February 17: @ Flames 3 vs. Raiders 3

Sunday afternoon the Pee Wee Major Flames returned to home ice for a game against the Raiders based out of Everett, MA. Right away it was apparent that the Flames effort level and team involvement were back, and Saturday’s game just a memory. The Flames would take a 2-1 lead half way through this game, only to lose the lead late in the 3^rd period. Then the hockey gods smiled on the home team when the Flames scored with an extra attacker on the ice with less than a minute left. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.

1^st Period: Just 22 seconds into the game, the Flames trailed 1-0 when play broke down in front of their own net, and the opportunistic Raider top line put them ahead. For the rest of the period the Flames dominated scoring chances and shots, getting 10 of the next 11 shots in the game. With 8:36 left in the period, Sam Hebert scored on the power play and the tied things at one apiece. The period would end with the Flames feeling like they should have scored a couple of more goals, but tied 1-1.

2^nd Period: The second period started with the Flames getting the early chances but the score remained tied. Then Sam Hebert struck again, and gave the Flames a 2-1 lead. It was Hebert’s 60^th goal of the season and 42^nd goal in 24 Mass Select games. The Flames would retain this lead for the next 20 minutes of hockey time. The second period ended with the Flames leading 2-1, and holding a 17-6 advantage in shots. Again, they were unable to widen the lead, or put away the pesky, ever-improving Raider club.

3^rd Period: The Raiders showed that they weren’t giving up, or going away in the final period as they outplayed and outworked the Flames for much of the period. Finally the lead that carried no comfort in it was gone. The Raiders top line struck for a goal with 3:16 left in the game. Then 60 seconds later they tallied again, giving the visitors a 3-2 lead with just 136 seconds left in the game. The Raiders, who had spent most of the season in last place in their division, had beaten the Flames in their only other visit to West Side Arena, and they had also moved out of the cellar in the division. It appeared as though the Flames were going to lose another home game to the Raiders despite beating them twice on their home ice. Then, with the goaltender pulled, and Sean Moore parked legally in front of the net, the Flames reached back for a little more. Sam Hebert and Patrick Goren exchanged passes before throwing the puck at the net. The Raider goaltender never reacted to the puck as Moore limited his view of anything at all, and the puck slid unimpeded to the goal mouth where Zachary Bayer slammed home the game-tying goal with just 41 seconds left to play. With the game tied, the Flames returned Anders Lindberg to their net, and held on for the tie. Although, just seconds after the center ice face-off  Bayer found himself with the puck on a clear breakaway. There was not another Raider even in the defensive zone as Bayer approached the net. Bayer let a shot go, but the Raider goal tender was squared up to the shot and made a clean save without a rebound. The game would end in a 3-3 tie.

The tie was just the third tie of the season for the Flames, bringing their overall record to 34-20-3 on the season. With just a couple of weeks left in the season, the Flames have 7 different players with 30 or more points on the season.

On Tap:

Saturday, Feb 23: @ Shamrocks, Ristuccia Arena 7:20pm

Sunday, Feb 24: @ Nashua Pee Wee 3, Skate 3 Blue 12:00pm

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Ottawa 1 – January 25: Flames 3 vs. Perth Blue Wings 1

The Manchester Flames Pee Wee Majors traveled to Ottawa, Ontario to compete in the 9th Annual Capital Winter Classic Tournament, and this morning they played their opening game. Walking into the complex this morning, we sought the unfamiliar relief of the cold rink as a place of warmth to get away from the wind chills of 10 and 20 degrees below zero. Feeling frozen, maybe a little bit, the Flames were matched up against the Perth Blue Wings to start the tournament. The Flames started slow but did rally to earn a 3-1 win.

1st Period: The Flames managed five shots on goal, and did control the puck some, while taking a few icing calls. They held the Blue Wings to just a pair of shots on goal. After one period, the game was tied at 0-0.

