2010 Flames: Two Days, Two Games, Two Wins, Two Weeks Left

It was a quiet weekend for the 2010 Flames, they only played two games. They won both by beating the Crimson West team, 8-2 on Saturday at home and then beating a very tough Shamrocks team, 2-1 on the road.

It’s midweek and this past weekend’s summary has been hanging over me like a bit of a cloud. With only two games on the weekend and a high school game from Friday night, I thought I would have this done by now. Yet, my full attention has been pulled in a different direction for the last few weeks, especially this last week.

As for the weekend games, the 2010 Flames played pretty well. They dispatched of the Crimson West team, breaking open a 3-2 game, with five unanswered goals to win, 8-2 on Saturday. Cam Desruisseaux scored from Andy Soucy and Jacob Casimiro to get the Flames on the board in the opening minute. The Flames had a long 5-on-3 power play but didn’t score. Once the penalties were over, Alex Panitz took his sixth shot (give or take) in the last two minutes and it rebounded off of the goalie, right to Sean McGee who put the puck in the net. Desruisseaux struck again, with a redirected shot from Casimiro to give the Flames a 3-0 lead.

In the second period, the Crimson got a quick goal on a wrap around play when two Flames skaters were taken out of the play, both falling behind their own net. On the very next shift, a bad defensive pinch led to a 2-on-1 break and another Crimson goal. All of the sudden, the lead was, 3-2. A few minutes later the Flames started to right the ship, when Casimiro scored on a rebound of a Desruisseaux shot that was set up by Brayden Gillies, 4-2. The lead jumped to 5-2 when Gavin Petrie scored from Jordan Hawkes and Logan McCain on a nice pass play. Only a few seconds later, Jacob Casimiro picked off the puck at center ice, took a hard left turn using sensational edge control and reversed his direction into the offensive zone. He pushed the pace with Soucy skating up the middle. “Cool as Cas” held the puck like it was a shot coming from the right-wing and then dished to Soucy in the middle for an awesome Flames goal, 6-2. The Flames would take that lead to the final period.

In the third period, the Flames scored two more goals. The first one was a goal from Soucy racing up the left wing after Alex Panitz lost/passed the puck to Soucy at center ice, 7-2. The final goal came on the power play when Cam Desruisseaux poked in a rebound from Soucy and McCain. The Flames won, 8-2.

Bright and early on Sunday morning, the 2010 Flames found themselves in Wilmington, Ma. for an 8am game with the Shamrocks. These two teams had played to a 3-3 tie just a week earlier, so we knew that this would be a tight game. The 2010 Flames got on the board first, when Cam Desruisseaux tipped a shot from Finley Dunn at the left point, and the puck slid inside the nearside post. It was 1-0 Flames and they would take that lead to the second period.

In the second period, the Flames scored again when Teddy Beal tipped a pass back to Dunn at the left point and she let a nice hard shot fly. The puck found the net and the Flames led, 2-0. The Shamrocks answered almost immediately with a power play goal when their shot hit the post but caromed into the net. The home team raised their play and were winning pucks all over the ice. This caused the Flames to take a pair of penalties, but they were able to kill them both. The Flames held the lead into the final period.

In the final period, the Flames eventually got their legs going again. The Shamrocks took a pair of penalties which cut into their comeback bid, but it was a result of the Flames upping their game. In the end, the Flames held on for a solid road win, 2-1.

I did not take any pictures this weekend for a few reasons. But mostly I just wanted to watch the kids play without a lens in front of me or something to carry in my hands. So, I have downloaded a few pictures from the previous Shamrocks game when Jen Webber was gracious enough to photograph our team at JFK. I know several of you have probably seen these already, but that’s okay.

 

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With a lot of hours behind the wheel this week, on top of everything else, I got to thinking about these 11-year old kids and their past several weeks. There were weekends with snow and ice storms, weekends with 3, 4, or 5 games, weekends with lots of miles to road games, as well as a lot of fatigue and sickness around this team.

