Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Stingrays (3/30/11)

Although the Everblades were lucky enough to have their playoff spot handed to them they won't be lucky enough to have home ice advantage handed to them, so they're going have to actually buckle down and play some hockey. The question is, will they?
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The Blades came out strong and really played physically. It was a delightful change of pace to be honest. The game remained scoreless until Bobby Raymond threw one to the net on the power play. Mathieu Roy re-directed it past the Stingrays goalie to make it 1-0 at the 15:58 mark. Following the goal, Tim Spencer dropped the Gloves and took on a Stingray right at center ice.



He landed a few bombs and took some as well and left the ice to the crowd roaring. The Rays weren't able to even it up and the period ended with the Blades still up 1-0.
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The Stingrays maintained much of the puck possession in the second. The game could have easily tilted to the Stingrays favor if goalie Mike Zacharias had not stood so tall. The Blades increased their lead late in the period to 2-0 thanks to a beautiful wrister from Alex Hutchings off of a loveley pass from Ian McDonald about 16 minutes into the period. Immediately after the goal a minor scrum ensued.



Somehow, Hutchings ended up with an attempted spearing call against him. I'm still not sure when this "spearing" occurred. It didn't matter though, Mathieu Roy made it 3-0 minutes later. His goal, with 12 seconds left on the clock, really got the arena rocking. The score remained 3-0 when the period ended and it was great to see the score after so much pressure from the Stingrays.
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The Blades really looked good in the third. They skated well, and made solid passes. Unfortunately, the Stingrays still maintained much of the puck possession throughout the period. It paid of for the Rays when they were finally able to figure out Zacharias around 7 minutes into the period to ruin his shut-out and make it 3-1. Despite their hard work, the Blades were really shut-down, only managing 4 shots in the period. Luckily
, one of those shots was able to get past the Rays goalie. That goal, Tim Spencers first as an Everblade, exactly 18 minutes into the period made it 4-1. The Stingrays just could not come back and when the final horn sounded, the Blades skated away with a much needed, and well deserved, win.
Three stars: 3. Spencer, 2. Zacharias, 1. Roy
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Game photos:
 

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Some thoughts:
- I feel a lot better about the goaltending situation as long as Zacharias is under contract. He obviously likes playing here.
- I have no idea why, but I type out Matt Zacharias every time I want to say Mike Zacharias. Weird.
- Raymond was awesome as usual. Really, how has no AHL team even called him up yet?
- It was nice of Imbeault to show up and play. He looked good.
- It would have been nice to not have as many shots allowed (35? Sheesh). Thank goodness Zacharias is on fire right now.
- There were a few too many neutral zone turnovers and they did get caught flat footed a few times. The game could easily gone in the Rays favor.

YouTube Tuesday

This week's series with the Stingrays is a big one. Though the Blades clinched a playoff spot, they still have a chance to gain a better position in the playoffs. If they want any advantage in the upcoming playoff they have to show-up and play with some heart. Get pumped guys.

News and Notes

Let's get right to it.

- The Blades clinched a playoff spot thanks to the Cyclones beating the Walleye last night. I guess it works for them that they didn't have to put any effort in to earn it. The upcoming series against the Stingrays simply decides playoff position and home ice advantage.

- The team hasn't made an anoouncement yet (they'll probably wait until I hit the publish button), but the ECHL transactions is showing the team signed defenseman Evan Stephens. His stats:



- The Blades made Puck Daddy again this weekend. Not for jerseys or line brawls though, it's finally for something good. Big congrats to Drew Larman for being an awesome dude and having it recognized.

- The pictures from Friday are up you can head over to the stream or enjoy a neat feature I just discovered from Flickr. Slideshow!



- The video of the shoot-out is also up. Enjoy. You may want to turn down the volume first.



-

In Lieu of a Re-Cap....

Please enjoy this kitty,


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because honestly, there is no way to re-cap the game. They played horribly and they should consider themselves lucky it was only 5-0. It seems the team held a meeting after the game. I can only hope this will be what the team needs to wake-up. Personally, I'm tired of giving them the benefit of the doubt. I hope they prove me wrong, but it's hard to believe they'll actually care enough to try.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Nailers (3/25/11)

After Wednesday's lackluster performance you had to wonder which Everblades were going to show up. The team that can control the play and make you pay or the team that enjoys being paid to watch the game from the best vantage point in the arena.



