After a grueling 6-2 win last night, the Soviets were given the day off from coach Sergei Fedorov and got an early start on their All Star break.
"I figured there was no reason to push 'em hard today, they played hard last night," the three time Stanley Cup Champion and six time NHL All Star player-turned-coach said. "I think at 4-2-1 we can rest up for a few days, and get back to action next Thursday to take a crack at only undefeated team left in our division."
Not all of the Comrades will be getting that rest though, as four Red Army players were voted into the All Star game this weekend in New York City. Goaltender Andy Schram, defenseman Ben Breiterman, and The Beege were all voted into the starting lineup, while Pat King narrowly missed the starting job, but received enough votes to make the team.
"It's exciting," Breiterman said. "This is my fifth straight All-Star game, but they never get old. And it being in NYC, oh man, I'm going to have a lot of fun."
"We're going up in a private jet on Friday night," Schram said when asked about the travel arrangements. "We're going together, the four of us, and we were going to drive to save money, but we were just told that we get bonuses for making the All-Star team, so we piled our money together to have a private jet for the weekend. People may think that we're only going to use it for the two flights from Dulles to JFK and then JFK to Dulles, but I plan on getting at least four late night Wendy's runs in with that bad boy when it's two AM and I am craving a bowl of her finest chili."
Aside from the game, which is scheduled to be played at 1:00 PM on Sunday afternoon, there will also be a skills competition on Saturday. The Beege and Breiterman are both competing in the hardest shot competition, with The Beege also scheduled for the breakaway challenge. Pat King is competing in two events, the fastest skater and deflection contest.
"I'm the reigning champ in the deflection contest, so I'm pretty psyched about that," King said. "Steady hands and focused eyes, that's the trick. I know the judges are going to want to see some style, so I'm thinking about trying to go through the legs, but I remember last year when a guy on the Shockers went for that and he got hit right in the uter."
The most talked about event year in year out though is the breakaway challenge, and The Beege has some big shoes to fill. His older brother Mark is the fifteen time reigning champion and couldn't attend his 16th consectutive All Star weekend because he didn't get enough votes.
"I've asked him for some of the new moves he was working on," The Beege said. "But he won't hand them over. He's been pretty angry that he didn't get voted in, and he was really excited about unveiling his newest move. Last year's canopener backhand to the roof while in two left skates was pretty sickening, but my favorite was still his 1998 'girls and goalies go down, I go up' which of course he received a lot of flack for using prostitutes as props, or propstitutes as he continues to refer to it as."
But no brotherly advice this time around?
"No, and I saw him working on the blueprints for his latest move, but he won't show it. I did catch the title, which was 'Glove Mekhi Phifer hole'. So, yeah, I'm as clueless as you are."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Smells Like...Victory
The Red Army skated themselves to a convincing 6-2 win Tuesday night over the Cryptic Stench in a game that had everything. There were highlight reel goals, highlight reel hits, and potentially even a Gordie Howe hat trick.
"It was a Gordie Howe hat trick, right?" The Beege asked reporters after the game. "I mean, I think that might count as a fight. I went in and took the guys off of Mark, then we started going at it."
The Beege was referring to a scrum that happened as time expired at the end of regulation in the Cryptic zone. With a few seconds remaining, Mark Hendricks skated the puck into the zone slowly, dragging time off the clock with no intention of scoring. He was met in the corner by two Stench players and the two defenders began taking liberties on the star winger. The Beege grabbed hold of one of the players and pulled him off of his older brother, inciting a brief melee between him and a Stench defenseman. The two tangled and wrestled on the ground in the corner.
But a fight?
"I'm not sure," Ben Breiterman, who finished with a goal and two assists, said. "I've seen some fights in my day, and that was good of Beege to go in there, but I'm not sure I would have classified that as a fight. Mark and his partner fought, at least they got some punches in even if the gloves weren't dropped, but I don't know if I'd give Beege the Gordie Howe."
Before things reached the boiling point though, there was some good Soviet hockey played. Captain Steve Hand started the scoring late in the first period when he was the benefactor of a slick Neal Hendricks pass. The younger Hendricks twin finagled a deft pass from behind the net right to the Captain, and he converted from in tight.
"It was like the monkey was off of our back," Hand said. "We couldn't buy a goal for so long. But as Brooks says, if you want money, go to the bank. If you want laughs, go to MacGruber, and if you want goals, go to the net."
On the defensive front, Andy Schram played his most impressive game of the campaign thus far as he steered every shot he faced aside in the opening frame.
"The new goalie stick was working well," Schram said, waving the stick in front of reporters and pointing to the word "Christian" which was boldly printed on the shaft. "I feel like I have the power of God. Or of Mr. Slater."
Breiterman doubled the lead early in the second period, when he finished off a pretty passing play. The Beege fired a pass across the rink to Mark Hendricks as the two crossed the center line. Hendricks took the pass and cut towards the center, drawing two defenders to him before leaving a drop pass to Breiterman. Breiterman took the puck in stride and fired a hard snap shot above the glove and under the bar right where limbo dancers aspire to be.
Then a few minutes later, the much maligned line of late showed that their first period tally was no fluke. Hand won a battle in the corner and found Drew Kelley, who quickly passed to Breiterman, who then fed a seam pass to Neal for the one timer. The puck was in and out of the net before the goalie could react, and the game was beginning to escape the grasp of the smelly tomb dwellers.
"That one was my little middle finger back to the guy who gave my fiancee a middle finger," Kelley said, before continuing, "Eat it, [female hygienic device].
The Stench scored late in the period on a wraparound. Schram was quick, perhaps too quick, going post to post, as the goalie jarred the goal's frame in his lateral movement, giving the shooter a better angle. One the shooter used to pot home a goal that wouldn't have happened if the nets had moorings.
The rest of the period set the stage for the fireworks that would erupt at game's end. A parade of Stench players to the penalty box occurred as frustration mounted.
"It was getting chippy out there," Jamie Simek said. "If one of the guys flicked off Brittany, well, let's just say I don't keep the samurai swords in the car for nothing."
The Stench, while shorthanded again in the third period, capitalized however, and made the score 3-2. Then the second line stepped up again, and went back for thirds.
Breiterman threw a low shot on goal from just inside of the center line, and the rebound kicked right out to Neal, who potted his second of the game.
He would cap off the hat trick as time winded down in the game, taking a pass from Hand to score a power play empty net goal.
Off the ensuing face-off, the Stench pulled their goalie again, and this time the Beege scored. Mark sent a spring pass ahead to the cutting defender-turned-offender, and the elder twin had his first goal of the season.
Then, the rough stuff happened.
"I'm not sure how to call it," Mark said. "I know Tom gave me a fighting major and a game suspension, so even though the gloves stayed on, officially I received a fighting major. Score. But Beege, I'm not sure, I mean, it was definitely a penalty, and probably a double minor if you wanted to have 3rd man in, which might even be a major. I don't know if that's a fight or not. Maybe we should just give it to him."
"No way," interrupted Neal. "Not a fight, and even it was, that's still the worst Gordie Howe hat trick in the history of hockey. A secondary assist, an empty net goal, and a maybe fight. Come one!"
For now, one thing is certain: at the midway mark of the season, the Red Army stands at a more-than respectable 4-2-1. Not bad, Comrades, not bad at all.
THREE STARS:
3: Steve Hand
2: Neal Hendricks
1: Andy Schram
UPDATE: The league just announced that it has met with Mark Hendricks and rescinded its one game suspension. He will be penalized with a game misconduct only, which was served when he was ejected at the end of Tuesday's match-up versus the Cryptic Stench.
"It was a Gordie Howe hat trick, right?" The Beege asked reporters after the game. "I mean, I think that might count as a fight. I went in and took the guys off of Mark, then we started going at it."
The Beege was referring to a scrum that happened as time expired at the end of regulation in the Cryptic zone. With a few seconds remaining, Mark Hendricks skated the puck into the zone slowly, dragging time off the clock with no intention of scoring. He was met in the corner by two Stench players and the two defenders began taking liberties on the star winger. The Beege grabbed hold of one of the players and pulled him off of his older brother, inciting a brief melee between him and a Stench defenseman. The two tangled and wrestled on the ground in the corner.
