A quick note that I'll be live-blogging tonight's Queen's-Ryerson men's hockey game, which is at 7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Centre. It's Slap Shot night, so people in attendance are encouraged to dress up (and they apparently will have beer gardens, which is a huge step for men's hockey; we haven't seen those since the glory days of Jock Harty Arena). The game itself will be big too, as the 7-13-2 Gaels desperately need a win. They're four games behind the 11-9-2 University of Toronto Varsity Blues for the division lead and three games behind the 9-9-4 Ottawa Gee-Gees for the final playoff spot.
Here's a few links to pique your interest for the game:
- Neate unleashes an excellent Top 5 Slap Shot clips. [Out of Left Field].
- Amrit wrote a great story on last week's Queen's-RMC game with a bit of a preview for tonight. [Queen's Journal].
- Scott Turcotte has a solid profile of Queen's goalie Brady Morrison in today's paper. [Queen's Journal].
- Chris Thompson of Queen's Athletics has a good preview up on their site [gogaelsgo.com].
- And I have a piece on Queen's assistant coach Alyn McCauley in today's paper (as seen on the excellent Pension Plan Puppets!)
Showing posts with label Alyn McCauley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alyn McCauley. Show all posts
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Kill McGill live blog
The fourth-oldest hockey rivalry in Canada is featured prominently tonight, with Queen's taking on the McGill Redmen. Things just got underway here in Kingston at the Memorial Centre, and the game's already heated: a Queen's forward collided with McGill's starting goalie, Jake Jarvis, and one of their defencemen early on and the whole tangle slid into the boards, sparking a bit of a dustup. Jarvis hobbled off afterwards favouring his arm and was replaced by rookie Danny Mireault.
(Correction: LeagueStats indicates that it was Hubert Morin who was the original goalie, not Jarvis).
First period
14:00: We're six minutes into the first period now and it's been pretty even so far. Plenty of checks and big hits, and some strong penalty killing from McGill. Queen's looked all right on the power-play chances they've had so far, but they couldn't produce a goal and we're back to five-on-five.
11:43: The Gaels are going on the power play again. Brandon Perry was taken down in the corner, and the Redmen pick up a hooking penalty.
10: McGill is again doing a nice job of penalty killing. The Gaels' shoot-ins are cleared almost immediately, and the Redmen even get a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush. It comes to naught thanks to a bad pass, though.
9:24: McGill gets a power play and they waste no time. Veteran defenceman Ken Morin drills home a slapshot from the point. 1-0 McGill.
8:16: Another after-the-whistle scrum breaks out in the McGill end, and Gaels' forward Brock Ouellet gets his helmet knocked off. He and McGill's Yan Turcotte are both sent to the sin bin.
CFL update: Calgary hung on to beat B.C. 22-18. I'll have a full post on that later tonight at Out of Left Field.
5: Not too much going on offensively for either side here, but still plenty of hits. Good atmosphere: there's around 100 McGill fans who made the trip down, and probably 200-300 from Queen's. All are quite into the game, which is good to see.
2: Another power play for Queen's thanks to a penalty to Turcotte, and they get some good chances. Defenceman Brendan Bureau blasts a slap shot from the faceoff circle, but Mireau makes a nice save. McGill kills the rest of the penalty off.
1: Queen's forward Jeffrey Johnstone picks up a penalty, and McGill is back on the power play. Queen's kills off the first part of it as the period comes to an end.
Second period:
19: Queen's kills off the rest of the penalty and we're back to five-on-five.
17: Morin turns it over in his own zone and Queen's gets a two-on-one, but they can't get a shot off.
16: Johnstone takes another penalty for slashing. McGill power play.
15: Queen's forward Brandon Perry steals the puck in McGill's end and walks in alone shorthanded, but his shot misses the top left corner by a good foot and sails wide.
14: Queen's kills off the rest of the penalty, but McGill gets another chance soon after when a Marc-Andre Daneau shot is deflected towards a scrum in front of the net. Gaels' goalie Brady Morrison makes a nice diving play to cover the loose puck.
