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Jinxed Indeed…

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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…

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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

Temporary power outages

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The Boy’s and the Devil’s teams have both, of late, had problems putting the biscuit in the basket, bulging the twine, solving the keeper — that is to say, scoring goals. Both have had a string of low scoring games.  In the case of the boys this has translated into three regular season ties in a row before their most recent 4-1 loss. In the last of the three aforementioned ties, the boys had the other team to thank for the tying goal on an egregious defensive error. We’ll take a tie however we can get it, but having the other team score goals on themselves is generally not a prescribed stragegy for success.

The girls, on the other hand, opened their season with a 1-0 win followed by a 1-1 tie.  Women’s hockey is generally low scoring.  However, one goal a game is not going to win many for you.

It’s not that either team doesn’t know how to score or that there is a lack of effort.  Rather, there seems to be a generally lack of ability to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.  Shots are misfired or heaved squarely at the goalie. I joked with one of the Devil’s teammates recently that the crest on the goaltender’s sweater is not a bulls-eye she should be aiming for. To borrow a phrase from baseball “Shoot it where they ain’t.” That is, of course, easier said than done in the heat of battle.  Tougher to do when you know you need a goal and you clutch your stick a little tighter trying to force something to happen. To their credit, both teams have run up against very good goaltending where sure goals were kept out my an outstretched pad, the butt end of a goal stick or the flash of a leather glove.

The Boy, himself, is experiencing a multi-game drought.  He has had several very good chances to score in each of the last few games. He has never been a prolific scorer; he tends to be more of a grinder and playmaker.  Yet some of the scoring opportunities he has missed lately have been a little confounding. Pucks have jumped over or seemingly through his stick. He simply hasn’t been able to finish. A couple of times I haven’t been able to figure out how the puck did not end up in the net.

Hockey, and I suppose sports in general, can be funny in terms of the ebbs and flows that can occur within and across games.  Momentum is a often used word for good reason.  It has been said that scoring is contagious and I’m sure when either of these breaks through there will be a flood of converted chances. It would seem not scoring is contagious as well.  In practice, the coaches diligently work on plays and strategies designed to prompt these breakthroughs.   The boys have practiced offensive zone break out drills and powerplay situations, while the girls have focused on creating scoring chances and going hard to the net.  Coaches hope the drills taught and lessons learned translate from practice to game.  It’s no doubt heartening to see when this is in fact the case.  A practiced tactic that makes its way into game-play proves the players were listening and learning.  That’s really the most you can ask of players.  Presumably with listening, learning and practice come execution; which will ultimately lead to the desired result; in the cases of these two teams…more goals.

The Devil’s coach has rightly surmised that part of their dilemma is a lack of power. He has suggested working on shooting at home into a net, against a wall, a garage door, etc. I’ve nailed two pucks together in an effort to strengthen the Devil’s shot. She has admittedly been negligent with the extra work, but has school basketball, homework and general kid stuff competing for her attention.  When we were kids (here comes my father’s voice again) we’d be out on the driveway or in the backyard practicing for what seemed like hours. But, in my case at least, there was far less to be distracted by.

Of course, as I recently watched the local NHL hockey team struggle through eight consecutive periods of scoreless hockey, I was quickly reminded that all teams, at all levels, are susceptible to lulls in execution.

So with no lack of effort or chances, perhaps the key is to simply continue to do the good things, limit the bad and wait for the flood gates to open. The hockey gods will smile upon you soon enough. If that doesn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board. We, perched in the stands, will do our best to will a few in.

#imahockeydad

Temporary power outages

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The Boy’s and the Devil’s teams have both, of late, had problems putting the biscuit in the basket, bulging the twine, solving the keeper — that is to say, scoring goals. Both have had a string of low scoring games.  In the case of the boys this has translated into three regular season ties in a row before their most recent 4-1 loss. In the last of the three aforementioned ties, the boys had the other team to thank for the tying goal on an egregious defensive error. We’ll take a tie however we can get it, but having the other team score goals on themselves is generally not a prescribed stragegy for success.

The girls, on the other hand, opened their season with a 1-0 win followed by a 1-1 tie.  Women’s hockey is generally low scoring.  However, one goal a game is not going to win many for you.

It’s not that either team doesn’t know how to score or that there is a lack of effort.  Rather, there seems to be a generally lack of ability to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.  Shots are misfired or heaved squarely at the goalie. I joked with one of the Devil’s teammates recently that the crest on the goaltender’s sweater is not a bulls-eye she should be aiming for. To borrow a phrase from baseball “Shoot it where they ain’t.” That is, of course, easier said than done in the heat of battle.  Tougher to do when you know you need a goal and you clutch your stick a little tighter trying to force something to happen. To their credit, both teams have run up against very good goaltending where sure goals were kept out my an outstretched pad, the butt end of a goal stick or the flash of a leather glove.

