Piranhas vs. Chaos

When I was told who I was playing with for the night, I was fairly excited. The left winger, I've played with a lot in the past and really like playing with. He's smart, and plays a defensively responsible game. If we end up on opposite sides, he's smart enough to recognize it and stay on the other side. The center is a very intense player who I haven't played much  with, but I have played against at a few scrimmages.

The first few shifts were mediocre. We weren't doing well, but we weren't doing bad. Then we had one solid shift where we generated a decent scoring chance. From then on, it snow balled. We really started to click.  I tried to really up the pressure on my fore check since I had the legs to do so. Their one d-man did not like that, and had some interesting words for me. After that, I had an extra gear, and played extremely well.  I was able to use my speed in lots of situations. Especially on the face offs. Multiple times I was able to beat the opposing winger to the puck off the drop, and pick the puck up and skate away with it. This lead to puck possession time for the Piranhas. At one point in the offensive zone, I picked up the puck off the draw, and no one was moving, and I've got a clear shot at the goalie. I back handed it without even looking, trying to catch the goalie off guard and I did. Unfortunately he made the save.

As the game went on, our line generated a ton of scoring chances. Our speed and patience would cause us to win battles to loose pucks, make crisp passes, generate traffic, and regain possession.  Our line had at least one goal, with the left winger having a really nice tip right in front of the net.

I had one play coming down the left wing, with two d-men in front of me. I watched the closer d-man try and stop and start to come towards me. I immediately cut to the middle and saw a shooting lane open from 30 feet out. I fired it and hit a post.

Then we had a small parade to the penalty box. It wasn't an easy kill for me as we were always scrambling. I tried to stay on the points, but there was just so much room to cover, and passing lanes open, that I was just scattered. Shortly after that, the play returned to even strength. But it was clear that the Chaos had the momentum. Trying to get something going, I somehow ended up below the goal line in the defensive zone. I lost the puck battle along the wall, but I saw who beat me, and it was the same guy who yelled at me earlier. I played that much harder because of it. I was able to tie up his stick, but then he broke away again. I instinctively gave him a one handed shove from behind. He fell and gave up possession. Once the piranhas got possession though, the whistle blew and I wasn't surprised that I was called for a penalty. In my defense, I did cause the Chaos to take at least 3 penalties. I got a cross check off the face off, a hook, and I believe an interference.  All of them (except the hook) were soft calls in my opinion, but the refs were calling everything.

I ended up back on the PK. We were in our box formation, and my other winger blocked a shot and it bounced right up the middle. I was alert, and jumped on it and had a clear break away. I had it from the red line in. That's a lot of time. I knew what I wanted to do. He was far out so I was going to fake left, and skate to the right and just skate around him for a poor angle shot. I totally dropped the puck and didn't even get a chance off.

I had a few more solid defensive plays where I disrupted the rush by back checking, or taking away lots of passing lanes. I had used my stick more than once. Towards the end, there was another penalty called on our team, and I'm killing again. I was able to pick the puck up in our zone, and I saw that the dmen were backing up. I turned on the jets and they just continued to move back and let me enter the zone. I couldn't understand why they would be so conservative when they were down 3-1 with 2:00 left in the third period. Then I saw - they pulled their goalie. I went around one of the dmen, and fired it at the empty net. I missed wide by about a foot or two.

The Piranhas would go on and win the game 4-1. I would have loved to bury my chances, but I didn't this game, and compared to recent games, I laughed these off. I enjoyed the game and the competition. There were lots of Chaos sticks flying everywhere, but it was expected. They use their sticks a lot more than most teams. Our line played very well and I felt great. I am very pleased with how I played, and how the team played as well.

Friday Night Scrimmage

It has been a long time since I've been to one of the Friday night scrimmages. Friday nights were tough for me last year, and while it is a great way to introduce the weekend, I have been using them to relax at home. It is a shame because Friday night is a perfect time to play. I don't have any business playing with about half of the players here, but they allow me to play anyway. Everyone is really cool and gets along.

The scrimmage lasts for about 90 minutes, and there is only about 12-14 skaters per side, allowing me to work on my endurance. Typically endurance isn't an issue for me. However, ever since I started to bend my knees more when I skate, I need the work on endurance. I think in the past when I did not bend my knees as much, I never had a chance to use all of my energy, hence I could last a lot longer. Tonight though, I definitely felt it after the third shift.

There was a lot of time contained in one zone. Either the forwards would be attacking the whole time, or we'd be playing defense the whole time.  There was one shift where we continued to try and get it out on my side, but I was too tired, and not skilled enough to get it past the d-man.  The shifts were 90 seconds - 2 minutes, which is too long for me, but that is how you build endurance. The problem is when you're at the end of that shift and you can't get it out, everyone else gets exhausted.

I had a couple of decent break outs, but I should have had more for how long I played.  I would recieve the puck in the neutral zone, skate it up, and look for options. If I found another forward and made the pass, something would go wrong. Either it would get picked off, it would bounce over their stick, or it'd go right past them. I don't think I connected on one neutral zone pass all night.

