2010 Flames Tear Into The Terriers Twice

The 2010 Flames had a pair of weekend dates with the Boston Jr. Terriers, which meant an afternoon game on Saturday, and then a Sunday morning game, both in Rockland, MA. They played the games at Mark Bavis Arena. The first game was not pretty but the Flames came alive in the final period scoring 3 goals in two minutes, and getting a 5-0 win to begin the weekend.

On Sunday morning, after a good night’s sleep, the Flames came out and set the tone from the opening face-off. The 2010’s held the puck in the offensive zone for nearly the first three and a half minutes of the game. Their high energy and solid effort was apparent from start to finish, as they skated to an impressive 6-2 win.

I will get to the scoring and some detail but before I do, I wanted to share something that I think is worth knowing, or remembering. I am older than many, and I remember the player that the arena in Rockland is named after. Being a lifelong UMaine hockey fan, I recall those BU teams, and the rivalries throughout Hockey East. I remember Garnet “Ace” Bailey, a first round pick that played for the Bruins among other teams. Bailey and Bavis were in Manchester, NH to see the Monarchs (Kings affiliate) and flew out of Boston, headed back to LA. That was on 9/11/01. At the National September 11 Memorial, Bailey and Bavis are memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-3. On October 14, 2012 the LA Kings brought the Stanley Cup to the Memorial and placed it on panels featuring Bailey and Bavis’ names, so that the families of Bailey and Bavis could have “their day with the Stanley Cup”…

 

 

I share the following from the Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation page.

On September 11, 2001 Mark Bavis lost his life aboard United Airlines flight 175 which struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. His loss was a devastating blow to the National Hockey League and all who knew and Loved him. The Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation was born out of Marks devotion to young men and women who are willing to work hard in their pursuit of success. Mark devoted much of his life to the development of young men and women, encouraging them to follow their dreams. He coached them in hockey, a game he loved, but more importantly, he was a role model, mentor and friend to them all. It is our hope that this Foundation will make a positive impact on its recipients and that they in turn will make an impact on the future of this country. That will be Mark’s continued and lasting legacy…

…Mark’s love for hockey came not long after he began walking. He laced up his first pair of skates at the age of 4. in the Hyde Park rink where he and twin brother Mike were pushing chairs at the learn-to-skate class. Later in quick succession he played for the Mites, Squirts, Pee Wee’s and the Bantam’s. Most days Mark and Mike spent their time at the end of the driveway practicing shots into a regulation hockey net. One their Dad had taken from a local rink so his beloved twins could shoot pucks for hours at a time.

As the years past, Marks talents were blossoming. By the time he joined his high school hockey team at Catholic Memorial, it was obvious to many that he was destined for a bright hockey career. His twin brother Mike, also prospered while at Catholic Memorial and together they helped CM win three state championships in the late 1980’s. During his senior year, Mark was named a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic. It was the crowing achievement for a school boy hockey star. After a postgraduate year at Cushing Academy, where he was a New England Prep all-star, Mark embarked on a successful career at Boston University.

In four season at BU, from 1989-1993, Mark tallied 34 goals and 51 assists for 85 points and twice received the Bennet McInnis Award for Team Spirit, sharing the honor each time with his brother, Mike. The Terriers advanced to the NCAA Tournament all four year, reaching the semi-finals on three occasions, and played in the 1991 NCAA Championship game. The Squad also won three Beanpot titles and one Hockey East Championship.

A ninth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, Mark played three years in the American Hockey League – Binghamton, Frederick, and Providence – then two seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays of the East Coast Hockey League, the first of which was memorable because Mark and Mike were together again, team mates for the last time. They knew their playing days were nearing and end, but they were never going to leave the game.

Playing the game was something Mark always enjoyed, but his interest later shifted in a different direction toward something even more rewarding…coaching. His hard work paid off and he landed his first assistant coaching position at Brown University. The following year he joined the storied Harvard University hockey program as assistant coach. Mark was thrilled; “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to be at one of the best institutions for academics and hockey in this country.”

After a few years at Harvard, his coaching skills caught the eye of another pro team, the Chicago Freeze. He commanded the Freeze bench for two years until a big break came in 2000 when the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings brought him in as an assistant scout under director of pro scouting and former Boston Bruins hockey legend  Garnet “Ace” Bailey.

Mark was not only a great player but a great judge of hockey talent. While scouting for the Kings, he was instrumental in helping the team taking a talented center from Ohio State, Dave Steckel, in the first round of the 2001 NHL Draft.

Mark made many on ice assists during his hockey career, but it was those off the ice the he found equally rewarding. During the 1980’s and 90’s. Mark became a mentor to a great many youngsters who were just starting out in youth hockey. Mark was extensively involved in the Massachusetts USA Satellite Program, working as a coach for five years before being named program director. Mark also had a ten year commitment to be an instructor at the International Hockey Academy. In 2001, Mark opened his own hockey summer camp located in Canton, Massachusetts to help children excel both on and off the ice. Mark was always available to help a youngster with a problem, and at the same time assist them with their performance both athletically and academically.

