Hockey with friends, won't you?

We started our new season last week, and so far it’s going pretty damn good.  We’re undefeated, including our first regular season win against Team America last night.  We beat a fired up Islaynders in a shootout win 4-3 (we scored 3 shootout goals to their 1) last week.  They are really putting great games together.  The game against Team America was a real tough one…  we don’t really get along with these guys.  Lots of contact, lots of chirping, lots of chipping, lots of penalties.  Team America cried all night long, complaining to the refs anytime one of them went down or got touched.  We had a few defensive breakdowns, and Adam saved our collective arses on a few breakaways.  The game went scoreless until there was less than 10 seconds on the clock, when Z moved the puck up the ice to Eli, who made a great pass to Justin who buried it.  It was awesome!  Of course Team America called shenanigans and said the play was offside.  I think the refs had finally had enough and shut them down.  Good stuff!

A good scooter friend of mine- Jared- has joined our team this season.  He’s still finding his legs, but he’s been having a great time.  With the horrible snow last night, he picked me up with another friend, Gary.  Gary has an AWD truck.  Gary joined us for the night- the first time he’s played in a few years.  It was pretty cool.  The three of us are doing the Jan-Feb DU Learn to Play Hockey course as well.  Finally more than one night of hockey a week! 

REPEAT!

Whoa…  Imagine my Keanu Reeves impression there… Whoa.  We not only won the D4 Championship again, we pretty much totally destroyed Team America in the process.  We won 7-2!  Let me say that again... 7-2.  I don’t think we ever had less than a 3 goal lead in the entire game- except maybe for a few minutes in the 2^nd period, when the score was 3-1.  It was one of the best game the Icemen have put together, ever.  
 

I have to admit, I had some reservations that we were going to repeat in a straight D4 championship, especially against Team America.  We didn’t beat them all season- although we always gave them a tough game.  I was really pleased that Big Bear changed the final schedule. We were supposed to play on the 24^th of November.   If we’d played on the 24^th, half our team, including me, would have been gone.  I’m guessing that Team America had the same issue, so we got rescheduled for the 2^nd of December.  We had a full bench of three forward lines and two defensive pairings, with our incredible goalie Adam in net.  
 

I played right wing with Justin in the center and Herman on the left.  I’m not going to say we were the best line in the game, but we did score.. oh, 5 of the goals in the game!  Herman had 3 and Justin had 2.  I assisted on 2 of them.  I also had a load of shots on goal, including a couple that should have scored.  I was only a +4 for the night though, since I left the ice right before Justin scored his second goal.  We scored our first 3 goals in the first.  I assisted on the third, and was just to the right of the goal when it went in.  The Team America goalie lost his mind.  He slammed his stick on the post and started yelling at his team.  I thought he was going to go after them.  
 

The penalties were about even, although I think Team America had a couple more times on the PP.  They scored one of their goals a man up.  We did get called for one bad call (a supposed Holding on Brian, when he was just going for the puck), but they didn’t score on that one.  Still no penalties for me.  
 

I played a really good game.  In the way I do, I blocked loads of shots as Team America tried to leave their zone, and was able to plunk the puck to someone on more than half of them.  I was also able to get the puck into play when Justin won a few face-offs in my direction, including a nice drop pass to Sean in the third.   I lined up against a couple of TA’s newer players- at about my level.  Towards the end of the game, the left winger I lined up against in face-offs would just grab onto me to keep me from joining into the play.  I eventually just started swerving on him, which surprised both him and me- I’m getting better on my skates.  In fact, I think I’ve gotten to the point that I can spend less time thinking about my feet and start paying more attention to my stick. I missed a few pucks that I could have sent towards the net or the TA zone.
 

After we won, the time keeper took our photo and gave us our winner beers and t-shirts.  We celebrated on the ice for so long that the Zamboni driver had to wait for us, just sitting there while we reveled.  We continued our celebrations in the dressing room, and then about half the team went to a local sports pub for more beer and wings.  It made for a great, but late night.  We may very well be on our way to a dynasty!  

Once more into the breach!

We're in the finals again!  We beat The Punx 4-2.  It was a pretty rough game, but we really kept our cool, and they spent most of half the second and a lot of the third in the box.  I had a couple of shots and an assist.  I also whiffed completely on a perfect pass from Z.  The shame!

We play Team America again for the championship on the 2nd of December.  We haven't beaten them yet this season, but I know we can beat them.

Back to back

I've played in a few of the South Suburban pick up games that the other Paul sets up.  There a great time and great practice.  I need to go to more.  The night after a game though... I may have to rethink that. 

We had our last regular season game on Wednesday, against the Islaynders.  It was a good game, with lots of hard play.  They scored first, but we were able to come back for the win, 4-1.  I played pretty damn horribly, truth told.  Now on to the playoffs, against the Punx.

The pick up game was loads of fun and hard work, all around.  Besides Paul, there were a total of 5 of us Icemen- Tony, Brian, Darren and me.  We all wore white, in the hope that we could get some passing and breakout practice in.  That happened a bit, but the dark team had some really really good players, so they dominated mush of the night.  I felt much better about my play last night. 

