Week In Review, Friday May 27th

To wrap off the week and give you a little bit more to chat about this weekend, here's the highlights from around the league this week.

1. FHL announces 8th team as New Jersey Outlaws. Whalers fans particularly interested to find out that Chris Firriolo, who resigned from his job as Danbury's Head Coach at the end of the season, has been announced as the team president. 
2. Outlaws announce their first signing to be Matt Puntereri. Puntureri was integral to the Aviators mammoth win streak in the latter half of the season, and was also listed as one of their protected players. The Outlaws claimed that he was traded their way for cash and future considerations. Must have been a fat chunk of change to get the Aviators to let go of one of, if not their most important offensive player. 
3. Rome not coming back. The Frenzy announced very quietly that they would not be returning for a second FHL season. This was hinted at rather subtly in the Outlaws press release stating that New Jersey was the eigth, not ninth, team in the FHL. Further, a fan of their facebook page posted a copy of the paper letter announcing the official death of Rome. (Sorry Whalers fans, no more chances to start a Rome is burning! chant this season). 
4. Danville signs its first 3 players. Igor Batora, Peter Babkovic, and Lukas Jirkovsky are the first 3 players to sign with Danville. Still very skeptical as to the survivability of this franchise, what with being so very far away from the rest of them. 
5. Corey Fulton attends Whalers off-season Party. For those of you who missed it, Fulton was in fact in attendance at the Whalers party this past weekend at Two Steps. That's commitment, gotta love this guy. (If other word wasn't enough, that should be confirmation enough he's back)
6. Nick Niedert re-signs with the Whalers. The Whalers announced officially this past week that Niedert had signed a contract to continue playing with the Whalers for the 2011-2012 season. Unofficially, word is that he's already signed a 4 year deal with the team. He's on the record numerous times saying he wants to finish his career with the Whalers, so don't expect him to go anywhere anytime soon. 
7. Joe Dabkowski re-signs with the Whalers. The Whalers announced within the last 24 hours that Dabkowski, known affectionately to Whalers fans as Super Joe, will be returning for the 2011-2012 season. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises out of training camp in the first season, I can't wait to see him back. If nothing else, Dabkowski brings sheer heart to the team night in and night out, and you can't buy that. Obviously wants to be here, and the fans are more than happy to have him.
8. Cape Cod Barons change name to Bluefins. Announced via their facebook on Friday afternoon. 

Have a good weekend everyone! Back Monday AM with more.

Protected Players List, Part 3 of 14: 1000 Islands Privateers/Akwesasne Warriors

The third part of our protected players analysis closes out week one with the rest of the Privateers players and the beginning of Akwesasne. Let's get the Privateers wrapped up first before we overview the Warriors. 

Josselin St Pierre

Stats: 24 y/o Netminder; 23 GP, 15-4-2, .911 pct, 2.78 GAA

Thoughts: As a starting goaltender, put up very respectable numbers for a team that often left him on his own defensively. Even still, finished the season with the second best GAA in the league, only sitting behind Kevin Druce's 2.51. 3^rd in wins, behind Druce and Niedert. Easily one of the top four netminders in the league.

Verdict: Coupled with a rebuilt defensive corps for the new season he'd be lethal. Definitely staying.

Clay McFadden

Stats: 25 y/o Center; 20 GP, 10G, 13A, 23 pts, +11

Thoughts: A solid center, able to throw up respectable numbers with minimal penalty minutes. A short career with little playoff experience necessitates the need for a veteran center to round out the middle. He's got experience in numerous different leagues, so it's very possible he has a breakout season with the Privateers this year. Even still, may not be able to fill up the middle on the first line.

Verdict: Solid depth player. Staying.

Akwesasne Warriors

For the most part, it seemed like the Warriors had a new line-up every time we saw them. For a roster that featured an absolutely staggering 49 players, the Warriors found their rhythm with a consistent line-up that lead them to the league's inaugural Cup. Defense was perhaps the weakest point for every team in the league, and Akwesasne was no exception. To their credit, they overcame a merely mild defensive weakness with colossal point production. The Warriors were also the only team to protect less than the maximum of 12 players, though their focus here was obviously to lock down their scorers for this season. The rest of the supporting cast, as proved time and time again throughout the season, was expendable, and will very likely remain that way. 

