It was a late Monday Night game tonight, our only one for the season and the last before the xmas break. We won in a shootout, with them getting no shots in and us not having to therefore even take our third shot to secure the two points. This will keep the Rangers at the bottom of the table, and leave us well in the running for a playoff spot. We now have a five week break, returning against the Kings on January 18.
We had ten skaters and Tommy in goal. This was good as it allowed us to run two complete lines and four defencemen (handy, as we have two recovering from strained abductors and I am only now coming out of the direct consequences of a hyperextended knee).
I think Tommy was one of our stars again. It was pretty hardcore in front of our net at times and he took quite a beating as a consequence. At the other end of the ice, our forwards functioned pretty well. Andy scored both regular time goals, Lachy got his first point (an assist), Tom got the only minor penalty in the game. Jo made a welcome return to our bench, managing the defence side of things.
We scored first, they equalised, second period was tough going for all, and then we went one up again in the early third with them equalising with only a few minutes to go. They held us out despite our press in the offensive zone for the final couple minutes to force the game to a shootout.
I was on the ice for both of their goals and neither of ours. I can't recall the first of their goals though I do remember that it was 'abstract' (in that I didn't feel that I had done the wrong thing in the play that led to it). Their second goal is much more vivid, as it eventuated on the last of a sequence of very tough physical plays in all three zones and in which we had iced the puck twice in succession before we could change lines. The play itself was one where at least three of their players were around the front of the net at one point. While Tom and I cleared one each, their sharp skater came in and jammed the puck under our goalie's legs to trickle over the line. In retrospect, probably nothing we could have done better in front of the goal - EXCEPT maybe have identified the real threat and neutralise him first. Anyway, it was exhausting, disappointing, and strangely satisfying at the same time.
My game had increased in its physicality. Several clashes on the board in races to the pucks (won more than I lost), being boarded and hipchecking in return at the next board clash, a game of cat and mouse with their skating forward, keeping him from playing his favourite north-south game with inside position, stick checking and physicality in our races for puck possession.
My immediate post game impression was that I should pass less to a position, and more to the player. This implies keeping my head up even more than I now am when doing so. I might feel all self righteous when I pass it to where I should be able to pass it and there's no one there, but that won't stop it going for an icing or otherwise into the opposition's possession as a result. And in ice hockey, results count far more than intentions.
My skating was pretty good, only going down when knocked down, knee held up the entire game, even my recent viral suffering of the lungs didn't seem to restrict me too much. My new stick acquainted well for itself.
An enjoyable Monday evening.
GP 9 G 0 A 0 Pts 0 -2 5/3/1
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