Written by Saturday, January 7, 2023 – 2010 Flames – Where Are We
In my opinion, what we saw on Saturday was not the best version of the 2010 Flames in-game skills. It was not a true depiction of their improved development as players, as a team. I left West Side Arena late in the afternoon, muttering to myself, “Where are we, as a team?”, “What is their hockey IQ?” and “What a comeback!” all at the same time.
Even on the power play, the Terriers had all 5 skaters back defending their net.
The Flames started the day by playing the Boston Jr. Terriers Red team. In a game that was as aesthetically pleasing as watching rust eat away metal in real time, the Flames struggled to move the puck, stay out of the penalty box, and they played defense like they were asking themselves, where are we? Maybe it was just me.
The second game didn’t feel much better even though the Flames came back late in the final period to rescue a win from a sure defeat.
Several times during the two games, while the Flames were short-handed, they had a forward playing defense below the goal line while the defensemen were higher than they needed to be. The 2010 Flames are puck chasers. If this is a ‘box’ defense on the penalty kill, and I received an order in a box of that shape I would refuse the order.
At other times, Flames players tried to clear the puck by skating or passing or even blindly firing the puck through the center of the ice. Just talking in such terms is cringeworthy for the average hockey fan. And I mutter to myself, Where are we? What it is our teams’ hockey IQ?
I did mention, possibly aloud, that if I didn’t see a good hockey game on Saturday night (I was covering Goffstown hockey at St. A’s) then I might just quit watching hockey unless I was in my family room. Well, Goffstown played awesome and moved the puck like they had to make 5 passes before shooting. It was pretty refreshing. Unfortunately for many of you, I guess I will keep writing about this stuff for at least another week.
So, here’s my issue. Does our team know better and just not put into action what they know? Or do they really not know? Personally, I don’t think they really know. As in, “my muscles make me do these things instinctively because I have practiced these things that much”. I am leaning toward, “I do this when I hear it told to me in real time or at the beginning of a drill, but it all seems like a distant memory that I can’t put my finger on when there’s an actual kid from Boston trying to mess up all my plans”.
Then again, I was 12 once, I believe, and I knew most sports inside and out. But until I was in high school I had only played on one team, in baseball. I watched games in every sport religiously and I also knew just about every stat there was in the major sports. Then I didn’t have a phone, or a video game, and was limited to about 30 minutes per day on the TV. So, I read baseball, hockey, football, and basketball cards, and all the sports registers from each season that literally had every box score from the previous season.
I was outdoors constantly, in all seasons, literally on a frozen puddle in the winter, or in the yard year round, playing every sport I could. Usually by myself. Sports were my life. Not my parent’s life, but my life, in my world, and I knew everything about them at the time. When I did watch TV, I watched shows like, “This Week In Baseball”. Or I watched “Pete Maravich’s Homework Basketball” early on Sunday mornings before going to church.
One of the first books I ever read (I couldn’t stand school. Reading and writing were only done if it revolved around sports) was a book about pitching written by Bob Gibson. My first ever book report was about a book on Julius Erving in the ABA.
What does all of this mean? Well, I suppose it means I have always been a sports nerd. I knew the players, their birthdays, where they were born, all of their stats, and what statistically defined a good season. Perhaps I grade too hard in my mind, and these kids and the team will probably be just fine. Where are we?
Things could be a lot worse than a bunch of us watching our kids playing hockey on a Saturday in January.
Saturday, January 07, 2023. West Side Arena.
Score by period:
Boston Jr. Terriers Red: 01 – 02 – 01 = 04
Flames: 00 – 02 – 00 = 02
Flames goals in order:
- Gavin Petrie had the puck back in the defensive end and looked to break the puck out. The puck hit a Terrier and bounced to Andy Soucy who skated with the puck before head-manning the puck to Teddy Beal. Beal scampered up the left wing and waited too long to shoot before losing the puck in front to Soucy. Soucy batted the puck back to Beal, maybe on purpose, and Beal fired the puck inside the nearside post like it was all planned. Beal from Soucy and Petrie.
