Friday Shoot

I'm dropping behind in trying to keep up with events in this skating life so will probably keep things short until back in 'real time'.

Following my revelation on Thursday evening that I'll have to step up a bit on the D (because the Knights were going to be down two of our best D's on Sunday) I decided to concentrate entirely on shooting with some power.  So I did.

One hundred shots from the 30' line, 5 hit the pole.
One hundred shots from between 60' and 90', 4 hit the pole.
25 forehand shots from 15', 5 hit the pole.

My hard hits from distance weren't real slapshots, where the stick hits the floor surface an inch or two behind the puck to generate additional whipping 'flex' energy in the shot, but full blooded strikes on the puck from a backswing.  I was reasonably happy with the accuracy, was starting to get the weight transfer happening by the last half of the session.

All in all, worth the effort and will repeat.

(Late) Game Day - Knights (4) d Flyers (0)

On Sunday we played the Flyers for the second time of three this season.  For the second time we shut them out.  These have been their only defeats.  We're now second on the ladder, (ironically behind the Flyers), ahead of the Redwings on goal differential.  We play the Redwings this Sunday.

Again, I was fortunate enough to have a friend in the stands with a phone/camera and have put the three periods worth of highlights up on Youtube.  Thanks Lizardking!

Both teams started with eleven skaters and their regular goalies.  We lost Cam part way through the first period due strained abductor muscle, which meant we then were rotating through 3 D for the rest of the game.  However, Cam was involved in our first goal with an assist, so at least he got on the board.  The video shows our goalie having trouble with his straps.  It doesn't show one of our players being called for not having a chin strap on his helmet.  He was able to play out the game, but will have to have things fixed by the next game.  We went into first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

The second period was gritty.  Neither team scored in this period, still 1-0 after the second.

Final period saw a bit of blitz, with three goals going into their net.  We managed to keep them out of ours.  Tommy was shining in goal.  With about a minute to go I was back in our zone and followed one of their wingers into the slot, thinking there's no way that I'm going to let them steal Tommy's shutout.  So I gave her an opportune shove to clear the net.  Had done so also in the second at one point, realised I'll have to work on this aspect of my game a bit (which we subsequently did in training).  It was great to celebrate the win as a team and to have given Tommy his first shutout.

*

I was reasonably satisfied with my game, although lots of room for improvement.  I think I had two hopeless shots towards goal, one being a backhand snap.  Both got snarled up in front of the net.  New aspects were my aforementioned clearing of the netfront, a couple times battling on the boards to hold the puck there, and a slightly more forward defence when trying to contain their breakouts.  Several times I successfully used an active stick to disrupt a speeding forward's shot entirely, or at least hasten it before they were properly set.

My weakest points was being a bit late on the turn around to cover their breaking forwards, and several failures to block a contested puck.  Also, not taking that extra second to look before making a clearing pass (or, indeed, after capturing the puck before it could leave their zone and passing it back in).

Overall, our team rocked, with continual searching for the shot and plenty of communication.  I heard from the stands that we looked like a hockey team more than ever before, rather than a bunch of players.  From their goalie, that we were the most aggressive team he's yet faced this season (and he's now faced them all).  And, to me personally by a stranger spectator, that I seemed to have the opposition's playbook because I seemed to be always in the way.  Which was a great compliment for this budding defender!  Of the goals caught on video, I was on for two of them, and had literally just stepped on the ice when another went in.  Which is +3 for the game!

This coming Sunday, schedule has changed so we will be playing the Redwings at 5pm.

GP 6 G 0 A 0 Pts 0 +4 4/1/1

Short Shoot

I was going to have a day off of skating yesterday until I reviewed the fact that as a Defenceman in games where we will be playing with one D less than the usual four (due injury to Cam) it is my duty to my team to step up the (blue) line in terms of both conditioning and technique.  Particularly, putting the puck onto the net from the blue line.  So I ended up going for a short shoot down at the primary school (and will do so again tonight and tomorrow morning, and hopefully Sunday morning as well).

Because of time constraints I only had a half hour from the time I left home, which meant that I only had time to get off a few shots before returning.  Still, it was fun while it lasted.  Scored 5/25 skating in from centre to shoot from 30' or more, with the majority of the remainder passing within a couple of inches from my two inch target.

Tonight I'll take a little more time and see if can't increase the power a bit.

