Just another wild night in (West) Roxbury for the Kings Thursday night, who soundly defeated the Brandeis Judges 3-0. 
This was the type of game that really makes you question league management / Paul “Hammer the Ass” Lubenstein.  What the hell exactly are we paying handsomely for?  Late games at refurbished MDC rinks with terrible ice, trick-or-treat referees trying to get out of there as quick as possible, no scorekeeper, a non-functioning scoreboard (except for the advertisements), etc.  Shame on you NESHL.
But to the hockey.  Kings had a full roster except for Pete and Josh.  Wearing white, the Kings were out for revenge after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Judges last season.   After running around in our own zone a little bit to start the game, the Kings got on the board early off a face-off in the offensive zone.  Greg won the draw back to me, who chipped it back to Bermy and obstructed the rush to the point, and Bermy unloaded a slapshot through a dense screen.  The goalie never saw it, and it turned out to be the game winner. 
After several questionable non-calls in the first period, the intensity of the game picked up in the second.  The Kings got themselves into extended penalty trouble, including a full 5-3, but Ed and the penalty kill were up to the task.  The Kings play our best hockey 5-5 rolling all three lines with short shifts, and bad penalty habits can kill us in important games, so it will be important to attempt to reduce the # of penalties in the future (keeping in mind that is generally impossible to tell what is or isn’t going to be a penalty from game to game, period to period).  There are good penalties, and bad penalties, and if we have to take penalties, let’s try to take better ones.  Towards the end of the second, Bermy and Bryan crossed into the attacking zone on a 2-2.  Bermy unloaded a low hard snap shot on goal, the goalie was unable to control the rebound, and Bryan banged it home going hard to the net for a rebound with his stick on the ice.
Things settled down a little bit in the third.  Bob hit the crossbar and Ian missed some golden scoring opportunities, but the Kings lead was still only 2-0.  The lead became more comfortable in the third when Wally tied up his man on the draw, and Burger can across the circle and fired another low hard wrist shot on net.  Bryan beat the defender to the front of the net and chipped it past a down and out Judges’ goalie.
Hats off to Ed who recorded a shutout.  Ed was not called upon to make a ton of saves, but he kept his focus, stayed sharp, and didn’t give the Judges a chance to get back into the game.  It was a solid team defensive effort with mostly solid D zone coverage, clogging of the neutral zone, aggressive penalty killing, and inspired back-checking. The Judges had a few skilled players who could have been trouble, but the Kings effectively contained them, forcing the puck to weaker players who were usually quickly neutralized.  You aren’t going to shut out the opposition often, but efforts like that go a long way to winning hockey games.
Next game is on Sunday.  Let’s keep the winning streak rolling.

I was at the game and reading that was more vivid.

Posted on November 21st, 2008 at 10:48 am.

I cannot confirm the accuracy of any of my statements, so if I get players / events wrong please feel speak up and correct the record.
I likely cannot make the game on Sunday night.

Posted on November 21st, 2008 at 12:00 pm.

I can’t believe you beat me to it. I was all set to post BRYAN DESTROYS JUDGES and make Alan my biggest fan.

Posted on November 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm.