Sunday, September 28, 2008
So, I sat on the sofa for yesterday's Flyers/Canes pre-season game that happened at the Spectrum, and wished I'd just gone to it.
There was too much Coatsey, but otherwise an enjoyable game to watch on a Saturday afternoon. It was mostly the Flyers vs. the River Rats, but all the same, a person can't take too much away from the orange and black. Biron was pretty good again. As far as he is concerned, I have no worries about the goaltending. It was fantastic to see Richards be (officially?) given a jersey with a C on it before the game, during the ceremony celebrating past captains. It was fantastic to see Gagne out on the ice again, not only willing to get hit, but willing to deliver the first hit (and get a roughing call in the process) -- and come away unscathed. Mike Richards scoring his first short-handed goal of the day was beeeee-yoooo-tiful and if that's not a goal-scorer's goal, then I don't know what is. He let the Canes' defenseman go down on the ice, he pulled the puck back to him and then let it go after he maneuvered it around the fallen Hurricane. Oh, one of the prettiest goals ever. His second shortie of the game happened when he ignored Joni Pitkanen (who did not exactly have a good game, in spite of corralling an assist), getting around him to fire on net again. Cam Ward was either let down by his blue line compadres or was simply not in very good form yesterday. And Jared Ross was playing -- was highlighted by JJ and Keith Jones a couple times, talking about how he's not very big but plays bigger than he is -- he very nearly potted an empty net goal at the end, but alas, it was not meant to be (he was on the far end of the ice, shooting nearly the entire span, and it slid just wide). He looked pretty good; I don't expect him to make the team off the bat this year but he might do well in a call-up situation, and will no doubt be an offensive threat for the Phantoms again this season.
Yes ... a good game to watch.
I did not watch today's game, which was lost 1-0 (and was, apparently, more the Phantoms vs. the Hurricanes).
Fewer than two weeks until the real games start. I am encouraged by what I've seen and read about the Flyers so far.
There was too much Coatsey, but otherwise an enjoyable game to watch on a Saturday afternoon. It was mostly the Flyers vs. the River Rats, but all the same, a person can't take too much away from the orange and black. Biron was pretty good again. As far as he is concerned, I have no worries about the goaltending. It was fantastic to see Richards be (officially?) given a jersey with a C on it before the game, during the ceremony celebrating past captains. It was fantastic to see Gagne out on the ice again, not only willing to get hit, but willing to deliver the first hit (and get a roughing call in the process) -- and come away unscathed. Mike Richards scoring his first short-handed goal of the day was beeeee-yoooo-tiful and if that's not a goal-scorer's goal, then I don't know what is. He let the Canes' defenseman go down on the ice, he pulled the puck back to him and then let it go after he maneuvered it around the fallen Hurricane. Oh, one of the prettiest goals ever. His second shortie of the game happened when he ignored Joni Pitkanen (who did not exactly have a good game, in spite of corralling an assist), getting around him to fire on net again. Cam Ward was either let down by his blue line compadres or was simply not in very good form yesterday. And Jared Ross was playing -- was highlighted by JJ and Keith Jones a couple times, talking about how he's not very big but plays bigger than he is -- he very nearly potted an empty net goal at the end, but alas, it was not meant to be (he was on the far end of the ice, shooting nearly the entire span, and it slid just wide). He looked pretty good; I don't expect him to make the team off the bat this year but he might do well in a call-up situation, and will no doubt be an offensive threat for the Phantoms again this season.
Yes ... a good game to watch.
I did not watch today's game, which was lost 1-0 (and was, apparently, more the Phantoms vs. the Hurricanes).
Fewer than two weeks until the real games start. I am encouraged by what I've seen and read about the Flyers so far.
# posted by crusher @ 6:26 PM 