But a fight?
"I'm not sure," Ben Breiterman, who finished with a goal and two assists, said. "I've seen some fights in my day, and that was good of Beege to go in there, but I'm not sure I would have classified that as a fight. Mark and his partner fought, at least they got some punches in even if the gloves weren't dropped, but I don't know if I'd give Beege the Gordie Howe."
Before things reached the boiling point though, there was some good Soviet hockey played. Captain Steve Hand started the scoring late in the first period when he was the benefactor of a slick Neal Hendricks pass. The younger Hendricks twin finagled a deft pass from behind the net right to the Captain, and he converted from in tight.
"It was like the monkey was off of our back," Hand said. "We couldn't buy a goal for so long. But as Brooks says, if you want money, go to the bank. If you want laughs, go to MacGruber, and if you want goals, go to the net."
On the defensive front, Andy Schram played his most impressive game of the campaign thus far as he steered every shot he faced aside in the opening frame.
"The new goalie stick was working well," Schram said, waving the stick in front of reporters and pointing to the word "Christian" which was boldly printed on the shaft. "I feel like I have the power of God. Or of Mr. Slater."
Breiterman doubled the lead early in the second period, when he finished off a pretty passing play. The Beege fired a pass across the rink to Mark Hendricks as the two crossed the center line. Hendricks took the pass and cut towards the center, drawing two defenders to him before leaving a drop pass to Breiterman. Breiterman took the puck in stride and fired a hard snap shot above the glove and under the bar right where limbo dancers aspire to be.
Then a few minutes later, the much maligned line of late showed that their first period tally was no fluke. Hand won a battle in the corner and found Drew Kelley, who quickly passed to Breiterman, who then fed a seam pass to Neal for the one timer. The puck was in and out of the net before the goalie could react, and the game was beginning to escape the grasp of the smelly tomb dwellers.
"That one was my little middle finger back to the guy who gave my fiancee a middle finger," Kelley said, before continuing, "Eat it, [female hygienic device].
The Stench scored late in the period on a wraparound. Schram was quick, perhaps too quick, going post to post, as the goalie jarred the goal's frame in his lateral movement, giving the shooter a better angle. One the shooter used to pot home a goal that wouldn't have happened if the nets had moorings.
The rest of the period set the stage for the fireworks that would erupt at game's end. A parade of Stench players to the penalty box occurred as frustration mounted.
"It was getting chippy out there," Jamie Simek said. "If one of the guys flicked off Brittany, well, let's just say I don't keep the samurai swords in the car for nothing."
The Stench, while shorthanded again in the third period, capitalized however, and made the score 3-2. Then the second line stepped up again, and went back for thirds.
Breiterman threw a low shot on goal from just inside of the center line, and the rebound kicked right out to Neal, who potted his second of the game.
He would cap off the hat trick as time winded down in the game, taking a pass from Hand to score a power play empty net goal.
Off the ensuing face-off, the Stench pulled their goalie again, and this time the Beege scored. Mark sent a spring pass ahead to the cutting defender-turned-offender, and the elder twin had his first goal of the season.
Then, the rough stuff happened.
"I'm not sure how to call it," Mark said. "I know Tom gave me a fighting major and a game suspension, so even though the gloves stayed on, officially I received a fighting major. Score. But Beege, I'm not sure, I mean, it was definitely a penalty, and probably a double minor if you wanted to have 3rd man in, which might even be a major. I don't know if that's a fight or not. Maybe we should just give it to him."
"No way," interrupted Neal. "Not a fight, and even it was, that's still the worst Gordie Howe hat trick in the history of hockey. A secondary assist, an empty net goal, and a maybe fight. Come one!"
For now, one thing is certain: at the midway mark of the season, the Red Army stands at a more-than respectable 4-2-1. Not bad, Comrades, not bad at all.
THREE STARS:
3: Steve Hand
2: Neal Hendricks
1: Andy Schram
UPDATE: The league just announced that it has met with Mark Hendricks and rescinded its one game suspension. He will be penalized with a game misconduct only, which was served when he was ejected at the end of Tuesday's match-up versus the Cryptic Stench.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Trying Out a New Format
In order to keep up with the ever-changing times, we here at the R.A.D. thought it was time for a makeover. Actually, our fiscal year ends in two weeks and we need to spend another $1,300 to justify maintaining our current budget (which, rather appropriately, is $1,300). So, let's see what this baby can do, shall we?
So, I believe there should now be a large hammer and sickle above this text, right? Now let's see how much space a small picture takes up...
Ok, ok, so it's a bit to the left. I have to imagine there is a way to format it though the white space to the picture's right can be used (as an English major, I know all too much about white space... that joke would kill at a comedy show for English majors). Oh wait, this is coming up in that space? How about that? Now, what else can I do with this bad boy?
That's a bear and a seagull. Oscar worthy? Yes.
Anything else I can do here? I'll have to somehow make the background red instead of green, and maybe I'll add the sickle and hammer as a background or something to appear with every post, although that might be too much. Any ideas? Oh, and make sure you limit your ideas to less than $1,300 worth of changes.
So, I believe there should now be a large hammer and sickle above this text, right? Now let's see how much space a small picture takes up...
Ok, ok, so it's a bit to the left. I have to imagine there is a way to format it though the white space to the picture's right can be used (as an English major, I know all too much about white space... that joke would kill at a comedy show for English majors). Oh wait, this is coming up in that space? How about that? Now, what else can I do with this bad boy?
That's a bear and a seagull. Oscar worthy? Yes.
Anything else I can do here? I'll have to somehow make the background red instead of green, and maybe I'll add the sickle and hammer as a background or something to appear with every post, although that might be too much. Any ideas? Oh, and make sure you limit your ideas to less than $1,300 worth of changes.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Prestige Worldwide Adds a New Tuxedo to Their Repertoire
The first installment of the battle of the Soviet Tuxedo did not disappoint. Despite a frantic third period comeback, the Soviets ran out of time when needing a second, and after forty five minutes of excellent hockey, Prestige Worldwide added a trophy to their trophy case and the Comrades searched for answers.
"What can you say? It's tough," Captain Steve Hand said after the game. "Games like this, especially against [Prestige Worldwide] always mean a lot. It's tough. It's real tough."
His line mate Neal Hendricks also rued the day.
"We had so many chances to score, and for some reason or another, we just didn't. Statistically when you throw forty something shots on goal you are going to get rewarded more than five times. But not tonight, it was just one of those nights."
The highly anticipated game resembled more of a goaltending duel at the start. Both Sean Hanley and Andy Schram steered everything aside for the first ten minutes. The Prestigious Ones struck first with a few minutes remaining in the period on a broken play. After a puck ricocheted off of the end boards, a forward for PW outraced Hand to the puck and fired home a low snap shot from almost zero angle.
Moments later the deficit was two, after a failed odd man rush for the Red Army resulted in an odd man rush the other way. The Worldwiders connected on the two on one and carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
"The way I saw it was we were outplaying them, but they were converting on their chances," Mark Hendricks said. "We probably had nine or ten shots in that first period, but if Hanley sees it, he'll stop it. The goals we allowed were just careless plays on defense, mental lapses really. So I was pleased with the effort but frustrated with some of the mistakes. Against PW, you can't make those mistakes."
The changes Hendricks wanted to see, happened, and as a result, the Comrades played their finest period in several seasons. Bodies and pucks went to the net, shifts were kept short, there was more communication at rink level, and the Comrades experienced total territorial domination. The results were not congruent with the efforts though, and the middle frame only saw the Comrades score twice, while also surrendering one. Hendricks scored to make it 2-1, but a poor shift change a few minutes later allowed PW to strike back. Drew Kelly scored a power play goal late in the period to close the gap to one goal again.
The third period, with energy levels low and skating speeds high, yielded to more mental mistakes. After a poor job back checking, the Soviets were unable to defend another PW odd man rush, and with ten minutes remaining in the game, the lead was two again.
