Practice Fifty-seven
This was a Friday practice with no games on the weekend. It is the last week that we have three practices scheduled and next week we two practices and one dryland during the week and two games on the weekend. We have ten league games left and a tournament in Langley B.C. mid-February then the regular season ends the first weekend of March and in the play-offs 1-2 get a bye, 3-6 and 4-5 play a two game total goal series. 1 plays the winner of 4-5 and 2 plays the winner of 3-6. The winner of those series along with the host play in the five team Provincial tournament March 23-26. So a lot of games in the final two month.
The last month has been like a hockey school where we have worked on skills and good playing habits but not very much team play.
Practice Fifty-seven had puck handling while skating for edges and balance, we then did overspeed with a pass and shot. Next we did a timing-passing-shot drill. We reviewed blade on blade and keeping the stick on the ice and puck protection with a drill at each end followed by a full ice 3-3 game with only 2" to work on puck support. Practice finished with three cross ice games, the first worked on angling, second on gap control and the third on back tracking.
No games on the weekend, Monday, core training, practices Wednesday and Thursday and games Friday and Sunday.
Practice Fifty-nine
We did lots of passing, shots, point shots, game situations, timing, transition and defending 1-1, 3-1 with the D joining the rush.
Practice Fifty-nine
We finally play our second game in January on Friday. We worked on the power play and penalty kill. We warmed up with skating and then reviewed angling, low defensive zone coverage, battling, back tracking with 1-1 becoming a 1-2 then transition to offense. At the end the W and D played rebound at each end and the C's worked on face-offs.
Played our first game in three weeks vs. Okotoks. Jumped into a quick 3-0 lead in the first. Scored two more in the second and tied the third 1-1 to win 6-1. Outshot them 50-26 but they had a strong second getting 13 shots but our goalie was very good. Nice to finally play a game.
We play in Edmonton on Sunday. One D has a hip flexor injury and a F is going to tour universities in Ontario to consider a field hockey scholarship. We will have 10 F and 4 D. We had 2 F playing D our last game and will have one on Sunday. We are down to 5 D the rest of the year because one girl can't play anymore because of a concussion. It is hard to get affiliates to play because they all play games on the weekend like us.
We play every weekend now and have a tournament in B.C. in two weeks.
Played in Edmonton and it was a very good game. We were a little flat and they held onto a 1-0 lead until they got a late empty net goal. Shots were about 25 each.
We play two games vs. the other Calgary team the Fire Red on the weekend. We are withing one point of each other and if one team sweeps it would go a long way to getting a first round playoff bye.
Practice Sixty
One goalie was sick so that changed the practice a lot. We worked on skills and a lot of team play like breakout options, the high cycle, F and D handoff along the boards. We also focused on boxing out and sealing sticks to the outside in our slot and played two transition games to focus on those skills.
Fire White Practice Sixty-one
We worked on specialty teams and defensive zone coverage. The power play 5-4, penalty kill 4-5 and 6-5 with the goalie pulled. Warmed up with passing and practiced the 6-5 full ice at each end in a three team scrimmage. We finished with a 4-4 two second game to practice puck support. The goalies got a lot of work while we practiced team play.
Played two games vs our cross time rivals the Fire Red. They were fast, well played games. they really worked hard and forced a lot of turnovers but we were really good in our slot boxing out and taking sticks on rebounds. We won the first 4-1 and the second 3-1. I played the same goalie both games. She had two starts less than my other goalie because she missed a few weeks with a concussion. Now they both have ten starts and we will split the last six games.
This week we have off ice on Monday, practice Wednesday and Thursday fly to Vancouver for a tournament in the Fraser Valley. We will play four or five games in the tournament and come back the next Monday.
Fire White Practice Sixty-two
Tonight we have a mental training session for an hour followed by a 90' practice.
We will work on all the skills, good habits, overspeed, neutral zone regroups, breakouts, 2-1's. There are three new drills that my assistant coaches will run.
We are in a tournament in Langley BC. All the games had to be delayed because the teams that bussed here got stuck in the mountains last night because of a blizzard.
