Halifax 4 - Baie-Comeau 0

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After a bitter loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday night, the Halifax Mooseheads stormed back to dismantle one of the QMJHL’s top teams, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, by a score of 4-0 at the Halifax Metro Centre.
“We wanted to really dig down after we didn’t have our best outcome up in Cape Breton,” said Mooseheads forward Shawn O’Donnell, of the loss that snapped an eight-game winning streak. “We wanted to show the league and Baie-Comeau, because they’re one of the better teams, what we can do.

“The boys really stuck together. Everybody had something to prove out here tonight and it was a good win for us.”

O’Donnell, Ryan Hillier, Guillaume Monast and Andrew White scored for the Mooseheads, who led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 after the second. Pier-Olivier Pelletier was sharp in the Halifax crease, stopping 21 shots for his first shutout of the season.

“Pelletier’s been great the last little while,” said O’Donnell. “He’s been superior night in and night out and he’s really been carrying this team the last few games.

“We really wanted to get the shutout for P.O. He’s really stepped up his game.”

The Mooseheads also did well to shut down the Drakkar without their captain and No. 1 defenceman Andrew Bodnarchuk, who did not play because of a wrist injury.

“It’s really good for the confidence for the other guys,” said Monast. “When you’re missing a guy like Andrew, who’s probably the best defenceman in the league, it’s not like you can put another guy in his spot and say ‘Take his place.’ So it was a really good team effort and the whole D squad stepped up.”

The game also featured the league’s best offence versus the best defence. But the Mooseheads showed the defensively stingy Drakkar why they have scored more goals than any other team in the league. Halifax’s skaters wore down the Baie-Comeau defence with strong forechecking and consistent scoring pressure from all of their lines.

“I think it was a good system win,” said Monast. “The coach asked us to put the puck deep because he knew they were tired and told us to forecheck them hard. That’s what we did and obviously it gave us success.”
The Mooseheads also had to get by without centre Logan MacMillan for the third period. The third-year centre left the game during the second intermission after experiencing extreme exhaustion. Halifax general manager Marcel Patenaude said MacMillan left with his father for a few days’ rest at home in P.E.I.

“It was a lot of hockey for him and it was time for him maybe to have a little break,” Patenaude said. “The thing we decided, with his parents, it was eight games in a short period of time (11 days) and he felt tired and he didn’t feel very good, so we decided it would be preferable for him to go home and relax and get ready for next weekend.”

The win improves the Mooseheads’ record to 20-4-0-4 and increases their lead in first place overall to four points.

“It was a long road trip and after that we had to play against the team that’s third in their division and (fifth) in the league,” said Monast. “It feels good that we were able to win that one.”

The Mooseheads play their next game on Friday at home against the Quebec Remparts.

Buffalo 3 - Montreal 0

The second game of the home-and-home series taking place between Montreal and Buffalo opened up at a wicked pace at the Bell Centre today! The Habs looked much stronger than they did on Friday and they went on several very high-action rushes early in the first. Jocelyn Thibeault looked sharp in the early minutes, replacing Ryan Miller in the net for the Sabres. Christobal Huet took over from Carey Price in minding the net for the Canadiens and he looked just as sharp, making several key saves through the first half of the first period. Each team enjoyed a one-man advantage with no results and a very hectic first period ended with no score.

Spacek and Vanek quickly combined to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead at the end of the first despite the Canadiens continued efforts. Jocelyn Thibeault made a few key saves on good Hab rushes and the Buffalo defense did a good job of making sure rebounds were cleared as quickly as possible.

More of the same through the third period. The Habs pulled Huet late in the period only to have Hecht throw the puck down the ice from the Sabres zone, rolling the puck just into the net of Christobal Huet. That put the Sabres up 3-0 and that’s where it ended only a minute later.

My Thoughts

I have to say, it frustrates me to see the Habs come out so strong tonight after simply coasting around the rink in Buffalo last night. I think that if the Canadiens gave it their all every time the puck dropped they’d be a very difficult team to beat. Everyone worked hard tonight; Higgins worked the corners, Ryder delivered a few key hits, Huet stood solidly between the pipes and Koivu weaved his magic. Steve Begin has kept up his rapid pace since netting a pair of goals the other night. Despite the fact that Thibeault and a strong Sabres team stole the show, the Canadiens looked more with it tonight.

What Went Wrong?

We looked a bit weak on the faceoffs and a more aggressive defense would have limited Buffalo’s chances in close, but overall the Habs played a fairly solid game. Thibeault made a few saves that should have been goals and that really was that.

The Canadiens lost all four possible points to Buffalo during their home-and-home; that translate to 8 divisional points between the two.

Cape Breton 2 - Halifax 1

The Halifax Mooseheads were looking to add 2 points to their total in order to increase their lead in the Telus Division of the QMJHL but the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles proved to be too much for the Moose on Friday night. The Eagles took the game 2-1, effectively shutting down Halifax’s powerplay and general offense.

