PEI - Halifax Season Opener

[canbeer]

admin said:

bencurtis said:

It wasnt' Goyens, it was Bona. And Bona went off bloodied, cause Kana punched him with his glove on.

Sorry, i knew it was Bona, i just types Goyens for some odd reason....

Bona got schooled by our Euro.......

You must be looking for a reaction because come on

Bona was cut before he dropped his gloves. He took a gloved punch in the face and then Kana dropped one glove and punched him under the eye. Bona then dropped 'em and that was it. It was pretty clear on tv.

[countryboy]

I left the rink tonight feeling ok about the Rocket's performance. Morrison certainly wasn't at his best and he rarely misses a chance when he has time to bury one. Tonight he missed 2-3 good opportunities. I didn't think Doyle had his best game either.

Yetman played very strongly in the Halifax net. While he didn't make any gamebreaker saves, he kept us at bay on power plays and handled a barrage of shots from us as we outshot his team in the first. We bury a chance in the first and it's a completely different game.

There were a few defensive miscues and missed assignments that will need some tweaking. Otherwise, I think we look pretty solid coming out of the gate. Halifax has a strong, deep team and the return of Pridham, Bodnarchuk, MacMillan and Voracek will make them even more lethal.

I'll agree with Score that a quick start from the team might be crucial for Yannick Jean. If we're not heading in the right direction by mid-October, Savard has to make a move looking at the type of team we have.

One thing I noted watching tonight was that Michalaf was much more vocal and animated working with the defenceman than Tucker ever was. You could see him signaling and talking to players on the ice about position on faceoffs, etc.

Looking forward to Sunday already!

cb

[countryboy]

Main's hit on MacAskill was highlight reel material. It was one of those hits that looked a lot harder than it was, because of the speed the guys were moving.

Still, one of the biggest hits I've seen at a Q game in Ch'town.

Main was a wrecking ball all night.

cb

[habs24]

The fight was right in front of me. Bona was shoving Kana out of the crease, Kana dropped one glove and popped Bona four or five times spllitting him open. The Bona threw 4 or 5 back and the refs come in . Win Kana for bloodying Bona. Kana, Main were the best players for the Rocket tonight. majority of the rest were awful. Paynter played his game nothing flashy. Lafleur was weak. I think offensively we are going to be in trouble. Other teams will be focusing on Walker and Morrison. After that we have nothing, or so it seemed tonight. One bonus was that unlike last year, we didn't have to wait until December to win our first fight.

[Score]

Mooseheads spoil party
The Guardian

A two-goal second period earned the Halifax Mooseheads a 5-2 win and spoiled the P.E.I. Rocket’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League home opener Friday at the Civic Centre.

P.E.I. drops to 2-2 with one tie in five home openers since moving from Montreal in 2003.

The difference Friday, said Rocket forward Geoff Walker, was giving Halifax too much leeway in the Rocket zone in the middle frame.

“I just think we got outworked in that second period. You can’t take any periods off against a team that’s that good. So we have to bounce back Sunday (against Saint John),” said Walker, who had a goal and an assist. “We’ve got to learn from those mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again.”

The teams looked nervous and disjointed early in the first before settling down mid-way through the stanza.

Rocket starting goaltender Antoine Lafleur returned from the New York Rangers rookie camp late Thursday night.

Herd forward Garrett Peters tested Lafleur at 6:29 in the first, splitting defencemen Benoit Gervais and Pierre-Luc Lessard then slipping a low shot under Lafleur’s pads for a 1-0 lead.

Lafleur recovered and he and Mooseheads goalie Mark Yetman dominated, Yetman especially strong on a Rocket five-on-three late in the period.

He kicked out five shots before Walker tied the game at 19:18 from a quick pass through the Herd crease by linemate Brett Morrison for his first power-play goal of the season.

P.E.I. played without forward Martin Latal, a fifth-round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2006, who’s at the Phoenix training camp.

The Herd skated without four of their top five scorers from last season.
Forwards Jakub Voracek, Logan MacMillan and Colby Pridham and defenceman Andrew Bodnarchuk are still at their pro training camps (Columbus, Anaheim, Norfolk — Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate — and Boston respectively).

But Peter-James Corsi, who came over from Val-d’Or last Christmas, and Czech rookie Tomas Knotek, the Herd’s first round European draft pick in June, each played sniper and gave Halifax a 3-1 lead.
All fine for the 20-year-old Peters, who added an assist on Knotek’s eventual winner.

“We’re missing a lot of key players, but a lot of guys stepped up. It’s a good situation for everyone to get a chance to play,” said Peters. “It’s road hockey and it’s first game of the season so it’s not going to be pretty.”

Halifax added scores in the third from Corsi and Bryce Swan (empty net) while P.E.I, countered with a single from Morrison.

Yetman made 35 stops for the win while Lafleur finished with 25 saves in the loss.

[IslandersHKY]

Personally despite the loss I still left the rink satisfied.

Overall I thought the game was pretty entertaining and that Rocket put in a effort, although I find it encouraging that I think they can do a lot better.

