Coyotes vs. Bulldogs

I wasn't feeling very good going into the game. The third game in four nights, and being sore from a lack of sleep doesn't hint at a successful game. What made the decision for me heading into the game is a lack of skaters, and playoff hopes on the line.

I was thrilled to be playing with my Defensive partner because when we do play together, we think very similarly. We compliment each other's game well and we always try to communicate.

Right off the bat I felt tight. I couldn't get going and the team was flat. Usually getting some emotion in the game helps me out with that, and I like to do that with speed and aggression. Against this team, I can be as aggressive as I want as I'm faster than any guy they have - when I'm healthy.

The problem though is that despite being faster, there is a chance I can read the play wrong, or get beat. There are certain guys who once I get beat, I cannot catch up to.  That's where I like my partner in these games. He allows me to be that aggressive player and push forward. I think all things considered I was too aggressive last night.

I was not playing my position because I felt I was being lazy. In my mind, if I'm not working hard, and getting a good sweat, I'm being lazy. I didn't have that good sweat and heartbeat going because it was slower than what I'm accustomed to.

I do feel I played smart though, especially in the second and third periods. Because our team was exhausted, I made sure to lift the puck high and get it on the glass a lot to get it out of the zone. It worked out a lot - except for one time at the end, but more on that later. The Coyotes came out so flat footed that we had no offensive chances in the first 10 minutes. The first rubber that the opposing goalie saw was from me when I flipped it into the zone as high as I could on net. I had a few chances where I would actually join the rush, trying to get some scoring chances because I had way more momentum than the forward.

I read the Bulldog break out extremely well, picking off probably five or six passes over the night, but I got burned just as many because I would miss  the puck or something. It generated a lot of chances, and allowed me to help keep the puck in their zone.

At one point I was chasing down a puck in my zone, with plenty of time. I skated forward, mishandled, but didn't know. A bulldog knocked it into the corner, and I was very nervous about it because I hate it when I mess up and a scoring chance happens because of it. I turned, saw the situation with him along the boards, and it was a bigger guy. I wanted to pin him against the boards because I was probably more agile than him and could get control of the puck before him. I did just that, and probably a little rougher than I should have been. I heard the official yell "Play the puck." I immediately stopped, and started putting the puck on the wall. We battled for a good three seconds, but then I was able to lift it out of the zone. He wasn't happy and gave me a small slash on the skates after that. I ignored it.

I also carried the puck in front of the goalie again. This time though it was 5-8 feet outside of the crease, but still unacceptable. I realised it, and just iced it. I didn't care  because it was one of those things where you realize you're making a mistake, now how do you correct it?

We were up 3-2 in the final few minutes of the game. with about 90 seconds left, I had the puck in the neutral zone, with no clear pass. My thought was to dump it and play conservative. I flipped it into the air, and a guy was able to jump up and bat it down. No one was prepared for it because it was well above his head. Luckily no chance was generated from that.

We won the game 3-2, with 10 skaters - a number I like, but short for the Coyotes. I was +2, with a few shots, and helped generate a lot of offense. I made too many aggressive mistakes and didn't play positional hockey.

Pictures from Coyotes vs. Bulldogs

Coyotes (2-0) vs. Bulldogs

The Coyotes were in pretty high spirits before the game. I think it had to do with them getting their new jerseys. They are without a doubt - awesome. But there was a lot of banter and chatting between players between warm ups.

Right off the bat, I recognized that the Bulldogs had two skaters that I had not seen before. I was warned to watch for one of them. These two players were also cherry picking. I did my best to reduce their cherry picking, and be prepared for them. I did a fairly good job of it from what I can remember. Where I got burned was I pinched more than once that night. And sure enough, I'd be in the circle, and they'd get the puck outside of the zone. I sprinted to get back and help my defensive partner, but with that big of a head start, I'm not catching up to anything. Luckily he's good, so I'm not super concerned by it.  He also would pinch a lot, and I'd have a lot of two on ones.  I did a decent job of disrupting them.

There was one play where the skater had a break away. I got back and was able to disrupt him just at the top of the circle. The problem is that when you have two guys who can't skate well bumping into each other, they're going to fall. I took him down. No penalty. By the time I found the puck, my partner was back, and I from my knees, I was able to throw it behind the net just strong enough for him to get it and skate it out of the zone. The second time that I had to get back to break up a one on one, I wouldn't catch him. Instead, I'd have to dive, fully extend my arm and hope I would knock the puck off his stick. I dove, felt something hit my stick and then I just heard my goalie yelling. I looked up and the I could see the trail from where the puck slid into the corner. I had gotten it.

