Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good.
But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!
Well, we made it back safely.. although being befogged for half the trip, then driving through down pour after down pour made for a nail biting 3 hours.
But the game was fun: posting a series...from the 3. period after starting goalie Ortio was replaced by Joey MacDonald....
he really tried his best..making 6 saves of 7 shots
One
Two
and Three: That one did not go in!
Troy Ward, somewhat unhappy head coach
McFarland's goal in 1. to even score
Joey Crabb goal in 3.
Trocheck hugs Crabb enthusiastically
Ortio-starter goalie, with Lafranchise
McDermit trips over Markstrom's stick
and falls, Markstrom stays watchful :-)
Abbotsford's Granlund.. doesn't he look a bit like the Wild's?
Robak, Butler and Gilroy, were the 3 stars of the game and here late blooms for them:
in front of a measly crowd (but it IS a Thursday night) of 4000 - absent STH must have been counted as well, because it just did not look that full to these old eyes :-)!
But even though they won with the empty netter by McMillan and Fontaine by 4 to the sole goal by Checkers' by Terry, Welsh and Raymond in the 2nd period, IMO it was not as exciting a game to watch as others have, and this one could have been. it was a win at home and that makes up for a lot, right, chers reader-hockey-fans?
Right?
First in line is Phillips.. last is Kuemps ;-)!
Kuemper did extra well, stopping all but that one, which did come on a PP for the Checkers.
Yes, the team's passing has rather improved.
Yes, 2 of 4 PP resulted in goals, by Phillips, Kampfer and Petersen, and Fontaine, Connelly and Petersen in the First.
Scandella with Granlund (he does a good job lining up pucks for others to score with) and Kuemper, put Aeros on the board about half into the First!
Yes, there was some grappling, and one real fight, and yet, IMO, it was just an average game.
Muse Nr. 1 during 1.period
Fredheim on guard
Granlund keeps a sharp eye on puck after face off
Save by Kuemps- first of 3
Second of 3
Saved-Third of 3
All looking, open mouthed, at Kuemper's saves from earlier in the game ;-)
Checkers switched goalies after Muse let in 3 in the First.
Madore Nr. 30 stops one of the 16 SOGS
And Rob Madore (also a 'short' goalie at 5'10), was so good in the 2. and 3. periods that Aeros could not score with any of the 16 Shots on goal. BTW the 2 Shots on Goal they managed on Madore in the Third were - shall we say - less than stellar!:-( But a win and 2 points that's what counts, right!
Yes, the boring to bad First period - seemingly an Aeros speciality - has returned at this game tonight. Letting the Stars start out with 13 sogs, while OURs only managed a measly 5!!!!
Hackett on the Prowl
It was almost entirely due to Hackett (earning him 3rd *) stopping all but 2 sog's which the Stars threw at him, IMO, the team would have lost even more, because .. just asking:
Where, really, was the defense, or better yet where was the offense?
Where was the power play by the Aeros who are listed up to this game as 5th in the division?
Genoway Goal
They did have 6 opportunities, but only Genoway with Zucker and Granlund scored in the Second ... and it was THE lonely goal tonight!
The power of black pads threatening:-)!
Aeros DID skate up to better snuff (not perfect, but better) in the 2nd with 9 and even better - 12 during the 3rd - albeit to NO avail.
Nilstorp stopped all but the Genoway one and was named Nr. 1 *, Benn the number 2*. Patrik Nemeth of the Stars-usually a more 'mild' player, caught the ref's eye with high-sticking... twice!
The victorious Three plus Vincour-Goal 2 Stars!
On the other hand ONLY 2 penalties were called on Aeros (Granlund for holding) and the second for Interference on McMillan; and yet the Stars (14th in pp!!) scored one PP by the Victorious Three: Alex Chiasson, Eakin, Smith, while Jordie Benn and Glennie put the Stars on the board in the First Period!
Several players kinda stuck out, in my eyes at least, tonight:
A Stars player skate keeps Larsson's stick away from the puck
Coyle, Phillips battle for the puck with Fortunus, Baldwin
for speed and super effort: Phillips and Palmieri;
for rather good passing and some good plays: Granlund, and - surprise - Couture!
Larsson gives his all -Phillips and others look for ?
thanks to Jason Zucker, who scored two goals (one unassisted) and assisted with the empty netter at the end to a 4 - 2 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons.
