2010 Flames Hit The Road In The Commonwealth

Since most of the good folks from Massachusetts were up in New Hampshire looking at our leaves, the 2010 Flames hit the road for the first time in the 2020-2021 season. The team scored 6 goals and allowed 6 goals on the weekend, with a 1-1 record down in the Commonwealth.

On Saturday, the Flames hit the early morning, very foggy, roads for a date with the emblem of Ireland, aka the Shamrocks. The temperature was cool, and the misty skies did their best to veil the early autumn foliage, to no avail. The visitors warmed up in the parking lot, then changed into their uniforms, twice. That was before the log jam that was created at the entrance door with various paraphernalia on display to record, players and one of their parents’, temperatures. I heard one low temp of 94.1 which is technically below the 95 degree threshold of hypothermia, but I am not a doctor and the player was cleared to play. Fortunately, in an effort to save on expenses and probable theft, there were only 2 or 3 pens to share among the folks entering the rink all day, you know, to record the temperatures measured on the waivers we signed. I went straight to the hand sanitizer station and threw back a shot while rubbing some on my hands too.

Anyways, the game was awesome, I am pretty sure. I got kicked out of my photo taking spot at some point during the game as I was “too socially distanced” for anyone else’s comfort. I took pictures from the bleachers for the rest of the game. It was kind of like getting the perspective of a Chinook Salmon in a gillnet.

Watch closely, because sometimes the action is even faster than the camera.

Honestly though, the Flames played great team defense and probably allowed fewer than 10 shots on goal for the entire game. For some reason, the scoreboard was not operational, well except for displaying the time of day, but I am fairly certain that the Flames won, 4-0. It really was a great team effort with lots of hustle and determination to defend the entire ice surface.

On Sunday, the Flames hit the road again, and this time they nearly headed right into Cape Cod Bay, less than 10 miles from Plymouth Rock. They stopped just short of the Bay, at The Bog, in Kingston, Mass. Upon arrival, we got out of the vehicle, to a very warm, humid afternoon. The temperature was 83 degrees and very humid. It was actually hotter than Hades. Hades, Indonesia, that is; it was only 77 degrees there today. Due to varying degrees of traffic coming some 95 miles south, from New Hampshire to the other side of Boston, the team arrived at different times, unlike the Mayflower. Eventually, the group got together, entered the rink, and were ready to play.

: I broke out the old 2010 Flames drone for a few shots at The Bog.

: I yelled down to the ice so that the kids would pass to Jax back at the point, and they did.

: Fortunately, Jax obliged while the drone was in the air and fired this shot for me. (Thanks)

The Flames did not play their best game, falling to a 6-2 defeat, but that wasn’t the whole story. For one thing, the Breakers are a good team and they make it as difficult as possible to get any sustained offense going against them. On the other hand, one of the things I enjoy about kids in general, and certainly our kids, is that they just keep putting out effort. Frankly, it’s contagious. The Flames had cut the lead to 4-2 late in the game before they were completely out of gas and gave up 2 uncontended (more or less) goals at the end of the game. After a 2-hour ride, and getting dressed out in the parking lot on a hot, humid day, the Flames put forth a better effort as the game went along. They continue to learn, and to grow. That’s a good thing.

Maybe it’s just good fortune, but I sure am glad that I was born in a country that has a flag I love so much. Or maybe it would be that way no matter what.

Oh, and by the way, something that has been echoing around in the great wide open space between my ears for a few weeks now, has to do with, well I am not sure what exactly. Let’s just say a kid shows up to a game and knows everything about an opponent’s record, who they’ve played, their scores, the standings and some choice opinions about them as well. I hear it every week somewhere, at some level. I am guessing that is not being generated by a 10-year old kid. Plus, who really cares? Kids should be kids; uninhibited, innocent, creative, pure, energetic, nervous, ever-learning (on their own), inquisitive, and able to make friends with other kids in an instant (something we adults teach them not to do over time, because we’re so smart). Call it motivation if you want, so that your kid will somehow decide to put forth a better effort thanks to your perceptive scouting abilities of youth sports. Sounds like a Vince Lombardi inspired speech for sure. Please. How about this for an idea, tell the kids how proud of them you are, week in and week out. Build their confidence and self-esteem. Tell them how good they are, not how good everyone else is. And remember that almost all of them are playing a sport with more time commitment and pursuing it far more seriously than any of us ever did at the same age. That’s a battle that we have dumped on them, because we adults, we are so smart. Let the kids be kids. They will get it. They always do. Their timeline is exactly that; theirs.

Next month, I mean, next week the Flames travel to Ristuccia again on Saturday, bring your own pen. Then Sunday they play a home game at West Side Arena against the capital of NH.

To be honest, I did have a few captions in my mind when I was going through the pictures from the weekend. Then, after whittling some 200+ pictures down to a few dozen over a span of six hours or so, I gave up on my captions. Either way, please, enjoy the pictures. Click on the galleries and then zoom in on individual pictures if you so choose. Thank you for your time.