Once again it was an early morning start for the Flames on a weekend smack dab in the middle of a holiday week. The 2010 Flames and their hockey family headed for Canton, MA while it was still dark this morning. Only to find that they arrived before anyone had opened up the rink.
Once the rink was opened the Flames (missing 3 players) didn’t skate with any particular enthusiasm and fell to a very well structured Jr. Terriers team, 4-1. After the ride home and an hour to restart, the Flames were at West Side Arena to face Rochester. The game was scoreless after one period with both goaltenders playing well. Then Rochester hit for 3 goals in the second and led 3-1 after two periods. Manchester rallied in the third period to tie the game at 3-3, and the game would end in a tie.
Please check out the gallery of pictures from the afternoon game against Rochester. Click on the picture to open the gallery and again on the picture to enlarge if you wish. You may need to do the click and zoom to really get the effect of the pictures. Enjoy.
- Teddy grabs a loose puck beside the net and pulls it back to fire into the net.
- The referee points to the puck in the net and the Flames are within one goal.
- Drew gets a shot away that surprises the goalie.
- The puck gets through the five-hole for the Flames game-tying goal.
- The Flames start to celebrate while the goaltender (who played awesome!) can’t believe it.
- James: “This is my blue line. Get that out of here”.
- So close! Somehow this puck did not go in the net.
- Colby surveys his defensive zone.
- Kayden used every inch of his length to make this save.
- Austin gets a shot against Rochester.
- Kayden just gets his pad down in time to make the save against Rochester.
- Drew leads the way in the synchronized ice diving competition. This kid is a gold medal favorite every year.
- Rochester gets all 5 skaters back to defend. Meanwhile the tape on hockey sticks isn’t just black or white like the old days.
- Cool Kayden. At least he’s wearing the correct helmet. His name is on it.
- The Rochester goalie braces for impact as the puck heads for the team crest on his jersey.
- The Rochester player does a “Top Gun” inspired ‘skate-by’ as Kayden denies the request.
- Austin follows through on his backhand. The pose reminds me of an old photo I saw of Bobby Hull’s form. *see below
- The Rochester goaltender played really well. So well in fact that the Flames were seeing double.
- James: “I don’t always smile on the ice, but when I do, I didn’t mean to”.
- The Flames finally scored in the 2nd period when Kehoe went top shelf, up by the attic eaves where Grandpa hides the best Christmas gifts for Grandma.
- Then I turned and took a picture of Luke who was staring at me and yawning, or calling dogs with a high pitched scream because I couldn’t hear anything.
- The Rochester goalie shows a classic style in goaltending. **see below
- Despite all of the traffic Kayden shuts down the 5-hole for the save.
- The centering pass was picked off by the goaltender to deny this chance.
- With the puck on a Flames stick, way too many red laces, and a scoring chance, Gavin decides it’s a good time to bang out some sit-ups.
- This kid is getting better every week. Oh, and he works part-time as a hypnotist.
- The puck is up, up, and away. It reminded me of Tom Hanks playing tennis in Bachelor Party, and also to make sure my vehicle was locked outside.
- Coming this spring! A new product in your local sporting goods store (there used to be local sporting goods stores) called ‘Drew Shot’.
- See here kids, if you look closely you will see that this puck is not waxed.
- I am the Mighty Fin. And you are not.
- Drew and Teddy try to score while Finley slides safely into second base, stretching a single into a double.
- Drew updated his profile picture on LinkedIn.
- Teddy throws a centering pass to the crease just to see what would happen. The ghost of referee’s past looms in the background.
- Their coach admires the Jax wrist shot. The kid on the bench with #25 in tape roman numerals on his stick thinks, “I think I just saw a spider!”
- Garrett, just hangin out. Ready for anything.
- Looks good from here. So close. This would be turned away.
- A new after-school special premieres this spring. It’s called “Jimmy Logan”. A story of two active boys who have to spend a summer vacation with their arms tied to their waists.
- Jax fires a shot through an opening in the defense.
- The puck surprised the goaltender and got past him, but it clanked off of the post and out.
- Travis played the 3rd period. Here Colby helps push Travis over to make sure he has the near side post covered. Jax yells, “Clear!”.
- The Flames came back with a pair of third period goals and dominated play in the final frame, earning a tie against a very good Rochester team.
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