No Aeros on this list.
Chad Rau is the team's top rookie this year, and he is on an AHL-only contract (as in not drafted by Minnesota).
Rau was originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 7th round (228th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
I like Chad's game, and he scored a couple of very nice goals against Peoria last weekend.
Hope he gets another deal for next season.
Here is the official All-rookie courtesy of the AHL:
2009-10 AHL All-Rookie Team
Goaltender: Alex Stalock, Worcester Sharks (56gp, 37-16-2, 2.63gaa, .908sv%, 3so)
Defenseman: John Carlson, Hershey Bears (48gp, 4+35=39pts., +37)
Defenseman: P.K. Subban, Hamilton Bulldogs (71gp, 18+34=52pts., +43)
Forward: Logan Couture, Worcester Sharks (42gp, 20+33=53pts.)
Forward: Lars Eller, Peoria Rivermen (66gp, 16+37=53pts.)
Forward: Tyler Ennis, Portland Pirates (69gp, 23+42=65pts.)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Rookie Darcy Kuemper will suit up tonight
Earlier this week, Anton Khudobin was called up to the Wild to back up Nicklas Backstrom.Josh Harding, who probably needed surgery the last time he hurt himself, REALLY needs surgery now.
Khudobin will be with the big club for the rest of the year, and with Barry Brust on the shelf, that left the Aeros with no No. 2 netminder.
Thanks to the Red Deer Rebels getting eliminated from the playoffs, the Aeros now have a backup in Darcy Kuemper.
He will dress tonight, and even though it is unlikely, he could get the start against the Wolves tonight. Personally, I love Wade Dubielewicz, but he's had a rough go against the Wolves and he put two pucks in his own net Sunday against Peoria.
My gut tells me this guy is closer to Kyle Kettles than, say a Josh Harding, who was really good when he was with the Aeros. But we'll see. T3I has gotten somewhat of a scouting report from the Red Deer beat writer, and there was nothing to make me think the Aeros are getting a preview of their next No. 1 goalie. In fact, I think the general sentiment was that Kuemper would benefit from another year in the WHL.
In other news:
The Aeros will also get Marco Scandella for the rest of the year, but he probably will not get in town in time to dress tonight. Possible, but not likely. Look for him, though, to be in the lineup Friday against the Wolves.
Not really much to play for on the Aeros side as the team will look COMPLETELY different next year ... but, the Wolves. Man, they have to win these two against the Aeros, and expect them to do just that. The Stars are only six points back in the standings and are playing the best of any team in the division right now. The Wolves want home ice and are probably the favorite to come out of the division if they get it.
That is all for now. See you at the rink.
Andrew
Pictures from NASA night!
I remember this game from a few weeks ago (March 12 to be exact) ... but I had forgotten that it was NASA night.
The Aeros' front office has done their fair share of "nights" to get the Aeros out of their funk.
They brought in astronauts, former presidents and even Cardinal DiNardo.
I guess that is better than "Let's blow a two-goal lead" night!
For the record, the first George Bush is the only celebrity to have brought the team any luck.
Maybe, for John's sake, we can get Taylor Swift in the building before the year comes to an end.
The Aeros' front office has done their fair share of "nights" to get the Aeros out of their funk.
They brought in astronauts, former presidents and even Cardinal DiNardo.
I guess that is better than "Let's blow a two-goal lead" night!
For the record, the first George Bush is the only celebrity to have brought the team any luck.
Maybe, for John's sake, we can get Taylor Swift in the building before the year comes to an end.
Interesting piece on relocation
In my reading last night, I came across this piece.
It discusses the possible sites of relocation should an NHL team decide to move.
Houston is always in the mix, but, as per the usual, is in the second tier or so.
Give it a look and comment on what you think.
Tickets to NHL games in Houston would mirror those of what Stars fans are paying.
Would you support the NHL in Houston?
It discusses the possible sites of relocation should an NHL team decide to move.
Houston is always in the mix, but, as per the usual, is in the second tier or so.
Give it a look and comment on what you think.
