Today I... (Part 3)

[windycity]

Had three hours on ice at a daytime public session. Rink was pretty much empty. Last hour or so had to myself and was able to skate with stick and puck, laid a few cones out down one end to practice my driving wide and cutting to the goal crease; nothing major.

Some figure skating princess turned up and proceeded to pretend to own the rink. Went and picked up three or four cones and tossed them off to the side right in front of me, not a word said.

Said nothing at the time, because you can only come off second best with management in any altercation when it comes to using a stick and puck in a public session, which they're actually pretty good about when it's quiet,,but I'll reciprocate with princess or her mum at the right time. No time for rude people or rudeness.

Maybe next time I'll just skate around and around the circle at centre ice while she's doing her routine or some big figure eights across the width of the rink outside the blue line.

wow is that lame, princess indeed - please videotape your response and post here, I imagine it will be hilarious

 

[TheRedShadow]

. . . tied my skates too tight at LTP. I was suffering by halfway thru. And in 2 vs 2s me and my buddy got beat every time against much better skaters. One to chalk off as learning experience then.

 

[Goonzilla]

wow is that lame, princess indeed - please videotape your response and post here, I imagine it will be hilarious

Yeah, I'm always skirting wide of where they're at, not because of any dramas or congestion, but just as a common courtesy. Could just skate around, do my own thing and not care, which I'll do if I come across princess again.

Obviously just like you come across NHL pretenders from time to time, so too there must be Olympic figure skaters at every rink.

Maybe we chop the ice up a bit too much for their liking?

It's bad enough having to put up with their music.

 

[Royal Canuck]

Making my beer league debut tonight as a call-up.

Should be fun!

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Won the Midget B regional tournament today. The game went to overtime, and I made a huge mistake, as I tried to get past the forechecker at centre ice with a curl and drag move. The game then went to a shootout. Our goalie made the final save, and I was the next on the list to take the shot. It would've been cool to be in that situation, but our goalie won the game thankfully.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

Had first game of spring league and I played awful. 4 shots/1 assist in a 11-3 win.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Had first game of spring league and I played awful. 4 shots/1 assist in a 11-3 win.

Wow, what a blowout. You don't care if you played awful when you win with such a big margin.

 

[Cigar City]

Had an assist and a goal late in the third to pull us within one, then took a penalty* with 2:00 left. Lost 6-4. ****.

*Guy was coming in at an angle from the blue line and I had the angle on him. Poked the puck loose at the top of the circle, and he pinched my stick and glove with his elbow and plopped down right outside of the crease. Hooking. Ugh.

I thought I made a good play on the puck at the top of the circle and we both went down right outside the crease. Neither of us had an opportunity to get the puck back. I wouldn't have called it. Twas a good game, though.

 

[TheRedShadow]

. . . scored my first goal in rec hockey

On the forecheck. The other forward chased a defender behind the goal so I headed to cut him off coming out the other side. I intercepted the D's pass and stuck it in net.

 

[Goonzilla]

Good stuff. Always great to get the monkey off the back. First one seems to be the hardest to come by and more a sense of relief than anything. First goal ever, first for the season, new team or whatever.

Had the rink all to myself for a whole hour today. Costs a fair whack to rent it privately so made the most of the place being empty. Absolute bargain for just the price of admission.

 

[TheRedShadow]

Had the rink all to myself for a whole hour today. Costs a fair whack to rent it privately so made the most of the place being empty. Absolute bargain for just the price of admission.

I really like it when there's no people and no music so you can hear the sound of your skates

 

[SillyMe]

Setup a guy at the left wing offensive blue line with a backhand pass and darted to the right of the net, he set me up perfect as the Dman went to him...I was all alone streaking toward the right post....

Rang it off the postt!
Got some grief about that 1in the locker room!

Doh!

 

[Mikeaveli]

Yesterday my backyard finally dried up so today I'm setting up my shooting stuff again. My shot was pretty bad last season (1g in 18 games) so I'm going to try and practice every day.

 

[Sureshot]

I had a dream that I had to play goalie last night, with skater gear and no gloves. Not sure what that means...

