(Source: Purdon Photography: Royalshockey.com)
After the turkey dinner Thursday, the Reading Royals had a chance to burn off all those calories this weekend with a Friday and Saturday block against the Greenville Road Warriors. The two teams were evenly matched with the Warriors in fourth place in the Eastern Division and the Royals in fifth place. Connor Knapp was the starting goaltender for both games. Coach Larry Courville had been alternating between Knapp and Martin Ouellette in previous games, but Ouellette was called up to the Phantoms after amassing a streak where he went unbeaten in five straight games with a record of 3-0-1-1.
Friday
1st
In the first period the Royals took a 1-0 lead over the Road Warriors. Halfway through the period Reading saw their first chance to take the lead at 13:39 when defenseman Ryan Hegarty was sent to the box for a high-sticking minor. Unfortunately, the Royals could not make use of their one man advantage. However, fifteen seconds after Greenville was back to full strength, forward Kevin Walrod shot one past Warriors goalie Jason Missiaen to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
2nd
In the second period the Road Warriors tried to catch up, but the Royals just took a greater lead. Right off the bat at 2:21 into the period, Royals forward Olivier Labelle increased Reading’s lead to 2-0 by slipping one in after Missiaen blocked newcomer Willie Coetzee’s shot. Two minutes later, the Road Warriors retaliated; left wing Emerson Clark found the puck in the neutral zone, took it to the Royals goal crease, and slipped one under Knapp for Greenville’s first goal of the night.
The next goal came about halfway through the period when Pat Mullane and David Marshall came down on a two on one break. Mullane dished a perfect pass to Marshall who beat Greenville goalie Missiaen with a nice backhand shot. The Royals regained their two goal lead, 3-1. The third goal for the Royals came late in the second period at 18:02. Newcomer Willie Cotezee sank one in the net after his teammate Pat Mullane was denied by Missiaen.
3rd
The third period opened with the Road Warriors trying to catch up to the Royals. At 3:31 Greensville defenseman Andrew Himelson got his first goal of the season after the puck bounced off a Royals player and landed in front of the net. Himelson quickly spotted it and backhanded it into the net to bring the Royals lead back to two. About four minutes later, the Royals would rebuild their three goal lead. Forward Sean Wiles scored his third of the season on a breakaway to make the score 5-2 where it would stay for the rest of the night.
(Source: Purdon Photography: Royalshockey.com)
Saturday
1st
The Royals game on Saturday night ended much like their affiliate’s game ended a few hours earlier. After the Philadelphia Flyers lost 5-2 to the New York Rangers, the Royals got off to a poor start as well. Greenville got their revenge from Friday night’s game and scored two goals in the first period. The first goal came at 5:38 after Knapp deflected a shot by Greenville defenseman Ryan Hegarty, but left the puck in front of the net for forward Shawn O’Donnell to knock it in. About three minutes later, O’Donnell sank another one in the net for his second goal of both the game and the season.
2nd
The second period turned out no better for the Royals; in fact it was worse. The Road Warriors took a remarkable 7-1 lead over the Royals by the end of the period. Right off the bat, at just 1:22 into the period, the Road Warriors brought their lead to three goals. While the Royals were in their offensive zone, left wing Adam Hughesman got hit by a shot in the back of his leg. This left Greenville with an advantage as the two teams made their way to the other side of the ice. Greenville right wing Trevor Parkes quickly made his way to the net on a breakaway and shot one over Knapp’s glove for Greenville’s third goal of the night.
At this point, the Royals realized they needed to step up their game. They were able to get one goal to try and close the Road Warrior’s lead, but Greenville would answer with four more goals to create and overwhelming lead over the Royals. Just one minute after Parkes’ goal Royals newcomer Brandon Alderson went wide and fired one past Greenville’s goalie Jeff Malcolm for Reading’s first goal of the night.