The Boy, himself, is experiencing a multi-game drought.  He has had several very good chances to score in each of the last few games. He has never been a prolific scorer; he tends to be more of a grinder and playmaker.  Yet some of the scoring opportunities he has missed lately have been a little confounding. Pucks have jumped over or seemingly through his stick. He simply hasn’t been able to finish. A couple of times I haven’t been able to figure out how the puck did not end up in the net.

Hockey, and I suppose sports in general, can be funny in terms of the ebbs and flows that can occur within and across games.  Momentum is a often used word for good reason.  It has been said that scoring is contagious and I’m sure when either of these breaks through there will be a flood of converted chances. It would seem not scoring is contagious as well.  In practice, the coaches diligently work on plays and strategies designed to prompt these breakthroughs.   The boys have practiced offensive zone break out drills and powerplay situations, while the girls have focused on creating scoring chances and going hard to the net.  Coaches hope the drills taught and lessons learned translate from practice to game.  It’s no doubt heartening to see when this is in fact the case.  A practiced tactic that makes its way into game-play proves the players were listening and learning.  That’s really the most you can ask of players.  Presumably with listening, learning and practice come execution; which will ultimately lead to the desired result; in the cases of these two teams…more goals.

The Devil’s coach has rightly surmised that part of their dilemma is a lack of power. He has suggested working on shooting at home into a net, against a wall, a garage door, etc. I’ve nailed two pucks together in an effort to strengthen the Devil’s shot. She has admittedly been negligent with the extra work, but has school basketball, homework and general kid stuff competing for her attention.  When we were kids (here comes my father’s voice again) we’d be out on the driveway or in the backyard practicing for what seemed like hours. But, in my case at least, there was far less to be distracted by.

Of course, as I recently watched the local NHL hockey team struggle through eight consecutive periods of scoreless hockey, I was quickly reminded that all teams, at all levels, are susceptible to lulls in execution.

So with no lack of effort or chances, perhaps the key is to simply continue to do the good things, limit the bad and wait for the flood gates to open. The hockey gods will smile upon you soon enough. If that doesn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board. We, perched in the stands, will do our best to will a few in.

#imahockeydad

Fourth and final game update

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The text telling the tale of the 4:45 quarter final game was a little late as me and the Boy were making our way to the arena for his game at 6:05. Another game, another one goal decision in the wrong direction as the Devil’s team fell 2-1. The upside, as hockey mom sees it, is that they get to stay up a little later in the hotel tonight and they can sleep in tomorrow morning.  With no hockey tomorrow there is a pretty good chance a few parents will let their hair down and the girls will no doubt spend an inordinate amount of time in the pool.  Just like the boys, this weekend is as much about them having fun and bonding together as teammates as it is about the competition. Of course, it’s fun to win too.

As for the Boy, he and his squad eeked out a tie against a perennial thorn in their side. They gave up a go ahead goal with just under four minutes left in the game, but wree then able to score a tying goal with less than two minutes left. At this level and in this league over the past four years lopsided scores for either side have been few and far between. There are a couple of weaker sisters in the division, but for the most part there is relative parity among the top six or seven teams. It makes for pretty exciting hockey, though it can grind on the nerves after a while.

Now the Boy’s gone to a buddy’s after his game because there is no game tomorrow. The girls are away at the tourney. So it’s me and the poochie left to our own devices.  Guess we’ll watch the hockey game and/or baseball game together before we hit the hay.

#imahockeydad

Fourth and final game update

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The text telling the tale of the 4:45 quarter final game was a little late as me and the Boy were making our way to the arena for his game at 6:05. Another game, another one goal decision in the wrong direction as the Devil’s team fell 2-1. The upside, as hockey mom sees it, is that they get to stay up a little later in the hotel tonight and they can sleep in tomorrow morning.  With no hockey tomorrow there is a pretty good chance a few parents will let their hair down and the girls will no doubt spend an inordinate amount of time in the pool.  Just like the boys, this weekend is as much about them having fun and bonding together as teammates as it is about the competition. Of course, it’s fun to win too.

As for the Boy, he and his squad eeked out a tie against a perennial thorn in their side. They gave up a go ahead goal with just under four minutes left in the game, but wree then able to score a tying goal with less than two minutes left. At this level and in this league over the past four years lopsided scores for either side have been few and far between. There are a couple of weaker sisters in the division, but for the most part there is relative parity among the top six or seven teams. It makes for pretty exciting hockey, though it can grind on the nerves after a while.

