What The Future Holds – Goffstown Hockey

– What The Future Holds – Goffstown Hockey –

– #7 Goffstown at #2 Oyster River – Whittemore Center – UNH –

The Goffstown hockey team showed up in Durham, NH for an 830 am QuarterFinal game against Oyster River on Saturday morning. They played. They lost. The Bobcats scored a pair of power play goals and netted a shorthanded empty netter at the end of their 4-2 win. But all I could think about is what the future holds.

The Playoffs – QF. # 7 Goffstown at #2 Oyster River. (Photo by Meagan Tarrier).

Playoff hockey is a different game altogether. The intensity level is generally higher. Time on ice numbers change as win at all costs mentality looms larger than ever. Strong leadership thrives. Selflessness is at a premium. The tough areas of the ice are usually dominated by the victors. Then the grit, and the determination, and the unyielding will to do anything in ones power to win the small battles that ensure the ultimate victory, well they are the multiplier.

Sometimes playoff hockey looks like this. Like a team literally had nothing left to give just to get a playoff win. On Wednesday night, (#8) Spaulding needed overtime to beat (#9) Somersworth-Coe-Brown, 3-2, just for the chance to play the #1 team on Saturday.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, and well into the evening, (#8) Spaulding and (#1) Merrimack left everything on the ice, in the stands, and everywhere else, as Spaulding won, 3-2 in the 2nd OT. Incredible battle of wills and skills.

Or it looks like, (#5) Dover going up north to play (#4) Lebanon-Stevens in the quarterfinals after losing to them just two weeks earlier. Then Carter Bell scores for Dover to go up, 2-1 in the second period, and the defending champs made that stand up, on the road.

How about (#6) Alvirne-Milford traveling over to Phillips Exeter, getting outshot 50-18, scoring 3 goals in four and half minutes, and upsetting (#3) Winnacunnet on their home ice? The Admirals had lost 4-2 at Winnacunnet in January. It’s Playoff hockey.

#30 – Goaltender – Kyle Bennett. What a first season he had! (Photo by Meagan Tarrier).

So there it was, the Whitt, two playoff teams ready to go. The puck dropped at 8:46 am on the second Saturday of February vacation. By the time the first period ended, I was worried, but not hopeless. Oyster River scored 8 seconds into their first power play opportunity, Beyer from Miner and Eddy. Later in the period, Cole Levesque won and an offensive zone face-off to Domenic DeRosa and he scored his first career goal on a deflection in front. The Bobcats led, 2-0 after one period.

During the first period, I wrote in capital letters in my notebook, “UNFORCED TURNOVERS”. I also wrote, “2 Grade A chances missed the net”. Balance these against a power play goal in 8 seconds and a deflected puck in front for a goal, and it starts to tell the whole story. But stories can change on a dime.

Goffstown got a power play chance of their own at 2:00 of the second period. After narrowly avoiding disaster on a stealthy Liam Eddy shorthanded bid, the Grizzlies got on the board with a power play goal of their own. Now the score was, 2-1, and Goffstown was showing some signs of life.

Six minutes and twenty-six seconds later, the Grizzlies put Oyster River on the power play again. The Bobcats only needed 6 seconds of power play time to regain a 2-goal lead, 3-1. Moriarty won a clean face-off to Walsh who redirected the puck to Giordani at the left point. Giordani passed right back to Walsh on the half wall, he stepped into the circle and fired a shot on net through a screen set by Beaupre for the goal.

In the first 30 seconds of the final period, Oyster River was whistled for a penalty. The Grizzlies were on the power play, in the playoffs, in the third period, trailing, 3-1. During the ensuing 120 seconds, I wrote, “Awful PP” in my notebook.

With 5:27 left to play, the Bobcats were called for a major penalty. This gave the Goffstown hockey team a power play chance, for essentially all but 27 seconds of the remainder of the game. Goffstown did score one power play goal, and the game was a one-goal game for almost three and a half minutes.

