Sunday, February 1, 2009

Trapped in the basement

Four points down into that basement. I suddenly don't feel all that bad about losing to Val d'Or, since the Moncton Wildcats also lost to them, 4-2. So the Foreurs are now 4 points up on the Mooseheads. Whatever, they are the ones who have to live in Val d'Or; they suffer enough.

The Mooseheads headed to Noranda to take on the Huskies last night, and were shut out AGAIN, 3-0. This is the fourth time they have been shut out this season. The Moose were also shut-out by Drummondville, Quebec and PEI. Live and learn.

I am OK with another loss because the guys looked feisty, but am disturbed because a shutout for the Huskies makes Lafleur look and feel all fancy with his 22 saves. He is NOT that fancy.

Travis Randell (F) and Scott McDonald (D) were sitting out. I am not sure if they were healthy scratches, but Randell has been scratched for two games now. If he is sick**, I may have gotten whatever he has from listening to his colour commentary. I don't feel so great, and I have no one here to take care of me. I have been abandoned by my boyfriend. Randell has received a single temporary cookie for his colour commentary and his kicky Newf accent.

There are game photos to be seen.

Stuff:
1) I did not catch most of the game, and cookie distribution is difficult when the team gets shut out, but my gut tells me that Charles Bety is my man for last night. In what little bits of the game I did see, he was skating fancy and working hard. He should share them with Amyot for his stick checking skills.

2) I don't know why Cam pulls the goalie when we are down by two goals. I mean, I know WHY... but I don't know why. If this team can't get a goal 5 on 4, why the hell does anyone think they are going to get a goal 6 on 5 (let alone two goals), with more guys clogging up the shooting lanes. Has it happened at all this year? Have they ever gotten that last minute goal? I know that at least one of those times the Moose DID NOT ALLOW an empty net goal.

3) Not only does the power play suck (now at 14%) but the team gave up ANOTHER short handed goal last night. Pender lost the puck at the blueline. Their 36 power play goals this year are offset by having allowed 12 short handed goals.

4) Yetman did redeem himself last night, allowing only 2 goals in 25 shots (only 4 dangerous).
Mark is more than adequate in the shootout --> stopping 15 of 20 shots, but he is not so hot when facing a breakaway. It is practically the same thing, but the end result is drastically different. What is the mental disconnect? Maybe he is facing lots of breakaways (true) and stopping 75% ( most likely not) but I am just not keeping track.

5) There were three fights. It was fisticufftastic: Boland vs Lossier, Pender vs Bérubé, and Bahm vs Lossier. I only saw the Bahm fight - he is delightfully scrappy.

6) Sergey Ostapchuk had all three goals for the Huskies. Brad Yetman had an assist. Big brother Yetman gets a grade of only 50% because he allowed Brad to get points.

7) Moose were 0/3 on the PP. Huskies were 1/7. At least the Penalty kill was good, but the Moose have to be more disciplined. They can't kill 6 of 7 on most good days.

8) Jessyko Bernard and Linden Bahm are still throwing their weight around, but the rest of the team have slowed down.

9) Some Anonymous Brad Yetman fan/secret lover/zombie-dick sucker from St. John's claims that I fail at life. I don't disagree. He simply does not know how hard I fail at life! He, however, may also fail at some aspect of life since it took him ~ 5 hours, between the time he discovered my post and the time he decided to comment, to come up with his witty remark. I assume it takes most Newfs at least 5 hours to string together one properly spelled sentence.*

10) My poor team is spending superbowl Sunday in a bus. What an unfortunate situation. Boys like football, right?

11) Stransky has stopped getting goals. His production has become inconsistent either because he is being shut down, he has finally caught Moose fever, or Cam won't keep him with some functional linemates. In any case, he is a true Moosehead now.

12) Sorry Moose, but I can't lie to you. Your coaches confuse me and make my head hurt.

13) Six game losing streak. Next game --> Montreal Junior.

* I am not prejudice against Newfs. I can't be. I'm from Cape Breton.
** Randell has a sprain. This thing in my throat is definitely not a sprain.

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