Tickets to NHL games in Houston would mirror those of what Stars fans are paying.
Would you support the NHL in Houston?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Moving right along: Aeros 3, Monsters 2
I almost forgot about the letter W, it's been so long and so rare that the Aeros have won.
A win is great and loooong overdue, but this one makes me a little bit sad. Hear me out:
The game was between two teams who are out of the playoff hunt, nobody really had much on the line, not much in the way of physical play. Not flat, but not mountainous either, if you know what I mean. Just a steady pace from both teams.
And then early in the third, the Monster's Philippe Dupuis checked Cody Almond into the boards along the Aeros bench. Together, they had enough forward momentum that they went down the boards shoulder-to-shoulder and Almond got his head creamed into the pad that covers the corner of the glass at the end of the bench.
They showed it a few times and man, he was lucky to leave the ice on his feet instead of a stretcher. Whip lash, bitches. Big time.
I was thinking, before I saw the replay, "Why isn't anybody going after that guy?" Well, it just took a minute. Danny Irmen stood up for his teammate on a shift not long after, though there wasn't much to the fight, but that wasn't the point. Dupuis kinda sorta had to answer for his actions, because this is hockey and that's how it's done.
What happened after that, though, is the part that makes me sad. Suddenly, the energy on the ice and in the building completely changed. The boys were FIRED UP. There was passion like I've rarely seen from this team. They were united; playing for each other.
Maybe I'm making up drama that wasn't there (wouldn't be the first time), but I don't think so. Gillies got a penalty shortly after all this and I've never seen the kid so mad in the box. Great stuff. And lots of chippiness from everyone until DiSalvatore tied it up 11 minutes into the third on a power play.
But here's what bums me out: Why did a key member of the team have to have his head lopped off for this team to suddenly find some unity and passion? All season long, they've been hard working, high character, tough to play against. All those things promised at the beginning of the season. But no passion, no spark.
So, I just have to wonder... if they'd been able to find that "playforeachother"ness that I saw tonight back in, say, December, I really think we'd be buying playoff tickets right now instead of renewing season tickets.
Untapped potential, unfulfilled promise: Always a bit disappointing. But I don't mean to be such a Debbie Downer. It was a spirited win and the boys deserve credit for figuring out to---for heaven's sake---shoot high on Weiman. Wow. Did you see that? Both DiSalvatore and Earl's goals about put a hole in the roof of the net. Weiman didn't even come close. But they were great shots, too.Can't deny that.
Anyway, the Aeros now have 71 points, thus crushing my dream of them ending the season with 69 points. I know it's incredibly juvenile but that's what happens when you're into garbage time. You start getting punchy with nothing new to say.
No John tonight, so this and the paper are as good as it gets for game detail. Sorry about that. Andrew might have some more for ya later, too.
PS... I also wanted to give props to the Aeros staff for changing the Stars of the Game on the fly when Earl scored the game winner. Normally the stars are chosen 5 mins before regulation is over which means with overtime and shootout dramatics, they can sometimes be a bit bewildering. So kudos for calling an audible and getting it right. All teams should do that.
A win is great and loooong overdue, but this one makes me a little bit sad. Hear me out:
The game was between two teams who are out of the playoff hunt, nobody really had much on the line, not much in the way of physical play. Not flat, but not mountainous either, if you know what I mean. Just a steady pace from both teams.
And then early in the third, the Monster's Philippe Dupuis checked Cody Almond into the boards along the Aeros bench. Together, they had enough forward momentum that they went down the boards shoulder-to-shoulder and Almond got his head creamed into the pad that covers the corner of the glass at the end of the bench.
They showed it a few times and man, he was lucky to leave the ice on his feet instead of a stretcher. Whip lash, bitches. Big time.
I was thinking, before I saw the replay, "Why isn't anybody going after that guy?" Well, it just took a minute. Danny Irmen stood up for his teammate on a shift not long after, though there wasn't much to the fight, but that wasn't the point. Dupuis kinda sorta had to answer for his actions, because this is hockey and that's how it's done.