"It was tough with only three defenders," The Beege, who finished with a career high 9 shots, said. "The three of us are all really skilled, but this game was a really high tempo game, and the legs were burning. Sometimes it wasn't a mental mistake or a dropped assignment, it was just too much physical strain on the body to get from A to B."
With the Comrades trailing by two, they got some life when the Labia Line connected. Pat King took a pass from Mark Hendricks in the high slot, and as a defender went down to block the shot, King out waited the sprawling player, deked around him, and passed to Ben Breiterman. Breiterman fired a slap pass back to Hendricks, who had crept toward the goal line, and Hendricks one timed the puck backdoor on Hanley.
"That one was one of the nicest Labia Line goals we have ever scored," King said after the game.
"Throw what you know up!" Breiterman added, before pausing, turning to Neal Hendricks, and saying, "You son of a [gun] missed every shot in beer pong last night. You were the worst player in the world and I am going to murder you after you make me a melkshake (sic) from Ben and Jerry's."
The Labia Line tallied again to tie the game, when Breiterman made a slick drop pass to Mark Hendricks, and the forward cut to the middle and unleashed his patented wrist shot from between the circles. With King setting the screen in front, there was no chance for Hanley, and consequently, mayhem at the Plex.
"That really got the crowd into it," Schram said. "It was so loud I couldn't even hear Maggie. Hey Mark, are those my boxers?"
But, the Achilles heel of the Red Army was exploited, and after battling back to tie the game at four, the work was undone in less than a minute, as on the ensuing shift PW struck twice.
"That was a real back breaker," Kelly said. "That one sucked the life right out of the crowd."
Trailing 6-4 with three minutes left, the Red Army tried to muster one more comeback, and Mark Hendricks was able to score his fourth of the game on a neat stuff attempt move, but that was as close as the Russians would come. An empty net goal with 27 seconds remaining sealed the deal, and Prestige Worldwide was leaving the rink with two points and a new wardrobe.
THREE STARS:
3: The Beege
2: Mark Hendricks
1: Sean Hanley
"What can you say? It's tough," Captain Steve Hand said after the game. "Games like this, especially against [Prestige Worldwide] always mean a lot. It's tough. It's real tough."
His line mate Neal Hendricks also rued the day.
"We had so many chances to score, and for some reason or another, we just didn't. Statistically when you throw forty something shots on goal you are going to get rewarded more than five times. But not tonight, it was just one of those nights."
The highly anticipated game resembled more of a goaltending duel at the start. Both Sean Hanley and Andy Schram steered everything aside for the first ten minutes. The Prestigious Ones struck first with a few minutes remaining in the period on a broken play. After a puck ricocheted off of the end boards, a forward for PW outraced Hand to the puck and fired home a low snap shot from almost zero angle.
Moments later the deficit was two, after a failed odd man rush for the Red Army resulted in an odd man rush the other way. The Worldwiders connected on the two on one and carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
"The way I saw it was we were outplaying them, but they were converting on their chances," Mark Hendricks said. "We probably had nine or ten shots in that first period, but if Hanley sees it, he'll stop it. The goals we allowed were just careless plays on defense, mental lapses really. So I was pleased with the effort but frustrated with some of the mistakes. Against PW, you can't make those mistakes."
The changes Hendricks wanted to see, happened, and as a result, the Comrades played their finest period in several seasons. Bodies and pucks went to the net, shifts were kept short, there was more communication at rink level, and the Comrades experienced total territorial domination. The results were not congruent with the efforts though, and the middle frame only saw the Comrades score twice, while also surrendering one. Hendricks scored to make it 2-1, but a poor shift change a few minutes later allowed PW to strike back. Drew Kelly scored a power play goal late in the period to close the gap to one goal again.
The third period, with energy levels low and skating speeds high, yielded to more mental mistakes. After a poor job back checking, the Soviets were unable to defend another PW odd man rush, and with ten minutes remaining in the game, the lead was two again.
"It was tough with only three defenders," The Beege, who finished with a career high 9 shots, said. "The three of us are all really skilled, but this game was a really high tempo game, and the legs were burning. Sometimes it wasn't a mental mistake or a dropped assignment, it was just too much physical strain on the body to get from A to B."
With the Comrades trailing by two, they got some life when the Labia Line connected. Pat King took a pass from Mark Hendricks in the high slot, and as a defender went down to block the shot, King out waited the sprawling player, deked around him, and passed to Ben Breiterman. Breiterman fired a slap pass back to Hendricks, who had crept toward the goal line, and Hendricks one timed the puck backdoor on Hanley.
"That one was one of the nicest Labia Line goals we have ever scored," King said after the game.
"Throw what you know up!" Breiterman added, before pausing, turning to Neal Hendricks, and saying, "You son of a [gun] missed every shot in beer pong last night. You were the worst player in the world and I am going to murder you after you make me a melkshake (sic) from Ben and Jerry's."
The Labia Line tallied again to tie the game, when Breiterman made a slick drop pass to Mark Hendricks, and the forward cut to the middle and unleashed his patented wrist shot from between the circles. With King setting the screen in front, there was no chance for Hanley, and consequently, mayhem at the Plex.
"That really got the crowd into it," Schram said. "It was so loud I couldn't even hear Maggie. Hey Mark, are those my boxers?"
But, the Achilles heel of the Red Army was exploited, and after battling back to tie the game at four, the work was undone in less than a minute, as on the ensuing shift PW struck twice.
"That was a real back breaker," Kelly said. "That one sucked the life right out of the crowd."
Trailing 6-4 with three minutes left, the Red Army tried to muster one more comeback, and Mark Hendricks was able to score his fourth of the game on a neat stuff attempt move, but that was as close as the Russians would come. An empty net goal with 27 seconds remaining sealed the deal, and Prestige Worldwide was leaving the rink with two points and a new wardrobe.
THREE STARS:
3: The Beege
2: Mark Hendricks
1: Sean Hanley
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Red Army VS Prestige Worldwide: The Debut of the Soviet Tuxedo
There is a new twist to the PW/Red Army rivalry. Tonight, for the first time in the teams' histories, there will be something extra on the line: the Soviet Tuxedo. The trophy, which stands at eight inches tall, will be awarded to the winner of tonight's contest. The winning team will possess the trophy until the next match up, when of course, the fancily dressed Comrade, will again be at stake.
The reason for the trophy? Well, as Ben Breiterman elegantly said, "Why the [heck] not?"
The league, which hands out the Jenkins' Cup at season's end to the champion, released a statement saying it is behind the added incentive:
"We here at the DSPARHSD are thrilled to be adding the Tuxedoed Soviet to our league distributed trophy list. While other teams may not be satisfied with our decision, and feel that it is unfair because the trophy is only available to these two franchises, we must do what is best for the league, which in this case, was continue to grow our league by hyping up an already loud rivalry. As evidenced in recent history, these two teams play close games and have established a clear flare for the dramatic. A trophy seems the next logical step, so we took it."
If possible, I will upload photos of the trophy later today, but I'm being told it is undergoing a paint job and may not be available to view prior to game time. Rest assured though, it will be present, and presented, tonight.
The reason for the trophy? Well, as Ben Breiterman elegantly said, "Why the [heck] not?"
The league, which hands out the Jenkins' Cup at season's end to the champion, released a statement saying it is behind the added incentive:
"We here at the DSPARHSD are thrilled to be adding the Tuxedoed Soviet to our league distributed trophy list. While other teams may not be satisfied with our decision, and feel that it is unfair because the trophy is only available to these two franchises, we must do what is best for the league, which in this case, was continue to grow our league by hyping up an already loud rivalry. As evidenced in recent history, these two teams play close games and have established a clear flare for the dramatic. A trophy seems the next logical step, so we took it."
If possible, I will upload photos of the trophy later today, but I'm being told it is undergoing a paint job and may not be available to view prior to game time. Rest assured though, it will be present, and presented, tonight.
Quick Recaps of 2 Games
Comrade-town,
Sorry for the delay in blogging. Normally I'd have a poor excuse on why I haven't been able to blog, like, say how I have been frantically searching for a job all over town since graduation and I haven't had the time to post articles, but that's not true- the job search has been anything but frantic and I slept away the afternoons.