Wednesday Skate

I went down the Ice Arena on Wednesday night with Jess and Craig.  It kind of fell together at the last moment so they weren't properly prepared and had to borrow some long sleeved tops of mine so they didn't freeze.  It ended up with the three of us in similar but different hockey sweaters.  Jess made my St Louis Blues jersey look great, Craig was happy to wear a Canucks top, and I wore my CKA St Petersburg one.  So we were all in royal blue.  Looked like quite the trio!

It was busier than the week before, probably at least seven or eight hockey players that I know of doing laps.  I took it fairly easy, not at any stage pushing the envelope in terms of speed.  I did drive myself fairly hard doing lateral moves with reverse crossovers, particularly to the left (ie against the usual anticlockwise flow of social skating sessions).  I was beginning to feel like I was nailing it in the last few minutes, noticed a few of my opposition friends watching me out of the corner of their eyes as I did so.  That gave me more of a sense of affirmation than my own judgement.

Jess and Craig and I are likely to be there again on Saturday in the early afternoon, along with a couple of young ones.  'A' has his first pair of skates and is soooo keen to use them.  How could I say 'no' to the invite?!  This despite having to get up to Gawler for the early inline game in the evening.

Looking forward to it.

Knights Training

Last night we had Knights training on the small ice.  Initially it looked like only three of us were there, but it filled out to be 4 D and about 6 Forwards from combined Knights and Bombers teams (the Bombers are our related Div I team).

Again, it was a great session, leaving me exhausted but more knowledgeable about my role within the team and a few more specific skills that I hope to put into play this week in our Sunday game against the Kings.  The drills were limited in number, allowing us to develop the insights gained.  I noticed that performance and aptitude increased during each one as a result..

The emphasis shifted more towards game-like situations than it was last week.  We started with the breakout horseshoe from opposing corners (we had two goalies this week).  Then a two-part drill.  In its first iteration, one forward skated backwards from a corner next to the goal, up the board towards centre ice, passing back and forth with the next forward in the corner line a couple of times.  The skating forward then transitioned in a long loop behind the centre line to steam in towards the goal down the other side and receive a third pass before taking a shot.  Meanwhile, the 'passing forward' had moved towards the goal and was trying to screen the goalie while a defender tried to clear them from the crease. D and goalie changed over every five or six plays.

In its second iteration, the screening forward and clearing D remained in front of goal.  This time, however, there were two D's at point.  The F in the corner passed fairly quickly to one, then the other, of the D's who had a shot.  After each play, the D's rotated through the three roles available, and the passing forward moved into the screening forward role.

We then completed a 'God exercise' (where coach indicates with her stick to all the players in a line in front of her which direction (left or right) they are to do crossover steps, or whether they are to get down on the ice or get up to their feet) which is about conditioning and maintaining bent knees.  The session wound up with a few penalty shots (my backhand was the most effective I noticed, but only if I held it till what seemed like the absolute last moment before whipping it in).

The valuable lessons learned for me were when I briefly played a screening forward role, and used my light feet to roll around much stronger defence players (two of the three shots I screened went in) and, most practically considering my present role as a D, how I generally managed to clear the opposition forwards by shoving them at opportune moments with my stick grasped in both hands, driving from my blades rather than from my upper body.  By the end of the clearance drills I was generally leaving my goalie with an unobstructed view of the shot (whereas when I started I was adding to the screening effect as I struggled to mover bigger and stronger players with strength alone).

I dare say we'll be a more aggressive team when we play the Kings than we were on the last occasion.  I suspect we'll need to be.

Midday Skate (and Knights shutout Flyers)

Today, I went for a short river skate at midday to stretch the legs after a rainy day off yesterday.  I did it in the reverse of usual anti-clockwise direction for the express intent of giving me my hardcore hill climb at the end.  I gave myself short five pace sprints along the smooth river path, transitions along the smoothest stretch of quiet side street that I covered, and powered up the hill in less strides than I have in quite a while.  This was followed by a good stretch and a hearty lunch, as game preparation for Knights v Flyers later in the afternoon.

I'll post a 'game day' report later this week, once the videos have been uploaded (thanks Lizardking!) and I have seen the official match card.  For the present, suffice to say that we shutout the Division leader Flyers 4-0.  This was their second loss to us (both shutouts), their only losses this season.  Tommy was on song in the goals, we were playing more like a team than previously, I was on the ice for three of our goals (albeit one when I had literally taken one step onto the ice during a line change when it went in).

