Well it's been a topic of discussion for those of us who invest time broadcasting the NWJHL for a while now. Between myself and Jon Zacks, Dave Dawson from Whitecourt, Damian Gnass from Peace River, and Darren Dupont from Dawson Creek. The topic is head shots and all of us want to see more done to protect the players. It's something that all teams are guilty of and in fact Coach Bob Kalb told me on the bus recently that head shots need to penalized and pointed to 3 incidents in the game we had just watched in which a head shot wasn't penalized and he went out of his way to mention a hit delivered by one of his players as well that needed to be penalized and wasn't. Even the borderline hits have to be called. You have to clamp down hard on clear head shots and penalize borderline hits as well if you want to clean the game up. There is no bigger danger in sports and especially hockey than head shots yet no one seems willing to do anything about it. I have commented on this a number of times recently so I won't say too much more. But read this editorial from Jon Zacks it is an excellent read (and not only because he quoted this blog).
http://www.energeticcity.ca/news/03/17/09/head-shots-editorial
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Huskies back at it after well earned break
The Huskies get back at it today after a well earned couple of days off. The Pups are on home ice for game 3 of their NWJHL Championship series against the Whitecourt Wolverines. The Wolverines took advantage of a tired hockey team over the weekend and capitalized on some defensive breakdowns to win both games by a wide score despite both games being fairly even in terms of scoring chances. The Huskies played well but weren't able to bury some chances.
So they hit the home ice tonight in search of their first win in the series in a building where they are fairly dominant. They have only lost 4 times on the NPA ice all season including the playoffs but 2 of those losses are at the hands of the Wolverines. Zack Blain will have to continue to play well in net and I am sure he will. The second line got going in game 2 and they will have to continue to be good. Fast, Norris and MacKinnon have the ability to score in bunches and if they can score a couple times and the top line can pop a couple home then the Huskies will be in good shape. The D men need to limit Whitecourt scoring chances and overall the team needs to find a way to slow Whitecourt down as they are lightning fast through the neutral zone.
A big crowd will help the Huskies as well so get down to the NPA tonight at 8pm.
So they hit the home ice tonight in search of their first win in the series in a building where they are fairly dominant. They have only lost 4 times on the NPA ice all season including the playoffs but 2 of those losses are at the hands of the Wolverines. Zack Blain will have to continue to play well in net and I am sure he will. The second line got going in game 2 and they will have to continue to be good. Fast, Norris and MacKinnon have the ability to score in bunches and if they can score a couple times and the top line can pop a couple home then the Huskies will be in good shape. The D men need to limit Whitecourt scoring chances and overall the team needs to find a way to slow Whitecourt down as they are lightning fast through the neutral zone.
A big crowd will help the Huskies as well so get down to the NPA tonight at 8pm.
Flyers even series
This was one of those games where I don't think the scoreline really reflected the play on the ice. At times the Flyers seemed to have set up camp in the offensive zone. But that is part of the Athletic's strategy. They are quite content to keep teams to the outside of the ice, tie guys up in front, let their goalies make saves and try to capitalize on mistakes. And that's what they did. The first two GP goals were scored short handed on break aways and both times it was Mike Shipton who kind of got beat to set up the breaks. And both times there was no mistake made by the GP forwards which meant Troy Hunt didn't have much of a chance. Huntsey was good last night as the only other goal that beat him was a bouncing puck that it looked like Paul Wiens kicked into his own goal. Obviously that wasn't what Wiens was hoping to accomplish.
The Flyers got most of their offense from Dustin Kersey who set up 4 goals and Adam Loncan who broke out with a hatty. The first was a perfectly placed shot from the backhand and off the post and in over the shoulder of Dave Larson in the GP net. The second goal was a tap in after good work from Kersey and the third was a professional goal. It was a goal scored by a guy who played Pro Hockey. In alone with just the goalie to beat Loncs came in on the forehand did just a little shoulder fake and shelfed the puck top cheddar with zero back lift. No backlift, just snap shelf. It was a beauty.
The other goals were from Wiens who managed to score one for each team, and Ian Munro who was set up by Kersey on a 2 on 1 and Munro went forehand to the backhand and slid the puck into a yawning cage. It was a nice goal and showed good poise. Munro also hit iron at least twice in the game. The Flyers hit the post or cross bar around 5 or 6 times.
I told Munro after the game that he was a quarter inch from being the best player in the league. He said the only reason he didn't make the show was that he always hits the post too much. It was a funny little exchange. Overall Munro was excellent all night.
So the Flyers won the game in a style you have to play against GP because they are content to allow you so much possession and then try to counter attack. Game 3 in the series goes tomorrow night at 7:30 local time on Moose FM.
