Create Account

Game 25 - PGF at STL Season 40
#1

Game 25 - Prince George Firebirds at St. Louis Scarecrows

Firebirds 0
Scarecrows 2

Game Link

Welcome to tonight's post-game show following a rather one-sided affair between the Prince George Firebirds and the St. Louis Scarecrows. Don't let the scoreboard fool you. Despite a 2-0 final, it was all St. Louis.

Tonight's Focus - The Importance of the Face-Off

This game was a testament to one of the fundamentals of winning at hockey - face-off wins lead to possession, which leads to scoring opportunities, which lead to goals. Although St. Louis could have (and in other games, have) scored more goals, they were solid in all three zones. Carter Manning's two goals were more than sufficient to come out with yet another two points. A major contributing factor was their excellence in the face-off circle.

Overall, St. Louis set their opportunities up better on the draw, winning that battle 45-37 on the night. Paddy Kane-Rielly and Carter Manning came ready and combined for 31 of the team's 45 face-off wins. They overpowered Steve McGirthensons and Jill Jellybeanov, who combined for 14 of Prince George's 37 face-off wins. We look with particular interest at the Firebirds' top two centers in the circle, who combined to take half of the 82 draws for Prince George.

Below are breakdowns of the face-off statistics for McGirthensons and Jellybeanov.

[Image: 75aa04877c.png]

We see both struggled against their top two St. Louis counterparts and came out under .500 against all other face-off opponents as well.

[Image: 20dbf6254d.png]

McGirthensons held firm with Prince George backed into their own zone, though was unable to secure possession outside their own end. Jellybeanov's low percentage in defensive ice allowed the Scarecrows a glut of opportunities and looks at the net, including the second Scarecrows' goal during a St. Louis power play.

Quote:14:16 of 2nd period - Carter Manning wins face-off versus Jill Jellybeanov in Prince George Firebirds zone.
14:27 of 2nd period - Shot by Jack Daniels.
14:27 of 2nd period - Shot Misses the Net.
14:29 of 2nd period - Shot by Daniel Karlsson.
14:29 of 2nd period - Shot Misses the Net.
14:31 of 2nd period - Shot by Carter Manning.
[b]14:31 of 2nd period - Goal by Carter Manning - St. Louis Scarecrows : 2 - Prince George Firebirds : 0.
[/b]

This also attests to St. Louis's dominance of territory, even with Prince George's best skaters out. 25 of the 41 face-offs conducted with Prince George's top two centers were in the Firebirds' defensive end zone.

On the reverse side, as shown, Kane-Rielly (8-2) and Manning (12-6) were excellent against their top two counterparts on the dot, especially with a 7-4 combined mark in the St. Louis zone helping goalkeeper Friedrich Schmidt breathe a little easier. The club's defensive play suited their proactive style, with action and face-offs conducted away from their defensive zone.

Honorable Mentions

My first honorable mention goes to Scarecrows Jack Daniels, who provided two assists, including this one on the first goal, in the first minute of the second period:

Quote:Puck retreived by Benjamin Blue. Pass to Zemgus Nylander. Pass by Zemgus Nylander intercepted by Jack Daniels. Pass to Carter Manning. Shot by Carter Manning. [b]Goal by Carter Manning - St. Louis Scarecrows : 1 - Prince George Firebirds : 0.[/b]

My second honorable mention goes to Scarecrows Paddy Kane-Rielly, whose 16-11 face-off record was the best in the game among players who attempted at least 10 draws. He was especially excellent against Prince George's top two centers, going 8-2 in the circle against McGirthersons and Jellybeanov.

Three Stars of the Game

Scarecrows Friedrich Schmidt was the third star of the game with a shutout in the Scarecrows' net. A goalkeeper who keeps his net clean always deserves a pat on the shoulder at least, though he should probably consider picking up a round next time he's out with his defensemen. He faced and saved 15 shots - 2 in the first, 9 in the second and 4 in the third. He took the win and moved to 6-1-0 on the season.

Firebirds Benjamin Blue put the team on his back in a commendable effort and was the game's second star. With St. Louis making themselves comfortable in Prince George's end, Blue put on a career effort against a 44-shot siege (13-16-15 across the periods), of which he saved 42 for a .955 save percentage. The unfortunate loss set his record back to 1-6-0.

Scarecrows Carter Manning headlined for St. Louis as the first star of the game, netting both goals in the second period and keeping busy on the face-off dot. He went 15-13 off the draw, including 12-6 against Prince George's top two centers. He potted his brace in three shots on net, the first from a loose puck from DeMaricus Smyth firing wide and the second from the aforementioned power play barrage.

Final Thoughts

Many of St. Louis's successes and Prince George's woes in this game started with the face-off. The Scarecrows beat out McGirthersons more than he beat them out and they took full advantage of Jellybeanov to keep control of the puck and let Schmidt have enough time to himself to take care of off-ice business if he wanted to, maybe even invite his S.O. down to the crease for dinner and drinks while occasionally waving away a shot.

Thank you for joining and we will see you next time.

Speedwagon Player Page | Speedwagon Updates Page 


[Image: speedwagongifsig.gif]

[Image: GoonerBear.gif]
#2

A LOOK AT THE GOALIES

Friedrich Schmidt: The starting Scarecrows netminder didn't let anything go past him tonight. Schmidt got a shutout to help out his team in a low scoring game. He didn't face much though, only getting 15 shots tonight. However, it is still impressive to come out with a perfect save percentage.

Benjamin Blue: The rookie goaltender comes out with another insane performance. Like most games, Benjamin gave it his all, but the team in front of him couldn't support him enough to come out with the victory. The future star goaltender came out with a 0.955 while saving 42 shots and facing 44.

[Image: 3.png]

#3

Ferguson Plumbing's Turd Ferguson Junior Player of the Game:

Tonight's Junior Turd race is tight, if only because the otherwise boisterous Scarecrows were a bunch of lame ducks tonight despite taking the win. It comes down to two Firebirds, the first of which is Tim Patton, who despite playing an otherwise clean game, managed to lay down the law with four hits over the course of the game. However, in the true brain-bashing spirit of the retired Ferguson legend, tonight's Junior Turd goes to Jamie Bryan, who in his 20 odd minutes of play time blocked three shots, hit two people, and racked up two minor penalties in an utterly scoreless second period -- for hooking and high sticking respectively.




Users browsing this thread:
1 Guest(s)




Navigation

 

Extra Menu

 

About us

The Simulation Hockey League is a free online forums based sim league where you create your own fantasy hockey player. Join today and create your player, become a GM, get drafted, sign contracts, make trades and compete against hundreds of players from around the world.