GAME 12 - OLL VS G99

 OLIMPIJA 2 - 4 GRAZ

GOOCH GETS HIS REVENGE WITH TWO ASSISTS

LATE SURGE BY OLIMPIJA NOT ENOUGH

Lineup changes

Kolin starts in net. Kumanović is in on the 2nd line, Kapel moves down to the third line to replace Mehle, who is the 13th forward. I'm not sure whether this was just to give Lovro some game time or whether Mehle has a minor injury, but it seemed like Mehle played more and Kumanović's minutes tailed off as the game went on.

Stars of the game

* Luka Kolin - voted MVP and played very well, despite the scoreline. Graz were just too good at dictating the game. GSAx probably a 1-1.5.

** Robert Sabolič (PPG) - late in the game, he was firing away slapshots from the right circle like a World War 2 howitzer. Consistently our most dangerous scoring threat.

*** Rudolf Červeny (Smash Burger G) - if his teammates are not referring to him as 'the Burger King' they are missing a trick. The first Smash Burger goal deserves some recognition. I went down after the game and the queue was substantial; apparently 500 burgers were given away! Something to note is that they appeared to want you to have acquired a 'coupon' from the Smash Burger stand outside the East end, so keep that in mind for next time.

Game flow

P1

1514 GOAL GRAZ - rapid-fire shot and deflection. 

Line 3 = -1

Pair 1 = -1

0-1

10 Graz are doing a lot more attacking than us.

858 Kumanović with a juicy forecheck hit.

751 All three 3rd liners touch the puck on a dangerous move.

715 Ege to Kapel deflects wide.

6 Non-call on a high stick on Sodja, pretty ridiculous that they didn't give that.

4 Free flowing play going back and forth.

407 Pavlin to Zajc deflection is saved.

354 Pavlin point shot is saved, that looked dangerous.

241 Červeny is stopped at the post.

5s left - Atwal spinarama gives Beričič a chance in front that is saved.

0-1

P2

1536 Crnović does very well with a 1 on 1 rush, easy cleanup for Kolin.

1502 We can't exit the zone and Kolin has to make a crisp glove save.

1438 Big blocker save on Gooch, well done Luka!

1345 Another big blocker save.

1341 Smash Attack starts - defensive zone faceoff is a little safer than the powerplay one last game!

1315 Kolin makes a body save through a lot of traffic in front.

Graz are pushing for a second. If we concede, do Graz get burgers? Or do we have to go and buy one? Need to read the T&Cs.

2 more Kolin saves.

1119 Pance slams his stick into the bench in frustration - people are missing open players on passes tonight.

We have a delayed penalty - let's not put it in our net tonight...

1030 PEN G99 - slashing.

1008 PEN OLL - with 138 left in the PP, Tomaževič hooks a penalty killer. Not good. 4 on 4.

814 - Pance with a good power move to the net.

748 Atwal's shot goes just wide.

728 Great mid-air interception in the offensive zone by Atwal creates a chance for Beričič in front of net on his own. Saved.

6 We don't look very organised and Graz are starting to pick us apart; they have answers for everything we try so far.

532 GOAL GRAZ - another deflection. Do we need more net front stick lifts by the defensemen?

1st Line -1

3rd Pair -1

0-2

509 Already we have two more good chances for Graz. 

We need to try to get out of the period without conceding another. Objective: survive!

212 Good work by Gregorc to keep Kolin clean for the glove save. More like that would help prevent the deflection goals!

3s left - we are switching off for the end of the period, but Graz aren't - Kolin has to smother a shot in front.

0-2

P3

1921 Gooch forces a pad save from Kolin, it's a weak start to a period where we need at least 3 goals.

1749 Zajc to Atwal for a good SOG.

1602 Chance for Červeny in front but passes wide.

1547 PEN OLL - Pavlin trips someone.

1509 Triple save by Kolin but the 4th is hacked in. Gooch on the assist.

PK2 -1

0-3

1440 delayed penalty on us, what a great response...

1426 PEN OLL - Tomaževič trips someone. Sloppy stuff from us.

1255 Pance goes through on net but he's pushed wide and it's saved.

1254 PEN GRAZ  - hooking.

We get set up, Červeny has a shot blocked and it's cleared out. 