What happened after that, though, is the part that makes me sad. Suddenly, the energy on the ice and in the building completely changed. The boys were FIRED UP. There was passion like I've rarely seen from this team. They were united; playing for each other.
Maybe I'm making up drama that wasn't there (wouldn't be the first time), but I don't think so. Gillies got a penalty shortly after all this and I've never seen the kid so mad in the box. Great stuff. And lots of chippiness from everyone until DiSalvatore tied it up 11 minutes into the third on a power play.
But here's what bums me out: Why did a key member of the team have to have his head lopped off for this team to suddenly find some unity and passion? All season long, they've been hard working, high character, tough to play against. All those things promised at the beginning of the season. But no passion, no spark.
So, I just have to wonder... if they'd been able to find that "playforeachother"ness that I saw tonight back in, say, December, I really think we'd be buying playoff tickets right now instead of renewing season tickets.
Untapped potential, unfulfilled promise: Always a bit disappointing. But I don't mean to be such a Debbie Downer. It was a spirited win and the boys deserve credit for figuring out to---for heaven's sake---shoot high on Weiman. Wow. Did you see that? Both DiSalvatore and Earl's goals about put a hole in the roof of the net. Weiman didn't even come close. But they were great shots, too.Can't deny that.
Anyway, the Aeros now have 71 points, thus crushing my dream of them ending the season with 69 points. I know it's incredibly juvenile but that's what happens when you're into garbage time. You start getting punchy with nothing new to say.
No John tonight, so this and the paper are as good as it gets for game detail. Sorry about that. Andrew might have some more for ya later, too.
PS... I also wanted to give props to the Aeros staff for changing the Stars of the Game on the fly when Earl scored the game winner. Normally the stars are chosen 5 mins before regulation is over which means with overtime and shootout dramatics, they can sometimes be a bit bewildering. So kudos for calling an audible and getting it right. All teams should do that.
An epilogue to the Garrett Gamble Story
The Montreal Gazette wrote a story about the death of Garrett Gamble and how his father, former Aeros and Canucks goalie Troy, is dealing with the pain of losing a son.
I wanted to share since it does contain some fairly powerful quotes from Troy.
Also, the writer explains why Troy never made it as a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. For those of you wondering, I have included that graph if you don't want to go to the Web site and read the entire piece for yourself.
"Dedicated Canucks fans will remember Gamble’s goaltending career with the team was brief, in part because it was cut short by repeated concussions and also the emergence of Kirk McLean in the early 1990s. How good he could have been without the shots to the head or his difficulties with conditioning will never be known, but while he was in Vancouver he had Garrett with him."
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sifers reassigned to Aeros
The Wild reassigned defenseman Jaime Sifers to the Aeros today. Brent Burns is good enough to go in St. Paul, and Greg Zanon, per Mike Russo, looks like he will play through that broken ankle.
The Aeros don't play again until Friday, but the Wild, I think, play twice before then. It's likely the Wild will suffer an injury or two before Friday, but I know the Aeros could really benefit from having a mostly complete team for the first time in a long time.
A win Friday gets the team back to .500.
The Aeros don't play again until Friday, but the Wild, I think, play twice before then. It's likely the Wild will suffer an injury or two before Friday, but I know the Aeros could really benefit from having a mostly complete team for the first time in a long time.
A win Friday gets the team back to .500.
3/21/10 -- Aeros v. Admirals -- The Carry That Weight Edition
My apologies for taking so long to wrap up this weekend’s games. I cover more than just the Aeros -- thus my absence the past several weeks -- and there’s been breaking news with the Houston Cougars I’ve been having to deal with. Plus, I’m once again unemployed from my primary profession, and I’ve been trying to hunt up some work. So, that aside…
It’s been about a month since I’ve seen the Aeros play in person. The last game I remember seeing was the game where the news leaked out that Tony Hrkac was returning. So yes, it’s been awhile. But besides the Aeros dropping to the bottom of the standings, nothing much has changed. The effort’s still there. The guys still seem to give a damn. But despite the return of Andy Hilbert over the weekend, they still can’t find a way to get the puck in the damn net; the stupid penalties are still prevalent at unnecessary times -- Brandon, really, did you have to pull a Matt Foy on Sunday? And the goalies, no matter the criticism they’re getting from unnamed people, are doing their best to keep the team in games, but the goalies this year just aren’t able to do a repeat of the Nolan Schaefer/Barry Brust season of 2007-2008.
