2010 Flames: GSL Tourney 2022

When we focus solely on the end game, the result, the scoreboard, we tend to lose sight of the things that are most important. The things that are necessary to get the desired result in the first place. We forget to put things in the proper order. It’s hard to get this process correct sometimes, but it’s critical to remember that taking the next right step, over and over again might well be more important than the end game anyways.

The 2010 Flames opened the GSL (Granite State League) Tournament on Friday night up in Wolfeboro, NH. They played the Upper Valley Storm, and dropped a 1-0 decision, with the only goal coming a beautiful one-timer on the power play. The tenor of playoff hockey hit everyone head on when we arrived at the rink to find that #1 seed, undefeated, Plymouth was behind in their opening game. That game would end up in a tie, but the sense that playoff hockey was a different animal was evident.

The Flames played a pair of morning Fed tournament games down in Manchester on Saturday morning before returning to Wolfeboro for their third game of the day, and second game of the GSL Tournament. I watched the video of their game against Berlin again the other day and was pleasantly reminded how well the 2010 Flames played in the early parts of the game. But Berlin’s pair of excellent skaters, and the tiring legs of the young Flames all caught up with the 2010 Flames before this game ended. The Flames scored first, and led, 1-0 after the opening period. Logan McCain pushed the puck through the corner after a defensive zone face-off win. Cam Desruisseaux grabbed the puck on the half wall and made a short pass up to Andy Soucy who threw the puck to open ice. Jacob Casimiro pulled in the puck while gathering speed through center ice, and raced in for a nice, patiently executed, breakaway goal.

The Flames allowed three goals in the final 4 minutes of the second period. Then allowed three more in the final period, en route to a 6-1 loss. Travis Ingalls and Will Rosenbeck played a lot better than the score indicated. Ingalls didn’t allow a goal in the first half of the game. Rosenbeck allowed one or two goals that he probable would like a ‘do over’ on, but the onslaught was not a reflection on goaltending. The Flames were exhausted. They scored exactly one goal in two full games up in Wolfeboro, which won’t get you many wins.

To anyone who has been watching all season, it’s impossible not to notice how much this Flames’ team has improved over the course of the season. Other teams have also improved. Teams have learned their opponents, and also learned the best ways to attack them in a game plan. It’s a chance to learn. It’s a chance to improve. These experiences aren’t to be thrown to the past as unimportant. It’s worth remembering those feelings of exhaustion, the frustration of futile attempts at one end of the ice or another, and also the joys, the triumphs, the improvements, and the preciousness of kids having the latitude to be kids. Oh the joy! Stick with it, each of you. Working hard can look an awful lot like a boatload of fun if you just enjoy playing a kids game.

I look forward to the future, to their future.

A couple of things. One, feel free to subscribe to this page so that you don’t have to count on social media, or the chance of me forgetting to post stuff somewhere else. Two, click on the pictures, enlarge them and look around. Three, it is ALWAYS about the kids, and if you read lessons being taught or relayed through these posts, then good, we can learn a lot from kids. Four, we were all once kids and if you didn’t like your childhood, I’m sorry. I loved mine and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Plus, there’s still a chance of you experiencing childhood joys so don’t mess it up for anyone else.

: Looking through a window cut out of a window in a space above a maintenance room.

: Opening face-off of the GSL Tourney for the 2010 Flames.

: Virtually every shot was contested, and none of them went in.

: Outskating structure is hard to do when it’s tourney time.

: This Flames team might not play their best game every night, but they certainly do try.

: Beauty is often found in the innocence of children, and these kids are in it for each other, and it’s a wonder to watch.

: What we see here is hockey played in front of a guy passionately playing, “Simon Says”.

: “Speedy” McGee had some open ice, at least for a few seconds.

: The beauty of sport, line up and play your opponent, face to face.

: Soucy is on the rush. Remarkably, this break didn’t result in a shot on goal.

: Gavin “Pear Tree” Petrie gets a shot off against Berlin.

: Caleb’s shot was blocked and redirected which was a theme all game long.

: Berlin, step to the right. Flames, step to the left. Then, stay on your own side.

: Travis helps himself with a poke check, otherwise the backdoor was wide open.

: Someday, these little bench gatherings will come to an end, and I will wish there was another one to critique.

: Tip your cap. Add it to experiences you’ve learned from. Be better for it.

This section is brought to you by Mr. Joy.

Mr. Joy brings you a fine line of products that bring joy to your daily life.

(The joy comes after use of the product ends)

: Some times, more than others, I am thankful there are boards and glass between fans and the people skating on the ice. Mr. Joy offers a glowing disapproval. The dance was inspired by Pee-Wee Herman?

: After never missing a single episode, over 13 seasons, of ‘At the Movies’ with Siskel and Ebert, sometimes fissures in self-control show themselves.

: Mr. Joy exudes warmth with every fiber of his being. This is actually a pose he does to celebrate the reassurance found in the embrace of another human. It’s a real tight embrace, but you know, tomato, toe-mahhto.

: Mr. Joy isn’t just about sportsmanship and youth sports. He embraces all the seasons, all of the Holidays.

Speaking of joy, I almost forgot to mention the barn on Saturday night. The pizza and drinks. The music and movie. The games and the kids. What a blast we had! Truly, we are blessed. I always say this because I know things could be so much worse, in so many ways. We all go through life with the many ups and downs. It is not easy. I know that our family alone has been through some soberingly difficult times in the last few years, but it could always be worse. I know you all have battles too. So, when we can be together and smile at one another, and laugh together, and share the humorous stories we do as we better understand each other, know that we are blessed. We have much to be thankful for.

Our kids win and lose just like we did growing up. They laugh and play, and can’t wait for time off of the ice to be somewhere together, doing whatever they do. Every game, or every day isn’t our best day, but that’s exactly the perspective we need to know to recognize when days are truly awesome! Then you might look back and realize that your bad day wasn’t so bad after all. Society all around us wants to tear us down, or to poke holes in our sincere pleasures, or even lift themselves up at the expense of us or our kids. That’s where we have the edge, in my opinion. Because we have each other, for shallow or for deep, but either way, we have each other’s backs. Good people making good contributions to the betterment of our hockey family experience. How else should it be done?

Thank you all. For, just as I told the team that it takes each of us to make the difference for all of us; it’s no different for us. Thank you.