Piranhas vs. Caerbannogs - 2011-07-28

In my previous post, I mentioned how I was concerned about my recent performances, and how I sharpened my skates. I spent warm ups just getting used to the edges and I felt good with them. I felt better and more prepared for this game than recently too. I can't put my finger on why. I think maybe I'm getting too much sleep, because last night I just didn't sleep well.

The opposing goalie was weak. He loved to handle the puck, and was good at it. Unfortunately, he just flops around on the ice. It was clear we just had to get pucks to the net and traffic to bang in loose pucks. The opposing team also didn't have anyone who could handle the puck, nor anyone who I felt was a stand out player.

On one of my first shifts, while back checking, I was trying to just lift the stick of the winger. He was moving his feet as hard as he could, and I just was going about half effort. I didn't realize it until about the blue line. I stopped trying to lift his stick to get next to him, and then I was able to break up the play a lot easier. This was the pattern for me all night. If I back checked hard enough, I could catch them and force turnovers. This makes sense as they're carrying the puck, and I'm not. I know I skate a lot slower when I have to take care of the puck.

Going in the opposite direction, I felt I did an outstanding job along the boards again tonight. At one point I was able to beat two different individuals along the boards and move the puck into their zone very quickly. I don't think my line realized that I was winning these battles, as when I finally did gain control, they still were not in the offensive zone. I took the puck to the net, but the goalie brushed it aside. After that work, I was very tired, and went and changed. I came off, sat down, and then the opponents scored on an odd man rush. That was very frustrating to me as we had a potential scoring chance but it just didn't happen.

Because our line adopted the plan of throw everything at the net, we had a lot of face offs in their zone. While our center does win way more than his fair share of face offs, he was tied up a few times, and then I was able to get in, and get a quick backhand on net. I think at my level, a lot of wingers don't realize that sometimes they need to get in there and help win that face off. I know I don't do it enough, but I'm going to focus on it a little more now.

At one point, I picked up the puck below the goal line in the opponents zone. Usually I've been just throwing it into the slot, but that has not worked out well. I've needed to take my time, and make the right play. This was a case where I did just that. I didn't have any options, so I went behind the net. The center read it perfectly, and I was able to give him a backhand pass. It was just an inch or two too far for him and he missed it. The puck went past the traffic, and exited the zone. This is the type of scenario that I need to think about, and make sure that I'm connecting on passes.

It did get a little chippy for me in the second. I was standing in front of the net, like I enjoy doing, and the defensemen kept attempting to lift my stick. It didn't do a whole lot of good. I would keep moving when he came by me until my heels were almost in the blue paint. This caused the goalie to start giving me good shots to get out of the way. This is a good thing as it does distract them. Had there been any shots at those times, those players weren't focused on the play. During one board battle, I came to help the center. The opponent had his top hand on his stick, while he was using his other hand to keep the center pushed up against the glass. He was doing a fairly impressive job of working the puck one handed. I came in, tangled his stick up, and tried to rip it out of his hands with my stick. He dropped it, and wanted a penalty called. He whined to the ref for a second, and then gave me a good shove. It was a shame though that the shift in his focus caused him to lose that battle, which would ultimately result in us clearing the puck out of our own zone.

We would win the game 3-1 with an empty net goal. I had another solid defensive game, where I felt I was effective. I really didn't have any scenarios where I was unhappy with my decision, or my results. I'm seeing more and more that I'm not as bad of a skater than I thought I was. I've got greater than average speed in this league, and I need to use it.

Goaldiggers 2011-06-26

It felt like the team was ready to fold up before the puck would even drop. With it being an early Sunday game, missing our three strong centers on an already offensively challenged team was going to be a big problem. One of our stronger defensemen moved up, and a winger played back.

The game was only a total of 42 minutes, but the roller coaster ride it was for me felt like it was six different games. I played ok for the first handful of shifts. I got the puck out of the zone when I could, and I'd make myself an option regularly. I then hit a string of bad plays. I wasn't winning battles along the boards, I wasn't catching passes, I wasn't clearing the zone, and I missed the net on a gorgeous 2 on 1 opportunity.

As I was going through the second stretch, I was fine as it was just one or two mistakes. But as these mistakes add up, they cause scoring chances in the opposite direction. In a one goal game, if you can't be viewed as a reliable player, you're just a liability on the ice and you may as well get off. I cannot stand that feeling. I figured it was my lack of focus, but that just helped me focus on my mistakes more.

Somewhere near the start of the third period, I became frustrated. I was missing easy passes, losing easy battles, and I felt like I was responsible for multiple goals against. I couldn't remember the last time I played well, and I thought about how the Goaldiggers have not won a game yet this session while the Piranhas new season was around the corner and how their last season was 0-19-1. Frustration just seemed to peak. The next shift I decided I had to let some frustration lose. I'd forecheck as hard as I could. I'd hit the defensemen if he was going to get that puck. It didn't matter, there was going to be full effort from me no matter what. This caused more chances for me, and I broke up a lot more chances for the opposing team. I would back check hard and pin the winger along the boards on his rush. I'm getting bigger, stronger and improving my skating. I could feel it at this point. I had the energy that I'd expect I have from playing frequently.

I guess I frustrated the other team a little bit. I definitely felt more whacks, pushes and contact from this point forward. I think that only helped our team and me especially. When I'm getting pushed around, tripped, and such, it reminds me that I'm not going to get hurt. I forget I have pads on and how much of an impact they do take. I definitely get tired much faster when pushed, but it tires out the opponent as well. I'd say I'm in better shape than 90% of the players I play against. We would go on to win this game by one.

I felt the first part of the game I was a liability, and at the end I was a big asset. I needed a few shifts where I felt positive about them. I needed a victory, and so did the Goaldiggers. Confidence is key and it'd be nice to have it for a bit.

The Goaldiggers are off for a bit, and the next game I have will be the first Piranhas game of the summer.

Goaldiggers Game - 2010-02-15

It has been almost three weeks since I was on skates because of my lung. It is a real bummer when something like that happens because not only are you not playing, you're getting worse. Your conditioning goes away quickly, your timing is off, and you become really nervous because of it.

I go hard of every shift of every game I play. It is something I like to take pride in. Sometimes I think that I'm going a little bit too hard and I need to let the play come to me and develop. But part of the reason I do do it is conditioning. I know that if I do it multiple times a week, at the end I'll still be strong while others are winded. Today, I was the one who was winded and I didn't like it.

I definitely lost my timing out there. At one point I was wide open in the slot and I was fed a great pass that I completely missed. I think I played below average for me. I was a factor in most shifts though, so that is something to be positive about. There was one shift where I was so winded that I could not get off the ice. The puck came to me and I tried to just ice it but I dropped the puck and gave up another scoring chance. We still won 4-5, and it was the Goaldiggers first ever winning streak. I wasn't there for the first one.

Overall, it was a positive game just because I was back. Three weeks sitting around and doing nothing is bad for you. For me, a few things have gone wrong in my personal life and not being able to focus on hockey for an hour or two a week had really become a problem. Those issues away from the ice can eat away at you when you really cannot do anything about them. However, when you're on the ice, you're not worried about your job, or how you're going to make your next house payment, the health of a family member, or whatever may be on your mind. You're out there only having fun and keeping your head up. What a solid distraction and fun time away from reality.