There were two winnable games over the weekend, but nothing the Aeros did seem to work. Well, I do think Kevin Constantine throwing out a starting line on Sunday of Matt Kassian, Robbie Earl, and Carson McMillan brought a different energy to the team. But the team lost 3-1 on Saturday and 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to the Milwaukee Admirals to drop even further back in last place.
Anton Khudobin got the start on Saturday, and he put up a good effort on Saturday, only to find himself, once again, sabotaged by his defense and lack of offense. And Wade Dubielewicz found himself victimized in overtime by a shot that hit the pipe and bounced in.
“It’s tough,” Dubielewicz said after the loss. “We’re a young group, we’re working hard. It’s really discouraging right now. We’ve got to find away -- whether it’s a big game out of a goalie or a big game out of player -- we’ve got to find a way to get out of this little funk we’re in and try to get some wins together. You never know what’s going to happen to other teams. But right now we’re backed into a pretty tough corner. Something special’s got to happen for us. Somebody’s got to do something special for us to get out of it.”
Dubielewicz said it was his hope, before the game, that he would be the one to provide that special game. He wanted to give his teammates the win, but he just couldn’t do it. And if ever a game was the epitome of the Aeros season, perhaps Sunday was that example. The Aeros outshot Milwaukee. They even had some great shot attempts, but there was some good Milwaukee goaltending to stop some of the shots, then there were two third period shots that clanked off the pipes, but instead of bouncing in, as the Milwaukee shot did on OT, they bounced out.
“There’s no quitting here,” Dubielewicz said. “And I’m proud of that. But at the same time, this is professional hockey, and we have to make plays, and we have to make saves, and we have to score goals. If you don’t do that, you’re not going to be around hockey for a long time. It’s really disappointing on that level because there’s a lot of character in this room. I think with a break or two we could be a different story.”
A break or two. That’s the been the team’s story the entire season. A break or two. And that break or two is something that they have yet to get. With just 11 games remaining in the season, the 29-30-7-4 Aeros should probably just forget about getting that break, unless, that is, you count as a break the opportunity to go home and erase this once-promising season from their minds.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
Andy Hilbert returned to action this weekend for the first time in months. The Aeros season was probably doomed to failure by Hilbert’s concussion, and the injuries to Peter Zingoni, because they were probably the guys with the best set of offensive skills on a team that desperately needed offensive skills. And while they missed large parts of the season, and guys like Nathan Smith spent time in Minnesota, the Aeros were just never able to put together a sustained offensive effort. But Kevin Constantine doesn’t want to use that as a crunch for what happened this season.
“You try to look at the fact that everybody goes through injuries,” he said Saturday night. “You try not to rely on the injury totals, or call-ups, to dictate -- if you look at guys called up through over the last three years, we haven’t really been a team that’s been completely dependent on certain injuries and call-ups. Other guys have managed to win.”
And Constantine has a point. Then you look at other things. For instance, Krys Kolanos was generally the guy called up to the Wild last season. And Kolanos’s trips up didn’t help the team. Then again, Kolanos wasn’t the team’s only offensive weapon last season. Corey Locke was putting up big numbers. So was Jesse Schultz. Marco Rosa put up good numbers. Things might have been different last season if Kolanos were to have been up with the Wild and Locke and Schultz were injured and unable to play for most of the season, but that didn’t happen.
And the team before that didn’t have much in the way of offensive talent, either. But Schaefer and Brust were both putting together incredible seasons that were beyond special, and which are not the type of numbers generally put up by a tandem because. And the primary guy who spent most of that season in Minnesota was Erik Reitz.