Within the next six minutes of play, Greenville fired shot after shot to accumulate four more goals which gave them a 7-1 lead going into the third period. These goals were scored by right wing Paul Rodrigues, right wing Vinny Saponari who now leads his team in goals, and two by center Tyler Brown. At this point Royals coach was likely wishing his only other contracted goalie Martin Ouelette had not been called up to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
3rd
In between periods, the emergency backup goalie Peter Dundovich signed an ECHL Standard Player’s Contract and came out to play in the third period. “I was actually pulled out of retirement,” Dundovich stated. He was previously a practice goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers and had recently been coaching at the Goalie Academy. Dundovich was excited to play again, “It was just a thrill, you know. You get older and you get wiser. You learn to just enjoy the game and have fun.” Overall, he thought he played well and was happy to be back in the game.
The third period opened with even more trouble for the Royals. Just 48 seconds into the period, Greenville’s Trevor Parkes stormed in to claim his second goal of the game after a two on one rush with Vinny Saponari. Luckily for the Royals, this was Greenville’s last goal of the night. Reading was able to score two more goals before the buzzer sounded Saturday night. The first of these two came at 4:56 when forward David Marshall passed the puck off to forward Pat Mullane who fired one into the net to make the score 8-2. At 8:19 the Royals were given another scoring opportunity after Road Warrior’s defenseman Charles-Oliver Roussel was sent to the box for a cross-checking minor. The Royals took advantage of the power play and scored at 8:41 when defenseman Adam Comrie fired one past Jason Missiaen for the final goal of the night.
(Source: Purdon Photography: Royalshockey.com)
What’s Next?
The Royals will take on the Toledo Walleye this Thursday, December 4th at Santander Arena. Toledo is currently ranked 3rd in the conference while the Royals are ranked 7th. The last time the Royals faced the Walleye in Toledo, the game ended with the Royals winning in a shootout. The following weekend, the Royals will take on the South Carolina Stingrays on the 6th and 7th. The Stingrays are currently ranked 10th in the conference.
The Royals need to put this game behind them and just work on winning their next few games. Coach Larry Courville talks about what the team needs to do to move on, “Well, when you wake up in the morning usually the sun comes up right? You forget about this one. You review the video and you correct your mistakes. You can’t dwell on this game. You move forward.”
(Photo: allhabs.net)
The end of November means several things for the hockey world: the season’s first quarter closes, failed mustaches across the league finally get shaved, and the NHL names its monthly Three Stars.
The results are in, and these three players ranked at the top of the NHL as we move into December:
FIRST STAR – MARK GIORDANO, D, CALGARY FLAMES
Giordano, 31, led all NHL defensemen with 16 points in 13 games during the month of November and tied for sixth in the NHL in this respect. He finished the month with a +12 rating in addition to 12 assists and a game-winning goal (Nov. 13 vs. Arizona). Giordano opened the month with a seven-game point streak, and he reached the 20-point mark in his 18th game of the season–the fastest Flames defenseman to do so since Al MacInnis (1993-1994 season).
Giordano currently sits at 13th place overall for points with 25 (6G, 19A) with a +14 rating. He leads all defenseman in points and is second for blueliners in the plus/minus column. The Flames (15-8-2) put up a 9-4-0 record in November and are ranked tenth in the league as of December 1 (third in the Pacific Division).
SECOND STAR – VLADIMIR TARASENKO, RW, ST. LOUIS BLUES
Tarasenko, 22, registered 10 goals and 7 assists during the month, ranking second in the league for points (17) in November. He began the month with a four-game point streak and scored in 9 of 15 games, including two game-winning goals (Nov. 4 @ New Jersey, Nov. 28 vs. Edmonton). Additionally, Tarasenko scored two game-deciding shootout goals (Nov. 3 @ New York Rangers, Nov. 29 @ Minnesota). He put up six multi-point games throughout the month.
Tarasenko is currently tied for fourth place overall for goals (14), second place for plus/minus (+17), fourth for shots on goal (91), and seventh for total points (26). The Blues (16-6-2) posted an 11-3-1 record in November and are tied with several other teams for first place in the NHL as of December 1 (second in Central Division).
THIRD STAR – PEKKA RINNE, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Rinne, 32, led the NHL with 10 wins in the month of November, and he put up impressive numbers for his goals-against average (1.70) and save percentage (.938). He registered his 34th career shutout on Nov. 27 (vs. Edmonton) and allowed two or fewer goals in 9 of 11 starts. He posted two 30-plus save performances within the month (Nov. 6 @ Dallas, Nov. 27 vs. Edmonton).
