Since the beginning of the recap I have tried my best to sound as unbiased as humanly possible, while still being biased. I have done my best to show what I really think of someones play without sounding like a jerk-but still being brutally honest. I have done my very best at voicing the viewpoints that the collective masses doesn't what to express. It may be lack of confidence, interest or mental capacity to express it, but it's my job to state the obvious. It's my duty, to write a recap without preferences or bias, except toward myself. And for the most part I have left certain individuals off my list of whipping boys because their play warranted something different. But over the last two weeks of play, something changed. Last week I voiced my doubt in performance, but I thought I was jumping on a rare opportunity. But this is two weeks in a row. It's turning from a blue to a full moon. It's no longer a rare occurrence. Perhaps the talent against him is better or maybe he has lost a step. I'm not really sure. One thing is clear, though, the gap isn't as big. He is beatable. But more importantly, his team is beatable.
Game 1: 5-4 Final in favor of the Dark team. Would it shock you if I told you that the dark team, at one point, owned a 4-0 lead? It was nearly the collapse of the season. And maybe my rant at the start of the recap wouldn't have been written if the comeback was complete. But alas, it wasn't. It just turned out to be another long opening game. Jared carried the Dark team with 4 goals (5 points) including the game winner. The goat in game one turned out to be the White Team's defense. No one was able to defend Jared.
Game 2: 5-4 Final in favor of the White Team. If you weren't shocked earlier you will be now. I have decided to call myself the goat in this one. Now I know, no one saw this coming. It was not because of my defense, in fact I felt it was one of my best defensive games in while. But it was my play on the other side of the field that gave me the title. I shoul have had the game winner. I got a perfect pass from Griff, a wide open net and I missed. At the time, the score was 4-3 in favor of the Dark Team and it should have been over. But it ended up being a missed chance at another win. I'm not going to comment on how cheaply they got their game winner...wait i guess I just did. Fittingly, Brad had the decisive goal.
Game 3: The game that decides if it was a good night or a bad night. What team would walk away with 2 and 1 week? It was the Dark Team with a 5-3 victory. For the third straight game the Dark Team started out with a 2-0 lead but this time they didn't look back. 3 goals for Jared, including the game winner and two goals from the "scrappy" (used loosely, guys) Brendon. Both teams had their Alliances broken, but I think Jared was happy with the way things worked out. Is that back to back winning weeks Jared?
Sorry guys that it's another short recap. But I'm having a huge writers cramp right now.
My weekly chat with the Scout:
Nick: Ok, today we are going to play a word association type of game. Im going to say a word or phrase and you're going to tell me the first thing that comes to mind, got it?
Scout: This is going to be terrible.
Nick: Not cool, man. Can't you play along?
Scout: It was the first thing that came to mind. Just being honest.
Nick: Fine...I want you to be honest on everything though. Dont hold back. Take no prisoners!
Scout: I think I can do it..
Nick: Ok first phrase: Brendon
Scout: Never injured.
Nick: Really?
Scout: Really.
Nick: Ok...Mike D
Scout: Juice
Nick: Apple or Grape?
Scout: That went over your head.
Nick: White Line
Scout: Lenny
Nick: Goal from the point
Scout: Jimmy
Nick: Jack too.
Scout: True. Steve is next!
Nick: Joe
Scout: Disappeared
Nick: Jimmy
Scout: I hate his laugh.
Nick: Griff
Scout: Calm. Cool. Collective.
Nick: Like me. Nothing wrong with that.
Nick: Handsome
Scout: Nick
Nick: That's a wierd thing to say. I'll take it though.
Cleveland: akward...
Nick: Matt S
Scout: Bandana.
Nick: Dale
Scout: Childhood
Nick: Dale
Scout: again?
Nick: I wanted to hear something else.
Scout: oh, nice try.
Nick: Reggie
Scout: White
Nick: Chris
Scout: Mixed Berries and nuts.
Nick: Brett
Scout: Saw 1, 2 and 3
Nick: Jared
Scout: Closer to the point than the white team's D.
Nick: That's wrong on so many levels.
Nick: Recap
Scout: Losing your touch
Nick: I need new material.
33 comments:
the last recap in 2009.
Nick, just because babies dream doesn't mean they sleep in order to dream.
You were arguing Gabe (Brett and Ariel's baby) consciously went to sleep in order to have more dreams. That makes as much sense as Johnny's phantom goal! :*(
Keep trying Nick.
PS - Quality scout recap. I laughed out loud a couple times.
all i was saying is that when babies sleep they are more apt to dream about what was going on around them. Dreaming is a key part of baby development.
Wasn't saying that babies fall asleep to dream. Atleast that not what I was trying to say.
Griff, sadly It could have been better...I held back. Cant hurt feelings you know.
BB and WPR...i thought you were waiting for me!
Could it be? Yes my friends, it's the long awaited, much anticipated, never duplicated, return of Big Board.
As the end of the year/decade/mondayafterhockey approaches, let's do some midseason reviews for Saugus hockey. Since report card retired i will also do grades after my rankings for the first half.
with a minimum of 10 games played let's take a gander at the top 10 players of the first half.
