Biohazard and Piranha Weekend

I started off playing defense for Biohazard. We had 7 skaters for the game. I played really well. I figured I was going to play the whole game because of the few players, and conditioning our players, but I was probably on the bench more than most. That’s fine because I got to go all out when I was out there.

I made a few good passes, but a lot of what I was doing was getting the puck out of the zone. I’ve really started to like using behind the net. I would pick up the puck, take a quick look, and launch it into the opposite corner. As the game went on, I gained some more confidence, and really started pushing it. I would jump up on the rush and help out. Other times I would stay back and be a bit more conservative. I did better as the game went on. I would read plays in the offensive zone, and pick off passes. It was just natural to me. I would pick up the puck off the boards regularly, and just make a subtle move from side to side and shake an attacker. It was weird being able to dance through players.

In the second, I would intercept a pass at the blue line. I took a second to look on who to pass to. The corner? Covered. Across? It would get picked off for a rush. In the slot? Too much traffic. I took a small step in and saw a big hole for the goalie. I leaned into it and shot top left corner. The traffic in front distracted the goalie and I saw the net jump and knew it was in. Felt awesome. It gave us a 2-1 lead, and in the third, we mostly clogged the neutral zone and just kept it out of our zone. It ended up in no goals against, and we’d win 3-1.

Sunday night 9 skaters against a team we can beat, but we had only one of our regular defensemen. I jumped back and pulled back someone who I’ve played with D before as well, hoping to reignite some chemistry there. In the first period we were probably outplayed. But we outlasted them. We just needed some time in their zone, and fast because our blue line was getting tired. We had a guy show up late and it helped a ton. That’s when we started really getting moving.

I made some silly moves to start the second, such as changing on a 3 on 1 against. But then I calmed down. I had one great shot from the blue line off the face off that was just a couple of inches off the ice, hoping that someone could get there for the rebound, but it went between the goalies leg pads and just bounced a little bit for an easy cover for him.

I started jumping up on the rush to get 2 on 1s, I carried the puck end to end, looking for passes, and it worked because of our short bench and our centers would stay back. After the game, one of them said to me they were happy to do it because they were exhausted. Playing defense with one other full pairing is actually a less intense night than any night I’ve had with the Piranhas or Biohazard this season. Or maybe I’m just in better condition than I’ve been all year.

All night, I knew who was coming at me, and their strengths. It is an advantage of playing the same teams and players every year. I know their tendencies and what is coming next, so I like to use that to my advantage.

In the second period, I would jump up on the power play, get in real tight, and see no options to pass or shoot. I saw a winger joining me getting close. I put a low shot on, hoping for a rebound, and sure enough the rebound went right to the winger, and he didn’t get all of the puck, but just enough for it to gently slide across the line and in. I was thrilled for the guy to get his first goal in a while.

We’d go to overtime. 40 seconds into overtime, I stood up a player carrying the puck. I just stopped and he ran into me. I got called for interference. I’m still not sure why. I took my time getting to the box, hoping to run out some of the penalty because it was running clock, but the time keeper wasn’t running it. It is one of those gamesmanship things you do. If you can make the actual play time of being shorthanded less, then you do it.

We killed the penalty, I jumped on the bench, and then our goal scorer would assist on the game winning goal to another player who hasn’t scored much lately. I was thrilled for both of them. I was happy for the whole team since we won last week too, and it has been a while since the Piranhas have won back to back games.

Piranhas vs. Arsenal

I didn't get anything resembling a warm up. It was my own fault. I spent a lot of time at home stretching before coming to the rink.

The first few shifts of the game, my line did really well. We got the puck deep, and kept possession. I was playing with two players I normally never get to play with, and one was usually a d-man. I had a really good jump to my game early on. Our team would dump the puck in for a change, and their defense man would slowly go back to get it. I'd bet him to the puck and gain possession, but before I could get a handle, I'd stumble  and not much would happen. This continued, and it forced the goalie to make some bad decisions that lead to scoring chances. Early on, I noticed I was able to control a few faceoffs. In a draw in our own end, I was able to have my wingers line up in the slot, and I shot right as the puck was dropped.  The goalie was beatable.

At the end of the first we were down 4-1. In the second we really started to click. There was a good 90 seconds where our team was able to cycle the puck, and get scoring chances. It was exhausting for both sides. We were able to get a goal after I won a faceoff to the winger in the middle. He shot, I tapped at it to put it in but it got deflected somehow and went in from the rebound from my shot. The official gave me credit for the goal, but I think it was the winger. That same shift, he and I had a 2 on 2. I acted like I was going to pass to him, but used the defense man as a screen, and silently slid the puck through his legs, and the goalie barely saw it and it went in. Two goals in one shift. I'm really liking that play where I have the option to pass and I do the no look shot.

I had a battle in the corner in the offensive zone, where as I was falling to the ice, I saw a forward in blue right in front of the goalie. I made a very lucky pass and got it to him, but he fanned on the shot. I also had a couple of good passes to my defense man in the offensive zone, but not many solid outlet passes. Defensively, I didn't do much, but I didn't make mistakes. Overall, one of the better games I've played this season. The team played very well, but we lost 5-3. We didn't get enough quality shots in my opinion.

Summer 2015 Regular Season Review

When I look back at the summer season, there wasn’t that much growth for me. I had a lot of problems off the ice, and I still haven’t regained my focus from that. It never ceases to amaze me how mentally prepared for the game I need to be to perform at my best.

At the start of the season, I questioned if I would be able to handle a second team in addition to the Piranhas. I joined the Moose with the knowledge that I have already played with a few of those players. If I had to take time away for a bit, I knew they would understand. I also knew I needed to be on the ice a lot this summer to have something to look forward to.

I started off the season thinking, “Man, this is going to continue how I left off last season…” playing well. The moose to me looked completely dominant, and the Piranhas were solid.  I scored an important and pretty goal for the Piranhas against the Aces that would draw some attention from quite a few players on both sides. By flipping it gently over the goalies leg pad and having it come down in the goal but without hitting the back of the net.