Lucky for us (and my blood pressure), the former of the two decided to show up and play some hockey.

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The Blades started to dominate right from the drop of the puck. They really appeared to have more of the control throughout the period. Though it was a bit back and forth, the Blades really looked like the better team (hallelujah). The greatest miracle of the period had to be the Blades scoring first.



It may seem like no big deal, but J.F. David's goal was the first time the Blades have scored first in six games. It was also a power play tally, something the Blades have not seen too much of lately either. The period ended with the Blades leading 1-0. They also led in SOG (another miracle!) 12-8.

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The Nailers weren't going to sit back and take anything though. They responded in the second by evening it up seconds into a power play courtesy of a B.S. goal on a B.S. tripping call on Drew Larman. The Blades kept their cool, and although the Nailers put on some pressure they just couldn't get it past goalie Mike Zacharias. The Blades were able to end the period on a high note with a goal from Alex Hutchings in the closing minutes to make it 2-1 and take the lead again.

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Even more pressure was applied to the Blades in the third but they kept their cool and held the Nailers off for much of the period. Unfortunately, Wheeling pulled their goalie and were able to slip one through Zacharias' five-hole with the extra man. It was sad that after such a solid game from the Blades they saw it tied up 2-2 with around 40 seconds left, but it was just one of those things that can't always be stopped (although shot blocking may have helped, hint, hint). With the end of the period seeing the teams tied up 2-2 it was time for a little OT.

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Neither team was able to take advantage of OT, the winner of the extra point would be determined by shoot-out. We shot first:

- Alex Imbeault- No goal
- Joey Haddad- Goal
- Brad Snetsinger- Goal
- Doug Rogers- No Goal
- Alex Hutchings- No Goal
- Brandon DeFazio- No Goal
- Dusty Collins- Goal
- Chris Kushneriuk- No Goal
- Matt Beca- Goal!

I did it get it on video and I've already applied my amazing video editing skills to it. It's just a matter of getting it up on the Blogs YouTube channel.

The Game sheet is here. You can also check out my photos from Wednesday's game here.


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Some thoughts:

- I have to think at this point that no team wants to face us in the shoot-out. I'm pretty sure we must have one of the best records in the league.

- Same old story- Matt Beca is a constant presence and Alex Imbeault disappears for long stretches at a time.

- Initial impression of Mike Zacharias... like. He always seems to be perfectly positioned.

- I'm scared to death anytime Tim Spencer goes to check a guy into the glass in front of me. Dude lays such biggest hits I swear the glass is going to shatter.

- I don't feel bad for the guys on the receiving end of those checks. It's their fault for having the puck when Spence wants it.

- I think I need to make "Bobby Raymond for MVP" t-shirts. I can't remember a game where he's given anything less than 200%. Can't believe I didn't win his jersey last night.

Friday Links

First a quick programming note, I did my usual blog change without notice thing again last night. I'm really sorry to not warn you guys, but it was driving me nuts and had to be changed. I also went ahead and changed the comment settings. While comments no longer need to be approved, anonymous comments are no longer allowed. If you guys have any trouble leaving comments or hate the new look drop me an e-mail, and I'll try to fix it.

The Blades take on the Nailers in the second game of their three game series. Until we find out if the boys are going to wake up and play some hockey you can enjoy these links.

- I'm not into poker (I have no patience for waiting on other people and I'm too cheap to gamble) but this poker table is amazing.

- I know the CHL Photos blog is listed on the sidebar, but I have to recommend checking it out. He makes my photos look like they were taken by a five year old.

- I'm getting really obsessed with these fancy hockey cakes, huh?



- Someone get this for me!

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Hockey Sock"

- As much as bobble heads freak me out, I have to admit I kind of want this Reggie Berg one on eBay.

- This is why I love kitties. They have magnificent taste in Movies.


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Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Nailers (3/23/11)

First, I have to mention that the Blades made Puck Daddy yet again! This time, it's the Go Green jerseys the team is auctioning off Saturday.