I appreciate what Constantine’s trying to get at. He’s not trying to use an excuse to explain away the season. But Zingoni and Hilbert were supposed to be key members of the offense, and with their extended absences, nobody on the front line has stepped up to take their place on a consistent basis. Max Noreau has tried from the blue line. And no one can discount the effort and hustle of Jean-Michel Daoust.
Well, you get my point by now, I hope.
***************
Okay, I know I’ve been away for awhile, but what happened to all of the Lady Dynamics? I saw five at each of the games, the same five. What happened to the rest? Did they bail on the team, or something?
***************
My Beatles selection tonight is dedicated to the goalies, Anton Khudobin, Wade Dubielewicz, and Barry Brust. Too often this season, it seems that they’ve had the weight of the world on their shoulders as they’ve tried to single-handedly carry the Aeros to victory. Thus, I bring you the final melody of side two of Abbey Road (the greatest album ever recorded), which just happens to feature the only drum solo ever performed by Ringo Starr as the drummer of The Beatles. So here’s “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End.”
It’s been about a month since I’ve seen the Aeros play in person. The last game I remember seeing was the game where the news leaked out that Tony Hrkac was returning. So yes, it’s been awhile. But besides the Aeros dropping to the bottom of the standings, nothing much has changed. The effort’s still there. The guys still seem to give a damn. But despite the return of Andy Hilbert over the weekend, they still can’t find a way to get the puck in the damn net; the stupid penalties are still prevalent at unnecessary times -- Brandon, really, did you have to pull a Matt Foy on Sunday? And the goalies, no matter the criticism they’re getting from unnamed people, are doing their best to keep the team in games, but the goalies this year just aren’t able to do a repeat of the Nolan Schaefer/Barry Brust season of 2007-2008.
There were two winnable games over the weekend, but nothing the Aeros did seem to work. Well, I do think Kevin Constantine throwing out a starting line on Sunday of Matt Kassian, Robbie Earl, and Carson McMillan brought a different energy to the team. But the team lost 3-1 on Saturday and 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to the Milwaukee Admirals to drop even further back in last place.
Anton Khudobin got the start on Saturday, and he put up a good effort on Saturday, only to find himself, once again, sabotaged by his defense and lack of offense. And Wade Dubielewicz found himself victimized in overtime by a shot that hit the pipe and bounced in.
“It’s tough,” Dubielewicz said after the loss. “We’re a young group, we’re working hard. It’s really discouraging right now. We’ve got to find away -- whether it’s a big game out of a goalie or a big game out of player -- we’ve got to find a way to get out of this little funk we’re in and try to get some wins together. You never know what’s going to happen to other teams. But right now we’re backed into a pretty tough corner. Something special’s got to happen for us. Somebody’s got to do something special for us to get out of it.”
Dubielewicz said it was his hope, before the game, that he would be the one to provide that special game. He wanted to give his teammates the win, but he just couldn’t do it. And if ever a game was the epitome of the Aeros season, perhaps Sunday was that example. The Aeros outshot Milwaukee. They even had some great shot attempts, but there was some good Milwaukee goaltending to stop some of the shots, then there were two third period shots that clanked off the pipes, but instead of bouncing in, as the Milwaukee shot did on OT, they bounced out.
“There’s no quitting here,” Dubielewicz said. “And I’m proud of that. But at the same time, this is professional hockey, and we have to make plays, and we have to make saves, and we have to score goals. If you don’t do that, you’re not going to be around hockey for a long time. It’s really disappointing on that level because there’s a lot of character in this room. I think with a break or two we could be a different story.”