I would then miss a long string of Moose games because of injuries, personal problems, and one even because of the weather. I stopped my training, my diet was poor, and I generally just stopped taking care of myself.  I would make it worse two days before with the Piranhas, and then not be ready for The Moose. It was not a good pattern. I hit that skid, and just did my best to not be a liability on the ice. Normally in a scenario such as this, I would force myself to be disciplined and get back on the right track, but instead, I gave myself a break.

My typical fire and jump in my step would come and go for about a month, then would come back. I rejoined the Moose. I had a two goal game against the Shooters, where one I was skating full speed, batted the puck out of the air and into the goal, without hitting the back of the net, and another no look, fast shot along the ice that the goalie never saw coming because I used his own defensemen as a screen. I’d have another goal against the Shooters where I walk from the corner, through three of their skaters, across the slot, and then score that I will never forget. I was feeling really positive about my play, despite not being in my best physical condition. I started playing with confidence – carrying the puck into the slot, successfully performing moves that that I had only tried in practices. But I hit a small slump the last few games, playing with hands of stone, and still not being conditioned as well as I’d like.

Aside from a few highlight worthy goals, this summer regular season didn’t do much for me. The Moose would finish first in their division, and the Piranhas would finish second in their division.  Both teams have an excellent shot at their championships. But for the playoffs, I’m going to focus more on mental preparation than physical. I don’t think the conditioning will improve enough to make a difference, but if I have my focus, I can be a difference maker.

Coyotes vs. Honey Badgers

I knew this was going to be a difficult game. The Coyotes had too many players dressed, many hadn't been on the ice in a while, and our opponents had been on the ice twice a week as a team. That said, I was 100% ready, focused, and prepared to get the win.

I was immediately strong and aggressive. I clogged up their entry into our zone. I had to actually hold back as I didn't want to take a roughing penalty. Playing on the Coyotes is difficult because our opponents' individual skill levels vary so greatly. I don't want to lean on a player who can barely stand on their skates.

That hesitation would come back to bite me later. I would pinch in, and the puck would come out of their zone for a 2 on 1. I came back as hard as I could. My defensive partner got beat but it was ok because I was there to put pressure on the puck carrier. I went to knock the puck away, missed and he scored. Had I played it the way I would at a higher level, I would have attempted to bump him off balance, and the puck would have just kept sliding. I was not happy with myself.

Later that period, I would get the puck on the blue line. There was no traffic in front of the net, no forward to pass to because they all had their backs to me. I skated in a bit looking for a shooting attempt. I would be cut off. I saw the winger  with his back to me wide open. I knew I could bounce it off the wall in front of him, have the puck come back to right in front of him. So I shot it against the wall as hard as I could right in front of him. He saw this, picked it up and shot. The rebound went to the other side, where the other winger was able to easily put it in. One assist for me down.

Because of having too many guys, I basically took most of the second period off. I would play center in the third. Playing with a full bench means extremely short shifts for me, which I did. I need to slow down with the puck. I think I will handle it much better. I didn't carry it in as well as I would like.

A few shifts into the period, I fore checked in, clogged the puck along the wall, and then kicked it into the corner. Allowing my winger to dig along the wall with it. He slid it behind the net, to the other corner. I went to chase it down, but saw the other winger there ready for it. I went to just between the circle and the crease. I saw it kicked out and I was able to circle, see that no one was between me and the goalie from about 8 feet out. I shot it up and beat him top near side. One goal down in addition to my previous assist.

I liked how I played. I played hard, I saw my players open for passes, and moved the puck well. I was able to read the play very well, and make a big difference for our team, especially on the scoreboard. I would like to start carrying the puck more, but I'll start working on that in my training sessions.

The Coyotes would lose 5-4. This is a tough loss for the Coyotes.

HNA Finals - Piranhas - 2013

I drove into Toronto Thursday. I never left the US, so driving across the border myself was exciting for me, but it turned out to be really uneventful. I was the first Piranha in Toronto Thursday evening because of delayed flights. I stretched my legs, got a bite to eat and relaxed in bed until some others got in. A few of them wanted to go out right as they got in because they were hungry. I joined them, and got to bed at about 2:00. I had breakfast in the hotel, and a lunch at a Greek place. The first game was early Friday evening.

It was decided earlier in the day because of a lack of bodies, that someone would have to jump back to play defense. I was that guy. I was more nervous than anything because I had only a couple of games at this level playing defense, and these were the best teams of this level.  I was going to play with Jimmy, a good friend, and a player I've watched play defense regularly for a while now.

Game 1 - Toronto

I had started out very nervous but acted just as if I was playing on the Coyotes. I made sure to keep my shifts very short, and would do so all weekend. I think it worked out better because my forwards were more talented than the Coyote forwards. I could trust them a little bit more, and not have to worry about a turnover. At about the middle of the second period, I was playing very well, and said to myself that I was playing well, and I should capitalize on it. I tried carrying the puck more, pinched a few times, and it seemed to work out for the best. I was able to get the puck deep, get a scoring chance, and join the rush. I had to be aware because this team had their two best players hanging out at the red line for an easy break away. They got no one on one chances. There was one where I was caught flat footed, and he skated right past me at my blue line. I hooked him to the ice as hard as I could, hauled him to the ice, and got called for a penalty. I'll take it.

I was reading the play well as it is much more predictable than a Coyote game. It lead to multiple keep ins, and shots/passes from the point. One actually tipped off my center's stick, so I had an assist. We would win 6-5.

That night we went out for a team dinner, then I went right to bed. It sounded as if my roommate was amused with how fast I fall asleep once my head hits the pillow. I was up the next morning getting my normal walks in, went out and grabbed some things for the team and breakfast from some coffee place.

