The Aeros almost won a game they had no reason winning. They almost won this series in six games, and they almost didn't have to worry about a seventh game. They had the 4-3 lead with five minutes left, and they lost 5-4.
They came out playing awful, awful, awful hockey. Stupid penalties. Turning over the puck. Not being aggressive on offense. Matt Hackett couldn't stop anything. They were down 3-0 at the 3:24 mark of the second period, and they deserved to be down 3-0.
Then things got really stupid, and the really stupid involved Matt Hackett getting into it with Roman Josi. This happened at the 5:06 mark of the second. Mike Yeo called a timeout and gathered the team. I don't know what he said -- nobody I talked to would go into specifics -- but from that timeout until about the five minute mark of the third period, the Aeros dominated.
Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough.
"We didn’t play very well till we were down three-nothing," Patrick O'Sullivan said. "We took stupid penalties. We knew that they were obviously going to be fighting for their lives."
I'll try to throw some more up later tonight. But the guys I talked to kept going back to how they blew it in that first period.
The good news on the night was the Patrick O'Sullivan and Jon DiSalvatore had their best games of the playoffs. And Jarod Palmer made a spectacular play for the team's first goal.
But they just couldn't hold on. Hackett let down when it most mattered, not that the defense helped. Jeremy Smith recovered when it mattered. And now the Aeros are get to play a game seven they probably shouldn't be playing.
The Aeros can score on Milwaukee and Jeremy Smith. I think that's been proven. A guy can only stop so many shots. The problem on Tuesday will be stopping Milwaukee.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
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In Hackett's defense, the winning goal was tipped by Wilson. Looked like otherwise would have been a routine chest-save.
Bulmer's play seemed more impressive than previous games, but took a STUPID STUPID penalty when he mugged Santorelli off the faceoff dot and wrestled him to the ground.
It would help if the guys would actually WAKE UP before taking the ice to start the game.
If they lose this series, they have absolutely nobody to blame but themselves. Where is their killer instinct? The focus of a mature athlete?
I'm glad I don't have Yeo's or Lambert's job of turning a group of largely twenty-somethings into professional athletes. There's a reason Yeo has a shaved head, and I think it is to avoid the process of pulling out the hairs a few at a time.
OK. Here I go harping again about playing Bulmer instead of Kassian. Bulmer did take a stupid stupid rookie penalty. Here's the thing: Playing Bulmer likely won't tip the scales to make the team win, but playing Bulmer and NOT playing Kassian might tip the scales to make the team lose.
When you're playing a team as closely ranked as the Admirals, you absolutely shouldn't be taking an unnecessary risk on a rookie. Especially to sit a vet that plays with such heart, and whose passion has often gotten the team going during the regular season. If the Aeros lose, I'll blame the loss on this unwarranted coaching decision.
Forecheck, you asked, where is the killer instinct?.... #42. And the coach is sitting him.
Anonymous posted the other day that Bulmer for Kassian is coming from above the coaches, and that's a fact. So you're barking up the wrong tree blaming the coaches.
I don't doubt that management told Aeros to play Bulmer. But I suspect it was the coach's call on who to sit.
Remember at the end of the season when Kassian was out injured? The team started being a lot more inconsistent, were pushed around by other teams, and started losing more often. That changed when Kassian got back in the line up. I just think that the big guy makes a way bigger difference to the team's success than he gets credit for. And I think he's been unfairly pigeon-holed as a "goon" by Minnesota management. But that's just me - maybe the Wild's GM has some inconceivably brilliant reason for putting Bulmer in. I don't know.
But the Aeros have just been Jeckyll and Hyde in this series. So inconsistent. They weren't like that in the first series. And it reminds me of what they played like during that stretch when Kassian was injured.
Anyhow, hope the right Aero team shows up for the final game. Otherwise we'll have a long summer to speculate and argue about what exactly changed and went wrong between series one and series two.
Last Friday I watched Ford and Wilson take liberties with some of our guys they never would have taken had Kass been around.
And after those pitiful pass it around the horn power plays, I'm still surprised we got the win.
Could have swept these guys, but unless something changes there's a strong chance we're going down in the 7th.
John Royal said: "Hackett let down when it most mattered"............
THE TRUTH HURTS...directing Aeros fans to the AHL Website, current Calder Playoff "goalie stats" rank Hackett DEAD-LAST (ref: the top-17 goalies) in the most important statistic, Save Pct (89.0 %)...while facing a "much lower" number of SOG than the other competitive netminders in the playoff hunt.
The WILD and Aeros have placed their bets on Hackett. Aeros fans can only hope that he can get control of himself and play to original expectations in Game 7.
Go Aeros!!!
Thankfully, Coach Yeo called time-out before the young goalie blew-a-tire, again, on Sunday.
gidygo.. is the word to get the comments published :-) how apropos.
I tend to agree with one 'anonymous' (???) re Bulmer's addition. He is still young and in need of seasoning. I do feel that he has the heart and guts, too, to become a good player down the road, just wish he'd get the 'practice' during a regular season not at these important games!
Re Hacket: "Wundergoalie" is human after all in loosing his cool-alas, at most in-opportune moments.
As did, and do, to some extent Almond and Gillies earlier in their careers!
But then equanimity comes with maturity and seasoning to most, although others seem to have it from the get go!
Let's give Hackett, and Bulmer, another season to mature!
A great song dediction for tomorrow's game would be Guns N Roses "Get in the Ring". Warning: Objectionable Language and Adult Content:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZUnVp-CWbU
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