Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Following the Young Cats, and Mr. Jagr
Following
the Young Cats! And Mr. Jagr!
With only a handful of games
remaining before the All Star Break, NHL teams are assessing their
expectations for the remainder of the regular season. The Break
usually comes at a halfway point in the season; however, for a
variety of reasons, some teams have played well over that amount. The
Black Hawks play their 53rd game tonight, out of an 82
game season.
The Hawks were in Sunrise last
Friday on their Florida swing. They had lost to the Tampa Bay
Lightning, ending their 12 game winning streak. Former Belleville
Bull Richard Panik was in the coach's doghouse for oversleeping the
start of the morning skate, and he was relegated to the press box for
the evening. They had a total of nine shots on goal in the first two
periods. In the game against the Panthers, a real dagger came at the
end of the first period when Quinton Howden picked up a loose puck in
the Hawks zone, fired a harmless shot at Darling, and watched the
puck trickle over the goal line. With 2.1 seconds remaining in the
period. Ouch!!
Friday night was a difficult one for
the Blackhawks. They trailed the Panthers 4-0 at the end of the
second period. Coach Joel Quenneville pulled goalie Scott Darling at
the midway point in the third period to try to spark the offense.
More than 19 000 fans enjoyed every minute of the game.
With Coach Quenneville
The Panthers had been on a 12 game
winning streak before losing four in a row. The Hawks had duplicated
that streak. You could tell that both teams carried a certain winning
swagger, but it just wasn't in the cards for the Hawks that evening.
The Panthers rely heavily on the
play of Jaromir Jagr, and rightfully so. The question always arises:
How does he do it? How does this man who turns 44 in February
maintain his level of excellence? Damn hard work, I maintain.
In a chat with local reporter Dave
Hyde, Jagr spelled out some of his secrets: “The more I practice,
the more I play, the fresher I feel. To have a few days between the
games, it's not really helping me. I have to play every day. My
body's totally different than anybody else.” His fitness regimen
defies logic.
He works out four hours every day.
On or off the ice, he wears a 45 pound weighted vest. He also wears
ankle weights, either 2 ½ pound or 5 pound weights. He warms up
before games with a ten pound weight on his stick. He has always been
a fitness freak, starting at age 7 when he did 150 push ups and 1 000
squats every day!
He plays on a line with two of the
outstanding young players on the Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau and
Aleksander Barkov. They lead the team in scoring. A couple of other
products of the OHL also help with the team's effort. Erik
Gudbranson, who played for the Kingston Frontenacs, logs plenty of
time on the blue line, and keeps the opposition honest. He will drop
the gloves when required, and administers stiff body checks. His hit
on the Hawks' Teuvo Teravainen was replayed on the screen several
times, much to the delight of the rabble.
Of course, much of the credit for the Panthers' success is owed to Roberto Luongo. Enough said.
Aaron Ekblad, last year's rookie of
the year, is a product of the Barrie Colts. The team relies on him
more than on any other defenceman. He puts up good numbers, 19
points on ten goals in 42 games. But he also leads the team with a
remarkable plus 17, the plus/minus stat. A very smooth skater, he
sees the ice well, and plays far beyond his age. He will be 20 years
old in February.
The Hawks' Andrew Shaw was nicked
for stitches in the game, but returned to play. Why is that not a
surprise? I continue to be really impressed with rookie Artemi
Panarin. What a player! He led all rookies in the league with 45
points in the 48 games they had played up to that point. He is a bit
older, at 24, as opposed to the other young rookies. But he was playing, at age 16, in the highest Russian league, the KHL He
was signed by the Hawks last May, as a free agent. How in the world
did a player of such immense talent go undrafted? I will work on
that.
Enjoy all of the All Star
festivities. I spent a very late night recently watching Milos Raonic
at the Australian Open. Worth every penny!
Keep your stick on the ice! Serve
well!
James Hurst
sportslices.blogspot.com
January 26, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Florida Hockey-In Sunrise!
Florida
Hockey, in Sunrise
Last year's Rookie of the Year, Aaron Ekblad
In case you
have not been paying attention, there is a pair of pretty good hockey
teams in Florida.