The Everblades may have all but guaranteed themselves a playoff spot with their weekend sweep of the Gladiators. Unfortunately, this series is against the Wheeling Nailers, a team that is currently nipping at the Blades heels. They can't afford to let the Nailers gain on them in the standings. Can they do it?

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The Nailers came out flying in the first, completely dominating the Everblades. It was obvious from the start what team wanted to win more and that carried on throughout the game. The Nailers got on the board first around six and a half minutes into the game, just as a penalty on the Everblades expired to make it 1-0. They followed that with another goal about two minutes later to make it 2-0.

Ross Carlson was able to narrow the lead to 2-1, by scoring the only Everblades goal of the 19 minute mark. The period ended with the Blades only trailing by one goal.

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The second was a bit more evened out. Most of the play was back and forth, and both teams had some great chances. Aside from a little dust-up between Mathieu Roy and one of the Nailers, the period was essentially quiet. The score remained 2-1

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Thought there was hope for an Everblades comeback the Nailers would not allow it to be anything more than a hope. They made it 3-1 three minutes into the game.

They then proceeded to outwork the Blades in every conceivable way. Aside from a  close call or two, the Blades just couldn't overcome the Nailers and when the final buzzer sounded their lackluster effort had handed the Nailers two points we couldn't afford to give them. The game sheet is here.

Three stars: 3. Carlson, 2. Murovich (WHL), 1. Haddad (WHL)
---------------------------------

Some thoughts:

- They honestly looked like they didn't give a crap. That's the only way to describe their play. 

- I don't know about everyone else, but O think it would be nice if the Blades would stop letting the teams they play take the lead. Playing catch-up isn't fun.

- Looks like Alex Imbeault has gone missing again. It would be nice if he stopped waiting for everything to come to him and actually get involved in some physical play.

- The power play woes continue for the Blades. It will continue as long as no one attempts to take a freaking shot during those two freebie minutes.

- At least our penalty kill is still dependable. There's always that.

News and Notes

Well, late afternoon is almost the same thing as early evening right? Either way, here's a quick round up of all the fun that's been happening:

- Both Bobby Goepfert and Jaroslav Janus were called up to the AHL, meaning we have neither of our top goalies.

- At least our wonderful Checkers Friends have sent me a picture from warm-ups before tonight's game of Bobby Goepfert. Look at him in his grown up jersey! Thanks Lisa!

- The team did sign Mike Zacharias, the goalie we picked up from waivers last week.

- The Lightning announced the signing of a new goalie. There is the possibility that we will either him or Janus. Not a garantee of course, but it would be great for us (and his development).

- Dusty Collins is back from Oklahoma City. Wonder which AHL team will try to poach him next.

- Tony Mosey was released from the team. Poor guy can't catch break.

- Woody over at the Blades' Blog had a sneak peek at the special jerseys the Blades will be wearing for their series. My opinion: They could be worse...

YouTube Tuesday

A lot is going down in Everblades land, but I of course have appointments and errands that can't be put off. For now, enjoy some other views from the line brawl and goalie fight against the Gladiators back in December.





It really is fun to gloat when you've swept a divisional rival, come out on top in the season series, and basically ruined their playoff hopes for a second season in a row. So much fun.

I'll have an update later today with all the news and maybe even a re-cap of the two games I forgot to write a re-cap for. Until then people.

Live Blog: Everblades vs. Gladiators (3/18/11)

With the Blades playoff resting on their performance in the next three games calling this series the most important of the entire season. The Blades sit in seventh in the Eastern conference. The Gladiators? Ninth.

Eight teams make the Eastern conference playoffs.



Neither team can afford to lose a game. Obviously, things are going to get very interesting.

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Starting line: Raymond, Fischer, Hutchings, Snetsinger, Hutchings, Goepfert.

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I bet you want to hear about the amazing period the Blades had. With them dictating the play and scoring on the power play.

Well... you got your hopes too high didn't you?

The Gladiators dominated the first, the Everblades just never got it together. They were unable to convert on the power play. The Glads were able to get two past Bobby Goepfert withing 20 seconds of each other in the closing minutes of the period.

Basically, the Blades sucked in a game they have no option to suck in.

The period ended with the Gladiators holding their 2-0 lead and leading the SOG 13-7.

