The Vig

I must confess, I don’t know you other than by your work on the ice and the ‘A’ on your sweater.  A lot of people had nothing but great things to say about you.  Leadership is something that cannot be easily replaced.  I hope Johnston knows what he’s doing with this.

During our visit Sunday evening, John G. and I discussed the role of leadership and experience on this team.  He thought a lot of it was lost with last season’s deals that relieved the squad of McLaren and Sceviour.  And a lot is leaving with you.

The team is headed for much better days.  I do wish you could have stuck around a little longer to see them.  Anyone who survived the Goldsmith era should be allowed that pleasure.  Ultimately though I know you want to play.  I hope you get that chance.

Crap, that’s what I get for not saving before I go back to texting. The Hawks have looked slow to open the game. Everett has done a nice job of flopping, getting two calls from a compliant Derek Zalaski. Mucha is giving up way too many rebounds and it cost him at 2:50 as Kyle Beach scored into an empty net. Where oh where is Ryan Kerr? I keep hearing he’ll be back by the next game. They must mean the next next game.
-Scott Gabriel can neither skate nor handle the puck. A turnover literally right in front of the crease results in a second Everett goal. I’ve no idea who the other defenseman is, but Gabriel should be benched. Period.
-Having trouble with the software again…
-Jacob Dietrich scores shorthanded to make it 2-1. A little later, an Everett player shoves Mucha, Mucha retaliates. No call either way. Zalaski is completely out to lunch by this time.
-Zalaski calls back-to-back penalties on the Hawks. Both were clearly embellished by the Everett players involved. The league promised to clamp down on this behavior some time back. Either they don’t care, or they haven’t properly trained their officials. First period officiating is a disgrace. Just terrible.

Will things get better in the second? Stay tuned.

Cheers to Scott Gabriel for getting a two-game suspension for his garbage cross-check during garbage time on Sunday night.  Nice going!

Employee #5 is the only player with a letter sewn on the front of his jersey right now.  He’s earned it.  I hope this is the last we see of this behavior.

Congratulations to the Portland Winter Hawks on their first home ice win of the season, a hard fought victory over the Saskatoon Blades.  As Andy pointed out the other night, going into the game the Hawks were winless at home while the Blades were winless on the road.  Something had to give.  And it did.  Finally.

I haven’t written as much about the Hawks this season as I originally wanted to.  I know I’ve promised in the past to step it up, but it just hasn’t happened.  Going to games has been a grind at best.  As much as Goldsmith and company have done to gussy the place up, its still a 40-plus-year-old building in serious need of some TLC.  Or a wrecking ball, which I’m still convinced is coming.

Watching the first period tonight, some things came together for me.  The game has finally slowed down a little for me.  The top-two lines of McLaren-Walker-Hotson and Sceviour-Sjodin-Swystun have been a joy to watch.  Schmermund has had some flash out there as well.  The defense has a ways to go (when Scott Gabriel is your #1 defenseman, you’re in trouble) but has improved with each game.  Like I said, it finally all came together tonight.

Thoughts:

Guggenberger:  I thought he managed the game well.  He played his angles and kept everything in front of him.  He looked to play the puck up the ice, which I always like.  I’m guessing we’ll see him at least once more this weekend.  A decision has to come down at some point on the 3-headed monster.  It was fine when Mucha was 16.  This cant continue with two 18s and a 19.  Something’s got to give.

Montgomery:  I realize I’m in the way minority on this one, but I just don’t see it.  It’s the puck handling I can’t get past.  He had a disastrous turnover in his own zone Sunday night.  And tonight he was positively Funkish on the blueline.  I realize he likes to hit guys and all, but all the hits in the world don’t amount to anything if you can’t handle the freaking puck.  Of course he was +3 tonight, so what the hell do I know?

Ponich:  I made a mental note tonight to ask him to change numbers.  #6 just isn’t right for him.  He gets lost out there.  At least I can never find him.  About 10-seconds after I made the mental note, he went off with an injury.  Now I feel like an ass.  Still, I’m used to seeing that 24 on his back.

Schmermund:  I’ve been crying for some speed on the win.  We finally get it and we can’t get him the puck.  Or he’s a step ahead of everyone else and they end up off-side.  Ugh.  I like him a ton.

Valchar:  I was thinking about something Marty Standish said early in his pro career.  He was asked the secret to his early scoring success.  He said a veteran player had told him to just hang around the net and good things would happen.  If you watch him, he’s always around the net and never far from the puck.  He’s close to putting the two together.  When he does…

Swystun:  Thomas Who?

Sjodin:  Anyone else relish the irony if the charging call he took tonight?  #16 is generally the guy charging.  I was shocked to finally see one go the other way.

McGill:  A terribly blown call by the officials.  Funk should have been thrown out along with Flatters.  No matter the events preceding, you cannot have two guys jump one.  Especially when the one is face-down on the ice.  The league needs to take a hard look at that one.

King:   Anyone else see Gabriel skate to the box about halfway through King’s misconduct penalty and drop off #19’s mouth guard.  I got quite a chuckle out of that.

Andy, as usual, has posted excellent training camp recaps here and here and even makes some suggestions predictions as to who folks might see in Everett this weekend.  Chip Petrino has apparently been let go by the club.  He was a tweener last season and a guy who never made a big impression while on the ice.  I kept waiting for #8 to do something and he never did.  A good move by the Hawks?  It’s more of an “eh”.  Life goes on.  I do wish him success where he lands.

The other name which kind of shocked me was Scott Gabriel.  Shocked as in I’d completely forgotten he was still on the roster.  And with the bumper crop of d-man coming to town (Welcome Brett Ponich!  May your stay be long and productive!) I’m guessing we could see Gabriel in another uniform at some point.  Packaged with a pick for a 20?  Hmmmmm……

I didn’t make it down to camp this year which is a bummer.  I had a blast last season watching a couple of games.  It just wasn’t in the cards this time around.  I’m curious to see how different Kromm is from Williamson.  I read a couple of quotes about mental and physical preparation.  How he wants “his” kind of kids.  It’s all well and good, I suppose.  But it’s all coach speak and I’d be shocked if you didn’t hear the same sorts of things out of Williamson.  So what’s the difference?  I don’t know.  It’s all change for change’s sake.

The players, from what I’ve read and heard, have all come in motivated and ready to go.  Several veterans were back in town a week early to prepare for the coming season.  That’s a good sign particularly coming off what had to have been a depressing season last year.  Mucha is a little taller andthere have been good reports on the new Euro.  All good good signs.

So I don’t know about you, but I’m about ready for the puck to drop.  My Oregon State Beavers kick-off on Thursday night to start the season.  That means the Fall is just around the corner.  Good times.

Oh!  Almost forgot to mention.  Some unknown party has created a Google Calendar for the coming season.  It’s easily dumped into the calendar program of your choice.  Makes setting your schedule a breeze.  So a quick shout-out to the kind soul who put in the effort.