Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames

December, 2024 – Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames.

For the 2010 Flames it counted for three Titles in four years, at the Winter Classic NH. Four wins on the weekend.

 

 

 

 

‘Twas the week after Christmas, and time for the Classic,
Injuries, high school games but they played fantastic;

A pair of titles, won back in 21 and 22,
With hopes of another hockey dream come true;

The games began and the first two weren’t even close;
But the schedule was made of the teams that showed.

Even if I could, I don’t think I’d ever rap,
But what about a four game tournament rhyme recap,

When out on the ice there arose such a roar,
Four games later, Travis and Will hadn’t allowed a single score.

On my pad I wrote, watching LiveBarn, tracking all,
First goal scored, 33 in the slot from 22, was the call.

Petrie in the crease from Mooney in the corner,
The Flames were off and running and getting warmer.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear but a power play goal,
Petrie to Mooney shot, rebound, Chase score on crease patrol.

Warren from the point, deflected by Soucy off the blade of his stick,
Rebound for Mooney and a smile from Coach Nick.

Shorthanded, Destani, on a rush he did fly,
He scored with the goalie way out wide.

Pinkos a rush and a blast! A goal for the Flames!
One win down, still, three more games.

Destani wins the draw and Warren the playmaker,
Dishes to Soucy for a snipe thrilling the spectators.

The 2010 Flames, scored another nine times.
Santitto and Mooney keep it in and St. Pierre tickles the twine.

Backhand pass, a beauty from 36 to 63,
Shot from the slot, a goal for Soucy.

Mooney to Giampa to St. Pierre all on the go,
Wrister is good, sweet goal, tic-tac-toe.

Joey with a pick and a shot for the score,
We didn’t know then, that he’d net a couple more.

Soucy passes, Ouellette but fouls it off,
Booth races in and scores like a boss.

12 and 20 with passes, then 13 blasts one into the net.
The Quincy fans ask, “Are we done yet?”

Santitto sinks a backhand flip from Soucy and Destani.
Then for the hat trick, Joey from Pinkos, that’s three!

Before the final horn sounded, Mooney’s pass to the slot,
Warren playin lefty put the last goal in with a swat.

Off to game three the Flames they flew,
Giampa from Ouellette and Destani, but he wasn’t through.

Booth with a breakup and pass to Ouellette,
He skated and stick handled, and his shot found the net.

27 sent the puck to the corner from his station up high,
33 won it and centered, 22 scored when he let it fly.

Deen ripped a backhand, Chase makes it three with the rebound.
Soucy and Mooney pass and Booth scores one for the Flames crowd.

The Flames on the power play wanted one more,
Pinkos shoots wide, Warren to the slot, and Chase scores number four.

The Flames had played three, and the others had not scored.
They were looking to put another title on the scoreboard.

 

 

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Game 40 of the season.

Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames.

December 27, 2024.

Ryan Frew Memorial Rink, Tri-Town Ice Arena, Hooksett, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 06 – 00 – 00  = 06
• Seacoast Spartans: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 15 – 13 – 09  = 37
• Seacoast Spartans: 03 – 02 – 02 = 07

Penalties:

• Giampa – Interference.
• Soucy – Roughing.

 

The Flames opened the Winter Classic on Friday evening. They found the back of the net six times in the opening period and let off the gas. They skated away with a 6-0 win.

1. Ouellette in the slot out front took a pass from Giampa who was behind the net, and slammed it home. Even – Ouellette from Giampa. GWG.
2. Mooney was in the corner like a kindergarten timeout, and he sent a pass to the crease. Petrie was there to put the puck in the net. Even – Petrie from Mooney.
3. Just the way a coach draws it up. Offensive zone face-off won by Petrie for a quick shot by Mooney. Save. Rebound, tucked in by Giampa. PPG – Giampa from Mooney and Petrie. 
4. Always a fan of nursery rhymes, Garrett “The Big Bad” Warren cranked a shot from the point toward the net. Soucy got his stick on the puck, redirecting the shot off of the goalie. Mooney was right there to poke the puck into the net. Even – Mooney from Soucy and Warren. (Note – Warren is in fact big, but he’s not bad. Just ask Santa.)
5. Once upon a dream a goalie went wandering across the frozen water on a winter’s night. He found a puck and he hit it with a piece of wood in his hands. Just then he awoke and there was Destani, in real life, and he stole the puck and put it into a wide open net. SHG – Destani unassisted (except for the pass from the goalie).
6. Pinkos took a loose puck at center ice and skated over the blue line with a rising sense of urgency. He fired a shot like he was mad at the back of the net. The puck smacked the twine and everyone skated on like that was exactly how it was supposed to go. Even – Pinkos unassisted.

