Big Ern
11-11-2008, 06:47 PM
A spirited rebound effort was not quite enough for the Broncos tonight, as they fell short 2-1 to the top team in the conference, the Calgary Hitmen.
-I thought our whole team played with a lot of emotion tonight...from the goalie on out. All three periods saw them make some good plays, stand up to a great Hitmen squad, and give themselves a chance to win.
-what an exciting game! This one had it's share of devastating body checks, great saves, and breath-taking scoring chances. To top that off, the playoff atmosphere was present....these two teams really went at it.
-tonight the difference was execution. The Broncos got three or more clear opportunities to put the puck in the net and failed to convert. That included a break-away, a deadly setup in front, and a quick shot at a wide open right side of the net. The Hitmen got one good chance on a give-away, and managed to put it away for the eventual winning goal.
-a few fans may point to the first period 5 on 3, on which the Broncos failed to convert. They were seemingly holding their sticks a bit tightly on that one, and Calgary, who's penalty kill syle is similar to the Broncos' did a great job pushing the pace and forcing guys to make their move. I wouldn't exactly point to the 5 on 3....the bottom line is the guys had a 1-0 lead after one period. On a different note, looking at the powerplay overall, 1 for 6 will hardly get the job done.
-our defense did their part tonight. IMO Spencer McAvoy was very deserving of second star honours...his goal going in was to be a lot better than this last weekend, and he was that. Otherwise, the rest of the D did a tremendous job keeping the big line for Calgary at bay.....the Brandon Kozun line. Doyle, Rogers, and Martin were also stellar.
-the forwards did work hard. Keegan Dansereau definetly helped in setting the tone....unfortunately some nights it just doesn't go your way, and the Broncos were right there with Calgary but Martin Jones made some timely saves and clearly looked like a go-to goaltender. Jordan Peddle returned from his concussion injury.
-the Hitmen at no time looked unbeatable. However.....they played a very solid positional game and managed to grab a greasy win on the road.
Few people mind losing when the Broncos perform like they did tonight....it was really close, and guys worked their butts off. I think the fans are pleased with the work ethic. It was an awesome Remembrance Day tilt.
On the other side, the Broncos are on their first 3-game skid of the season. They will face a tired, but angry Everett team coming up this Friday night after Everett took a 6-3 loss in Brandon this afternoon. Our team will have to find a way to generate a bit more offense, get big games from big players, and keep the stellar defensive play at the level it was in this afternoon's contest.
LET'S GO SWIFTY!!!
JUST NOTES:
-great presentation before the game for Remembrance Day. I'm sure all in attendance would agree.
-awesome afternoon crowd of 2360 in attendance. It helped create a playoff-like atmosphere.
-excuse me, while I go watch Dallas @ L.A. The Stars are shoring up!! :)
Later.
-I thought our whole team played with a lot of emotion tonight...from the goalie on out. All three periods saw them make some good plays, stand up to a great Hitmen squad, and give themselves a chance to win.
-what an exciting game! This one had it's share of devastating body checks, great saves, and breath-taking scoring chances. To top that off, the playoff atmosphere was present....these two teams really went at it.
-tonight the difference was execution. The Broncos got three or more clear opportunities to put the puck in the net and failed to convert. That included a break-away, a deadly setup in front, and a quick shot at a wide open right side of the net. The Hitmen got one good chance on a give-away, and managed to put it away for the eventual winning goal.
-a few fans may point to the first period 5 on 3, on which the Broncos failed to convert. They were seemingly holding their sticks a bit tightly on that one, and Calgary, who's penalty kill syle is similar to the Broncos' did a great job pushing the pace and forcing guys to make their move. I wouldn't exactly point to the 5 on 3....the bottom line is the guys had a 1-0 lead after one period. On a different note, looking at the powerplay overall, 1 for 6 will hardly get the job done.
-our defense did their part tonight. IMO Spencer McAvoy was very deserving of second star honours...his goal going in was to be a lot better than this last weekend, and he was that. Otherwise, the rest of the D did a tremendous job keeping the big line for Calgary at bay.....the Brandon Kozun line. Doyle, Rogers, and Martin were also stellar.
-the forwards did work hard. Keegan Dansereau definetly helped in setting the tone....unfortunately some nights it just doesn't go your way, and the Broncos were right there with Calgary but Martin Jones made some timely saves and clearly looked like a go-to goaltender. Jordan Peddle returned from his concussion injury.
-the Hitmen at no time looked unbeatable. However.....they played a very solid positional game and managed to grab a greasy win on the road.
Few people mind losing when the Broncos perform like they did tonight....it was really close, and guys worked their butts off. I think the fans are pleased with the work ethic. It was an awesome Remembrance Day tilt.
On the other side, the Broncos are on their first 3-game skid of the season. They will face a tired, but angry Everett team coming up this Friday night after Everett took a 6-3 loss in Brandon this afternoon. Our team will have to find a way to generate a bit more offense, get big games from big players, and keep the stellar defensive play at the level it was in this afternoon's contest.
LET'S GO SWIFTY!!!
JUST NOTES:
-great presentation before the game for Remembrance Day. I'm sure all in attendance would agree.
-awesome afternoon crowd of 2360 in attendance. It helped create a playoff-like atmosphere.
-excuse me, while I go watch Dallas @ L.A. The Stars are shoring up!! :)
Later.