This Don Campbell profile of Queen's assistant coach (and former NHL star) Alyn McCauley in the Ottawa Citizen is well worth a read. I spoke with McCauley briefly after a Queen's game earlier this year, and I was impressed; he's obviously got a lot of hockey knowledge, but my sense was that he can also communicate it, an important quality in any coach.
11: The Gaels get another two-on-one from Blake Pronk and David Chubb, but Mireault makes a good stop on Pronk to preserve his shutout.
9: Still plenty of physical play here. Queen's is getting chances off the rush, but not a lot of shots.
8: Good chance for McGill in close and Morrison has to make a sprawling stop.
7: McGill's Alexandre Picard-Hooper bangs a loose puck home. 2-0 McGill.
6: And McGill follows it up with another nice one. I believe it was forward Leonard Verrilli who drilled home a one-timer from the slot while being checked to the ice by a Queen's defenceman. Good goal for the Redmen, and it's now 3-0 McGill. The pro-Gaels crowd is noticeably quieter now; I wouldn't be surprised to see the building empty out a bit after this period.
Gaels update: Well, men's hockey might be losing, but the women's volleyball team pulled off a straight-sets win at home tonight against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
NHL update: Canucks are leading the Leafs 4-0 at the end of the second period on Hockey Night in Canada. Good to see that at least one West Coast team had a good day. The Lions, not so much.
2: McGill's Serbian forward Marko Kovacevic gets a good chance in close, but Morrison makes a nice save to deny him.
1: McGill's Maxime Langelier-Parent takes a holding penalty with 13 seconds left to go; Queen's will be on the power play to start the third period.
That's the end of the second, and it doesn't loook too good for the Gaels. Attendance is announced at 920, which may be a little optimistic, but not by too much: more people have trickled in since I gave the initial figures earlier. That's a pretty decent turnout for an off-campus hockey game, especially given that the Leafs are playing right now and the CFL West final also ran into this time slot.
Hilarious intermission contest; obstacle-course racing, and the McGill guy wins. The Queen's student managed to miss six shots at an empty net from the top of the faceoff circle. Usually, there's a joke available about how the losing home team should sign one of these contestants, but not tonight.
Third period:
19: Queen's starts on the power play, but they aren't able to create much off it. McGill kills the rest of the penalty off without the Gaels really even getting a good chance.
18: Shot totals through two periods: McGill 23, Queen's 12.
17: It's not really that surprising that McGill's doing so well in this one. Yeah, they're 2-4-1 on the year, but they beat Queen's 4-1 just last week. Part of that record is a slow start for the Redmen; another part of it is the quality of their division. Their overtime loss is to the 10-1 UQTR Patriotes (on Nov. 5) and several other losses have been close ones against good teams like Carleton and Concordia. Meanwhile, Queen's is 5-5-2 and tied for the division lead, but that's with wins over some weaker opponents like Ryerson and UOIT.
15: McGill penalty to forward Andrew Wright. Queen's power play gets another chance: let's see what they do with it.
13: Queen's sets up well this time and passes the puck around, but the Gaels then succumb to Canuck-itis and fail to get many good shots off. McGill kills off the penalty.
12: Well, one good sign is that the arena's still largely full, contrary to my previous prediction. Nice to see some decent fan support; it's not all that common these days.
12: Picard-Hooper walks in alone on goal, but Morrison makes a nice save.
11: McGill eventually jams a puck by Morrison after a protracted scramble in front, but the goal's disallowed.
11: Special teams are not helping the Gaels this game. According to LeagueStats, they're 0-6 on the power play and 3-4 on the penalty kill.
9: Five-minute penalty and a game misconduct to Brock Ouellet, served by Jarrod Thomson (and no, not that J. Thomson. That probably kills Queen's chances of any comeback.
8: Johnstone takes another penalty, giving McGill over a minute of a 5-on-3 advantage.
6: Queen's defends well though, and kills off Johnstone's penalty. Morrison had to make a few good saves, but decent penalty killing this time around.
5: These guys really have to learn to stop taking bad penalties though. It probably didn't make a difference here, but it killed their comeback hopes, however faint they were. More discipline is needed.
5: McGill gets a good power-play chance when a Kovacevic shot is tipped in front by Sam Bloom, but Morrison makes a nice save.
4: NHL update: Now Vancouver 4, Toronto 1, but that should still be a safe lead. 4 minutes left in that one too.
3: McGill gets a great chance on a one-timer, but Guillame Doucet fires wide from the slot.
3: Starting to run out of power here, so I'll have to shut this down pretty quick. Should have some post-game thoughts and reaction up later tonight or early tomorrow though.
3: Another scrum after the whistle, and Langelier-Parent gets into a fight with Johnstone. More of a shoving match than anything, though. There's plenty of passion here for this rivalry, and the Queen's guys must be frustrated to lose to McGill yet again.
2: It's offsetting penalties, so no change there. Thought Queen's had the extra one for a moment.
1: McGill's fans are doing the classic "Na, Na, Hey, Goodbye" serenade, and we'll shut it down on that note. The game comes to an end. Final score, McGill 3, Queen's 0. Thanks for tuning in.
(Correction: LeagueStats indicates that it was Hubert Morin who was the original goalie, not Jarvis).
First period
14:00: We're six minutes into the first period now and it's been pretty even so far. Plenty of checks and big hits, and some strong penalty killing from McGill. Queen's looked all right on the power-play chances they've had so far, but they couldn't produce a goal and we're back to five-on-five.
11:43: The Gaels are going on the power play again. Brandon Perry was taken down in the corner, and the Redmen pick up a hooking penalty.
10: McGill is again doing a nice job of penalty killing. The Gaels' shoot-ins are cleared almost immediately, and the Redmen even get a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush. It comes to naught thanks to a bad pass, though.
9:24: McGill gets a power play and they waste no time. Veteran defenceman Ken Morin drills home a slapshot from the point. 1-0 McGill.
8:16: Another after-the-whistle scrum breaks out in the McGill end, and Gaels' forward Brock Ouellet gets his helmet knocked off. He and McGill's Yan Turcotte are both sent to the sin bin.
CFL update: Calgary hung on to beat B.C. 22-18. I'll have a full post on that later tonight at Out of Left Field.
5: Not too much going on offensively for either side here, but still plenty of hits. Good atmosphere: there's around 100 McGill fans who made the trip down, and probably 200-300 from Queen's. All are quite into the game, which is good to see.
2: Another power play for Queen's thanks to a penalty to Turcotte, and they get some good chances. Defenceman Brendan Bureau blasts a slap shot from the faceoff circle, but Mireau makes a nice save. McGill kills the rest of the penalty off.
1: Queen's forward Jeffrey Johnstone picks up a penalty, and McGill is back on the power play. Queen's kills off the first part of it as the period comes to an end.
Second period:
19: Queen's kills off the rest of the penalty and we're back to five-on-five.
17: Morin turns it over in his own zone and Queen's gets a two-on-one, but they can't get a shot off.
16: Johnstone takes another penalty for slashing. McGill power play.
15: Queen's forward Brandon Perry steals the puck in McGill's end and walks in alone shorthanded, but his shot misses the top left corner by a good foot and sails wide.
14: Queen's kills off the rest of the penalty, but McGill gets another chance soon after when a Marc-Andre Daneau shot is deflected towards a scrum in front of the net. Gaels' goalie Brady Morrison makes a nice diving play to cover the loose puck.
This Don Campbell profile of Queen's assistant coach (and former NHL star) Alyn McCauley in the Ottawa Citizen is well worth a read. I spoke with McCauley briefly after a Queen's game earlier this year, and I was impressed; he's obviously got a lot of hockey knowledge, but my sense was that he can also communicate it, an important quality in any coach.
11: The Gaels get another two-on-one from Blake Pronk and David Chubb, but Mireault makes a good stop on Pronk to preserve his shutout.
9: Still plenty of physical play here. Queen's is getting chances off the rush, but not a lot of shots.
8: Good chance for McGill in close and Morrison has to make a sprawling stop.
7: McGill's Alexandre Picard-Hooper bangs a loose puck home. 2-0 McGill.
6: And McGill follows it up with another nice one. I believe it was forward Leonard Verrilli who drilled home a one-timer from the slot while being checked to the ice by a Queen's defenceman. Good goal for the Redmen, and it's now 3-0 McGill. The pro-Gaels crowd is noticeably quieter now; I wouldn't be surprised to see the building empty out a bit after this period.
Gaels update: Well, men's hockey might be losing, but the women's volleyball team pulled off a straight-sets win at home tonight against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
NHL update: Canucks are leading the Leafs 4-0 at the end of the second period on Hockey Night in Canada. Good to see that at least one West Coast team had a good day. The Lions, not so much.
2: McGill's Serbian forward Marko Kovacevic gets a good chance in close, but Morrison makes a nice save to deny him.
1: McGill's Maxime Langelier-Parent takes a holding penalty with 13 seconds left to go; Queen's will be on the power play to start the third period.
That's the end of the second, and it doesn't loook too good for the Gaels. Attendance is announced at 920, which may be a little optimistic, but not by too much: more people have trickled in since I gave the initial figures earlier. That's a pretty decent turnout for an off-campus hockey game, especially given that the Leafs are playing right now and the CFL West final also ran into this time slot.
Hilarious intermission contest; obstacle-course racing, and the McGill guy wins. The Queen's student managed to miss six shots at an empty net from the top of the faceoff circle. Usually, there's a joke available about how the losing home team should sign one of these contestants, but not tonight.
Third period:
19: Queen's starts on the power play, but they aren't able to create much off it. McGill kills the rest of the penalty off without the Gaels really even getting a good chance.
18: Shot totals through two periods: McGill 23, Queen's 12.
17: It's not really that surprising that McGill's doing so well in this one. Yeah, they're 2-4-1 on the year, but they beat Queen's 4-1 just last week. Part of that record is a slow start for the Redmen; another part of it is the quality of their division. Their overtime loss is to the 10-1 UQTR Patriotes (on Nov. 5) and several other losses have been close ones against good teams like Carleton and Concordia. Meanwhile, Queen's is 5-5-2 and tied for the division lead, but that's with wins over some weaker opponents like Ryerson and UOIT.
15: McGill penalty to forward Andrew Wright. Queen's power play gets another chance: let's see what they do with it.
13: Queen's sets up well this time and passes the puck around, but the Gaels then succumb to Canuck-itis and fail to get many good shots off. McGill kills off the penalty.
12: Well, one good sign is that the arena's still largely full, contrary to my previous prediction. Nice to see some decent fan support; it's not all that common these days.
12: Picard-Hooper walks in alone on goal, but Morrison makes a nice save.
11: McGill eventually jams a puck by Morrison after a protracted scramble in front, but the goal's disallowed.
11: Special teams are not helping the Gaels this game. According to LeagueStats, they're 0-6 on the power play and 3-4 on the penalty kill.
9: Five-minute penalty and a game misconduct to Brock Ouellet, served by Jarrod Thomson (and no, not that J. Thomson. That probably kills Queen's chances of any comeback.
8: Johnstone takes another penalty, giving McGill over a minute of a 5-on-3 advantage.
6: Queen's defends well though, and kills off Johnstone's penalty. Morrison had to make a few good saves, but decent penalty killing this time around.
5: These guys really have to learn to stop taking bad penalties though. It probably didn't make a difference here, but it killed their comeback hopes, however faint they were. More discipline is needed.
5: McGill gets a good power-play chance when a Kovacevic shot is tipped in front by Sam Bloom, but Morrison makes a nice save.
4: NHL update: Now Vancouver 4, Toronto 1, but that should still be a safe lead. 4 minutes left in that one too.
3: McGill gets a great chance on a one-timer, but Guillame Doucet fires wide from the slot.
3: Starting to run out of power here, so I'll have to shut this down pretty quick. Should have some post-game thoughts and reaction up later tonight or early tomorrow though.
3: Another scrum after the whistle, and Langelier-Parent gets into a fight with Johnstone. More of a shoving match than anything, though. There's plenty of passion here for this rivalry, and the Queen's guys must be frustrated to lose to McGill yet again.
2: It's offsetting penalties, so no change there. Thought Queen's had the extra one for a moment.