But let's get down to business. The Soviets played two games and earned three of a possible four points, improving their record to 3-1-1 entering tonight's tilt against Prestige Worldwide. This is how they got those points:
Red Army vs Strangers (11-10 OTL)
- The defense will want to forget about this one, and when I say defense, I don't mean the five skaters that are assigned to play defense, I mean the entire nine skaters who all handed in poor efforts when the puck wasn't on one of their sticks.
- At least the offense was back to its old scoring self. Ten goals ain't too shabby, but again, I'd trade a few of those tallies for a better defensive effort.
- Andy Schram didn't play the best game he's ever played, in fact, he didn't play that well at all. He was fighting the puck, and rebounds were frequent...ly deposited behind him.
- (Mark) Hendricks finally ended his drought with a four goal performance. Unfortunately for him, Breiterman also scored four goals, and the gap remained wide in Hendricks' quest to catch Benny Boy.
- The Beege was.... well, not very Beege-like. It will take him a little while to reacquaint himself on the back end, but come on, a -5 rating? His performance was about as good as Rosanne's at Wrigley Field. Or this kid on any stairs.
- Keeping with the Hendricks theme, let's talk Neal. A goal and an assist ain't bad, but we expect more. Why? Because we're greedy.
- Lastly, the Strangers continued to assert their dominance over the Red Army, extending the winning streak over the Comrades to three seasons. Here's hoping the Motherland avoids them in the playoffs for a third straight postseason to win a third straight championship.
Red Army vs The Beer Guts (8-4 W)
- This was a game that really showed the hockey sense that exists on the Comrade bench. Slight adjustments made during the game turned the tide for the Soviets and rendered the Beer Guts helpless.
- Nobody made better adjustments than the collective group of Mark Hendricks, Pat King, Ben Breiterman, and Jamie Simek. After surrendering the first two goals of the game, the line battled back with 7 of their own with each player scoring at least one.
- Benny Boy had another hat trick. He's money in the bank right now.
- Mark lost a little ground in the goal scoring race as he finished with only two, but his five assists won't hurt his pursuit of Ben in the points category.
- How good was Jimma Jam's pinch from the point and shot that snuck through the five hole. It's plays like that which continue to make him one of the best kept secrets in the league.
- While some people may get on the other line for not contributing much offensively, it should be noted that they only surrendered one goal against. Offense wins games....
- The National Center for Missing People reported that they have made no progress in their ongoing search for Neal Hendricks.
- The Beege played better, but still not Beege-like. He's getting close.
- We here at the R.A.D. are suckers for sweet passes, and there was one in this game that needs its own bullet point. Pat King's set up pass to Mark for the 7th goal was crisp, deft, and sexy. It was the Blue Steel of Dulles.
-Oh, and Andy Schram? Yeah, he was good in this game. Damn good.
So there are two recaps. Not bad. Not good, but not bad. The team is playing better, but there are still large pieces of the puzzle that aren't clicking. Let's see a full performance tonight, shall we Comrades?
Sorry for the delay in blogging. Normally I'd have a poor excuse on why I haven't been able to blog, like, say how I have been frantically searching for a job all over town since graduation and I haven't had the time to post articles, but that's not true- the job search has been anything but frantic and I slept away the afternoons.
But let's get down to business. The Soviets played two games and earned three of a possible four points, improving their record to 3-1-1 entering tonight's tilt against Prestige Worldwide. This is how they got those points:
Red Army vs Strangers (11-10 OTL)
- The defense will want to forget about this one, and when I say defense, I don't mean the five skaters that are assigned to play defense, I mean the entire nine skaters who all handed in poor efforts when the puck wasn't on one of their sticks.
- At least the offense was back to its old scoring self. Ten goals ain't too shabby, but again, I'd trade a few of those tallies for a better defensive effort.
- Andy Schram didn't play the best game he's ever played, in fact, he didn't play that well at all. He was fighting the puck, and rebounds were frequent...ly deposited behind him.
- (Mark) Hendricks finally ended his drought with a four goal performance. Unfortunately for him, Breiterman also scored four goals, and the gap remained wide in Hendricks' quest to catch Benny Boy.
- The Beege was.... well, not very Beege-like. It will take him a little while to reacquaint himself on the back end, but come on, a -5 rating? His performance was about as good as Rosanne's at Wrigley Field. Or this kid on any stairs.
- Keeping with the Hendricks theme, let's talk Neal. A goal and an assist ain't bad, but we expect more. Why? Because we're greedy.
- Lastly, the Strangers continued to assert their dominance over the Red Army, extending the winning streak over the Comrades to three seasons. Here's hoping the Motherland avoids them in the playoffs for a third straight postseason to win a third straight championship.
Red Army vs The Beer Guts (8-4 W)
- This was a game that really showed the hockey sense that exists on the Comrade bench. Slight adjustments made during the game turned the tide for the Soviets and rendered the Beer Guts helpless.
- Nobody made better adjustments than the collective group of Mark Hendricks, Pat King, Ben Breiterman, and Jamie Simek. After surrendering the first two goals of the game, the line battled back with 7 of their own with each player scoring at least one.
- Benny Boy had another hat trick. He's money in the bank right now.
- Mark lost a little ground in the goal scoring race as he finished with only two, but his five assists won't hurt his pursuit of Ben in the points category.
- How good was Jimma Jam's pinch from the point and shot that snuck through the five hole. It's plays like that which continue to make him one of the best kept secrets in the league.
- While some people may get on the other line for not contributing much offensively, it should be noted that they only surrendered one goal against. Offense wins games....
- The National Center for Missing People reported that they have made no progress in their ongoing search for Neal Hendricks.
- The Beege played better, but still not Beege-like. He's getting close.
- We here at the R.A.D. are suckers for sweet passes, and there was one in this game that needs its own bullet point. Pat King's set up pass to Mark for the 7th goal was crisp, deft, and sexy. It was the Blue Steel of Dulles.
-Oh, and Andy Schram? Yeah, he was good in this game. Damn good.
So there are two recaps. Not bad. Not good, but not bad. The team is playing better, but there are still large pieces of the puzzle that aren't clicking. Let's see a full performance tonight, shall we Comrades?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Courtesy of Breiterman, Chapter One of New Rivalry Falls to Communism
In the first game played against each other since splitting, the Red Army defeated Hogstachio Pistachio on Tuesday night after Ben Breiterman scored in overtime, capping off a six point outburst for the defender.
"Sometimes things just go your way," Breiterman said after the game, hastily eating bananas after being instructed to do so by teammom physician captain Steve Hand. "It wasn't all me though, five of my six points were assists. That means the guys I'm passing to are burying their chances."
Scott Hoefer started the scoring midway through the first period. The defenseman picked up where he left off last post season, and pinched in on the play and created offense. After being denied in the slot, Hoefer collected the puck in his skates, turned, and fired a shot that beat goaltender Chris Celenski five-hole.
"I knew they had collapsed on me, and I was worried about turning the puck over to give them an odd man rush," Hoefer said. "But I just used my soccer skills to keep possession and then turn and fire a hard shot."
The defenseman then paused before adding, "I hate losing... hate it."
The lead was stretched to 2-0 when Hand tipped home a beautiful redirection in front. Breiterman sent a slap pass towards the captain, and Hand showed great dexterity by tipping the puck, which was going wide, between his own legs and back towards the goal, causing it to narrowly squeak inside the post.
"I finally got a tip in goal," Hand laughed after the game. "I think we've tried that play 2,000 times and this was the first time it worked, so hopefully it's a good omen for this season. What a play by Ben though, where is he? Oh, hey man, you're going to want to get some electrolytes in your body as well. Yeah, and make sure you continue to hydrate yourself even after you feel better."
The lead was short lived however, and friends turned comrades turned enemies wasted little time striking back. Tony Horton, who finished with a career high four points in a silver league game, scored the first goal for HP when he jammed home a rebound in front.
"They used to tell me to go to the front of the net," Horton said after the game. "Now I have taken the knowledge gained from their intelligence and used it against them. Oh the irony is rich, so rich! Muahahaha!"
