It was another action packed week on the rink. Things were different this week as JB did not arrive (an unconfirmed soure reportedly placed Borges and Doug S. at home, sharing a bowl of popcorn while awaiting the start of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). As a result, Lee took over the role of captain for the White team. Lee gambled with his first pick, choosing Jared. Sans Borges, Lee was banking on a monster game from the sniper. Unfortunately, Jared too was not to be found - at that moment he was escaping from a family reunion, showing true determination and team spirit.
Too bad for the White team, they had to start play without Jared. The Dark team was able to win a 5-0 shutout, thanks to some solid goaltending from Jimmy, some great playmaking from Brett, and a timely goal from The Gimp (for those of you who were not there, that was Brendon, who showed admirable courage playing on one leg after suffering a near-fatal muscle pull during warmups).
Game 2 though the White team fought hard. Buoyed by Jared and Matt S on the attack they fought to a 4-4 tie before Johnny and Brett had a partial two-on-one break. Brett passed to John who one-timed a perfect changeup at Steve. Steve, while stopping previous one-timers, was not expecting the 12 mph floater, and had the ball riccochet off of his glove under the crossbar.
Before Game 3 the White team decided to strategize. Lenny, upon feeling "patronized" by a member of the dark team, vowed retribution. "We'll see how the dark team feels when we start to Griff them", he was overheard saying. Reggie, who played some of his best hockey last night, at that point tried putting the team on his back, and scored the only goal for the White team. Yet his efforts were not enough as the dark team prevailed once again, this time by a score of 5-1.
Game 4 saw the White team's resolve start to break down. Reggie despite having a pass given to him which would have given him a clear breakaway, saw a streaking Nick heading towards him and developed the first case of "Alligator Arms" in Saugus history, and let the pass fly by. The Dark team received continued great play from the Mikes (D and P) and were able to win fairly easily, 5-1. The last goal was scored by Mike P, his first of the season, after a stellar display of unselfishness on the part of John, the likes of which we haven't seen since Brendon willingly sacrificed his body and pride and held up, allowing Ariel to run him over with a check so that she would not end up hospitalized. Upon seeing that pass to Mike P, an anonymous player overheard Dale commending the play, although adding that "he would have shot the ball off of Mike P and picked up the rebound, so that he could get both the goal and the assist".
20 comments:
October 26, 2008
Speed Kills
5 Mike P. - I haven't seen such hustle like that since, since . . . i don't know when but it was still very impressive, and it lead to his first, hard fought, game winning goal of the year.
4 Nick - Pinching in must be what Nick worked on this week, cause he was doing it at all the right time and running to all the right places, getting of a half dozen really good shots and also racking up one whole goal for himself. Expect this year to be a break out year for nick.
3 (only fair that i pick someone from the white team) And that person is Jared. Even after coming late and seeing that his team was a very heavy underdog to win any games, he played. And his presence was nearly enough to will his team to a win in game two, but they fell just short. Keep your chin up Jared.
2 Brett - I think it's safe to say that Brett, barring any serious injuries will hold down the assist leader for the rest of the year. And just think that last year he was playing All-Star defense, and now he's a super star winger. Still can't give a number one star to him until he gets a game winner.
1 Dale - HA Just kidding - 1 Johnny R. - Still in the lead with points. Still in the lead with goals. Still crossing out assists that Dale rightfully deserves in his own mind (i'm guessing Dale thinks of himself as the greatest playmaker in saugus). Next week i'd like to see Johnny get more assists then goals, proving that he's a true team player and not out for personal glory as Dale stated before walking out of the rink with tears in his eyes. But hey when 5 people say it happened one way, and 1 person says it happened another, who are you gonna believe? Good work Johnny, 2 weeks in a row at number 1
Honorable mention(s)
Just 1
Reggie - Two words . . Razzle Dazzle! Good week for Reggie overall. had to play defense when no one else had the ability to. Was also able to fill in on offense. Has Mario kart for the Wii. Keep it up Reggie, just missed the top five this week.
and another quick one
Steve - i felt bad for Steve, having to be on his toes almost the whole time in every game. Hope you had fun though. One word of advice . . . work on your positioning. use your crease to know where you are. you'll have to make less saves if your in position cause the ball will just hit you a lot more.