The Flyers got most of their offense from Dustin Kersey who set up 4 goals and Adam Loncan who broke out with a hatty. The first was a perfectly placed shot from the backhand and off the post and in over the shoulder of Dave Larson in the GP net. The second goal was a tap in after good work from Kersey and the third was a professional goal. It was a goal scored by a guy who played Pro Hockey. In alone with just the goalie to beat Loncs came in on the forehand did just a little shoulder fake and shelfed the puck top cheddar with zero back lift. No backlift, just snap shelf. It was a beauty.
The other goals were from Wiens who managed to score one for each team, and Ian Munro who was set up by Kersey on a 2 on 1 and Munro went forehand to the backhand and slid the puck into a yawning cage. It was a nice goal and showed good poise. Munro also hit iron at least twice in the game. The Flyers hit the post or cross bar around 5 or 6 times.
I told Munro after the game that he was a quarter inch from being the best player in the league. He said the only reason he didn't make the show was that he always hits the post too much. It was a funny little exchange. Overall Munro was excellent all night.
So the Flyers won the game in a style you have to play against GP because they are content to allow you so much possession and then try to counter attack. Game 3 in the series goes tomorrow night at 7:30 local time on Moose FM.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Some facts and some agreement
This post is a direct response to Dave Dawson's most recent post. I need to set the record straight on a couple things and agree with Dave on a couple things as well. You can read that one by going to my blog list by clicking on The Voice. -------------------->
First of all Dave is a great broadcaster and a very good blogger who always entertains me (he is not very good at Darts though) but I felt like I needed to set some things straight. In no way am I angry with Dave. There are just some facts that need to be put out there. Starting with Kyle Porter. Porter got more than 2 minutes for jumping Gerry Young in game 4 of the Navs series, I just checked that game sheet and he got 2 for cross-checking, 2 for being the aggressor, 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting and a game misconduct. Plus he did miss the next game as both teams came to the agreement that he should miss that game.
The reffing in the John can be bad, even laughable at times, but that statement applies to every building in the league as I am sure you know but for those people reading this who weren't in Whitecourt for game 2 I will try to explain the reffing. OK well let's start by saying the reffing was appalling. With the score tied at 3 the ref starting giving the Huskies penalties like Clowns give candy at a parade. I mean he did call Dylan Apsassin for holding. The reason that call is one of the more ludicrous I have ever seen? Apsassin HAD THE PUCK!!!!! WTF?????????? How does he hold someone while he has the puck and is trying to protect it from the Wolverines? Maybe I could see a holding the stick penalty if he had grabbed a D man's stick while protecting the puck but he didn't and that wasn't the call. Dylan got hit along the boards when he had the puck, both players fell and he got a holding penalty. So unbelievable you just have to laugh about it. Plus a clear high stick that every fan in the building saw was let go and led directly to a goal. It's something that happens everywhere. You just have to deal with it I guess but while in most games the ref doesn't affect the outcome he certainly had something to do with it in game 2. Not to mention the fact that the referee would not come over to talk to the Huskies bench. Not ONCE did he skate over to explain a decision or to let Coach Bob explain his point of view. Yet the ref was chumming it up with the Wolverines bench at every opportunity. This is the one thing that bothers me more than anything else about the reffing in this league. I might post a rant about it later.
As for Coach Kalb deserving a suspension for sending Porter out to take on Gerry Young this is where the agreeing start. Dave I think you are probably right about that but there is no way the ref would have known at the time what had happened. And I don't think the league is organized enough to sort that out after the fact. Coach Bob was doing what he had to do to protect his players and if it meant him missing a game I don't know that he would have done anything differently. Perhaps Porter didn't go about it the right way but on the other hand Gerry Young runs around cheap shotting anything that moves and then won't stand up and fight so eventually he is going to get what's coming to him. Gerry Young delivers more hits to the head than Justin Timberlake. I'm not sure if that joke worked but seriously Young leads with his hands or his elbow to the heads of players all the time. Of course they have to be pretty small for Young to reach them but that is another story. Eventually you have to take your punishment and if the refs don't take care of it then the players have to start policing themselves and that's when it can get ugly.
I agree with you about Coach Kalb in terms of his crusade against headshots. He has been saying for a while that players, even his own, need to punished heavily for head shots. That's why he sent Porter after Young. The game needs to be cleaned up in that respect but no one seems willing to do what has to be done to protect the players. For instance, how about when there is a clear head shot that the refs miss they get punished? Or give the linespeople the ability to penalize hits to the head as well as the ref. Something needs to be done to protect the players.
I'm looking forward to seeing Dave tomorrow at the NPA and joining him for what should be a great game and hopefully a very good broadcast. Maybe we will even have a good discussion at some point about what can be done about headshots. Safe to say the answer is something...anything. Nothing can be worse than what's being done right now. And that would be nothing.