Game Day - Sharks (4) d Knights (3)

 

The 'high'lights in respect of my game are fairly obvious in the first period.  In my first shift I collide at fairly slow speed with a giant of a Shark, which causes my knee to freak out so I struggle off and sit out the next shift or two while my team mates cover for my knee's recovery.  I return to the ice for the faceoff after our opponents score, only to be present (indeed, in the goal mouth) for their second goal.  I watch our first from the bench, but am in the precedent defensive play to Christian's single handed assault into the O zone and score.  Although it's not caught on the video (which is why I know that not all my shifts are captured) I was banged to the ice a second time in this period, although this time it was by a team mate who'd drifted down into the corner and into what I thought was clear ice as I backed out of a battle in preparation for a rush.  That one hurt my knee far more than the hit with the opponent and I admit I was cursing my team mate as I limped back to the bench.

 

My highlight of the second period was my shot at goal from the point, which resulted in a bit of a scramble over the rebound and our team's third goal.  Again, no points went my way but I certainly (helped) create the situation that ended in our goal, very pleased.  To bring me back to earth, the next play was a goal to them, with me on the ice again. 

The third period was a bit brutal, with them scoring what turned out to be the game winning goal about half way through.  We were able to maintain our sustained assault on their goal for much of the period, with no result.  My best play was to take the pass from one of several final minute face offs and get a nice pass through to Tom in the high slot.  He didn't get a clean one timer, so it came to nothing, but I executed really nicely to capitalise on Christian's win in the draw.  No complaints.

*

If you've watched the above videos you'll know that the game was pretty harsh at times, with quite a bit of roughing going on.  It was also highly enjoyable at the time, though would have been nice to see us capitalise a bit more on our 26 official shots on goal (they only had 13).  As a team, we put it down to a bit of the 'hero' attitude (which caused players to play out of position) and lack of communication.  In other words, we weren't playing as much as a team as we had the week previously.

For me, I did some things well and some things not so.  The positives include my one shot on goal, a few nice passes under pressure, a couple successful races for the puck or to at least disrupt an attack.  My main failing was not successfully committing when pinching forward into the O zone to grab a loose puck (allowing them to get behind me), not being strong enough on the block when trying to stop them raiding up the board a couple times (allowing them to get behind me), and playing too far back to be effective at cutting their options.  All these things can be improved upon.

GP 5 G 0 A 0 Pts 0 +1 3/2/0

Evening Shoot

I skated down to the local school again this evening, gone for just over an hour.  Very peaceful down there, only a couple dog walkers on the oval.  Took the time to put in 25 shots while skating in from 30 feet (I hit my target with six of them).  Then a little bit of tight turning transitions, with and without puck, then my usual 100 shots (8/4/8/3).  I finished up the night with a few short dash sprints before skating home up the hill over the purple carpet of fallen jacaranda petals.

Schoolyard puck

As a means of avoiding doing a core/upper body circuits this evening, I went for an inline skate to the schoolyard with puck'n'stick in hand.  I didn't bog myself down too much with any concentrated drills, instead taking dynamic shots from beyond the thirty foot line at my netball goalpost target.  Most memorably, getting four 'dings' in a row after coming in with transitions on an angle, deking at speed.  I probably only hit it three more times in another twenty shots, but no matter!  Also spent some time on a four cornered tight turn circuit, initially without and then with stick'n'puck.  Only did 25 forehand snaps (7 hits), spent more time just skating.

Trip home worked the quads and glutes quite well up the hill, though judging by the number of strides I still aren't generating full power.  That's six nights in a row with some form of skating!

Wednesday night social skate

For the fifth day in a row I did some skating.  Tonight, went to the Ice Arena with Craig for a bit over an hour.  Was a smallish crowd there, not too many whom I know personally, maybe it's got something to do with combination of relative heat today, and the fact that all the hockey players are already fitting in games and trainings to their schedule.  I must admit that I probably wouldn't have gone myself, except that Craig was pretty keen.

I stayed on the ice the whole time, with edgework, a helluva lot of backwards crossovers each way, C Cuts, and both tight turns and transitions.  Maybe a dozen drilled hockey stops and a couple hundred metres spent on my toe tips.  I even tried a few three-turns in the centre circle, so my knee is definitely on the improve.

My logic was that ice time is for development of skating techniques, Knights training is for team and positional tactics, schoolyard shooting galleries are for development of hockey specific skills (ie stick and puck), games are for fun and for the compete.

Five days of skating though, takes it out of one, I think I'll go to bed rather than work on my promised Knights v Sharks game day post.