Sur Blog congelé

Un asile pour l'hockey sous-alimenté

Les jours les plus froids chauffent mieux mon coeur d'hockey

Flash- Kozlov- Ovy (in blue)

Backstron- Nylander - Semin (in white) 

11:48: We have the scrimmage’s first goal — Matt Bradley, a tap-in, on a bit of a seeing-his-linemate (of the moment), eyes-in-the-back-of-head dish from behind the net from Nicklas Backstrom. 1-0 White.

11:54: Another Blue line — CBourque - Wilson - Klepis. It’s from Hershey, obviously. The Sweetener Line?

The crowd continues to grow. Now that I think about it, the scrimmage’s start was close enough to folks’ lunch hour that we’re probably getting a healthy lunch-hour turnout. I saw Ted gazing down on the 10:30 practice for a while.  

High Noon: A line in White: Brashear- Clymer - Steckel. I thought Tarik’s file on Clymer this morning heart-wrenching in a sense (for Ben personally) but also healthy in the sense of it as an indicator of the organization’s maturation from a roster of many muckers into more one of skill and speed in the Top 6 followed by two lines of two-way grit and guile. And some skill.  

Still 1-0 White, but there has been quality puck movement and some decent chances at both ends. No hitting to speak of, and this has been more or less true since the start of camp. Idle thought: is the chemistry within this organization so strong that the players like each too much too drop ‘em? That’s not a serious question. It’s still reasonably early in camp.   

12:10: Here are some D pairings for you: Erskine - Eminger and Schultz - Pothier in White; Jurcina - Poti in Blue.

I am aware of my privilege in being here and how some of our readers, enconsed in their offices, appreciate the modest slivers of report I’m able to offer, but I’m not sure I’ll be repeating this gig. I am, by virtue of this exercise, acutely aware of Mike Vogel’s long-standing opposition to writing during game action. It’s not just that I’m apt to miss a slick pass or the development of a play from its defensive zone breakout; I am an alien to the overall flow. Still, I’m aware again of all of you poor schleps slaving away for the Man. This will really piss you off: I may chat for like 15 minutes with some of the guys at the scrimmage’s conclusion and then make my way down to Bailey’s for a sinfully early happy hour. 

12:17: Another D pairing: Pokulok - Green, in Blue. Foreshadowing of a top 4 unit for Coach Boudreau up in Chocolatetown this autumn?   

A couple of camera crews are in between the players’ benches monitoring the action. I do not know for whom they’re recording.

1-0 still. The play has been crisp, and Hanlon, after initially appearing to be holding the reins in on the guys, has actually allowed a free-slowing scrimmage to take place. There are no refs, so he blows the whistle when he wants lines changed or some situational formation established. But by and large, they guys are just going at it.

12:25: WE HAVE A FIGHT! Clymer and Morrisonn! It’s mostly just a slow dance and a tangle of arms, no damage done, but something set them off (Tarik’s file this morning, in Ben’s case?)

12:30: It’s shootout practice time. Hanlon is pitching pucks out at center ice and guys are taking turns going in on Cassivi and Neuvirth. Kozlov’s backhand tucked behind Freddie was slick.

Good news: a decent number of goals were scored. Or does that say something discouraging about our netminding?

Update (1:30): I was able to get in the room and chat with Brashear about the Janssen-new sweaters intrigue, and basically, right now, he’s not concerned about it. Sweaters that perhaps tear more easily, he pointed out, can actually be beneficial to the valorus members of hockey teams who seek fairness of play and respectful treatment of their teammates out on the ice. Their arms would be liberated sooner, you see. But he also noted that whatever the new enforcement dynamic that’s now in place — and there may well be none — “It’s the same for everybody,” he told me.

So for now at least we can focus on the fact that outside the Caps and only a handful of other teams in both the NHL and AHL, the new look is generally a demonstrable aesthetic downgrade.