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The second period could not have been any different from the first. It was Almost as if the Everblades realized how important the game they were playing is. After killing off a 5 on 3, the Blades started to take over. After a long bout of stained pressure the Blades were able to score their first goal of the night thanks to Bobby Raymond.



That goal, on the power play, seemed to wake the guys up. Alex Imbeault tied it up a minute and a half later with a goal of his own to make it 2-2. The Blades were able to stave off any goals from the Glads and the period ended with it tied 2-2. The SOG were tied 16-16 for the period.

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The third period was pretty even. The score remained tied until late in the period, when a fluky play saw Alex Imbeault score his second goal of the game at the 15:47 mark. Despite the Glads best efforts, a pulled goalie, some intense pressure, and a few too many close calls, the Blades were able to hold them off for the win. The Glads led the SOG 18-4, and the final score was 3-2. The game sheet is here.

Three stars: 3. Francis (Gwinnett), 2. Goepfert, 1. Imbeault

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Some thoughts:

- I would love to never hear or see the Blades play like they did in the first ever again.

- On the other hand, nothing would make me happier than a repeat of that second period for the rest of the season.

- Bobby Goepfert stopped 45 of 47 shots. Total beast.

- Nice of Imbeault to show up, huh?

- The only constant throughout this season is the penalty kill. At least we're good on that.


On another note, the Blades picked up goalie Mike Zacarias off of the waiver wire. His stats:

Friday Links

Happy Friday everyone! The Blades play the first of a very important three games in three days against the Gladiators tonight. Cross your fingers and send good vibes to our boys. They need it.

- Let's get this out of the way first, Jaroslav Janus has been called up to Norfolk. Again. The team also signed defenseman Deron Cousens. His stats:



- Weird find on eBay, a game worn Everblades helmet. I wish I could remember the last few #20's to play.


- Love this post from Greatest Hockey Legends on my favorite player of all time, Mario Lemieux.

- This cake is so awesome. I'll take one with an Everblades theme for my birthday guys.



- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Hockey Homicide"

- Although I find this... well I guess it's artwork... unique, I don't find it $110 worth of unique.

- Poor pup.


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News and Notes

With all that's been going on lately, it's definitely time for a round-up of all the news.

- Hockey Broad has an interview with Bobby Goepfert and it's awesome.

- I tweeted that Chris Beckford-Tseu was released from the Salmon Kings (yesterdayish?) as well as Ed Snetsinger. Well, today the Greenville Road Warriors picked CBT up.



I mentioned this to someone earlier on Twitter, how much would you look forward to CBT in net for Greenville in the playoffs.

- The Tampa Bay Lightning have released Mitch Fadden. Reports are slowly leaking out that there are some issues going on, including a possible DUI.

- Some roster news: Evgeny Timkin was released (consider me not surprised),the big reason for Timmy being dropped. Roster room had to be made for new forward Scott Pitt.



- Dusty Collins was signed by another AHL team. Although I wish him luck, I still hate seeing our roster get raided by non-affiliates.


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YouTube Tuesday

Time to jump in a time machine and head all the way back to 1991 and the early days of the ECHL.



That's the former Columbus Chill, now the Reading Royals, taking on the Johnstown Chiefs, who became the Greenville Road Warriors just this season, in a knock down drag out line brawl. Oh the good old days.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Road Warriors (3/12/11)

It's the same story the Blades have been facing for the last dozen or so games, can they find a way to clinch a good spot in the playoffs, can they find a way to win without their most talented players? Sadly, the answer still seems to be, we'll see.

There has been recent news that coach Poss has decided to put a new, more defensively minded, grinding type, system in place. Unfortunately, I was stuck with only the radio broadcast the last few games so I can't really tell you how well its actually working (anyone at the game want to leave a comment on their impression is more than welcome). I will say that on the stat sheet and in the outcomes it appears to be working.

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The first period was relatively uneventful. The Blades seemed to be dictating play. Both teams were pretty disciplined. Then, in what would be the Road Warriors same problem all night, Greenville took a very poorly timed delay of game penalty. This one came just as they killed off a previous penalty that the Blades couldn't really capitalize on. They didn't make the same mistake twice. Mathieu Roy was able to redirect a shot past the Road Warriors goalie to give the Blades the 1-0 lead. They held on to the lead for the rest of the period and the score remained 1-0 when both teams left the ice. The Blades led the SOG 6-3.

