Two games in three days means that I need to have a whole lot of creativity. We’re into the season a good amount now, so thinking of new outfits starts to get a little bit difficult.
If I pick a pair of shoes, I can almost always plan an outfit around them. Nude shoes are the perfect canvas for an outfit. Normally, I would play it up with some fun colors, but this time, I was feeling something a little more neutral.
Neutral is exactly what I did. White shirt, white skirt, nude shoes, and to make it a little more edgy, I threw on my trusty leather jacket.
I’m usually layering black on black, not white on white, but I think I’m liking the change.
You know it’s a good look when you get a ton of compliments on it, so I think it’s one that I will have to try again eventually!
Turtleneck: J.Crew
Skirt: Forever 21
Shoes: Topshop
Jacket: Old Navy
Necklace: Forever 21
(photo credit: Dinur Blum)
The Ontario Reign made a comeback and conquered the Colorado Eagles 5-3 at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Friday night. Colorado proved to be a tough contender early in the game but the Reign fought to the end with three power-play goals to put them back at the top.
Colorado opened up the score board early into the game when Brock Nixon drove the puck to the right side of the net, forcing it under Reign goal tender Jussi Olkinuora at 3:01 of the first. The Reign made a quick comeback when big boy defenseman Vincent Arseneau shot the puck past Eagles goal tender Doug Carr from the offensive zone. Tristan King and Matt Register received the assists for the first goal of the night for Ontario.
During the second period, the Reign took advantage of two consecutive power-play chances and pulled ahead. Teigan Zahn was called for holding at 0:14 so Judd Blackwater was able to shoot, score and give Ontario their first lead of the night. Just minutes later, their lead increased after Derek Couture threw one in the net at 3:06. Blackwater was on fire on Friday by making the score 4-1 after a defensive breakdown at 16:39.
The rest of the game showed how much the Reign had woken up after their last few losses. The Eagles were still trying to make their way to the top with a power-play goal from Nathan Moon during the second and one more from Collin Bowman. Reign’s Register kept the team leading to the end with the game winning slap shot goal during the third period at 10:08.
That kind of game play made up for all of the inconsistencies the Reign has been having but who knew they would do the exact same thing, right at the next day. Saturday’s game was one for the books as the Reign dominated the Eagles once again with a final score of 5-3.
Ontario’s Matt White got started with the Reign leading the score after teaming up with Register and got it past Clarke Saunders at 17:01 of the first period. After the game was paused for the Teddy Bear Toss for Toys for Tots, White racked up another goal with just seconds left in the period after he smacked his own rebound into the net with a secondary assist by Geoff Walker.
Colorado got their heads in the game during the second period but it was already too late for them from there. Reign’s Couture redirected a shot by Alex Roach at just 0:36 into the period to have Ontario up to 3-0. The almost shutout didn’t last for long as Eagles’ Trent Daavettila got a shot past Olkinuora at 1:05.
The third period was when everything came to a head for both teams. Ontario had a total of two more goals from Walker and left winger Maxim Kitsyn. The Eagles scored two more shots almost one right after the other by Brett Kulak and Vitalijs Pavlovs but it just wasn’t enough to bring the Reign down by the end of regulation. Olkinuora took the win with 38 saves Saturday and Saunders took the loss with 18.
The Ontario Reign will have a short break before going up against the Bakersfield Condors on Dec. 10.
The Coyotes have decided to shake things up and make some moves after their 4-0 loss to the LA Kings on Thursday night. The loss was their 6th in a row at home. After a players-only meeting post-game, some changes in the team were announced this morning.
Klinkhammer To Penguins
It was announced Friday, December 5th, that the Arizona Coyotes have acquired Philip Samuelsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade involving Forward Rob Klinkhammer and a conditional 5th round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Samuelsson has been playing for the Penguins AHL team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, this season. He went 0-4-4 and 20 penalty minutes (PIM) in 22 games.
He has played a total of 5 games in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins after being drafted by them 2nd round in the 2009 draft.
His brother Henrik Samuelsson was drafted by the Coyotes in the 2012 NHL Draft. He is currently playing for the AHL affiliate the Portland Pirates after a strong pre-season training camp.
Rob Klinkhammer has had three goals for the Coyotes this season in 19 games.
Chipchura On Waivers
The Coyotes have put Kyle Chipchura on waivers, on Friday, December 5th. Chipchura only had 9:39 TOI in the loss to the Kings. In 16 games this season, Chipchura has only had 3 points (1 G, 2 A).