Rinne currently leads the NHL with 16 wins in 20 appearances, and his 1.82 GAA and .933 SV% rank second overall. He has also won his past six games, which is Rinne’s longest winning streak since the 2011-2012 season. The Predators (16-5-2) put up a 10-3-0 November record and sit at the top of the NHL rankings with several other teams as of December 1 (first in Central Division).
Twelve women have signed National Letters of Intent to play Division I college hockey at Merrimack College, which will join Hockey East in 2016.
“We are proud to announce 12 additions to our current Women’s Ice Hockey roster,” Head Coach Erin Hamlen said. “Our 2015-16 class of student-athletes are from many different geographical areas, and it is exciting to bring them together to form the common bond of beginning a hockey program together at Merrimack.”
The signings include seven forwards, four defensemen, and one goalie. The women hail from four different states and three Canadian provinces.
“This will be a unique experience for all of these student-athletes, and each will have the opportunity to put their own stamp on this program. From goaltending to goal-scorers, this class is a diverse and talented group,” said Hamlen.
The commits are:
- Annie Boeckers, forward, of Ostego, Minn. “Annie is an energy player who creates disturbance offensively,” said Hamlen. “She allows her linemates to benefit from her dynamic play, her speed, and her strong positioning. Her playmaking ability combined with her intelligence makes her a dangerous player in any situation.”
- Jessica Bonfe, forward, of Woodbury, Minn. “Jessica is a strong, physical forward with great presence on the ice. She goes hard to the net and has the ability to score when under pressure. She is a natural athlete who provides numerous opportunities for her teammates with her quick release and up-tempo physical play,” said Hamlen.
- Beatrice Dufor, defense, of Sarnia, Ontario. “Beatrice has the ability to make heads-up plays, as well as provide a physical presence in the defensive zone. She has a big shot and we’ll look to her to get pucks to the net consistently,” said Hamlen.
- Dominique Kremer, defense, of Hudson, Iowa. “Dom has the unique ability to be both offensive, and a traditional defensive defenseman. Her quick feet and mobility are some of her strong assets. She recently gained valuable experience representing Team USA in the Under 18 series in August 2014, and will be looked at as a leader for our young team,” said Hamlen.
- Meghan Martin, defense, of Newport, Vermont. “Meghan impressed our staff with her ability to make solid plays all over the ice. She makes the simple play, and is a reliable defenseman,” said Hamlen.
- Madison Morey, forward, of Fairbanks, Alaska. “Maddy is a forward with great size and reach,” said Hamlen of the 5’8″ former member of the Alaska All-Stars. “What our staff noticed most when watching Maddy was her great hands. She has great stickhandling ability and it allows her to make incredible plays.”
- Katelyn Rae, forward, of Courtice, Ontario. “Katelyn is a highly intelligent forward who compliments her line mates. She reads the play better than most and that translate to success on her line the majority of the time,” said Hamlen.
- Samantha Ridgewell, goaltender, of Conquest, Saskatchewan. “Sam’s athletic ability along with her poise makes her highly successful between the pipes,” said Hamlen. “She has strong positioning skills and mental toughness.”
- Allison Sexton, forward, of Stonewall, Manitoba. “Allison is a two-way forward with a smooth skating stride, and great jump,” said Hamlen. “When I watch Allison, I see someone who can turn it on and off at will. She’ll be a dangerous player at the next level offensively, and will be relied upon to play defense as well.”
- Paige Sorensen, defense, of Plymouth, Minn. “Paige is a defenseman with offensive instincts and the growing ability to know where she can jump, and when to stay back,” said Hamlen. “I’m looking forward to having Paige’s maturity in a young defensive core.”
- Paige Voight, forward, of St. Michael, Minn. “Paige is a strong, 200-foot forward who has great finish,” said Hamlen. “I’m excited to watch Paige’s game transition into the next level because she has worked hard to make so many improvements in such a short time.”
- Emily Volpe, forward, of Whitby, Ontario. “Emily is a smooth-skating forward with a gritty style of play,” said Hamlen. “She prides herself as a faceoff specialist … her heads-up style of play will complement any line.”