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The Road Warriors were obviously not going to let the Blades continue to dictate play. They came out in the second with adjustments made. They worked and the Road Warriors, over the course of the period, tripled the amount of shots they took in the first. The Blades were able to hold them off for most of the period. Unfortunatley, the Road Warriors were able to score with one minute left in the period to make it a 1-1 tie. The score remained that way at the end of the period. The Blades trailed 9 -12 in SOG.

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The play was a bit more balanced in the third. The teams remained tied until after the halfway mark of the period. The Blades took the lead for the second time in the game with a short-handed goal from Alex Hutchings. Greenville responded right away with a power play goal of their own to tie it up 2-2. The Blades took the lead yet again with an even strength tally from Matt Beca about eight minutes later. Unfortunately a weird one was able to get past goalie Bobby Gopefert to tie it up again. Neither team was able to steal the game in the remaining minutes. The score was tied up 3-3 at the end of regulation. The Blades trailed once again in SOG 10-12.

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In a repeat of earlier in the game, the Road Warriors took a poorly timed penalty less than a minute into the game. Perhaps it wasn't the worst time to take it, Hutching had a juicy opportunity that he could easily have cashed in on. It still cost the Road Warriors in the end when Beca was able to cash in with a mere four seconds left on the penalty to earn the win. The final score was 4-3 and the Blades led SOG 5-0.

The three stars: Hutchings, Carlson, Beca

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Some thoughts:

- How great has Matt Beca been lately?! Good lord, the kids quickly become my favorite forward.

- I'm also loving Alex Hutchings stepping up.

- One of the Road Warriors got called for what sounded like a nasty boarding on (I think) Mike McKenzie. I would hope that the league hands down a one game suspension at least.

- 2 for 7 on the power play? I will gladly take that.

- At least we know the best strategy to beat Greenville if we face them in the playoffs. Let them commit the stupid, poorly timed, penalties they've been taking all season and make them pay.

- Has anyone seen Alex Imbeault? He's on the game rosters, but he hasn't been showing up lately. Perhaps being a healthy scratch for a game will make him appear.

- I have a hunch that Goepfert starts tonight rather than Janus. It's a better idea to play the goalie that's been winning consistently, especially against a divisional rival like Greenville.

Friday Links

It feels odd that the Everblades aren't playing a game tonight. At least I have the usual dose of Links to get you through till tomorrows game.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Slapshot"

- One of my favorite writers, Hockey Broad, compiled a list of all the hockey players on Twitter.


- Also, worth linking is her post on head shots. She makes a lot of great points, and I really do think every hockey fan should read it.

- I thought our holiday jerseys were terrible. I just don't know what to say...



- I love all the vintage hockey equipment over on Etsy. Though, the mention of needing to clean these (very bright) hockey gloves lead me to believe they have some smell issues going on.

- I didn't think it was possible, but I love Third String Goalie even more for their recent post on one of my favorite Penguins of all time, Larry Murphy.

- Kitty time!


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YouTube Tuesday

Happy Tuesday people! Today's video is a good old fashioned bench clearing brawl staring two, now defunct, ECHL franchises.



That's the Louisiana IceGators taking on the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks. The Tiger Sharks still exist, in a way, as the Utah Grizzlies, the IceGators, not so much. Hard to imagine only four years ago both these teams exhisted and now they don't. Sadly, thats the story of the ECHL, isn't it?

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Stingrays (3/5/11)

Saying the Blades have not been playing very well lately wouldw be an understatement. Managing only 1 point in three games with a team their battling for playoff position with is obviously not a good thing. With the end of the season closing in its time for the Blades to wake up and start playing like they were in the early half of the season.

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There really wasn't anything too exciting in the first two periods. Tim Spencer dropped the gloves yet again. Posts were hit. The Blades played terrible in the first and most of the second. At some point they woke up (thank god) and started to apply pressure. Of course, their luck has matched their play of late, and they just couldn't get a bounce their way. The score remained 0-0 through two periods.