And make no mistake Halifax is a solid team. Watching them last night I couldn't believe that they were missing 3 of their top forwards and one of the league's best defense because even without them they looked pretty solid throughout the lineup. Halifax is without a doubt a class above and all of our games against them will be tough.

Concerning the Rocket I absolutely hate how Jean juggles his lines sparatically throughout the game. Nothing wrong with game adjustments but as usual he had tons of line mixing which must be really hard on the players. And I liked Metcalif back there with the defense, he seemed very interactive with all of the defensemen (not just the rookies) and Malouin & Deighan took a regular shift (at least until Deighan got hurt) something that wouldn't have happend with Tucker.

I thought Lafleur looked like he had a little NHL hangover which is very understandable given that he just got back. He still played fine but he is going to need a few days to rest/refocus and play the way he can. I'm thinking sitting him on Sunday would be a good idea although I highly highly doubt that happends.

Morrison little a little off as well. Fortunately even with his off games he is still better than most players on the ice. But his games didn't seem so much NHL hangover as just pissed off. If the Moose were trying to get him off his game it worked.

Walker really impressed me last night. He looks is great shape and his conditioning and skating were noticably better. He certainly looks ready to be a dominate force all year. As well I liked how he stuck up for Deighan who got checked from behind. I don't think he knew that Randell kid was only 16 when he grabbed him but Walker did let up when the kid understandably turttled. I don't think Randell's hit was intentional but it was a bad hit so it is good to see the Rocket players sticking up for one-and-other.

And despite what i read on the Moose Board Kana was a star in last night's game. He was all over the ice had some good opportunities and made things happen.

I didn't think it was possible but somehow I like Main more and more everytime I see him. Last night he provided consistent energy every shift and is a player you notice when he is out there. I was a little surprised to see him on forward but I didn't think he looked to bad although I would prefer to see him on defense instead of Swit.

As far as other players Lessard was his usual steady self back there and very good, Gervais also played well but you could tell that he had a brace on. I still don't understand how he is able to play through this injury but I give him full credit for it.

Southorn looked pretty solid and I liked him pairing with Malouin which appeard to be a nice blend of styles. But I can't understand why he didn't get PP time last night because I hate forwards on the point especially Morrison who isn't a good fit.

As I mentioned I thought Malouin had a solid game. He isn't a flashy player so I think most overlook how good he really is.

And contrary to what some people posted I actually thought that Cliche had an alright game last night. Or at least that is the kind of game I expect from him. Understandably he is going to look out of place playing with Morrison & Walker as most would. But when he was on the ice he seemed to be much more comfortable with the puck and made some things happen.

I also thought Lachaine had some solid shifts and he is actually a guy I would consider putting on the top line with Morrison & Walker as I think he could compliment them well.

Deighan had the kind of first game that you would expect. I am glad that he dressed tonight as he earned it and he worked hard and made some nice plays. But he also made some rookie mistakes out there and personally I saw a difference in his game vs Malouin's. But I am looking forward to seeing him the next game he plays and hope he is alright after the hard hit he took.

On the negatives side.

Swit is the obvious one. Although tonight he seemed to be trying to do things that aren't his game. He was running around a lot trying to throw hits, sometime he caught the guy but also more then a few times he missed and was way out of position. He was also firing everything at the net, lots of weak wrister for easy saves instead of looking for other options. I think he is feeling the pressure to perform and with all due respect to him I still would rather move Main back in his place and move him.

Locke got limited ice time and didn't deserve any more. I'm really disappointed in him because I always felt he could be an impact player but again tonight he didn't take advantage of his opportunities. Only one game but last night he didn't even look like a 3rd line forward.

don't get me wrong I love Dolye but I am getting worried that we are seeing the early signs of some ego problems. He has tremendous skill but in preseason and last night he isn't playing the same type of game that he had so much success with last season. Hopefully I am wrong on this.


Anyway not a bad first game, obviously you want the home team to come out with a big first win but it wasn't too be. Hopefully the boys will play even better on SUnday and am looking forward to hopefully seeing Clow and Maclean or Street in the lineup.

[hockeydog]

i just thought there was some cheap calls. and most of them were against us. but they certainly were going after morrison, and it was let go .

[wingman]

If you put Lachaine with Walker and Morrison on the top line that means you have 2 centerman, who do you put on the wing? Putting Morrison on the wing doesn't make sense because of his playmaking abilities and Lachaine hasn't played much wing, if any, for the Rocket since he has been here. But if they were to convert a centerman to wing for that line, I think Doyle would be a better choice as he is more of an offensive-type player than Lachaine. But either way this all goes back to lack of depth in the top 6 forwards. You lose one of those players, in this case Latal who is at pro camp, and that lack of depth is even more glaring.

[IslandersHKY]

wingman said:

If you put Lachaine with Walker and Morrison on the top line that means you have 2 centerman, who do you put on the wing? Putting Morrison on the wing doesn't make sense because of his playmaking abilities and Lachaine hasn't played much wing, if any, for the Rocket since he has been here. But if they were to convert a centerman to wing for that line, I think Doyle would be a better choice as he is more of an offensive-type player than Lachaine. But either way this all goes back to lack of depth in the top 6 forwards. You lose one of those players, in this case Latal who is at pro camp, and that lack of depth is even more glaring.