The Moose got their lone goal from Travis Randall and have now had their winning streak ended at seven games.
Halifax maintains its lead in the QMJHL, still two points ahead of the Eagles. They take on Baie-Comeau tomorrow!

Buffalo 4 - Montreal 2

The Buffalo Sabres came out strong against the Habs tonight and the Canadiens looked a little sleepy through the first half of the game – with the notable exception of Carey Price. Ryan Miller was in net for the Sabres and he looked to be at the top of his game throughout.

Derek Roy opened the scoring 9 minutes into the first and Tim Connolly added another to put Buffalo up by two going into the second, clearly dominating the first 20 minutes of the game.

The second period saw Chris Higgins net a powerplay goal to tie it and the Canadiens seemed to be waking up a bit towards the end of the period.

Plekanec scored with an excellent deke move in Miller’s crease on a breakaway, tying the game for Montreal. A few scoring chances presented themselves on the powerplay for the Habs following that goal but they weren’t able to put any pucks home. The Sabres went on the powerplay a few minutes later and, after the Habs looked to be in total control for the first half of the penalty kill, a mad scramble in front of Carey Price ended with Vanek batting one in the net.

My Thoughts

The Habs were slow. They were too slow on the faceoff, they were very late in getting to lose pucks – Derek Roy forced three icing calls to be waved off alone as he beat Markov and company to cleared pucks. I get the distinct impression watching the Canadiens play sometimes that they simply are not all there. Here’s hoping for better back home against the Sabres tomorrow night.

What Went Wrong?

Well, I’ve already mentioned the lack of speed and sense urgency. Price played well but Miller played better – a clinching point in a tight game like this. The Habs need to speed things up and play to win, especially coming into a game against the Sabres – they’ve proven over their past 10 games that they are looking to win. Huet will get the start tomorrow night coming off of his convincing win against the Islanders on Wednesday night so hopefully he stays solid and inspires the Habs’ skaters to greater things on Saturday!

Physics of Hockey

Facts taken from The Physics of Hockey (John Hopkins University Press)

* … down to temperatures as low as -250 degrees Celsius, the ice surface contains a thin semi-wet layer and that’s why pucks and skaters can slide on it so well? Without this layer, the friction of ice would be as large as most other materials, like concrete and asphalt.

* … when a player the size of Eric Lindros (240 lbs) skates at half his top speed and comes to a stop after having checked someone against the boards, the energy dissipated is enough to power an average household lightbulb for one minute?

* … when two average-size players collide in mid-ice, the impact can produce several thousand pounds of force?

* … a team that is on a losing streak tends to have a better chance of winning its next game than a team of similar strength that is on a winning streak?

* … while today’s NHL best shooters can send the the puck no faster than 100 to 105 mph, Bobby Hull’s slapshot was measured at 120 mph and his wristshot was clocked at 105 mph? Although he used heavier sticks than now permitted, Hull’s ability was largely due to his strength and technique.

* … when a hockey player suffers a concussion, he becomes more sensitive to injuries from damage from subsequent blows to the head? And the effect is cumulative: the more hits, the greater the risk of permanent injuries.

* … a puck shot from the blue line at 100 mph will reach the net in 0.34 seconds? Although most people have reflexes slightly faster than that, very few have the ability to anticipate the trajectory and move fast enough to make the save.

* … when a hockey player shoots from the blue line and score between the pad of the goaltender, the margin of error is only about 1 degrees of angle?

* … the fastest players in the NHL can skate at speed over 45 km/h?

* … more than 60% of the net can be sealed by a goalie’s equipment that meets the NHL maximum size requirement?

* …the odds of a young hockey player to ever make it to the NHL is one in several thousands?

* … during a slapshot, the bending of the stick shaft and the contact with the ice allows for significantly greater speeds than otherwise possible?

Washington Capitals Fire Coach

The league worst Washington Capitals have officially fired head coach Glen Hanlon this week in a move they hope will bring fresh leadership and a fresh start. The Caps originally had high hopes for the playoffs this season and are rightfully upset at earning a mere 13 points in their first 21 games of the season. They’ve lost 9 of their last ten and the previous 5 games straight – there really is nothing to lose at this point.

Bruce Boudreau, head coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears, has been called up from the minors to take over behind the Washington bench. The new coach has made a strong impression in the practice sessions he’s attended and it will definitely be interesting to see how the Capitals fare under new leadership. Here’s hoping!

Pittsburgh 6 - Ottawa 5

The Game

The ups and the downs! After scoring two goals on their first four shots on Marc-Andre Fleury to take a fairly commanding early 2-0 lead, the Pittsburgh Penguins managed 2 unanswered goals to end the period; Malkin and Malone did the honors for the Pens with Spezza and Phillips scoring for the Sens.

