored in the third period after a perfect setup of a player in the slot, the offensive zone sweet spot, to make the final 11-0.  The Boy told me after the game that the team had been challenged by the coach in the change room between the second and third periods. Their task was to keep the other team from scoring in the third to preserve the shutout for their goaltender.  As an added incentive, or deterrent if you will, if a goal against were to be scored, the five players on the ice would owe the rest of the team a round of Slushies. They obviously all got the message as only a couple of relatively harmless shots managed to find their way through to the victorious netminder.

While a strong victory is a good way to start a tournament, such an overwhelming win can also be a tad dangerous as it can breed over-confidence or a lack of attention to detail.  

We assume the next two round-robin games today will provide stauncher challenges, preparing the home side for a likewise more difficult playoff round.  I should know better than to even utter the word playoff prematurely, but the boys are playing well, so I hope I am being prophetic in my analysis. Add to that a bit of cheering from the stands and a sprinkle of luck from the ever-present hockey gods to find my next post, late day Sunday, declaring a home town championship.

There…I’ve jinxed them but good now.

#imahockeydad

Colts Tourney is On

Posted on by
Reply

The Boy and his mates opened a home tournament last night with a severely lopsided victory.  It was 2-0 three minutes into the game and you could just tell it wasn’t going to be pretty.  The next couple of goals were both scored while the team was killing penalties. It got worse from there.  The opposing coach switched up his goalies after the third goal, but to that point it hadn’t really been a goalie-issue.  Our boys were taking it to them pretty hard.  By the end of the second period it was 10-0. Our home side fans stopped cheering goals after about the sixth tally. The score clock never went higher than 8-0 in an effort to minimize the blow.

You do start to feel a little uncomfortable as each goal goes in.  Unfortunately, one of the determining factors in the round robin standings is goals for and goals against so it is really in the teams best interest to make the victory as lopsided as possible. But that sure doesn’t make for a fun game to watch or, for that matter, play in. 

There was a break for the Zamboni to clean the ice between the second and third periods.  I believe everyone would have just rather that the game continued without the break. As the teams left the ice, the Boy was pulled aside by the head referee.  The referee properly suggested that the team ease up in the third period, particularly from a body-checking perspective, so as not to provoke any retaliation borne of frustration from the other side.  There had already been a few penalties that you could tell were a result of the uneven goal margin.

In the third period the clock was set to run without stopping for the entire 15 minutes as opposed to stopping after every whistle, which is the normal course. The tournament rule stated that this be the case if the goal difference was six or higher.

The Colts for their part certainly took their proverbial foot (or skate in this case) off the pedal.  One more goal would be scored in the third period after a perfect setup of a player in the slot, the offensive zone sweet spot, to make the final 11-0.  The Boy told me after the game that the team had been challenged by the coach in the change room between the second and third periods. Their task was to keep the other team from scoring in the third to preserve the shutout for their goaltender.  As an added incentive, or deterrent if you will, if a goal against were to be scored, the five players on the ice would owe the rest of the team a round of Slushies. They obviously all got the message as only a couple of relatively harmless shots managed to find their way through to the victorious netminder.

While a strong victory is a good way to start a tournament, such an overwhelming win can also be a tad dangerous as it can breed over-confidence or a lack of attention to detail.  

We assume the next two round-robin games today will provide stauncher challenges, preparing the home side for a likewise more difficult playoff round.  I should know better than to even utter the word playoff prematurely, but the boys are playing well, so I hope I am being prophetic in my analysis. Add to that a bit of cheering from the stands and a sprinkle of luck from the ever-present hockey gods to find my next post, late day Sunday, declaring a home town championship.

There…I’ve jinxed them but good now.

#imahockeydad

Close but…..

Posted on by
Reply

In the semi-final this morning the Sharks battled hard and did everything they needed to do to win; except score.  At least three and maybe five or six pucks were uncanny in their ability to avoid the net.  Point blank shots, a couple of breakaways and in close rebounds were all turned back or away by the goal keeper and her cohorts. The Sharks’ string of close games against their fiercest rival continued with a 0-1 decision that left them close, but barely out of the afternoon final.