Chipchura is on his second year of a three year deal weighing in at a $875,000 cap hit.
Recalls and AHL Assignments
On top of all of the other action, the Coyotes have sent David Schlemko back down to their AHL affiliate the Portland Pirates. Schlemko has tallied 4 points (1 P, 3 A) in 15 games for the Coyotes this season.
They have also recalled defenseman Andrew Campbell and forward Jordan Martinook from the Pirates. Campbell has gone 3-5-8 with a plus-seven rating in 20 games with the Pirates. Martinook is 4-9-13 and 8 PIM in 21 games this season.
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(Photo: NHL.com)
On New Years Day 2015, the puck will drop in Washington, D.C., for the 2015 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic, where the Washington Capitals will host the Chicago Blackhawks for an exciting outdoor matchup at Nationals Park.
But the Winter Classic isn’t just a one-day isolated event. On the ice and off, the NHL and the Washington Capitals are making a positive impact on the community.
Recently, the NHL and the Capitals refurbished “Watkins Rush Rink,” a street hockey rink at the Watkins Elementary School and Recreation Center in Washington, D.C. This project was part of the NHL’s Legacy Initiative, which works to support community organizations in the host city of an NHL event through the work of the League, the local Club, and League partners. This year’s Winter Classic Legacy Initiative was able to invest over $115,000 into the D.C. community and the Watkins Rush Rink project through the efforts of NHL partners Bridgestone, Franklin, Constellation, Pepco, ECORE International, and CleanRiver Recycling Solutions, in addition to local funding and support from D.C. Parks & Recreation and D.C. Public Schools.
“The Winter Classic is a fabulous showcase and celebration of hockey, and our partnership in the NHL’s Legacy program will have a lasting impact on the Southeast D.C. community for years to come through the refurbishment of the Watkins Rush Rink,” said Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who is also the founder and chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We have participated in and witnessed a tremendous growth in local amateur hockey during the last decade, and this street hockey opportunity will introduce even more boys and girls to the sport. The Winter Classic, while a New Year’s Day spectacle, is more than just one game; it’s an event that impacts our team, our fans and our city. It’s an exciting time and opportunity for our organization and community.”
The refurbishments and contributions for Watkins Rush Rink include a brand new Sport Court, team benches, rubber matting surrounding the rink made from 170 recycled tires, repaired netting and boards, updated energy efficient lighting, and new goalie nets, recycle bins, and street hockey equipment.
“While the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will be memorable in a host of ways, it is a priority for the National Hockey League that the impact of this outstanding event lasts long after the game concludes,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “By refurbishing Watkins Rush Rink, we hope to provide a source of fun and fitness to generations of youngsters who want to enjoy street hockey – while also supporting our commitment to environmentally friendly initiatives.”
“DPR is appreciative of the gift of the equipment and renovations to the Watkins Rush Rink from the NHL and the Washington Capitals,” said Dr. Sharia Shanklin, acting director of D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation. “These organizations reached out to DPR so they could give back to this community and to help DPR bolster and expand our sports’ programs and opportunities for youth to participate in both street and ice hockey. These improvements will help spread the “Rock the Red” spirit across the District at the Winter Classic at Nationals Park on January 1, 2015 but also here in our neighborhood on a daily basis.”
Additionally, the Washington Capitals provided street hockey development and training for 23 physical education teachers in 21 D.C. schools; with this training, the schools can now include street hockey in their respective P.E. programs. These 21 schools also received brand new street hockey equipment, including sticks, balls, nets, and goalie pads. Twelve Watkins Elementary School students were also chosen to try out the new rink with former Capitals players Sylvain Cote, Rod Langway, and Alan May.
No doubt these lucky students and the surrounding D.C. community will remember this opportunity and the Legacy Initiative’s generosity for years to come.
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(photo: Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Eleven goals. There were eleven total goals in the San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins matchup Thursday night. More importantly, San Jose’s seven goals were the perfect morale boost for the club that could not have come at a more ideal time.
The night started off pretty dreary, though – hardly a morale boost at first. Only three minutes into the game and the Sharks were already in the hole by two. This was a “here we go again” scenario and was especially horrible for defenseman Justin Braun, as he was partly the reason for those first two. Both he and Marc-Edouard Vlasic were covering Patrice Burgeron, which allowed an uncovered Reilly Smith to get the first goal only 29 seconds into the game. Then, just over two minutes later, a clearing attempt whizzed by Braun on the blue line and Gregory Campbell was able to get past Antti Niemi.
