I know I have not written much of late. I guess my groin injury is my current excuse for lack of goals.
Tonight's Leaf win has me in a good enough hockey mood to reflect back a couple nights to my four goal game. It was fun. The groin was tender but I was probably going at about 80%. Also there was a short bench which is when I always score more. If there are more people at a game I have a tendency to play more defense and let others score goals.
Sunday I started with a fun one from behind their net; I bounced it off the back of the goalies pad on purpose. Oh ya! I had a breakaway goal where I did that hotdog move where you go one way with your body and the other way with the puck with only one hand on the stick. Goalies hate that but I have to say...I love it. I had a two on one where I faked the pass and shot across the goalie glove side top shelf. (someone asked me after the game how I do that. I have been practising my accuracy lately on my shooting and of course that brings confidence) When I got home I thought I only had three goals but I watched some hockey highlights, saw an empty net goal and remembered that I raced the goalie to a puck on the boards, beat him to it and slapped it in. Not too proud of that one.
All in all a pretty fun game. Training is helping my endurance for sure. With a short bench I still find I have something left at the end of the game. Good day at the gym today. Win Win. (me AND the Leafs!)
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Another fun Sunday night
I will do just about anything so that I don't miss any of my weekly hockey games. Tonight was no exception as I postponed some work to another day so I could play. No regrets. Fun game as per usual. I think the only goal I got tonight (yes, I occasionally can't remember how many goals I got or if I scored at all) was a bad pass from their defenseman from behind their net. (always go up the boards!)
As I continue to work on trying to slow down the game in my mind I did have some success on one play where by slowing down and widening my peripheral vision I saw the trailing winger coming down the middle as I deked through the slot. I put a little drop pass through my legs right on his stick and he scored with a one-timer.
Another thing that I am working on is trying to change speeds as I enter their zone with the puck. This is working well and I often slow down, bounce it off the boards and then beat them to the puck.
I tried my fave hotdog move where I shoot with my stick through my leg. Luckily I didn't score on that one tonight as my pal the goalie said I would have had to walk home if I put that one in. Ha!
As I continue to work on trying to slow down the game in my mind I did have some success on one play where by slowing down and widening my peripheral vision I saw the trailing winger coming down the middle as I deked through the slot. I put a little drop pass through my legs right on his stick and he scored with a one-timer.
Another thing that I am working on is trying to change speeds as I enter their zone with the puck. This is working well and I often slow down, bounce it off the boards and then beat them to the puck.
I tried my fave hotdog move where I shoot with my stick through my leg. Luckily I didn't score on that one tonight as my pal the goalie said I would have had to walk home if I put that one in. Ha!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Slump
Sometimes when you start a blog like this you have to keep writing even if you are not feeling it. My current slump on the ice is leading to such a moment.
Last night I really didn't contribute much. I actually forgot that I even scored a goal until we got to the dressing room after and someone brought it up. It was a giveaway from behind their net and I was all alone for a quick deke to my backhand with a little kickout. This is my "go-to" move for sure. I can get it up really fast and it can be hard to stop even though you know it's coming.
It occured to me on the way home last night on my bike-ride how weird it is to keep an individual hockey blog when hockey is totally a team game. I can't answer to that. I had an urge to put hockey into words (rap lyric?) and so I did, and do.
The one redeeming play last night was an assist I got. I have mentioned in previous posts about how I am trying to slow down my mind while I keep moving at a decent pace. I had the puck in a bit of a scrum in front of the net; held on to it for quite a while and made a backhand saucer pass to my winger on the other side of the crease. He scored and said, "I couldn't believe you did that." This felt good and made the whole night feel like a bit of a personal victory. We actually lost the game but it IS just shinny after all.
Last night I really didn't contribute much. I actually forgot that I even scored a goal until we got to the dressing room after and someone brought it up. It was a giveaway from behind their net and I was all alone for a quick deke to my backhand with a little kickout. This is my "go-to" move for sure. I can get it up really fast and it can be hard to stop even though you know it's coming.
It occured to me on the way home last night on my bike-ride how weird it is to keep an individual hockey blog when hockey is totally a team game. I can't answer to that. I had an urge to put hockey into words (rap lyric?) and so I did, and do.
The one redeeming play last night was an assist I got. I have mentioned in previous posts about how I am trying to slow down my mind while I keep moving at a decent pace. I had the puck in a bit of a scrum in front of the net; held on to it for quite a while and made a backhand saucer pass to my winger on the other side of the crease. He scored and said, "I couldn't believe you did that." This felt good and made the whole night feel like a bit of a personal victory. We actually lost the game but it IS just shinny after all.