The 12 women join the squad’s first four recruits: forwards Jillian Battista of Tonawanda, New York; Marie Delarbre of Fussen, Germany; Jackie Pieper of Edina, Minn.; and goaltender Chaislyn Burgio of Quincy, Mass.
The team will play a club schedule until they join Hockey East in Women’s Division I NCAA hockey in 2016-2017.
USA Hockey has named 30 players to its preliminary roster for the 2015 World Junior Championships.
Jack Eichel of Chelmsford, Mass., a potential number one draft pick for the 2015 NHL entry draft, tops the list of notables nabbed for the roster. Eichel currently plays for Boston University, where he has 8 goals and 13 assists in 13 games. This will be Eichel’s second World Juniors; in last year’s tournament he scored one goal and had four assists in the teams’ five games. Eichel spent time with the USA National Development program in the USHL, and played for the Boston Junior Bruins prior to that.
Other names on the World Junior roster include a number of Boston College hockey players. Goaltender Thatcher Demko was named to the roster – he’s currently 7-6 at BC, with a 2.24 GAA and a .919 SV%. Vancouver holds his draft rights. Other Boston College players nabbed include Alex Tuch, Noah Hanifin, Ian McCoshen, and Steve Santini.
Additional NCAA Div. I hockey players joining the roster include Will Butcher (Denver); JT Compher (Michigan); Nick Schmaltz (North Dakota); Anthony Louis (Miami); Tyler Motte (Michigan); John Hayden (Yale); Dylan Larkin (Michigan); Hudson Fasching (Minnesota); Will Butcher (Denver); Michael Downing (Michigan); Ryan Collins (Minnesota); Zach Merenski (Michigan); and Jack Doherty (Wisconsin).
Players from the USA National Development program (USHL) joining the roster include forwards Auston Matthews and Jeremy Bracco.
Seven members of the team played are returning from 2014, including Eichel, Fasching, Adam Erne (QMJHL), McCoshen, Butcher, Santini and Demko.
Last year the team suffered a disappointing fate in the tournament after losing to Russia in the quarterfinals 5-3, and were unable to advance to the semifinals.
World Juniors kicks off Dec. 26 in Montreal and Toronto. The United States will first face Finland at 3 p.m. that day.
(Photo: Rhonda McClure)
As the Northeastern Huskies faced the New Hampshire Wildcats at Matthews Arena in the second of the home and home a couple of weeks ago, the Huskies were experiencing a lot of loss on the ice. Perhaps the Wildcats thought they had the Huskies’ number after defeating them the night before, but when the final horn sounded, the Huskies had their first win of the year. And since then they have continued to put together a couple of wins, rebounding quickly after a loss.
The funny thing about that win was that while the players were happy to have one in the win column, their attitude at practice and when playing had not suffered as the season progressed. They were always motivated each day. And the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel may have been seen the prior weekend, when taking on the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks in back to back tilts that Northeastern managed a tie in the first of the two games before losing to them in the second.
Adam Reid
After the game against the Wildcats, The Pink Puck had a chance to ask forward Adam Reid, a senior, about the attitude in the room before the game, but in general having been on the losing end so much this season.
“To keep ourselves going hasn’t been difficult to be honest. We have a really motivated group,” he responded. “And the message before the game was ‘Do whatever it takes.’ Saw a lot of guys blocking shots out there, sacrificing their body. That was our mantra from the beginning and it worked out in the end.”
And perhaps it not only worked out in the end for the Huskies in that game but since that game. Looking at the four games they have played, including that first win, the Huskies are 3-1, including an impressive and hard fought win over Big Ten’s number three University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
While the game against the Gophers does not count in regard to their positioning in Hockey East, it has to validate their play and hard work and simply increase their confidence. Even the goals that the Huskies did allow during the game with the Gophers were when Northeastern had at least one man in the box. However, all of the goals the Huskies scored in their game against the Gophers were made during five-on-five play, showing that the Huskies do have what it takes to get goals. They may need to work some now on staying out of the box.
Earlier in the season, The Pink Puck took at look at the Huskies struggles in the faceoff dot. Since that game when it was most evident, the Huskies have continued to improve in this facet of their game. And it is likely that while it wasn’t causing them to lose games, the turn around on the faceoff may now be giving them options they didn’t have before.