The Sharks did not heat up until the second period, when, 27 seconds into the period, Tommy Wingels tipped one in from Vlasic, which boosted the team and woke up the crowd. They scored another goal from Tyler Kennedy at 3:00. The Sharks continued their scoring streak with a go-ahead goal from Wingels, the first power play goal on the night. Their lead was short-lived though, as Smith netted his second at 8:13. Less than five minutes later, Torey Krug wristed one in. The scoring fun continued on the other side when Joe Pavelski made it an even game again on a power play.
Thus began the scoring-spree by the Sharks – Kennedy’s second, Pavelski’s second, and one for Tomas Hertl. Did you get all that?
In fact, this was a 2-goal game for three Sharks: Pavelski (plus an assist), Wingels, and Kennedy. For Wingels, that second goal was his third power play goal of the season. Additionally, it was a two-point game for both Hertl (1 goal, 1 assist) and Burns (2 assists). This was Hertl’s second multi-point game of the season and Burns’ second two-assist night of the season. Plus, Brenden Dillon earned his first point as a Shark, an assist on Pavelski’s second goal. Points abound!
When the Sharks perform well, the fans will make sure they are heard loud and clear. Popularly known around the league as one of the hardest to play in, “The Tank” has not lived up to its legacy, due to the Sharks’ performance. When the fans are in it, the Sharks feed off that energy, and vice versa. Pavelski later commented that
“Third period we heard the ‘Lets go Sharks,’ and that’s probably the first time we heard it all year. That’s on us as players that we haven’t created that kind of atmosphere.”
The team showed the kind of character the fans (and coaches) love to see – contributions from everyone. Contributions from multiple different players, instead of just depending on a select few, are what make a team complete and resilient.
There’s no question that the Sharks needed this win badly. Three wins in a row, after three losses and a less than stellar home record prior to these past few games, are exactly what the Sharks ordered. With much speculation about if the coach should go, line juggling, big guys not getting the numbers they need, and the captaincy still a big question mark, it’s no wonder the guys on the ice, and the fans, looked confused. Something happened in this game where it all seemed to click, though. This was, by far, their best performance of the season.
So it’s back on the road for the boys, and with it, they will bring this confidence and momentum. Coach Todd McLellan reflected on the game and what needs to happen: “We got better. We made some strides, Now we need to take it on the road, but with our group we’re going to have to keep our foot on the gas pedal and find smaller increments of improvement day after day, and hopefully they build and eventually we get to where we want to go.”
The Ontario Reign officially has a new player that can call LA home. The team has agreed with terms with right winger Tyler Scofield and have put him on the reserved list for the time being.
The Prince George, British Columbia native has spent his entire professional career playing in Europe from 2009-14. He started with HC Plzen in the Czech Extraliga in 2009-10 then went on to Klagenfurter AC in the EBEL from 2010-14. Scofield helped Klagenfurter make their way to the top in an EBEL championship during the 2012-13 season. He racked up 118 points with 67 goals and 51 assists and 104 penalty minutes in the 202 games he played overseas.
The 30-year old winger began the season with Graz 99ers in Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga and added five points to his record with five goals and no assists and four penalty minutes in eight games. Before turning pro, Scofield completed his college career in four years at Bemidji State University from 2005-09 where he recorded 111 points. 48 of those points were goals while the other 63 were assists and had 112 penalty minutes in 129 games. He again helped his team, the Beavers, prove victorious by capturing College Hockey America titles during his freshman and sophomore years.
The Reign has seen problems with staying consistent lately and Scofield could be one of the keys to getting the team back on the right tracks. He is definitely one of the smaller players on the Reign at 5-foot-8 and a little over 160 lbs but that does not mean he will be any less effective. He helped lead Klagenfurter AC to the playoffs three years in a row with a minimum of five goals for each playoff season. Scofield was his strongest in Austria and will bring that over with him to Ontario.
Scofield will definitely be a fun one to watch on the ice when he is off the reserved list. He has enough of the professional experience throughout the years to bring some much needed composure to the team. If he can do again what he did for his college and Austria, there is no doubt that the Reign will have a giant chance at the playoffs this season.
