Monday, March 30, 2009
Slippery Recap
*It was another week of with a long opening game. "I don't mind when the games last long, it shows that the teams were even" said one player. The game started with a quick goal by Mike D with an assist coming from Brett. "Mike was wide open, and no one was paying attention to him! Brett made the perfect pass, and Mike some how managed not to hit the post. It was perfect execution" said one scout. The dark team was quick to bounce back getting a Brendon-esque goal. "The game was back and forth all night. It was one of the most competitive games of the season." said one casual observer. The white team took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Brett (Brian with the assist) But, from then on it looked like this would go down as the game where Brett was finally beaten. Three straight goals for the dark team by Griff and two goals from Jared. Hold it! Think about that. Griff? Griff played well on Jared's team? That sounds debatable. "I was shocked myself. Griff played hard all night...especially against Brett." said one scout. With the dark team in control with a 4-2 lead, the win was in the bag, right? Not with Brett and Johnny on the same team, they can do anything (no really, they can). After Johnny was done yelling at his teammates for their "poor" play, he started to put his money where his mouth is. He managed two hard fought goals, one of them unassisted, to tie the game at four. So here were, 45 minutes into game one, tied at four. It was a game of epic proportions. With a game of this magnitude Johnny and Brett, of course, stopped subbing. 15 minutes later the game was over a goal by Mike D...WAIT! The goal was scored after a controversial call that said the ball was still in zone. Brad was adamant that the ball was in, but we all know he was just embarrassed to be beaten by the rookie. Several players on both sides agreed that the ball was "clearly in". After a few minutes of "talking out" the situation, it was decided that a face off in the dark team's zone was needed. Johnny didn't want a controversial win. The face-off was won by Johnny, a quick pass to Brett who finished off the game. five (six) to four, Final Score.
*Johnny did his best to avoid controversy in Game 1 but he got it game 2. It has been decided that the second game will go down as a complete game, 5-3 the final. When the game was originally called (the lights went out) the score was 4-3, everyone thought that it was an incomplete game. Guess again. Game two was another competitive affair, that included goals from Dale and two from Jared for the white team. For the dark team, the goals came from Brian and two apiece from John and Mike D. Though, this game will be remembered for the actions of the goalie: Jimmy. The dark team was in the middle of working out a play. It came with a series of passes and a few solid shots on net. But, before the ball was cleared out of zone, Jimmy decided to do the unexpected: He called time-out...because his glove fell off! His glove! Jimmy are you kidding? Rediculous. Imagine if goalies could do that? Break aways wouldnt exist. They would just drop the glove and yell time-out. The dark team didnt stop their shots and scored a goal. It was originally ruled a non-goal. But because of the circomstances, it was rulled a win for the white team. Let the complaints from the dark team begin!
Nick's Ramblings
If you try to fail, and you end up succeeding, which have you done? Did I just blow your mind?What has the average time for "game 1's" over the last few weeks? It was nice to have you back Brett. Was anyone surprised that a John and Brett team went 2-0 again this week? When you play defense, remember you have a partner. Griff and Brian played great this week. Was the floor slick or what? It reminded of this week. Lenny, you were quiet this week with points did you play more defense tha usual? So Dale, what does the "A" stand for? Arnold? Dale Arnold? hmmm....Under or over 50 comments for the week? Only 18 last week. Will the weekly power rankings return this week? 868 words...the longest recap of all time.
Stats Updated; Recap to follow?
Also a poll has been put up.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Brief Recap and Power Rankings
Sunday night was one of the biggest turnouts we had. JR and Jared chose what looked to be fair teams on paper; each team had 2 full lines. Reminiscent of Game 1 from last week, this week's first game went well over an hour. The dark team once again had solid D from the group of Joe, Lee, Matt D, and yes Jimmy (well, to an extent!). That, combined with stellar goaltending from Jack (returning after a 3 week hiatus) allowed the dark team hold off the White team's attack and eventually prevail 5-4. John and Dale powered the offense scoring all 5 goals (Dale netting the GW). Unlike last week, this game was close throughout - no historic comeback was needed. It was simply a hard fought, fast paced game.
Game 2 was not quite as memorable as the dark team jumped out to a 4-1 lead before seeing the White team net a couple to close the gap. Lenny was the hero though, wristing home the game winner. Sorry Nick, I don't have time to write anything witty here...
Game 3 - tied 2-2 before the lights went out.
Power Rankings
10. Steve P / Mike C (tie) - Both newcomers played well for the White team, each scoring twice (we'll ignore the hand pass this week Mike). Steve displayed some good offensive skills while Mike provided some grit around the net. Good job guys.
9. Jared - Was an ongoing concern all night in the offensive zone, but couldn't score on any of his trademark 80-footers (finished with 1 goal). Jack stopped him consistently all night, with many great saves sprinkled in. Jared's effort would normally rank him higher, but with the amount of chances he had, if he buried just a couple it could have given his team a win.
