-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

Over And Dover – January 4, 2025

The Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey team controlled the game early. Kind of. They took a lead and held it for more than 30 minutes of game time. Then the missed chances throughout the game compounded, over and Dover.

 

 

 

Someone asked me about the Dover game. And my first response went something like this. This was a game that Goffstown could have won, 4-1. But somehow lost it, 3-1. No disrespect to Dover or even to the Grizzlies. Even the officials mentioned that they thought the game was going to go in an entirely different direction based on the play early in the game.

Coming off a Christmas Tournament where the Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey team won 2 out of 3 against D1 teams, with wins over Bedford and Bow, the Grizzlies were poised to make a statement against an ever solid Dover squad.

Bottom line is that the Grizzlies didn’t bury a few real good looks early on. Dover just kept being Dover. Forechecking over and Dover. Making Hockey 101 plays over and Dover.

The penalty shot awarded midway through the final period was a tough one to take. Personally, I thought it was a decent call. Kyle Behan was in all alone and got a decent shot off against Kyle Bennett. Bennett made the save, but a diving Owen St. Onge had tripped Behan on his headlong diving stick swipe.

 

 

Watching the penalty shot, you could clearly see Behan had no diving player to contend with, and he got a much better shot away, which was perfectly placed above Bennett’s right shoulder for a goal. Basically, a penalty shot can still be awarded even if a player gets a good shot on net. Even while being tripped. If the referee determines that the trip significantly impeded a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway…see the penalty shot for comparison.

A few minutes later the Grizzlies had a power play opportunity that went their way, except for the saves that JP Alander made while Goffstown peppered the net with shots. As the power play ended and Alander made his final ridiculous save of his highlight reel sequence, the Grizzlies had all 5 skaters at the dots or below. Not good.

Alander save. Logan Delisle grabbed the puck and made a simple, short lead pass to Grant Davis. Davis took off. Grizzlies in front of Davis? One. Kyle Bennett. Breakaway, shot, score. Over and Dover leads, 2-1.

Cooper Chapman hooked Nick Carrier en route to another semi-breakaway opportunity. The Green Wave went on the power play with 3:19 left to play. Seconds later Austin Campbell sent a puck from the D zone corner off the side of his own net. Zack Grigg was right there to push the puck between Bennett’s skate and the post for the power play goal. Dover won the game, 3-1.

 

 

I look at the Grizzlies and I see a roster loaded with capability. Speed. Quickness. Skill. Depth. A never die attitude. And other assets yet to be molded or uncovered.

Structurally, they have been very suspect. Taking themselves out of position to make a big hit and watching from a distance as a puck goes into the back of their net. Or pinching in at the wrong time only to allow odd man rushes and breakaways. Or having all five players below the dots, without the puck.

Over and Dover the forecheck gave the Grizzlies troubles breaking the puck out of their own end. Is it an easy fix? Probably. What did the body language and futility tell me in the context of two teams contended for the same inches of ice needed to conquer to win a hockey game? It said to me that Goffstown didn’t want to, or know how to, work that hard to get the result they had in mind. Just a perspective.

On the other hand, Goffstown entered 2025 with a collective 25-14 advantage on the scoreboard, going 4-2 in December. In my opinion their foundation has largely been built on home run hitting hockey. Meaning, scoring on one man rushes and then dishing the puck or scoring themselves. While that is awesome to do consistently, it can be costly if all the times that the approach doesn’t work the team suffers goals against and lengthy defensive zone pressures that really shouldn’t be there.

Goffstown led this game for way more than they were even or trailed. It started with a beautiful first period tally for the Grizzlies. Everyone but Dover thought would be more of these results.

1. 1st 4:27 – A rush from Gavin Diodati into the O zone led to a pass from behind the net by Zack Tarrier out to the side of the slot to Dylan Ellbeg. Ellbeg alertly spotted Diodati wide open to his left, in front of the net. Ellbeg delivered a pass to Diodati for a tap in goal into a wide open side of the net. Excellent pass play to set up the goal. Even – Diodati (2) from Ellbeg (3) and Tarrier (7). 1-0. 

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies vs. Dover Green Wave.

Sullivan Arena, Goffstown, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game Seven.

Saturday, January 4, 2025.

 

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 01 – 00 – 00 = 01

Dover Green Wave: 00 – 00 – 03 = 03 

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 07 – 10 – 06 = 23

Dover Green Wave: 03 – 10 – 12 = 25

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• B. Bennett – 2:00 – Charging.
• St. Onge – 2:00 – Tripping. Penalty Shot Goal.
• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Hooking. PPGA.

Goffstown was 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Green Wave were 1-for-2.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (So.) made 22 saves on 25 shots (.880).
• Dover Green Wave – JP Alander made 22 saves on 23 shots (.957).

 

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You can find news, video, updates, and all kinds of interesting tidbits involving Goffstown Grizzlies hockey here, Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey.

 

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The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the leagues, schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do. Either way, you would have to ask them directly.