Great interview Blake--very comforting and looking forward to Monday! Go Komets!
Alan
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 12:38pm
I'm not sure how to describe what I saw last night.
Hockey players and hockey fans are a pretty superstitious bunch. Here's a small list of crap that happened last night.
1) You can't hit that many posts/crossbars and miss a perfectly set up breakaway (Auger) without the "hockey gods" being angry and involved.
2) There was a "super" full moon out last evening.
3) Too many people thought this game was automatic. See broom sales. Bad form and inviting disaster.
4) This is hard to comprehend, but this whole year, the Komets have dissappointed when the place was packed.
The game itself was tainted by the Komets falling back into their habit of taking way too many penalties. Rizk, Maggio, Henley and Chaumont in the first 10-11 minutes of the first period.
I don't think Boucher played a strong game at all. The goals by Davis and Beauregard should have been stopped. Before anybody gets real defensive, those are the kinds of saves that MVP's make. One from the right circle and one from the left circle. Gosh!!
...and as I left the building, I overheard some fans agreeing that the Komets lost this game on purpose so the Franke's could get another huge gate. I actually heard them use the word "choreographed" to describe the Komets and the action on the ice. As I was chuckling, I thought to myself how anyone so stupid could use a word that long and in the correct context.
Is it any wonder why bloggers on other blog sites use the term "the dark side" when referring to Fort Wayne and their fans??
Give Wichita credit. They came to play. They gave up a penalty shot score 19 seconds into the game and didn't fold. They played harder.
That's what I saw last night. Can you imagine that?
Alan
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 12:54pm
One more thing that I forgot. What in the heck happened to that "lucky chip"??
Blake Sebring
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 12:55pm
Alan, BEST. POST. OF. Y OUR. LIFE! Amen to all of it.
Blake Sebring
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 1:13pm
Lucky chip is fine. I really only comes into play when they are facing elimination.
Komets39
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 1:38pm
Great post Alan, very well said!!!!
GO KOMETS GO!!!!
Brett
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 2:01pm
Alan...great analogy/observation.
First, if the Franke's wanted another home game, getting Frankie to drill one off the post from 3 feet out and get the angle right so it deflects OUTSIDE the goal was pure genious!
The Komets also spent much more time scrambling in their own end, unable to get the puck out of their own zone. They kept shots down, but couldn't seem to break out of their own end like they did Thursday nght.
Whether it's a line match-up or something else, it seems Wichita is getting more scoring chances and putting more pressure on the D when the Smith-Thomas-Chaumont line is on the ice.
Also, as you said, not a good night for Boucher. He was average last night, and "average" is way below the bar he has set for himself, and what the fans are accustomed to seeing from him. We are also used to him being his best after poor (or average) games...I expect we'll see that Monday.
Blake, you talked about nerves...and the resulting nervous energy. Chaulk has talked about using that to their advantage. I know if I get overly excited or nervous, I do things like spill coffee, drop my keys/pen/etc., and these are very simple everyday tasks. Trouble handling the puck under pressure, shots a little off target, rushing a pass...are all things that could be attributed to mistakes caused by that nervous energy.
Now the "pressure" is really on, and it seems that is when they have always played their best.
We'll see tomorrow.
hurstt
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 3:05pm
The Komets played great last night except for their backstop. Bouch was definitely off. I wouldn't even say he was average. He had a save percentage of 80% on 21 shots. It looked like after two of their goals, the ones who scored were in disbelief that they scored on those shots. If we play the same and Bouch is the normal Bouch we got it.
Comments
Great interview Blake--very comforting and looking forward to Monday! Go Komets!
I'm not sure how to describe what I saw last night.
Hockey players and hockey fans are a pretty superstitious bunch. Here's a small list of crap that happened last night.
1) You can't hit that many posts/crossbars and miss a perfectly set up breakaway (Auger) without the "hockey gods" being angry and involved.
2) There was a "super" full moon out last evening.
3) Too many people thought this game was automatic. See broom sales. Bad form and inviting disaster.
4) This is hard to comprehend, but this whole year, the Komets have dissappointed when the place was packed.
The game itself was tainted by the Komets falling back into their habit of taking way too many penalties. Rizk, Maggio, Henley and Chaumont in the first 10-11 minutes of the first period.
I don't think Boucher played a strong game at all. The goals by Davis and Beauregard should have been stopped. Before anybody gets real defensive, those are the kinds of saves that MVP's make. One from the right circle and one from the left circle. Gosh!!
...and as I left the building, I overheard some fans agreeing that the Komets lost this game on purpose so the Franke's could get another huge gate. I actually heard them use the word "choreographed" to describe the Komets and the action on the ice. As I was chuckling, I thought to myself how anyone so stupid could use a word that long and in the correct context.
Is it any wonder why bloggers on other blog sites use the term "the dark side" when referring to Fort Wayne and their fans??
Give Wichita credit. They came to play. They gave up a penalty shot score 19 seconds into the game and didn't fold. They played harder.
That's what I saw last night. Can you imagine that?
One more thing that I forgot. What in the heck happened to that "lucky chip"??
Alan, BEST. POST. OF. Y OUR. LIFE! Amen to all of it.
Lucky chip is fine. I really only comes into play when they are facing elimination.
Great post Alan, very well said!!!!
GO KOMETS GO!!!!
Alan...great analogy/observation.
First, if the Franke's wanted another home game, getting Frankie to drill one off the post from 3 feet out and get the angle right so it deflects OUTSIDE the goal was pure genious!
The Komets also spent much more time scrambling in their own end, unable to get the puck out of their own zone. They kept shots down, but couldn't seem to break out of their own end like they did Thursday nght.
Whether it's a line match-up or something else, it seems Wichita is getting more scoring chances and putting more pressure on the D when the Smith-Thomas-Chaumont line is on the ice.
Also, as you said, not a good night for Boucher. He was average last night, and "average" is way below the bar he has set for himself, and what the fans are accustomed to seeing from him. We are also used to him being his best after poor (or average) games...I expect we'll see that Monday.
Blake, you talked about nerves...and the resulting nervous energy. Chaulk has talked about using that to their advantage. I know if I get overly excited or nervous, I do things like spill coffee, drop my keys/pen/etc., and these are very simple everyday tasks. Trouble handling the puck under pressure, shots a little off target, rushing a pass...are all things that could be attributed to mistakes caused by that nervous energy.
Now the "pressure" is really on, and it seems that is when they have always played their best.
We'll see tomorrow.
The Komets played great last night except for their backstop. Bouch was definitely off. I wouldn't even say he was average. He had a save percentage of 80% on 21 shots. It looked like after two of their goals, the ones who scored were in disbelief that they scored on those shots. If we play the same and Bouch is the normal Bouch we got it.
Komets win 4-1 tomorrow.