The second game was Saturday at 1:00. An hour before the game, I grabbed my stick to retape it. I inspected it and noticed a small crack in it. I put a little stress on it, and it snapped at the crack... And just a few days after the warranty was void! I played with my backup stick, and played defense again as the team really liked me back there. It was more of the same, but less chippy and cherry picking. I continued to keep the puck in their zone, and put pucks on net. I had two goals this game - all because of traffic in front of the net. I don't have a hard wrist shot, nor were they good shots. They just were quick, quiet, and in an area of traffic. I was reminded to watch the score as I was trying to get too aggressive with a multi-goal lead. We would win again, but I can't remember the score off the top of my head.

I bought a new stick that was very close to my old one (I hated my back up). I cut it down, got it ready and tried to get ready for game 3 at 7:00 Saturday night. I couldn't do it. There wasn't enough time to eat, sleep, get a new stick, and travel.

The third game I was just exhausted. Our opponents seemed fresher, they wanted it more, and knowing we were in for Sunday, I don't think we wanted the victory as much as they did. I tried to battle my hardest, and played mediocre. Jimmy and I had had multiple miscommunications, were conflicting with each other, and so forth. Mostly because I didn't have the energy to think. We would lose this game.

I got back to the hotel, ate something and went right to bed because game 4 was at 9:00 am Sunday. I didn't sleep well. I woke up angry, unrested, and just sluggish.  I felt better once the game got going. I felt this team was just as good as the Piranhas, minus one player. I tried to focus on him, but he was deceivingly good. I'd try to knock him off the puck, tie him up, or take away his pass and didn't do so successfully. We were saved by goal posts a lot, and we had a couple of ugly goals, to be up 2-0 after the first. Then we were up 3-0. Then I made a huge mistake. Their top player came down the middle of the ice. I went to take the puck from him, and tripped him. Our opponents would score on their resulting power play. They didn't let up after that, and I became more stupid with my aggression, and didn't have the success I needed to make a difference. I felt I still played above average for me, but the other team was just more skilled. We would lose, and be eliminated from the tournament, in the semi-finals.

The team went back to the hotel, cleaned up, and some of us went to lunch before I started my drive home. What was funny was I drove home, while others were going to fly. I still made it home before them - but they got to spend more time in Toronto than me.

The tournament was a blast, and I obviously left out a lot. I can't wait until next year. Pictures to be posted later.

Piranhas vs. Chaos

All night, I had an issue with my skating. I was very cold, and uncomfortable on my skates. It showed. I couldn't make a tight turn without falling or losing stability. I lead to a couple of dropped pucks falls face first into the wall. 

This game was rough. The two teams are not very fond of each other. I feel I skate better in those scenarios because my head is up and I'm in a more intense state mentally. 

On the PK, I could recognize that the opposing d-men were quite lazy. I'm not sure if they were tired, or just had a long shift. A d-man dumped the puck into their zone, and the goalie came out and played it. I had momementum, so I went in full blast, knowing that the other forward on the PK could handle it if I got burned. The goalie made a crappy pass to the defensemen who was lazy picking it up. I was able to knock it away from him, scramble and gain possession. As soon as I gained possession, I saw my center going in. I blindly backhanded it towards the net and then went back to play defense, and let him take care of the forecheck. But he was able to get my rebound and put it in. Our hard work and their laziness lead to that goal.

I was covering for the defenseman who pinched when the puck came out and went right through my legs. A Chaos player picked it up and was on a break away. I skated as hard as I could, but I had no power in my right leg. I kept trying to tap his stick to throw him off but it didn't work. I would dive out to take away as many options as I could, thinking if I looked for a trailer, I wouldn't be able to properly pick him up. I tapped the puck away, taking away the initial chance. He turned, and tried to pass it into the slot but it hit my stick. I tried to handle the puck with my shaft, but he was able to get it past me, and to the other forward and a goal was scored. I feel I did all I could without just sitting at home playing conservative.

At somepoint, I was paired with a different winger. While cycling, I saw him in the left corner, while I was  in the left circle. I passed him the puck and skated across to the slot. He made an amazing pass, and the goalie was lost. I had all of the net and as able to bury it. Too bad the game was already over at that point.

I had a few good scoring chances, a couple of scrambles and lots of effort. Positionally I liked my game. statistically I loved it. Realistically, I didn't skate well. But I'm happy with the results.

Piranhas vs. Ice Bears

I've felt somewhat burned out by hockey in the past few weeks, which is why I have not written lately. Priorities have also just made it take a back seat.

I've taken a little bit bigger of a role in terms of leadership on the Piranhas lately. It has helped me develop a lot of confidence in myself, knowing that others have confidence in me as well. They may not have confidence in my game, or organization, or influence in the locker room, but I really haven't heard anyone complain about it - which means I'm doing at least one of those things right.

Tonight I got to act as captain. Kind of an interesting way about doing things. I've always noticed that my favorite leaders (including other things but hockey) have always just taken charge. They've said "We're going to do X," and go with it. I actively tried to do this. The clearest case was during a penalty kill, when the lines were out of order because of odd numbers, and then we temporarily lost a player to replace their contact lens. I set up the next line (which included me). I then specifically assigned the task to a forward not going out to set up the line for the shift after. My thought process is that some of those guys may be more tired than the others, the player may return, etc.  It worked well. We didn't have any scramblings on the bench, missed shifts, or too many men penalties - which is a success in my book.

Onto the game. We were playing the Ice Bears. The Coyotes played them last week, and lost in overtime. I took it hard as I felt it was my fault that we lost. I made four big bone head plays that resulted in goals against, and I didn't contribute at all on offense. This set me up to be extra motivated this game.I know the Piranhas were much more talented than their team, but I still feel the need to play hard.

My first shift was ok.  We spent the entire shift in their zone. All three forwards worked well to keep possession of the puck and keep it away from the opponents. We moved the puck. We took good shots. We were moving in the right areas - it is a good thing. We came off the ice, and I was tired. Second shift was more of the same, but we were setting up in a better triangle, which meant more shots. I was set up in the slot, stick on the ice. The center whipped it towards me, but it got caught up in a defensemen's skates. I was able to pick it clean and get a shot off. I fell to my knees, and the rebound came right back about four feet from me. I was able to reach on my backhand from my knees and slid it through the goalie's legs as he was still on the ice. It wasn't ALL luck, as I knew his leg pads were open based on the angle of his leg on the ice. It gave us a 1-0 lead.