If somebody's stats are removed from the record, then another player shouldn't be able to take them!
no one has taken them. so please don't worry about it. it was just a joke. we said we were going to give them to jared and he was on the other team so somehow you missed the sarcasm and laughter when we were discussing that. but that's ok. some people hear only what they want to hear and believe what they want to believe and you can't tell them otherwise.
and now come all the posts questioning the validity of the stats
I just went through and read a bunch of the comments that are on this thing.
It is sad how people were calling people out on your Florida tourney.
You win as a team, you loose at a team.
Why did Florida go bad, one reason -Point blank, you weren't a team.
It is as if everyone doesn't know everyone elses skill level.
If the team didn't have a clear leader then each person has to look at himself for that.
Leaders lead by example.
It is also evident that people are taking what it said during the game off the rink.
Does anyone really think that someone that doesn't take critism well in Saugus is going to take it well in a tourney or take it well on a blog>
You had Dale sit as his own yellow line and pout because someone told him he should pass it up the boards.
I over heard Brendon telling that guy in the black tank top how he should play defense. Seriously!!!
Brendon couldn't even run and
that guy in the tank top was one the best defensive guys there and he just looked at Brendon and smiled.
Another thing - are goalies importany, yes.
BUT, they don't call them the last line of defense for nothing.
If you are to tired to hustle after the ball - GET OFF!!!!!!!!!
If the words - I don't like playing defense - comes out of your mouth... You are just lazy!!!!
Defense shows heart, offense shows skill..
skill be learned, heart your born with....
What's with all the arguements over hockey? IT'S JUST A GAME? Should everyone take a few weeks off to cool down and put the game on hold?
if we know we all stink will that make us better?
I don't know about what happened in Florida but the problem in Saugus is that people don't know their own talent level. They seem to think they can do more with the puck then they should, or think they can just shoot instead of looking for a better play. No one seems to take criticism the right way.
To say don't rush the puck ALL the time on defense isn't a knock on your playing skills, it's trying to tell them that if they get broken up at the line no on will be back to cover(whether there should be or not doesn't matter). the D's job isn't to rush the puck, it's to stop the rush from the other team. And please no one argue with Brett when he's trying to tell you how to play D, he's the best one by far, it'd be best if you listened to his annoying voice instead of take offense.
The white team was one of the most unselfish teams I've ever seen play(with the exception of you know who)the team flowed in the zone, controlling the play and cycling very well. When you know who touched the puck it broke up that flow and left his own players flat footed not knowing what to do cause he put himself out of position which made everyone else out of position.
You know who, don't stop coming, just leave your extra sensitive ego at home please. You took offense at comments that weren't even directed at you. So please everyone, when someone tells you you need to change, or work on or something, don't focus on how it's said or who said it, but focus on what was said. And maybe, just maybe, you'll improve yourself and your whole team.
Hello, my name is U. Noe-Hu and I am offended by your comments about me and my gameplay. How dare you, sir. How dare you.
Hey, I decided to take a look at this site for the first time today.
Brendon, I have no idea what that other post was talking about, so don't sweat it. I honestly don't even remember switching with you. ha
I try not to take anything that happens to the bench let alone off the rink.
Everyone gets aggrivated in the heat of the game, but that's all it is. Heat of the moment aggrivation.
I guess I go so little that I have been reduced to the guy in the black tank top. hahaha
I always have a good time.
Mike,
Wear a white tank top next time and really confuse everyone!
Either that or have everyone wear a black one.. haha
It's funny that someone was paying more attention to a conversation that I was part of than I did.
It's even funnier that they would have an opinion on your Florida trip that they didn't go on.
It's amazing what people will say under the cloud of doing it Anonymously.
This is all supposed to be in good fun....
That's all you can do is take it in good fun. Not that everything that is posted should be rainbows and roses, but ultimately it is all in having fun.
Florida is taken more seriously, but most of the serious Florida discussion should take place off of the board anyway.
who is "you know who"?
i want names, so i can be specific when i make fun of them too
In reading all of the previous posts it's quite clear that some 'anonymous' people, who are quite likely to be Brett or Billy, found my game in Florida to be, well, underwhelming. They're right. I didn't play nearly my best tournament. Would Tony have made the difference? Possibly.