Now the Boy’s gone to a buddy’s after his game because there is no game tomorrow. The girls are away at the tourney. So it’s me and the poochie left to our own devices.  Guess we’ll watch the hockey game and/or baseball game together before we hit the hay.

#imahockeydad

Game three update from Windsor

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I know y’all are waiting with bated breath like I have been for the past hour and twenty minutes.  The latest text reads 2-1 Bad guys but they played very well and the goal was hers (the Devil’s that is).  On to the quarter finals at 4:45 with a record of 1-2; with both losses by 1 goal.  Anything can happen in girls hockey. I will have the fingers, toes and several other body parts crossed for a win. I’ll send along all the words of encouragement I can then wait semi-patiently to hear the outcome. Bahhhhhhhhh!

#imahockeydad

I hate missing games

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Hockey mom and the Devil left on a four+ hour trip to Windsor for a tournament this weekend.  I helped load the van with all of the suitcases, bags, coolers, equipment and various other paraphernalia female hockey players (and their mom’s) need to travel.  Unsurprisingly, it was a fair bit more than the Boy and I needed last weekend.  The ladies had companions for the ride, another player and her mother, so the van was loaded to the hilt with female accessories times two.  Hockey mom, seemingly travelling to a foreign land, was equipped with a stack of Google maps to get her from our driveway to the hotel, from the hotel to the rinks, from the rinks to the hotel and from the hotel to dinner and back again (I will no doubt pay for this wee sentence). And off they went on their weekend of fun and competition. 

The Boy and I were left behind because he had a practice two nights ago and has a game tonight here in town.  So far that’s meant Mucho Burrito and Big Chris BBQfor dinner the past two nights.  We are roving bachelors with unlimited options.  Last night I sat on the couch to watch the Rangers knock the Yankees out of the major league baseball playoffs (Yippee!), while the Boy played Call of Duty on Xbox Live with his hockey buddies.  Yup, we really shook it up.  We painted the town red.

Part of the problem with having two rep hockey players is they are most often going in two different directions. As such, we miss a bunch of games, which can be frustrating.  Last year, the hockey mom had an idea that someone should record and broadcast all games online (like on YouTube or something) so parents and friends who weren’t able to attend for whatever reason, could still see their kids play.  Not sure that anyone would actually pay for that service, but it’s one that I wish was available this weekend.  If I had a little capital and thought the idea might work this would be perfect job for me.  I’ve always said I just need to find a way to get someone to pay me to watch my kids play hockey.  Hell, I’d even watch other kids play hockey.

The Devil’s first game was yesterday at 10:30am so we texted briefly pre-game.  I sent along typical words of encouragement — “Skate hard!” “Have fun!” “Score me a goal!” “Give 110% out there!” “Listen to your coach!” ”Keep your head up!” “Win the battles!” If it were the Boy, I’d add in “Crush somebody!” in a purely positive sense.  So I may overdo it a little.  But I really would rather be there watching and shouting all the same things from the stands or from behind the bench.  Instead, I had to try to focus on my regular job while waiting anxiously for a score to arrive on my cellphone.  Not the optimal way to experience a hockey game. The score did arrive in a text from hockey mom, about 20 mins after when I thought the game should have ended.  This was most likely because most rinks, with their metal and concrete construction, kill mobile reception.  I know this because I’m often challenged with trying to get NHL hockey scores, NFL football scores or work-related emails when the Boy or Devil are playing. What can I say? I multitask even at the arena.

The text I received said “1-0 for the bad guys”.  My heart sunk a little as you want them to win every game. The next text said “They had a good first period, a crappy second period and an ok third period.”  Followed by “She’s a little upset because the goal was scored against her line.”  And my heart sunk a little farther. I fired back with “Ah well..get them in the next one.”

I would have to go through the whole thing again a few hours later around game two, only this time the text read “2-0 for the good guys”. Ahhhh, that’s better. Now the girls have some confidence and momentum to take into the next contest.  The good thing about this tournament is they will go into a quarter-final round regardless of their round robin record. But you do want to go into those quarters with a winning record so you get a lighter opponent in your quest to move on to the next round.

Game three is starting in 10 mins against a very close rival from our league.  Funny how sometimes we will travel great distances to play in tournaments against teams that are based right around the corner from us.  But I digress.  I’ve already texted the Devil a few times this morning with the obligatory words of encouragement.  Her last to me was “Thanks. I’ll text you after the game. Love you. Bye.”  That will have to do, though I’d rather a string of shift-by-shift texts or maybe a live online video stream of the game, complete with play-by-play and colour commentary. I’d even take just an audio feed.  Maybe hockey mom was on to something.