A break or two. That’s the been the team’s story the entire season. A break or two. And that break or two is something that they have yet to get. With just 11 games remaining in the season, the 29-30-7-4 Aeros should probably just forget about getting that break, unless, that is, you count as a break the opportunity to go home and erase this once-promising season from their minds.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
Andy Hilbert returned to action this weekend for the first time in months. The Aeros season was probably doomed to failure by Hilbert’s concussion, and the injuries to Peter Zingoni, because they were probably the guys with the best set of offensive skills on a team that desperately needed offensive skills. And while they missed large parts of the season, and guys like Nathan Smith spent time in Minnesota, the Aeros were just never able to put together a sustained offensive effort. But Kevin Constantine doesn’t want to use that as a crunch for what happened this season.
“You try to look at the fact that everybody goes through injuries,” he said Saturday night. “You try not to rely on the injury totals, or call-ups, to dictate -- if you look at guys called up through over the last three years, we haven’t really been a team that’s been completely dependent on certain injuries and call-ups. Other guys have managed to win.”
And Constantine has a point. Then you look at other things. For instance, Krys Kolanos was generally the guy called up to the Wild last season. And Kolanos’s trips up didn’t help the team. Then again, Kolanos wasn’t the team’s only offensive weapon last season. Corey Locke was putting up big numbers. So was Jesse Schultz. Marco Rosa put up good numbers. Things might have been different last season if Kolanos were to have been up with the Wild and Locke and Schultz were injured and unable to play for most of the season, but that didn’t happen.
And the team before that didn’t have much in the way of offensive talent, either. But Schaefer and Brust were both putting together incredible seasons that were beyond special, and which are not the type of numbers generally put up by a tandem because. And the primary guy who spent most of that season in Minnesota was Erik Reitz.
I appreciate what Constantine’s trying to get at. He’s not trying to use an excuse to explain away the season. But Zingoni and Hilbert were supposed to be key members of the offense, and with their extended absences, nobody on the front line has stepped up to take their place on a consistent basis. Max Noreau has tried from the blue line. And no one can discount the effort and hustle of Jean-Michel Daoust.
Well, you get my point by now, I hope.
***************
Okay, I know I’ve been away for awhile, but what happened to all of the Lady Dynamics? I saw five at each of the games, the same five. What happened to the rest? Did they bail on the team, or something?
***************
My Beatles selection tonight is dedicated to the goalies, Anton Khudobin, Wade Dubielewicz, and Barry Brust. Too often this season, it seems that they’ve had the weight of the world on their shoulders as they’ve tried to single-handedly carry the Aeros to victory. Thus, I bring you the final melody of side two of Abbey Road (the greatest album ever recorded), which just happens to feature the only drum solo ever performed by Ringo Starr as the drummer of The Beatles. So here’s “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End.”
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Aeros lose 2-1 in OT to Milwaukee
Oh, I'm sad. I asked my new Brusty bobblehead before the game if the Aeros would win and he was definitive in his affirmation. "Yes yes yes yes yes," he said.
Alas, I think the results were skewed by his inability to shake his head. But the boys held out pretty good and got a point out of the game. Shame they can't donate these points to a charity that could use them. Like the Binghamton Senators.
Not a lot to say about this game except that a) Dubie didn't get pulled and actually played... well, he kept the puck out of the net, stopping 26 of 28 shots b) the boys still played hard and showed a lot of gusto even when, really, there's only pride to play for at this point.
I loved the Earl, Kassian, McMillan line. And starting them? Haha. Cool.
Anyway, I think John will be on later with less nonsense and more real stuff.
But I do have pictures!
Alas, I think the results were skewed by his inability to shake his head. But the boys held out pretty good and got a point out of the game. Shame they can't donate these points to a charity that could use them. Like the Binghamton Senators.
Not a lot to say about this game except that a) Dubie didn't get pulled and actually played... well, he kept the puck out of the net, stopping 26 of 28 shots b) the boys still played hard and showed a lot of gusto even when, really, there's only pride to play for at this point.
I loved the Earl, Kassian, McMillan line. And starting them? Haha. Cool.
Anyway, I think John will be on later with less nonsense and more real stuff.
But I do have pictures!
Ladies? You feelin' it? Oh yeah. Hot.
Earl's goal and Kassian's ass. Not sure which I like more....
Game winning goal from Dietrich and Max's ass. I KNOW which of those I like better...