We played a sports school the first game and lost 1-2. They game was evenly played and we did/t score on our chances. Shots were about 25 each. Our second game got delayed from 3 to 9 o'clock. It is against the host AAA team. This team had a Bantam affiliate player who is the best female player I have seen this season. They beat us 4-2 and she got 3 goals. Third game was vs. Another sports school and we won 3-1. We played a team in our league the fourth game and won 9-5. We finish with a game vs. The Okanagan Hockey Academy at noon and fly home at 5:30.
One of our D sprained her ankle in the warm up and we had to use two F on defense. They did ok and we will use two different forwards today today. Everyone practices skating backwards and taking 1- 1's so the game reads are harder for them than the basic skills of a defenseman.
After our Sunday game we went to the ocean near Whiterock and spent time walking along the beach and then had a great fish dinner in a small restaurant right on the beach.
Played OHA the last game and outshot them 48-26 but lost 0-4. We did a lot of really good things but had little net presence to take advantage of the rebounds. They scored on two breakaways and two hard shots.
It was a really good trip for our team. We played well and got some games in after going 6 weeks with only 5 games.
Practice Sixty-Three
Lots of skills with skating, shooting, passing, 2-1 drills, a 1-1 with back pressure transition game, 2-1 to 3-3 full ice transition and then played the same game with random situations, a full ice game of at least one pass in each zone next an angling game and we finished with a two shot shootout.
Practice Sixty-Four
We worked a lot on the 5-3 and 3-5 situation and a full ice 1-1 then 2-1 drill. One goalie was sick so I had to modify the practice,, we also worked on skating inside and passing outside. We finished with a one net transition game with a low 3-3.
Played in Red Deer for first place and lost 5-6. We got an early 2-0 lead and then were passive for 20 minutes and they score 4. First 2-3, second 4-5, third 5-6.
We were getting beat up the ice with F3 not mirroring the puck and then we stopped pinching when we should have. They did a really good job of breaking out up the middle with the C low and slow. Our F3 wasn't covering this and our F1 didn't have stick on stick. They got a 5-3 and we did a really good job on the PK. We also scored a 5-4 pp goal and a 4-5 SH goal. So we got beat 6-5.
Won our Sunday game vs. The Raiders 3-2. Outshot them 48-23 but the goals didn't come easily. We did a good job in our slot picking up sticks. Goalies split the game because I pulled the starter the night before as she wasn't as sharp as usual.. We are in second place now with 4 games left. After losing to Red Deer it doesn't look like first is in reach anymore. If we can win at least three of our last four that will give us a first round playoff bye.
Our league record now is 16-4-2 and overall with exhibition and tournaments it is 30-9-3.
Practice Sixty-Five
Regroup and breakout. Skating edges and balance, passing flow, weave with focus on the middle lane drive, one touch pass and shot game, puck support in the 2" game.
Practice Sixty-six
Practice the C low and slow on the breakout. 3-1 with D joining the attack, game situation drills from 1-1 to 3-3. SAG cross ice games.
Practice Sixty-seven
This is a one hour session before two weekend games. Power play, regroups, breakout, game for puck support plus one touch passing and quick shots are what this session works on.
Whoops!! We got thrashed 1-8 by Airdrie a team we beat the last five times and didn't get 8 goals all those games put together. We outshot them 39-27 but their goalie was good and we were really soft defending. Next day we beat Lethbridge 6-0 and passed the puck as well as we ever have. We got 69 shots to their 14. So now we have to get at least a win and a tie to earn a first round playoff bye.
We had a good 90' on ice session. Worked on the breakout, good habits with the puck, overspeed, passing, scoring, point shots, high cycle, F and D switch, puck support, transition and 1-1, 2-2, 3-2, 4-4 situations.
Practices Seventy
Wally Kozak came on the ice and did a great sequence for D skating backward to play a 1 on 1. It really helped on the weekend.
We scored a goal vs. Red Deer to give us a 2-1 win but the linesman back at the red line thought he saw a player hit the goalies pad and put it in the net after the whistle. The puck went straight in and the player went to the net after. Basically cost us a first round bye as we lost in OT killing two short for 5 minutes they scored with 1.4" left.