Kyle Lagace

Stats: 24 y/o Center; 44 GP, 15 G, 13 A, 28 pts, -14

Thoughts: Lagace produced a decent number of points on the season, including quite a few penalty minutes as well. Spent almost all of his ice time at even strength, and was one of the Warriors' more defensively liable players, though that doesn't say much for a team so anemic defensively even if it could be arguably considered the most well-rounded in the league. After as many games as they had producing almost circus-like amounts of goals, we understand they can score. It's up to the star players now to elevate their defensive game to the level of their offensive game.

Verdict: Another talented center to feed their superstar wingers; not going anywhere.

Darick St Marie

Stats: 21 y/o Center; 27 GP, 13 G, 11 A, 24 pts, +6

Thoughts: For how young he is, St Marie filled the center role very well for his short time with the Warriors. Seemed to provide a spark regardless of what line he was playing with, including a respectable amount of powerplay time. He's a hard working player across the board and can only benefit from playing the entire season with the Warriors.

Verdict: Stays. Has the capability, easily, to center the 1^st or 2^nd line.

Chad Bazin

Stats: 23 y/o Defenseman; 15 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 pts, -6

Thoughts: A late season defensive acquisition, Bazin was very reliable for feeding the puck to offensive players from the point, but disappointed defensively during the regular season. He found his own in the playoffs, finishing with 2 points and a +14 rating. If he can continue the responsible play he demonstrated against the Privateers and Aviators, he'll certainly have a lot more ice time to prove himself come this Fall.

Verdict: Needs to play how he played in the playoffs, not in the regular season. If he can't repeat that magic, look for him to get familiar with Akwesasne's regularly revolving door of players.

Stay tuned next week for the next 5 Warriors players. 

Protected Players List, Part 2 of 14: 1000 Islands Privateers

Today is the second part of our protected players analysis, which covers the next 5 Privateers players. 

Alex Goupil

Stats: 26 y/o C; 44 GP, 42 G, 35 A, 77 Pts, +23

Thoughts: One of the league's true elite snipers, he'll always hold a place in Danbury fans' hearts for his time spent with the Trashers. A responsible player in all zones, Goupil posted inhuman point production this season, carrying it well into the playoffs with 7 points in 4 playoff games. He's not getting any younger, and the Privateers themselves announced last season would be his last.

Verdict: Questionable at best. If he returns, I've no doubt he'll be on top of his game, but numerous sources reported that he had played his last professional game this past season. Citing the desire to settle down with his wife and the fact that he wasn't getting any younger, Goupil wanted to move back to Kansas this year. If he's on the protected list, it may be a precautionary move in case he decides to keep playing, but no official word yet.  

Adam McAllister

Stats: 23 y/o Left Wing; 42 GP, 17 G, 16 A, 33 Pts, +1

Thoughts: McAllister is a very unusual case in that he seems to be able to combine above average point production with above average penalty box time. He plays a gritty game that may be considered antagonistic by some, but if that's his secret to putting up points, it's definitely working.

Verdict: This is the grinding, hard working kind of player you build a team around.

Nick LaPorte

Stats: 21 y/o Defenseman; 24 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts, +8

Thoughts: Originally touted as a playmaking defenseman, he was certainly overshadowed in that regard by Byrd and McAllister. At 6'5 and 200+ pounds, he's a big kid. It may benefit the Privateers for him to switch focus from being up ice to protecting the blue line. With that height, he's got plenty of reach to shut down the other team's top scorers and allow the Privateers to move right back up ice. Plenty of booming hits this season give me the impression he's capable, if he wants to.

Verdict: Stays, but needs to focus more on his physical role than trying to score. Either way, still young and plenty of time to develop. Don't expect him to go anywhere without his twin brother. 

