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Win Lose Or Draw – 2010 Flames

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March 4-5, 2023 – Win Lose Or Draw – 2010 Flames. The Flames played at Ristuccia Memorial Arena and Pingree Rink over the weekend. They tied. They lost. They won. They missed the next round by one goal. Win lose or draw, they are our kids. Our team. And I think they have more fun playing than we do watching them.

 

The 2010 Flames ended the February school vacation week with one game on Saturday and a pair of games on Sunday. It was the opening weekend of Fed Playoffs and the Flames had to take their show on the road. Wilmington, MA on Saturday, and Hamilton, MA on Sunday. As I said, the Flames won one, lost one, and tied one. They tied for 3rd place in the playoff round of eight teams, with the top four teams advancing to next weekend’s Finals Weekend.

After consulting the tie-breaker formulas, a pile of graph paper, and dusting off my abacus, I learned (by my calculations, unofficial) that the 2010 Flames should have made the Fed Playoffs final weekend. But my information proved incorrect according the the Fed rep in communication with our coach. We were told this morning that the 2010 Flames did not qualify for Finals Weekend.

So, without a trip to distant points south of Boston being squeezed around GSL Playoffs games in Vermont this weekend, the Flames have one less thing to focus on. That’s okay.

The 2010 Flames will play in the GSL Playoffs, with games against Rochester and Granite State on Saturday, March 11th at Wendell A. Barwood Arena in White River Junction, VT. They play at 10:30am and 4:30pm. If they finish 1st or 2nd in their pool, they will advance to the GSL Playoffs Semifinals on Sunday.

 

*** 3:46 PM – Breaking News from the Flames NW12U Network ***

The Fed Playoffs Rep confirmed that the 2010 Flames did qualify for Finals Weekend (I knew my abacus was still in working order). It looks like it will be a Friday game against someone at some time. Upon hearing this breaking news, my son gave an emphatic fist pump, and excitedly exclaimed, “YES!!!! Let’s Go!!!” And suddenly Monday feels a lot better than, you know, the stereotypical Monday.

 

Sometimes I Hide

 

Sometimes I hide in the corner, my shield, my camera with its lens.

I take pictures, yes, but why I am there, well that depends.

On the sheet of ice I see, kids at play, always learning from you and me.

Am I not capable of lifting them up, even if I disagree with what I see?

 

 

I remember being a dozen years old and how I did everything perfectly.

That way, of course, I could avoid the sting of my parents sterilized scrutiny. 

Now, I know that’s not true in either case yet I fail all these years later in both ways.

With nothing guaranteed, and life so short, why can’t I just use words of praise?

 

 

The signature I wrote to close my emails reads, “Look up! These ARE the days”.

These ARE the days! The days of their lives. I need to find words to lift and upraise.

I mean, I want the best for them, don’t we all. But I need to look in the mirror.

As I look, and spend time in reflection, the picture that I see becomes clearer. 

 

 

If I get another chance, if God graces me with another morning, then I can practice.

I can choose, simple as that, to carry myself as God has asked us.

I should, “Clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”.

Instead of vocalizing what I think isn’t ‘perfectly right’, I will choose to be gracious.

 

 

I can do a much better job of this. I need to be a better example unto others. Period.

The ripples from an uplifting act that could positively affect others is myriad. 

So, from where I choose to watch, snap pictures, or to bask with hockey family,

My family, our players, our hockey family, and our coaches, well, you can count on me. 

 

 

Much love to you all ~ Steve Beal Sr. 

 

 

Saturday, March 04, 2023. Ristuccia Memorial Arena.

Fed Playoffs.

