Winter 2013 Season Preview

The Winter season is less than a week away, and I'm feeling more prepared for this season than I have in the past. A big part is that I am taking a load I know I can handle. I feel that in the past, I may have taken on a bit too much. Last year, I played for the Goaldiggers, Piranhas, and subbed on the Coyotes.  In December and February, I was really hurting. I was not letting myself get enough rest. This year I will be playing on two teams - the Piranhas and the Coyotes.
The decision to leave the Goaldiggers has been one that I spent over a year thinking about. I like the guys in the locker room, and they were my first team. I learned a lot playing with them but I ultimately did not belong in that league. I appreciate them taking a player on who had no experience playing ice hockey, but as the team has gotten better I have become frustrated with myself in my lack of contributions. Additionally, both the Piranhas and Coyotes are much lower in terms of skill. They both are part of HNA and as a result, scheduling conflicts are a lot less likely.

Coyotes

Last year, I believe I played in five games for the Coyotes. I have gone to many of their practices, and worked with their goalie a lot. The decision to play with the Coyotes full time allows me to play at a lower level of players, along with close friends. The team is relaxed, and ultimately fun to be on and around. There are only two other teams in the same division as the Coyotes, and I feel that those two teams are beatable every night. I will be playing defense for the Coyotes as well, giving me a bit more responsibility in the break out.  The Coyote season really excites me because I feel I've never had gotten to develop chemistry with any of the players on the team in game situations. I never learned players tendencies or preferences. I've spent some significant time in the past month or so on skills that benefit defense men directly. Things such as skating backwards with control, putting the puck on the glass high and hard, and transitions do not seem as shaky or even impossible anymore. The Coyotes have no reason to not be optimistic about having a good season, and going to Toronto this year.

Piranhas

Last season was mostly a positive one for the Piranhas. After we were correctly tiered, we went somewhere around 10-5.  We would make the playoffs, and then win the championship for the division.
It felt good to win a championship like that. It was my first championship anything - basketball, hockey, etc. I never did a lot of sports, but a few years playing inline hockey, and then when the Goaldiggers started, we lost our first 12 games or something.

The summer wasn't as friendly for the Piranhas. Attendance issues, merged tiers, and a few bad bounces would lead the team to be 3-7.There was very little turnover from last winter to this winter. We have a new goalie, and a new skater who is very talented but rusty. I will still be playing wing for the Piranhas, but perhaps some center at times as I took the middle of the ice quite a bit in the summer. I really enjoyed the position, but I do need to get more familiar with it. As a wing, I feel that I can be one of the stronger players. I don't score goals very often, but I do feel myself making an impact out there. Defensively I feel I'm one of the stronger wingers. I disrupt the opponents break outs, and kill penalties fairly well. I'm getting better at reading plays and picking off passes. I have enough speed to back check and get into the play as well.  For the Piranhas to be successful in this new tier, players will need to step up their game. I will need to improve my skating, stick handling and positioning. I will work on these things throughout the season, but I do believe that this team can compete in the higher division with the right attitude and commitment from the entire team.

Piranhas vs. Sharks - 5-4 OTL

As I sat in the locker room half dressed, hearing the Zamboni starting to resurface the ice, I felt myself tapping on my pants. I thought about all of the factors that were going to impact my performance as well as  how I felt at the time. I leaned over to the guy sitting on my left and said, "I'm going to have a really good game tonight."

I was really unfamiliar with my line mates. One had never played forward before, and the other I didn't know his tendencies, or how he plays. I knew their skill levels, speeds and strengths from when they play defense, but positioning was a big concern of mine. I was playing center, as I really want to be an experienced option in the middle come winter time.

The entire night, I felt that I was skating faster the Sharks' entire defense. I can't tell you how many times a shark player had 10 feet on me to a loose puck, and yet I was still able to either get the puck or tie up the opponent. What I did from there wasn't as great. Either I'd drop the puck, or get my skate cut in a rut, or the puck would be in a puddle of water and not move. It is something that everyone deals with and I just have to get used to it.

In the defensive zone, I felt a bit lost though. I felt like the forwards were bunching up on each other. I  felt that when the defenceman would go and cover someone, that I had to come lower and cover for him. It is a positioning aspect that I need to learn to get better with. Feeling more comfortable, and more prepared for pucks to come through the slot and deflect them out of the zone.

I do think I back checked fairly well.  At one point in the game, I had done a great job tying up one of their top players on the rush. I put my stick over his and it was strange in that I almost felt like I could impact where he was going to go. Once he realized that I was doing that and he was skating under my guidance, he tried to turn, but then he just fell flat on his face. There was another time where I was covering for a d-man who pinched. The puck carrier beat me, but I was able to turn, and grab his arm to slow him down.  I figure  if I can slow down players a bit, it throws them off their game and gives my goalie a better chance at seeing the puck. I know how it impacts me. I did take a tripping penalty on a back check. It was a definite penalty, but I didn't want to give up a chance as I thought the d-man was beat.