 

Mike Byrd

Stats: 22 y/o Defenseman; 43 GP, 11 G, 34 A, 45 Pts, +31

Thoughts: Fits in very well with the Privateers all-out offense mentality. Though it remains to be seen if that approach remains come this Fall, Byrd throws up crazy point production for a defenseman. When you have a defenseman so beautifully capable of moving up and into the play, defense becomes almost unnecessary. A defensive playmaker like Byrd is a hot commodity, but again, the Privateers are in dire need of some true blue line powerhouses as well.

Verdict: Assuming he doesn't get called up again (6 games with Huntsville Havoc, SPHL), he's not going anywhere. Somebody has to feed the snipers pucks, and he's darn good at it.

James Kirkwood

Stats: 24 y/o Right Wing; 7 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt, -2

Thoughts: Contributes on the offense without being a defensive liability. Slightly on the small side. Completely shut down during the playoffs. May have to go if the opportunity to acquire a big stay at home Dman arises. Necessity diminished by more productive offensive Dmen already on the team. Eventually somebody has to go, and amongst the defensive corps, he's certainly on the lower end.

Verdict: Stays to fill the up-ice D role. Potential trade bait to a team looking for a fast defenseman.

 

Friday you'll see the rest of the Privateers and the beginning of the Warriors. 

Protected Players List, Part 1 of 14: 1000 Islands Privateers

As I said earlier, you'll be getting 5 players a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until the training camp starts. The feature begins then, with the Privateers' first 5 protected picks.

Look for the overall theme here to be locking down their star offensive players, which built their trademark gameplay last season; blisteringly fast offensive rushes that succeeded in goal-scoring more often than not, but at the cost of sub-par defense. The defense won't be addressed very well with this list, and they'll certainly have to be in the market for a stable of top 4 defenseman before October.


Justin Levac
Stats: 22 y/o Right Wing; 35 GP, 19 G, 18 A, 37 Pts, +15

Thoughts: A 22 year old with 6 seasons of pro hockey under his belt is a commodity most people would kill for. Still time to develop, and a point per game player anyway. In those 35 games he contributed 6 PPG and 5 PPA, making him a large factor in why the Privateers' powerplay was so dangerous.

Verdict: He's staying, no questions asked. Look for him to anchor the offensive core for the Privateers all season long. 1^st line player, 1^st PP unit.

Ryan Pearson

Stats: 21 y/o Winger; 44 GP, 14 G, 26 A, 40 Pts, +8

Thoughts: Plays a hard-hitting, aggressive game that clicks very well with the Privateers. Could do well to tone down some of the calls next season. 40 point offense with 43 penalty minutes in 44 games tells me he could have racked up quite a few more points if he spent less time in the box. Low +/- v. Pts differential indicative of team-wide need for tighter defense. Lethal in the playoffs as well, contributing 8 points in as many games. Highlight of the season for Danbury fans undoubtedly his deliberate high stick that left Lucas Schott needing some extensive dental work done.

Verdict: Stays. Edgy, productive game.

Tyler Fernandez

Stats: 22 y/o LW; 43 GP, 23 G, 44 A, 67 Pts, +22

Thoughts: With a proven EJHL record, Fernandez is counted on to break across the blue line to get the offense going, and his production this season proved he does it very well. Comfortably over a point per game, responsible defensively, and not too shabby on the powerplay either. Not too much more to ask for in a 1^st line winger.

Verdict: Doesn't make sense to get rid of a D1 player. Fernandez stays, no doubt about it.  

Bryan Marks

Stats: 24 y/o Defenseman; 31 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 Pts, +1

Thoughts: Exactly the player the Privateers need to build around this season, he plays a hard hitting defensive game and is counted on to QB the powerplay as well. While his passing and shooting are solid, you can't fill the role of 1^st line Defenseman and powerplay QB with a +1. Even if he throws up another 10 point season this Fall, those point passes may need to be toned back in favor of slightly more conservative play. May be a more convenient solution to keep him a stay at home defenseman and search for an additional powerplay man.

Verdict: Can't do his job alone; needs some help, but they'll be building around him to get it done.