From there, I took a lot of beatings. At one point I was off balance, and caught a stick in my back, which got called as a cross check. I knew it was probably accidental, as I've never seen this team play dirty, but the way it felt was curious to me. I made sure I knew who did it, just to make a mental note. I played against him multiple times, and nothing happened as I would expect. I'm not the type of guy to go after someone.

Part of my beatings were me fighting to tie up their best player. A classic example was towards the middle of the third. Again, their best player was breaking out of their zone. I knew that there were defense men behind me who could handle him, but I elected to try and stop him myself. He embarrassed me the week before, and I'm not going to give him the chance to do that again. Any time he skated towards me, I would tie up his stick. He would skate near me, and I'd force him to make a move. If he got too close, I went in close to just try and tie him up. He knocked me over most times, but he also lost control of the puck. My favorite happened when I was covering for the d-man. He came in on me on a one on one, right down the middle. I kept my arms in, making him unaware of how far I can or cannot reach. He never made a move, so I just stopped and let him skate into me. I tried to start going forward, kept my stick on the ice on the side of his stick, and I was able to stop him. He did get a shot off, but our goalie saw it from a good distance, and it wasn't a good shot. The goalie was able to absorb it without any threat from him. I was very happy about it.

The Piranhas would win 9-1. I couldn't have been happier for the team. Our goalie played well, we moved the puck, everyone was laughing and having fun. I felt I played solid. I didn't get a lot of scoring chances, but I made some smart plays. I definitely worked hard in the corners and on the wall. I took bumps and bruises, and because of that, I can be pleased with my effort.

The Coyotes had a game the next day, but I decided to sit it out on the day of for personal reasons. I'm already exhausted and sore. I've got a flight tomorrow for a trip I still need to prepare for, and playing another game and tiring myself out doesn't seem like a smart idea. The next game I play in will be the Piranhas vs. The Coyotes. I'm really looking forward to it.

Piranhas (3-2) vs. Mastodons

I hit the ice, and I really liked how tight I could turn. I just got my skates sharpened and they felt really good. I went to do my full strides from red line to the goal line, and I felt slow as heck though. I guess it is a side effect of having skates that were so sharp.

The Mastodons are a team that come ready to play every game. It doesn't matter how much talent you have, if you don't play hard, you're not going to have a good game. What was strange though was that this was the worst I've seen them play. Nearly every chance they could, they dumped the puck. They had very little possession of the puck this game.

For me, this was one of those games where I felt that I did a lot right, and had my hand in lot of goals, despite not getting a point on the play. I would make a good play to pressure the puck carrier, keep a puck in our zone, or screen the goalie.

I did have one goal on the rebound of a rush. The center shot from the left side, and pulled the goalie way over to him. The rebound came to me, and I just had to tap it in. There was no pressure, and very little could go wrong. Very rarely do I miss an empty net from three feet out. I also had an assist at some point during the night for a two point night, but I don't remember how I got it.

In the offensive zone, I did a very good job in terms of cycling the puck, and keeping possession.  A lot of times, I didn't even look for a shot, or the other forward. I would just look to keep it deep in the zone, and go to the next position to make myself open for a pass. I also made adjustments in game, which takes me a while to do. The most obvious case was when I was entering the zone carrying the puck. I hear the center say he's got the drop pass for me, but I ignore it and shoot anyway. We gave away possession. The next period, the same play was happening. Only this time, I was able to drop the pass for him. I crashed the net, and the third forward was able to hammer home the rebound.

There was also one pass I made at the end of the third that was outstanding. I was trailing the puck carrier, just like he did to me in my previous example. I picked it up, and took my time. I could get a shot off that may get to the net, skate it in, or give it to the 3rd forward  who was breaking in with his stick on the ice. I hit the third forward with a great pass on his tape. He fired it and had a great scoring chance. He later said he didn't expect the pass.

The two things that didn't go well for me was my skating. Like I stated earlier, I was just slow. It felt like a month since my last game despite it being only five(ish) days. The other was my defense. Why would I chase a guy with my stick fully extended. I need to bring it back in, keep my balance, and keep moving my feet to keep up with him.

In the middle of the third, I also had one fore checking opportunity where I was all over the ice, raising hell for the opposition. I'd chase the puck,  and follow their pass, interrupt their defense man moving the puck, battle for it, and then just repeat multiple times. I got a little tired and sloppy after a few cycles of this though.

Overall I thought the game was above average for me, but not by much. Skating is a big part of my game, and it wasn't there.

The Piranhas would beat the Mastodons  7-3.

Piranhas (2-1) vs. Blast

I expected the Blast  to have a short bench based on their roster on the website and their record but they had a full bench. What was amazing is they had two guys that were giants. Their reach was outstanding. On a face off I lined up next to one of them, and I just felt like I didn't belong on the same rink as them based on size. It reminds me of being 12 years old playing basketball against guys who already hit puberty.

I had a hard time getting anything going. The Blast are in a higher division, but that shouldn't be an excuse. I just had no jump in my step.  They were also a lot faster, so when I was skating as fast as I could, I had a hard time even staying within a reasonable distance of their skaters on the back check.

Early on, I had a low quality shot from the wall. It is something I'm trying to do more because I feel I'm just giving up possession. I also had a good shot in the slot. The net was half open, but I didn't take my time and I shot a foot wide. Very frustrating.

There were a ton of penalties this game. Hooking, roughing, and so on. I had two penalties myself. My first penalty was iffy. I was back checking and I got my stick around his hands. It was a bad idea to do this, but where I caught the penalty was that I stopped skating. If I kept  moving my feet, it wouldn't have been a penalty. The second was during a penalty kill. One defense man went in, and I was racing back to cover the puck carrier. I hooked him fairly well, and got called for it. I wasn't too happy.