1119 Kapel backhand shot saved.

Graz mess up a change, leaving the final seconds of the PP as a 5 on 3, but our backs are turned and we do not notice or take advantage.

9 - Sodja appears to be on the 3rd line now. Is Kumanović down on the 4th?

927 - Second Smash Attack of the day?!

858 Sabolič shot in central position leads to a collective intake of breath - no burger for now....

822 BURGER GOAL OLIMPIJA - Červeny skates and waits to create a screen on the left circle and fires it over the goalie's glove for the first ever Smash Attack goal. In a quasi-delirious, dreamlike moment that I won't soon forget, the announcer screams "BURGER! BURGER! BURGER!". Assist by Ege and Mahkovec (Mahkovec wasn't counted officially but I think he should have been).

1-3

Line 1 +0

Pair 2 +1

1-3

628 PEN OLL - another trip by Pavlin. Oh dear.

559 PEN OLL - this was a soft one, admittedly, but Bičevskis is now joining in on the tripping fun. Oh dear, oh dear. 5 on 3 for 1:31. Ćosić, Crnović and Pance are on.

530 PPG GRAZ - they masterfully coax out and split our three defenders, with a Graz forward inexplicably left free in centre ice. Gooch on the assist once more.

1-4

If all that wasn't enough, there's 1:32 left for the Bičevskis penalty.

3:50 PEN GRAZ - high stick. So they call this one! We go empty net.

Pavlin is doing what they do in football, sending the big centre back up front to cause havoc. He is a big unit to be standing in front of net.

Sabolič has two powerful shots on goal from the right circle that draw two pad saves. The third is wide...

215 PPG OLIMPIJA - Sabolič's 4th consecutive shot goes in! We clearly don't have any other ideas, but hey - it worked! He rifles it too fast for the goalie to grab. Assist by Mašič.

2-4

124 A Graz player manages to hit the replay screen up high; we argue for a delay of game penalty, but the refs aren't interested.

105 We go back to Sabla in the right circle, which is pad saved.

Graz miss the empty net.

People are leaving early for those Smash Burgers!

21s left - Tomaževič shot at the back post - huge block by a Graz defender. Fair play!

8s Graz miss the empty net again.

ENDS 2-4

Final thoughts

Graz looked more like the league-leading team they were earlier this season. They effectively dictated almost the entire game tonight. Penalties are a part of this, too. Our ill-discipline has been increasing, seemingly. Now, obviously the refs will sometimes call softer penalties - we can't control that. But we have to be more careful so we avoid putting ourselves in positions like this against good teams. We can't really expect to beat the best teams if we give them five powerplays in a game.

Talking of league leaders, the current ones, Hydro Fehervar, are coming for Halloween on Tuesday. Let's hope to give them a scare and play more focused and clean hockey. See you then!

GAME 11 - HCP VS OLL

 PUSTERTAL 2-3 OLIMPIJA (OT/SO)

DRAGONS EVENTUALLY EMERGE VICTORIOUS FROM THE WOLVES' DEN VIA SHOOTOUT

FREAK OWN GOAL KEEPS IT EQUAL IN REGULAR TIME

Lineup changes

None!

Stars of the game

* Rudolf Červeny - this isn't a straightforward first star: he was certainly the most impactful player in the game, but for both good and bad reasons! He scored the first goal and made notable contributions throughout the game, but the real highlight/lowlight was an own goal on a delayed penalty with an empty net for the extra skater. Read below for the analysis...

** Robert Sabolič and Marcel Mahkovec - both showed their excellent stickhandling in front of net, with two backhands. Sabla's went high and Marcel's went low. The former was the 2nd goal and the latter was the game winning penalty shootout goal.

*** Lukaš Horák - who else? Another highlight-reel triple save, with many other moments sprinkled in. His trademark splits-glove save is a sight to behold. GSAx probably 2+ again. Had no chance on the only goal he was in the net for, as Kapel left the man at the back post free. Looked superb in the penalty shootout, as you'd expect.

Game flow

P1

1303 - PEN HCP - slashing.

Sabolič to Bičevskis in front, good SOG.

Sabla has another SOG, but Bičevskis and Tomaževič can't pole it under the goalie.

1134 - with 31s left on the PP, Ege gets boarded/roughed and it's PEN HCP, 5 on 3.