I think back to a much simpler time when I was 11 years old. I probably could have kept up with a team and schedule like this but I guarantee I wouldn’t have wanted to. I loved playing every sport I could as often as I could, but thankfully, in my family world, ‘often as I could’ wasn’t like it is today, at least until I was at least 14 or 15 years old. I cherished my down time, when I could just play on my own. I could stand on the hill in the back yard and dream. I could visualize myself in every sports scenario even before I would have known to call it that. I think they referred to me as a daydreamer in school because I was constantly visualizing my windup on the mound or my swing, my lethally accurate wrist-shot, or my jump-shot, or any other sports movements that I wanted to improve. I did this kind of stuff all the time.

I still love my down time, when I can debrief, unwind, and dream. When I slow down, mentally especially, it’s remarkable how much more creative I feel. I observe nearly everything much more effectively. I get to rest some and it doesn’t take very long before I feel rejuvenated. Then I fall in love with the game all over again.

I cannot imagine being a kid in this day and age, especially the last two years. I am not going to get into all the ups, downs, pros, cons, etc. I will just say this; if we feel that we are truly and fully in tune with our kids’ influences and mindsets, I would argue that we don’t know the half of it. The commentary alone that they hear on a day to day basis from people and devices that never seem to stop chattering, would be enough to send me to my childhood bedroom closet just to catch some peace and quiet. There should be no hurry to rush a child into adulthood with all the distractions, the non-stop schedule, and constant stimulus.

Over the last few weeks the team has struggled on the ice against opponents. The coaches have worked the players harder in practice. They have also let off of the reigns at times too, for recovery and health. I don’t think any one of these things is the problem, or even ‘a’ problem. I point it out because they are real things. This team, the coaches, the families have all lived through these things recently.

So I will share my thoughts and observations of all this as it relates to this team. I hope that through this exercise I will feel better about all of this, haha. Seriously, I would hope everyone around the team would feel great, refreshed, and ready to tackle the youth hockey world.

The 2010 Flames have struggled on the ice against opponents in the last few weeks, if we measure them strictly by the results. Focus on the result without the focus on the process is a mistake in my book. But I would also argue that even though many of the scores didn’t go our way, I hardly call that a complete assessment of the effort. The Flames are playing teams for a second or third time, over a season that started with games back in September. Guess what? These teams are getting better, just like the Flames are. The team lost 7-1 to Plymouth at their place. But they were better for having played them. One week later, at their place, the Flames tied them, 1-1.

This season has been a tremendous season in the won and lost columns. Better than I think any of us would have predicted for sure. Practices may have lost some ‘oomph’ in the last several weeks, but even professional teams go through the ‘dog days’ or the drudgery of a long season, and these kids are 11 years old growing up in a world that can be downright scary on its’ best day. I would agree with the coach approach that some players have been lazy, or at least lethargic, going through the motions. Maybe a lot of results (scores and wins) have left some feeling like they are content with the work load where it is. Then again, kids have been sick, kids have missed school, and kids have stepped up workouts and practices in other sports as well. There are a lot of things going on from one week to the next. Even the calm sea doesn’t reveal all of the ferocious activity happening under the surface. Just perspective.

I think working the kids harder, with more focus in practice recently could serve them well as the level of play they see these next few weeks will be nothing short of the best they’ve seen all season. They are improving the process, and hopefully that will take care of the desired result. Teamwork is critical and that includes during practice time where the bonds of team should strengthen like hardened steel. Respect for teammates on and off the ice is also imperative. Not respecting your teammates at all times is like making a sweet breakout pass to one of them and then hoping that they don’t score. It’s a contradiction. It’s not right. You don’t have to like each other, but you sure better respect the fact each of you were selected to the team. Period. Teammates, on the ice, off the ice.

Stress levels increase this time of the year as tryouts near. I think our coaches and the organization have done a pretty amazing job at minimizing this worry, especially over the last two seasons. Yes, there will always be some uncertainty. However, I think that if team’s and players individually are doing things right week after week, doing them at full effort, and working together as a team, then the results will take care of themselves. And it’s not really a defeat to get tripped up on if you gave all that you had to give. What else can you give if you have given your very best.

I look forward to the next few weeks with this 2010 Flames team. They are a good team, full of different pieces that together make each one better. They can raise their game and play with anyone in their league. They will have to be at their best to make a postseason run, but it’s supposed to be that way. Not only do we have a good team here, we have excellent coaches who develop players and support them. Then, the families we get to spend time with this season are amazing. We are fortunate again this year. If we count our blessings more than we count wins and losses, that would have to be a memorable season for the ages.

 

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