Motivated And Giving All

November 02-03, 2024 – Motivated And Giving All:

What I loved most about games as the 2010 Flames began a new month was simply this. From the first period on Saturday through the final seconds on Sunday evening, the team gathered, getting better. They were motivated and giving all.

 

 

The 2010 Flames opened November with a loss, a win, and a tie. And the tie was their best game of the three. But from the first period to the ninth period they played over the weekend, they just kept working hard and giving everything they had. Maybe they even started to realize there is more to draw on among this group than they thought. I look forward to where things go from here.

 

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Game 19 of the season.

Motivated And Giving All:

November 02, 2024.

JFK Memorial Coliseum, Manchester, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 00 – 01 – 02  = 03
• Providence Capitals South: 00 – 01 – 03 = 04

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 07 – 13 – 12  = 32
• Providence Capitals South: 19 – 15 – 17 = 51

Penalties:

1. Beal – Tripping.
2. Powers – Cross-Checking.
3. Giampa – Interference.
4. Warren – Interference. >(5on3 PPGA).
5. Giampa – Interference. >(5on3 PPGA).
6. Booth – Tripping.

 

 

From the start, the Flames were under siege. Even though the opening period ended with no goals scored, the Flames were dominated in puck movement, passing, skating, scoring chances, and shots on goal. They allowed 19 shots and only registered 7 of their own.

On the other hand, they looked like they were slowly awakening with each passing shift. Although they would not be able to overcome the deluge of shots and chances over the entirety of the game, they didn’t slink away. They kept coming on, motivated and giving all.

Ingalls started in net and left the ice midway through the middle period to sounds of the Providence bench showering him with accolades. The game was scoreless and he had made 23 saves on 23 shots. The weird part was that the Flames were starting to get better chances to score despite turning pucks over and allowing dozens of shots on net.

Then, the Flames went on the power play for the third time in the game. This time they cashed in.

While enjoying a good possession in the offensive zone, Providence had kept most of the puck play to the outside, close to the boards. Then the puck squirted from the scrum in front up the middle toward the blue line. Santitto moved left and fired the puck into the corner.

The rounded the corner and slid behind the net to where Soucy played it. His path was cut off so he reversed direction behind the net. The puck went over to Ouellette behind the far side post. He threw a backhander out front hoping for contact and a good bounce toward the net.

Instead, the puck came back to the high slot. Santitto again stepped in. This time he fired a shot on net. All for Caps defenders were below the dots. The shot hit traffic and Soucy swept the puck on net. Saved. Mooney was right there in the mix and he poked a backhand shot under the goalie and into the net. PPG – Mooney from Soucy and Santitto. 1-0.

After two periods, the score was knotted at 1-1. Providence scored on a 5-on-3 power play to go up 2-1 to begin the final period. Then they scored their third consecutive goal to go up 3-1. The Flames were down but they were still in the battle.

Beal, in Gretzky’s office, took a pass from St. Pierre. Beal quickly moved the puck to the slot where Petrie was open. Petrie couldn’t get the puck to his blade while being pestered and the play rolled to the half wall. Petrie, Beal, and Booth were along the wall trying to maintain the puck possession. Seeing this, St. Pierre dropped back, to the slot, with his forehand ready.

Just then, Petrie freed the puck for a second back to Booth. Booth sent a sweet pass to the middle. The puck came right to St. Pierre who coiled and fired a wrist shot past the goaltender for the Flames goal. Great work in the zone. Even – St. Pierre from Booth and Petrie. Down, 3-2.

The Flames took another penalty but managed to kill it. Meanwhile, the Capitals were back to piling up armloads of shots on goal. Then they passed the puck beautifully to set up a goal from inches away. They led 4-2.

The 2010 Flames pulled Rosenbeck for an extra attacker with 19 seconds left for an offensive zone face-off. The Flames scored a few seconds later.

Petrie took the draw and neutralized the opposing center. Nobody could really get possession of the puck for several seconds. Then the D swept the puck toward the blue line. Powers pounced on the loose puck and fired it at the net. The puck split two defenders, hit the goalie, and bounced right into the crease on far side. Mooney was standing there all alone and he drove the puck into the net with 10.7 seconds left in the game. Even – Mooney from Powers. Down, 4-3.