Sabla has a shot blocked and other long range slapshots. 

802 Horak TRIPLE SAVE in close with his pads.

758 PEN OLL - broadcast does not show why Mašič is in the penalty box, as they were busy showing highlights - not the last time this would happen tonight. Highlights are nice, but the live game is more important... Sort yourselves out, Pustertalians!

647 Redoubtable poke check on a darting HCP forward from Horak. So smooth, what a beast!

HCP look weaker than last year - partly, of course, due to us signing Atwal and Ege from them!

551 Zajc loses it at the opposition blue line and Horak has to make a sharp pad save off the ensuing rush.

306 Ćosić joins the attack and shoots well from the inside right circle; saved.

53s - Punishing reverse hit on an HCP player by Červeny, again showing his higher level experience. Not only does he expect the hit, he prepares for it and hits the other guy first! The others could learn something from him.

0-0

P2

1857 GOAL HCP - well worked from the Wolves here - Kapel isn't there to tie up the man at the back post and it's a similar story to last game's free-man-at-the-back-post goal. Horak has nae chance, as they say in Scotland.

2nd line -1

1st pairing -1

1800 PEN OLL - Pavlin knocks the goalposts off their moorings and it's a delay of game.

Good work by Sodja to waste some time in the offensive zone. Simšič even gets a decent shot on goal shorthanded.

1550 - GOAL OLIMPIJA - Pavlin does what he has been doing really well so far this season: shooting towards one of his forwards with the intention of getting a deflection. Once more it works, with Červeny the beneficiary. These are very effective because the goalie has already committed to the initial shot and cannot react by the time it's deflected. According to the ICE league website, Pavlin is actually our highest +/- this season, with +7 now. He has sheltered minutes playing easier matchups on the 3rd pair, but he has been doing excellently offensively and we must celebrate that. Captain putting in the work (and his body on the line - he took a good few hits and blocks tonight, too)!

1st line +1

2nd pair +1

1448 snipe from Červeny goes off the goalie's shoulder; he didn't know much about that one and is lucky not to be picking it out of his net.

1159 Nice stick work by Červeny once more but his shot gets blocked.

1121 HCP can't link up at the back post on a 2-on-1; that would have been wide open!

1113 Up the other end, it's a DELAYED PENALTY for a hook on Pavlin. Horak goes off and an extra skater comes on, looking to take advantage before the penalty gets called...

BUT DISASTER STRIKES! Under pressure, Červeny launches the puck back to the blue line, but Pavlin is too far away...and it somehow coasts almost the entire length of the rink, all the way into our empty net. I was sure that this would be called back, as presumably the HCP player got something on it - but the review shows they didn't! They just disrupted Červeny's stick enough for it to miss Pavlin and hit the goal! What a shocker and a gut punch! See the 'final thoughts' for further analysis of this moment!

1st line +0

3rd pair -1

Červeny is a personal +0 now that he's scored a goal at both ends!

2-1

1049 PEN HCP - finally, we get the initial penalty for the hook on Pavlin... 

943 Červeny, looking highly motivated to make up for what just happened, rips one and it clangs into the post.

556 Good fake by Sabolič to pretend to go back for a  line change and then dart down the offensive side for a shot on goal.

307 GOAL OLIMPIJA - great work by Ege to jam the rush at our blue line springs Sabolič the other way, who re-enacts his delightful forehand-backhand-roof of the net move with the same result as before - the puck in the back of the net and the goalie sprawled on the floor! It's really nice to see some positivity for Ege, as he had been leaking goals while on the ice recently. The usual great hands in front of net by Sabla.

Line 1 = +1

Pair 2 = +2

1 Generating chances as we near the period end...

PEN HCP - no announcement and referees aren't broadcast...

Mašič fans on the puck at the blue line and turns it over for a chance the other way that Horak saves.

2-2

P3

1249 PEN OLL Ćosić continues his ill-disciplined recent run and draws an interference call. There's a difference between being physical and putting the team on the penalty kill every game. He needs to find that, and soon, because it's sloppy play and it could end up costing us games.

1204 Great shorthanded chance for Beričič leads to a pad save. Sodja did well to zoom up the ice and hold it up for Miha.