Mark Bavis left behind the memory of unyielding character and devoted friendship, of brotherly love and athletic passion, of strong family values and unshakable faith.

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So, even though the old arena is in rough shape, the games started really late, and the ice wasn’t the best, along with all the things we sit back and pick at, the name and the memory are far more important.

Back to Saturday afternoon, the Flames really started skating as a team in the final period, and coincidentally, they scored a host of goals. Five goals to be exact. It started with a great possession leading to a tip from McCain, a shot from Casimiro, and a tap in for Soucy. Then Panitz scored from the left point area after picking off a clearing attempt. Beal tipped/blocked a shot that went to Casimiro who through a pass to open ice where Soucy ran it down. Soucy and Beal both went to the net and Soucy slid a backhand shot under the goalie’s pad. I had the shot clocked at 9 mph with my smart phone drone radar. Desruisseaux shot once and then put his own rebound in the net after Warren had put a puck through the corner to Powers. Power ripped a shot/pass toward the crease to Desruisseaux and then he scored on his rebound. These four goals were scored in under 7 minutes and the Flames were well on their way to a win on Saturday afternoon. The 2010 Flames capped off their five goal period with a goal from Warren on a beautiful hockey play. McCain pinched in and moved the puck low to Desruisseaux who fed a pass out to the slot where Warren grabbed the puck and fired it into the net. Panitz had a shot hit the crossbar in the final minutes but it didn’t count for anything, and the Flames won, 5-0.

 

Some of us went home, some of us went to a nearby hotel, but either way, it seemed like the 2010 Flames players got a good night’s rest. On Sunday morning, the Flames were up and ready to play. They jumped all over the Terriers, which started with the Flames possessing the puck in the offensive end of the ice for what seemed like the first three or four minutes of the game. The Flames scored first when Soucy buried a shot after a pass at center ice from Casimiro. Beal, Soucy, and Casimiro had been pressuring on the forecheck and got the turnover that led to the goal. That would be it for scoring in the first period even though the Flames dominated the play. Flames led, 1-0 after one.

The 2010 Flames got their next goal in the second period after Powers took a hard shot from the right wing boards and the rebound came to Warren on the end boards. Warren got the puck back to Powers who fired again, and found the net. The Flames kept the pressure on, stormed the net, and Beal retrieved a puck in the corner and passed to Dunn at the left point who fired a shot past the goalie for a 3-0 lead. The Terriers got on the board with a nice 2-on-1 pass play that beat the Flames down the ice and left a player wide open for a shot at the net, 3-1. In the final minute of the second period, the Flames found the net again and ended up taking a 4-1 lead to the third period. Beal tied up a player in the defensive end to get the puck to Soucy who broke out of the zone and skated up the left wing. Soucy fed a pass across the crease to Casimiro who put the puck into the back of net.

In the final period, the Flames just kept firing on all cylinders. A few minutes in, Desruisseaux and Warren executed a nice 2-on-1 break that led to a point blank shot that was blocked by a defenseman. Desruisseaux pounced on the puck in the crease and got it back to Powers out high. Powers fired a shot hard and high that beat the glove and found the net. The Terriers answered with a goal of their own after a pile up in the crease and the puck was pushed into the net. Desruisseaux scored the final goal of the game on a rebound of a McGee shot, when he banked the puck off the back of the goalie. The Flames won it, 6-2.

 

 

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Team scoring: Saturday afternoon.

Terriers: 0-0-0 = 0

Flames: 0-0-5 = 5

Flames scoring: Soucy from Casimiro and McCain, Panitz unassisted, Soucy from Casimiro and Beal, Desruisseaux from Powers and Warren, Warren from Desruisseaux and McCain.

Travis Ingalls and Will Rosenbeck combined to lead the Flames to another shutout victory. They didn’t see a whole lot of action but they were sharp. The first two periods were not exactly a clinic in how to play hockey, but at some point it’s just about shots and saves. These two did their jobs.

 

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Team scoring: Sunday morning.

Terriers: 0-1-1 = 2

Flames: 1-3-2 = 6

Flames scoring: Soucy from Casimiro, Powers from Warren, Dunn from Beal, Casimiro from Soucy and Beal, Powers from Desruisseaux and Warren, and Desruisseaux from McGee.

Travis Ingalls (0 goals allowed) and Will Rosenbeck (2 goals allowed) backed an aggressive offensive onslaught from the Flames. Sometimes the aggression led to defensive breakdowns that the Flames would pay for by allowing their goalies’ to fend for themselves. Even so, the Flames goaltenders shut almost everything down and earned the win.