Chase Tippin

Stats: 24 y/o Right Wing; 7 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt, -2

Thoughts: At 6'2 and 210, with 22 penalty minutes in 7 games, and production numbers like that, it's obvious why they brought him on. Everybody needs their bruiser, and Tippin is an intimidating presence on the ice for sure. While rosters are still shaking up, we'll see how high he sits on the fighter totem pole by the time October comes around. One thing is for sure, the Privateers needed someone to stick up for the team badly coming into the stretch and if he doesn't contribute anything else, he certainly fills that role without a problem.

Verdict: If he's staying, he'll have a whole season to prove he can protect his teammates; 7 games wasn't enough to make a true call on Tippin.

It's hard to say if any of these players will be used as trade bait prior to the start of the season. Everything right now points to the core forwards staying around, but with the point production the Privateers had, it's not like they can't afford to push one or two guys out in return for a defensive uptake. 

Until Wednesday, when we'll post the next 5 Privateers players. 

Pre-Season Coverage Starts Today

We're back for the 2011-2012 Season! Lots of exciting updates coming your way in the near future. We're going to kick off our pre-season coverage with feature posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until the Whalers Tryout Camp begins on June 24th, at which point there'll be plenty of live coverage direct from the camp.

What we're going to start with this year is a breakdown of the recently released FHL Protected Players list, moving alphabetically through the teams with Danbury being placed last to coincide with the beginning of this year's summer camp.

Each team was allowed to place 12 players on their protected list. All existing teams elected to do this with the exception of Akwesasne, who protected 10.

That leaves us 14 feature post days between now and then, and 70 players to cover. You'll be seeing thoughts on 5 players a day for the duration of this feature.



As always, thanks to all of our readers for their support. Looking forward to another great year for Danbury hockey!

Saturday February 5th: Danbury v. Rome

Riding a 10-3 blowout of the Barons last night on another Kirschner hat trick, Danbury looks to continue tonight against Rome, home for another 7pm puck drop.

• Guy came back last night and should be playing again tonight
• All signs point toward tonight being Rome's final game. No word yet whether they're throwing in the towel until next season or if they're done for good. Lots of chatter on Rome's facebook page, but for now that's the best I can find http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rome-Frenzy/122468007772130
• Danbury is now 10% above the Barons, making their possession of the fourth and final playoff berth at the end of the season all the more likely 

More later

Home v. Barons, Saturday January 29th + Rundown

Danbury plays a two game homestand this weekend, tonight against the Barons, and tomorrow against the Aviators for an early 5pm start.

• This morning Danbury signed defenseman Ryan Hughes to a contract. The info I could find says in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons he played a combined total of 6 games. In the 2003-2004 season he played 49 games for the Knoxville Ice Bears, scoring 5 goals and 17 assists for 22 points. 
• Peter Skoggard was called up this past week to the ECHL, as well as Alex Kirschner, which means that there's no doubt you'll see Nick Niedert in net tonight. 
• The biggest question on a lot of minds is whether or not Danbury can hang onto the fire that Kirschner brought the team. Only one way to find out. 
• A big impact change that was barely publicized is that the playoff entry is now determine based on winning percentage and not earned points. This is due to the Barons' extended hiatus from the league during their move. The effect this has is that Rome is all but guaranteed to be out of the playoffs, leaving Danbury and the Barons fighting for the fourth and final spot.

Akwesasne .711

1000 Islands .662

New York .618

Danbury .514

Cape Cod .479

Rome .310

• This makes the game between the two tonight all the more important. It's also worth nothing that Danbury has 18 games left in the season. Danbury starts an absolutely unheard of 11 game homestand tonight that will carry them through to Friday, February 25th. They then play two road games, one home game, one road game, and close the season with a 3 game homestand on sequential nights. 
• The framework is there for Danbury to make a run and possiby overtake the third place team in the league, but it's all going to come down to how badly they want it. We'll see tonight if they do. 

Until then, have a good one Whalers Fans!

Federal Cup in 2011!!!!!

Blog Get-Together @ Two Steps Tonight! 1/22

Starting at 7pm tonight we'll be getting together at Two Steps to watch the Rangers and Whalers games. All are welcome to stop by for dinner, a drink, or just to talk hockey. 