Friday, November 7, 2014
End of a pretty good streak
Well, this hockey blog thing may not last. Yes, I know this is only the second post but I had a pretty mediocre game today. Of the six or seven goals our team scored I think I was on the bench for most of them.
I certainly didn't continue with my hat trick streak. I did get one lucky one which made me feel a bit better. I was trying to pass it to someone in front and it got deflected by the other team.
I don't know what the score was because in this particular game we are less likely to keep score. I think maybe I was trying a bit too hard today. That certainly doesn't help you slow down your mind in a zen-hockey kind of way. I was aware of that while I was playing and tried to improve upon it. I was on the receiving end of a number of 2 on 1s. They were all quite high speed and I just couldn't seem to get my stick on the puck in the crease. (it is always a bit nerve wrecking going that fast towards the goal posts!)
For what its worth I enjoyed my bike ride to the rink but was pretty tired on the way home (even snowed a bit!) We played a half hour extra today and that makes for a supreme workout if you include the biking. I am feeling it now.
One other minor note that I will follow up on again is that my new skates are truly amazing. I feel I can skate so much faster and in control now. However, I am dealing with cold sore feet each game. I know a young man who plays Double AA hockey and when I told him that he said his feet hurt too. Not exactly a well controlled experiment.
I certainly didn't continue with my hat trick streak. I did get one lucky one which made me feel a bit better. I was trying to pass it to someone in front and it got deflected by the other team.
I don't know what the score was because in this particular game we are less likely to keep score. I think maybe I was trying a bit too hard today. That certainly doesn't help you slow down your mind in a zen-hockey kind of way. I was aware of that while I was playing and tried to improve upon it. I was on the receiving end of a number of 2 on 1s. They were all quite high speed and I just couldn't seem to get my stick on the puck in the crease. (it is always a bit nerve wrecking going that fast towards the goal posts!)
For what its worth I enjoyed my bike ride to the rink but was pretty tired on the way home (even snowed a bit!) We played a half hour extra today and that makes for a supreme workout if you include the biking. I am feeling it now.
One other minor note that I will follow up on again is that my new skates are truly amazing. I feel I can skate so much faster and in control now. However, I am dealing with cold sore feet each game. I know a young man who plays Double AA hockey and when I told him that he said his feet hurt too. Not exactly a well controlled experiment.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
More hat tricks!
Tonight I have an urge to write about my shinny hockey adventures. I am not totally sure why. I know
it is partly because I have been on a bit of a scoring streak. The funny thing is that no one will care about this other than me. I was pretty excited to pop my third goal in tonight to continue on my hat trick streak.
As I went out the door to my regular Sunday game my son said "get another hat trick Dad." I looked at the clock near the end of the game and knew I probably only had one or two shifts left to get a third goal and keep the streak going. Generally I enjoy setting up other people's goals as much or more than scoring. This time I left the bench as fast as I could skate. I stole the puck and flipped it it off the boards at centre ice. I won the race and had a breakaway. I often fake left and go right with a high backhand and this was no exception. I remember regretting this decision mid deke as the goalie stopped me once earlier in the game with the same move. This time I beat him.
I am at five or six hat tricks in a row. I think in the type of pickup hockey that I play; a hat trick (three goals) is the equivalent of one goal. My reason for this is that our final scores are often quite high. Tonight was typical; we won 9-8. I am still pretty happy to get one third of the goals and there were eight of us on our team tonight plus a goalie.
I have been working on my mental game in the last couple weeks. Trying to slow down my mind while I keep skating as fast as possible. I think I have made small steps towards this and hope to keep working on it. Stay tuned.
it is partly because I have been on a bit of a scoring streak. The funny thing is that no one will care about this other than me. I was pretty excited to pop my third goal in tonight to continue on my hat trick streak.
As I went out the door to my regular Sunday game my son said "get another hat trick Dad." I looked at the clock near the end of the game and knew I probably only had one or two shifts left to get a third goal and keep the streak going. Generally I enjoy setting up other people's goals as much or more than scoring. This time I left the bench as fast as I could skate. I stole the puck and flipped it it off the boards at centre ice. I won the race and had a breakaway. I often fake left and go right with a high backhand and this was no exception. I remember regretting this decision mid deke as the goalie stopped me once earlier in the game with the same move. This time I beat him.
I am at five or six hat tricks in a row. I think in the type of pickup hockey that I play; a hat trick (three goals) is the equivalent of one goal. My reason for this is that our final scores are often quite high. Tonight was typical; we won 9-8. I am still pretty happy to get one third of the goals and there were eight of us on our team tonight plus a goalie.
I have been working on my mental game in the last couple weeks. Trying to slow down my mind while I keep skating as fast as possible. I think I have made small steps towards this and hope to keep working on it. Stay tuned.
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