1102 Bodies on the line in front of goal - Gregorc, Ege, Bičevskis and Pance. Bičevskis in particular is laying out to stop it. It looks like the shot comes off Ege's helmet in the end?! Big penalty kill, well done fellas!

944 Acrobatic glove save  in trademark form by Horak.

5 Quite a messy sequence of back and forths between the teams.

333 Good effort by Červeny to fire the puck across the net front area.

308 PEN HCP - delay of game as the puck goes over the glass.

HCP have a shorthanded man through on goal, but it's offside.

We can't get clean shots off despite good possession and pressure. At the end of the PP, we turn it over and Horak has to make an important glove save. He is just so good.

2-2

OVERTIME

Starts Červeny, Simšič and Mašič, as last time.

426 Červeny shoots and the goalie instinctively drops it to swish it over to a teammate, but it's nearly swiped by Olimpija.

301 Ege has a screened shot saved.

244 Horak stops a dangerous push with another glorious poke check. We can't be so frivolous and lose the puck in our own zone.

201 Simšič to Ćosić across goal, saved.

157 Mašič has a good look, but it's saved in dramatic fashion - the Italian commentators shout 'OCTOPUS!', which is something I've never heard used for a goalie before.

134 The commentators strike again with a 'MAMMA MIA' as HCP can't score at the back post.

59s good breakup at the net front by Atwal.

Tomaževič and Simšič can't connect, so Horak has to deal with another rush and saves the slapshot.

15s left HCP have a decent shot, but that's it for overtime...

2-2

SHOOTOUT

OLL 1 - X - Červeny makes a flurry of moves and gets poked decisively.

HCP 1 - X -  HCP player beats Horak but hits the bar!

OLL 2 - X - Sabolič just rips it and it gets blocker saved. Why not try the backhand here? It hasn't failed so far!

HCP 2 - X - Horak waits well and stops it with his pad.

OLL 3 - X - Kapel looks very awkward and doesn't even get a shot off before the goalie swallows the puck. Have to admit I'm surprised to see Kapel take one so early, as he's looked off the boil so far this season. In fairness to him, he is coming off a long-term injury, so it's natural. We need to see more from him soon, though, otherwise he might be a candidate to be scratched once Kerbashian comes back. If they keep Červeny, he could play Kapel's position on the second line right wing.

HCP 3 - X - Deft ninja pad slide by Horak quashes this one.

SUDDEN DEATH!

HCP 4 - X - Horak is a wall - pad save - dneska ne!

OLL 4 - GAME WINNER - Marcel Mahkovec with a delicious fake to get the goalie moving East-to-West before sliding the puck 5-hole (between his legs).

ENDS 2-3 OT/SO

Final thoughts

We shouldn't have let this get to OT, we were clearly the better team tonight. However, a win's a win!

Regarding the own goal, what a shocker! Now, it's obviously a bit of a freak occurence, but we do need to learn from it. The situational awareness can be improved, for example. If we have an empty net and our least mobile player in the team, Pavlin, manning the blue line point position, perhaps we should not be firing the puck back there with quite so much velocity. If we lose the puck, we get the penalty - not a big deal. Instead, we concede in embarrassing fashion.

This cost us a point, as OT wins are only 2 compared to 3 for a regulation win. The game before also shouldn't have gone to OT. Now, we can't complain too much, as we are still winning - but you just know these lost points here and there can come back to bite you in the playoff race. Let's clean it up and get some wins in regulation in the upcoming hockey week! I'm off on holiday so I am pretty excited for it. See you there!

GAME 10 - OLL VS VIC

 OLIMPIJA 2 - 1 VIENNA (OT)

Dragons deservedly defeat the Capitals in Štefan Seme's memory

Lineup changes

Červeny vacates the 2C spot to Tomaževič, as I had suggested after last game. He moves up to replace Lavoie on the top line right wing. Mahkovec comes back to the 2nd line left wing.

Predan is another returning player to visit Hala Tivoli. He tried a few shots early on but they were well-turned away by Horak.

Stars of the game

* Lukaš Horák - This league doesn't track GSAx (Goals Saved Above Expected), but Horak easily clears 2.5-3 GSAx in this (every?) game. To quote the crowd after his glorious post-game victory belly flops, "MVP! MVP! MVP!".