The updates will pick up again soon; I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Started a new job full time and just finally getting into the swing of things. I'll be taking care of some of my back log starting tomorrow morning. 

A Request For The Fans Tonight v Rome 1/8

Relaying a message for Mike V in 102 to as many people as possible. We need to get that spark back in the team's game, so 5 minutes before puck drop tonight, we are fitting as many fans as possible along the walkway leading to the Whalers entrance to get the team pumped up before they come out. Let's make this as big as we possibly can and keep it thunderous from start all the way to finish. 

Thank you all for the support!

Transactions This Week

Danbury is in Brooklyn tomorrow to face off against the Aviators before they come home this weekend to finish their set with NY on Friday night, and take on Rome Saturday night.

Meanwhile, this week:

We last left off with Guy on IR and Velasquez on leave.

• Rome canned 3 Dmen and a Center on the 4th and has yet to replace them. 
• Danbury traded Alex Hager to the Barons + cash for Tim Recio, a Dman. 
• Dagenais, the FHL's leading scorer (Akwesasne) was recalled by Norway's Oslo Elite on the 4th. He was replaced by new signing Luc Mazerolle, also a right wing. Will be very interesting to see if the Warriors maintain their standings without him. 
• Today, Rome signed Rich Zalewski to fill an open Dman spot, and waived goalie Shane Davis. 
• Tim Recio, Danbury's acquisition in the Hager trade, was recalled by the Augusta Riverhawks of the SPHL today. 

Clearly the mostly impactful among them seems to be the Dagenais signing, and we'll get a glimpse tonight when the Warriors take on Rome. 

No Live Coverage This Weekend

Whalers are on at 3p in Brooklyn today against the Aviators, and home tomorrow to take on the Frenzy for a 6pm showing.

Being that it is, in fact, New Year's Eve, the debauchery begins in an hour or two and I won't be around to give a rundown of the game. I will see some of you at the home game tomorrow though.

That being said, by Monday morning I'll have a review on the first half of the season along with plans for the second half.

That'll be all until 2011...

Hoping everybody has a safe, happy, and prosperous New Year! Let's Go Whalers!

Transaction News, New Year's Eve

Three more on tap for today.

• Madsen traded to New York for future considerations. Fine, he didn't do much anyway. 
• Kapteina waived this morning. Good. Had somebody not told you, you wouldn't have had any idea he was actually on the team anyway. And all the legal controversy made the team look bad, too.
• Though the trade was made yesterday, Skoggard officially signed with Danbury today. Still no idea what we want with him.

Transaction News, 12/30: Danbury signs Skoggard

Lots of transactions happening today. Looks like everybody doing their end of year housecleaning. We'll get to the important stuff at the end.

New York Aviators: Ryan Hitchcock waived.
100 Islands Privateers: Schwartz, Jones, Colosimo waived. Romeo activated from IR
Cape Cod Barons: Boyer, Gehring recalled by Riverhawks. Peter Skoggard traded to Danbury. No return specified.

Skoggard to Danbury really confuses me. He was definite starter material for the Barons and won more often than not. He's still one of the highest rated goalies in the league. Wondering right now if he wasn't willing to move with the team to their new home. Regardless, I can't envision Danbury being terribly interested in a shake-up of their goaltending roster because both Niedert and Donovan have performed admirably when called upon, Donovan more so lately.

I think it would be more likely that Skoggard is trade bait or that Danbury wants to carry three goalies, as unlikely as that may seem.

More to come.

Barons move to Cape Cod

I'm not sure how I like the sound of the Cape Cod Barons, but they're playing again, and that's the more important thing. The team is to report to their new home immediately after New Year's, and their first game will be at home on January 6th.

My big question right now is in the (link below) wording of "shortened home schedule". When they say that, I'm hoping they mean "clearly half the season is already over" and not "we're giving them a bye through certain games".

More to come as I hear it.


http://bcbarons.pointstreaksites.com/view/bcbarons
http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Federal-Hockey-League-s-Broome-County-Barons-927511.php

Game 24: Away v. Privateers, Wednesday December 29th

9:28: Game over. 5-0 Privateers.