As Reid said after that first win, it is just one game and there are a lot of games ahead of them. However, that win seems to have allowed the Huskies to break through some barrier they were fighting earlier in the season.
(photo: Dinur Blum)
The team that the Florida Panthers has been icing this season shows an increased confidence and cohesion when on the ice. In the 21 games they have played so far, they are 9-6-6 and are just one position outside of a wildcard spot in the playoffs. However, they have games in hand on every team ahead of them.
Watching them play, there is an improved precision to their passing that allows them to move the puck up the ice and get into the offensive zone more frequently than in the past. This precision also speaks to the limited number of goals that they generally allow, keeping them usually in range of a win and forcing many of their games to go to overtime or a shootout. Eight of their 21 games have done so and they have won two and forced their opponent to give them a point in the other six.
For a team that spent the last two years in 15th position in the Eastern Conference, they currently sit in ninth in the Conference and sixth in their Division. Unlike their Atlantic Division rival Buffalo Sabres, who also spent a lot of money in the offseason, the Panthers signed some valuable players both in their skills on the ice, but also valuable for their intangibles in the locker room.
Willie Mitchell
Hockey teams work best when they are a family, when they have a connection to each other. And watching this season’s team it is clear that this summer’s acquisitions are paying off, especially when you see the lines where some of these veterans have been paired with the younger players.
In many games, Willie Mitchell, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, is often paired on the backend with the Panthers’ first round (first overall) pick from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Aaron Ekblad. The 18-year-old’s maturity on the ice belies his youth and rookie status in most games. However, he likely keeps his ears and eyes open taking in everything he can from his veteran blue line partner so that he continues to improve.
Shawn Thornton
Though many believed that the 15-game suspension of Shawn Thornton after what he did to Brooks Orpik, then of the Pittsburgh Penguins, in December of 2013 signaled the end to his career, especially as more individuals push to have fighting removed from the game, his two-year contract with the Florida Panthers is more about his experience in general. This is shown in the lack of times that Thornton has had to drop the gloves this season—only twice in the 19 games he has played. Like Mitchell, Thornton has won the Stanley Cup twice.
The return of Roberto Luongo, who arrived during the 2013-14 trade period, and as such was there toward the tail end of the previous season when the Panthers finished in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, was clearly the first step in what has shown to be a rebuild that is working.
They are not the same Panthers team to play the last few seasons and it will be interesting to continue watching them as the season moves forward.
Sometimes, when deciding what to wear to a game, I don’t know what I’m going to wear until the night before, or the morning of. There are other ensembles that I dream up several days before a home tilt that I fantasize about, swoon over, and cannot wait to wear out and about. Saturday night’s outfit was one of the latter.
I would be lying if I said that I don’t save up a really good outfit for a game that’s extra special. Since pretty much anytime the Sharks host the Ducks is a big deal–whether it’s due to fighting for a playoff seed or because a few players from each team are looking to punch each other–I saved this ensemble up for the Saturday night matchup.
Yes, I am in fact wearing a red plaid school girl skirt. I am on a serious mission to bring all things “Clueless”-inspired articles of clothing of retirement if it’s the last thing I do. I have had this skirt for close to five years but haven’t worn it in quite a while.
I know I know: Not what you think of as work wear, right? Well, when layered up enough, it can be worn on even the coldest of game nights. I paired it with a heavy knit white H&M sweater, and a black shell cami underneath. (You can find good layering camis pretty much anywhere nowadays. Both H&M and Forever 21 typically have sales that are two-for-five or something like that.) For extra warmth, I put my favorite Bebe leather jacket over it all–hey, it gets cold at the Tank!!
Since the skirt is on the shorter side, my most opaque black tights are the way to go. And to keep my tootsies from freezing off mid-game, I tucked my black wool socks into my dark brown Reiker hiking boots.
As if the outfit wasn’t enough, I got a little crazy with my jewelry. This bedazzled Betsey Johnson starfish cuff was begging to be worn and I thought “Hey! I can totally rock some sparkly blue accessories with an ensemble that features absolutely no blue in it!” On the left hand I wore a lapis lazuli ring my grandmother bought me in Turkey, and on the right hand I wore–drumroll please–my high school class ring. My birthstone is a sapphire, so it kind of fit the rest of my jewelry theme.)