Score by period:

Crimson: 01 – 00 – 02 = 03
2010 Flames: 02 – 01 – 00 = 03

Flames goals in order:

  1. One ref was calling icing, the other one called it off. The Flames gained possession 200 feet from the net they were shooting at. It was the opening minutes of the opening game of the 2023 Fed Playoffs, and everything was still possible. Garrett Warren took the puck in the corner and skated up the wing from his own end. He threw a diagonal pass to center ice that took a good bounce and Andy Soucy flew into the zone with the puck. Lucas Ouellette stepped in from the left wing and took a perfect pass in stride from Soucy and blasted a shot into the top corner for the Flames goal. Power play goal, Ouellette from Soucy and Warren, 1-0.
  2. The Flames took a tripping penalty and had to kill the penalty. One shift later, Sean McGee won a center ice faceoff back to Logan McCain who dumped the puck into the far corner. Chase Giampa beat everyone to the puck and worked behind the net. As he centered a pass to the slot McGee picked up the puck off of a defender’s deflection and put it into the net. Shorthanded goal, McGee from Giampa and McCain, 2-0.
  3. This was textbook. Logan McCain dumped the puck into the zone. Gavin Petrie and Jordan Hawkes hit the forecheck trail with gusto. The Crimson threw the puck up the boards with a lack of purpose or conviction. Jaden Booth pinched in to push the puck back into the corner. Gavin Petrie fired a shot toward the net. The puck came off of the goalie’s pads and Jordan Hawkes pumped the rebound through the five-hole for the goal. Flames goal, Hawkes from Petrie and Booth, 3-1. (The puck may have been tipped by Petrie, but from where I was standing, on the goal line, it was a Hawkes goal).

 

The 2010 Flames took a 3-1 lead to the final period. The Flames were whistled for five penalties in the 3rd period. With four tripping calls and a hook, I would say the Flames were a bit tired. This turn of events gave the Crimson way too much room, and time, to come back. The Crimson scored a pair of power play goals in a five-minute span and got out of Dodge with a tie. Win lose or draw, this was a splendid effort from the Flames for the first 30+ minutes.

Special Teams: 2010 Flames: 1 power play goal scored. 1 shorthanded goal scored. 2 power play goals allowed.

 

 

Sunday, March 05, 2023. Pingree Rink.

Fed Playoffs.

Score by period:

Bay State Breakers: 04 – 01 – 00 = 05
2010 Flames: 01 – 01 – 00 = 02

 

  1. Another Flames goal that was a thing of beauty. Gavin Petrie won the offensive zone face-off over to Jordan Hawkes. Hawkes slid a quick pass to Jaden Booth at the right point. Booth fired a pass over to the other point, to Logan McCain. Four Flames touched the puck in under four seconds. McCain fired from the high slot and the shot tickled the twine. The puck hit the net just under five seconds from when the puck was dropped. Awesome play! Power play goal, McCain from Booth and Hawkes. 1-0.
  2. After four straight Breakers goals, the Flames went on the power play again. This was a 5-on-3 goal. Jordan Hawkes grabbed the puck in the corner and pushed a pass back to Caleb Powers at the left point. Powers moved the puck to Jacob St. Pierre who stepped into the faceoff dot and cranked a slapshot. The shot was true and the puck found the back of the net. Nice play. Power play goal, St. Pierre from Powers and Hawkes. Down, 4-2.

 

Since the Breakers appeared in our tier of the Fed, I felt they were the best team in the league. They are well balanced and structured well. In this game they cashed in on mistakes and only allowed goals while shorthanded. Win lose or draw there is always opportunity to grow. Failure happens to anyone who tries. Don’t give up. Fail better the next time.

Special Teams: 2010 Flames: 2 power play goals scored. 2 power play goals allowed.

 

 

Sunday, March 05, 2023. Pingree Rink.

Fed Playoffs.

Score by period:

Islanders: 01 – 02 – 01 = 04
2010 Flames: 01 – 04 – 01 = 06

Flames goals in order:

  1. In an example of how quickly things can happen on the ice, the Flames scored first. Lucas Ouellette picked up a loose puck at center ice and changed direction. He skated outside, up the right wing and was cut off by defenders as he turned the corner. Ouellette didn’t panick or force the play, he just calmly banked a pass off of the side boards back to where his defenseman should be. His rush had taken 3 defenders in his wake. Jacob St. Pierre was exactly where he was supposed to be. St. Pierre stepped into the bank pass from Ouellette and blasted a slapper through a defender and the goaltender for the goal. Simple but beautiful. St. Pierre from Ouellette, 1-0.
  2. Just the Freight Train. Logan McCain took the puck from behind his own net and skated up the left side. He raced up the ice like one of those annoying ‘digitally enhanced dasherboard ads’ in televised NHL games. I mean, that’s how close to the boards Logan carried the puck. Anyway, he got checked (no call) back at his own blue line but the ‘checker’ bounced off of the Freight Train and stopped spinning and sliding somewhere out at center ice. The Freight Train thundered up the ice and pulverized a shot into the farside top corner for an unassisted goal. 2-1, McCain unassisted.
  3. The 2010 Flames took a penalty and went on the penalty kill. The Flames had the better of it despite being down a skater. Eventually, Teddy Beal’s relentless pursuit of the puck on the forecheck led to a steal at center ice. Beal crossed the blue line with Gavin Petrie on his right. Beal elected to shoot and had a defender in front of him which screened the goalie a bit. Teddy wired a shot that found the top corner on the near side for the shorthanded goal. Beal shorthanded goal, unassisted, 3-1.
  4. The Flames scored on a gorgeous tip play. Ian Kaveney snagged a puck off of an Islander’s skate and worked the puck to his left. Kaveney fired a shot toward the net but it was wide left. That’s also where Sean McGee was moving to. McGee bent a knee to get lower and opened the blade of his stick, perfectly deflecting the puck back on net and up over the goalie’s shoulder. The puck couldn’t have been placed more accurately. Great play! My favorite part of the whole thing might have been Lucas Ouellette doing a couple of double-skated hops of joy. McGee from Kaveney, 4-1.
  5. With what turned out to be the game-winning-goal, Garrett Warren scored to give the Flames a 5-1 lead. First, Jacob St. Pierre fired a breakaway chance into the goalie and the Flames grabbed the rebound. The puck came back to Caleb Powers who shot from the high slot but missed wide right. Teddy Beal beat two Islanders to the wall to get the puck to Gavin Petrie. Petrie made a short pass to St. Pierre at the point. Jacob slid a shot/pass along the ice toward the net. Beal redirected the puck toward the crease where Warren scored a beauty from the low slot. GWG, Warren from Beal and St. Pierre. All five Flames skaters touched the puck on the play.
  6. After the Flames allowed three straight goals, they were sitting on a 5-4 lead. The Islanders had pulled their goalie to gain an extra attacker. The Flames won a defensive zone faceoff but couldn’t get the puck out of the zone. As the puck was fired toward the net by the Islanders it went, just wide. Jacob St. Pierre took the puck behind his own net and Linus Ullmark’d (launched the puck in the air) the puck up and out of the zone, literally from the end boards. The puck landed and slid the length of the ice, right into the empty net. To give you an idea of just how tantalizingly slow the puck travelled en route to the net, St. Pierre lifted the puck with somewhere between 16 and 15 seconds left to play. The puck went in the other net with just 08 seconds left. Wow! St. Pierre, empty net goal, unassisted, 6-4.

All of the Sunday games in this 2010 bracket were played at Pingree School. The 2010 Flames played the first game of the schedule, and then they also played the last scheduled game of the day. The two games faced-off at approximately 7 and a half hours apart. It was a long day. Win lose or draw this team always finds a way to compete, if not will themselves to a full effort. They would take on anything for one another. Truthfully, we are blessed.

Special Teams: 2010 Flames: 1 shorthanded goal scored. 1 empty net goal scored. 2 power play goals allowed.

The following two video clips are from LiveBarn at Pingree Rink.

 

 

 

 

 

Win lose or draw – more pictures from the game against the Crimson

 

 

 

Win lose or draw – more pictures from the game against the Breakers

 

 

Win lose or draw – more pictures from the win against the Islanders

 

 

You can find more 2010 Flames material in these pieces, here. 2010 Manchester Flames.

 

 

 

 

The current look at my ‘hockey office’. So many hours spent in this space, tracking numbers and capturing season after season. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2023.

The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.

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.

 

“We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we’re too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.” ~ the late Herb Brooks.
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it: If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” ~ Jim Valvano on how to live life, during his ESPY speech.
“I started writing sports stories 20 years ago. I still do. I write because somewhere, in some game, a kid might be having the time of his or her life. That’s awesome to think about. It’s all about the kids.” ~ Steve Beal Sr.
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