9:25: 3 minutes left. Shots in the third 11-9 Privateers.

9:20: 5 minutes left in the game.

9:14: Mahesh, 2 for tripping.

9:09: 11 minutes left in the period. Shots 4-2 Privateers.

9:02: 5 minutes into a quiet 3rd period. Only 2 shots on goal by the Privateers so far.

8:56: Start of 3.

8:36: End of the 2nd. 5-0 Privateers. Shots are 24-18 in their favor.

8:32: Beedle, 2 for hooking. Privateers powerplay.

8:30: 5 and a half minutes left in the 2nd. McAllister scores to make it 5-0 Privateers. Wondering if Donovan will be pulled...

8:24: Byrd scores 75 seconds later to make it 4-0.

8:23: Panetta scores to make it 3-0.

8:21: Halfway through the period.

8:17: Too many men on the ice for the Privateers, 2 minute penalty to Poliakov.

8:14: Fight between Willock and Pearson. Bout time we see the Schott injury from the last game boil over.

8:10: 5 past. Shots in the second Danbury 5, Privateers 1.

8:04: Goupil scores 90 seconds in. 2nd goal of the night. 2-0 Privateers.

7:59: Start of the 2nd.

7:41: End of 1. 1-0 Privateers. Shots 13-10 Privateers.

7:38: Willock takes a 2 minute slashing call with a minute left in the powerplay. Will give 50 seconds of 4 on 4 followed by 70 seconds of 5 on 4 for the Privateers.

7:36: 3 and a half minutes left in the period, McAllister takes 2 for tripping. Whalers powerplay.

7:32: Six and a half left in the period. Shots are 9-6 Privateers.

7:26: At 9:22, Goupil converts on the powerplay to make it 1-0 Privateers.

7:23: Schott, 2 minutes for interference. Just under 10 left in the period.

7:18: 5 minutes in. Shots 4-2 Danbury.

7:14: 3 minutes in. Shots on goal 3-1 Danbury.

7:10: Puck drop on Period 1, live from 1000 Islands.

Going to do pre-game and live coverage in the same post tonight since I didn't wake up until 3pm. Nasty bug floating around lately and I feel like I got hit by a truck. Plan is probably to watch some hockey and crawl right back into bed.

Whalers dropped a 3-1 decision to the Warriors last night in what was perhaps the most abysmal demonstration of what a powerplay should look like that I have ever seen. 0 for 6, nearly 4 minutes of 5 on 3 play, and less than a shot on goal per minute. Tie game going into the last minute of regulation when the Warriors sunk it. On the other hand, for very limited play time, Donovan was absolutely amazing in net and it's good to know we have a very capable backup.

• The Privateers are presently second place in the league with 34 points, 10 ahead of the 3rd place Aviators, and 12 ahead of Danbury. 
• The have the #1 powerplay in the league which converts at nearly 26%
• Danbury, however, still has the best penalty kill, clicking at nearly 86% success
• Don't even want to talk about Danbury's powerplay. They need some SERIOUS work on that front. 
• This week Danbury dropped below .50 and has officially allowed more goals than it has scored. We need to see some big changes going into the new year in order to lock down a playoff spot. 
• Puck drop at 7:05 (Really, I swear!) and live coverage to come then

Live Game Coverage, v. Warriors December 28th

10:06: Delisle scores the empty netter to make it 3-1 Warriors, Final.

10:04: Mahfouz scores with 48 seconds left in regulation to make it 2-1 Warriors. Timeout Danbury.

10:03: One minute left in regulation.

10:00: 2 and a half left. 1-1.

9:57: 5 minutes left.

9:51: No tally on the powerplay. 8 and a half to go.

9:49: Van Hoof, 2 for tripping. Whalers powerplay.

9:47: Danbury PK is over, and successful. Just about halfway through.

9:42: Velasquez, 2 for interference. Warriors get 26 seconds of 5 on 3 and the rest of it as 5 on 4.

9:40: 5 minutes gone in the period.