 

 

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Game 41 of the season.

Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames.

December 28, 2024.

Ryan Frew Memorial Rink, Tri-Town Ice Arena, Hooksett, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 06 – 03 – 01  = 10
• Quincy Presidents: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 17 – 07 – 09 = 33
• Quincy Presidents: 04 – 03 – 04 = 11

Penalties:

1. Giampa – Tripping.

 

The 2010 Flames goals, rapid fire style.

1. Soucy from Warren and Destani. GWG.
2. St. Pierre from Santitto and Mooney.
3. Soucy from Destani.
4. Tic-Tac-Toe. St. Pierre from Giampa and Mooney. Beauty!
5. Santitto unassisted delivery, package marked “1 of 3”.
6. Booth from Ouellette and Soucy. Read the poem.
7. Pinkos ripped from Mooney and St. Pierre.
8. Santitto backhand delivery “2 of 3” from Soucy and Destani.
9. Santitto delivery complete “3 of 3”, from Pinkos. Hattie!
10. Warren, or nerraW, in the crease, from Mooney. This goal was scored with an opposite handed stick on the backhand. Which begs a question. “When playing opposite handed in a blowout hockey game are you allowed to shoot a backhanded shot?” I believe the answer is, “Sure”.

By the way, the throng of Quincy parents, families, and friends that I sat among were quite pleased with the way the 2010 Flames did not over the celebrate goals they scored. In fact, sometimes they didn’t even know there was a goal because there was no celebration.

They were also pleased that the “bigger and faster” kids didn’t crush their 12 and 13 year old town house league players. They noticed the multiple passes and turning down shot attempts as well. Well done Flames. My question would be whether or not I should have directed them to sit in their ‘team’ section. But they were fine right where they were. Plus a U.S. Marine Veteran can sit wherever he wants in my book.

 

 

 

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Game 42 of the season.

Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames.

December 28, 2024.

Ryan Frew Memorial Rink, Tri-Town Ice Arena, Hooksett, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 03 – 01 – 02  = 06
• NH Mountain Kings: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 15 – 11 – 10 – 36
• NH Mountain Kings: 03 – 07 – 03 – 13

Penalties:

1. Soucy – Roughing.
2. Warren – Hooking.
3. Soucy – Tripping.
4. Soucy – Slashing.
5. Booth – Roughing.
6. Ouellette – Cross-Checking.

 

Pre-game chatter had this being a one-sided game in favor of the team playing the tournament in their home rink. Then again, all sources aren’t credible. It was one-sided though.

1. The 2010 Flames won a defensive zone face-off when Destani won the puck directly to Ouellette. Ouellette shifted through his gears, hitting top speed before hydroplaning across the Merrimack. He fired a shot on goal that was saved, but Giampa was there to poke the puck into the net on the rebound. Even – Giampa from Ouellette and Destani. GWG.
2. Back on D, Booth broke up a play in the D zone. He got the puck to Ouellette who raced up ice stick-handling like he was expertly carving a Thanksgiving turkey. Then he deposited the biscuit into the basket. Even – Ouellette from Booth.
3. Nice play in the offensive zone on this one. Santitto kept the puck in the zone at the point. Instead of ripping the puck down the wall, he smacked a shot wide of the net into the corner where it couldn’t be blocked. Ouellette used some rugby skills acquired while vacationing in New Zealand, and won the puck before anyone else could touch it. Then he fired a pass, or shot toward the crease. Giampa who rented (Olivia co-signed) a studio apartment in the crease at Ryan Frew Memorial Rink over the weekend, was there to tap the puck into the net. Even – Giampa from Ouellette and Santitto. 
4. The Flames were on the power play when Destani deftly released a backhand shot on goal. The puck was turned away, but local tenant Giampa was there to bag his third goal of the game. The Hattie was worth half off of the rent for the weekend. PPG – Giampa from Destani.
5. This play I wrote in my notes as, ‘disjointed’. Soucy made a pass to Mooney on an attempted 2-on-1 break. Mooney’s attempted centering pass hit a defenders skate. Sending the puck into the high slot. Petrie was there but he saw the oncoming B Train rumbling through center ice. He cleared out and watched as Booth pulverized a shot that would be called a ‘swish’ in basketball. All net. Even – Booth from Mooney and Soucy. Shout out to Petrie for clearing out.
6. To cap the scoring, Pinkos took a shot that missed the net wide and slammed off of the boards. Warren got the rebound and centered a pass to Giampa who was sitting on his couch in the slot. You guessed it. Rent free weekend! Giampa netted his fourth goal of the game. PPG – Giampa from Warren and Pinkos.