What I did do well is change. I didn't have one shift where my shift length was too long, or too short. Multiple times, I would pass off to the center, and then just go for the change - especially in the second period. It was important because when I was out there I was skating hard.

Sometime in the third, I got some time in the power play. I picked the puck up somewhere on the half wall, and got it down deep to the other winger who was in the corner. He had plenty of time, and I turned and went to the net hard. As he was about to get pressure though, he fed me the puck, I skated right across and just tapped it in.

Despite having a power play goal I felt my performance was average. I've been playing extremely well for the Piranhas, so I was due for an off game, but it is frustrating to me. I want to continue to play well. What is a big problem for me is I want to move into the Blast's division as an individual. Tonight, I had a tough time. I'm going to need to get a little better to get into that division and be an effective player.

The Fish would lose this one 4-9.

Piranhas (0-1) vs. Knights

I watched the ice being resurfaced and just sat in awe as I watched the awful ice and puddles being left behind this giant machine. I told the players to wait to hit the ice since we still had plenty of time until the puck dropped. This would let the ice freeze over and make it just a tiny bit better. It is amazing how much it helps. But instead of waiting our player just took the ice like normal.

The first few shifts, I felt it was about even for both teams. But then the Piranhas started to just sort of take control. We maintained possession and it showed. I did a ton of work right in front of the net. The defense was doing their best to move me from in front, so much so that both forwards had seemingly infinite space. With 20 seconds left on the ice, we took a face off in their zone. We lost it, and it was cleared. Our defense men rushed down, and cleared the puck. I came down, and picked up the puck at the blue line. I felt like the period was over but I kept moving. I saw the center breaking down the middle. I stopped and passed through a Knight player and put it just on the end of his stick so he could keep skating full speed. He caught it, and put it top shelf just as the buzzer sounded. I thought it was too late but the ref counted it. We went up 2-0 at the end of the first, first assist of the season.

The second period resulted in increased possession, and strong domination of the game. We made good passes and even better line changes. I continued battling in front of the  net and racing to lose pucks. I would pick up the puck along the wall, turn and take it into the circle and hit the post. It bounced right into the slot, through the crease and allow me to get a great rebound chance. I would put another shot on net and then the center would pick it up, and cycle it while I sat in front of the net. There would be a shot from a bad angle, and I found the rebound and put it in. First goal of the year.

I had a couple more shifts where I was able to battle in the corners, and make some solid passes to keep possession. On one shift, the face off was in our zone. The center won the draw back to the defense men in the corner. I decided to break towards the center of the ice. I saw that there were multiple passing lanes open from the back corner to me and that the puck carrier had seen me. I continued to skate on the red line and wait for that pass. He made it and it was tipped by the Knight defense men  I stopped, went and picked it up and turned on the jets for a break away. Unfortunately I was tripped. It should have been a penalty shot, but I drew the penalty. The power play was garbage and there was no conversion.

I would later on be covering a defense man on the point. I would pick up the puck, walk it into the slot, and flub a shot. The goalie never saw it, and it went in for my second goal of the game.

When the team was up, they moved me back to defense for the final three shifts of the game. I liked it, because it was a better team than what I'm used to playing against, but it was hard to get out of the mindset of being a forward.

I would later have another assist according to the score sheet  but I'll be honest, I don't remember it. It would equate to my second assist. So a four point game in a 12-5 game is still very good for me, as I rarely ever have two point games. I'll definitely take it.  I felt like my game was average when I came off the ice despite the point totals. But overall, I can't think of a whole lot I would or should have done differently.

Piranhas vs. Grizzlies 2012-07-02

The first game of the Piranhas' summer season. 10 regular season games with the same core that won the championship just a couple of months ago. I am really looking forward to it. Some guys are less reliable in the summer time, the ice is usually crappy, and it is less intense because there isn't a chance to go to Toronto. But staying in the parking lot after the game for a few hours is probably the best part of my summer.

I played center this game. I don't ever play center. I want to as I feel I should have the endurance to back check and I always try to play defense. These are all qualities of a good center in my opinion. Additionally, centers take the faceoff - something that just comes with time. In the past when I've played center, I've lost every draw, and I think tonight was no exception. The good thing though is that at the end of the night, they weren't winning the draw clean every time. I tried tying up the stick and just leaving the puck there for a center to come and take it. For smaller centers, I tried to just skate forward and push him away from the puck. Anyway, I need to learn how to take faceoffs, and I hope at tomorrow's Phantom Skate that I can get some advice.

I also didn't do as well as I would have liked in the defensive zone. I think I collapsed too low, acting as a third defense men. I should have stayed a little bit higher in the slot, covering that. When the opponent has the puck along the board, I need to take away passes. I didn't do that until near the end. Playing defense as a center is also different in that when the opponent skates into the slot, you never have the boards to help dictate where you want the puck carrier to go. Making him go left is bad, going right is bad. It is tougher to play physical as well because you don't have the boards there.

I did take away passing lanes though. I know this because I had about five pucks go off my chest, skate, stick, etc. And once I would get the puck, I tried to take my time and make the right play but twice I just lost it because I took too long. I think that may be part of the rust I had from not playing on a full sheet. Instead of looking for a pass, skate it. I have speed. I need to use it.

I did better as the night went on. And I think it is because of my positioning, and I wore myself out a little. The first 5 shifts, I didn't stop moving my feet at all. Even as I was stopping I felt like I was trying to move my feet to skate in the opposite direction. In the third period, I had a goal. With about 30 seconds left in the powerplay, the forwards dumped the puck in to the zone and went for a change. I got off fast, skated down into the zone, intercepted the pass at the blue line to keep it in. No one was around me, and I had a perfectly clear shot of the goalie who wasn't ready. I tried to lift it and just get it to the net. PING, left post, PING right post, and then it fell behind the goalie. It was an awesome shot and by far my prettiest goal. If I did not bend my knees more when I skated, I don't keep the puck in the zone. If I don't pull my lower hand up closer to my top hand, I don't have as hard of a shot.