It was a good game, this first in 2013.
The guys.. a bit sluggish during the first period, found their "ice legs" and gave a good, not superb, but good performance.
Saw several new names (Couture for one) and some familiar ones from last season, too. Replacements for the injured or penalized scratches, I assume. Short of interviewing coach in the locker room, I could not say yeah or nay who is truly injured, other than Brodin, Kampfer, and Scandella.
Somehow, this game, while rather interesting AND satisfying (they won!) it lacked a bit ... what? Compared to the Checkers vs Aeros game, at least I thought so, especially during the first period.
Ah well, a win is a win! GO AEROS!
While I am inspired to post this short BUT OH SO SWEET report on the victorious lead in ti 2013 by Aeros, my ears are listening to .. what else...
The Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker, without which no new year can start properly.
So while Welser Moest conducts polkas, waltzes and marches and - sorta like the teddy bear toss at hockey games - passes out toys to the individual soloists during
"Mei Huat der hat Drei Ecken" song
to great acclaim of the spell bound audience in the gilded salon in Vienna,
I am skipping through the photos taken with a new Nikon.
Hmmm, must practice a bit more.
But without further ado a few snapshots below:
Save by Hackett
Cuma alertly defends
Another save by a flexible Hackett
Nr. 12 (Couture) starts his own fashion of play...entanglement with Danis-net minder OKC :-)
Happy New Year for Aeros - a win is a win
Arcobello on defense ;-)?
The number 3 Star- a competent Hackett stops 28 in (fortunately) descending order from a barrage of 13 in the first ( no goal Aeros), then 11 and finally 6 sogs. However, the guys kept up the pace and scored 1. Zucker (Nr.1 *), Granlund, Connelly on a PP, and 2. Coyle, Petersen and Granlund (Nr. 2 *).
OKC got on the board first with a PP by Hall, Eberle and (that pesky - remember from last year) Arcobello. And evened the score to 2 in the second with another PP by Eberle, Hartikainen and ... yes... Arcobello.
The 'sugar icing on the New Year's cake' (so to speak) was the empty netter by Larsson with - yes, again Zucker, and Bagnall.
Seems to me, that the team is jelling, and the system by Torchetti, who has been rather patient, is finally coming together. Well, we ought to look forward to more of the same.. or ought not?
Now the Concert is past with its usual flourish and sweetness... a bit of Chat Polka By Josef Strauss, the ubiquitous, albeit conducted somewhat slower than I am used to, Blue Danube, and the culmination a rousing presentation of the Radetzky March with audience participation..
CLAP CLAP CLAP.. and now repeat softly ... clap, clap, clap..
and like a tribute to the game tonight!
And so 2013 has officially started (at least to thisViennese)
After the soso game two nights ago, this was a wild fast paced, exciting game between two worthy opponents. A funny little tidbit: Aeros Nr. 35 battled Checkers Nr. 35 (net minders) :-D.
Garnering for Kuemper in goal (finally - his fans were so pleased) the Nr. 3 * nomination as he stopped 30 of the 32 sogs with which the Checkers peppered him, even increasing the number in periods 2 and 3.
Considering that the Aeros Only shot 21 sogs on Justin Peters, making this a win in OT was - almost - a miracle. Tonight's Aeros defense was present and accounted for IMO.
Overall I really liked the quality of the game played by both teams. Fast, furious and (almost) no holds barred, even though IMO the Checkers managed to slide past a goaltender interference call or two, despite TWO referees, who called 6 penalties, one resulted in the PP goal by Granlund. Jordan and Medvec had at it to the pleasure of excited yelling and screaming fans, and sat in the box for roughing.
Zac Dalpe (19 ) tries but defense and Kuemper hold him off
Tripping up a Checkerman ;-)
I am totally in awe over the speed, ice sense and well aimed passing that Granlund seems to toss off effortlessly.
On the other hand I felt Cuma lacked some umph tonight, despite doing yeoman's work checking Checkers (lol) opponents often, his slow and often short distance passing almost caused another goal by checkers! Yikes!
Attacking the Aeros net
Caught between Cuma and Kuemper
And what a surprise to see Petersen (11), latterly with the Solar Bears, get his AHL goal in the first period with the help of McIntyre (26).
Larsson whoops it up after his game winner goal
And the game winner by Larsson (with Bagnall) about halfway through Overtime went over rather well to the 7 000 plus fans