** Rudolf Červeny (1G 1A) and Blaž Tomaževič (1G) - Swapped positions and both shot up in effectiveness, 65 with the goal and big hit to assist on 98's game-winning goal in OT.

*** 4th line physicality - Žiga Pance (satisfying smackdown on a VIC player), Miha Beričič (multiple impactful hits) and Jaka Sodja (multiple impactful blocks).

Notable performances: Shoutout to the Green Dragons, who sent in a 10-man special forces unit of singing supporters. It was pretty impressive to see them coordinate better than the larger contingent of usual hockey singers!

Game flow

P1

Pre-game, there is a minute's silence for club legend Štefan Seme. A family member of his drops the puck. A really nice tribute.

1927 - Horak covers a 2 on 1 well.

The few Vienna fans that made the trip have 'We Still Believe' and 'Keep On Fighting' signs up. Is it really that bad over there?!

15 - O-zone possession, 1528 Mašič and Bičevskis nearly link up at the net front with Bine's pass rifling through Maris and the goalie.

13 - Sodja does some great work on the forecheck, putting in every ounce of effort to retrieve the puck.

1115 - Pavlin is too slow on an attempted pinch and gets beaten, opening up a rush chance the other way. Nothing comes of it.

1016 - 3 on 1 VIC rush.

844 - Powerful shot by Pavlin that just about gets saved by an outstretched pad.

558 VIC hit the post (4th line and 2nd pairing on the ice).

224 VIC have a big chance, heavy net front presence and Horak sent sprawling.

132 Another Pavlin shot on goal.

105 Weird icing callback that gets the players and coaches of OLL riled up.

1 Simšič misses wide on a nice connected move.

9s left - PEN ON OLL Ćosić is a bit silly and crosschecks a VIC player right in front of two referees. Not clever!

0-0

(I must be late to the party here but the interval song 'Pedro' is an absolute banger)

(I'm not Gen Z but even I felt the MC shouting 'let's go Paki!' before the drop of a song was cringe).

P2

PK1 - Pance, Bičevskis, Gregorc and Ege - interesting that they are still going with the second pair, who got destroyed in the last game by Linz. We have a shorthanded chance that goes wide and they have one shot on goal.

1750 Ćosić comes out of the penalty box, there's an awkward line change - we lose the puck and donate a 1 on 1 opportunity - Horak comes up huge with a pad save and second effort.

1447 Great backcheck by Beričič behind the net - effort levels very high as usual on the 4th line.

1355 - Pavlin and Tomaževič try to do a classic deflection link up, but not to be this time.

1327 Well kept in the O-zone by Tomaževič, another effort play.

1300 Atwal to Mehle, but it hits the post / side netting.

1200 PEN ON VIC - Červeny gets tripped in a prime and central position. They announce a Smash Attack on the ensuing powerplay?! That seems confident, or maybe they're just conscious that it's never happened so far and Smash Burger might be garnering more resentment than positive branding? Maybe they've just seen our PP%, but again, stay tuned...

We never really set up and so only get a Bičevskis shot on goal.

935 - Horak with three(!) consecutive big blocker saves.

856 Net is wide open on a second chance off the rush - Horak saves the initial attempt but his momentum takes him away; karmic balance ensues as the same happens for VIC's Bohm as he can't connect on the fortunate bounce.

812 PEN OLL Zajc slashes his old centre Predan. Clearly no love lost there!

618 Penalty killers turn it over and Horak bails them out.

We're lucky to be 0-0 here! Should be 1 or 2 down.

Atwal knocks down two VIC players à la Dustin Byfuglien (do yourself a favour and watch his highlights on YouTube if you haven't had the pleasure already).

503 Horak double save. Červeny big hit.

426 Nice moment as Gregorc takes the hit to protect Horak from getting clattered by a speeding VIC forward. Stick tap from Horak.

346 Nice to see Kapel involved, with a stop and shot saved.

303 3rd line with a good move but Ćosić gets given a pass with too much mustard on it. He does well to bundle it under the VIC goalie, but it doesn't go through him.

2 Schweine Austrija rings out for the first time this season, beautiful stuff.

218 VIC look like they have too many men on the ice, but it's not called as a player dives for the bench.

130 - Mašič again cannot control the puck in a good position, perhaps he is still not fully healthy after his illness.