I did have a big problem though with one on one's. I couldn't figure out how to play a one on one. It seems so simple, but he'd just keep walking around me and getting a great shot in the slot. He burned me the exact same way three times, and it wasn't even a good move. I had another point where I couldn't decide if I should be aggressive or pull back in the neutral zone. I would pull back, but then I went back too far and gave the skater too much space. I'm having a difficult time judging speed and making decisions like that when one on one.  I'm going to really have to watch it.

Offensively though, I felt I played very well. Perhaps even a bit too aggressive, or even hoggish. After the game I tried counting my shots and I had at least 10. I had two when I brought the puck up on the rush. I had three in the span of 15 seconds. I had two right from the face off. None went in. It wasn't until the third that I really tried to start putting the puck in the net. For example, it was almost like there was a cycle going on. The puck would come up the boards, and I would pick it up. I'd walk past the forward(s) and get a shot in the slot, I'd circle back to the point quickly. I turn and look, the puck is coming back up the boards again to me. I did it again, and again.  They were good shots two. The third, I was more concerned about speed, and did a snap shot to change it up because the first two shots didn't go in. The goalie had a clear view of it though on all of those.

In the second, I made an awesome break out pass to the winger in the neutral zone. It was a nice saucer pass that was about 40 feet long. He had no one in front of him, and I put it over two bull dog sticks, and put it right on his tape. I loved it because I had been working on the saucer pass here and there. But it would roll off his stick because there was too much sauce on it, and it was his back hand. So close!

On my second to last shift, I put on a show at our own blue line. I had two bull dog players trying to enter the zone. But they had no speed. So I stepped up and stopped them. It was in our feet in this small area 7-10 feet from the boards. While battling, one player who had been throwing elbows all game hit me in the face with an elbow. I did not appreciate this. Despite wearing a full cage, you still get a lot of the force on your chin. In the next stab for the puck, I would also place my shoulder into that player, putting him on his butt. The stab would then knock the puck to the wall. I wouldn't get their first but I was strong on my stick, lift his and used my momentum to take that puck away from him and break into their zone.  It was nice because on the break, I had two options for passes. I didn't want to shoot because I felt I had hogged the puck the last few shifts. I passed to the guy in the middle, and he got a shot off but it would not go in.

Defensively I played a sub-par game. I wasn't happy about being burned the way I was three different times. I wasn't pleased that I had put myself in a position to get burned the way I did. Offensively, I love that I got the chances I did, but I think I hogged the puck a bit too much. The Coyotes would go on to win 10-2. 

Coyotes vs. Bulldogs

So much happened this game that I don't even know where to start. The entire team had energy from the minute they stepped into the locker room, until the time they left the parking lot. Again it was a full bench, as I suspect it will be every game for the Coyotes this year. I will be plying defense. 

Right from my first shift, I focused on the things I worked on this off season, and it immediately paid off. The rink was still incredibly wet and trying to carry the puck or make a pass would not have predictable results. As a result, as soon as I got that puck, I put it on the glass and out the zone. I didn't even care that I didn't hit the winger with the pass. I iced it once, but again, we cleared the zone. Once the water was gone and frozen, I didn't have to do it any more.

After that, I had another shift or two where I was just kind of playing conservative. I didn't try anything, and I just kept it simple. There was one point where I was standing at their blue line, and had the chance to pick up the puck 10 feet in front of me, but saw that a Bulldog was close to it, so I let it go. I was then kicking myself. I knew that the team would work hard to fix the mistake if I made it. I knew my defensive partner would have covered for me. From then on, it was a different game. I carried the puck incredibly well, I got a few good shots off, joined the rush on more than one occasion, and I felt like I was never putting the team at risk for an odd man rush going in the other direction. The entire team built confidence in each other and it just snowballed. At the end of the first, it was tied at 2, but I felt like we were much better than them.

Once I got more confidence with the team, my goalie, my partner and looked at the situation, I wasn't afraid to fail. If I failed, it isn't a big deal. I took chances. I tried moves that I did in practice, and it paid off. Scoring chances, stuff attempts. Good quick shots all helped generate something for the Coyotes. I was thoroughly impressed with how the team moved the puck. I had at least three good shots on net, no assists, no goals, a decent hit, and I feel that I played as well as I could have asked. I did make some bad passes though, and I'm not worried about them. 

Confidence is so huge. Being able to take the skills I worked on this summer, and use them in the game means so much to me. So many little things happened this game that worked for me, and I can't write about them all. I don't think there was one shift that I would consider "bad". The next Coyote game is Monday. I'm excited.  The Coyotes would win this one 7-2.