Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Won One

1 Win in a shoot-out
1 Loss in overtime
1 loss in regulation
3rd overall in a 4-Team Tournament
Not scintillating
But OK
Welcome to the wonderful world of coaching, Mark Messier.

* * * * *
Defenseman Mario Scalzo lead Canada in scoring - 1 Goal, 2 Assists.
Forward Derek Hahn also had 3 points - all assists
Canada scored 6 goals in the 3-game affair - by 6 different guys.
Brathwaite stopped 9 out of 10 shots, JS Aubin was 94.4% in the third game.

* * * * *
The entire Canadian side play in the DEL
All the Swiss play in the Swiss League, so does one German.
The rest of the Germans are DEL based.
The Slovaks play in 4 different leagues.
Slovak Olympians Marcel Hossa & Branko Radivojevic were disappointments for the Slovaks, one goal between them.
Glen Hanlon is coaching the Slovaks these days.
Sean Simpson has taken over the Swiss side.
The Swiss sent a U25 side - treating the event  as experience-getter.
* * * * *

Is experience-getter a word?

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Missed it by That Much, Again

Day 1 of Mark Messier's coaching career didn't work out so well.

His DEL-Canada Selects spotted the Germans a 3-0 first period lead,
came back to tie the match at 3 in the Second,
then immediately allowed the Germans to pot the winning goal.

One time Oiler Fred Brathwaite, 38 years young, had so-so .888 [to infinity] Save Percentage for Canada.
That's 4.44 goals per 30 Shots.
His German counterpart, Minnesota Wild free-agent signing Dennis Endras, stopped 26 of 29.

Day 2 went no better for the fiery, bald leader.
His charges again lost a close one, 2 -1 to the Swiss in overtime.
Brathwaite had a better day, allowing 2 goals on 33 shots - after two games his Goals Against per 30 Shots dropped to 2.70.

DEL leading scorer Adam Mitchell of the Hanover Scorpions netted Canada's goal 45 seconds into the 2nd Period.
Damien Brunner [5.11, 177 lbs] scored both Swiss goals.

Both of today's game's went into overtime, as the Slovaks beat the the Germans 3 - 2.
The Swiss lead the tournament, undefeated after 2 games.
The Germans & the Slovaks are 1-1.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Novemberfest

Merk Messier's coaching career begins in Munich today.

The four-nation Deutschland Cup runs until the 14th.

Canada, Switzerland, Slovakia and the hosts.
The Swiss beat the Slovaks in the opener 2- 0 on one PP goal and one ES goal.

Canada is playing Germany as I type.
Its a Deutsche Eishockey League house league match.

The entire Canadian side is made up of DEL-based players:
1 AUBIN Jean-Sebastian - DEG Metro Stars
2 MANNING Paul - Hannover Scorpions
5 BLANCHARD Sean -Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
6 POLLOCK James - Adler Mannheim
7 SCALZO Mario - Adler Mannheim
8 JAMES Connor - DEG Metro Stars
9 ROBINSON Nathan - Eisbären Berlin
10 MACDONALD Craig - Adler Mannheim
12 HERPERGER Chris- Hannover Scorpions
14 MILLEY Norm - Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg
15 SCHNEIDER Eric - EHC München
16 BEECHEY Tyler - DEG Metro Stars
17 WALSER Derrick - Eisbären Berlin
18 BOUCK Tyler - ERC Ingolstadt
21 KEMP Thomas-James - Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
22 JULIEN Stephane - EHC München
23 DZIEDUSZYCKI Matt - Hannover Scorpions
24 HAHN Derek - Straubing Tigers
25 MURPHY Colin - Hamburg Freezers
27 MITCHELL Adam -Hannover Scorpions
28 REGEHR Richie - Eisbären Berlin
31 BRATHWAITE Fred - Adler Mannheim

Adam Mitchell leads the DEL in scoring, Derek Hahn is 2nd.
Veteran Fred Brathwaite gets the start in Game 1.

Canada plays the Swiss tomorrow
Then wrap things up against the Slovaks on Sunday.
I've not followed this little event before,
You'd have to think the Slovaks would be the favourite.
We'll  see