I had a few good shots. One went off his blocker on the rush. Another chance I had I was on a two on two rush. The other winger was able to slide it over to me on the rush. I picked up from my side, settled it down and got it in front of me. I shot through the two defencemen, and tried to fire it through his five hole, but he was able to kick it out. There was a really good stuff attempt right from the goal line where a winger and I tried to hammer it home all alone, but we could not lift the puck over his leg pad. We were in too close and eventually the goalie froze it. I had another great chance where the goalie was out of his crease, but I had the puck behind the goal line. I made a great pass past the goalie to the winger who was standing on the top of the crease, but he wasn't ready. It went through his legs, and he immediately got tied up before he could kick it to his stick.

We would end up losing in OT. It wasn't a good feeling, but I had a hell of a fun time out there tonight. I do think there are a few things I need to work on. The positioning and  puck handling were the weak points of my game today, but I don't feel they were that weak. I do think that my energy and passing were very good though.

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.

Piranhas vs. Mastodons

The combination of an early start time, and rink location made me get to the rink later than I would have liked. I rushed to get dressed and out onto the ice. I still got a full warm up though, but probably didn't need it as we only had six skaters.

Six skaters the entire game vs. a full bench. It is really tough to win when you're in that type of situation. The opposing team knows they have every advantage possible in the energy field. They should never lose a battle along the boards, and they rarely should lose a battle to a loose puck. It burns lots of energy, and when you're short on skaters, it is difficult to do.

Believe it or not, I controlled the first 30-40 seconds of the game. Our team won the face off, and I was able to get the puck into their zone, and get two shots on goal. If we can get that lead, it sets the tone for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, I did not score.

Shortly after that, I had a REALLY good race from the red line into their zone for a dumped puck. I felt we were going too fast for control, and I didn't want anyone to get hurt or hit, so I let up, and told him to take it and he's save. He gave me a good shove in the opposite direction once we got closer to the boards. I didn't appreciate that too much.

From there, the game just went down hill. I skated as hard as I could, but I burned a lot of energy against guys who have fresh legs. It got a little chippy and angry once the opposing team started to celebrate after their fifth goal while we were still at zero.

At some point, I was still going hard, but my team mates were low on the tank. You'd try to throw them a pass, and they wouldn't have the energy to catch the pass and skate with it. I was yelling for dumps, so I could race these fresh players, but it just didn't work.

I skated hard, played hard, and had a good hit. I won multiple board battles, and generated at least 1/3rd of our team's 19 shots. I have no complaints about my performance in this 0-9 loss to the Mastodons.

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.

Phantoms Studio Ice 2012-06-26

It was time for the Phantom 3 Studio Ice. I missed last week, but was excited about this week. My back was really sore going into the night, so I was concerned about it. It has been bothering me on and off for a while.

The rink was like a pond when I the zamboni got off. Luckily the group was smart and waited for it to freeze. As a result, the ice was great. I made a change to my stick. Typically, I do a spiral tape grip down to about half way down the stick. That is where I would grip with my bottom hand. Unfortunately, that isn't what you're supposed to do (from what I'm told. I grip the stick way too low, and as a result I don't have a lot of ability to stick handle. I gripped the stick a lot higher, and then taped down to that part.

I felt it really helped me. It definitely made my shot a lot harder, but less accurate. I felt that I was able to stick handle faster, but it'd take a some time to get used to.  It also enabled me to bend my knees a lot more, which helped my skating so much, which is again something I'm trying to do more.  I felt that I was able to skate a lot faster, stop easier, and make tighter turns.

When I play defense against an individual player I take away their options. I keep my top hand on my stick to take away their passing lane. If I can, I try to knock the puck off their stick. I need to use two hands more so that I can lift the stick, and then take control of the puck rather than just whacking it away. I do a great job of keeping up though because I do deflect a lot of passes with my stick, and skates.

For highlights, I had one great play where I picked up the puck off the boards, went around a stronger skater than me, cut to the middle and had a good scoring chance. I was very happy that I got around him as he knocked the puck off my stick all night. It looked like I knew what I was doing!

Pond Hockey at Glenview

I wasn't too sure of the rules, the talent level, or anything else with this group. I knew of only one other player from the Piranhas going into this skate.  Studio ice though has a tendency to allow weaker players to contribute, and still be a part of the game.

However, I felt that I was not on the bottom in terms of talent. It felt really balanced except for about 3 guys. And as a result the teams were really balanced. We had 9 guys on studio ice to make 3 teams of 3. If your team gets scored on, you sit out. So if your team keeps scoring, you can e on the ice for a while. At one point the two other teams were on the ice together for a few minutes, while our team rested up. Then our team stayed out there for a while because the other teams were exhausted.

There was one guy who was really talented. He skated extremely well, and handled the puck very well too. I liked playing against him because he would give you a chance. He wouldn't give you the puck, but he would give you opportunities to tie up his stick, or knock the puck away. He did a lot of tight turns for me because he saw I was weak in them. By the end of the night, I felt fairly confident on my skates playing with him. When he wanted to score, he'd just cut through the middle and get his shot.

I worked on my skating a bit tonight, and I also focused on making good passes to team mates. On studio ice, you can't work too much on positioning because it is so drastically different. But passing and stickhandeling are a must for this type of skate.

I had an absolute blast and want to keep skating with this group every chance I get.