First of all Dave is a great broadcaster and a very good blogger who always entertains me (he is not very good at Darts though) but I felt like I needed to set some things straight. In no way am I angry with Dave. There are just some facts that need to be put out there. Starting with Kyle Porter. Porter got more than 2 minutes for jumping Gerry Young in game 4 of the Navs series, I just checked that game sheet and he got 2 for cross-checking, 2 for being the aggressor, 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting and a game misconduct. Plus he did miss the next game as both teams came to the agreement that he should miss that game.
The reffing in the John can be bad, even laughable at times, but that statement applies to every building in the league as I am sure you know but for those people reading this who weren't in Whitecourt for game 2 I will try to explain the reffing. OK well let's start by saying the reffing was appalling. With the score tied at 3 the ref starting giving the Huskies penalties like Clowns give candy at a parade. I mean he did call Dylan Apsassin for holding. The reason that call is one of the more ludicrous I have ever seen? Apsassin HAD THE PUCK!!!!! WTF?????????? How does he hold someone while he has the puck and is trying to protect it from the Wolverines? Maybe I could see a holding the stick penalty if he had grabbed a D man's stick while protecting the puck but he didn't and that wasn't the call. Dylan got hit along the boards when he had the puck, both players fell and he got a holding penalty. So unbelievable you just have to laugh about it. Plus a clear high stick that every fan in the building saw was let go and led directly to a goal. It's something that happens everywhere. You just have to deal with it I guess but while in most games the ref doesn't affect the outcome he certainly had something to do with it in game 2. Not to mention the fact that the referee would not come over to talk to the Huskies bench. Not ONCE did he skate over to explain a decision or to let Coach Bob explain his point of view. Yet the ref was chumming it up with the Wolverines bench at every opportunity. This is the one thing that bothers me more than anything else about the reffing in this league. I might post a rant about it later.
As for Coach Kalb deserving a suspension for sending Porter out to take on Gerry Young this is where the agreeing start. Dave I think you are probably right about that but there is no way the ref would have known at the time what had happened. And I don't think the league is organized enough to sort that out after the fact. Coach Bob was doing what he had to do to protect his players and if it meant him missing a game I don't know that he would have done anything differently. Perhaps Porter didn't go about it the right way but on the other hand Gerry Young runs around cheap shotting anything that moves and then won't stand up and fight so eventually he is going to get what's coming to him. Gerry Young delivers more hits to the head than Justin Timberlake. I'm not sure if that joke worked but seriously Young leads with his hands or his elbow to the heads of players all the time. Of course they have to be pretty small for Young to reach them but that is another story. Eventually you have to take your punishment and if the refs don't take care of it then the players have to start policing themselves and that's when it can get ugly.
I agree with you about Coach Kalb in terms of his crusade against headshots. He has been saying for a while that players, even his own, need to punished heavily for head shots. That's why he sent Porter after Young. The game needs to be cleaned up in that respect but no one seems willing to do what has to be done to protect the players. For instance, how about when there is a clear head shot that the refs miss they get punished? Or give the linespeople the ability to penalize hits to the head as well as the ref. Something needs to be done to protect the players.
I'm looking forward to seeing Dave tomorrow at the NPA and joining him for what should be a great game and hopefully a very good broadcast. Maybe we will even have a good discussion at some point about what can be done about headshots. Safe to say the answer is something...anything. Nothing can be worse than what's being done right now. And that would be nothing.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Huskies lose 2 in Whitecourt
Well the Huskies gave it their all and they certainly won the respect of the Wolverines fans after gutting out two games in Whitecourt. The Huskies has already played 3 games in a row before jumping on a bus Saturday morning to head to Alberta. So by the time game 2 was wrapped up it was 5 game in 5 days and 7 in the last 8 for these young men. they battled hard though and for long stretches of both games they were playing right there with Whitecourt. Unfortunately, some untimely penalties and a couple of defensive zone breakdowns were the difference in both contests. Game 1 ended 6-1 for the Wolverines with Dan Pappin getting the lone goal for the Pups. They maybe had as many scoring chances as Whitecourt in the game though but they were not able to finish. The problem is if you give Whitecourt 5 or 6 scoring chances they will score most of them. Despite Zack Blain being excellent in both games and making some spectacular saves it wasn`t enough. In game 2 the Huskies actually lead 2-1 after 2 goals from Pappin in the first but in the 2nd period with the score tied at 3 the Wolverines capitalized on a couple of mistakes and before you knew it the score was 6-3. With the score 7-4 thanks to a Kole Norris marker in the 3rd, the Huskies had a PP chance to get back into the game but they failed to convert and moments later Whitecourt sealed the win 8-4.