Well, now that I spent all that energy picking out what to wear… I should probably get to work, huh?
Until the next puck drops,
The Girl In The Black Tights
To say that the Los Angeles Kings aren’t playing well would be an understatement. They have just two wins on the road this season (though they’ve probably played a league low number of games away from home this season) and their underlying numbers are grim, rather than a bright spot among the losses.
On Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the first period was pretty atrocious with the Kings giving up two goals in the first 20 minutes. That is not at all to knock the Blackhawks who are an elite team and are playing very well — after all, they’re leading the league in corsi for percentage at 5v5, a statistic that measures shot attempts and generally correlates to possession time. Things started to look up in the second when they halved the deficit, only to give up a 4-on-2 two minutes later, restoring the Hawks’ two-goal lead. Nothing of note happened in the third. The Blackhawks shut it down and the empty netter was a mere formality.
What should’ve been an exciting battle between the top two possession teams turned into a dull evening with the tired road team looking like they were the more rested home team.
The Kings are not tops in CF% anymore. In fact, they’re a very mediocre 13th although they’ve shown steady, albeit painfully slow, improvement recently. After being at or near the top over the past three seasons (including leading the league through most of last season), it’s disappointing, frustrating and a little scary for fans to see the Kings acting very unlike what they’ve become accustomed to recently.
Here’s the thing, though: the Kings are a good team; they have several good players; and most importantly, they know how to play well. Right now, intentionally or not, they’re coasting. After a record setting playoff run which saw them clinch their second Stanley Cup title in three years, they (understandably) got off to a bit of a slow start. It’s hard to maintain a playoff-type atmosphere over a full 82 game season and as it stands, the Kings are, technically, currently in a playoff spot.
There seems to be a realization among the players that all they have to do is get in and there’s another gear they can mentally shift into when the prize is just 20 wins away. Right winger Justin Williams all but admitted it when asked about their recent playoff successes (having lost only one playoff series, falling to eventual champs Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals). Most fans would prefer to see the Kings at least perform well (even if they lose), clinch a playoff spot early and then coast for the last 2-3 weeks of the regular season, similar to the way they ended the 2013-2014 season.
While the team has been hampered by injuries to key players Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik early on and a defense that can’t seem to stay healthy, the rest of the team just feels like they’re having trouble getting into a rhythm. Occasionally, they have had good games where they control the majority of play, but those have been rare this season.
For those wondering if Slava Voynov‘s absence on the blue line is affecting the team, the answer is not really. In the six games prior to his arrest and suspension, Voynov had negative corsi rel numbers. In other words, he was hindering the team instead of helping it. Even a year ago, while playing all 82 games, Voynov had negative corsi rel numbers.
One of the problems they were (and still are) having is the presence of Robyn Regehr. In 21 games played, the team has allowed more shot attempts with him on the ice than they do with him off the ice. His negative corsi rel of 8.46 means that the teams is giving up an average of ~8 shots a game with him on the ice at 5v5. It was similar last season when the best possession team in the NHL gave up ~5 shots per game with him on the ice. If you compare that to someone like say, Matt Greene, the team is only giving up 3 shots a game while he’s on the ice. To put it bluntly, Regehr is slow and not very good.
Without proper context, these numbers don’t mean a lot, especially on an elite possession team that features corsi demi-gods Jake Muzzin, Kopitar and Williams. But they are one piece to help explain why Kings seem to be struggling.
For what it’s worth, Kopitar and Williams are both doing well in corsi rel. However, their offense is lagging. Part of that is due to poor shooting luck. So far, it’s mostly been on the second line (the so-called “’70s line” which has cooled off significantly since their hot start in October). Part of their shooting luck could be attributed to their linemates. Jarret Stoll is (probably) a great person but he’s not a very good hockey player anymore. He’s been declining over the last few years and is now completely dragging his team down. His possession numbers stink this year (they’re terrible in a relatively small sample), have gotten worse over the past couple seasons and don’t seem to be rebounding. According to Andrew Lifland from the blog Jewels from the Crown, Stoll “has gotten absolutely crushed” when he’s not playing with Williams.
