Games Saturday 2-8-2025

[Sparlimb]

Hanggi played great. No doubt about it. Rogers has the talent to beat anyone. Whether they can do it 3 games in a row (like Chanhassen failed to do last year), is the question.

Another interesting play in the game last night was Zasada came in on a short handed breakaway and went 5 hole on the goalie. He didn't celebrate and the refs blew the whistle like no goal. Then the goalie got up and they couldn't find the puck, which was later found stuck in the back of the net. I immediately see a guy standing there where the goal judge would be giving the arm signal for goal. At that point I realized the puck had gone in. And watching the replay, you could see it flash by. Refs get together, talk it over and eventually award the goal to HM. You don't often see goals awarded in that manner, but it was a legit goal.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Hanggi played great. No doubt about it. Rogers has the talent to beat anyone. Whether they can do it 3 games in a row (like Chanhassen failed to do last year), is the question.

Another interesting play in the game last night was Zasada came in on a short handed breakaway and went 5 hole on the goalie. He didn't celebrate and the refs blew the whistle like no goal. Then the goalie got up and they couldn't find the puck, which was later found stuck in the back of the net. I immediately see a guy standing there where the goal judge would be giving the arm signal for goal. At that point I realized the puck had gone in. And watching the replay, you could see it flash by. Refs get together, talk it over and eventually award the goal to HM. You don't often see goals awarded in that manner, but it was a legit goal.

I was on the far other end, by the concessions. From my vantage point, it looked like Zasada went 5-hole, but no one reacted at all and I assumed it was stopped. Then afterward Roger's goalie kept looking at his lower body and the refs seemed to be looking at him too, like the puck was stuck in a pad. I was wondering in that moment if the puck was stuck in his equipment, and perhaps his lower body went over the line and they were going to award a goal.

[SEC Scotty]

I saw the puck go between his pads from right to left. The hilarious part was watching the officials looking for the puck. They eventually found the puck in the left side of the net. Then they announced that the puck was in the net before the whistle blew. What?

I thinks it time for Aldrich to invest in new nets and magnets as the net on the west end seems to come off multiple times a game. Could use a scoreboard that counts shots on goal as well.

Would have been a better game if Rogers would have showed up in the first period.

How about the back to back plays at the blue line by Cottingham to hold the zone.

[Sparlimb]

I saw the puck go between his pads from right to left. The hilarious part was watching the officials looking for the puck. They eventually found the puck in the left side of the net. Then they announced that the puck was in the net before the whistle blew. What?

I thinks it time for Aldrich to invest in new nets and magnets as the net on the west end seems to come off multiple times a game. Could use a scoreboard that counts shots on goal as well.

Would have been a better game if Rogers would have showed up in the first period.

How about the back to back plays at the blue line by Cottingham to hold the zone.

Those two saves by Cottingham (on the pp, knocking down pucks about a foot off the ice heading out to neutral) were pretty amazing. And the magnet thing, I'm just happy its both goalies that do it in all the games. At least it feels even, but really takes away from the flow of the game sometimes. Yeah, Rogers got buzz sawed early and that set the tone. And I've been annoyed with not shot clock for 40 years.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Aldrich uses a basic system for their goals - it's just a short above-ice peg that the goalposts sit on, and it's 'anchored' into the ice with a little spike they tamp in. I stood directly above the goal by the concession stand last night, and you have the perfect birds eye view of them installing after cleaning the ice. It's sort of amazing how short the spike that goes into the ice actually is. It looks like the spike is maybe an inch long - it just seems very weak.

The other issue that becomes apparent is that once the goal has popped off in any period, it gets progressively weaker because that short spike is just pushed back into the exact same hole in the ice. When the net came off a couple of times in the 1st period (nothing intentional from what I saw), the refs would just push the spike back in to the same spot and drop the net over the peg. They didn't use any water to try and refill/reseal the spot. It's like drilling into drywall in the same spot more than once, it just won't hold any longer.

At minimum the refs should squirt a little water into the spot where the spike is getting reset. Better yet, they should use a better anchoring system altogether. Pretty sure the marsh peg is used in the the higher levels of hockey. This has an insert that I believe is actually embedded in the concrete below the ice. The peg will still pop out if the goal is hit hard enough, but seems like a way better system than just a tiny spike stuck 1 inch into the same spot on the ice over and over.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

I was also on the west end. I didn't notice Blue. On the other hand, I wouldn't know Blue if he'd been standing next to me. Were you the guy I'd see duck out the door to have a quick toke? For you "glaucoma" of course.

I did notice at the start of the game, the net was not even square with the goal line. And yes, the nets coming off do interrupt the flow of the game. I'm old enough to remember when the pegs were permanently installed in the ice, and stuck up a good 4", maybe more. The Zamboni would sort of swoosh around the pegs on both side. Then I think someone would come with a bucket of water and a squeegee to sort of clean the ice the Zamboni missed. When I get annoyed with the nets anywhere coming off, I remind myself of how many kids have not been severely injured or maimed by the modern anchoring methods.

The mid air stabs by Cottingham were both amazing, more so they occurred on the same PP. And yeah, the Zasada goal was bizarre. When the PK started, I remarked that I'd not seen us score a shorty in too long. I don't go to games against team like SSP or Hastings, but I wouldn't consider a shorty against those opponents remarkable. We need to score a few of them in games that matter.

[BlueLineSpecial]

I was sandwiched between 4 Rogers backers and a handful of Chisago players (judging by their caps). Close to the condiment table. I was the guy that got 2 hotdogs and a Twix - the cornerstones of any nutritious meal.

I'll probably be there again this Saturday afternoon for the Moorhead game....