0-0

P3 

1836 Gregorc takes too long with the puck when joining the rush - hit it! 

1641 PEN OLL - Pance "for nothing", as the announcer put it. 

Good wraparound cover by Horak. A ratty VIC player knocks down Pance and he gets up and demolishes him. Why is it only a penalty on us and not them? Come on now, they started it - we just finished it Unfair, but I think this is one that the penalty killers will gladly take for Panćo.

1621 Sodja can't get it to Beričič on the shorthanded breakaway,probably should have shot it.

Sodja putting his body on the line blocking.

1422 Pance to Atwal in front, Atwal hacks away at their goalie and a flurry of fists results in Atwal and a VIC player getting 5 minutes each, but the game stays 5 on 5. They made it fairer this time!

Are we in danger of going to OT here? It's a quite pleasantly sludgy 0-0. Who needs goals, anyway?

1137 PEN VIC - delay of game as a VIC player overhead smashes the puck into the bench with his hand.

PP1 is Sabolič, Červeny, Bičevskis, Tomaževič and Mašič. Three centres, a wing and a defenseman!

1008 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Huge PP pressure, Sabolič does incredibly well to keep it in the zone and Červeny beats the goalie over his glove. Assists by Mašič and Sabla.

We look in control.

830 Lovely hit by Beričič, left his mark on that VIC player for sure!

633 Mahkovec looks a lot stronger along the boards this year, good work by him to build up his strength as it is certainly rounding out his game.

502 Another Sodja block.

323 Mahkovec and Kapel miss on a breakaway chance where the VIC goalie gets flattened...

315 GOAL VIENNA - VIC go down the other end and score it roofed glove side. Mašič and Ege are on the ice and Ege can't block a pass that goes through both defenders to a wide open player at the back post. Unfortunate, but that can happen when you overcommit to an attack that doesn't come off. I initially thought this was Ege's fault, but on watching the film it's actually Tomaževič who gets caught puck-watching and doesn't skate his hardest to cover the back post rusher. Spoiler alert, he would more than make up for it later on...

L2 -1

Pair 2 -1 (Gregorc off, Mašič on - another Ege concession)

1-1

207 VIC poking around net front on Horak is worrying!

40s Ege does well to solo net drive to get a faceoff.

1-1

OT

Starts with Červeny, Simšič and Mašič.

3:50 GOAL OLIMPIJA - A timely and jarring hit by Červeny on a VIC player ends up blocking off two of their players, which springs Tomaževič who darts his way to the net and deftly dinks it up and over the VIC GK with a backhand move. Gregorc and Červeny get assists.

MVP is Červeny.

Final thoughts

The club account said that this was one of the hardest games of the season, but I disagree. I thought this was one of the smoothest! Apart from the usual high danger chances left for Horak to smother, we were largely in control. The powerplay goal was a long time coming and well-celebrated as a result. It was a bit of a blow to concede with only a few minutes left on a blitzkrieg counter, but the team did well to steady themselves and dominate OT. Commendations to the coaching staff for seeing what I had pointed out, that Červeny wasn't working as well as Tomaževič at 2C. Making that change won us this game.

It's a half-term holiday for me next week, so I am very much looking forward to the 'week of hockey'. 4 games, all very winnable. Let's climb that table whilst we wait for Kerbashian to come back! Talking of Kale, I ran into him and his partner on the way back from work this week. Apart from him and his partner being such lovely people once again, he told me he's back skating next week. Let's pray the next stage of rehab goes well and we see him centring that top line once more in the near future!

Finally, it deserves to be said, Lukaš Horák, everybody. I feel like every fan owes him a drink or two for the way he plays for this team. 

GAME 9 - BWL VS OLL

 BLACK WINGS LINZ 4 - 2 OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA

Long away day sees the Dragons look tired and get well beaten in Steinbach

Lineup changes

Kolin draws his first start of the season.

Lavoie is out, Mahkovec moves up to 1st line.

No 13th forward, so presumably Vodlan and Kumanović are out too?

Stars of the game

* Luka Kolin - several sharp saves, kept getting screened on the goals. Coach Karhula said post-game that he "played solid" and "he did what he could", which I think was slightly harsh. He played well, but the onslaught was too much for our team defence. 