A Whitecourt fan actually took the time to pop onto the bus after we pulled into the arena on Saturday to tell the Huskies how much respect he had for them after the way they battled in game 1. The fans in Whitecourt turn out in numbers and are smart enough to know that when a team keeps up with the Wolverines they must be good. And to do it after having played so much hockey in so little time shows how much heart and character the Huskies have.
Dan Pappin went with Mitch Ternan I believe in game 3 in the 3rd period. This was a great tilly with Pappin standing in against a bigger guy and delivering a number of haymakers. He also took some big shots as well but was no worse for wear on the bus ride home. Pappin asked me on the bus after the game who won the tilt and I said I had to give the decision to the Whitecourt guy but just barely. Most guys in that situation would strongly disagree and bravado would lead to them claiming they beat the you know what out of the other guy. But not Pappin. Dude is a great guy and he said I was probably right as the Wolverines player maybe landed a couple more punches. The best part was the mutual respect from both players after the fight was over. They were both obviously too tired to go anymore so they tapped each other on the bum and went their separate ways. If only every guy in the league had that kind of class and respect for his opponent.
Games 3 and 4 are in FSJ on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8. It would not be a surprise to see the Huskies win both on home ice as they are capable of beating the Wolverines. A big crowd would help as will Cody Kalb who seemed a little injured on the bus ride home. If he is out that`s a big blow to the Huskies. If he is in they have a good shot.
A Whitecourt fan actually took the time to pop onto the bus after we pulled into the arena on Saturday to tell the Huskies how much respect he had for them after the way they battled in game 1. The fans in Whitecourt turn out in numbers and are smart enough to know that when a team keeps up with the Wolverines they must be good. And to do it after having played so much hockey in so little time shows how much heart and character the Huskies have.
Dan Pappin went with Mitch Ternan I believe in game 3 in the 3rd period. This was a great tilly with Pappin standing in against a bigger guy and delivering a number of haymakers. He also took some big shots as well but was no worse for wear on the bus ride home. Pappin asked me on the bus after the game who won the tilt and I said I had to give the decision to the Whitecourt guy but just barely. Most guys in that situation would strongly disagree and bravado would lead to them claiming they beat the you know what out of the other guy. But not Pappin. Dude is a great guy and he said I was probably right as the Wolverines player maybe landed a couple more punches. The best part was the mutual respect from both players after the fight was over. They were both obviously too tired to go anymore so they tapped each other on the bum and went their separate ways. If only every guy in the league had that kind of class and respect for his opponent.
Games 3 and 4 are in FSJ on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8. It would not be a surprise to see the Huskies win both on home ice as they are capable of beating the Wolverines. A big crowd would help as will Cody Kalb who seemed a little injured on the bus ride home. If he is out that`s a big blow to the Huskies. If he is in they have a good shot.
Flyers look to rebound
I wasn`t at the NPA as Jon and I were in Whitecourt covering the Huskies games so I have no idea how the Flyers lost game 1. But there is a possibility that they had a bit of a let down after winning a tough second round series over the Spirit River Rangers. GP has a decent team and has now won 3 of the 5 meetings between the teams this year but the Flyers are too good to lose to GP in a 7 game series. I think you will see them bounce back tomorrow night (Tuesday) at the NPA. Kersey, Shuya and Loncan won`t be held off the score sheet too many nights and the kid line has been flying lately as well so the Flyers should get going. A big crowd wouldn`t hurt either.
Puck drops at 8:30
Puck drops at 8:30
Saturday, March 14, 2009
NWJHL Final. Game 1 Tonight
Live on 100.1 Moose FM and online at moosefm.ca you can listen to Jon Zacks and I as the Huskies head to Whitecourt for a date with the Wolverines. The bus is leaving in about 2 hours and I think the coaches made the decision to leave an hour or two later than normal in part just to let the guys get some extra rest in their own beds. They will need it with the amount of hockey they have played this week. And there are still 2 more games this weekend of course. Game 1 will be tough for the Huskies but they do have a shot. Last year the Wolverines lost in the finals to the Peace River Navigators in an upset that most people didn't see coming. If there is a team that can pull off a similar upset this year it would be the Huskies. If they are to win tonight I think they will need to score about 3 or 4 goals in the first. The Wolverines haven't played in over a week so there will be some rust. No matter how hard Joey Bouchard has been working his troops there is a huge difference between a hard practice and game speed. So if the Huskies can use the adrenaline of a finals and jump on the Wolverines early they could find a way to get an early lead and hold on. Zack Blain has been very good for the last 2 months and will have to make some big saves to try and steal a game in Whitecourt. It can happen, but will it happen? We will find out tonight. Puck drops at 7 local time and Jon and I will have the pre-game show at 6:45 live in Moose Country.
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