All in all, the Kings have a lot of talent. But with aging centers hurting them, their chances at making the playoffs are getting slimmer and their chances of repeating are becoming nearly improbable (nothing is impossible with this team). They’ve only played 24 games so far this season, so there’s a lot of time to turn things around. However, it’d be better if they didn’t have to rely on their goalies to widen the margin of error and if they could start looking like the champions they are.
The Blackhawks are in a similar position as the Kings, yet they’re still leading the league in corsi and fenwick for % (same thing as corsi, minus blocked shots). While it’s human nature to coast and procrastinate, you still have to get in before you can totally relax.
Canadian Women’s Hockey League fans can now vote for captains of each team in the inaugural All Star Game on Dec. 13 in Toronto.
Voting will take place until Dec 10. Fans can choose up to three players to vote for within a 24-hour window. After voting closes, there will be a private draft on Dec. 12 to choose the rest of the team’s rosters.
Forty-two players for the All Star Game were announced last week and include representation from all five of the CWHL’s teams. The game will feature 19 Olympians and a number of National team players, including Hilary Knight, Tara Watchorn, Tessa Bonhomme, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Caroline Ouellette and more. Check out a full list of players here. All 42 are available to accept votes for team captains.
The All-Star game, which will be held at the Air Canada Center, is free to attend and will include one period of a skill competition followed by two periods of hockey. Though it is a non-ticketed event, fans who plan on attending are asked to RSVP.
The game will be broadcast on Sportsnet as part of the CWHL’s new broadcast deal.
Currently the CWHL consists of five teams: the Toronto Furies, Boston Blades, Brampton Thunder, Calgary Inferno and Montreal Stars.It is the premiere place for elite female hockey players, and is centrally funded with all participating teams receiving equal access to financial support. It is a non-profit organization with every dollar going toward building a league dedicated to raising the profile of women’s hockey.
With November wrapping up, the last home-game of the month was one that the Arizona Coyotes wanted to get a “W” out of. With 6 wins on the month, all but one on the road, the ‘Yotes wanted to give their home crowd a reason to cheer.
The last match-up against the Calgary Flames this season, Mike Smith started in goal and the Coyotes lost 5-3. This time Devan Dubnyk, who was 5-0-1, got the start. Calgary is fast, and they handle the puck well. They outshot the Coyotes in the first period, 13 to 3, and with their forecheck, they overpowered Arizona.
“We had to play fast and [we] had to play with poise and make good plays with the puck and [we] didn’t do a lot of either,” said Coach Dave Tippett after the game. “In this game if you played slow, you didn’t play very well… And [we] had too many players that played slow.”
During the second period, there was more of an effort, and an even-strength goal by TJ Brodie looked like just another obstacle that they could maneuver around. However, the Flames lead only grew larger with two goals in the third, one by Johnny Gaudreau and a power play goal by Jiri Hudler.
Yet again the Coyotes couldn’t capitalize on any of their shots. What looked to be promising opportunities for goals couldn’t be properly executed. This isn’t something new to Arizona, but rather something they have been struggling with since the beginning of the season.
It would be nice to be able to pinpoint just one thing that would improve their overall game play, but they are struggling in so many different places, that it’s hard to keep track.
The main issue at hand, the team is lacking offensively. In every game that they’ve played this season, there has been a struggle to execute on goals. No matter how many shots that they’ve had, the puck just can’t seem to find it’s way into the goal. There could be a numerous amount of reasons for this, but the main one, there aren’t any big goal scorers getting the job done.
There was talk after the game about how the type of game that Calgary plays, is the type of game that the Coyotes should look to play. “On every single puck it seems like they have a guy going hard on it,” expressed Dubnyk on how difficult it is to play against a team like that. “We can certainly take something from that, on how we want to play too.”
November was a learning month, and with the mixture of injuries and lots of games squeezed close together, it was rough. There were many lessons that came out of the struggles, and it needs to be reflected upon based on the improvements that are vital to the teams success.
Coming Up:
Monday, December 1st: Edmonton Oilers (Away)
Tuesday, December 2nd: Calgary Flames (Away)
Thursday, December 4th: Los Angeles Kings (Home)
Saturday, December 6th: Boston Bruins (Home)
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