Goaldiggers Playoffs - Semi-Finals - 2010-12-20

Second night in a row of Goaldigger hockey - very intense hockey at a higher level. I made some quick skate changes after last game because I broke the lace lock, but that's a different post.

Last game I felt that our d-men pinched way too much - but that is our team's game. This game made yesterday's game less extreme. We were short staffed on the blue line, and still they continued to jump up. At the same time, even by bringing it up with speed, we as a team had a hard time keeping the puck in our own zone.

Me, I didn't make too much of a difference in the game. I worked harder this game than the night before, and got my nose dirty a little bit in the corners. I had won a small battle in the neutral zone to keep the puck in their end, but with the size and skill of the guys against me, it is no surprise that the entire team was prepared for me to lose the battle.

I had another battle in the same spot almost that resulted in me putting a player on his wallet, but I still lost the battle to another guy who came in and helped.

My passing and recognition is getting better. Last night I was able to recognize the other winger streaking up the middle towards the end of my shift. There was a player between us but I could see how he was balanced and had a good opening between his feet and stick. I was able to slide it between him, and put it slightly ahead of my team mate. Unfortunately, it was a bit too far out ahead.

My main goal tonight was to go out, and skate hard every shift, and make some more contact with the opponent. I feel I did just that, so I guess it was a good game for me, despite the fact that I felt mostly invisible. The one thing I did forget though is that when you're skating hard, at the end of your shift, you're going to lose any battle to a fresh guy, despite their talent level. Line changes need to be fast and frequent, and I needed to be better about that.

The Goaldiggers lost the game and were eliminated from the playoffs. They just weren't a more talented team than the group of players we played against. Players from both side lost their composure at times, and they had better legs, and more talent. The team as a whole played well.

Just have to prepare for next season - which starts in like 2-3 weeks.