From the start, I said I would play defense if the team felt that would be best. That way, if I was really sucking, I could take fewer shifts to hurt the team as little as possible. I have a 85 mph slapshot and know how to play the position, but rustiness would have had a lesser impact in that position.
I was asked to play net regardless, so without any practice at all, I suited up. With the exception of the first game, the shot differential was at least 3-1, if not a 4-1 in the opponent's favor. So from the start, apparently I was being asked to WIN the games myself. On no practice.
Last year I had a much better tournament. Then again, the shots I faced last year were contained much better by a TEAM effort. The shots I faced were typically from the high circle and beyond, and were kept more to the outside. I could come out and cut down the angle with confidence that my teammates would eliminate passes that would catch me out of position. This year, that didn't happen. Shots quite literally came from everywhere, so I couldn't commit like I had in the previous year.
Last year, I had two or three games' worth of practice right before the tournament. This year, the first time I put the pads on was in the first game.
I find it interesting that the anonymous poster(s) quite clearly state that Brett was the best defenseman out there. Brett wasn't physical, he didn't clear the crease, and of the nice plays he DID make to break up plays, well, all of the other defenders made just as many, if not more.
You say I didn't tie up the ball, instead I passed it to the other team. I know the play you're talking about. I know that Brett in particular was complaining about that play. I watched it on tape. I had at most a quarter of a second to figure out what I would do. I tie up the ball if I know I can do it, else I'll be out of position. There was a forward trying to get the ball who was to my immediate side. I may have been able to tie it up, I may not have. I made a split-second decision that could have gone either way. The fact that the ball went back to the point, was shot in and deflected a couple of times to score doesn't make my decision incorrect. What was that, the sixth goal? At that point the game was already over.
If you watch the tape, analyze how many times forwards walked right in on me, completely open. If I'm on top of my game, maybe I'll save half of those. That's a matter of angles that I just hadn't gotten down by that point, which makes sense, since angles come from practice. But plenty of goals came from the other teams simply being able to cycle the ball with no problems in our end.
You want another goalie to suit up? Fine by me. Blame the tournament on me, I don't care. I came because I was urged to, and to spend time with my brother. I'm not calling anybody out. The defense played hard, so did the offense. So did I. We were simply outmatched in every area. Maybe a goalie on top of his game would shave a couple of goals off every game, but in the end, where would that leave you? How many goals did we average per game? Not nearly enough.
Don't be nice to my face and then put me down behind a mask of anonymity. Because, you know, that's clearly a Christian quality. You have a problem with me, you come say it to my face. Else I'm done with you, and with the tournament. It's not worth it to spend that much money, spend that much time away from my wife, only to have Mr. Anonymous come and make it distinctly not fun.
This board is such a blast to read!
stop thinking it's me. it's not fair To just assume it's me.
Yeah i wasn't happy with the way you played dave, nor with anyone else or myself, and i don't think i tried to hide it. but don't get on my case by assuming i'm the one to ridicule you.
clearing the front of the net isn't my game, and it shouldn't be, i couldn't clear the front even if i tried. So what do i do . . .? i carry the puck, i control the play, i start plays, and i rush it when nothing else is working. I know the position (better than anyone i've played with in my opinion). i also know how to play goalie. i play it on ice which is much harder then street and technique is even more critical. but i'm not gonna tell you how to play your style of goalie, there are different styles. if the one you have works then great. But this other person thinks that it isn't working. and on some points i agree but not all.
So dave please refrain from throwing names around and harboring wrong emotions towards the wrong people.
why is a raven like a writing desk??
why don't you post my comments? stop being such girls, complaining about who's making fun of you.
everyone thinks they are better than the next person and wouldn't listen to what someone had to say unless they agreed with them. so stop trying to police this site.
It's a blog, your suppose to be able to say what ever you want, to who ever you want, as whomever you want to be.
Deal with your own identity crisis not mine.
No one will have complete freeness of speech if they attach their name due to the sensitivity of every ones feelings. I'm a valid opinion, giving an honest assessment of peoples performances. If you blocking my innocent comments, then you shouldn't let dave leave comments like that should you?
hypocrites, your just playing favoritism
well here is my post that was blocked last night, enjoy
Dear Dave
you do care or else you wouldn't have written that lengthy post of blaming people then saying it was no ones fault then tearing them apart again.