The Piranhas lost 3-9 to the Grizzlies. I had one goal.

Goaldiggers Game - 2011-09-27

I kind of forgot about this game. I've had some other things going on that has prevented me from focusing a lot of energy on hockey, and that includes my blog. I have played more than a few times since the last post, so let me give you a quick overview of those. I had a good game with the Piranhas that we lost by one to be eliminated from the playoff race. It was also our final game of the season. I had a fair game for the Goaldiggers, but had some difficulties adjusting to the speed since I haven't played with them in two months. I had a good practice with the Coyotes.I had my skates sharpened at 3/8" this time and love it so far. I also took one of my chipped up sticks and painted the bottom black for a variety of reasons.

So as I stated, I didn't think about the game too much until about an hour before I left. I saw their line up, and they had a full bench of guys in my age range, meaning it was going to be a long night. To make it worse we had 8 skaters.

I tried to keep my shifts short, just because I didn't want to get caught if I could prevent it. I think the team did a good job of doing this as well considering we only had 8 skaters. We gave up two bad goals early, but for the most part, we dominated the game. Rarely did the play come into our zone.

One key part for me this game was I didn't panic with the puck. I would pick up the puck, and I took my time. I would look, and if I didn't see anything, I'd carry the puck. This is something I rarely do that I'm quite proud of. The only time I did panic was off of a face off in our own zone. We won the draw, the puck came to me and I just fired it down the ice to get it out of our zone for icing. The exact same thing happened a few seconds later, but instead I carried it.

I tried to keep pressure on the opponents the whole time. During a back check when going to lift the stick of the puck carrier, I missed, and got his skates. He went down, and the penalty was called. No arguments against it. It was a good call.

At one point I found my self playing defense while the d-man pinched. The opposing winger was coming up the middle with the puck, and judging by how he handled himself, I pinched on him. It worked out well. I was able to keep the puck in at the blue line after a good battle. Once I gained control of the puck, I was off balance, and knew pressure was on me. After a quick glance for options, I threw it right at the net through my center's legs as a screen. The goalie stopped it, but it generated a good scoring chance from just inside the blue line.

I also made a great soft pass to my team mate who was rushing up the side boards when entering the zone. I had three guys between me and the slot, saw him coming up with some speed and just softly threw it in front of him, for him to pick up and drive to the net. It generated a scoring chance, so I was happy.

My game was very good tonight, and I cannot think of one real negative part of my game. The Goaldiggers would win 6-2, proving that I cannot judge talent.

Piranhas vs. Grizzlies 2011-08-23

Tonight, the Piranhas had a different look. A few of our regular players were missing, and a few guys from past teams came back. It resulted in me playing with two players I've never played with. It was clear right off the bat that we were going to get our chances. We had a good mix of styles and passed the puck well.

On the first or second shift, I got cross checked in the arm between where the shoulder and elbow pads meet. A few days later, I still have a nice bruise. A shift or two later, we had a great scoring opportunity. With me and the center right on the doorstep, we both got chances. The center had the first rebound attempt that went off the goalie's stick. My backhand shot would hit the post and bounce behind the net. I came back to the bench knowing I would have nightmares that night.

We continued to work hard and I felt our line had an easy time exiting the defensive zone because we were a little bit faster than the defensemen. But toward the end of the first we were just getting tired. Only having nine skaters will do that to you.

In the middle of the second period, the center would shoot it right off the draw. The goalie kicked into the corner, and the defense was clearly unsure of what to do. I was able to race into the corner, pick it up turn and look. They were unsure who was supposed to cover me, so I had a second to take a look. I saw the other winger just sitting at the top of the crease. I passed it as hard as I could past the goalie and put it right onto his tape, giving him an easy tip in goal. That was how it was all night for us. We'd get chances right in front of the goalie, and made the most of them. At the end of the second period, I would hit another post from about seven feet out that came back out into the slot, but we lost control.

We'd go on to let in some goals that shouldn't have gone in. This frustrated me and the entire team. I believe the combination of us not playing together regularly, and only having nine skaters contributed to this part of our team's performance.

By the third, I was exhausted. I felt better than I did last week, but still wasn't 100%. I had a hard forecheck that would result in me capturing the puck, but with no options on where to go, and no energy, I gave up control myself. I'd also have a small break away, losing energy at the blue line, but I took my time, and focused on taking a correctly placed shot. Unfortunately, the goalie would put his glove on it.

I noticed with the Piranhas that I get the puck below the goal line a lot. When this happens, I always pass. I go right into the slot, or occasionally a defensemen. But it never provides solid scoring chances, and often times, it causes the puck to quickly leave our zone and cause odd man rushes against us. Tonight, I had this type of situation. There was no reliable pass, and I noticed that I had no pressure on me. Instead of taking the pass, I walked right into the crease and just tried to stuff it home. It didn't work, but we got a decent scoring chance.

Midway through the third I would have another backhand attempt, similar to the first one I had where I hit the post. I got a good shot off and I didn't hit the post! Instead I hit the cross bar. For the third time tonight, I hit metal. It amazes me that I hit metal so often. I know when there's no goalie in net I aim for the posts, so I would think my shot is decently accurate, but still, you think I'd be able to hit the back of the net.

In a face off in their zone, the center lost the draw, but the puck just laid in the circle. I stepped in front of the defensemen and blindly backhanded it towards the goalie, knowing that it would at least get there. I look up, and see it in the back of the net. Of all the chances I had tonight, I'd say this is the one that should not have had any chance at going in, but it does. That's how it works some times.

We would lose 5-2 or something like that. I had an assist and a goal. I had multiple scoring chances. I'm learning more about the Piranhas weaknesses, and adjusting my game to compensate for them and it is working at times. I'm pleased with how I played. I should have had at least one more goal though. The ice was a bit slow, but way better than last week to me at least. What is clear is I need to be in better physical condition for when the team is shorthanded, like the Piranhas always are.

