kr0n's Blog Corner

In-Game Date: Monday, September 26th, 2011

Recap from yesterday:

Scores:
DAL 2 - LA 4
CMB 3 - DET 6
FLA 5 - TB 4
NYI 2 - NYR 0
BUF 4 - MTL 3 (OT)
COL 2 - EDM 0

Transactions: None
Notable Injuries:
TOR - Michael Swift, C - 2 weeks - Sore knee
WPG - Bill Thomas, RW - 3-4 weeks - Separated shoulder

Time for my second game in Alberta for the 2011-12 season. Tonight I'll be giving Lehner the start to see how he compares to Rask. Rask will still most certainly be my starter but every now and then you get those nice surprises. Colin Greening was sent down to the Houston affiliate, replacing him with Alexandre Giroux. There's definitely room on the team's fourth line to let the performances given by each player speak for themselves. In Friday's meeting with Edmonton Greening had 0pts, a +1 rating and 2 shots on net. Hopefully Giroux can provide more offensive potential and get a few more shots on net.

My lines for tonight's game:
D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Grabner
Bickell - Fleischmann - Eberle
Carcillo - B. Schenn - Burish
A. Giroux - Morrison - Dvorak

J. Johnson - Gonchar
Jovanoski - Brewer
Salmela - Bieksa

Lehner / Rask

Healthy Scratches:
T. Hamonic, D
R. Parent, D

Seattle Jackals (1-0-0) @ Calgary Flames (1-0-0)
Robin Lehner (0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, .000 SV%) VS. Braden Holtby (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%)

First Period:

Penalties:
04:12 - SEA - E. Brewer, Boarding
08:00 - SEA - A. Salmela, Slashing
12:00 - SEA - E. Jovanovski, Roughing
14:17 - CGY - B. Allen, Roughing
14:22 - SEA - B. Bickell, Slashing
19:54 - SEA - J. Johnson, Slashing

Scoring:
05:49 - CGY - A. Henrique (1)(PP), (P. O'Sullivan, T. Purcell)
07:11 - CGY - D. Hordichuk (1), (M. Lomas, F. McLaren)
16:57 - CGY - T. Daley (1), (Unassisted)

Shots: SEA 10, CGY 23
Faceoffs: SEA 13, CGY 11

Five penalties, five different players, four of those being defensemen. Some definite discipline problems that will hopefully be ironed out during this pre-season. The 5:49 we spent being shorthanded lead to us being out shot 23-10, not a good way to win hockey games. We need to stay out of the sin bin in the second and third periods to try to gain some ground on the fast-skating Calgary team.


Ovechkin and Salmela get airborne in a collision in front of the Seattle net.


Lehner getting a pad on a shot from the point.


Hordichuk raises one over the glove of Lehner


Adam Henrique's powerplay marker gets the ball rolling for the Flames in the first.

Second Period:

Penalties:
14:01 - CGY - P. Mara, Roughing

Scoring:
10:33 - SEA - M. Grabner (2), (Unassisted)
12:46 - SEA - S. Gonchar (1), (J. Johnson, B. Morrison)
14:07 - SEA - S. Gonchar (2)(PP), (M. Grabner)
15:48 - CGY - D. Miller (1), (Unassisted)

Shots: SEA 23, CGY 19
Faceoffs: SEA 16, 7

Three unanswered goals with two coming from Gonchar and one on the powerplay should keep me in the game. Gonchar was one of two defensemen to go without a penalty in the first and is now contributing on the score sheet, great to see. Lehner had a solid period of goaltending, with his only goal allowed being a misplay by Salmela leading to Drew Miller being credited with his first of the pre-season.


Salmela flings one at his own net, sneaking under the pad of Lehner.


Morrisonn gets absolutely flattened by Eric Brewer.

Third Period:

Penalties:
06:37 - SEA - K. Bieksa, Charging
13:56 - SEA - S. Gonchar, High Sticking

Scoring:
06:07 - SEA - M. Grabner (3), (H, Sedin)
18:13 - SEA - D. Sedin (3), (Unassisted)
19:59 - SEA - B. Schenn (1)(EN), (Unassisted)

Shots: SEA 14, CGY 19
Faceoffs: SEA 10, CGY 10

Some stellar forechecking that caused a turnover landed Daniel Sedin his third of the pre-season. The goal would turn out to be the game winner with Brayden Schenn getting himself an empty netter to end the game. Lehner performed incredibly after his shaky first period. His performance gained him the 3rd star despite allowing 4 goals. Lehner will probably get the start for our first exhibition home game as a result of his display tonight in Calgary.

Great offensive contributions from the first line yet again, another 5 points from the Sedins and Grabner.


Ovechkin struggles to get up after a hit from Jack Johnson.


Daniel Sedin sends Daley head-over-heels into his own team's bench.


Sedin taking the shot on a near-empty cage in what would end up being the GWG on the turnover.

Final:

SEA 6 (W: R. Lehner)
CGY 4 (L: B. Holtby)

3 Stars:
1) SEA - Michael Grabner - 2G, 1A, 5 Shots, +1
2) SEA - Sergei Gonchar - 2G, 6 Shots, +3
3) SEA - Robin Lehner - 4.00 GAA, .934 SV%, 61 SA

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So I end up going 2-for-2 in my exhibition road trip, back to Seattle for two games before the 2011-12 regular season gets underway. Again, amazing show by Robin Lehner after the rocky start, and Grabner is doing everything right playing as a first line winger.

All questions, comments and feedback welcome!