Arth's 2010 Summer League

That's funny Arth, because whenever I went to the US it was hard enough to find a hockey rink, let alone an actual game taking place. I guess maybe it depends on where you're living?

I honestly haven't heard 89X in about a year and a half. And that was only for about 8 months when it was. The 5 years I was gone in the service their playlists totally changed. I miss the old days (haha...old days.) where they played more edgy music. Oh well.

Anyways, on to the point of this thread.

Cobras 10-Bulletproof Tigers 4

So it wasn't my best performance and they beat me on two goals that I should've had...but who cares right? It's a beer league and I'm not really worrying about my GAA/SV% in a Division E league where they don't even keep count of the damn stats anyways.

First period.
The game started off interesting. My team was pretty much in the neutral zone for most of the period with a couple rushes either direction and no score until about 7 minutes into the 14 minute period. Nothing spectacular. A few saves from point shots and one or two rebound saves but all in all a rather boring start to the game. At first I thought this might perhaps be a close game for us, but I quickly found out after the halfway point, that it was going to be anything but. My team struck first scoring somewhere around the 8 minute mark. They managed to put 2 more away without really allowing anything more than outside shots and we closed the period 3-0.

Second period.
My team came out a little weak and allowed a breakaway within about 2 minutes of the beginning of the second. Nothing major, kicked the save to the corner and gave the guy a "better luck next time" look and kept playing. My team quickly snapped back and scored 2 more before the first goal against came. Sometime halfway through the second they got another breakaway which I kicked into the corner again and my team completely let off the guy with the puck allowing him to sneak back in front and catch me switching from a butterfly to a VH position and stuck it between my legs. My team quickly responded with 3 more goals and we ended the second 8-1.

Third period.
At this point obviously my shutout was gone and my only intent was to put enough effort out to keep my team comfortable, and keep as much of the shots out of the net as I could. I don't recall when they scored in that period, but I do know that they scored first. The shot was kicked off to the side and my team took it behind the net where they promptly sent it in front of the net where a waiting forward shot it over my left shoulder. I was mad and my team knew it. I stood tall stopping a lot of chances up to that point but they let me down and they made sure I knew they were sorry. I shrugged it off shortly afterwards. After all, it's Division E and not A or B like I'm used to playing in. A few minutes after that they scored again putting a shot just under the crossbar from the slot that completely caught me off guard as these ankle skaters make a habit of frequently doing. A few minutes after that a rather awkward "blooper reel" play at the blue line between three of my players and two of theirs resulted in a goal that seemingly disappeared until it was behind me. I had no clue where it went while it was in the air and it never touched the ground. With the game now 8-4 the other team had a new rush to them and I quickly faced a lot of shots and 3 breakaways that I turned aside holding the game at it's current point. In the dying minutes of the third though my team put 2 more goals away and we finished the game out with a final score of 10-4. All in all not my best of games, but it was a win and that's all my team asks of me. I made the saves to hold it even in the first until we got out ahead and I think in the end that's all that really matters.

I came to the realization that I may never post a shutout as long as I play because it simply doesn't mean anything to me. It's pretty to say "I got a shutout man!" but in the same breathe I realize that these are just beer leagues and it doesn't matter if we win by 10 points or 1 so long as we win as much as possible. Who knows, maybe the only way I'll get one is if it's a 1-0 game. In this league though, I don't see that happening.

Our next game is against the Jager Bombs who beat the team we played tonight after they went into an overtime after finishing the third period at 3-3. Hopefully we should easily be able to beat them. Sunday we will find out.