Goaldiggers Game - 2011-07-17

I got into the locker room and noticed right away that everyone was fired up. I wasn't surprised. I cannot think of anyone who didn't know someone who was sitting watching the game. Summer time, early Sunday game, no rain, and a barbeque after the game will do that. I even had my sister and brother in law watching.

Right from the get go, everyone was skating hard. We scored 30 seconds into the game. My own first shift was a very good one for me. I had gotten a few good chances in the crease, and was able to outwork a couple of opponents along the boards. The entire night, everyone on our team was determined to help the team get the win. A couple of dumb mistakes would cause us to give up a few chances, but we kept playing. I was pleased with how I was playing. I was not panicking with the puck, I was making good choices.

I could have stayed on my point a little better, but not doing so did help us draw a penalty. As I was going below the dot, trying to tie up the skater's stick he would lift my stick and eventually grab it. Once he no longer had the puck, and I tried to get back up high but he grabbed my stick. Luckily the ref saw it and called the penalty.

The worst feeling though was when our d-man was bringing the puck up through the neutral zone and I just couldn't get out of his way. That was really frustrating to me. What's worse was that it directly caused a goal against. The team though kept playing extremely well. We'd go back and forth for a little bit.

I was able to read into the play a little bit and got myself set up for a nice breakaway. Unfortunately, their quickest skater was able to disrupt the shot before I could get it off. The fact that I was able to recognize that I had the opportunity to create that chance though made me very pleased. We'd then score a goal in close that would tie the game. I would try and keep up some speed through the neutral zone. I was able to catch the pass and have an odd man rush. I'd take my shot as hard as I could and it snuck past to give us another quick goal and the lead. I know I didn't get all of it, but I thought it had been a decent shot for me at least. Even if it wasn't, I'll take it. Sometimes the ones that should go in don't, and the ones that should go in do. Hopefully it evens out in the end.

Through the entire game we said just get shots. I try and do that every game. When I don't, I lose opportunities, and just get frustrated. I always try and put the puck into key areas. Being able to skate with the puck a few seconds more is making a huge difference for me.

The two quick goals our team scored brought a big boost to us, and really deflated the other team. While on the forecheck, I was able to break up a pass and my center was able to come down, pick up the puck and get a solid shot on goal.

We'd end up getting the winning goal with about 90 seconds left. It was an exciting finish. From my angle, the guy who would end up scoring the goal from about 7 feet from the net, took his time and was able to just put it past the goalie in an incredible display of patience. To see our bench get excited, as well as hear our family and friends cheer just added to the victory.

2011 USA Hockey Adult Classics - Kalamazoo

The Goaldiggers participated in a USA Hockey tournament in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I was looking forward to this one because I really like this team, and I needed a break from life in general. We brought most of our squad, but were still a little short handed, having only 4 defensemen, and 6 forwards.


The drive up was easy for me because I had to take the dog to my parents, which was about half way. I spent some time with my parents, and then had another hour and half drive up to the hotel. I miss the long drives with nothing but hockey on my mind. It really helped me focus.
I got to the hotel, relaxed with the team for an hour or two and went to the rink, less than a quarter mile from the hotel. We were playing in Wings Stadium. The Kalamazoo K-Wings play there I believe. Seating about 5,000 people, it reminded me of my first hockey game that I watched which took place in that rink. I never played in a rink that big, and with so many advertisements everywhere. The ice was awful because of how fast we had to get on the ice after the resurfacing. What was interesting to me was how the seats made a huge difference. They were black, so when the puck would go above the boards, you couldn't find it. It is something I guess I take for granted. It was also interesting to see how much tension was in the net. You always see pros shoot the puck so hard that it hits the back of the net and bounces out before it hits the ice. Those nets were so tight that the puck flew out even on my shot!

The team we played was very good. They knew how to play hockey and play positional hockey. If a defensemen went in, the winger came out and covered for them. It really helped me realize how important it is to be able to play all positions. But their cycle was great. They had a variety of shots right in the slot, and our goalie stood on his head. We lost the game 6-3.

After that game, we had the night to ourselves, and the team went out drinking. Probably not the greatest idea, but that's the game. I got up late the next day, feeling dehydrated and just awful. No food, little water, tired, no shower. I wasn't very fresh. I hate playing that early in my day. It was clear that our entire team wasn't ready for the game. Most were hung over, and not skating. I tried my best to keep up, and cover for my team who weren't ready. The other team was just a pure hockey team. They were fast, talented, strong, had great team work, and ultimately just a good group of guys. Not one of our players had a complaint about them. I felt that I was better this game. My skating was solid, my endurance was there, no tightness, but my lack of speed and strength made me useless against the opponents. I couldn't clear the puck, I couldn't get a shot off only because they were on me so bad. We lost 8-0.

The team was relatively silent after that game. Perhaps they were tired, but after how we were handled the first two games, it was clear we were in the wrong division. I believe we were just bummed about the hockey in general. We had a team lunch, and I went back to the hotel, and took a nap. Most of the team went drinking.

I went into the third game in less than 24 hours ready. I had a clear mind, was well hydrated, well rested. The rest of the team was hammered. One player got ready for the game and was almost ready to hit the ice when he realized he forgot to put on his pants. In the game he would later go into a Gretzky pose and fall over. I myself felt I played very well. I was a little gassed towards the end, as I still feel I am not conditioned for this yet. I had one solid hit on a player to get the puck out of the zone, and broke up a couple of decent passes. In the second, I scored a goal from the high slot. I had used the defensemen as a screen and put it through his legs, and then it went right through the goalies legs. I was a little surprised it went in. I was hoping to just get it to the net, and have a crashing forward get the rebound, but I'll take the goal. It believe it was the start of a 3 goal run for us within a few minutes, so that was nice. The other team started making a comeback. I made a great defensive play to tie up a center man sitting in the slot about to get a shot off, with the goalie out of position that would have made it 5-4. But instead, we would go on to win 6-3.

