Halloween Horror - OCN 3 - Swan 6

You know that scene in the exorcist from the extended cut... yeah this one.






That's kind of how things went tonight for the Blizzard.

When Gray, Valiquette, and Cardinal were on the ice the Blizzard controlled the play.

The fourth line played a solid game as well with extended periods of pressure deep in the Swan zone.

Petrino played well again, dazzling hands and quick release on the Blizzard's first goal. That Baptiste trade looks pretty sweet right now.

Elmes, Cochrane and Bruyere had solid night on defense.

I think the rest of the team was too busy riding along on the exorcists body down those stairs.

Too many passengers tonight.

The Blizz D gave up too many odd man rushes, and two breakaways they were lucky that Henry was there for those.

Henry didn't have his strongest game of the season either, but it happens. He's a good goalie none the less.

On the other side the Stampeders did a good job of staying out of the box and taking advantage on the power play.

Two goals from the point on the PP - that's how it happens.

The Stampeders got under OCN's skin and that's become the scouting report, it's too easy to goad the Blizzard into taking useless penalties.

Wilson Dumais spent more time in the box than he did on the ice.

Although there were a few questionable calls, like TJ Constants so called hit to the head, that was pure shoulder to chest, same on Wilson Dumais hit that they called late. He finished his check, plain and simple.

TJ looks a little slow out there, it will take him a few more games to get back into game shape.

Landon Noel looked better tonight I thought. Still not unbeatable but the Blizzard just couldn't get to his rebounds. Swan did a good job of boxing out the Blizzard garbage hunters and got to the puck first.

The Blizzard controlled the play for the first two periods. It was a great hockey game through 40 minutes, probably the best 2 periods of hockey I've seen all season.

The third was a different story. Things just sort of fell apart.

The Blizzard set the tone right from puck drop with Fontaine tapping Valentino's shins at jawing him at the opening draw, he then went and knocked Riley Hiebert out of the game with a clean hit behind the Swan goal.

Parker Sharp nailed Sam Briscoe a few minutes later simultaneously giving him a whack in the knee which sent him off for the rest of the game.

The Blizzard had a tremendous physical presence in the first and controlled the play, then the penalties started and it all went down hill.

OCN's top guys like TJ Constant, and Wilson Dumais can't be spending 10 minutes in the box each per game. Just kills the team.

The loss of Grove for the past two games has hurt the penalty kill, as has the loss of Santorelli and Thomas Ward-Cardinal.

I spoke with Clay DeBray after the game, here are his thoughts...




Hope you all had a safe halloween, should there be any candy you don't want feel free to drop it off at the radio station on 3rd street!

-Brad-