 

 

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Game 43 of the season.

Three Titles – Winter Classic NH – 2010 Flames.

December 29, 2024. Championship Game.

Ryan Frew Memorial Rink, Tri-Town Ice Arena, Hooksett, NH.

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 02 – 03 – 00  = 05
• NH Mountain Kings: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 17 – 12 – 05  = 34
• NH Mountain Kings: 05 – 03 – 04 = 12

Penalties:

1. Booth – Roughing.
2. Giampa – Slashing.
3. Santitto – Head Contact.
4. Soucy – Tripping.

 

1. Destani made a pass to Santitto at the right point but pressure was coming so Santitto fired the puck to the opposite corner. Ouellette got to the puck and shot the puck toward the crease. The puck hit the goalies stick and ramped up and into the net. Even – Ouellette from Santitto and Destani. Championship Goal. 1-0.
2. St. Pierre pounded a slap shot that was blocked. Mooney happened to be right beside him and got the puck. He cranked a slap shot (it was 50 cent slap shot night) that went well wide. The puck bounced off the end boards to Petrie on the spot, who calmly netted a backhander. Even – Petrie from Mooney and St. Pierre. 2-0.
3. St. Pierre saucered (only a word in hockey) a pass to Mooney who obliterated a shot that Bob Uecker would have called, “just a bit outside”. The puck rimmed all the way around the boards like it was on it’s own little speedway. Soucy was at the point and he took the puck, stepped to the middle, and ripped a shot just inside the far-side post for the goal. Great shot. Even – Soucy from Mooney and St. Pierre. 3-0.
4. Ingalls started the play with a brilliant pad save. In doing so, he directed the puck to the corner where Soucy was working. Soucy hit Destani with a pass that set him free. With the wind at his back, Destani raced in on a breakaway, and he put the puck in the net. Beautiful sequence. Even – Destani from Soucy and Ingalls. 4-0.
5. The Flames scored their 27th goal of the weekend when Mooney sent a laser over the net, high. The puck hit the boards and the boards weren’t happy about it. Booth outworked everyone around him for the rebound and pushed the puck over to Mooney. Mooney stepped from the end boards with the puck and squeezed a shot between the goalie and the post for the goal. Even – Mooney from Booth.

 

The 2010 Flames entered the Championship Game with a 3-0 record. The Mountain Kings were, 2-1. The Flames had not allowed a goal, while the Mountain Kings had allowed, 1, 0, and 6 respectively.

As they say, there are no gimmes in sports. The games must be played. The Flames scored twice in the first period and three more times in the second. They were up, 5-0 on the scoreboard and had outshot their opponents, 29-8 through two periods.

The question was becoming whether the Flames would pitch a shut out for the entire tournament or not. I will say that the Mountain Kings did have some absolutely glorious scoring chances in this game. They probably should have scored at least twice. Then again, Ingalls and Rosenbeck had a lot to say about that. They combined for 12 saves on 12 shots to get the shutout.

In the tournament the 2010 Flames goaltenders were a perfect, 43 for 43, combined. Well done, guys.

It was the 3rd Winter Classic NH Title in 4 years for the 2010 Flames. Last year the Flames lost 1-0 in the semi-finals to the Biddeford Nor’Easters in the last two minutes of regulation.

 

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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.

 

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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.