Nobody expected this to be a close game, or even a competitive game, perhaps. Goffstown gave their best team effort of the season, and came up one goal short in a 2-1 loss to Merrimack on Monday night. It was a highly skilled display of high school hockey. And the Grizzlies, reminded me at least, that there is a huge difference between being all in or out.
The 2010 Flames split a pair of games over the weekend. They lost, 4-1 to Providence, and then beat Mt. Washington, 3-1 later in the day. I came away from the action with two recurring thoughts or themes for the action that day at West Side Arena.
Goffstown went to Keene to play against the Monadnock-Fall Mountain-ConVal Huskies in a MUST win game, against an opponent they should beat with a solid effort. The Goffstown hockey team got the win, 4-1, all while battling through details that seemed just a bit out of sync.
If always you were even or getting ahead and never did you ever fall behind
Would the miraculous invention and the splendid depth of self ever you find?
Nashua South Pelham scored on the power play to take a 1-0 lead. The Goffstown hockey scored the next four goals and willed their way to a very tough road win. Falling back is only maintainable if the fall back is followed by a come back.
On Saturday, the 2010 Flames lost 3-0 in a game where they piled up 39 shots on goal. Sunday, in Rhode Island, they were down 2-0 in the second period. Somehow they kept plugging away, and tied the game going to the 3rd, 2-2. Then with 3 minutes left to play they scored, and won the game, 3-2. This team, they just kept giving their best effort, right til the end. This is truly one of the aspects of this team that I enjoy the most.
The month of January saw hockey games rescheduled because of illnesses and also because of weather. Overall, the 2010 Flames played 9 games (lowest amount since 9 games in September) in January, and they had a record of 4-4-1.
Dover scored a shorthanded goal just 33 seconds into the game. And for me, the theme of the day started. Too easy. Either Dover is that good, or Goffstown just didn’t play up to their talent level. Because, for much of the game, it just looked too easy for the Dover Green Wave. The Grizzlies dropped the decision, 4-3.
The Goffstown hockey team fell behind early out in Rochester to a solid Spaulding team and the prospects of a come from behind win looked more like a fall further behind loss. Then the second and third periods were played. As it unfolded, Grizzlies slip past Spaulding, 4-3.