2nd Period: the second period saw the Blue Wings score first. After a loose puck sat for what seemed like an hour in the Flames empty defensive crease, Patrick Goren swept the puck aside, and clear of the goalmouth. The trouble was that Goren used his gloved hand to do so, which, by rule awards the non-offending team a penalty shot. The Perth player scored and the Flames trailed 1-0. The Flames took a penalty just 20 seconds after the goal and were in a tight spot, not wanting to go down by two goals. The Flames and, superb penalty killer, Brendan Courtney, held their own, and killed the penalty. Then with just 78 ticks left to play in the 2nd period, the Flames scored on the power play to tie the game. After a great shift from Wil Hebert, Jackson Puzzo, and Sam Hebert, they were rewarded with a goal. Sam finally tapped the puck into the net after shots and passes had trickled through traffic, bounced off of the goalie, and appeared to going wide of the net. Sam collected the puck and quickly slid it behind the goaltender before he could recover. Puzzo and Wil Hebert got the assists. The period ended with the game tied at 1-1, and the Flames holding a 14-6 advantage in shots.

3rd Period: 11 seconds into the final period, the Flames took the lead. After winning a scrum following the face off, Sam Hebert took a pass from Sean Moore and bolted up left wing. Hebert made no mistake, roofing the puck in the top right corner of the net, and scoring his second goal of the game. Minutes later, Zachary Bayer scored on a set up from Jackson Puzzo and the Flames led 3-1 with half a period to play. The Flames collapsed around their own net and kept most play to the outside in trying to preserve their lead. The final score would stay the same, a 3-1 win for the Flames. Keenan Alnahas and Anders Lindberg combined to save 10 of 11 shots and earn the win for the Flames. The Flames generated 19 shots on goal in the game. Sam Hebert was named player of the game for the Flames who move over to the Bell Sensplex, and the Mattamy Homes Arena for a 7:30pm game tonight, against the Kitchener Jr. Rangers Blue.

January 6: @ Flames 3 vs. 495 Stars White 2

After two games on Saturday the Flames came into Sunday afternoon’s game with the 495 Stars White team with a full 24 hours off. The Flames and Stars were meeting for the 4^th and final time this season, and if the game followed previous results, this would be a tight one. In three previous meetings, the Flames earned one goal victories in each, 4-3, 3-2, and 3-2. During the pre-game skate both referees were geared for a feisty, heavy penalized type of game, but I pointed out that previous encounters had been pretty crisp, and clean. So, here we go.

1st Period: The first period set the tone for the rest of the game really. There were few shots by either team, much of the play was from the face off circles and out through the neutral zone, and above the circles at the other end. Both teams contested odd man rushes, and breakouts, and play was overall defensive in nature. This favored the Flames largely due to the fact that the Flames broke through and scored twice in the period, while getting just 5 shots to the net. Ryan Douthart (who I think played his best game of the season, and continues to improve) scored a great hockey goal to get the Flames started. Jackson Puzzo got the puck to Sam Hebert who drove to the net creating a defensive collapse on him. This freed up Douthart who got the puck, and shot on net, and then he followed his own rebound and put the puck in the net. The Flames led 1-0. Late in the period Sean Moore made a nice little tip pass to Sam Hebert who took the pass in full stride and beat everyone to the net, scoring a pretty goal, and giving the Flames a 2-0 lead. After one period; 2 goals scored, 9 combined shots, and just one combined penalty.

2nd Period: The Stars had a better 2^nd period, but it didn’t start that way. The Flames had some early chances and several shots, but gave the momentum back by taking consecutive penalties. The Stars took full advantage of the penalty whistled when the Flames stop skating and get their sticks parallel to the ice, hooking. Less than a minute after having an unsuccessful power play, the Stars corrected matters on this advantage. The Stars got a power play goal to cut the Flames lead in half. Then, just 10 seconds later, Bang! The game was tied at 2-2. The Flames were able to get the lead back before the period ended when Sam Hebert took the puck off of a Stars’ stick and went the length of the ice to score his second goal of the game. The period ended with the Flames leading 3-2. The Stars had 7 shots to just 6 shots for the Flames.

3rd Period: There was no scoring in the final period, nor were there any penalties called. However, this may have been the most dominating period for the Flames. Over the final 20 minutes of play, the Flames allowed just 4 shots to reach their goaltender. They controlled play, gave up almost zero chances, and outshot the Stars 8-3. Douthart had half of the Flames shots in the period. The home team played well, another solid team effort in earning their third straight 3-2 win at the hands of the 495 Stars White team. The win gives the Flames a 3 point lead in their division standings, while still having played one less game than the 2^nd place Bulldogs.