The
Lightning play out of Tampa Bay, which is on the Gulf Coast side of
the state. The Panthers are located in Sunrise, virtually Fort
Lauderdale. No matter. I you happen to find yourself in the state,
you can locate yourself at one of these cities for more than 40 games
a year.
Consider the
latest offer from the Panthers: Four tickets, parking, four dogs,
four sodas---------$ 79.00! There are Toronto Maple Leaf single tickets
available at this price, and not the greatest seats. I know that
trying to get Leaf tickets is difficult in the Great White North.
This is an acceptable alternative. During play offs several years
ago, people flew to Sunrise to watch the games. The whole excursion
was cheaper than buying scalped tickets in the north.
The Panthers
are feeling the effects of that emotional roller coaster called
momentum. They recently chalked up their twelfth consecutive victory.
There was complete euphoria after every win. There was that feeling
that it just might go on forever. But everyone knew that just would
not be the case. There would be unlucky bounces, hot goalies,
unintended errors, injuries---that kind of thing that suddenly puts
the brakes on a streak.
All four of
the above-mentioned factors have reared their ugly heads. The
Panthers have lost their last four games, heading into Friday night's
contest against the Chicago Black Hawks. There will be many Canadian
bums in the seats for this one, especially friends of Andrew Shaw. He
hails from our neck of the woods, and I know at least a dozen of his
fans will be at the game.
Please note:
It appears on the television screen that there are plenty of unused
seats behind the benches. Those seats are paid for, and the occupants
may be in one of the exclusive clubs under the stands. They do peek
out during the playoffs. I fully realize they would be occupied in a
Northern arena. It is simply the nature of the beast.
Andrew Shaw, with his parents.
The Black
Hawks invade the BT&T Center tonight. They are coming off a loss
last evening in Tampa Bay, ending their twelve game winning streak.
Tampa Bay is also working on a sizable winning streak, so it was a
matter of push coming to shove. At least they will be able to enjoy
the Florida weather, somewhat superior to that in Chicago. Truth to
be told, it has rained significantly the past couple of days here.
With Robert Marvin Hull, in Chicago
The Panthers
are reeling from a four game winless streak. They have had a few days
off to readjust, and heal. They will play a couple of games, then
head into the All Star break. That does not last long. The home
stretch is long, and often debilitating. Too often does a team expend
significant energy just to make the playoffs, only to face a fresh
opponent. In that case, an early exit from the post season activity.
The trick is
to have a stronghold on a playoff berth long before the season ends.
That allows time to prepare for the post season, to mend nagging
aches and pains, to re-energize before the second season begins.
Every team knows the drill. It is just a matter of putting it in
place.
Stay tuned!!
January 22,
2016
sportslices.blogspot.com
Monday, January 18, 2016
Brampton Beast in Florida-201
The Brampton Beast flew into Fort
Myers a week ago to spend a little time in the Florida sunshine. They
left last Sunday with very light tans. Normal rainfall for the entire
month of January is less than an inch. Last week we had more than six
inches of rain, and a couple of tornados. So much for a week of fun
in the sun.
Bryan Pitton planned to do a little
fishing here. As Tod Lavender can attest, Pitton loves to fish. The
weather hampered that activity, although he did get to drop a line at
the end of the pier in Fort Myers Beach.
Bryan Pitton
Pitton played for the Dukes during
the 2004-2005 season, before moving on to the Brampton Batallion of
the Ontario Hockey League. Following his junior career, he has moved
up and down between the East Coast League and the American League,
with one year in England and another in the Central League. He began
this year with the Beast, and tore his calf tendon in his very first
game.
He has been rehabilitating since
that time, and was appreciative of the fact that the team brought him
to Florida for some sunshine. We spoke about his stint with the
Dukes, and his fondness for the community. He plans to visit this
coming summer.
Don't be surprised to see another
Beast goaltender in Prince Edward County this summer. Jordan Ruby got
the nod for the weekend games against the Florida Everblades. The
Beast are in last place in the Eastern Division of the ECHL, with
thirty points. The Blades stand first, with 57 points. Ruby played
well in both games, especially on Saturday night. He was beaten in
overtime, as the Beast fell 2-1, and flew home with one point out of
the three games played in Estero.
