Sønderjyske Januar 22.

Initial Impression
Sønderjyske January 22, 2010

I was very proud of our players in the first period. As expected, we spent 40% of the period in the penalty box. For anyone who saw the game no comments are needed in this department, it is simply a fact that we are playing with 2 sets of rules. Fine we accept that and keep fighting on, the only issue is trying to gain any momentum when we are constantly killing penalties. We did a good job on the penalty kill, and when we played 5 on 5 matched their physical play and generated our own scoring opportunities, and 5 on 5 the shots on goal were at an equal pace. This is the great thing about the video, and keeping a shot chart.

The second period was where we fell victim to individual mistakes, and a mental letdown from the team. It appeared the team felt distressed when Rudisuela was unable to return to action from the dressing room. This realty affects our lineup, and ability to matchup against their top line. From there a series of individual mistakes, lost battles, and non block of shots, and within 3 minutes Vojens has scored three goals to start the period. Once we woke up after that, we again matched the intensity level, and after scoring a goal to make it 3 – 1, there was still life after two periods of play.

Going into the third period, it was obvious we needed to score the next goal to get back into the game. Of course the final goal was an indication of the way things are going for us. We win the faceoff clean; we make a poor decision to put the puck up the same side boards, our player chips the puck into the stomach of the defensemen, who takes a soft shot on goal with a screen set up in front, and somehow the puck finds the back of the net. A 4 second play where no Vojens player even touched the puck (strange how two Vojens players were awarded assists though).

At the end of the day it is another game with only scoring 1 goal, and as we have discussed many times it is very difficult to win when scoring only one goal. However, it is the individual mistakes that change the momentum of the game. If we continue to make the safe and simple play maybe the first goal does not happen, that leads to three quick goals. Instead we have back and forth battle like in the first period. These are the small margins, and the little things that are the deciding factors in the game.

Of course we have plenty of respect for Vojens. They play physical, finish every hit, and continue to go hard to the net, which led to two goals for them tonight. Their goalie made some key saves in the first period, which is a big factor in that all important first goal of the game.

See Coach Fedorchuk’s Pregame Comments