1: McGill's fans are doing the classic "Na, Na, Hey, Goodbye" serenade, and we'll shut it down on that note. The game comes to an end. Final score, McGill 3, Queen's 0. Thanks for tuning in.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The GBU: Queen's hockey vs. RMC
Breaking down the men's hockey team's shootout win over the Royal Military College Paladins in Friday night's Lou Jeffries memorial exhibition game... (abbreviated because I have to get up rather bloody early tomorrow today to journey to the Centre of the Universe and cover the football game against U of T, which will be live-blogged here as mentioned previously)...
The score: Queen's 3, RMC 3 (Queen's wins 3-2 in a shootout)
How I saw it: In person, which meant a bus trip out to Gananoque with the team and sitting around the arena for a couple hours beforehand. It was a great game, though, and worth the time invested.
The Good:
-Queen's physical play: You could tell right from the start that the Gaels weren't taking this one lightly, appropriate considering that it was against hated rivals RMC. Defencemen Francis Horvath and Marcus Halcro in particular established a physical presence from the opening puck drop with some big hits.
-Pat Doyle: The firebrand we knew and loved from last year is back, but with an expanded offensive role and greater discipline. A frequent criticism of Doyle last year was that he'd sometimes lose his cool and take bad penalties. In this game, he brought his usual physical edge and intimidated the hell out of plenty of cadets, but chipped in offensively with a huge late goal to tie the game with only one minute left and avoided taking bad penalties. He could be a key component for this year's Gaels.
-Blake Pronk: Pronk was effective all game, but his biggest contribution came in the shootout, where he beat RMC goaltender Matt Beirnes five-hole on the final shot to seal the Gaels' victory.
-Scott Kenway: I interviewed Kenway earlier this summer ["New recruits present new hope", myself, Queen's Journal], as head coach Brett Gibson selected him as one of his top recruits. He lived up to the hype against RMC, performing well all game and scoring Queen's first goal.
-Mike Bushby's diving slide: Bushby made a key defensive play in the third, diving across Queen's goal crease to block a shot that beat netminder Brady Morrison. Without that stop, this doesn't go to overtime.
-Alyn McCauley: The former NHL player looked right at home on the Queen's bench as an assistant coach, and both Doyle and Gibson said he's been a great addition to the team. He has a lot of experience and ideas to offer, and I think he'll be a good fit.
-Flashback Friday: The Gaels took to the ice in their white and red uniforms with the old Golden Gaels logo because the new ones just came in and weren't ready for game wear. However unintentional this was, it seemed like a decent way to let people who still have a connection to the "Golden" to see it again. I'm sure the new uniforms will be great, but retro uniforms have worked for the Blue Jays and Argos among others. An occasional return to the past might alleviate some of the concerns and anger about the name switch.
The Bad:
-Some of Brady Morrison's play: Morrison, who the Gaels will need to step up in net this year to make up for Ryan Gibb's absence, actually had a pretty decent game overall. However, there were two bad moments that saw him wind up here. His puck-handling was strong all game, except for one example where he fired the puck right at a RMC forward and almost gave up a goal. He also got beat short side from a bad angle on one goal, which really shouldn't happen. His other stellar saves redeemed his night's performance, but those two plays had to go here.
-Paul Bradley: Bradley was a force all game for RMC, and scored the crucial third goal that made it look like they might win.
The Ugly:
-The mispronunciation : If you believe the pre-game introductions, Queen's has a new Director of Athletics and Recreation. The announcer unintentionally introduced Leslie Dal Cin as Leslie Dal Chin, and didn't give her position either, preferring to talk about the local MP. Not the most professional job.
-The brawl: There were several scrums all night, with the most significant coming right at the end of the overtime period when several players got into a fight. I'm all for fighting in hockey, but given the overly severe penalties it usually results in at the CIS level, it's probably not worth the risk. A brawl right before the shootout is an especially bad idea: what if your best shooters get kicked out of the game? Perhaps not the best discipline.
The Reaction:
Brett Gibson, head coach:
-On the rivalry with RMC and how it made this more than your standard exhibition game:
"I said before the game I'd play them in a street hockey game and expect to win."