Jordan Ruby
The Beast had a short bench last
Wednesday, and signed another former Duke, Joe Zarbo, to the roster.
Zarbo played Friday night. He started the season with the Evansville
Ice, moved on to Colorado, where he had ten points in 23 games. Zarbo
played for the Dukes in the 2009-2010 season, before heading off to
Clarkson University.
Another player with a local
connection is Luke Pither. He began his hockey career with the
Bowmanville Eagles of the OPJHL, then spent time with Kingston,
Guelph, Belleville, and Barrie in the OHL. Pither has posted 20
points in 24 games with the Beast.
Chris Auger spent three seasons with
the Dukes before heading to the University of Massachusetts at
Lowell. He is now in his fifth year of professional hockey. He is one
of the scoring leaders for the Beast with 23 points in 33 games.
Yet another former Duke played last
week in Estero. Anthony Peters had a proverbial “cup of coffee”
with the Dukes in 2006-2007. He now plays for the Florida Everblades.
Thus, two former Dukes faced each other on the weekend. Peters has
played very well for the Blades, winning 16 games with 8 losses, and
a sparkling 2.11 goals against average. He attended St. Mary's
University in the Maritimes after his OHL career. He played seven
games for the Rochester Americans last year.
Peters added a little extra to his
team's overtime win Saturday night by assisting on the winning goal!
It was Canadian night in Estero. They sang the anthem, (which they
had neglected on Wednesday night). They served up buckets of Labatt's
beer, and they even smothered fries with that horrid mixture of gravy
and cheese. Did someone order poutine? The anthem was sung by Cory
Marquardt, a country singer from North Bay. His brother Matt is the
captain of the Blades, and one of their scoring leaders.
Fans lining up to paint the ice
After Fridays game, fans were invited to paint the ice. Seriously. It makes one helluva mess; however, it apparently does not affect the vision of the players. There was a long lineup to get the painting started; otherwise, I would have slapped a “Go Dukes Go” in some obvious section.
After Fridays game, fans were invited to paint the ice. Seriously. It makes one helluva mess; however, it apparently does not affect the vision of the players. There was a long lineup to get the painting started; otherwise, I would have slapped a “Go Dukes Go” in some obvious section.
Oh, Canada!
James Hurst
January 18, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
It's Basketball Time, Baby!
The Florida
Gulf Coast Eagles opened their Atlantic Sun Conference season with a
flourish last Saturday with a 29 point win over the Stetson Hatters.
The margin of victory was not expected, although the Eagles were
expected to win.
They came
out of the gate strongly, leading 32-14 with six minutes remaining in
the first half. From that point on, they simply played fundamental
basketball, taking advantage of the Hatter errors, playing soundly to
half time.
At the half
way point, the Eagles were shooting a remarkable 71% from the floor.
Stetson, on the other hand, shot 21% from the floor. Time after time,
Stetson shooters were thwarted under the basket. Demertis Morant had
five blocked shots in the first half. Zach Johnson led the Eagles
with 11 points at half time, and finished the game with 17 points.
Zach Johnson, with David Moulton
For your
information, I sit in a media row under the basket. Directly behind
me, there is a section of about 1 000 quite rabid Eagles' fans. They
believe it is their group responsibility to cheer on their boys, but
also to unnerve the opposition if the opportunity arises. Here are a
few examples, in loud unison chants;
When the
score was 27-7, and the Hatters could not do anything right, the
rabble chanted, “Single digits!”.
When there
was 13:21 left on the clock, they shouted, “Warm up the bus!”. (I
was reminded of the hockey fans at Oswego, New York, when the game
was out of reach. They quietly removed their car keys from their
pockets and rattled them, to signal the bus driver to get moving. The
Habs fans start that obnoxious “Na na na na business”.)
Adding even
more insult to injury, with 6:18 left in the game, they sarcastically
chanted, “Let's go Hatters!”
And with
three minutes left, the old...”If you're winning and you know it,
clap your hands! That would be followed by much applause. Then “If
you're losing and you know it clap your hands!” And that, of
course, was followed by silence.