Going 1-2 in the weekend isn't good, but considering the players we were playing against, and blood alcohol content level of the team, I think we did ok. It was an amazing experience, and really unique playing in an actual stadium. I'll have a variety of posts over the next few days about the trips, but this is just about the games.

Ironman Tournament

I felt kind of rushing getting to the rink. It was requested that I get there an hour before the game, but between the dog, and getting a nap in, it didn't happen. Still, I was the 3rd guy there, so I didn't feel bad about showing up when I did.

It turns out, I've only played with the goalie. One guy was the teacher from a class I was in, another guy I practiced with once or twice in the past, and the other two, I've never met. None of us have ever really played together so I expected us to have chemistry problems.

We had four games, all evenly spaced apart, so we were not waiting too long, and never hitting the ice really fast. Six teams meant we didn't face one of them. This year, they mixed all of the divisions, and genders because they didn't have enough sign ups. This meant that frequently I'd be playing against females.

The first game I watched, I felt we may have had a good chance at beating both teams.

I knew our team was more talented than last year, and I'm always optimistic. Our first game gave us no reason to not be optimistic. We won 4-0, and the other team didn't have any shots. It was nice to just see how each other works, and their abilities. Our D jumped up towards the end as they started to get bored. I burned myself out early, forgetting about subs and I had three other games that night. My first goal, I was coming up the left wing, and pushing the d-man back. I had tried to slow up to give up a pass, but I said forget it, and just shot it. I had a great shot from about 20-25 feet out, and it went in short side. I was surprised it went in, as I didn't get as much on it as I wanted. It was good for my confidence though. The second goal, I pounded in from right at the top of the crease after the other winger through it on net.

Our second game was a bit of a blow out. They were good friends with the goalie, I had played with a few of them before, so they knew each other's weaknesses. We lost 5-1, but it could have been worse. There was a lot of good joking around and such, so once they became in control, we were just out there to have fun. I played fairly well, and kept my head up as I knew there was a lot of drinking going on all night as well as tired players.

I didn't know much about our third team, and I easily got confused about their players to watch. They beat us, but I believe that had our team not been so exhausted, we would have beat them. With about 10 seconds left, down by one, I knocked the puck out of our zone, and raced up the boards trying to tie it up. My goal was just forward, and cut to the middle to bang the goal in. I thought I had gotten past the defenseman, when all of a sudden, I got hammered into the boards harder than I can remember. I was fine, but I fell to the ice the puck and my stick kept going, and I saw the clock with about 8 seconds left, took a look where the winger and center was, and knew that the game was over. It was definitely a checking penalty, but because of the nature of the tournament, it wasn't called. I didn't play as well as I could have.

Our fourth game, I felt I lost for our team. We tied 2-2, but I feel both of their goals were on me. We were up 2-0, and I know our team was gassed. I knew I had nothing left when in our D zone, I had the puck. I through it up towards the center of the blue line, where I didn't see anyone to just get it out, and maybe an icing. The puck came out but then a player brought it in. I saw it go out and the referee was behind me. It lead to a goal, but still, I should have made a better choice. If it wasn't clear enough to leave the zone, then it wasn't the right play. The second goal was scored while I was still at their blue line because I was too lazy/tired to get back.

Two goals and an assist isn't bad, but I needed to be in better shape. I really showed how bad my conditioning was tonight, and it was embarrassing. I was too stupid and burned myself out after the first game.

I had a blast though, and can't wait for next year. I will be in better shape, and better prepared.

Goaldiggers Playoff Game 2011-04-25

I went into this Goaldiggers playoff game a little unsure of How I'd play. I haven't played much in the past month for some personal reasons, but was still excited to be there. We were playing against a team that I know we were better, so I expected to win.

I read back on some of my posts and noticed when I come back from not playing for a while that I get soft. I become paranoid of getting hurt, and once I make some contact, I play better. With it being a playoff game, I'd have to step it up a little bit. My second shift, I put a guy into the boards as hard as I could, which still wasn't enough to get a penalty. We battled for the puck for a good 5 seconds before it got loose and I got hit in the face with an elbow. I was wearing my cage, but it was enough of a jolt for me to bite my cheek and draw blood.

In the second period, behind their net, I lost a puck battle along the boards against two opponents. Still skating, one of their players tripped over my stick which was down the whole time anyway, and cried about not getting a call for a little bit. The defensemen kept the puck in and then I gave the player that tripped over my stick a small jab in the skates, trying to make him a little paranoid or maybe even bait him into taking a penalty. He knew what I was doing, gave me a small shove and then I skated off as I saw the ref closely watching us.

In the third, we had a three on two down the ice, the puck came over to me. I settled it down, and just fired it short side as hard as I could about 10 feet away from the net. Just as I got the shot off, A defensemen attempting to block it came sliding by and tripped me and I went flying. As I was falling, I saw it hit the goalie. I hit the ice, hear the whistle, and get up. The other team is crying about the penalty, but then I noticed everyone was going to center ice. I didn't realize the puck had gone in. So that's a good note for tonight.

We then tied it at 3. I spent my time fore checking very hard putting a lot of pressure on players. I noticed there were a handful I was faster than, but not fast enough to get around them and their protecting of the puck.

At the end of the third, tied, we were in their zone. The d-man got the puck and tried to skate down low with the puck. A bigger guy, I tried to get in his way, and knock the puck off his stick. Somehow he got around me and my arm and his stick got tangled up. He kept yanking on it and nearly tore my arm off. I let him go to avoid a penalty, and he walked into the slot and scored what would be the game winner.

I felt I played poorly because of conditioning, and rust. I played hard and Am sore all over. I felt I would have done a lot better tonight had I been working on my balance and strength. It wouldn't feel as bad as it does though if my guy didn't score the game winner. It is really starting to eat at me.