I'm glad you admitted you weren't good. That's the first step in getting back on track(hopefully)
apparently you grade defense by a players size and not talent. Brett didn't move players out of the way? You kidding me? who cares? no way will you be playing on D next year if that is how you feel it's to be played in a no contact league. We already have Bob and Ryan, we don't need you doing the same thing for us. I want to see you make an attempt to make the plays Brett does, with the puck, rushing it, beating their players in a foot race to the ball. That's something you physically can't do. Brett doesn't block shots at all, he doesn't even attempt. But don't worry, it seems you can't block shots in net so we won't expect you to block them on D.
You weren't forced to play net. We had Tony. who was more than willing to play, until you showed up late and he had to play D.
You were right about one thing, it's not worth spending that much money to go into a worldly tournament(christian quality), with a goalie who hasn't played in a year.
By the way how do you know which play they were talking about? There were half a dozen!! Brett wasn't the only one calling you out, most everyone on the bench had the same feeling . . . Dave is rusty, big mistake to put him in, tony would have been better. You acknowledged it, we acknowledged it, where's the controversy?
I have plenty more to say if you'd like to continue this constructive criticism, but i'm going to bed.
Brett, it seems I owe you an apology. I compared the style of writing of the anonymous user with yours, and I really don't think it was you who wrote it. At this point, to pinpoint who the exact person was, I just don't care anymore. It's not someone who is even remotely important in my life. I didn't say (or, in reality, even think) that you're a bad defenseman, or that you had played badly in Florida. I said multiple times I thought you played well, and was glad that you were playing defense. I simply didn't think there was such a chasm of talent between you and the other defensemen, in that you stood out shining as our only good player, as had been implied in previous posts. As I said in my previous post, everybody played hard. I'm sorry I accused you, that was completely wrong on my part.
Dear Anonymous Girl,
I have no problem with people telling me I didn't play well. I absolutely KNOW when I don't play well. I know when my angles are off. I KNOW I didn't play well in this tournament, and never claimed that I did. I also expected I wouldn't play very well in the tournament, and voiced that concern multiple times. But in the end it didn't matter. No goalie would have made a difference. Those guys could pick corners from anywhere, and they were given everywhere to shoot from.
To clarity a point, I offered multiple times to have Tony suit up. No, I wasn't forced to play net. Nobody held a gun to my head. But no, Tony wasn't forced to play defense either, you are entirely incorrect in your thoughts. I was ASKED to play it every time. If Tony had said that it mattered to him, he could have played it, but he said multiple times he would do WHATEVER. Again, to clarify your inaccuracy, I was ASKED to play net. Not by the anonymous girl, but then again, your opinion obviously doesn't amount to much, now, does it? You obviously don't care about accountability for your own actions, so why should I care about your opinions of my accountability? There is nothing constructive about your criticism. It's just criticism, which causes me to question just how spiritual of a person you are. If you KNOW you are offending your brother, and you continue to do it, what does that say about you? You've done it plenty of times in the past, offending Brendon, offending my brother, and now offending me. What will you do about it? Post again anonymously trying to offend more.
You quite clearly don't speak for whether or not I play defense, since there is no name to your words, therefore no meaning to your words. I have a strong feeling that if there even WAS a name to your words, there would still be no meaning to them. I'll be playing in Saugus when I vacation in New England this year; we'll see how I do then. You've never seen me play defense, and I couldn't care less if you hate how I play. Whoever you are, obviously your play (or lack thereof) didn't contribute toward our playing well in the tournament, either.
I appreciate the support, Brendon. I don't know why people rag on you so often in this post, I think it's ridiculous some of the things that have been said to you and about you. You've always been a good friend. We've actually upgraded our Idaho Sports Department this year. 'Crush a [watered-down] beer can on your head' was SO two months ago, and was in Utah. Now we play 'Dodge-The-Inbred-Mormons-In-The-Streets' for fun, which is much harder than you'd think, with the ratio of normal people to, well, marrying-your-dead-grandmother people about 5-1.
Nick, you realize you can record peoples' IP addresses, right? Or you can track people with cookies. Since disabling anonymous posting obviously won't work, why not look into those routes?
Again, Brett, I'm sorry for accusing you.
--Dave
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