I had a couple of good scoring chances. The first was about 4 feet away from the crease. The winger blasted a shot and the goalie gave up a rebound. It came out right to me on edge. The goalie was on all fours, and still on the way down. I knew I could just lift it over him and in. Unfortunately, with it being on end, it went wide, and I was about a foot to the outside of the post. The second was more upsetting. While standing in front of the net, trying to screen the goalie, the d-man wound up for a slap shot. I knew I had to get out of the way, so I went to the far side. The shot hit the back of the boards, behind the net, and back out to the goal line. I was standing right there. All I had to do was retrieve it, pull it in, and back hand it in. The goalie was still recovering from committing to the initial shot. Unfortunately, I went wide again.

I felt good about the skate, and it was about what I remembered it to be. A lot of talented, and fast players. I like playing against them but it helps my endurance more than anything.

Piranhas vs. Knights/Chaos - 2011-09-01

I was more prepared for this game than any game in the past 2 months. It is the nice part of late night games. You get to spend time with the dog, get a nap in, eat correctly. With 12 skaters, I knew I was ready to have a big game.

Unfortunately, I can't remember specifics of how badly the rest of the night went. I know that I had a great scoring chance in the first few minutes of the game. I had the puck below the goal line, walked in front, and slipped it right past the goalie. I don't see it for a moment and then I do, in between the goalie's legs. I push it forward without touching the goalie and lost it again. I see it on edge right on that line, but some how it didn't cross. Perhaps I wasn't strong enough in my attempts to get it to cross the line, but I'm not going to hit the goalie with my stick for a goal.

From then on, not a lot of good happened. While backchecking, I got lacidazical and let a player score uncontested 5 feet from me. I had a hard time getting the puck out of the zone. I tried to bump up the intensity a little bit for myself because of how I was playing. I had a solid forecheck, but they were easily able to clear the zone. I had jumped back on D while the dman pinched in. I recognized play coming back, and moved back. At the blue line, I tried to force him off sides, but he went around me. I continued to pressure him down into the corner, where I eventually started to lose steam. So I leaned on him a little to lose his balance and slow him down. He went down to his knees and I got a checking/roughing penalty. The opponents scored.

A couple of team mates noticed I was upset after the game, but haven't had a chance to talk to them yet. I'll talk to them tonight. I know I was very upset last night, but when I have all of that energy, and nothing I do works, and we're a better team and more talented, it becomes a problem for me and I get angry.

The positives are that I did move really well - a lot better than I have in the past. I got a decent scoring chance, and we as a team came back and tied the game in the last few minutes, despite losing by two.

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.

Piranhas vs. Grizzlies - 2011-07-06

I made the mistake of staying up too late the night before. I've had an issue with this in the past where I just stay up really late for no reason. Needless to say, I felt tired all day, and I required a solid nap before the game.

The game felt opposite of my most recent Goaldiggers game. I started well, but ended poorly, or at least it felt that way.

My stick handling was off all night. I would catch passes, take them up the ice, but as soon as a defenseman came by me, I would drop it. It became a little frustrating to me. Our team as a whole didn't get a whole lot of shots off, and when I got the puck I was unable to as well. We would scramble in our own zone, and wouldn't spread out to create opportunities to pass.

My line mate had never played with this team, so I was glad to play with him as I still am new. We both were decent skaters, and he was very good, but had some rust. We did trip over each other it seemed. I can remember us trying to go to the same open area, and then noticing each other than we'd try to stay away by changing direction, but then just follow each other. It will take time to see how to play with each other.

I had a glorious opportunity to score, but the goalie made an outstanding save. While I was standing in the slot, the center made a great pass in front of me. I was able to walk in, and get a great shot off. The goalie on the other hand had other plans. He was able to get over, make the save, and cover it to eliminate any second chance opportunities.

I need to work on my stick handeling. Had it been better, we could have had more chances. Additionally, I need to be more discipline about preparing for the game. This includes plenty of rest, being hydrated, and having the right food in my stomach.

Goaldiggers 2010-09-19

This was the first game of the season for the Goaldiggers. After about six weeks of not seeing each other, we were finally on the ice together again. Most of the team had not skated since then, so I expected the team to be rusty.

We were playing a team who was playing together for the first time. It is evident by the poor passes, guys who aren’t necessarily very talented, and a few miscommunications.

I was ready for the game. I got a good nap in, had a decent meal before hand and was fairly hydrated. This was a good game for me. They did have some talent, and they weren’t so good that they could dance circles around me. During one of their break outs, the player dropped the pass at the red line. I was able to come back, and give it to my d-man, who gave it right back to me to bring up the wing. I knew if I hustled, I could get around on him – especially since he was right handed and I was going on the left wing boards. I was right next to him with control of the puck and he just hammered me into the boards. I ended up with my feet in front and me sitting up, much like you would sit against the wall. But since I kept moving my feet, our team got the power play.

Over the course of the game, we had our chances. Their goalie was outstanding. I had approximately 5 shots, and one one-timer that went wide. I did my job. I worked as hard as I could, back checked and broke up plays. That’s what I do. I don’t score goals, and I can make a nice pass, but pressure is where I’m strongest.

At one point in the third, we were on a 3 on 2 and I was the second man in. I went hard to the net with my stick down, waiting for the puck to be fired or a pass. I was being pushed by one of their bigger guys, at which point my goal was balance myself and I’ll be set. But when I met the other d-man who gave me a good knock down to the ground, I definitely felt it right in front of the slot, but I had my chances.

We eventually one 2-1, but out shot them something like 35-10. The score was not a good indicator of the game.