The Pens went on to take the lead in the second period with a nice wrist shot from by Kennedy only to have Spezza net his second after his picked up the puck on a fanned shot by Wade Redden on a powerplay late in the period to tie the game at 3. Danny Heatley added one more to put the Sens up by a goal at the end of the second.

Chris Schubert put another one in the net for Ottawa early in the third period to put the Sens up by two goals but that lead was blown just as the early 2-0 lead was. Two goals by the Pens in the third kept them at a 5-5 tie at the end of regulation.

The 5 minute overtime was uneventful and the shootout that followed was full of goals. Jason Spezza netted Ottawa’s first attempt and Senator goalie Gerber managed to drop the puck that he had saved into his own net on the Pens’ first shot. Each goalie made several saves following those goals, including a clinch save by Gerber when Sidney Crosby had the opportunity to win the game for Pittsburgh. Ruutu managed a nice goal on Gerber four shots later, clinching the game for the Pens.

My Thoughts

Well, I need to be honest here: I’m a Canadiens fan first and if they are going to have a hope of taking the lead in the Northeast division, the Senators have to start losing at least the odd game. Add to that the fact that one of my hometown guys in a Penguins star (go Sidney!) and you have me wishing hard for an Ottawa loss.

If the Pens want to curb this nasty streak they’re on then they need to do a few things. Players on the second and third line need to start producing, Fleury needs to figure out if he can handle the goaltending position and the defence needs to keep their back to the net and start breaking up plays before things go too far; no one wants a mad scramble in front of their net, and more goals are produced that way then with any other play. The Pens worked hard for these two points; hopefully that work ethic continues. I’m happy to see Ottawa lose even the one point!

Jason Spezza

Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators has been one of the most talked about hockey players in Canada since his exceptional play at the peewee level at the age of 15. Spezza played in the OHL that year for Brampton and became the youngest player ever to participate in the 1999 OHL All-Star Game. He played for Canada in the World Junior Championships the following year, joining Wayne Gretzky, Jay Bouwmeester and Eric Lindros as one of only four players to take part in that event at the age of 16.

Scouts around the NHL were submitting raving reports of Spezza’s achievements and he was quickl picked up 2nd overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. His NHL debut against the Boston Bruins saw him earn an assist and his first goal came only 5 days later against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Expectations of the 6.3 210 lb star increased as the Senators performed better and better and the hope of a Stanley Cup is high in Ottawa going into the 2007-08 season; much of that hope rests of the big shoulders of Jason Spezza.

QMJHL All-Stars Even Score

After taking a loss in their first meeting, the QMJHL All-Stars managed a win over the Russian team with shootout goals from Brad Marchand and Keven Veilleux in front of over 3000 fans at the Robert-Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Quebec yesterday.

Marchand opened the scoring in the first period with Christopher DiDomenico adding another goal early in the second period. The lead was short-lived as the Russian team got two goals only 58 seconds apart from Alexander Vasyunov and Vadim Golubtsov late in the second.

Both goaltenders worked hard to hold their own in the third, eventually forcing the shootout and the QMJHL win. The ADT Canada-Russia Challenge continues with a game in Kitchener, Ontario tonight – you’ll find the recap here after the game!

Montreal 4 - New York Islanders 1

The Game

The Canadiens went into this game with a long history of sub-par play on the Island and the expectation that the Islanders would give them a rough game. Instead Steve Begin put the Habs up by a goal less than a minute into the opening period and things just got better from there.

Chris Higgins came in on a semi-break early in the second and, with the help of a defender’s stick, lofted a light shot over Rick DiPietro - Steve Begin put a beautiful wrist shot over the Islander goalie’s glove only a minute later. Thomas Plekanec managed a power play goal before the end of the second to put Montreal up 4-0.

The third period saw the Habs start shorthanded with a string of penalties following that. The Montreal penalty kill was on its game, but Mike Comrie did manage a goal on Huet after a very nice three-way passing play.

My Thoughts

Before I go hyping up the Canadiens and Huet in particular, it’s important to note that the Islanders simply looked sleepy tonight. Their passes and shots were just a touch off, Rick DiPietro let a soft goal or two in and they didn’t ever manage to take advantage of opportune dumps and odd-man rushes. To their credit, the Habs did capitalize on the New York mistakes, even managing a couple of goals while short-handed in the second period. Friday’s game in Buffalo is sure to be much more testing for Montreal. The first line of Koivu, Ryder and Higgins needs to get going!

What Went Right?

Bad play by the opposing team – ‘nuff said! Huet gets an honorable mention but don’t let the shot totals fool you – the Islanders had very few true scoring chances. A string of penalties in the third period gave the Habs and Huet in particular to really show their stuff, and a shutout would have been well earned. Chris Higgins, despite his goal being less then pretty, should get a shot of confidence and help from second-string players like Steve Begin (two goals tonight!) is always heartening.

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