1. Johnny- Johnny is on an incredible pace in points this year, all while doing it with a great winning %. With a healthy brett for the second half, maybe Brett's prediction of 300 points is possible.
2. Jared- 75 goals is only 8 shy of his total of all of last year. Ya that's right BB does a little research. 8 GW in 18 overall wins isn't bad either.
3. Ron- Ron came storming out of the gate scoring at will and dominating saugus. In the past month tho his play's slipped a bit, he then formed an alliance with Jared and Dale, became irregular in saugus, attempted to dismantle this website, and started his own. Ron needs to refocus on saugus and help take down johnny at #1.
4. Brett- I'm not sure who brett feeds more, Johnny at saugus or his son in a day. The joke there is that both occur far too often, and johnny throws up after far less often. Him and johnny were like moss and brady in 08/09, and BB has doubts they will ever get back to that level.
5. Nick- 2nd in winning percentage and great numbers for a defensemen. Becoming the recycler of jokes in his recaps, but he's still pumping them out every week like his 30 foot high slapshots from the point.
6. Griff- The closest battle in the draft this season is Nick or Griff. Griff's become more of an offensemen and has been involved in some of the most memorable moments this year.
7. Brendon- 4th in points and still has a very good winning %. Actually has played decent when he plays defense...moving on.
8. MikeD- Slowly but surely mike's play has been improving from a 3 month montreal hangover. Has rededicated himself to being a very good defensive forward.
9. Joe- Remember Joe? Because Big board barely can. Joe probably played really good defense, did his great knee slide sweep check, angered people with it, and shot the ball really hard and inaccurate from the point.
10. Reggie- There's a theme in this blog for respecting people with high winning percentages, so it would be unjust not to reward the leader in that category. Reggie has actually played his best hockey in a while, remember that game winner against brett a few weeks back? Well there's your goal of the first half.
Well there it is, just remembered i said i would do grades, kinda forgot, everyone gets a b-.
Second half let's do this! Chris, Matt, any goalie, Dale and whoever else you were intentionally not on the list, so play better.
I'll take that challenge.....Just want to mention for all you twenty somethings and even you thirty somethings......bE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
by the way The three you mentioned to step up their game are all over 40. and two of them play hockey and can battle with the best of you at any time!. I am not a hockey player , but I am an athlete. I play sports...all sports. So if you are asking some 40somethings to step up there games, what does it say for you youngsters that get upstaged???
LOL.. SCOUT'S CHAT WITH NICK WAS GOOD...... even with the racial reference. Its amazing how my melanin content continues to be a point of conversation every once in a while...sigh. That being said good chat. recap was a lil weak. Im just glad that it didnt mention of how awful i was last night. I stunk royally, injury or none. Some good games tho. I am healing rather slow.. so chances are i wont be there sunday.
Nick, are you kidding me? Come after me on a week that I didn't play well (like last week) and that's fine. This week though? Please tell me how us losing 2 out of 3 was my fault.
Your basic premise is flawed: my teams are ALWAYS beatable. I never try to stack my team, so there is always the possibility that it happens. If everyone on my team plays up to their abilities though, I feel we should win every week.
This week not enough guys played well enough to win.
BB, Brady and Moss never played together in 08/09...
Chris, I would have liked to have you up a bit more at forward this past week...unfortunately it didn't get to happen.
We needed the Defense this week, I was ok with that.
Maybe this coming week. Hopefully a good amount of players come so that we have a couple of subs.
What do you think John, how was the D this past week? What can I improve on?? I will take criticism and insight from anyone that makes sense!
Chris, I'd say there are three things to focus on from a defensive standpoint on D (ignoring the offensive side of it right now).
First is probably a matter of mechanics. Never lunge forward towards a player, and never be flat-footed when a forward is trying to go by you. When Jared was getting by you the other night it was either due to you lunging for the ball (and he running right around you), or him playing it off of the wall and he was able to run by as you were flat-footed. Once Jared gets by there are few people who will catch up to him. So the trick is to use your stick in front of you to control how close he can get, but be ready to keep your feet moving so that if he tries to just flip the ball and run right by you can get your body in front of him and then retrieve the ball. With your size this is something you can take full advantage of. It's easier to demonstrate so I can show you on Sunday what I mean.
The second thing that you have to do is be stronger on a player's stick. When you are covering a player make sure their stick is tied up. You can't hook their stick, but you can lift it when they are trying to play the ball. Again, your size and strength is a huge advantage in that regard. When you are covering Jared in front of the net he should never be able to get a shot off. Helping with this is to use your size to box him out, just like you'd do for a rebound playing hoops.
The final thing seems simple, but it's very important too - communicate with your teammates in the D zone. When we were in the D zone together I would keep telling you to make sure you stick on a guy, which you did. Feel free to let your D partner know (as well as your center) who you are going to cover.
Those would be the big things to work on. Over time the point play and transition game will come, but you have the tools to dominate a game defensively. All of the rest is gravy.