That was all she wrote. The Flames dropped a 4-3 decision. They had started slowly and at times were required to watch how they paid for their mistakes. Yet, they kept coming, battling.

 

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Game 20 of the season.

Motivated And Giving All:

November 02, 2024.

West Side Arena, Manchester, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 02 – 00 – 02  = 04
• Providence Capitals South: 00 – 01 – 00 = 01

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 07 – 04 – 17  = 28
• Providence Capitals South: 13 – 19 – 6 = 38

Penalties:

1. Soucy – Tripping.
2. Soucy – Roughing.
3. Soucy – Roughing. >(double minor)
4. Powers – Hooking.
5. Warren – Holding.

 

In game two of the day, against the Providence Capitals South, the 2010 Flames scored in the first 30 seconds of the game. Giampa won an offensive zone face-off and the puck ended up on Mooney’s stick with Ouellette in front giving the goalie something to think about. Mooney fired from the low circle and scored. Even – Mooney from Giampa. 1-0.

The Capitals went to work and ended up leading the shots count, 13-7 after one period. But the Flames scored another goal late in the period and took a 2-0 lead to the intermission.

The second goal came after Ouellette, on the forecheck, made a hit or two on the defenseman handling the puck. This caused the D to throw the puck up the ice and directly into a turnover. Santitto was right on it, and took the puck for the gift that it was. He moved the puck to Ouellette who was cruising through the slot. On his his forehand he ripped a shot that somehow hit the goalie about four times before going into the net. GWG – Even – Ouellette from Santitto. 2-0.

Simple pressure caused the turnover and led immediately to a goal. What a concept.

I don’t know what happened in middle period, but the 2010 Flames did not appear motivated and giving all. They were outshot 19-4 and fumbled more opportunities to shoot than the four shots they did get.

Rosenbeck left the net with 7:15 left in the 2nd, and he had an astounding 22 saves on 22 shots before Ingalls came in. Even then, Ingalls had to face 10 shots of his own in less than half of a period. Through two periods, the Flames led, 2-1 on the scoreboard but were being outshot, 32-11.

I will say that the Capitals could have easily been called for too many men at least half a dozen times in the second period alone. They were called for it once. Maybe that helped their shot total.

In the final period the Flames picked it up.

Although after a turnover and a quick 3-on-2 with a wide open shooter, the Caps point blank shot hit the post. The puck stayed out and Powers swept it to the corner. Ouellette picked it up and chugged up the left wing, gaining speed. Mooney and Giampa were out in front and spread out. The Caps had four players back but none came to pressure Ouellette. He cut nicely to the inside and slipped a backhand through the goalie as the Caps watched. Even – Ouellette from Powers. 3-1.

Perhaps the earlier hits that led to an Ouellette goal were in the minds of the Capitals players. As I always say, you don’t have to wreck kids with hits but let them know that they will get hit. Either way, Ouellette’s romp up the ice was more like a procession than four guys on D trying to stand him up.

The Flames made it 4-1 after a nice face-off win by Giampa. Similar to the goal that the Capitals had scored off a face-off, Mooney ended up with the puck at the dot. He skated straight to the net and fired the puck as he did. The shot got through the goalie with Ouellette on the doorstep if needed. Even – Mooney from Giampa. 4-1.

The goal was Mooney’s fourth goal of the day. He had a pair of goals in each game against Providence.

The Flames held on for a nice 4-1 win. They did win the shots battle in the final period, 17-6. But were outshot 38-28 for the game. The Providence team moved the puck much better than the Flames in both games. The Flames earned their goals in tight.

When your tandem of goaltenders makes 37 saves on 38 shots in a 4-1 win, you have to appreciate how well these two play, game after game.

 

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Game 21 of the season.

Five Games To Finish October:

November 03, 2024.