9:35: Malloy and Brunet go at it. Brunet, double minor for checking from behind. Malloy, 2 for roughing. Should wind up with a Danbury powerplay somewhere after all this gets sorted out.

9:33: Tripping minor on Karlov 44 seconds in. Warriors 5 on 4 PP.

9:30: Start of 3.

9:11: End of the 2nd. 1-1.

9:03: 6 and a half minutes remaining. 1-1.

8:55:  Mahfouz and Malloy take coincidental roughing.

8:53: Van Hoof scores for the Warriors 22 seconds later to make it 1-1.

8:50: Sean O'Malley tallies with 8 minutes left to make it 1-0 Whalers.

8:44: 5 minutes in. Still 0-0. SOG 16-14 Warriors.

8:43: Reanalysis, absolute brawl right now. That Arnott call is a game misconduct. Quenneville and Mahfouz both take roughing calls. The first is a 2 minute minor, the second is a 5 minute major.

8:41: 18:48, Arnott takes a 5 minute major for checking from behind. Sellitto takes a 2 minute minor for roughing. Warriors are 5 on 3 for the next 2 minutes.

8:36: Start of the 2nd.

8:10: End of the first. Penalty minutes 10-4 Warriors, SOG 11-9 Warriors.

8:05: 60 seconds left in the period.

8:04: With all of the PP time elapsed, Guy takes a 2 minute call for interference. 4 minutes left in the period. Shots on goal are 7-6 Warriors.

8:04: Quenneville takes a 2 minute roughing penalty for the Warriors. 2 minutes of 5 on 3 play for Danbury.

8:01: Refs determined that high sticking call to be a double minor. 3 and half of 5 on 4.

8:00: Danbury logs its first powerplay shot on goal with 42 seconds left in the powerplay. Not what we were hoping for. With 36 seconds left, Ste Marie takes a 2 minute high sticking call, giving Danbury 36 seconds of 5 on 3 and a minute and 24 of 5 on 4.

7:57: Trevisani takes a 2 minute tripping call for the Warriors, giving Danbury 2:52 of powerplay time.

7:55: Swamp and Fulton take coincidental roughing penalties.

7:54: Halfway through the period. Shots are 7-2 Warriors.

7:51: 7 minutes elapsed. Shots on goal are Warriors 5 to Danbury 2. Still 0-0, no penalties.

7:48: Fulton logs Danbury's first shot on goal nearly 5 and a half minutes in.

7:47: Just over 5 in. Warriors starting to pile the shots on goal, putting 3 more on in under two minutes.

7:45: 4 minutes in. Shots on goal still 1-0 Warriors.

7:44: Clean game so far. 16:45 remaining in the 1st. Warriors with the first shot on goal.

7:40: Start of the first period.

7:22: While you're waiting, the new Whalers Weekly just came out. Lynn Beedle interview this week. http://tinyurl.com/2egpn25

7:05: Minor slip on my part earlier, puck drop scheduled for 7:35, not 7:05. Live in 30.

Pre-Game: Away v. Warriors, Tuesday December 28th

First Place Akwesasne against 5th Place Danbury tonight. Danbury is away, and puck drop is at 7:35. Live game coverage to come at that point.

• Danbury has played the Warriors twice this season and lost both games 7-4
• Danbury signed Mike Sellitto (RW) to a contract today and shelved Madsen for the time being. No word on duration yet.
• Sellitto, as far as I know, is property of the New York Islanders of the NHL and played in their training camp this past summer. 
• Blanchette was the other recent pickup for Danbury, and tallied 2 points in his first game. Hopefully he keeps that going, because we're going to need all the points we can get tonight. 
• Warriors PP is still clicking at an absolutely lethal 25%, which means it would be a fantastic coincidence if somebody poured some Nyquil in Guy's gatorade this morning, because I'm getting sick of pointless penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct costing us goal(s). 
• Velasquez, Karlov, and Siefert are still leading Danbury in points, but their tallies are quite literally half of what the Warrior's top line is producing. Would love to know what those guys are getting paid under the table in addition to their salaries to play in an A league. 
• League standings are tight, and a win tonight brings Danbury from 5th to 3rd place. The Warriors remain in 1st either way.