#imahockeydad

Game three update from Windsor

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I know y’all are waiting with bated breath like I have been for the past hour and twenty minutes.  The latest text reads 2-1 Bad guys but they played very well and the goal was hers (the Devil’s that is).  On to the quarter finals at 4:45 with a record of 1-2; with both losses by 1 goal.  Anything can happen in girls hockey. I will have the fingers, toes and several other body parts crossed for a win. I’ll send along all the words of encouragement I can then wait semi-patiently to hear the outcome. Bahhhhhhhhh!

#imahockeydad

I hate missing games

Posted on by
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Hockey mom and the Devil left on a four+ hour trip to Windsor for a tournament this weekend.  I helped load the van with all of the suitcases, bags, coolers, equipment and various other paraphernalia female hockey players (and their mom’s) need to travel.  Unsurprisingly, it was a fair bit more than the Boy and I needed last weekend.  The ladies had companions for the ride, another player and her mother, so the van was loaded to the hilt with female accessories times two.  Hockey mom, seemingly travelling to a foreign land, was equipped with a stack of Google maps to get her from our driveway to the hotel, from the hotel to the rinks, from the rinks to the hotel and from the hotel to dinner and back again (I will no doubt pay for this wee sentence). And off they went on their weekend of fun and competition. 

The Boy and I were left behind because he had a practice two nights ago and has a game tonight here in town.  So far that’s meant Mucho Burrito and Big Chris BBQfor dinner the past two nights.  We are roving bachelors with unlimited options.  Last night I sat on the couch to watch the Rangers knock the Yankees out of the major league baseball playoffs (Yippee!), while the Boy played Call of Duty on Xbox Live with his hockey buddies.  Yup, we really shook it up.  We painted the town red.

Part of the problem with having two rep hockey players is they are most often going in two different directions. As such, we miss a bunch of games, which can be frustrating.  Last year, the hockey mom had an idea that someone should record and broadcast all games online (like on YouTube or something) so parents and friends who weren’t able to attend for whatever reason, could still see their kids play.  Not sure that anyone would actually pay for that service, but it’s one that I wish was available this weekend.  If I had a little capital and thought the idea might work this would be perfect job for me.  I’ve always said I just need to find a way to get someone to pay me to watch my kids play hockey.  Hell, I’d even watch other kids play hockey.

The Devil’s first game was yesterday at 10:30am so we texted briefly pre-game.  I sent along typical words of encouragement — “Skate hard!” “Have fun!” “Score me a goal!” “Give 110% out there!” “Listen to your coach!” ”Keep your head up!” “Win the battles!” If it were the Boy, I’d add in “Crush somebody!” in a purely positive sense.  So I may overdo it a little.  But I really would rather be there watching and shouting all the same things from the stands or from behind the bench.  Instead, I had to try to focus on my regular job while waiting anxiously for a score to arrive on my cellphone.  Not the optimal way to experience a hockey game. The score did arrive in a text from hockey mom, about 20 mins after when I thought the game should have ended.  This was most likely because most rinks, with their metal and concrete construction, kill mobile reception.  I know this because I’m often challenged with trying to get NHL hockey scores, NFL football scores or work-related emails when the Boy or Devil are playing. What can I say? I multitask even at the arena.

The text I received said “1-0 for the bad guys”.  My heart sunk a little as you want them to win every game. The next text said “They had a good first period, a crappy second period and an ok third period.”  Followed by “She’s a little upset because the goal was scored against her line.”  And my heart sunk a little farther. I fired back with “Ah well..get them in the next one.”

I would have to go through the whole thing again a few hours later around game two, only this time the text read “2-0 for the good guys”. Ahhhh, that’s better. Now the girls have some confidence and momentum to take into the next contest.  The good thing about this tournament is they will go into a quarter-final round regardless of their round robin record. But you do want to go into those quarters with a winning record so you get a lighter opponent in your quest to move on to the next round.

Game three is starting in 10 mins against a very close rival from our league.  Funny how sometimes we will travel great distances to play in tournaments against teams that are based right around the corner from us.  But I digress.  I’ve already texted the Devil a few times this morning with the obligatory words of encouragement.  Her last to me was “Thanks. I’ll text you after the game. Love you. Bye.”  That will have to do, though I’d rather a string of shift-by-shift texts or maybe a live online video stream of the game, complete with play-by-play and colour commentary. I’d even take just an audio feed.  Maybe hockey mom was on to something.

#imahockeydad