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The third looked a great deal like the first two through most of the period. Then, Bobby Raymond decided it was time for the Blades to win a game. He slipped one past Shane Owen with a little over two minutes left on the clock to make it 1-0. The Rays were left with no option but to pull Owen for the extra attacker. Unfortunately for them, one of their players misplayed the puck, allowing Mike McKenzie to net an unassisted empty netter to make it 2-0 at the 19:25 mark of the period. Obviously, the Stingrays could not score two goals in the last few seconds. The Blades won 2-0, they trailed SOG 22-28.

The three stars: McKenzie, Goepfert, Raymond.

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Some thoughts:
- That was Bobby Goepferts second shut-out of the season.

- Guess who led in shots? David Fischer. The forwards really need to start doing their jobs.

- How human has Imbeault been looking without Lemieux?

- Beca is quickly becoming one of my favorites. He's one of the few forwards that seems to work hard every single shift.

- It sounded like Drew Larman was playing out of his mind. Too bad he didn't get any goals. Sounds like he deserved one.

-Odd that the Blades win a game right after an article appears over on the Blades blog questioning their committment. Can we get a win streak going like we did after Brush called them all out in the beginning of the season.

Live Blog: Everblades vs. Stingrays

The Blades have a big series on their hands. After only managing one point in their two game series with the Stingrays the Blades have no options when it comes to their play tonight.

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The first period was nothing special. Both teams looked quite sluggish. Tim Spencer tried to breath a little life into the team by mixing it up with one of the Stingrays, but it didn't really inspire anything. The teams traded chances for most of the period. The Blades had a close call when the Rays managed to slip one past goalie Bobby Goepfert, but it was waived off for being played with a high stick. Things were looking like the period would end with the teams tied 0-0, but the Rays scored with 29 seconds left in the period to take the 1-0 lead. The Blades had a good chance after that, but nothing resulted, and the period ended with them down 1-0.

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Well... the second period sucked. There really is no other way to describe it. The Blades allowed the Stingrays to totally dictate the play. The only thing that kept them in the period was some solid work from Goepfert. Of course, a second waived goal for the Stingrays also helped. Somehow, the score at the end of the period was still 1-0. The Blades are really going to have to wake-up if they want those two points.

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The third period really didn't get any better. The Stingrays kept up the pressure and the Blades continued to allow them to dictate the play. They did manage to net one with Goepfert pulled. Unfortunately, the goal, a rebound stuffed in by Elgin Reid, crossed the line with only 51 seconds on the clock. Shortly after that the Stingrays got possesion while the net was empty again. It was easily dished into the goal to make it 3-1.

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Some thoughts:
- What a terrible effort from the Blades. They didn't even deserve the one goal they got.

- It's great to have a fantastic goalie, and we do have one, but the team in front of him has to actually show up if they want to win.

- Beating Shane Owen 101: Shoot at his pads, have someone by the net collelt the inevitable juicy rebound and score. Simple.

- I'm glad we didn't sign him. It would be Mike Morrison all over again.

- The Blades better start showing up if they want to accomplish something this season

Friday Links

Better late than never, right?

- First up, good news! Bobby Gopefert's all clear to play. I'm hoping he plays tonight. We need a win badly.

- This is really cool, a banner from the US pond hockey championship recycled into a tote bag.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Extra Attacker." I'm printing this out to hand out to the goober who scream "Where's the goalie going?" rather than politely asking their seat neighbors.

- This is a very cool cake, too bad they chose a Red Wings logo.



- Great stuff from Greatest Hockey Legends (as usual).

- Cat's are geniuses.


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YouTube Tuesday: Dancing Goalies!

Before we get to the fun, a quick note. It looks like three Everblades (well, two Everblades and someone who's been called up) are now on Twitter. I think Bobby Goepfert, Drew Larman, and Matt Pistilli would all appreciate some love.

The scary thing about YouTube is how easily you can start out with one video and somehow end up watching videos of kayak water polo, Finnish death metal, 50's game show bloopers, adorable kittens misjudging a jump, and someone blowing up a microwave... in that order.

The good thing about YouTube is discovering videos like this...



And this...



Must not forget this...



From what I can gather, this is kind of a tradition in Germany, possibly even Europe. It's obviously the most brilliant idea ever. I mean, come on! How can you not love that? I vote North American hockey fans start a movement to bring this to our shores. It would be amazing.