All in all the weekend has to be considered a success with four very competitive games against stiff competition. We sure all hoped they would pull of the win this morning and make it to the final, but the lucky Chuck Taylor’s and well-worn Jets hat weren’t quite enough to get them over the hump (like either had any say or bearing in the matter).  The tournament did show the girls they can skate with anyone.  Now they just need to use this showing to catapult them forward through the rush of regular season games to come.  Will wait a bit till I pull the shoes out again.

#imahockeydad

Close but…..

Posted on by
Reply

In the semi-final this morning the Sharks battled hard and did everything they needed to do to win; except score.  At least three and maybe five or six pucks were uncanny in their ability to avoid the net.  Point blank shots, a couple of breakaways and in close rebounds were all turned back or away by the goal keeper and her cohorts. The Sharks’ string of close games against their fiercest rival continued with a 0-1 decision that left them close, but barely out of the afternoon final.

All in all the weekend has to be considered a success with four very competitive games against stiff competition. We sure all hoped they would pull of the win this morning and make it to the final, but the lucky Chuck Taylor’s and well-worn Jets hat weren’t quite enough to get them over the hump (like either had any say or bearing in the matter).  The tournament did show the girls they can skate with anyone.  Now they just need to use this showing to catapult them forward through the rush of regular season games to come.  Will wait a bit till I pull the shoes out again.

#imahockeydad

So Far, So Good

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil and her mates have held true to the hopes of moms, dads and coaches in delivering three strong performances in their first three round robin Sharkfest contests.

The first two teams they faced, as suspected, were arguably stronger sides, but the girls were able to more than hold their own to earn 1-1 and 2-2 ties respectively. Both of the first two opponents exhibited a slight edge in puck control, overall size and aggression.  The girls, to their credit, did not back down at either end of the ice.  Perhaps there is something to be said about defending one’s home turf.

The Sharks were to be particularly commended for their showing in game two as they had to fight through illness and injury. One forward fought a nasty head cold while another suffered from an injured shoulder caused by an errant opponent’s stick in game one.  I was told, by a reliable source on the bench, that both girls desperately wanted to play and support their team in what they knew was a tough battle.  These two ties were also predicated on strong goaltending, which the team has been blessed with all year, and a couple of good bounces, which are always welcomed when the hockey gods bestow them.

Game three was slated to be another good test as the two teams would enter the match with identical 0-0-2 records.  Indeed the game opened with a scoreless, but chance-filled, first period.  A few minutes into the second period the opposing team would score its first goal on a deflected shot. The Sharks would waste no time in scoring to tie the game only eight seconds later.  Several chances would be exchanged through the second and into the third period; until the player afflicted, yet fighting, through the head cold pounced on a rebound.  She quickly deposited the frozen puck into a yawning cage behind the opposing keeper. The Devil and her cohorts held on for the rest of the period to secure the 2-1 win; thus earning a berth in tomorrow morning’s semi-final.

I’ve just checked the tourney Web site (ah the wonders of modern technology that allow us to track stats from home).  The semi-final will be against the Sharks’ fiercest rival this season who they will be facing for no less than the fourth time this year.  This is sure to make for an exciting, closely fought match.  I will likely don my lucky red Chuck Taylors for the occasion; though the girls have been doing a great job making their own luck of late.  I’ll wear the lucky hat too — just in case.

#imahockeydad

So Far, So Good

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil and her mates have held true to the hopes of moms, dads and coaches in delivering three strong performances in their first three round robin Sharkfest contests.

The first two teams they faced, as suspected, were arguably stronger sides, but the girls were able to more than hold their own to earn 1-1 and 2-2 ties respectively. Both of the first two opponents exhibited a slight edge in puck control, overall size and aggression.  The girls, to their credit, did not back down at either end of the ice.  Perhaps there is something to be said about defending one’s home turf.