 

[TheRedShadow]

I had a dream that I had to play goalie last night, with skater gear and no gloves. Not sure what that means...

It's the hockey equivalent of that dream where you're in your underwear in a public place

 

[Jarick]

Not today, but this week I bought a house. Next month I will close on it and then will be turning one of the basement rooms into a hockey/workout room.

Thinking about some of those dryland tiles to go with my shooting tarp.

 

[Maccas]

Well last night I had one of the weirdest sessions I've had since I started playing.
I've had a couple of weeks off from playing due to a short stint of working nights and last night was my first session back.
In this time my muscle memory has got selected amnesia and completely forgotten how to shoot. Worringly I don't just mean it's regressed a bit, it has literally disappeared. I changed sticks a couple of weeks ago and although my passing and stick control is much better my shot is now atrocious. I think I am going to have to start from basics again and just shoot a whole ton of pucks!
On the plus side though my defensive game was the best it's been in a long time, skating was smooth and I don't think I missed a single poke check all night. Made a couple of the opposing forwards very frustrated as I literally had them in my back pocket all session.

 

[keysersoze98]

I literally had them in my back pocket all session.

Your hockey pants have back pockets? Weird!

 

[Malarowski]

Hit the boards and broke my collarbone. Fun.

 

[Ozz]

Last night, first game of the new season in a new division, opponent no-shows. We talk one of the teams that just finished playing into staying to mess around w/us since we still had rink time, and it ended up in a fight because one of our guys is a damned idiot. He ended up quitting the team because we didn't agree that him throwing punches was reasonable for what went down, and there's just no talking sense into him. Oh well.

I'm on another team w/this guy and this is typical. The team he left last night was sick of him and is happy he's gone anyway, so it's all good. Just embarrassing to have happen from your group of guys, especially during a simple impromptu scrimmage.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

started loving you again.

 

[Goonzilla]

Today..

..is game day.

First proper outing with brand new sticks, have just retired all the wood. First composites I've had.

 

[Jisatsu]

Today..

..is game day.

First proper outing with brand new sticks, have just retired all the wood. First composites I've had.

I made that switch a few years ago when I came back to the game after a bad injury. It's a love hate relationship. The feel for stick handling with woodies is unreal, but the shots I get off with a one piece composite is worth it.

Today I went to stick and puck, as my Friday drop in games are officially over for the season. Used a couple 2 pieces, one with a woody blade. Felt awesome to stick handle with. I did better with my old mako Franken stick. Mako one piece cut down into a two piece, mako 2 blade, and warrior tapered plug in the end. I hate how much I love this ******* stick.

Sunday I have a game at 8am and 9pm. I get off work Sunday morning at 6am. Hope I can pull this off. Oh, and I'm giving a lesson Monday morning at 7am. I'm not looking forward to this weekend.

 

[Goonzilla]

I 'v definitely noticed the lighter weight and quicker release, as well as getting a little more flight with my slap shot, but it doesn't feel quite as crisp and there seems a little vibration in the shaft.

I had to upgrade as the old sticks were starting to show some real wear and tear, but I'm not sure I'm completely sold. With no wood available at this end, I didn't have much choice, but I may still order in and get a couple of Sherwoods to try out.

Old school or old fool, not sure which.

 

[ThisisBen]

Played my first organized game of hockey(shinny with full equipment and goalies) tonight after learning how to skate this past winter and working on my stickhandling/shooting.

It was exhilarating!

I've played semi-competitive ball hockey before so the sport isn't new to me, but playing on ice is a whole new beast and I regret not having played ice hockey at a younger age(24 now).

I was probably about middle of the pack in terms of skating ability/stick ability and I think the level of this pickup is about intermediate(with a few unselfish higher tiered players)and I played defense for most of the 2 1/2 hours. Made a few gaffes, got beaten a couple of times on D, made up for it with a few good D plays, had a couple of good passes that lead to goals, and tipped 3 passes just wide when I played forward.

My goal is to develop into a solid 2-way defenseman and to play in a high level adult league and I'm stoked to continue to improve my skating ability, defensive awareness/positioning, and stickhandling/shooting!