Week 2 continued the roll that we started out on. We played in Philly on Friday and the game seemed to take forever. There were a ton of penalties called and there was just no flow to the game. Despite being shorthanded for an entire period we managed to outshoot the Phantoms and come away with a win. Watching Dean Arsene get the Gordie Howe and the GWG is one of my highlights of this young season. Having gone through the same surgery Dean has and dealing with all the BS that comes with it I was happy to see him back to his old self again.
The home opener on Saturday was a lot of fun and a very intense game. Even though we won by a good margin the game didn't feel like a 7-1 victory. Syracuse is a good team that is very well coached and they never quit. I am sure that when we head up to their barn later this season it is going to be another intense game and much closer on the score board. G-Mac set the tone right off taking on Meatball Mirasty in a lonnnnnngggggg bout. It made me tired just watching the two of them go. It got the boys pretty fired up and it carried over to the score sheet. It was great to be back at the Giant Center playing for the good guys this time and the crowd was loud and raucous as always.
Sunday saw us suffer the first defeat of the year. Unfortunately we weren't able to go 80-0, I guess we just have to try for 79-1. Seriously though the Penguins were ready for us and wanted to exact some revenge for us beating them in their home opener. We dug ourselves a hole early, pulled out of it, then dug another one at the end of the second. We simply didn't have enough gas in the tank to rally again in third. It is only one loss and we will use it as a learning experience moving forward. We get to play those guys 8 more times so I am sure that we will get them when they are on the back end of a 3 in 3. This weekend we have two more home games before heading off on the road for our first 4 in 5. Binghamton has had a great start so far and will be a good test on Saturday. Hopefully we can put together a solid 60 minutes and come out on top.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
A good start
Looking back on the first week of the season I can definitely say that we are off to a good start. Having 4 games on the road to start is a good test for any team and coming home 3 for 3 is all you can ask for as a player. Playing the season opener in Wilkes-Barre, when they are raising their Eastern Conference Championship banner from the year before was a nerve racking experience. First off home openers are a pain because you have to warm up and then sit in the locker room for 30 minutes while all the pregame festivities take place. When we were in the room we just kept telling each other to stay focused and mentally prepared. Coiners goal 96 seconds in was by far the most important of the game. It quieted the crowd and gave us a lot of confidence. We carried this confidence over to the power play and it was the main reason why we won the game.
Playing with Aucoin and Giroux has been great so far and I am privileged to be on their line. They are both tremendous players that have great vision of the ice and we have some good chemistry going so far. Hopefully we can continue to create scoring chances both 5 on 5 and on the power play. If we play to our potential I think we all will have very good years and be playing until June, which is the only thing that matters.
The thing that has impressed me the most so far with our team has been how the entire team contributes every night. Every player came to play all 3 nights and it was this depth and commitment from all 20 guys on the ice that got us the 6 points. The Rook line, made up of two Frenchies and a Finn, was fun to watch and they played like seasoned pros. The LBJ line of Laing, Beagle, and Joudrey gave us three great starts and provided momentum for the team with big shifts when we needed them most. Then you have Wilson, Bourquie and Gordo together. Three players that could score 30 goals each. The defence was solid and I was impressed with how well that they came out of the zone and made the ever important first pass. As long as we continue to get contributions from all 4 lines our team will be tough to beat. Inevitably the lineup will change and we have plenty of good players waiting for their turn to help out the team any way that they can. It is going to be an exciting year and so far we are off to a good start.
Playing with Aucoin and Giroux has been great so far and I am privileged to be on their line. They are both tremendous players that have great vision of the ice and we have some good chemistry going so far. Hopefully we can continue to create scoring chances both 5 on 5 and on the power play. If we play to our potential I think we all will have very good years and be playing until June, which is the only thing that matters.
The thing that has impressed me the most so far with our team has been how the entire team contributes every night. Every player came to play all 3 nights and it was this depth and commitment from all 20 guys on the ice that got us the 6 points. The Rook line, made up of two Frenchies and a Finn, was fun to watch and they played like seasoned pros. The LBJ line of Laing, Beagle, and Joudrey gave us three great starts and provided momentum for the team with big shifts when we needed them most. Then you have Wilson, Bourquie and Gordo together. Three players that could score 30 goals each. The defence was solid and I was impressed with how well that they came out of the zone and made the ever important first pass. As long as we continue to get contributions from all 4 lines our team will be tough to beat. Inevitably the lineup will change and we have plenty of good players waiting for their turn to help out the team any way that they can. It is going to be an exciting year and so far we are off to a good start.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One Crazy Week
Tonight was the Season Ticket Holder pick up night along with the Booster Club introduction dinner. I would say that it was a great end to a long week but there are two preseason games left to play Friday and Saturday! It was really nice to see all the fans and I can't tell you how many people welcomed me back to Hershey. Not that I forgot but it was a reminder of how special this community is and how close the fans are with this team. I am truly lucky to be able to play hockey in an area that cares so much for its team.