The Sharks were to be particularly commended for their showing in game two as they had to fight through illness and injury. One forward fought a nasty head cold while another suffered from an injured shoulder caused by an errant opponent’s stick in game one.  I was told, by a reliable source on the bench, that both girls desperately wanted to play and support their team in what they knew was a tough battle.  These two ties were also predicated on strong goaltending, which the team has been blessed with all year, and a couple of good bounces, which are always welcomed when the hockey gods bestow them.

Game three was slated to be another good test as the two teams would enter the match with identical 0-0-2 records.  Indeed the game opened with a scoreless, but chance-filled, first period.  A few minutes into the second period the opposing team would score its first goal on a deflected shot. The Sharks would waste no time in scoring to tie the game only eight seconds later.  Several chances would be exchanged through the second and into the third period; until the player afflicted, yet fighting, through the head cold pounced on a rebound.  She quickly deposited the frozen puck into a yawning cage behind the opposing keeper. The Devil and her cohorts held on for the rest of the period to secure the 2-1 win; thus earning a berth in tomorrow morning’s semi-final.

I’ve just checked the tourney Web site (ah the wonders of modern technology that allow us to track stats from home).  The semi-final will be against the Sharks’ fiercest rival this season who they will be facing for no less than the fourth time this year.  This is sure to make for an exciting, closely fought match.  I will likely don my lucky red Chuck Taylors for the occasion; though the girls have been doing a great job making their own luck of late.  I’ll wear the lucky hat too — just in case.

#imahockeydad

Sharkfest cometh

Posted on by
Reply

The Devil’s home tournament, appropriately dubbed Sharkfest, starts tomorrow. We are all, of course, all hoping for a good showing.  You have to figure the home team has a bit of an advantage as there is no travel, no hotels, no pools, no rushed meals in restaurants and no other out of the norm distractions that virtually every visiting team has to deal with.  Our girls will be playing in the friendly confines of their home rinks, they will eat healthy, home-cooked meals and they will get to go home to their own beds at presumably decent times.  For many teams, tournaments mean suggested, but not necessarily strict curfews.  We’ve been to enough tournaments to know the general “lights out time” is 10pm, while the general “we’re sleeping soundly time” is more like 12am.  8 and 9am morning games show up plenty early.

You would also like to think that the home team would play a little harder to defend their home turf.  That message will no doubt be relayed in the pre-game dressing room coach talk.  We’ll just have to see if that attitude is carried out onto the ice at game time.

All three of the teams the Devil will be playing are coming from 2+ hours away.  But then again, two of the three teams come from traditionally strong regions where players are drawn from large, primarily rural areas. The result is a usually a collection of quite talented players from a relatively small population. We’ve played teams from one of these regions in the past where the players, from a size and skill perspective, appeared to be a year or two older. I may have once quipped from the stands that someone should “Check that girl’s driver’s license” as she didn’t seem to fit in with the other 10 year olds.  10 years olds typically don’t stand over six feet tall even if they are wearing skates.  I also recall watching an opposing 11 or 12 year old player launch a slap shot that I would be proud to see fly from my stick. One or two significantly stronger players on any given team can make the difference between winning and losing in women’s hockey. Then again, often times a cohesive team can counter a strong player.

As with any tournament, the real purpose is for the girls to have fun playing a variety of teams they don’t usually get to face.  Doing well and perhaps even winning a tournament would be an added bonus.  The coaches will simply want to see the players and team compete to their full potential. We believe we have started to see glimpses of that potential over the last several weeks and hope it continues this weekend; as the team prepares to enter a heavy part of their regular season schedule in December.

The Boy, for his part, has no hockey until late day Sunday, so he will be running score clocks during the tournament in return for high-school mandated community service hours.  He’d much rather be playing Call of Duty on his XBox in his down timie. However this is a good opportunity to amass a substantial percentage of the 40 hours he is required to put in during his four-year high school career. So he will be joining us, somewhat willingly, in the rinks.

As other local teams in other divisions will also be playing in this tourney, I’m sure we will spend a substantial amount of time in one rink or another over the next few days.  I will hopefully be reporting back triumphantly, if not with simple pride following a strong effort by the Devil and her mates, as the weekend draws to a close. 

#imahockeydad