Hockey II: Uh Oh Canada
Millions of people north of the border are tearing kriya today. The Canadian Olympic hockey team got shut out by their arch-enemy, the Russians, and were unceremoniuosly dumped from medal contention. Indeed, the Canadian hockey team had a very mediocre pre-medal run, as well.
(The US team also had a miserable run but, other than the parents of the hockey players, no one in America really cares).
Having worked for a Canadian firm for 9 years and having been to Toronto countless times, I can assure you that for the foreseeable future, the dismal performance by the Olympic team will be front page news. There will be analysis up the wazoo, hand wringing, finger pointing, commissions, you name it.
I did not have a chance to see them play but I just assume that with all their talent, they were not prepared to play the wide open style of international hockey.
The other thing that comes out of the tournament so far is that Ranger fans should be very pleased. Hendrick Lundqvist has been stellar in goal for Sweden and that bodes well for the Rangers.
On the local front, My Son's School had a rematch with its crosstown rival whom it beat in overtime last week. This game was held in CTR's gym, a tiny, drab, dark place where winning and losing depends as much on bad (or lucky) bounces as on talent.
(It is a complete disgrace that a yeshiva high school of this caliber has such a pathetic gym. I can understand if a yeshiva's bais medrash is in disrepair, but its GYM???)
True to form, CTR scored on a fluky, full length shot that MSS's goalie did not see. That held up until the middle of the third period when MSS scored on a power play goal (with my own son assisting).
The game was extremely physical, owing, in part, to the smallness of the gym. From the middle of the second period on, MSS dominated and CTR was lucky to have gotten away with a tie.
(IMHO, this was not an accident. The coach of CTR decided to play his top player, a defenseman, virtually the entire game, and seemed to use many fewer players than our coach. (I don't think their top player was out for more than 2 shifts and I know for sure that he played the first 16 minutes without coming out of the game.) By the time the third period came around, CTR players were sucking air).
The game did not end without some major drama. In high school floor hockey, each team plays overtime with one fewer player, i.e., 3 on 3 plus goalies. With three and a half minutes to go, MSS was called for a penalty. My son and his defenseman colleague were asked to defend a 3 on 2 power play for a minute and a half. It was wild! CTR must have taken a half dozen open slap shots. MSS's goalie was great and the defensemen did a strong job of preventing rebound shots.
Unfortunately, despite a win and a tie against CTR, CRT ended up with a slightly better record than MSS going into the playoffs, mainly because MSS sleepwalked through the first half of the schedule.
Next: the playofs.
Millions of people north of the border are tearing kriya today. The Canadian Olympic hockey team got shut out by their arch-enemy, the Russians, and were unceremoniuosly dumped from medal contention. Indeed, the Canadian hockey team had a very mediocre pre-medal run, as well.
(The US team also had a miserable run but, other than the parents of the hockey players, no one in America really cares).
Having worked for a Canadian firm for 9 years and having been to Toronto countless times, I can assure you that for the foreseeable future, the dismal performance by the Olympic team will be front page news. There will be analysis up the wazoo, hand wringing, finger pointing, commissions, you name it.
I did not have a chance to see them play but I just assume that with all their talent, they were not prepared to play the wide open style of international hockey.
The other thing that comes out of the tournament so far is that Ranger fans should be very pleased. Hendrick Lundqvist has been stellar in goal for Sweden and that bodes well for the Rangers.
On the local front, My Son's School had a rematch with its crosstown rival whom it beat in overtime last week. This game was held in CTR's gym, a tiny, drab, dark place where winning and losing depends as much on bad (or lucky) bounces as on talent.
(It is a complete disgrace that a yeshiva high school of this caliber has such a pathetic gym. I can understand if a yeshiva's bais medrash is in disrepair, but its GYM???)
True to form, CTR scored on a fluky, full length shot that MSS's goalie did not see. That held up until the middle of the third period when MSS scored on a power play goal (with my own son assisting).
The game was extremely physical, owing, in part, to the smallness of the gym. From the middle of the second period on, MSS dominated and CTR was lucky to have gotten away with a tie.
(IMHO, this was not an accident. The coach of CTR decided to play his top player, a defenseman, virtually the entire game, and seemed to use many fewer players than our coach. (I don't think their top player was out for more than 2 shifts and I know for sure that he played the first 16 minutes without coming out of the game.) By the time the third period came around, CTR players were sucking air).
The game did not end without some major drama. In high school floor hockey, each team plays overtime with one fewer player, i.e., 3 on 3 plus goalies. With three and a half minutes to go, MSS was called for a penalty. My son and his defenseman colleague were asked to defend a 3 on 2 power play for a minute and a half. It was wild! CTR must have taken a half dozen open slap shots. MSS's goalie was great and the defensemen did a strong job of preventing rebound shots.
Unfortunately, despite a win and a tie against CTR, CRT ended up with a slightly better record than MSS going into the playoffs, mainly because MSS sleepwalked through the first half of the schedule.
Next: the playofs.
Labels: Hockey
posted by MoChassid @ 10:37 AM
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