Besides "Welcome back" the phrase I heard the most was "How come you haven't updated your blog?" and I do have a legitimate excuse! The last week has been really hectic for me! Last Friday I was sent down from Washington and the time started flying by. I drove to Hershey that day for a meeting Friday night. Saturday morning I had practice at Hershey Park Arena (I love that place!) then I was in the car and driving back to Vermont to get all my stuff. (Furniture, clothes, video games, kitchen & bath stuff, and my dog!) It tool my wife and I 9 1/2 hours to get there. We woke Sunday morning and picked up a 17' Uhaul with a vehicle transport trailer so we could save gas and mileage on the way back. After 3 hours of loading up the van we drove to Binghamton, NY to stay with Cristina's parents. It took us 9 1/2 hours just to get there! (It normally takes 5 1/2) We had a GPS that we borrowed from Cristina's parents and it said we averaged 41.6 mph! It was different driving on the highway and having cars and trucks blow past you at 70. It was a lot less stressful, I think I should try driving slower from now on. Monday morning we woke up and finished the drive to Hershey and it took 5 more hours. We signed our lease and got the keys to our apartment and started to move everything in. It took us about 5 hours to get everything up the flight of stairs and the Mayor himself was kind enough to come over and give us a hand with the heavy stuff. ( I good sign that he is feeling MUCH better and is ready for a 100 game season!). Tuesday & Wednesday mornings brought more practice then the afternoons were spent unpacking all of our stuff. We are about 95% done now. Today we had practice again and then the season ticket event I wrote about a few minutes ago. It is now 10pm and I am focusing on tomorrow night when I play against Wilkes-Barre. Usually Veteran players don't play back to back preseason games but I hope to get into both this weekend so that I can get my timing back. I have only played 1 game in the last 5 3/4 months and the season is starting on Wednesday. Without getting into too much detail tonight I just would like everyone to know that after practicing a couple days with the guys here I am VERY excited to see what this team is capable of. I have a feeling that it is going to be a great year!
Besides "Welcome back" the phrase I heard the most was "How come you haven't updated your blog?" and I do have a legitimate excuse! The last week has been really hectic for me! Last Friday I was sent down from Washington and the time started flying by. I drove to Hershey that day for a meeting Friday night. Saturday morning I had practice at Hershey Park Arena (I love that place!) then I was in the car and driving back to Vermont to get all my stuff. (Furniture, clothes, video games, kitchen & bath stuff, and my dog!) It tool my wife and I 9 1/2 hours to get there. We woke Sunday morning and picked up a 17' Uhaul with a vehicle transport trailer so we could save gas and mileage on the way back. After 3 hours of loading up the van we drove to Binghamton, NY to stay with Cristina's parents. It took us 9 1/2 hours just to get there! (It normally takes 5 1/2) We had a GPS that we borrowed from Cristina's parents and it said we averaged 41.6 mph! It was different driving on the highway and having cars and trucks blow past you at 70. It was a lot less stressful, I think I should try driving slower from now on. Monday morning we woke up and finished the drive to Hershey and it took 5 more hours. We signed our lease and got the keys to our apartment and started to move everything in. It took us about 5 hours to get everything up the flight of stairs and the Mayor himself was kind enough to come over and give us a hand with the heavy stuff. ( I good sign that he is feeling MUCH better and is ready for a 100 game season!). Tuesday & Wednesday mornings brought more practice then the afternoons were spent unpacking all of our stuff. We are about 95% done now. Today we had practice again and then the season ticket event I wrote about a few minutes ago. It is now 10pm and I am focusing on tomorrow night when I play against Wilkes-Barre. Usually Veteran players don't play back to back preseason games but I hope to get into both this weekend so that I can get my timing back. I have only played 1 game in the last 5 3/4 months and the season is starting on Wednesday. Without getting into too much detail tonight I just would like everyone to know that after practicing a couple days with the guys here I am VERY excited to see what this team is capable of. I have a feeling that it is going to be a great year!
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