Last night things got very Kirky...in OUR barn.

I will keep this short and sweet. The Mooseheads lost to the Saint John Sea Dogs by a score of 5-4 in the shootout. Captain Alex Grant got the winner for the Sea Dogs. The Moose (Knotek, Cheremetiev and Gerrad Grant) all did the same move in the shootout. All failed epically (I'm looking at you GG).

The Moose scored on the power play, thrice in five, against a team with the best PK unit in the league (87.3%), and despite the fact that we rarely ever have a player park their ass in front of the net. Our PP is all about long unscreened shots, Knotek was back on the point. That may be why we have the third worst PP in the league at 16.2%. It makes me cry.

Moose power-play goals were scored by Yuri Cheremetiev (x2 with assists by Bona and Grant, then Bona and Knotek), and Graham Bona (Knotek). Gerrad Grant had an unassisted goal at even strength.

DiDo and Sparling had goals for the Sea Dogs but it was wee sprig Michael Kirkpatrick who stole the show (despite not getting a shootout goal). While I love Kirky with all of my 5 hearts I was mildly bitter that he assisted in our fall. I still cheered wildly for him when he got first star of the game for his 2 goals and 2 assists. Damn you Kirky!!! Here, have a cookie...but do not enjoy it (or else).

In case you were wondering, I have been assured by a friend from North Sydney that he is not a machine, but a normal human boy who has developed in normal human boy ways (except that he was possibly birthed with skates on his feet). It is because of his mad Kirky skillz that he was named QMJHL offensive player of the week.

Holy Trinity: Kirkpatrick, Despres, Charland

Corbeil faced 33 shots, Mayer faced 36; both allowed 4 goals. Sea Dog David Stich took one to the belly, and still managed to play the next shift. Now, THAT is a STUD. Who needs a goalie when you have Stich?

The first intermission interview was with Saint Bernard. He is delightfully charming, full of smiles and he can spell Cheremetiev. He would not sing for us but he managed to get in one of those Pender is stoopid jabs that I love so much. Apparently the puberty moustache is not his own doing...it is all Alex MacDonald's fault, therefore I do not fault him for not shaving it off for me. Grow a mighty tickler young Bernard, let it flow mighty and free.


News Links:
By Matthew Wuest (Metro):
Line-ups: Sea Dogs at Mooseheads
Game Notes: Sea Dogs 5, Mooseheads 4
Mooseheads lose a heartbreaker in Shootout

Chronicle Herald:
By Willy Palov: Moose Fall 5-4 in Shootout
By Daniel Bonner: Mooseheads' Cheremetiev on a scoring tear

Telegraph Journal:
Nathan White: Sea Dogs extend road win streak
Peter McGuire: Kirkpatrick's progress hard to overlook

Sea Dogs will make me happy

This afternoon the Mooseheads will be taking on the Saint John Sea Dogs at Harbour Station in Saint John. The Dogs are on a roll right now, having just decimated shiny magical Moncton goaltender king Nicola Riopel, by putting 5 past him on 33 shots, and ultimately defeating Moncton last night in a shootout .

Prior to that they were on the road in Quebec, the telus West tour, and unlike the Mooseheads who left Quebec with 4 losses, the Sea Dogs came home after 4 road wins, a motivational chat with Mike Fisher, and a delictable greasy meal reward of pizza and chicken wings.

Where the Mooseheads had no players participating on Canada's team (Yuri played for Russia) for the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, the Sea Dogs had four: Despres, Sauve, Grant and Anthony (in place for DiDomenico). Alex Grant was the player of the game for Canada, after Canada fell 4-3 to the Russians.

Right now the Sea Dogs are led in scoring by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Christopher DiDomenico, who has 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 20 games. My wee Caper sprig (Damn Caper-Dar), and favorite Sea Dogs forward Michael Kirkpatrick is leading the team in goals with 15 goals and 7 assists in 27 games; he is third overall in team scoring. Keven Charland is also up there with 19 points in 27 games.