8. Lenny - Complete opposite of Jared this week. Did not have an abundance of chances, but made the most of what he had. Lenny was key to the Game 2 win by setting up John for a one-timer after a nice rush into the zone and behind the net, and then scoring the next two goals for the win. Could probably have ranked higher, but he never should have argued with his captain!
7. Dale - Only had 2 goals on the night, but they were big as it helped the Dark team win Game 1. Dale centered the second line and did a solid job. He looked for his teammates more than normal, and for the most part made an effort defensively to cover his man (defensive play fell off a bit toward the end of the night). Most impressive was the frequent subbing and keeping the shifts short (maybe he was afraid JR would have benched him if he stayed out too long!). All around a good team effort though from Dale.
6. Mike W - Displayed his tremendous hustle and speed all night, and produced on the scoreboard (2 G, 1A). He was the best player on the White team this past week.
5. Lee - Probably the highest ranking Lee has reached, he earned it with solid D all night. He had an assist as well, but he made smart choices with the puck on defense all night long. When your goaltender singles you out as making an impact defensively, you've got to be recognized on the Power Rankings.
4. Griff - Honestly, I didn't expect to be placing him this high. Griff was very selective in his hustle this week. Yet he was the second leading scorer on the night (2G, 3A) and could have had a few more assists if his teammates could have buried some of the chances he created. You just can't argue with the production.
3. Joe - Third week in a row of stellar play on D. He had his typical sliding style to breakup chances in the defensive zone, and very good getting open at the point. He probably would have had some goals if his teammates could have found him. He also had several nice rushes with the puck.
2. John - Yeah, so maybe I'm a little biased here, but the stats back it up. No, I'm not talking about Goals / Points. I'm talking the number of times I subbed. It must have been some sort of record. Team player folks, right here. Oh yeah, and I'm probably going to make up for that by not subbing at all next week!
1. Jack - It's not happened too often this year that Steve has been outplayed by the opposing goalie, but that's what happened last night. The senior Riley was able to keep the Dark team in the game until they could get their offense going. Very few if any questionable goals allowed, and many great saves, especially against Jared. Save of the night came on a kick save when Jared thought he had a goal. That's a size 13 shoe Jared...you better aim high!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The not so timely Recap
*Well, well, well. I'm not really sure what to say. Game one was a pathetic showing by another one of Jared's team. It was indescribably ugly. "Amazing...they just packed it in" said one stunned scout. It looked like the white team was going to dominate this game. They took a quick 3-0 lead on goals by Griff, Jared and Nick. Wait! Yes, Nick had a goal...think about that. The white team had a 3-0 advantage and had some type of offensive contribution from Nick. A win should be in the bag. "Theoretically, yes, the win should have been wrapped up but sadly they thought the same way, and you cant do that." said one
*Game two was more of a continuation of what happened to the white team after they scored their fourth goal in game one. "I didn't think they could play more out of it then they did in the second half of game one, but they did!" said one cynical scout. The score didn't do justice to the beating that had taken place by the dark team. "5-2, was the score? I don't believe it." said one frustrated player. Well, I can see how he had that viewpoint after the way Jared wined about the teams. We live a world where people are vulgar, rude, licentious and puerile. And Jared fell into what category? Jared, I'm going to call you out. Play hard and hope for the best...never quit. Be Better :) (me putting a smiley face makes me not sound like a jerk. It's fun how that works out.) As usual, John Riley was the key offensively with three goals in game 2.
*Game 3 was when Jared quit complaining and started to be better. And how did that work out for him? The white team pulled together, after refusing to make a trade that most felt was needed, and grabbed the much deserved victory. "They looked like they did in the first half in game one" said one scout. "Though, they did get some help with Johnny not playing the first half of the game and Jimmy missing some goals he probably should have had." said one white (team) player [yes, Reggie im "integrated"]
Nick's Ramblings
Again guys sorry for the delay. I probably wouldn't have had it up today if I wasn't bothered enough by the numerous text messages I recieved. Oldies (and everyone else) remember to cover the guys on the point. Nice game by the rookie, Dan on Sunday. Jared, be better. At one point do you guys get mad when the recap isnt up? When is the absolute latest I can get it up without complaing? We actually had a post asking for the recap before I got home Sunday night. That's crazy. I would like to give a shout out to John for excellent job of getting the stats up on time. But, it's obvious (because of the recent poll) that people care more about the recap. Reggie, how are you feeling this week. I want a comment on the board. I nominate Brendon to write the longest comment for the week. (of course, no one reads them though) When will Scott make his next apperence? MVW, where were you? Our games lacked someone running around aimlessly this week. Brett, let WPR know, that I disappointed him this week. Big Board your posts have been lacking quality and depth.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Just to keep you informed
The stats have been updated, and the recap should be up shortly.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Recap
*Game one was a game of great defensive prowess. “The white team’s defense was spectacular. I don’t think we are going to see a group like that together again anytime soon…the defense was the reason they were able to lock down the 5-3 win.” said one scout. It certainly was a huge factor. Joe, Nick, Lenny and Griff were all at the top of their games. Though, Lenny and Griff were also integral in the white team’s offensive game. The frustration was mounting for Jared and Borges though. “They both tried to their fullest extent in Game one but they came up short. The white team played extremely tough. It’s that simple” said one astute player. Brett and Johnny along with the help from Lenny and Griff were also able to muster up enough offense to win.