Aeros lose 3-1 to Milwaukee (now w/ photos!)
You used to losing yet? I kinda am. Not that it's fun or anything, but if I'm remotely entertained by a game, it's a win. And so far, really, since the boys have fallen out of realistic contention, I can't complain. The games have been entertaining.
I used to love fights when I first started watching hockey, but they don't excite me too often any more. However, the one tonight between Straub and Grant was pretty damned good. Both guys were just throwing bombs and it was like, "Where'd THAT come from?" which are kinda my favorite fights. Just, like, spontaneous hatred. Great stuff.
Also, it does seem Grant lost a tooth in the ordeal. The story in the press box is that that's what Daoust was handing to Grant in the penalty box, but it seems like they'd have sent him to the doc, right? The toughness of hockey players seemingly has no bounds. Not sure if I'm starting a myth by writing about this here, but maybe one of the guys knows more. (Okay, so maybe none of that happened, but it's a damn good story, so I'm leaving it.)
Other than that, what's worth mentioning tonight? The one 5 on 3 PP goal by Daoust from a rebound off a Noreau Special was nice. The 47 times they whiffed or missed a pass in front of an open net... not so nice. There's a theory that you create your own luck but I think that's bullshit. These guys created some amazing chances for themselves tonight and had no luck at all. No bounce went their way all night long, at least when it came to getting the puck in the net. A foot off here, a foot off there. It should have been 10-3 for how many times that puck should have gone in.
Credit to Dekanich though, he kept 'em out. Wasn't pretty, but doesn't need to be. On the other hand, I was a little bothered by some of Khudobin's reactions tonight, just from a "goalie scout" standpoint. I was getting a lot of frustration from him and lots of body language that seemed rather petulant to me. I expect a better mental game out of him at this point.
I'm sure there's more... and we will have pics from Chris "Breakfast Tacos" Jerina later...but, dawg, I am tired and going to bed now. See you tomorrow. 3:05 p.m. puck drop!
UPDATE: Here's photos from last night.
Hasn't been enough of this, but it's nice to see:
Toe save, bitches:
Photos by Chris "I thought Houston was hot!" Jerina
I used to love fights when I first started watching hockey, but they don't excite me too often any more. However, the one tonight between Straub and Grant was pretty damned good. Both guys were just throwing bombs and it was like, "Where'd THAT come from?" which are kinda my favorite fights. Just, like, spontaneous hatred. Great stuff.
Also, it does seem Grant lost a tooth in the ordeal. The story in the press box is that that's what Daoust was handing to Grant in the penalty box, but it seems like they'd have sent him to the doc, right? The toughness of hockey players seemingly has no bounds. Not sure if I'm starting a myth by writing about this here, but maybe one of the guys knows more. (Okay, so maybe none of that happened, but it's a damn good story, so I'm leaving it.)
Other than that, what's worth mentioning tonight? The one 5 on 3 PP goal by Daoust from a rebound off a Noreau Special was nice. The 47 times they whiffed or missed a pass in front of an open net... not so nice. There's a theory that you create your own luck but I think that's bullshit. These guys created some amazing chances for themselves tonight and had no luck at all. No bounce went their way all night long, at least when it came to getting the puck in the net. A foot off here, a foot off there. It should have been 10-3 for how many times that puck should have gone in.
Credit to Dekanich though, he kept 'em out. Wasn't pretty, but doesn't need to be. On the other hand, I was a little bothered by some of Khudobin's reactions tonight, just from a "goalie scout" standpoint. I was getting a lot of frustration from him and lots of body language that seemed rather petulant to me. I expect a better mental game out of him at this point.
I'm sure there's more... and we will have pics from Chris "Breakfast Tacos" Jerina later...but, dawg, I am tired and going to bed now. See you tomorrow. 3:05 p.m. puck drop!
UPDATE: Here's photos from last night.
Hasn't been enough of this, but it's nice to see:
Toe save, bitches:
Photos by Chris "I thought Houston was hot!" Jerina
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