Right after the Grizzlies scored, Gavin Diodati was pasted into the end boards by an Oyster River player that looked like his elbows had just recently been freed from bondage because they were swing high and free as they leveled Diodati up around his head area. Gavin looked a little unsure of his faculties as he stepped to the bench and tried to re attach his helmet to his head. There was no call on the play.

The Grizzlies kept grinding but could not get another puck past Harwood. They had three more shots on goal and a couple of excellent chances before Cam Miner scored an empty net goal from 175 feet away.

It wasn’t too be for the Grizzlies. For me, there were too many unforced turnovers and fly-by’s, and they were a tick below their opponents physicality, grit and determination. Sometime during the final period, I wrote, “Value the possession!!!”

Goffstown is a talented team, and hopefully they will return all of their players, and build on this experience. Usually, the winners of the ultimate prize have lost plenty along the way. They’ve faced adversity, and then upped their game to overcome those previous stumbling blocks. The Goffstown hockey team should set their sights on the ultimate prize, and then work will all their might to go and earn it.

Here is how the Goffstown hockey team scored their goals in the QuarterFinal game.

1. After escaping a shorthanded bid from the Bobcats, the Grizzlies scored and cut deficit in half. Tyler Lessard carried the puck up the wing. He moved the puck to Cooper Chapman in the middle but the puck was deflected and it kind of stopped just over the blue line in the offensive zone. Chapman sent a pass to Lessard in the slot. Lessard tried to one-time the puck but he fanned on it while surrounded by Bobcat defenders. The puck was kicked around, and almost out of the zone, but Zack Tarrier kept the puck in and fired a beautiful pass down low to Lessard, but that too was deflected. Lessard was able to gather the puck at the side of the net which brought Cole Harwood over to the post to take away a Lessard shot. Lessard passed the puck across the crease in the split second that the game of hockey gives you make decisions and plays. The puck wasn’t perfect, but Cooper Chapman was on the doorstep and slammed the puck into the side of the net. Then Chapman recovered the puck and put it in the net before Harwood could get across and save it. It was a really nice play. PPG – C. Chapman (6) from Lessard (11) and Tarrier (19). 1-2.
2. This play started with an errant pass out of the defensive zone with no pressure to cause it. “Value the possession”. Fortunately for Goffstown, the Grizzlies were able to regain the puck. Then, Sam Chapman and Zack Tarrier ran perhaps my favorite play, the old give and go. The give was from Chapman to Tarrier. The go was Chapman into full speed while getting the pass back from Tarrier. Chapman flew up the right side and beat the defenseman to the outside. Then as the best skaters do, he cut hard to his left, relying heavily on his razor thin edges. At the last second he rifled a shot up and over Harwood’s shoulder into the top corner where Grandpa keeps his best cigars for the biggest celebrations in life. Brilliant goal. PPG – S. Chapman (16) from Tarrier (20). 2-3.

NHIAA Hockey: Quarterfinal.

Saturday, March 02, 2024

Whittemore Center Arena – UNH.

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 00 – 01 – 01 = 02

Oyster River Bobcats: 02 – 01 – 01 = 04

NHIAA Hockey:

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 05 – 08 – 09 = 22

Oyster River Bobcats: 11 – 11 – 10 = 32

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

1. Hill (2:00-Cross-Checking). PPGA 8 seconds later.
2. S. Chapman (2:00-Contact to the head).
3. Ellbeg (2:00-Hooking). PPGA 6 seconds later.
4. Ellbeg (2:00-Tripping).

Goffstown was 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Bobcats were also 2-for-4.

• Oyster River Bobcats – Cole Harwood (Jr.) made 20 saves on 22 shots (.909).
• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (Fr.) made 28 saves on 31 shots (.903). One additional shot was on an empty net.

The Grizzlies ended their NHIAA Hockey season with a league record of 9-8-2.

Remember, we all hold the last card, and the choice on how to play it. (Photo by Meagan Tarrier).

Thank you, Meagan as always. Thank you.

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.