Damn feet!

We had a tough loss last night against the Punx- 3-4.  It was a crazy one towards end with loads of penalties and Flink getting tossed out of the game- which was a load of crap.  He got roughed up behind the net and had some words with the guy who did it.  As he was heading to the bench, the guy came back up to him to continue the chirping, and there was some pushing- so he was gone.  The worst part was, the Punx have a troglodyte who is as close to a goon as D4 can get.  He's also incredibly mouthy, who bitches every time someone touches him.  He should have been thrown out as well, but...

I, however, had one of my best games ever, at least for the first two periods.  I was all over the ice, and had a few takeaways, a couple of breaks up the ice, and was able to start loads of breakouts.  I even got a puck off my skate, control it, and get it up the ice.  I was also  able to control the puck in the offensive zone corners, including one instance where I had the puck for a good 30 seconds without any pressure and finally got a decent centering pass.  No joy though... 


It wasn't all good though.  I ran out of steam in the third, and one of out our penalty kills, I blocked a shot with my thigh- nice bruise there- but the puck dropped to my feet and I couldn't get my stick on it.  A Punx player poked it from between my skates and was able to score.  I felt horrible.

Another first- I finally spent some time in the penalty box.   They weren't my penalties, though.  The first time I sat, it was with Dave, who had a minor and a major.  I sat for the minor and then got out on the ice.  The second time was for a bench minor.  I was supposed to serve 2 minutes and wait for the next whistle, but the Punx scored, so I was only in there less then a minute. 

It was a crappy way to lose a game, but I was happy with my play for the most part.  We have out last game next week, against the Islaynders, and then we'll meet the Punx again in the playoffs. 

On the breakway... getting ready to shoot... and pickpocketed... by my own teammate.

It was the first time I yelled at a teammate in anger.  It happened in the third period.  I got a loose puck in our zone, and the Team America defense was pinching, so I had a clear run up the ice.  I got control of the puck and and was heading for the goal and a great angle from the right.  Then Herman came up behind me from the left and took the puck off my stick, and then lost it in the corner.  I  was pissed!  I probably wouldn't have scored, but it was a crap move on his part.  Sometimes Herman plays like a 6 year old on a soccer pitch- just chasing the puck around, never playing in his position.  At least he got a load of shit from the whole team.  On the next shift, he did toss a puck to me when I crashed the net, but I couldn't score, so there's that at least.

We have still not beaten Team America.  Last night's game was a great one, though.   It was scoreless through the first and most of the second.  TA scored on a scuffle in front of the net towards the end of the second.  We tried everything we could to get the equalizer, but their goalie was really on his game.  Nothing we tried- and we tried everything- got through.  We ended up losing 0-1.  I had quite a few good chances in front of the net, but nothing.  On one play, I pulled a flying shot, too.  I was following Sean up the right wall, when he and the team America defenseman went down to the ice, I picked up the puck, but couldn't avoid the pile up and flew to my stomach, but did get the shot off.  I wish I could have seen it. 

We'll probably meet them in the championship again, so here's hoping for the same result as Spring 15!

Cough... cough.. hack...

I've not been playing for the last couple of weeks.  The last game I played in was a tight one against the Islaynders.  I can't remember anything about it, honestly.  We won 4-3.

I tweeked my knee a couple of weeks ago, so I sat out the game against Team America, which we lost 2-3.  Then I got a really bad cold, which kept me out of the game against The Punx, which we won 8-2.  Flink told me it was a boring one, like a practice.

I'm still feeling a little poorly, but decided to play last night.  I'm glad I did.  The Islaynders were on the rotation.  We had a full bench with 3 forward lines and 3 defensive pairing.  I was playing right wing on a line with Herman and Brian.  I have to say I was happy about that, since I'm not feel great, and a lot of lines means more time to rest between shifts.  I was just hoping I didn't throw up.  The Islaynders scored about half way through the first, in a muddled scrum in front of the net.  Even though we kept great pressure in the Islaynders end, we weren't able to  score.  I missed out on a chance, that was similar to the first goal- just crashing the net.  I just couldn't get the puck on my stick and get it past the goalie.

The second was another thing all together.  On my lines second shift, Herman got a hold of the puck behind the net and was able to pass up the wall.  I snagged the puck on my backhand and was able to spin around, sending it center.  I ended up on my arse, but the puck went right to Brian's stick and he plunked it in.  We won the very next faceoff, and I ended up with the puck on my stick again.  I centered again , and this time Herman was able to score.   Two goals, with my assists, in under 30 seconds!  I'll take it!

We dominated the game from there with two more goals- a beaut of a one timer from the point by Sean- the best shot on the team, and a good passing play that ended up with a goal by Eli. The Islaynders were getting chippy at the end.  You can tell they are getting frustrated, only winning one game so far this season.  Crazily, there were no penalties called at all, so Ive still not spent time in the box.  Next game.