More to come...

Live Game Coverage, v. Aviators December 23rd

9:20: Game over. 5-2 final. Yup, going to be a long few days on the road.

9:19: Schott takes a tripping minor on the same play. Coincidental, no powerplays.

9:18: 60 seconds left. Whalers PP for an Inman slashing minor.

9:15: Holmes converts for NY with 2:11 to go. 5-2 Aviators. There goes another road game.

9:13: Three and a half left...still 4-2. Whalers in possession.

9:07: Blanchette converts on the powerplay for Danbury to make it 4-2 Aviators. Assists by Hellemeyer and Caranci.

9:04: Goffredo takes a hooking minor at 10 in. Whalers PP.

9:01: Puntureri scores to make it 4-1 NY.

9:00: 7 in, nothing noteworthy.

8:57: 5 in, nothing noteworthy.

8:50: Start of the 3rd.

8:31: End of the 2nd. 3-1 New York. Shots are 27 Danbury to 23 New York

8:24: 5 minutes left in the period.

8:21: Thomson scores for New York at 7:09 to make it 3-1 Aviators.

8:18: 2 minutes for interference on Caranci at 8:51. Aviators PP.

8:12: 11 left in the second, Danbury dominating the SOG for the last 3 minutes.

8:04: Danbury answers literally 7 seconds later. Caranci from Blanchette and Guy to make it 2-1. Wow!

8:03: Timmons converts on the powerplay at 16:01. 2-0 NY.

8:01: Blanchette, 2 for elbowing @ 16:37. Aviators PP.

7:55: Start of the 2nd.

7:38: End of 1st. 1-0 NY.

7:36: Felten scores with 76 seconds left to make it 1-0 New York.

7:32: With 2:40 left in the period, Hager takes a holding penalty. Aviators PP.

7:31: 3 minutes left in the first. Scoreless, even strength. Shots are 10 Danbury to 7 NY.

7:28: Five minutes left in first. Still scoreless.

7:25: Rush takes a 2 minute hooking call for NY. Whalers PP.

7:20: 9 minutes left in the first, still scoreless.

7:12: Just about 5 minutes in. Holmes takes a 2 minute tripping call for Aviators. Whalers PP.

7:08: Puck drop, we're live.

Pre-Game: Away v. Aviators, Thursday December 23rd

Tonight the Whalers play game #22 against the New York Aviators in Brooklyn. It's a big night for the team with lots of roster moves being made early this morning. Live coverage to follow as always at 7pm.

Danbury: 22 games (10-9-2) 22 points
New York: 23 ganes (10-10-2) 22 points

• Danbury and New York both have 22 points, but Danbury has the fourth and final playoff spot on virtue of being a game in hand on New York. This is a must win game for the Whalers tonight. 
• JR Bria and Matt Nelson were both released by the Whalers this morning. No word yet on whether another team will be picking either of them up on waivers. Neither brought anything special to the team so I'm not considering them a big loss. 
• Steve McClellan was activated from IR this morning. In 5 games with the Whalers he's been pointless with a -5 rating and 5 penalty minutes. Not sure what, if anything, he'll be contributing. 
• Adam Blanchette signed with the Whalers and will be playing tonight. He has past CHL experience with Rio Grande, Tulsa, and New Mexico. 
• Peter Garrett also signed and will be playing tonight. I'll update when I find out more.
• As of the beginning of this week I heard we had signed a third player as well, but I don't want to throw the name out there and be wrong, so I'll wait until I hear something else. 
• Perhaps most stunningly, Lucas Schott is back in the lineup and ready to skate tonight, less than a week after a high stick by Ryan Pearson sent him to the hospital in need of six root canals to repair ten and a half teeth. I'm not sure if the pain still hasn't set in or if Lucas is genuinely that much of a badass, but it'll be good to have him back tonight. 

Whalers Weekly Column

Starting this week I'll have some work on the official side of things as well with an article in the Whalers Weekly newsletter.

Nick Niedert Interview


As always, I hope you enjoy! Comments and questions are always appreciated!