John, now that I think about it, thats what I kept doing was getting caught flat footed. I couldnt figure it out during the game and that was frustrating me.
Size positioning and communication as well as better footwork. Hmmmm I think I can do those things
Brendan, I can use your tips to.
Yup, on my way to Defensive domination!!
thanks guys
anyone else???
I nice sparkin white shirt would surely work in your favor.
The reflection alone will throw off the timing of the guys trying to get by you.
Only the #1 best dressed player could pull that off. That’s you baby, that's you
I'm all over that!!! I may have to pick up a couple of extra bright ones for the upcoming weeks!
That i think would complete my game!!!
this is not hockey related, but it's for any dog owners
I get home last night to find my dog napolian trying to bring in the house a deer head!!!
I think Jareds was bring nice when he said 3 month slump - it feels a lot longer.
The best part of the night was when john was yelling at Bredon to go in and brett was yelling at him to go out.
Mike, I don't remember the play, but it's possible we were both correct.
One of the things that Bradley (and it's not just him but he's the most pronounced case of it) is play hockey like he's running the bases in a softball game: station-to-station. He basically will stand around and wait to react to a play instead of being proactive and position himself.
This isn't to say to run around aimlessly and waste energy. But on a play like Jared's game 1 winner he stood around and watched Jared score instead of running towards Jared to break up the play. In the defensive zone he'll stand and wait for the ball to get to him instead of running towards a slow pass from the D. In the offensive zone if he's the highest forward and needs to cover for the center he'll wait until the team is breaking out before running to cover instead of positioning himself in an area where he is better able to defend the play.
Again, this is not just Bradley that does this (I'm just picking on him for a separate reason), but players need to be proactive towards a play, and know where to position themselves.
An example for the positive: let's say a forward has the puck and takes it behind the oppositions net, and then curls out front looking to pass. He sees both of his forwards down low. After he passes to one of them he should continue running towards his point-men, until he is in good position defensively again. He's already running, it becomes simply another fifteen feet or so. But it makes a big difference so that he's not caught out of position.
yeah I meant Bradley
Where's wpr?
crying someplace
WPR!!!
"I'm just picking on him for a separate reason"
I know!
rumor has it...lol
Wow it sounds like I missed a few close games. Sorry but I was out of town. I should be there this week and I will be sure to step up my game if my 45.5 year old beat up body can do it. I promise I will give it my all. :)
no excuses chris! everyone has a different skill set whether it's speed, size, shot, etc. What seperates the good players is hockey sense. Age for the most part i don't think makes a huge difference. If I'm a step faster than you can easily counter that with positioning and stregnth.
Eventually it'll just click i think. I remember Nick was just an average player up until last year and then something clicked for him and he became a good defensemen. I think you and matt s have the potential and skill set to do the same. Johnny said it best, keep running. Street hockey is mainly about hustle.
Don't get me wrong, I dont make excuses, I have too many of them to mention any ways! (you'd be suprised)
I'm just improving my game night by night.
But there is never a night that I don't bring everything of what I have! which i think is pretty good, maybe not as good as some of you guys.
Also I have only been playing hockey for the past year and a half. SO I learn and Improve each week.
But here are my goal -
defensively; stop the best player on any team. may or may not happen, but I will win some battles
Offensively; make sharper passes and get better scoring opportunities -
Like I always say , bring your best because if I cant stop you now I will soon!
That was the competitive side peaking its way out.
Chris, I'd love to help you with getting a hard slap shot from the point, but you'll need those tips from someone like Ron.
As for passing, a large part of it is being able to read the play (almost like a quarterback). Know where your best passing options are, where that player is going, etc. Next, you have to be decisive: once you know where you should go with the puck, make that pass. This is probably the most critical part of it - too often guys will see the pass that they should make, and then delay for some reason. By the time the pass is made the guy is covered.
The actual mechanics of the pass is important too (how hard it should be, how much touch needs to be applied), but IMO not as important as knowing where the pass should go and getting the pass off.
i know I have made some indecisive passes and gave the puck away, but also made some passes right on the money. I gave a few away last week. I think sometimes too I have to be a bit more patient and move with the puck instead of passing it away quickly. Thats where my handling skills need to improve.
I find myself thinking about hockey tips throughout games... pretty soon I hope it will just be a reaction!!
I have to say I have made more than my share of bad passes. Some though were because Its we are not pros and are not in the right position for the pass. For instance if I am coming down the boards with the puck there should be someone following me down the center. But that isnt always the case. If they are not running, and I see it a lot with Jared rushing up the boards and nobody running with him, he can't pass to the center cause nobody is there. So I guess I am saying I need to look for the pass instead of think someone is or should be there
Yeah Matt...I haven't been on your team much, but be careful of random blind passes expecting someone there.
this site is so close to dying...... this is a sad sad day!
Griff, not too many people probably have work today...
nothing gets a site going than good 'ol poll questions, so here's mine.
whose better nick or joe? I personally have a harder time going against joe but nick is a safer bet.
well that really got the website going
Post a Comment