On Tap:

Monday night, January 7^th (tonight): Flames vs. Avalanche II @ 7:50pm (West Side Arena)

Saturday, January 12^th: Flames vs. Hanover @ 10:20am (West Side Arena)

Saturday, January 12^th: Flames vs. NE Stars Select @ 6:10pm (West Side Arena)

Sunday, January 13^th: Flames vs. Shamrocks @ 2:10pm (West Side Arena)

December 29: @ Flames 2 vs. Shamrocks 1

Saturday the Flames started their final weekend of the year 2012 with the first of back-to-back home games. They hosted the Shamrocks at West Side Arena. These are the same Shamrocks that beat the Flames 2-1 back on the 1^st of the month. A big team with some skill, some size, and some big shots that was able to create quite a bit of open space for themselves the first time they met. The Flames answered the call and played a solid, disciplined game from start to finish, earning their own 2-1 victory.

1st Period: The Flames scored first when Sean Moore, who has been heating up lately, scored on a nice play set up by Zachary Bayer. Other than the Moore goal, the period was quite even. Both teams registered 8 shots, neither team was called for a penalty and both teams did a nice job of clogging areas on the ice, not allowing odd man rushes.

2nd Period: The second period only offered a single penalty called and no scoring as far as the score sheet was concerned. However, the Flames had some great chances, definitely getting better looks at the net than the visiting Shamrocks, but could not extend the lead. The Flames outshot their opponent 11-8 in the period and held a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.

3rd Period: In the third period some things returned to a more normal, if not, familiar state. The Flames were called for three penalties in the period, two of which were called quickly, as in, quickly in direct proportion to the quickness in which the Flame player stopped skating and started reaching with their stick. Whistle! Penalty. The feet must keep moving. Anyhow, before the penalties, there was the Flames second goal of the game. Just 14 seconds into the period, Zachary Bayer scored on what was an innocent looking play set up by Christian Levesque, but Bayer worked hard, and was rewarded with the goal. Later, came the penalties, and allowed this Shamrock club back into the game. For nearly all 45 minutes of play the Flames had stymied the big guns of the visitors, allowing almost no time or space. They got off one, or maybe two, big shots in the game, but they were off target, and the rest of the time the Flames played team defense and allowed almost no good looks at the net. All except for the power play goal they allowed with 2:08 left in the game. The Flames held on and won 2-1 in a good, clean, crisply played hockey game. The Flames’ goal-tending tandem of Anders Lindberg (Win) and Keenan Alnahas combined to save 19 of 20 shots faced, earning the team’s 20th win of the season. Saturday’s win set the stage for a big Granite State game on Sunday afternoon, also at West Side Arena, stayed tuned.

December 15: Flames 2 @ NH Avalanche III 3

Saturday, December 15, 2012 saw the Manchester Flames Pee Wee Major team hit the road for a pair of road games. The first game was just a few minutes up the road, at the Ice Den for a contest with a familiar foe, the NH Avalanche Pee Wee 3 team. The teams had split the decisions in two previous meetings this season. From my visitor’s seat near center ice, I watched the game on Saturday afternoon, and I must admit that after watching 36 minutes of play, the effort felt like a win from the Flames side. However, the feeling I carried with me as I walked downstairs was one of disappointment and frustration, because what looked, better than not on the ice, resulted in a 3-2 loss, no points in the GSL Standings, and a pair of losses to the Av 3 team in league play. Really, who cares what I felt, so let’s get to the action.

1^st Period: Manchester jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, scoring just 20 seconds into the game. Ashlie Killen and Sean Moore made passes that ended up on Zachary Bayer’s stick, who fired a wrist shot over the goalie’s shoulder and under the cross-bar to give the Flames the lead. The Flames would dominate possession, shots, and scoring chances through the rest of the period, although the period ended with the Flames leading 1-0.

2^nd Period: The Flames would lose this period 1-0, despite out shooting the Avs 7-6 and carrying much of the play. Max LaJeunesse scored a power play goal for the Avs just 22 seconds after the Flames’ Achilles heel exposed itself, taking one of many penalties on the day. The power play goal tied the game at one apiece. For the rest of the period the Flames played well, got chances, then would take another penalty and give back momentum. After two periods the score was; Flames 1, Avalanche 1.