-On what still needs work: "A lot of things. The three mistakes we made led to goals."
-On his recruiting class: "My first-year players are very, very skilled players. It's my first year in my time at Queen's that I can say that."
-On the increased expectations last year's division title brings:
"We've got a target on our backs."
-On what McCauley brings to the program:
"It's the credentials. Al's known as a very, very intellectual guy. He thinks the game at a level most people don't and passes that on to the players."
Alyn McCauley, assistant coach:
-On the level of play in CIS hockey:
"I've been very impressed with the skill level and the speed. I've been pleasantly surprised: it's a very high level of hockey and I was unaware of that."
-On if it was tough to go from the NHL level to the CIS level:
"It hasn't been as big of an adjustment as I would have thought. I was just unaware of what level these guys were going to be at. ... If you'd asked me after my first practice, I would have said yes. If you'd asked me after my second practice, I would have said no. ... Of course, there's still going to be a learning curve and a comfort curve as the season goes on."
-On what it's like to be behind the bench, and back in the world of hockey:
"I'm [standing] a little bit farther back than I used to be [as a player], but I'm in my comfort zone just being there."
-On if he enjoyed being back in Gananoque:
"Very much so. Tonight, I had my family and friends, my son and daughter and my wife in the stands, along with all of my Gananoque connections."
Blake Pronk, forward:
-On the importance of the win:
"The first game, to come back from behind when half the team's new, that's important. ... It was a good way to start the season."
-On how the late equalizer wasn't unexpected:
"We were pressing the whole period."
-On Gibson's instructions before he took the crucial shot in the shootout:
"I went on the ice, and Gibby said, 'Be a hero, Pronk'." [Ed note: If coaching's that easy, I want to get into it! Apparently, Gibson knows who can be heroes, though.]
Pat Doyle:
-On how it was nice to get an early win over RMC:
"We don't play them until Christmas, so it was nice to send a message."
-On how the game changed in the third:
"In the third, we had a couple of power plays and got the momentum back."
-On what was going through his head when he scored the tying goal on a 20-foot wrist shot with exactly one minute left:
"David Chubb made a great pass, and that's what I dream about, having the puck on my stick in the slot."
-On Morrison:
"Morrison is one of the best goalies in the OUA. We lost the best goalie in the OUA in Ryan Gibb, and Brady will step up to fill his spot."
The score: Queen's 3, RMC 3 (Queen's wins 3-2 in a shootout)
How I saw it: In person, which meant a bus trip out to Gananoque with the team and sitting around the arena for a couple hours beforehand. It was a great game, though, and worth the time invested.
The Good:
-Queen's physical play: You could tell right from the start that the Gaels weren't taking this one lightly, appropriate considering that it was against hated rivals RMC. Defencemen Francis Horvath and Marcus Halcro in particular established a physical presence from the opening puck drop with some big hits.
-Pat Doyle: The firebrand we knew and loved from last year is back, but with an expanded offensive role and greater discipline. A frequent criticism of Doyle last year was that he'd sometimes lose his cool and take bad penalties. In this game, he brought his usual physical edge and intimidated the hell out of plenty of cadets, but chipped in offensively with a huge late goal to tie the game with only one minute left and avoided taking bad penalties. He could be a key component for this year's Gaels.
-Blake Pronk: Pronk was effective all game, but his biggest contribution came in the shootout, where he beat RMC goaltender Matt Beirnes five-hole on the final shot to seal the Gaels' victory.
-Scott Kenway: I interviewed Kenway earlier this summer ["New recruits present new hope", myself, Queen's Journal], as head coach Brett Gibson selected him as one of his top recruits. He lived up to the hype against RMC, performing well all game and scoring Queen's first goal.
-Mike Bushby's diving slide: Bushby made a key defensive play in the third, diving across Queen's goal crease to block a shot that beat netminder Brady Morrison. Without that stop, this doesn't go to overtime.
-Alyn McCauley: The former NHL player looked right at home on the Queen's bench as an assistant coach, and both Doyle and Gibson said he's been a great addition to the team. He has a lot of experience and ideas to offer, and I think he'll be a good fit.