Ryan Odell, who played a superb game as usual, knotted the score at two early in the second stanza on a low backhand that eluded goaltender Jamie Simek.
"I think they were trying to limit my slap shots and keep me to the backhand, so I had to make sure I put a lot of starch on them when I got in tight. That one had two cups of starch."
Pat King retook the lead for the Russians when he was the benefactor of another Breiterman pass. Breiterman finagled a pass through a sea of legs, sticks, and skates, that landed the puck on the blade of King, who made no mistake in one timing the biscuit home.
"I'm not sure if any other person on the team could have made that pass," King said. "Not only because of his skills and vision, but heritage. That pass might as well have been made by Moses himself. Maybe Ben's Jewish roots allowed him to tap into the resource of parting abilities, because I think if any Egyptians were watching from upstairs, they cringed."
Again, HP responded. Pete Collis, who did a fantastic job offrustrating the living daylights shadowing Mark Hendricks scored a goal in tight on a slap shot to the roof to tie the game at three. Moments later Odell struck again on another backhander that Simek wasn't able to track, and just before the end of the 2nd period, Horton netted his second of the goal on a hard wrist shot. The Soviet collapse was on.
"We had some serious regrouping to do on the bench," Drew Kelly said. "We were playing some lazy hockey and needed to get our act together."
The captain reaffirmed Kelly's statement.
"I think a lot of us were wondering where Mark was. He wasn't shooting, wasn't skating, and wasn't really doing much out there, so I just told him he better not let Ryan and Tony out do him tonight. He better wake up."
Hendricks finally did snap out of his funk, and he scored his first goal and point of the game and season midway through the final period. After collecting a pass from Breiterman, Hendricks stormed into the offensive zone, executed a perfect curl and drag on a defender, and fired a snap shot just under the bar past Celenski.
"That one felt good," a visibly relieved Hendricks said. "I needed to get something going, I had been stopped on two or three breakaways earlier in the game and it can really get frustrating. I realize now how frustrating it can be to play against Odell, the guy blocks everything, he's a machine. When I finally got a chance where he couldn't block it, I had to bury it."
With the deficit still one, the Comrades had several frantic rushes to tie the game, but the chances were staved off by Celenski and the defense. On the other end, Simek also held his ground and kept the Comrades in the game. The frantic pace of the game was costly for the Comrades, as several players had trouble keeping up. Breiterman passed out twice on the bench and even once on the rink while Hendricks, who was sick, couldn't skate hard for a few strides without feeling nasceous.
With the two most likely goal scorers struggling, Hand stepped up and tied the game himself. The Captain one timed a cross crease pass from Breiterman home to knot the score at five. The final seconds bled off the clock and the game went into overtime.
In the extra session, Hendricks drew a penalty after Horton held on to him, and the Comrades went to the man advantage. After not having much zone time and allowing HP to have the puck for the majority of the power play, the Comrades finally got the puck. King passed the puck to Breiterman at center, and the defender took it hard to the goal. With two defenders draped over Hendricks, Breiterman was unguarded as he bore down on Celenski. A wrist shot beat the goalie near side and ended the game, capping off a six point performance for him.
"I could see the guys didn't have much gas left in the tank just watching them celebrate," Simek said. "It was kind of a 'Thank God it's over' look'. It was pretty funny."
And as for his performance in goal?
"I think I was pretty good in there. There's one or maybe two that I want to have back, but the bottom line is that we won. That's a goalie's job, and I'm glad to be a defenseman and backup goalie on this team."
That's it for now. The two Hendricks twins arrived at Yohoo Red Army Skateplex this morning and appear to be ready to play on Sunday. I'll post any news if anything happens.
THREE STARS:
3: Steve Hand (2g, 1a)
2: Tony Horton (2g, 2a)
1: Ben Breiterman (g, 5a)
"Sometimes things just go your way," Breiterman said after the game, hastily eating bananas after being instructed to do so by team
Scott Hoefer started the scoring midway through the first period. The defenseman picked up where he left off last post season, and pinched in on the play and created offense. After being denied in the slot, Hoefer collected the puck in his skates, turned, and fired a shot that beat goaltender Chris Celenski five-hole.
"I knew they had collapsed on me, and I was worried about turning the puck over to give them an odd man rush," Hoefer said. "But I just used my soccer skills to keep possession and then turn and fire a hard shot."
The defenseman then paused before adding, "I hate losing... hate it."
The lead was stretched to 2-0 when Hand tipped home a beautiful redirection in front. Breiterman sent a slap pass towards the captain, and Hand showed great dexterity by tipping the puck, which was going wide, between his own legs and back towards the goal, causing it to narrowly squeak inside the post.
"I finally got a tip in goal," Hand laughed after the game. "I think we've tried that play 2,000 times and this was the first time it worked, so hopefully it's a good omen for this season. What a play by Ben though, where is he? Oh, hey man, you're going to want to get some electrolytes in your body as well. Yeah, and make sure you continue to hydrate yourself even after you feel better."
The lead was short lived however, and friends turned comrades turned enemies wasted little time striking back. Tony Horton, who finished with a career high four points in a silver league game, scored the first goal for HP when he jammed home a rebound in front.
"They used to tell me to go to the front of the net," Horton said after the game. "Now I have taken the knowledge gained from their intelligence and used it against them. Oh the irony is rich, so rich! Muahahaha!"
Ryan Odell, who played a superb game as usual, knotted the score at two early in the second stanza on a low backhand that eluded goaltender Jamie Simek.
"I think they were trying to limit my slap shots and keep me to the backhand, so I had to make sure I put a lot of starch on them when I got in tight. That one had two cups of starch."
Pat King retook the lead for the Russians when he was the benefactor of another Breiterman pass. Breiterman finagled a pass through a sea of legs, sticks, and skates, that landed the puck on the blade of King, who made no mistake in one timing the biscuit home.
"I'm not sure if any other person on the team could have made that pass," King said. "Not only because of his skills and vision, but heritage. That pass might as well have been made by Moses himself. Maybe Ben's Jewish roots allowed him to tap into the resource of parting abilities, because I think if any Egyptians were watching from upstairs, they cringed."
Again, HP responded. Pete Collis, who did a fantastic job of
"We had some serious regrouping to do on the bench," Drew Kelly said. "We were playing some lazy hockey and needed to get our act together."
The captain reaffirmed Kelly's statement.
"I think a lot of us were wondering where Mark was. He wasn't shooting, wasn't skating, and wasn't really doing much out there, so I just told him he better not let Ryan and Tony out do him tonight. He better wake up."
Hendricks finally did snap out of his funk, and he scored his first goal and point of the game and season midway through the final period. After collecting a pass from Breiterman, Hendricks stormed into the offensive zone, executed a perfect curl and drag on a defender, and fired a snap shot just under the bar past Celenski.
"That one felt good," a visibly relieved Hendricks said. "I needed to get something going, I had been stopped on two or three breakaways earlier in the game and it can really get frustrating. I realize now how frustrating it can be to play against Odell, the guy blocks everything, he's a machine. When I finally got a chance where he couldn't block it, I had to bury it."
With the deficit still one, the Comrades had several frantic rushes to tie the game, but the chances were staved off by Celenski and the defense. On the other end, Simek also held his ground and kept the Comrades in the game. The frantic pace of the game was costly for the Comrades, as several players had trouble keeping up. Breiterman passed out twice on the bench and even once on the rink while Hendricks, who was sick, couldn't skate hard for a few strides without feeling nasceous.
With the two most likely goal scorers struggling, Hand stepped up and tied the game himself. The Captain one timed a cross crease pass from Breiterman home to knot the score at five. The final seconds bled off the clock and the game went into overtime.
In the extra session, Hendricks drew a penalty after Horton held on to him, and the Comrades went to the man advantage. After not having much zone time and allowing HP to have the puck for the majority of the power play, the Comrades finally got the puck. King passed the puck to Breiterman at center, and the defender took it hard to the goal. With two defenders draped over Hendricks, Breiterman was unguarded as he bore down on Celenski. A wrist shot beat the goalie near side and ended the game, capping off a six point performance for him.
