Feb 01, 2015 | Mike Dombek | 386 views
Back-to-Back Games
What a difference a day makes. The Phantoms played back-to-back games this weekend and two polar opposite teams showed up. Saturday's tilt was an unusually tough game from a positional point of view. Some of the boys were not playing their regular positions and admitted they struggled as a result. There was too much hesitation when making plays and the boys lost the little battles. The defence played well and the goaltending prevented the Phantoms first loss of the season.
The team that showed up today was night and day compared to yesterday. The boys were in position and skated fast and hesitation free. The coaches can’t remember the last time the Phantoms had so many scrambles in front of the opposition's net (Can't have scrambles with no one in front of the net - Leafs!). Five of the six goals were scored as a result of scrambles.
The defence was stellar and the offence was aggressive to say the least. Even though William, the Phantoms' goalie, was in the second game of a back-to-back, he made some beautiful saves to keep his one goal/game average alive (See Bernier, it can be done). There were some defensive angling gems with regards to stopping the other team’s offence (See Gardiner, defencemen can play defence). The defence prevented the opposition from entering the slot and the pucks were cleared efficiently (See Phaneuf, you don't have to stand in the crease with the goalie).
The Phantoms played deep in the opposition end and continually centered the puck and won the little battles. They maintained offensive positions and supported their teammates along the boards. The defence pinched at the right times and retreated when necessary.
A very impressive showing from a very impressive bunch of 9 year olds.