Breaking news: Tom scores 2 goals!

Sorry, I couldn't help it. Actually this is not big news and it's not even hot off the presses. But as a slow, stay-at-home defenseman, it is rare that I score goals. So I wanted to trumpet the fact that I do sometimes score. And this time I have video proof!

While traveling for business in Charleston I found a local ice rink that has a pick-up game on Thursday nights. It is a group with widely varying skill levels, and they call it a Developmental Game. Some of the guys (and girls) play in leagues but I don't think everyone does. It's a mixed group so it wouldn't be right for me to try to dominate the game, so I admit that I took it easy a little bit. Nevertheless, I was surprised how slow we looked on film. Like many other things, it seems faster when you're doing it!

Videos of the Thursday, April 14, 2011 Development Game in North Charleston, SC, posted by primarischaos are linked below. I've added some commentary along the way. Period 3 was not yet available at the time I did this blog post.


DGN 4-14-11 Period 1, Part 1
First some background. The organizer remembered me and set the teams accordingly (put me on the weaker team). He said that he needed me to score some goals. I said I'm more of a passer and defender. He said don't worry about that, just score.

So I go out there to start the game. Puck bounces back and forth a bit. I step up to grab a loose puck. Cross the blue line, skate laterally to avoid the defensemen. They get tangled and I get around them. Fake out the goalie and score, nice move going to my right and shoot on my backhand. 30 seconds into the game. So much for not being a scorer. :)

Seriously, though, my game is about playing defense and making nice breakout passes, like at 6:55 and at 13:10.

I did have a nice rush at 12:20 of this segment, too. Not a great result but notice that I again tried to cross in front of the net, left to right, on my backhand. This will be important later.


DGN 4-14-11 Period 1 - Part 2

Not much to comment on in this segment.


DGN 4-14-11 Period 2 - Part 1

Got my second goal in this segment, starting around 2:20. Usually I try to fake out the goalie, string him out, go wide, then shoot late. In this case I came in almost directly from the side of the net, horrible angle. I went to skate directly across the front of the net. Goalie saw that that was my plan (I had already done that twice in the game so he must have remembered that). At the last minute I saw that he was cheating towards the middle. So I cut back and put the puck in the short side, where I should have had no chance. Always pays to keep your eyes open!

I created a little chance around 7:25 of this segment. Nice breakout pass around 7:45.

The play at 9:10 is one of my favorites, though. Nothing special, but I read the play very well, snuck well into the offensive zone, grabbed the loose puck, and almost got a cheap back-door goal. No athletic skill involved, but it helps to be in the right place at the right time--and to be smart enough to know when and where that is!


DGN 4-14-11 Period 2 - Part 2

Not sure what happened at 3:40 of this video. I defended against one of their better players, and he fell awkwardly. I have no idea how. I watched the video a number of times and it looked like he's grabbing his arm or wrist. I didn't get my stick up so I'm not sure why it looks like he's hurt there, nor do I understand how he fell because we didn't get tangled up in any way. I wonder if I tried to lift his stick and hit his arm instead.

I think the pass I made at 9:00 of this segment was one of my favorite plays of the game. I like making passes in tight quarters (between the defender's stick and skate in this case) and setting up teammates. Unfortunately in this case my teammate was not ready for the pass, he was surprised I was able to get the puck to him like that.


DGN 4-14-11 Period 2 - Part 3

Not much to comment on in this short segment.


Near the end of the game I shot a puck wide, intended as a pass to a teammate near the back corner of the net. Not sure what happened, but the puck bounced off of someone and went in. Maybe a 3rd goal for me if it bounced off of a defensive player, maybe it would have been credited to someone else if it bounced off of a teammate. Doesn't matter, it was the winning goal, as we (the team I was on) won 7-6.