3^rd Period: As we typically see, the third period opened up a little bit. There were three goals scored and six penalties called in the final period. For the Flames, the period progressed almost exactly opposite of how they would have liked. First, another penalty led to another power play goal for the home team. Then, Sam Hebert answered with a swift, strong rush to the front of the net, and scored the game-tying goal. Patrick Goren started the play with a quick pass to Wil Hebert, who hit his brother with the pass that sent Sam into the offensive end and the resulting goal. For the next several minutes the Flames would get some excellent scoring chances but could not convert, even while killing off a 4-on-3 shorthanded situation. Then, with the puck on their sticks, afforded both time and space, the Flames turned the puck over in their own end and quickly recovered it from the back of their own net. The goal was just a bad goal on a bad play, the type of play that rears its head in scenarios like these, when missed opportunities at the other end result in empty trips and near misses. That goal, a credit to the Avs, who capitalized on Flames miscues and penalties throughout the game, gave the home team a 3-2 lead with 3-plus minutes to play. The Flames promptly took another penalty, somewhat thwarting their own comeback attempt for 90 seconds. The Flames killed the penalty, pulled their goaltender, but could not get the tying goal.

In all, the Flames took 8 penalties to just 3 for the Avs. The Flames outshot their opponent in each of the three periods for a 23-16 advantage overall. The Flames are now 5-6-1 in GSL play, tied for 3^rd place with 11 points, but have played the most games in the league (tied with Berlin who has also played 12 games) thus far. This leaves the door wide open for the teams lower in the standings to win games and garner points while the Flames have just 8 league games remaining. For example, the Avalanche 2 team has 11 points, and sits tied with the Flames in the standings, but they still have 10 games remaining.

 

December 8: @ Flames 1 vs. Bulldogs 5

Saturday afternoon the Flames returned to home ice for a game against the Bulldogs. These two teams have played each other several times already this season. Each of the games thus far has been intensely contested, pretty evenly matched, and been a close game. Today things changed a little bit, at least as it relates to how these games have been going. The Flames lost 5-1 and just didn’t have the intensity they have shown over recent games. There was a fair amount of watching instead of skating, especially in the areas of battling for loose pucks and defending in front of their goal tender.

1st Period: The Flames came out in the first period and carried the play early. The Bulldogs didn’t mount much of a fight in either end of the ice for about six or seven minutes. Then things started to get good. Both teams played sharp, structured hockey, and the period ended scoreless, while both teams managed 8 shots apiece.

2nd Period: The second period was quite different from the opening period. The Bulldogs stormed the Flames net early, getting five shots on net and a goal before the Flames even got a shot off. After another four and a half minutes the lead had jumped to 3-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. Two of the three goals for the visiting team had come on a man-advantage. 28 seconds after the Flames fell behind 3-0, Zachary Bayer scored for the home team. Bayer was able to get his stick on the puck before it bounced off of, up, and over the Bulldogs goaltender. The whole play was set up by a strong individual effort from Sean Moore who had back checked a player in the neutral zone, took the puck, beat another player with a deke, and turned it into a scoring opportunity. The final seven-plus minutes were penalty and goal free, although the Flames put their best offensive effort together to finish the period. The period ended with the Flames trailing 3-1 on the scoreboard, and being out-shot 23-18.

3rd Period: After getting the better scoring chances in the latter half of the second period, and not being able to capitalize with goals, the Flames still had a chance entering the final period. Chances went out the window when the Bulldogs scored their fourth goal on a shot from a player standing all by himself in the slot. Shortly thereafter, the Bulldogs were about to score again after Anders Lindberg made a couple of point-blank saves. The puck was uncovered, in the crease, and just begging to be put into the net when a Flames defenseman reached out and covered the puck with their hands. That equated to a delay of game penalty and a penalty shot was awarded to the Bulldogs. The penalty shot resulted in a goal and a 5-1 lead for the Bulldogs. The game would end that way, with the Flames being out-shot 30-23 for the game.

On Tap: Keene visits West Side Arena tomorrow at 3pm. The Flames beat Keene 2-0 at Cushing Academy back in October. Stay tuned.

December 2: Flames 5 @ Berlin 1

The Flames were in Berlin, NH Sunday morning for a Granite State game with the Berlin Sabers. They definitely showed the effects of playing an intense game just 16 hours prior, some 165 miles away. Unfortunately for the host Sabers, the effects carried over by the visiting Flames were those of intensity and team play, the latter of which was lacking on Saturday evening. The Flames jumped out to a 2-0 lead, increased the lead to 5-0, and won going away. The Flames earned two much needed points in the Granite State Standings with an impressive 5-1, road victory.