West Side Arena, Manchester, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 00 – 02 – 00  = 02
• Boch Blazers: 01 – 00 – 01 = 02

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 03 – 17 – 05  = 25
• Boch Blazers: 10 – 10 – 15 = 35

Penalties:

1. Soucy – Interference.
2. Warren – Head Contact. (Double Minor).

 

The Boch Blazers came into the game on Sunday with an 8-0-0 record. In the first period of their very first game of the season they didn’t score a goal. Since, they had scored at least one goal in 22 of the 23 periods they have played. It only took a couple of seconds into the game at West Side Arena to see how good their first line is.

As the first period wore on, the 2010 Flames quickly figured out that they needed to play defense first and then go from there. They did a pretty good job of clogging the middle of the ice in front of Rosenbeck and then Ingalls. The Blazers put 10 shots on the board, and led, 1-0 after one period. The Flames managed 3 shots.

The second period is where I solidified the idea of calling this article, Motivated and Giving All. The Flames outshot Boch, 17-10 in the middle period, and scored a pair of even strength goals. Through two periods they had not been whistled for a penalty either, which is huge for this team.

In the offensive zone, Soucy won a face-off back to Powers. Powers put a low shot on net that was saved by the goalie although he wasn’t entirely sure he made the save. Another face-off from the same dot as before ensued.

Soucy kind of lost the second face-off but tied up his man and put pressure on the D behind their center. This forced the D to rush the clearing attempt. The puck left his stick like a change-up and Powers easily picked it off. Powers put a low shot towards the net. Soucy played it like a pass and flipped the puck past the goalie before he could react to Soucy’s quick work. Even – Soucy from Powers. 1-1.

Ninety-five seconds later, the Flames scored again. Actually, it was also the next shift, the previous line had been out there for almost two minutes.

This time, Petrie took the draw and tied up the other center. Beal reached in and poked the puck just as Drumm was cutting inside from left wing. The puck was right on Drumm’s stick as he cleared Beal’s body who was like a fullback on the end of an offensive line to contain the defensive end on the other team. Drumm fired immediately and beat the goalie nearside. He was wide open. Even – Drumm from Beal and Petrie. Flames led, 2-1. The goal made me think of six-seven-eight, who do we appreciate.

The Flames led the game, 2-1 after two periods. They had an incredible chance to make it 3-1, when Ouellette and Mooney had a clean 2-on-0 breakaway that resulted in no goal, and I am not sure it was even a shot on net. Sports are funny like that. The Flames had played their best period of hockey so far this season, but a third goal would have been too good.

Boch scored 19 seconds into the 3rd period to tie the game, 2-2. It was a 1-on-3 break, if you could call it that. The Blazer came down his off-wing and ripped a wrister to the glove side. Somehow it beat the glove and was still inside the post for the goal. Ingalls made the next 14 saves.

Overall, I think Boch was stunned to earn a tie against a team that was 2-7-0 coming in. It was a great game though. Both teams played well, and clean. There four penalties called in the game, the Flames had three of them. Ingalls (22/23) and Rosenbeck (11/12) were fantastic in net.

The 2010 Flames team, all of them, hustled, helped each other out, and played fantastic hockey. As it would play out, the story goes like it should for the Flames. They didn’t score on the pretty breakaway opportunities, but rather on two offensive zone face-off wins, with shots to the net, traffic in front, and pucks getting through. That’s the way this team scores.

I made a comment after the game, that I still think is true. “If the Flames played that way since South Carolina, they wouldn’t have lost a game since we got back”. They played a really good team, and played them well. From this vantage point it was great to see. I hope the kids can buy into that effort and realize how good they can be when they are motivated and giving all.

 

 

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Mooney’s Moonshots

So this is why I call these Mooney’s Moonshots. Well, the name Mooney, that already gets us headed in the right direction. Then there is this. Moonshot. While ‘moonshot’ originally meant “long shot”, it’s increasingly being used to describe a monumental effort and a lofty goal—in other words, a “giant leap”. Moonshot is also used to describe a towering home run. And home run is a large gain, or popular success.

So ya, I like Mooney’s Moonshots because it stands for all of that.

Thank you for the time you spend to take the pictures and go through them, load them, and then freely share them.

Game 1 vs. Providence.

Game 2 vs. Providence.

Game 3 vs. Boch Blazers.

 

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

 

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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.