New guy Alexei Dostoinov is fitting in really well, having just taken an injured DiDomenico's spot on the top line. The previously defective 20 year old forward Payton Liske has started to heat up as well, having recently earned a Q-offensive player of the week nomination following his efforts on the Quebec road trip.

Both Sauve and Despres are contributing more offensively this season, with Sauve now at 15 points (3G, 12A) in 22 games, and Despres leading the team in hits as well as tallying 1 goal and 13 assists in 27 games. Just this week past Simon was the Q's defensive player of the week. He also tops all Q players in Central scouting's most recent NHL draft list. Sea Dogs back-up goaltender Karel St-Laurent is 3rd in QMJHL draft eligable goaltenders.


Some stupid fans think the Moose could trade Logan MacMillan for Kirky +++ but those people are fools. The Dogs know what Kirky brings: goal scoring, defensive responsiblilty, excellent shadowy substance skillz, and he already fits in well with his team, chemistry wise. As a bonus he has another good 1.5- 2.5 years in the league (poor undrafted boy), unlike Logan who has only a half year remaining.

Moose vs Sea Dogs 30 minutes and counting. I do not have a boring life where I wait for hockey to happen...I am stuck on a microscope for hours on end, and in the meantime I can watch hockey. OK I admit it, I have a boring life, on a microscope, I am a total poindextress and I quit my goalie which makes me sad. Some life choices are painful and difficult, but better for you in the long run. I am currently -1 goalie friend and I have no goalie prospects lined up. I lose - but better goalieless than feeling like a fool on a daily basis...so I guess ultimately I win.

When the Fog rolls in...

I know I am slow. I was drinking last night so not only was I too drunkenly lazy to write a blog post, but I also did something stupidly regrettable. I had to recover from my shame before I could get around to posting.

So the Mooseheads faced off against the St John’s Fog Devils Montreal Junior last night and were defeated by a score of 4-1. Eric Louis-Seize (assisted by Gabriel O'Connor) had the lone goal for Halifax. Dion (2 goals), MacDougall, and Grenache found the back of the Mooseheads net for Montreal. Mark Yetman had the loss for Halifax stopping 23 of 27 shots and allowing one PP goal. The Mooseheads outshot the Junior 33 to 27.

Jake Allen was spectacular in nets for the Fog Devils turning aside 32 of 33 shots for the win. Let me just say that he was never that impressive last season when he was in town with the Fog Devils. He was, however, not doing a whole hell-of-a-lot of that famous Jake Allen puck handling. He did do one nice smooth pass to one of his teammates who was waiting on the Mooseheads side of the neutral zone. I also noticed that he only cuts the ice in front of the posts - how bizarre.

If Jake Allen would hug me like he hugs that post I would buy him some proper socks to match his gear.

How were the Moose? They were not defensively responsible. Rookie defenceman Ryan Matheson ended the night a -2, and he was left all alone in our zone trying to stop MacDougall on that second goal. Where the hell was everybody? I also have to wonder where everybody was on the fourth goal when Grenache was parked right in front of the net and waiting on a nice clean pass to get that goal.

Every time you fail to be defensively responsible in your own zone a Yeti dies. No wonder they are going extinct.

At least Logan MacMillan can win faceoffs. He was a machine, winning 17 of 27 faceoffs. I was very amused by his answer in the game day program: Q- What are his game day rituals? -Answer: I don't talk to Justin Pender. Yeah, I wouldn't want to catch a case of the IR Penders either. Also, MacMillan likes Polar bears. All together now - ahhhhhhhhh.

I just like this picture and needed an excuse to post it.

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News:
We added a new player to our protected list.
Matthew Wuest (metro): Game Notes: Junior 4, Mooseheads 2 (yeah that's a mistake)
Willy Palov (Chronicle Herald): Moose fall to Junior
Chris Cochrane (Chronicle Herald): Patenaude Answers the criticisms

This Cochrane article made me laugh milk out of my nose thusly :^::::::::::: (Thanks IPB)

While explaining his acquisition of European import Radek Vlasanek from Bathurst, for a sixth-round pick in 2010, Patenaude conceded he was baffled by negative public reaction to the deal.