** Robert Sabolič (2G) - took his goals well. We need to feed him the puck more often. Slightly more mixed a performance than you'd expect from the stat sheet, giving up a penalty to nullify a powerplay and missing an early key chance entirely.

*** Marcel Mahkovec (1A) - did well on the top line, which is no mean feat. Great work on the boards to assist on Sabolič's first goal.

Game flow

P1

11:30 PEN ON BWL - trip on Sodja. Yes, it's yet another one on Sodja, the absolute penalty magnet. I'm going to have to look back through and see how many he's drawn now, because I'm certain it's far more than any other player!

21s later... PEN ON OLL - Sabolič trips someone at the boards. Unfortunate and veering into the territory of irresponsibility, as we need to use these PPs. 4 on 4. 

8 Good physicality from both Crnović and Ćosić on the 3rd pair. Nice to see after we played a bit 'soft' in the last couple of games.

6 Tough sledding offensively at the moment; we're looking quite laboured. It was a long drive, in fairness!

Linz goalie comes way out and we can't take advantage.

5 Beautiful work by Linz, more good chances.

2 Sabolič squanders a good chance in front.

0-0

P2

19:25 Bičevskis' pass gets intercepted and Linz get a 1 on 0 breakaway that Kolin saves.

19:20 Bad bounce in the D zone gives Linz a big chance right in front of goal, thankfully not taken.

18:46 GOAL LINZ - defender's point shot is well screened, Kolin never sees it and it goes 5 hole.

2nd Line and pair -1

17 Cool moment as the puck rides the top of the glass and bounces back in to play.

16:20 GOAL LINZ - puck gets lost behind Kolin, Červeny scoops it out but it goes straight to a Linz player and it is fired back in.

2nd line and pair -2

12 We are getting schooled a bit here.

11 4th line is the only one looking threatening at the moment.

9 Finally some O-zone possession. 2-3 shots before we give up a chance the other way.

4:13 Excellent glove save from Kolin, one of a few this evening.

3:57 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Sabolič. Bičevskis wins a defensive zone faceoff, then the top line wofrks together. Mahkovec does very well on the boards, winning possession and getting it to Bičevskis, who takes it from behind the net and hits the post. Sabolič is there for the rebound, with a deft forehand-backhand-roof it move. 8+96 on the assists, 55 with the goal. 

Line 1 Pair 1 +1

2:46 Kolin nearly caught out of his net, but Linz can't connect.

2:13 GOAL LINZ - point shot sees the puck get part-blocked, but it rolls and it's tapped in at the back post. Kolin screened again, by 4 players this time.

Line 3 = -1

Pair 2 = -3

3-1

P3

16:46 GOAL LINZ - Ege takes the pass away on a 2 on 1 rush and 74 of Linz walks right up and beats Kolin over his glove. 2nd pair have now conceded all 4 goals tonight.

Line 1 = +0

Pair 2 = -4

13 - I miss Ville Leskinen. Can we bring him back? (Nope, he's finally signed in the Slovakian league and has 4 goals in 5 games :( )

12 - The second line looks weaker without Tomaževič as centre. Červeny started off well, but he isn't linking play like Blaž was.

9:11 - Pavlin has a dangerous screened shot (Mahkovec on the screen).

7 BWL have taken their foot off the gas here; we still aren't really creating anything.

4:52 Big BWL chance - brilliant glove save by Kolin as he moves in the opposite direction. 

1:45 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Sabolič deflects a Pavlin shot in.

Line 1 = +1

3rd pair = +1

1 - Finally creating some chances in the last minute. We go empty net but it makes no difference.

ENDS 4-2

Final thoughts 

I am starting to track +/- for the team now, and it was interesting viewing today. Now, it's a simple stat that doesn't capture the complexities of the play, but it is useful to see how the game happens. Here's how it looked tonight.

1st Line = +1

2nd Line = -2

3rd Line = -1

4th Line = +0

1st Pair = +1

2nd Pair -4 (Atwal was on with Ege for one of the goals, so Gregorc is only -3 - Ege is the full -4!)

3rd Pair = +1

What does this tell you? Well, Kolin is good, but he's not Horak (yet). Linz's attacks were well-organised, and they were picking apart our defensive holes. Both Atwal and Ege are not playing as advertised in the pre-season, looking pretty average at best rather than big upgrades as they seemed then. Clearly the level of competition has upgraded, but we need more from these two in games like this. Ege in particular being on a -4 is concerning, even if it is not so simple as saying the goals were his fault (they weren't). It's something for the coaching staff to consider before we play Vienna on Tuesday, that's for sure.