The point of
the matter is that it is great entertainment, both on and off the
court.
The Hatters
were led by 5' 11” Divine Myles, a slashing point guard. He drove
the lane several times, fearlessly, with some good results. He wore a
fashionable orange Mohawk stripe, and could handle the ball as well
as anyone on the court. A sophomore, he hails from Mobile, Alabama.
Another key performer on the Hatters was a freshman from Beverly
Hills, California, Derick Newton. Each had 11 points. They had one
player, Kevin Ndahiro, listed on their roster from Ottawa. He did not
dress for this game.
The Head
Coach of the Hatters knows the game. Corey Williams played his
college ball at Oklahoma State, and broke into the NBA with the
Chicago Bulls, winning the title in 1993. He also played for the
Minnesota Timberwolves before embarking on an extensive coaching
career.
With less
than two minutes left in the game, Coach Joe Dooley of the Eagles
sent out replacements. Two freshmen, walk-on players at that, scored
their first career points, erupting the crowd and the bench. Even the
stars on the home team are thrilled when the men from the trenches
get to share the sunshine. Great teams also play better when the
non-starters make them work hard during practices.
The Eagles
play twice this week at home: same great crowds, more than 4 000,
cheerleaders, dancers, baton twirlers, mascots....all the hoopla!
College
Basketball! Working to March Madness!
James Hurst
January 12,
2016.
Monday, January 04, 2016
World Junior Disappointment 2015-2016
Many of us have done our share of whining after the
Canadian loss in the World Junior Championships in Finland Finland Finland
It turned out to be quite a close game, but one that the
Canadians could have won. Perhaps their greatest downfall was their lack of discipline.
They took several unnecessary penalties, and some of those were downright
selfish. There was no thought given to how the play would affect the team.
On one occasion, at a critical time in the third period,
there was a skirmish near the Finnish goal. There was some pushing and shoving
as there often is in those circumstances. Referees stand by to see if anyone
steps over the line. Sure enough, a Canadian player threw a meaningless
retaliatory punch at the Finn. Canada
On another occasion, a Canadian player was in a
legitimate struggle for the puck as he and the opponent fell to the ice.
Ideally, if the Canadian kid lets go of the stick, he avoids the penalty. No such luck. And to go from bad to worse on
the same play, he skates up the ice and whacks the stick of another Finn.
Consequently, he received two minor penalties. The Finn was holding the stick
ever so softly, and let it go as soon as it was touched, raising his hands to
show that he had been violated. Embellished, I would say.
Authorities need to look at that situation a little more
carefully. It is one thing to two-hand an opponent across the wrists, yet
another to tap a stick. If the stick breaks, I can see a penalty. But even the
sticks they use today sometimes break easily, often at critical times.
Another call that irks me slightly is a charging call
when there is no charge. The authorities use the expression, “he left his
feet”. Basketball players stand under the basket, waiting for rebounds. If a
shot is missed, they leave their feet. There is no charging involved. In the
game against the Finns, a smaller Canadian jumped to check his opponent. He was
standing beside the Finn. But because he left his feet, he was penalized.
Hogwash!!
On several other
occasions, Canadian players shouted at officials, and at the Finns, at times
almost taunting. That indicates a lock of focus. Some of my friends are putting
the onus for this on the coaches. I agree, but only to a certain point.
Because the players are selected from leagues across the
country, they get together to practice for a very short time before the
tournament begins. Coaches do not have a lot of time to work with them, to
mould them into a cohesive unit. There is a lot of individual play at these
tourneys, not always productive. There
were many occasions when a good crisp pass would have been better than a weak
shot on goal. Players tended to hold on to the puck too long.
Players know that they are in the spotlight, and that
their play in these tournaments will affect their ranking when it comes to the
NHL Draft, the big prize for every player. Several players had already been
selected. Some are now playing in the NHL, and the Canadian team could have
used their services. Connor McDavid? Aaron Ekblad? Just to name a couple who
still meet the requirements to play in a Junior Tournament.
There are several players on other teams who will come
back to their teams in the Canadian Hockey league. More than 60 players fall
into that category. You could say we train them well, so they could beat us!
Russians and Finns in the final. No love lost there!
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
