Game Day - Wheelers (7) d Bumpers (1)

As is so often the case, the scoreline in tonight's early game doesn't reflect the competitiveness or nature of the game that was played.  We officially put 38 shots on their net, not counting those that either missed or were blocked, which is twice the amount that are recorded in many games.  Our team saw different facets of our game as being especially worthy of note.  Alex, the passing/rebounds.  Matt, close in battles in the goal mouth.  Merrilyn, passing.  Me, stick checking.

We were a player down at the start (Brendan couldn't be there) and so Paul played for us as a 'reserve' (went up from C Grade to Div 1 this season).  I think Paul jokingly typified the game as one requiring not too much from him.  Which was a way of saying that he didn't have to play a great many minutes as we 'true' Wheelers stayed out for as long as was practical.  When he played, he played a steady defence, going forwards only once that I recall (resulting in a pass back to me who was on the centre line).  This was excellent play on his part, as there is no way he could be said to have greatly affected the game in our favour (always a risk when playing a higher grade player as a 'reserve').

The game began with a bit of confusion after two minutes.  In that time we had scored a goal in the play resulting from the opening face off, and they had landed a good shot on goal from a blitz reply.  I was just collecting the puck after our narrow escape from this last when the siren rang.  I tapped the puck to the referee and glided towards the centre trying to work out what had happened.

Turns out, the time keeper had not started the clock when the game began.  There was a conference with the referees and time keepers while we skaters just milled about aimlessly.  Eventually, the referee signalled a centre face off and told us that the clock would start again.  I noticed a minor sense of disquiet that the score was 0-0 on the scoreboard.  Then, concentrate on the face off.  Their blitz team scored a goal off their first play.  We were down 0-1.  It seemed a little unfair as we skated back for the next centre face off.  This remained the scoreline until the end of my first shift.  We were credited with our goal shortly afterwards; 1-1.  From this point, we didn't look back.

My Game

I scored my only goal, which put us ahead 3-1 with two minutes left in the (long) first half, from a hard wristshot from near the centre.  I held the shot a little moment before releasing, raised it to the extent that the puck went through between glove and pad.  I had been on the floor for all bar one of the goals in the first period.  

I was on the floor for two goals in the second period.  For the first, I was awarded the assist for claiming the puck in our offensive corner, skating it back up past the goal line about midway in from the boards, waiting waiting waiting before snap passing it to Matt who was lurking in the front of the crease for a goal.  For the second, I was lurking in the central defence role as Alex and a younger opponent were tipping the puck around in contest, with it eventually falling loose in our favour.  Alex began moving towards it, too slowly for him to get it in my view, so I shouted loudly at him from nearby to 'Skate, Alex, Skate!  Skate for it!'  Which, to his credit, he did, keeping the puck alive and eventually tipping it past the next defender before managing to gather it in with some strong stick work.  Finding himself in the slot, he responded to his team mates' 'Shoot!' and hammered it home.  

Our team work was as much a product of strong commuication as it was of good passing.  For the first time I think that we ALL were communicating with each other, both listening and talking.  Several times it was information gathered from this source alone which determined what I did.  This pleasing aspect of our game is perhaps reflected in the fact that of our seven goals, five were assisted (a higher percentage than usual).  

As for the passing, I was making time to be more selective with my passing, and on at least one occasion sent the puck back over half the floor to give us a chance to reset rather than make a risky pass.  When I needed to make a hard pass (eg to Matt in the goal mouth) I was able to.  I don't think any of my passes were picked off tonight.  Big improvement.

I didn't take many faceoffs tonight, maybe four.  I won three of them, generally with a 'passive' stick and letting their powerful forehand strike rebound the puck off my own blade.  On at least one occasion I then shielded the puck with my skates from their follow through and pressed it further out to my blade before passing back to my support.  I spent more time on the edge of the faceoff circle, and this blended nicely with my role tonight of chasing the loose puck.  I got the puck into our control several times in such a manner.

Besides passing and communicating, much of my play tonight was typified by chasing the loose puck down.  I was the fastest skater on our team and probably the most agile, so it was only fair.  As part of my role, I several times had to sweep back from an attacking position to chase down a skater who had got behind us, or race them for a loose puck that our defender wouldn't get to but I might, or pick up the loose man who was sweeping through our centre.  In these sort of confrontations my job was as much about delaying and disrupting them, or at least drawing the fangs from their attack by forcing them to a weaker position, as it was about actual puck possession.  I used my stick a lot more than I generally do, to steer opponents, tip the puck, block the board, knock their stick aside or disrupt their shot/pass.  

On a couple of occasion I swooped in onto another battle to pluck the loose puck out of the aftermath, pinching as the D.  Against a strong forward who knows how to use his bulk to hold or gain position, however, I was outmuscled on at least two occasions.  Neither of these instances led to anything, but I will need to work out how to remedy this.

My puck possession was pretty good, not losing it off my stick at all due either enemy action or poor pass reception.  Several times I manipulated my position relative to the puck on my stick to ensure I kept my body between chasing opponent and the puck.  On two occasions I managed to steal it from inches in front of an opponent's blade (both times behind their goal).  At least once I managed to pull of a stop/pivot along the board to shake an opponent and create time and space.  Much smarter than has been the norm.

I had about eight shots at goal, one went in, one missed and all the rest were blocked by the goalie.  I put up over 20 minutes, and was in good shape at the end.  I immediately had a banana and 600ml orange juice after the game, as well as a very good stretch.  Maybe that's why I'm still feeling so good?

GP 7 G 6 A 6 +12 5-1-1