"I could see the guys didn't have much gas left in the tank just watching them celebrate," Simek said. "It was kind of a 'Thank God it's over' look'. It was pretty funny."
And as for his performance in goal?
"I think I was pretty good in there. There's one or maybe two that I want to have back, but the bottom line is that we won. That's a goalie's job, and I'm glad to be a defenseman and backup goalie on this team."
That's it for now. The two Hendricks twins arrived at Yohoo Red Army Skateplex this morning and appear to be ready to play on Sunday. I'll post any news if anything happens.
THREE STARS:
3: Steve Hand (2g, 1a)
2: Tony Horton (2g, 2a)
1: Ben Breiterman (g, 5a)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hope Springs Eternal
The day has arrived. Tonight, at ten o'clock PM eastern standard time, the Comrades are back in action. Yes, the skates will be laced, the sticks taped, and the legs stretched. Though the roster may not look the same as the past two squads that won the Jenkins Cup, make no mistake about it folks, this team is more than capable of rethreepeating.
The excitement around Yohoo Red Army Skateplex has been palpable the last few days. Players are excited to be reunited and look forward to meeting some of the new faces. It's those new faces that have several players pumped up.
"As the captain, yeah, I called a few of the new guys," Steve Hand said. "Well, I didn't call them, I texted them, and it was only Neal. I sent him a text to tell him that he was centering me. With Neal as my center, we could be looking at a 50 goal campaign for me here."
The captain then paused, smiled, and laughed before continuing, "Okay, okay. Forty-five."
With the additions of the twins, the Red Army made significant improvements in the speed and creativity departments. Both Neal and Brian "Beege" Hendricks possess the capabilities to create plays that others simply cannot. With Beege on the blueline, it also adds another defenseman who isn't afraid to join the rush. The other addition, Drew (forgetting the last name right now), is another defenseman who used to play in the gold league a few seasons ago. Not much is known about Drew, but when your resume includes some time in a gold division, you're good.
What does it equate to for the Red Army? Well, I liken it to a young kid getting rewarded for his hard work in school and his parents buying him a new car. The old car wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing of vehicles, and parts of it were worn down, but it worked. Now he's got a shiny new Lamborghini that's waxed and ready for the open road.
Confusing analogy? Perhaps. But the point is this: the Comrades are going to have a lot of talent on their team this year, and with great talent, comes great responsibility... or something like that. Players know that there are going to be pretty passes, pretty dangles, and pretty plays. They also have to know that what has won them two championships in a row has been a blue collared work ethic that revolved around getting bodies and pucks to the net.
So I'll wrap it all up with one last point. Yes, the Red Army will look good this year. They will win some games in style and make the highlight reels. But it is up to them to understand that not every team is going to be beaten on just talent alone. If they can adjust and mesh a finesse game with a grinding game, they will be fine.
If not, that new Lambo might get wrapped around a tree in the first round.
The excitement around Yohoo Red Army Skateplex has been palpable the last few days. Players are excited to be reunited and look forward to meeting some of the new faces. It's those new faces that have several players pumped up.
"As the captain, yeah, I called a few of the new guys," Steve Hand said. "Well, I didn't call them, I texted them, and it was only Neal. I sent him a text to tell him that he was centering me. With Neal as my center, we could be looking at a 50 goal campaign for me here."
The captain then paused, smiled, and laughed before continuing, "Okay, okay. Forty-five."
With the additions of the twins, the Red Army made significant improvements in the speed and creativity departments. Both Neal and Brian "Beege" Hendricks possess the capabilities to create plays that others simply cannot. With Beege on the blueline, it also adds another defenseman who isn't afraid to join the rush. The other addition, Drew (forgetting the last name right now), is another defenseman who used to play in the gold league a few seasons ago. Not much is known about Drew, but when your resume includes some time in a gold division, you're good.
What does it equate to for the Red Army? Well, I liken it to a young kid getting rewarded for his hard work in school and his parents buying him a new car. The old car wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing of vehicles, and parts of it were worn down, but it worked. Now he's got a shiny new Lamborghini that's waxed and ready for the open road.
Confusing analogy? Perhaps. But the point is this: the Comrades are going to have a lot of talent on their team this year, and with great talent, comes great responsibility... or something like that. Players know that there are going to be pretty passes, pretty dangles, and pretty plays. They also have to know that what has won them two championships in a row has been a blue collared work ethic that revolved around getting bodies and pucks to the net.
So I'll wrap it all up with one last point. Yes, the Red Army will look good this year. They will win some games in style and make the highlight reels. But it is up to them to understand that not every team is going to be beaten on just talent alone. If they can adjust and mesh a finesse game with a grinding game, they will be fine.
If not, that new Lambo might get wrapped around a tree in the first round.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Players Report Back to Training Camp
It's a busy day here at Yohoo Red Army Skateplex, where several of the team is out on the rink right now practicing. I'll update more when they are done, but here are some quick notes of importance:
- Steve Hand was forced to skate several laps around the rink after being the last player to take a knee at center
- The twins are missing because of their final exams at Virginia Tech
- Andy Schram looks sharp in goal and had his mask painted to included several characters from the movie Mulan
- Ben Breiterman arrived late last night into Dulles and is not on the rink, but I'm told he is here
- Pat King broke a pane of glass with his slap shot earlier, eliciting a round of cheers from the lively crowd
- Scott Hoefer and Jamie Simek are missing as well, but I'm told they have real jobs
- Mark Hendricks was trying out a new breakaway move earlier in the day but I'm not sure if he will have the guts to try it in a game, I'll ask him later
Stay tuned for more.
- Steve Hand was forced to skate several laps around the rink after being the last player to take a knee at center
- The twins are missing because of their final exams at Virginia Tech
- Andy Schram looks sharp in goal and had his mask painted to included several characters from the movie Mulan
- Ben Breiterman arrived late last night into Dulles and is not on the rink, but I'm told he is here
- Pat King broke a pane of glass with his slap shot earlier, eliciting a round of cheers from the lively crowd
- Scott Hoefer and Jamie Simek are missing as well, but I'm told they have real jobs
- Mark Hendricks was trying out a new breakaway move earlier in the day but I'm not sure if he will have the guts to try it in a game, I'll ask him later
Stay tuned for more.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Winter Season Wrap Up (Updated)
With the spring season looming, and the collective attention spans of fans, players, coaches, general managers, and owners refocusing on the possibility of a three-peat, I think it is important to take one last, nostalgic glance back at the winter season. Yes, a season capped off by another parade, another slew of victory t-shirts, and another ill conceived dog pile. So, if you have a glass with you, regardless of its contents, I suggest you raise it up and take a sip in honor of the Red Army, because before the team split into two, there was one, and they won... twice.
Here's to you, boys of winter.
Ben Breiterman:
What he brought to the table: What more can you say about Benny B? He wins. With Breiterman in the lineup, the Red Army is 30-10-2 in its last three regular seasons and 9-2 in its last three post seasons. He plays at both ends of the rink, and can frustrate offenseman and toy with defenders on the same shift. This season he produced more offensively, finishing 7th overall in points. That was the first time in franchise history that two Red Army players finished the season in the top 10. In the playoffs he continued to play consistently, netting eight goals en route to another championship including a dominating 5 goal performance to help the team narrowly eek out a first round victory against the Stench. He's clutch.
Why the Red Army loses without him in the lineup: The five goal game seems pretty easy, but let's go with an intangible here. With Breiterman in the lineup there is more confidence on the team, and in the playoffs, confidence is key, especially when the team plays so many close games. But yeah, if he doesn't pot 5 in the first round, this offseason would have started four weeks ago.
What NHL player he is:Uncle Raffi Brian Rafalski. Fast, versatile, and dominates the game. Rushes up the rink with the puck and can create scoring chances and also exemplifies superb defensive awareness. Has won a few championships as well.