1^st period: The Flames played well from the start. They held an impressive 11-2 advantage in shots, and it even seemed more one-sided than that. Wil Hebert was the first of five different Flames to score a goal after being set up by his older brother, Sam Hebert. Then, with just 16 seconds left in the period the Flames struck again, and this time it was all about passing. Ashlie Killen made a D-to-D pass over to Patrick Goren who let a shot go from the left point. The puck was deflected by Sean Moore en route to the net, and the carom went right to Jackson Puzzo who converted the chance, giving the Flames a 2-0 lead after one period. Superstitiously, I was knocking on the lumber in the Notre Dame Arena bleachers as a comment was made noting that the Flames had played a penalty-free period; to no avail.

2^nd period: The Flames would get called for two penalties each in the 2^nd and 3^rd periods, still a vast improvement over recent weeks. Anyways, back to the action. The Flames scored their third goal when multiple feed attempts to Ryan Douthart who was parked in the slot, led to a rebound goal scored by Zach Bayer. Again, it was team hockey, and it paid off. Bayer, being fed passes down low by Goren and Killen, had made a pass or two to Douthart, who got away a couple of good shots that were turned away, the last of which was a rebound pounced on by Bayer to get the goal. Again, Killen was part of the pass play, but only two assists are awarded in hockey, and they went to Douthart and Goren. 3-0 Flames. Minutes later, Sam Hebert reached high into the air and knocked down a fluttering puck with his glove hand, the puck hit the ice in front of him and he was off to the races. Sam skated in nearly alone and buried a short-handed goal giving the Flames a 4-0 lead. 41 seconds later, Brendan “Thunderstick” Courtney ripped a slap shot just inside the far post for an apparent goal. The goal was waved off as Sean Moore had redirected the shot with an apparent high stick. Two minutes later the Flames got goal number five on another unselfish hockey play. Killen, Goren, and Bayer, and Sam Hebert were dominating puck possession and feeding Kyle O’Flaherty around the slot area in an attempt to get him his first goal of the season. They did their job and Kyle scored a great goal, but I will get to that in a minute. First, I neglected to mention in Saturday’s summary something I noticed and should have recorded, but forgot as the hour approached midnight at the end of a long day. Here it is, and I am sure Kyle was not alone in this but he stood out to me on Saturday, and again on Sunday. Shift after shift O’Flaherty challenged bigger, stronger, opposing forwards, by skating hard and shadowing these players who were looking to receive breakout passes. In the moments that the Flames played their best on Saturday night, Kyle was pressing the forwards, challenging them to get free just to receive a pass, and his disruption led to turnovers and Flame offensive chances. He was at it again on Sunday and he got the ultimate hard working hockey reward, a nice goal. Ok, so the goal, Ashlie Killen wound up for a big shot, which faked out everyone in the building when the puck trickled some four feet off of her stick, right to Zach Bayer. Bayer fed a pass to the slot towards O’Flaherty but he was being stick-checked or held and the puck ended up on Patrick Goren’s stick at the right point. Goren let a low shot go along the ice, O’Flaherty in a half spin, got the toe of his stick blade on the puck and guided it perfectly through the goaltender’s five-hole for his first goal. The score was 5-0 in a runaway game but the celebration on the ice, by teammates, who were playing like teammates, was nice to see. The period would end with the Flames leading 5-0 and owning a 29-5 edge in shots on goal.

3^rd period: The game’s final 12 minutes saw Berlin get a hard working goal of their own, a credit to continuing to work hard and not give up, as it should be. The Flames played defensemen on offense and vice-versa. They would not score any goals but these new lines showed their teammates, the coaching staff, and the nearly sold out (not really), visiting crowd that they can pass the puck. After all was said and done the Flames won 5-1, garnered 35 shots on goal, and got 9 saves on 10 shots against from Keenan Alnahas and Anders Lindberg. It was a solid, intense, team effort following a late game the night before, and the result showed that.

On tap: Saturday the Flames host the Bulldogs (our newest rival) in the world famous West Side Arena at 2:30pm. Then Sunday it’s another home game at 3:00pm vs. Keene. Have a great week!