Written by Today was one of those days. A day when one team shows up ready to play, and the other one shows up flat. The Pee Wee Major Flames came ready to play, played well, and didn’t let up. The final score was 9-0 in favor of the home team. Several weeks ago the Flames beat the NE Stars 7-3 but the game was tied until late in the second period before the Flames put some comfort in their lead. Today they jumped out to an early lead and kept skating, passing, and defending en route to the lopsided victory. There were several offensive stars with multiple points in this one. Zachary Bayer scored 4 goals. Sam Hebert had a goal and 4 assists. Jackson Puzzo scored a goal and added 2 assists. Sebastian Beal scored a goal and dished out 3 assists. Patrick Goren had 3 assists while Wil Hebert added two assists as well. Now; to the action:
1st Period: The Flames out shot their opponent 9-2 in the opening period and, had several early shot attempts not whistled just wide, there could have been a lot more. With as many assists as were given, there were several plays that could have been three or even four assist plays, where the puck moved from one Flame to another before finding rest against the twine. Sam Hebert started the scoring with a goal after a Jackson Puzzo shot that had been set up by Ashlie Killen. Then Sebastian Beal worked the puck up and out of the defensive end to Zachary Bayer who went in and scored. Then it was Sean Moore’s turn on a rebounded shot initiated by Sam Hebert. After one period it was 3-0 Flames. It seemed like everyone was getting into the offensive flow, with Ryan Douthart and Christian Levesque also getting chances in the offensive end.
2nd Period: Period number two; usually the weaker of the periods for the Flames. Not today. Today they came out and blew the doors off the opponent’s vehicle, scoring four more times while out shooting the Stars 18-4 in the period. Puzzo and Bayer each scored a power play goal with assists going to each of the Hebert boys, Beal, and Puzzo. Then Zach scored his second and third goals of the period (3 consecutive goals over a span of 8:32, a natural hat trick), with assists going to the Hebert boys, Beal, and Patrick Goren. Flames goaltender left his half of the game in the second period stopping all three shots he faced in 22:33 of ice time.
3rd Period: The third period started with the Flames leading 7-0 and out shooting their opponents 27-6, and then it got even worse for the Stars. The Flames added two more goals and dominated the ice with a 15-1 advantage in shots on goal despite moving defensemen to offense and vice versa. The Flames first goal of the period came when Sebastian Beal, who had been left wide open in the slot, took a very nice pass from Brendan Courtney out of the corner, who had been fed down low by Goren, roofed a shot just inside the post and under the crossbar. Then Kyle O’Flaherty scored his second goal of the season, a power play goal that could have had four or five assists on it. Kyle put home a rebound after Sam Hebert had been set up with a shot by Patrick Goren and every other Flame on the ice. The last five minutes of the game saw 8 penalties called between the two teams, but it was all done but the crying and the posting of the bagel on the board. Keenan Alnahas finished his half of the game with 22:27 of time on ice, and stopped all four shots he faced. The goal-tending tandem of Lindberg and Alnahas combined for their 3rd shutout of the season in the win. Finally tally of shots, 42-7 for the Flames.
On Tap:
Sunday: Flames @ Hanover 12:40pm at Campion Ice Skating Rink (Granite State League)
Sunday: Happy Birthday to Coach Phil, my long lost twin, sort of.
Tuesday: Merry Christmas to all.