*This was the game of games. No matter what side you were on (the winners or the losers) you had to of enjoyed the competition. “Finally! For the first time in weeks, we had a game that wasn’t completely one sided. It was great” said one player. Of course, the word can be used differently depending on what team you were on. The effort that Borges and Jared put into game one was starting to pay off. “Well, they played just as well in the first game but they learned to work with their teammates a little better” said one scout. Mike De Maio, Matt S and Lee all played solid back on defense. MVW also played solidly with Jared and Borges. These combos carried the dark team to a 4-2 lead. It seemed like they had the win in the bag. Until, the white team buckled down again. Just like in game one, the white team’s defense was unbelievable. They shut down Borges and Jared and caused many “no look” passes by Mike Ward. After the comeback was complete, it had Jared clamoring for an unneeded trade.
*Game three was not as riveting as game two, but it was still entertaining. It was another game with a final score of 5-3. It started out with the white team jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead and seemed like the dark team had used all their gas in game two. But they fought their way back, though; they were still not victorious despite their efforts. It was a great week full of competitive games and because of that game three will be lost in the shuffle.
*We were only able to play until the score was 1-0, so there isn’t much to say. But Borges quit because he was “tired”. Very Nice.
Nick’s Ramblings
Guys, how long does it take to get back on sides? Did you notice that the defense that plays better usually use their defensive partner? Did anyone notice that John modeled his recap after mine? He started off with a random rant, then he went into the games and then ended with shrewd ramblings/observations. He must like my style. Borges-maybe your teammates would respond better if you didn’t yell at them. Griff and Joe you were solid on defense. Some of us need to remember, “Payback” shouldn’t be our main objectives. Who was the most frustrated player on the dark team? How would game four have turned out after Jared got his trade request? Brett, you are going down. Who art thou big board? Power Rankings, I’m interested in your top five this week. Brad, it snowed out today…did you leave the house? Reggie says he will be back and healthy in May. (or June, July…what ever is convenient for him) Just kidding, Reggie. Was this a “timely” enough recap? I liked my use of the semi-colon today. 761 words, impressed?
“If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.”- Anthony J. D'Angelo
Update
The Recap will be up later this afternoon. The stats will be up tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hockey this Sunday, 8:00-10:00, outdoor rink
Monday, March 2, 2009
White Out
Team White had a new captain this time as Mike W picked up teams with John R. He chose the ill Brett, as John picked Jared with his first pick. Later as teams were being picked, John made a stunning selection by picking Mike C to play net, despite having other good players to choose from still on the board. Thanks to Mike D for the scouting report!
Game 1 got under way and the Black team jumped out to a 2 - 0 lead. That's when Borges arrived, prompting Griff to get cut from the White team. That proved to be incentive for Griff as he had a beautiful rush down the right wing and beat Jimmy with a backhand. John won the game for the Black team with his 4th of the game. Game 1 went to the Black team, 5-1.
Game 2 started out with more of the same as the Black team completely dominated the White team winning 5-2. Mike D beat Jim C with a beautiful wrist shot off the post (and this time in the net) for the Black team's 3rd goal.
Game 3 saw a change in goalies: Mike went to the White team, Jimmy went to Team Black. Things did not start well as Brett rushed alone on Jimmy. Jimmy must literally have been praying because he just stood there motionless before falling to his knees. Brett went around him with ease and game the White Team a 1-0 lead. This sparked the White team and we had our closest game of the night. However, Griff won it for the Black team giving them a 5-4 victory.
Jon B started looking like his old self, netting two goals in Game 4, including the first goal of the game where he ripped it past Jimmy. The goal was reminiscent of the goal that Washington scored against the B's in overtime on Saturday - from a half-mile away. Jimmy was able to shake it off though and played well enough to back the Black Team to a 5-3 win. Dale was the top scorer in this game, netting two goals.
Game 5 had the Black team leading 3-0 before the game was stopped. This game goes in the records as an incomplete game. Stats count for it, but it doesn't affect anyone's wins/losses or percentage-type stats.
Other thoughts:
Props to Dale for playing great on D, and also Mike W for playing a very good center. Brett and Borges were both on-going concerns for the White team, even if the production wasn't quite there. Both goalies played pretty well, despite some soft goals. I'd have to give the edge to Mike C in his debut though. Sorry Jimmy!