Steve Hand:
What he brought to the table: A whole lot of forechecking and grunt work. No player on the Red Army skated harder than the Handyman did this postseason, and his pressure on the forecheck made it nearly impossible for opposing teams to break out. Throw in the fact that the Cap' scored two goals in the first round and salted round two away with a good old fashioned ENG, then baby, you got a stew going.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Like Breiterman, Hand also instills confidence is his bunch. He leads by example, not shying away from high traffic areas to create offense. You need your fearless leader to step forth in the playoffs, and that's what the Comrades got again this winter.
What NHL player he is: Thomas Holmstrom. Sets up shop in front of the net, has a knack for the physical game, and plays for a team whose first word is "Red".
Mark Hendricks:
What he brought to the table: Offense. The juggernaut that was the Red Army's offense this season was headed by Hendricks. His skill set enables him to do things with the puck that mere mortals cannot, and anytime the puck touches his blade, he is a threat to score. Even when he doesn't produce, he is taking two and sometimes three defenders away from the play to focus on him, and as evidenced with the past two seasons, one soviet left unguarded is too many.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Not enough goals. There's no sugar coating what Hendricks brings to the team, it's his goal scoring, and without it, the comrades wouldn't have repeated. He scored over half of the team's goals in the championship series, and netted four in the championship winning game. Put simply, he puts the puck in the net.
What NHL Player he is: Marian Hossa. He is shifty, speedy, always a threat coming down the wing, posses fast hands and a lethal shot, has the initials M.H., wears the number 18, and has played in back to back championship series.
Scott Hoefer:
What he brought to the table: What Hendricks is to the offense, Hoefer is to the defense. He blocks shots, seldom gets beat, and owns the corners. Hoefer has asserted himself as a leader in the dressing room, and his confidence shows on the rink. Oh, and how about the GWG in game 2 of the championship series? After scoring two goals in the entire regular season, Hasselhoef scored his second of the playoffs to force a game three. We all know how that went.
Why the Red Army loses without him: No one likes winning more than Hoefer, and that's a fact. But one play? The shot block in the ship. I don't even need to describe it, everyone knows.
What NHL Player he is: Rob Scuderi. He can play physical, he can play fast, he can play whatever game the opposing forwards don't want to play. He shuts down rushes and disrupts cycles. He sucks to play against but you'd love to him him on your team. We got him.
Tony Horton:
What he brings to the table: The Big Rig has a combination of speed and size that can be a handful for opposing defenders to contain. There is no doubt that speed is his biggest asset, and when there is a loose puck in open space, Horton gets their fast. His hands have become better as well, enabling him to get shots off quicker and keep the puck in tight spaces.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Similar to Hand, Horton did his best work on the forecheck. Countless errant passes and ill advised breakouts were forced with him pressuring, and opposing teams exhausted energy trying to correct mistakes they had made. Then again, Horton's work on the cycle was his forte. Give Horton a puck and a corner to play in, and he'll play all day. At times during the season, Horton could keep the puck along the wall for a whole minute it seemed.
What NHL player he is: Jason Chimera. Seriously, do I even have to explain?
Pat King:
What he brought to the table: King put another solid season's worth of work skating on the top line with Hendricks. Despite suffering a setback (of relatively large proportion, mind you) on the stat sheet, King didn't receive much flak from the fans or media because he still played well. King showed a willingness to get dirty in front of the net as well as his continued progression in the dangling department. And in the playoffs, well let's touch on that in a bit.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Ah, here we are. With the Red Army trailing 5-0 in the final minute of the first period against the Shockers in the second round of the playoffs (say that 5 times fast), King scored a power play goal. Fast forward ten minutes of game time and King is deking a defender and sets up Hendricks to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Soviets. In game two of the championship series, King pushes the puck to himself off of a faceoff, then beats a defender on an inside out move, and fires home a wrist shot to tie the game. Fast forward twenty seconds of game time, and the Red Army is celebrating around Hoefer, who just scored the go ahead goal late in the game from a rebound shot from King. For some reason, this kid is momentum. And without Uncle Mo on your team, you can't win hockey games, let alone four of them in two weeks.
What NHL player he is: Evgeni Malkin. Tough to knock off the puck, shifty, shows great skill with the puck in bursts, can take over a shift and alter the course of a game, has won a few championships, and finds his game in the clutch. Also, the resemblance.
Brad Lotocki:
What he brought to the table: The Mountain Man played a vital role in the championship season this winter. His veteran leadership was paramount in keeping the bench calm in trying times, and his ability to play any style of game, be it a physical, grinding game or a back and forth game, made him an important piece of the winning puzzle.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Offense wins games, defense wins championships. You want your defense to be an asset in the playoffs, and with Lotocki on the blue line, there was never any doubt of which side of the balance sheet the defense was on. Lotocki may have been the glue that held the unit together. He was comfortable playing alongside anyone, and was always smart in choosing when to join the rush. Plus, let's not forget his incredible rebound performance in game two of the championship series where after taking a penalty and scoring an own goal, he scored a pair of goals later in the game. Cool, calm, collective, and unshaven.
What NHL player he is: Nick Lidstrom. He is a staple of the blueline and seldom seems out of position. Has a knack for being physical but usually only when coming to the defense of a teammate. No matter what happens on the rink, he has seen it before.
Brian Lynch:
What he brought to the table: Speed. The speed that Lynch possesses undoubtedly makes him the fastest player on the Red Army, and several fans believe he is the fastest player in the league. At times the speed could be frustrating and lead to poor positioning, but as the season progressed, Lynch showed his ability to pick his spots to bull rush the puck carriers, and became a turnover forcing machine.
Why the Red Army loses without him: With exactly two minutes remaining in the second round game against the Shockers, Lynch took a penalty on Loges and goaded him into retaliating. The result, the Shockers were without their best player for the last two minutes of the game while trailing by one. That's a veteran move to draw that penalty.
What NHL player he is: Matthew Lombardi. Absolutely blazing speed and excellent at disrupting the opposition's play.
Andy Schram:
What he brought to the table: Kick saves, glove saves, toe saves, and well timed poke checks. The Iron Curtain, after aflaky shaky regular season, returned to his old self in the playoffs, posting a 4-1 record and allowing only 12 goals in the championship series. He has already established himself as a goalie who rises to the occasion, and appropriately won his second consecutive Conn Smyth trophy.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Besides the fact that teams would be shooting into an open net, the answer is pretty simple: Schram was the reason the Soviets won. He was the MVP. He stopped the shots he had to, and not only did he give the Comrades a chance to win in every game, in a few games, he did everything but score. He was that good.
What NHL player he is: Patrick Roy. Won a championship in his first season, showed fantastic athleticism and a fiery attitude. At some point down the road will have a son that starts a fight and becomes a youtube sensation.
Jamie Simek:
What he brought to the table: Solidity. Yes, it's a word. No player on the Red Army played as smartly and consistently as Simek did in the latter half of the season and into the playoffs. Simek was smart with his breakouts, his line changes, his dumps, and his shots. The guy seemed to always be one step ahead of the play. We all remember he started the season with a rough patch, committing a few costly turnovers that resulted in goals against. Is it me or does that seem like forever ago? Without a doubt, Simek was the most improved player this season, and quickly became a force out there.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Chemistry on the back end. Some players are forced to change their game in the playoffs. Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires. Simek passed up the opportunity to push the puck up as much to focus more in his own end, and Mother Russia reaped all of the benefits. Breiterman and Lotocki were able to float around more while Simek acted the safety valve. It's things like that, things you don't notice, that result in wins.
What NHL player he is:Richard Park Johnny Oduya. A very strong skater who seems to always be involved in the play. Meets opposing forwards at the top of the zone and makes it tough for them to gain entry to the zone. Very composed with the puck and seems to elevate his game in the playoffs.
So there are the rink wraps for the winter season. Hope everyone enjoyed them. Time to focus on the spring, in hopes that another championship will blossom.
Here's to you, boys of winter.
Ben Breiterman:
What he brought to the table: What more can you say about Benny B? He wins. With Breiterman in the lineup, the Red Army is 30-10-2 in its last three regular seasons and 9-2 in its last three post seasons. He plays at both ends of the rink, and can frustrate offenseman and toy with defenders on the same shift. This season he produced more offensively, finishing 7th overall in points. That was the first time in franchise history that two Red Army players finished the season in the top 10. In the playoffs he continued to play consistently, netting eight goals en route to another championship including a dominating 5 goal performance to help the team narrowly eek out a first round victory against the Stench. He's clutch.