- This was a real nice play. Beal slid the puck back to the left point where Logan McCain patrolled. Everyone thought McCain would shoot but he deftly moved the puck to his D partner, Jacob St. Pierre. St. Pierre stepped into a great shot through traffic and found the net for a Flames goal. St. Pierre from McCain and Beal.
Saturday, January 07, 2023. West Side Arena.
Score by period:
UVHA Storm: 01 – 00 – 02 = 03
Flames: 01 – 01 – 02 = 04
- Logan McCain scores just inside the near post after a shot by Ian Kaveney and a pass to the slot area from Gavin Petrie. McCain from Petrie and Kaveney.
- Garrett Warren fired a tough angle shot at the net that hit the defenseman in the ribs and bounced into the net on the nearside post side of the net. Andy Soucy had moved the puck through the corner to Warren. Warren from Soucy.
- With less than two minutes left in the game Caleb Powers picked off a clearing attempt and fired a pass towards the slot. The puck glanced off of a defenseman and came right to Teddy Beal in the slot. Beal fired the puck into the top corner where Uncle Big Spender hides his scratch tickets. Beal from Powers.
- Beal tries to center a pass from the behind the net but a defender grabs the puck for a stride or two before Chase Giampa cuts him off and takes the puck. Giampa looks to move the puck to a teammate and it ends up on Sean McGee’s stick. McGee fires a long shot that shorthops the goaltender with Beal right at the goal mouth, and the puck slips through the five-hole. Two goals in 21 seconds, and the Flames take the lead, and the game, 4-3. McGee from Giampa.
It was a great comeback if not completely improbable. As the game played on, I felt that the Flames had not played well enough to win the game. But maybe I was just ‘hangry’.
This coming weekend the 2010 Flames will be in Dover, NH, Wilmington, MA, White River Junction, VT, and Manchester, NH. That should keep some folks busy, and possibly out of trouble.
You can find more 2010 Flames material in these pieces, here. 2010 Manchester Flames.
I hope you find some pictures to your liking. The goal is to share these fleeting, but special moments in time, exhibiting some of the purest joys in life, of kids at play. Playing a sport they love and one that they choose to participate in.
As always with these galleries, please feel free to click on the pictures, and zoom in to have a look around. I think there are some pretty good close-ups in there. Also, please enjoy! The title of the picture will give you clues if you need them. This is for the kids. Thank you for your time.
Where Are We?
2010 Flames vs. Terriers Red 01-07-23
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- So you want to play goalie? This shot slams Will’s mask and pushes it up as the puck drops to the ice.
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- Unfortunately for Will and the Flames the Terriers followed the shot before any Flames could help.
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- Will sprawls to make a save against the Terriers in the first period.
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- Caleb finds out that all direct routes to the net are closed.
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- The Terriers didn’t give the Flames much room to operate on Saturday at West Side.
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- Teddy was hoping for some points for degree of difficulty but I don’t think he did it on purpose.
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- I think the plan was to bank a shot off of Garrett’s back but it didn’t materialize.
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- When I looked at this picture I wondered how Jacob was still upright. Water Skiing into a shot.
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- This picture was actually taken during play as the Flames employed their ‘overload’ formation. It was inspired by a group of honey bees.
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- Gavin gets back. Travis makes the save. That’s about it.
Where Are We? Did We Really Win?
2010 Flames vs. UVHA Storm 01-07-23
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- Two teams looking for their first wins of the season in GSL T3 play.
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- Caleb skates behind the net with the puck and this other kid just kept following him.
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- Changing direction as Brody and the Flames look to get some offense going.
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- Travis makes a save against the Storm at West Side Arena.
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- Jacob strikes a hockey power pose as he clears the puck from the crease area.
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- Soucy, Brody, and Jacob all give their attention to defending this Storm bid.
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- Teddy looks for the puck in the corner. If he looks for it like he would at home, he won’t find it.
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- Soucy leans in for a shot against the Storm but there’s a blade that might pose a problem.
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- Will reaches out and snags a glove save on a point blank chance from the Storm.
The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do, but you would have to ask them directly.
Either way, “It’s a great day for hockey” ~ the late “Badger” Bob Johnson.