-Flashback Friday: The Gaels took to the ice in their white and red uniforms with the old Golden Gaels logo because the new ones just came in and weren't ready for game wear. However unintentional this was, it seemed like a decent way to let people who still have a connection to the "Golden" to see it again. I'm sure the new uniforms will be great, but retro uniforms have worked for the Blue Jays and Argos among others. An occasional return to the past might alleviate some of the concerns and anger about the name switch.
The Bad:
-Some of Brady Morrison's play: Morrison, who the Gaels will need to step up in net this year to make up for Ryan Gibb's absence, actually had a pretty decent game overall. However, there were two bad moments that saw him wind up here. His puck-handling was strong all game, except for one example where he fired the puck right at a RMC forward and almost gave up a goal. He also got beat short side from a bad angle on one goal, which really shouldn't happen. His other stellar saves redeemed his night's performance, but those two plays had to go here.
-Paul Bradley: Bradley was a force all game for RMC, and scored the crucial third goal that made it look like they might win.
The Ugly:
-The mispronunciation : If you believe the pre-game introductions, Queen's has a new Director of Athletics and Recreation. The announcer unintentionally introduced Leslie Dal Cin as Leslie Dal Chin, and didn't give her position either, preferring to talk about the local MP. Not the most professional job.
-The brawl: There were several scrums all night, with the most significant coming right at the end of the overtime period when several players got into a fight. I'm all for fighting in hockey, but given the overly severe penalties it usually results in at the CIS level, it's probably not worth the risk. A brawl right before the shootout is an especially bad idea: what if your best shooters get kicked out of the game? Perhaps not the best discipline.
The Reaction:
Brett Gibson, head coach:
-On the rivalry with RMC and how it made this more than your standard exhibition game:
"I said before the game I'd play them in a street hockey game and expect to win."
-On what still needs work: "A lot of things. The three mistakes we made led to goals."
-On his recruiting class: "My first-year players are very, very skilled players. It's my first year in my time at Queen's that I can say that."
-On the increased expectations last year's division title brings:
"We've got a target on our backs."
-On what McCauley brings to the program:
"It's the credentials. Al's known as a very, very intellectual guy. He thinks the game at a level most people don't and passes that on to the players."
Alyn McCauley, assistant coach:
-On the level of play in CIS hockey:
"I've been very impressed with the skill level and the speed. I've been pleasantly surprised: it's a very high level of hockey and I was unaware of that."
-On if it was tough to go from the NHL level to the CIS level:
"It hasn't been as big of an adjustment as I would have thought. I was just unaware of what level these guys were going to be at. ... If you'd asked me after my first practice, I would have said yes. If you'd asked me after my second practice, I would have said no. ... Of course, there's still going to be a learning curve and a comfort curve as the season goes on."
-On what it's like to be behind the bench, and back in the world of hockey:
"I'm [standing] a little bit farther back than I used to be [as a player], but I'm in my comfort zone just being there."
-On if he enjoyed being back in Gananoque:
"Very much so. Tonight, I had my family and friends, my son and daughter and my wife in the stands, along with all of my Gananoque connections."
Blake Pronk, forward:
-On the importance of the win:
"The first game, to come back from behind when half the team's new, that's important. ... It was a good way to start the season."
-On how the late equalizer wasn't unexpected:
"We were pressing the whole period."
-On Gibson's instructions before he took the crucial shot in the shootout:
"I went on the ice, and Gibby said, 'Be a hero, Pronk'." [Ed note: If coaching's that easy, I want to get into it! Apparently, Gibson knows who can be heroes, though.]
Pat Doyle:
-On how it was nice to get an early win over RMC:
"We don't play them until Christmas, so it was nice to send a message."
-On how the game changed in the third:
"In the third, we had a couple of power plays and got the momentum back."
-On what was going through his head when he scored the tying goal on a 20-foot wrist shot with exactly one minute left:
"David Chubb made a great pass, and that's what I dream about, having the puck on my stick in the slot."
-On Morrison:
"Morrison is one of the best goalies in the OUA. We lost the best goalie in the OUA in Ryan Gibb, and Brady will step up to fill his spot."
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