We dominated Sherwood Park outshooting them 18-2 the first period but didn't score. Ended up losing 1-2 when they floated a player at our far blue line and no one noticed. She scored the winner on a breakaway. We totally dominated both games and I was pleased with the way we played.
Now we have Lethbridge next weekend in a two game total goal playoff.
I am attaching the shot charts for our last five games.
Practice Seventy-one
This was an individual and team offensive practice. We warmed up while Mel worked with the goalies then we played games that had a lot of passing and scoring.
Practice Seventy-two
We warmed up with a lot of puck handling and they the D went with Randy and Wally and Wally went over backward skating technique and controlled skating. The forwards worked with Jim on shooting to pass off the pads and cutting in. We then went over the power play and penalty kill with the breakout and forecheck. We finished with a 2: full ice game.
This weekend we begin the play-offs with a two game total point series vs. Lethbridge. The winner advances to play vs. Calgary Red next weekend and the winner of that goes to the Provincials.
First play-off game: we outshot them 66-11 but only won 3-2. We were pinching on the strong side in the first period and gave up four 2-1's and they scored on one of them and we were behind 0-1 after the first even though shots were 18-7. We outshot them 27-1 in the second and got two goals and 21-3 in the third but only got one and gave up one. their goalie is obviously very good so we have to have a really good game today and play our forecheck properly and keep attacking the net.
Game two, same goalie. We took 30 shots first period and scored two. 54-16 for the game and won 3-1 so move one to the next series.vs. the other Calgary team.
Practice Seventy-Three
We worked on individual skills of skating, passing, point shots and screens, played full ice 3-3 and 2" game as well as a full ice backchecking transition game and finished off with rebound. Mel had to put on the pads as Jenna was sick and we had only one goalie.
Practice Seventy-Four
We warmed up with a small area game at each end where they had to do many kinds of skating then played two pass with good habits, i.e. three hard strides. I introduced a 3-0 with the D joining the middle drive. I then went over the team play on the board and we worked on 5-5, 5-6 with the defenders sticks upside down.
We finished off with a 10 puck change on the go shootout and rebound.
We really had 76 practices because a private group ran two practices just before Christmas when Jim and I were in Jasper doing a camp for their minor hockey association. Most of our practices were 90' long, so that is between 110-114 hours of practice. You can see the practice plans in the seasons postings. Lots of skating, individual skills, hockey sense in every practice.
Our league record was:
26 Games Played
17 W - 6 L - 3 T
95 GF - 53 GA. = 69.2%
3.65 GF per game
2.04 GA per game
Overall record including tournaments, exhibition games, play-offs.
49 Games Played
33 W - 12 L - 4 T = 70%
189 GF - 107 GA
3.86 GF per game
2.18 GA per game
Our league gives 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for overtime win and 1 for OT loss.
We have a two game total goal series vs. Fire Red this weekend and the winner goes to the Provincials and loser is done.
Tied first game 1-1 and fell behind in second 3-2. We got a power play with 1:37 left and a face-off in their end. I pulled the goalie but they won a loose puck battle, got it in our end and scored. So we are done for the season.
Good group of kid's and parents. I thought we would in it all. Under pressure we stopped passing and kept doing 1 on 5 rushes, which don't work unless you are too good for the league you are in. Too bad but it was a fun group to coach. I think the players improved a lot and enjoyed playing together.
- 1
- 2
Fire White Practice Fifty-five
One of my goalies got hurt doing the standing long jump test with the AAA team. Many NHL teams no longer do it because of injuries; the other goalie has exams, so no goalies.
Randy did agility and balance skating. Jim led the players in stick handling and Kailey did a passing, point shot drill. We then played a 2-2, 3-3 King's Court tournament with modified rules each game.[/i]
Practice Fifty-six
Gaston ran the entire session and I asked him to do turning and pivots. It was a great session.
A - Skating Turns, Pivots, Stride – Dr. Gaston Gaston - U18 F
https://youtu.be/p6U-RXmtPeg
'Enjoy the Game'