(photo credit: Dinur Blum)
The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild by an inch at 5-4 at Xcel Energy Center on Friday night. To say the night was just successful would be a complete understatement. Things might have gotten murky if it wasn’t for the go-getter left winger Matt Beleskey and his tiebreaking goal with 11:32 left in regulation.
The Ducks had an early lead in the game and the score became 3-0 early in the second. Between the second and third period, the Wild suddenly bounced back and scored four unanswered goals to take the lead over. Their luck did not last for long because Anaheim tied up the score not long after after Minnesota’s comeback. Beleskey scored his third game-winning goal of the season which was also his 13th overall goal scored so far this year. The game ended in just a pinch with Anaheim goal tender Frederik Andersen taking the win with 21 saves for the night.
Ducks center Ryan Kesler opened the score board for the night after grabbing a loose puck and beating Wild goal tender Darcy Kuemper on a breakaway. Right winger Jakob Silfverberg kept the score going as he shot on a rebound from Andrew Cogliano at 11:44 to end the first at 2-0. Kesler was on fire for the rest of the game as he scored his second goal of the night at just 2:28 into the second period with assists from Hampus Lindholm and Tim Jackman. Jackman managed to tie up the game in the third with an assist from Kesler and the rest of the game was definitely in the Ducks’ favor.
Anaheim pulled through to the end without one of its top scorers, Corey Perry. Perry, or “Scorey” Perry as some people like to call him, left with a lower-body injury just 9:37 into the game after suffering a hip check from Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard. It was so bad that Perry had to be helped off the ice and did not return for the rest of the night. Just hearing that Perry was out would start to give Anaheim fans something to worry about and would have been the perfect chance for the Wild to start taking advantage of Anaheim’s lack of a man but the Ducks still proved dominant in the end.
The Anaheim Ducks will be going up against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday to see if they can keep their winning streak going strong.
After last nights upsetting 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Coyotes are now 6-0 in their last six home games. That ties a franchise record for a home losing streak. Not only have they not been winning, but they haven’t scored a goal on home ice in over two full games.
The things that aren’t happening out on that ice, are the things that the team has talked about all season. Things like execution and playing a full 60 minutes, just aren’t getting followed through.
The loss prompted the team to have a lengthy chat amongst the players post-game, one that seemed to really emphasize the more mental state of their game. Captain Shane Doan said that everyone got to “express themselves and what they think”.
“It’s important that we understand that no one’s going to feel sorry for you,” said Doan about their team meeting. “There will be a lot of people pointing fingers from the outside, and we gotta make sure we’re good on the inside and we just gotta be better as a group. But our belief in each other has to be better, and we gotta have a belief in the fact that we’re a good enough team to win.”
After Jarret Stoll’s power play goal, making the score 3-0, starting goaltender Mike Smith was pulled, and Devan Dubnyk was put in. Dubnyk let one goal in on the PP on a slapshot from Alec Martinez way back near the blue line.
If you have followed along this season, then you would probably be aware of the struggling goaltender. Smith has been ridiculed all season long and he’s stepping up and saying that he’s “done with excuses” and the way that he’s played “has got to stop”.
Smith went on to say that “it’s easy to point fingers at everyone else, but at the end of the day it’s about what you do, what you could do to be better”. He said it’s as simple as that he’s “just got to be better”.
“I think it’s a great group, but it has to transfer into results on the ice,” Said Smith about the talks of the belief in the team “Saying that, I think we’ve done a lot of talking, and one thing I take out from a lot that’s been said is that there has to be a belief in here that you can win. Until there’s a belief that you can win, you can come back, you can hold leads… You’re just going to struggle, and it goes out through the whole lineup, myself included.”
Coach Dave Tippett is never a man of too many words, but the words that he does say are powerful. Last nights coach quotes were no different. One thing that he’s emphasized all season is the execution of the offense, and once again he says that they are “having a little struggle” with that part of their game. He noted the team was working “awful hard”, but “everybody works hard” so it really depends upon how you execute.
It’s been a tough stretch so far, but they know that the team is made up of a talented group of players. The team talk seemed to really emphasize on those capabilities that they possess and just that they can’t give up on the team mentally. It is way more than a physical game that they are playing, and because of that, they have to focus on the root of the issues and not point fingers.
Coming Up:
Saturday, December 6th, the Arizona Coyotes host the Boston Bruins for the first time this season. The Bruins have lost their last three games of their four game West Coast road trip. With both teams struggling to get a “W”, who will come out on top?
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