Why the Red Army loses without him in the lineup: The five goal game seems pretty easy, but let's go with an intangible here. With Breiterman in the lineup there is more confidence on the team, and in the playoffs, confidence is key, especially when the team plays so many close games. But yeah, if he doesn't pot 5 in the first round, this offseason would have started four weeks ago.
What NHL player he is:
Steve Hand:
What he brought to the table: A whole lot of forechecking and grunt work. No player on the Red Army skated harder than the Handyman did this postseason, and his pressure on the forecheck made it nearly impossible for opposing teams to break out. Throw in the fact that the Cap' scored two goals in the first round and salted round two away with a good old fashioned ENG, then baby, you got a stew going.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Like Breiterman, Hand also instills confidence is his bunch. He leads by example, not shying away from high traffic areas to create offense. You need your fearless leader to step forth in the playoffs, and that's what the Comrades got again this winter.
What NHL player he is: Thomas Holmstrom. Sets up shop in front of the net, has a knack for the physical game, and plays for a team whose first word is "Red".
Mark Hendricks:
What he brought to the table: Offense. The juggernaut that was the Red Army's offense this season was headed by Hendricks. His skill set enables him to do things with the puck that mere mortals cannot, and anytime the puck touches his blade, he is a threat to score. Even when he doesn't produce, he is taking two and sometimes three defenders away from the play to focus on him, and as evidenced with the past two seasons, one soviet left unguarded is too many.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Not enough goals. There's no sugar coating what Hendricks brings to the team, it's his goal scoring, and without it, the comrades wouldn't have repeated. He scored over half of the team's goals in the championship series, and netted four in the championship winning game. Put simply, he puts the puck in the net.
What NHL Player he is: Marian Hossa. He is shifty, speedy, always a threat coming down the wing, posses fast hands and a lethal shot, has the initials M.H., wears the number 18, and has played in back to back championship series.
Scott Hoefer:
What he brought to the table: What Hendricks is to the offense, Hoefer is to the defense. He blocks shots, seldom gets beat, and owns the corners. Hoefer has asserted himself as a leader in the dressing room, and his confidence shows on the rink. Oh, and how about the GWG in game 2 of the championship series? After scoring two goals in the entire regular season, Hasselhoef scored his second of the playoffs to force a game three. We all know how that went.
Why the Red Army loses without him: No one likes winning more than Hoefer, and that's a fact. But one play? The shot block in the ship. I don't even need to describe it, everyone knows.
What NHL Player he is: Rob Scuderi. He can play physical, he can play fast, he can play whatever game the opposing forwards don't want to play. He shuts down rushes and disrupts cycles. He sucks to play against but you'd love to him him on your team. We got him.
Tony Horton:
What he brings to the table: The Big Rig has a combination of speed and size that can be a handful for opposing defenders to contain. There is no doubt that speed is his biggest asset, and when there is a loose puck in open space, Horton gets their fast. His hands have become better as well, enabling him to get shots off quicker and keep the puck in tight spaces.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Similar to Hand, Horton did his best work on the forecheck. Countless errant passes and ill advised breakouts were forced with him pressuring, and opposing teams exhausted energy trying to correct mistakes they had made. Then again, Horton's work on the cycle was his forte. Give Horton a puck and a corner to play in, and he'll play all day. At times during the season, Horton could keep the puck along the wall for a whole minute it seemed.
What NHL player he is: Jason Chimera. Seriously, do I even have to explain?
Pat King:
What he brought to the table: King put another solid season's worth of work skating on the top line with Hendricks. Despite suffering a setback (of relatively large proportion, mind you) on the stat sheet, King didn't receive much flak from the fans or media because he still played well. King showed a willingness to get dirty in front of the net as well as his continued progression in the dangling department. And in the playoffs, well let's touch on that in a bit.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Ah, here we are. With the Red Army trailing 5-0 in the final minute of the first period against the Shockers in the second round of the playoffs (say that 5 times fast), King scored a power play goal. Fast forward ten minutes of game time and King is deking a defender and sets up Hendricks to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Soviets. In game two of the championship series, King pushes the puck to himself off of a faceoff, then beats a defender on an inside out move, and fires home a wrist shot to tie the game. Fast forward twenty seconds of game time, and the Red Army is celebrating around Hoefer, who just scored the go ahead goal late in the game from a rebound shot from King. For some reason, this kid is momentum. And without Uncle Mo on your team, you can't win hockey games, let alone four of them in two weeks.
What NHL player he is: Evgeni Malkin. Tough to knock off the puck, shifty, shows great skill with the puck in bursts, can take over a shift and alter the course of a game, has won a few championships, and finds his game in the clutch. Also, the resemblance.
Brad Lotocki:
What he brought to the table: The Mountain Man played a vital role in the championship season this winter. His veteran leadership was paramount in keeping the bench calm in trying times, and his ability to play any style of game, be it a physical, grinding game or a back and forth game, made him an important piece of the winning puzzle.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Offense wins games, defense wins championships. You want your defense to be an asset in the playoffs, and with Lotocki on the blue line, there was never any doubt of which side of the balance sheet the defense was on. Lotocki may have been the glue that held the unit together. He was comfortable playing alongside anyone, and was always smart in choosing when to join the rush. Plus, let's not forget his incredible rebound performance in game two of the championship series where after taking a penalty and scoring an own goal, he scored a pair of goals later in the game. Cool, calm, collective, and unshaven.
What NHL player he is: Nick Lidstrom. He is a staple of the blueline and seldom seems out of position. Has a knack for being physical but usually only when coming to the defense of a teammate. No matter what happens on the rink, he has seen it before.
Brian Lynch:
What he brought to the table: Speed. The speed that Lynch possesses undoubtedly makes him the fastest player on the Red Army, and several fans believe he is the fastest player in the league. At times the speed could be frustrating and lead to poor positioning, but as the season progressed, Lynch showed his ability to pick his spots to bull rush the puck carriers, and became a turnover forcing machine.
Why the Red Army loses without him: With exactly two minutes remaining in the second round game against the Shockers, Lynch took a penalty on Loges and goaded him into retaliating. The result, the Shockers were without their best player for the last two minutes of the game while trailing by one. That's a veteran move to draw that penalty.
What NHL player he is: Matthew Lombardi. Absolutely blazing speed and excellent at disrupting the opposition's play.
Andy Schram:
What he brought to the table: Kick saves, glove saves, toe saves, and well timed poke checks. The Iron Curtain, after a
Why the Red Army loses without him: Besides the fact that teams would be shooting into an open net, the answer is pretty simple: Schram was the reason the Soviets won. He was the MVP. He stopped the shots he had to, and not only did he give the Comrades a chance to win in every game, in a few games, he did everything but score. He was that good.
What NHL player he is: Patrick Roy. Won a championship in his first season, showed fantastic athleticism and a fiery attitude. At some point down the road will have a son that starts a fight and becomes a youtube sensation.
Jamie Simek:
What he brought to the table: Solidity. Yes, it's a word. No player on the Red Army played as smartly and consistently as Simek did in the latter half of the season and into the playoffs. Simek was smart with his breakouts, his line changes, his dumps, and his shots. The guy seemed to always be one step ahead of the play. We all remember he started the season with a rough patch, committing a few costly turnovers that resulted in goals against. Is it me or does that seem like forever ago? Without a doubt, Simek was the most improved player this season, and quickly became a force out there.
Why the Red Army loses without him: Chemistry on the back end. Some players are forced to change their game in the playoffs. Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires. Simek passed up the opportunity to push the puck up as much to focus more in his own end, and Mother Russia reaped all of the benefits. Breiterman and Lotocki were able to float around more while Simek acted the safety valve. It's things like that, things you don't notice, that result in wins.
What NHL player he is:
So there are the rink wraps for the winter season. Hope everyone enjoyed them. Time to focus on the spring, in hopes that another championship will blossom.
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