This is what I was thinking

Walker-Morrison-Lachaine
Latal-Doyle-Kana
Cliche-Locke-Schmidt
MacLean/McKinley-DesRoches/Street-Paynter

Lessard-Gervais
Southorn-Malouin
Main-Deighan/Clow

IMO you can't move Doyle up because it ruins your second line. And it was just an idea because Lachaine is a solid playmaker but someone who needs a play with a scorer. For I don't think moving to the wing would be a big deal he played there some last season and didn't appear to have a problem adjusting. Locke on the other hand has never looked comfortable anywhere but at centre and I'm hoping that moving him back to centre on the third would help him play to his potential.

Just a tought on something that might work because with all due respect to Cliche who I thought played fine last night I don't think he is a good fit with Walker-Morrison.

[hockeydog]

hf, i agree with your post. especially about doyle. lachaine snapped at him last night, after the 3 on 1 and he shot from top of circle. and was selfish other times as well. he could get away with it last year but has to be more of a team guy this year.

[wingman]

One thing they could try while Latal is away, is try Main with Morrison and Walker. I know he isn't a point producer, but his skating isn't bad, he can create room for Morrison and Walker with his crash-and-bang style of play and also be on the ice to take care of things when someone is giving Morrison a hard time. I'm not saying make it a permanent move, but more of an experiment to see how something like that would work. It wouldn't be the first time a crash and bang type player has played on a team's top line that had good results. Sometimes all you need is the right chemistry between the 3 players, not necessarily the most skill. Even though he is an improvement over Swit, I think that Main is better suited as a forward than a defenseman.

As far as Locke, he wasn't even on the third line last night as he was used very sparingly. I think we have seen what his potential is because a 19 yr old in this league has either got it or he doesn't have it, too late for potential at 19 in junior. Not good for a guy who many thought would be on the second line.

[juniorcormier16]

The game was not overly that bad there were some positives out of it thats for sure.. Sure the rocket lost but they will bounce back. The Rocket looked asleep and the moose got on top of them. Laf was deff not on his game at all among with some other players. Swit i don't know about him he plays good and then he makes some mistakes went for a couple of big hits and would have been awesome if he landed them but he missed them all together and the moose almost scored on different times. There was a lot of minors called vs us some where just stupid and some where stupid on the rocket part. It was a tough home opener lost the rocket took as there was a decent amount of people there. First period was awesome lots of action second period was shit and they can't have periods that bad at least try to get the puck in the zone but they were hardly doing that there were ups and downs. Main's big hit was the highlight of the game that was awesome and young kana what can u say about this kid Took on bona cut him open very impressed about this guy. Basically The Rocket never played like a team. Hopefully they come to play on sunday vs the sea pups.

[Krang7]

johntherevalator said:

pretty excited about kana and main. also nice to see Halifax's chubby bunnies make an appearance. I swear if i hear another preteen trapped in a 30 y/o's body give a hockey player a stupid nickname, I'm gonna start throwing blind elbows until I hear crying.

Haha, this made me laugh a lot. Well done.

Also I just want to say to Darcy, please never play that stupid remake of Thunderstruck in the warmup again. It was the worst song I've ever heard, seriously.

[fireside]

thought the 3rd period was by far the best by the boys last night. Main is becoming a favorite to watch for me along with Kana. Doyle is trying to be too fancy and do it all himself and as we say last night it just doesn't work. The Rocket had many chances and easily could have won the game had they finished the plays. I don't know how many times the puck was just about in the net and there was no Rocket player there to stick it in.

Hoping LaFleur gets some rest and shows us the goalie he really is and i am hoping they let him sit on Sunday and play Gelinas.

Locke and Lachine for me are not stepping up to the plate and showing that they are veterans on the ice. Think their time in PEI might be limited and I highly doubt they'll finish the season in a Rocket uniform....or at least one of them anyway.

Thought it was a good idea to have the 50-50 people going throughout the stands and selling tickets and also the concession gals selling as well.

Just one question tho for the Rocket dudes.....Section 8, Row A....seat 18? there is not a seat 18....if the prizes (vogue optical, best seats in the house) are drawn from ticket numbers how the hell did that happen??? Might wanna check that out good old Mr. Connolly.....great marketing there dude.

[Gman]

countryboy said:

Main's hit on MacAskill was highlight reel material. It was one of those hits that looked a lot harder than it was, because of the speed the guys were moving.

Still, one of the biggest hits I've seen at a Q game in Ch'town.

Main was a wrecking ball all night.

cb

That hit was a crowd pleaser for sure, but it was illegal since he clearly left his feet and hit MacAskill like a football tackle. That kind of hit is supposed to be a charging penalty, but the refs were probably trying to keep the penalties as even as possible and the Moose had more PPs up until then. If Main continues to hit like that he will spend a lot of time in the box.