Vlasanek, says Patenaude, is short-term help for a losing team that needs more veteran presence. He notes the Mooseheads can use such a player to help with the development of fellow import Tomas Knotek.

How can acquiring a big slow player with 22 points last season help a with the development of a fast skilled player who had 66 points in last year's regular season?

Patenaude also dismisses another criticism, a common one made here, that by adding another veteran on a rebuilding team it means more press box time for another prospect.

"If you go only young, it could be a mess and it’s not motivating for the coaches and not motivating for the players. And we have to respect the other players here. They want to have a good season too."

There is absolutely NO NEED to carry 25 players. We carry too many players and too many older players that are no better than our young rookies. YOU give ME a break. Dude, we are the oldest and suckiest team in the division. No really, here are the average ages of each team in the Atlantic:
Mooseheads = 18.269
Titan = 17.826
Sea Dogs = 18.0
Screaming Eagles = 18.217
Rocket = 18.167
Wildcats = 18.16

Dump the useless 19 year olds (sorry guys) and let the youngins learn from experience. OK now I officially sound like everyone else. Der.

Just to prove that I am not as stupid as the average fan I will point out some stupid things I saw last night. 1) One chick kept trying to take pictures with her camera right up against the glass and with her flash on. Every picture was white - she never caught on what was wrong. 2) During the t-shirt toss there was a person (adult) behind the net banging on the glass and wanting a t-shirt tossed in their direction. They were upset that they were not getting a shirt - look up stupid - yes, that's netting.

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Sea Dogs:

...are currently defeating the Montreal Junior by a score of 3-0. My Kirky has a goal. During their last game against PEI my Kirky had 2 goals. So far this season he has 6 goals and 3 assists in 11 games. I like my Kirky. I just want another excuse to link to this picture again - ohhh Diva.

Oh snap secret lovers!!!

Peter McGuire has written a pretty scathing criticism of the Saint John Sea Dogs performance for the first 10 games of the 2008-2009 season. The season has begun with a slow start of 4 wins and 6 losses. To top it off the Dogs have traded away tiny, two-way forward Francois Gauthier to pick up a larger ex-OHLer in 6'1" Kyle Page. Why does it seem that hard workers are not always appreciated as 20 year olds?

Beaulieu said Paige is a similar player to Gauthier, but brings more size than the five-foot-nine St-Jean-Chrysostome, Que., native.

I say boo-urns. Kyle will have to prove himself and make me love him.


Let's see what Mr McGuire has to say about some of my Harbour puppies:

Chris DiDomenico: He's as lazy as all get out at times and displays head-turning skills at others.

Michael Kirkpatrick: Here is a terrific example of how the game should be played. Hard-working, fearless, skilled and smart, Kirkpatrick will develop into a team leader.

*Q-girl does Kirky inspired Kicky dance which concludes when I throw cookies into the air like confetti*

Robert Mayer: To put it politely, not everyone thought he was the man. But suddenly, the 18-year-old signs a contract with the Montreal Canadiens and all appears rosy. Sorry, but he'll have to do more than put pen to paper to prove himself.

Payton Liske: The guy is six-foot-five but plays more like five-foot-five. Far too soft, especially for someone occupying one of the three coveted 20-year-old spots.

*...and yet they traded Gauthier*

Matthew Stoddard: So far this season, Stoddard is pointless in nine games and has a team-worst minus-6 rating. If this trend continues, (he) should prepare for a change of address.

Snap indeed. Someone in the media should have bitched out the Moose last year. They could have used a firm kick in the nads. I hope this gets the Dogs ire up and gets them working their butts off. They need to play like they are giving the opposing team a hate-fuck. What?