The stream usefully had an English interview with Coach Karhula, so here are some more quotes:

"We didn't really play for the win tonight. We were right in it to win it but came up short"/

"We didn't really get the offense going. This was a good lesson in how to prepare ourselves"

He didn't blame missing players when asked by the interviewer. "The home team was strong, they were ready".

"Time to bounce back next game. Linz had a strong full 60 minutes".

That last quote is telling, as we very rarely play a good full 60. We usually have two periods of not playing that well and one period of playing very well!

Anyway, on to the home game on Tuesday. Let's play better defence and have more connected play in the neutral zone so we do not have to rely on the goalies playing out of their minds to stay competitive. That's unsustainable, despite our talent at the position.

GAME 8 - OLL VS G99

 MAHKOVEC DOUBLE POWERS DRAGONS PAST GOOCH'S GRAZ

Olimpija defeats the league leaders; Gooch, like God, giveth and taketh away - registering an assist but giving us a powerplay that we score from.

Lineup changes

Zajc comes in for Mehle on the 3rd line; we have quite the logjam at wing now that Tomaževič has moved over to accommodate Cerveny as 2C!

Stars of the game

* Marcel Mahkovec (2G) - He'd been so quiet this season...But he erupts in the biggest game so far, with a scintillating brace of goals, recalling his playoff performances last season. This is more like it from the reigning Young Player of the Year!

** Lukaš Horak - Barring two helter-skelter moments out of his net, it was the usual: monster stops, kept us in the game, dneska ne - you know the drill by this point. Crowd chanting 'MVP' at the end during his victory belly flops.

*** The 4th line (Žiga Pance (1G), Miha Beričič (1G 1 A), Jaka Sodja (1A)) - If I told you we had a shutdown line that also consistently scores (and does so more than the 1st line and the 2nd line), would you agree with me that we have the best 4th line in the league? How can you not love these guys? All three are penalty killers, all three are impactful attackers. Bravo momci!

Game flow

P1

Olimpija start fast and strong.

18:09 Atwal's backhand nearly finds its way in.

17 Graz have an unimpeded wraparound chance, it wouldn't be the last tonight...

15:15 Cerveny roofs it over the bar from close range.

14:57 Cerveny with another powerful shot.

Waves of OLL pressure, you love to see it!

14:25-13:23 DELAYED PENALTY - ONE INTERFERENCE AND ONE TRIP! 5 ON 3!

Graz run the goalie and then trip someone. Long possession on the delayed penalty but we can't really organise ourselves properly and keep losing it on the blue line.

One shot on goal. 20s left Mašič looks up too early and misses the puck. We are making Graz's 3 men look like 6 players at the moment.

Slightly criminal not to get more than one shot on goal in a 2 minute 5 on 3. Will we ever score on a powerplay again? Stay tuned.

9:34 Huge save by Horak on a 2 on 1. Atwal pulls out of what would have been a huge hit along the boards, which lets them through. I thought we signed him for these big hits! 

8:59 Why are we letting guys skate right across the net front? Have some pride in protecting your D-zone and goalie, fellas! We are playing too soft here. 

7:58 Pleasingly powerful Pavlin shot saved.

5:08 Horak bats one out of the air and it's slapped away. 

4:36 PENALTY ON GRAZ FOR INTERFERENCE ON SIMŠIČ

Atwal, Lavoie and Sabolič have shots on goal, but Cerveny and Mašič go offside.

1 Weathering waves of Graz attacks but it stays 0-0.

END P1 0-0

P2

Cerveny is hitting players who have just passed the puck. It's nice to see, as we don't really play that game of wearing down opponents with hits. This presumably comes from his time in the KHL as a lower-down-the-lineup centre who had to do this kind of stuff to do his job properly.

18:26 PEN ON OLL - Ćosić crosscheck. PK1 is Bičevskis, Pance, Crnović and Pavlin.

17:15 Great forecheck from Simšič creates a chance for Sodja. We get a shot on goal before they do, flipping the script from what usually happens on our powerplays!

14:50 GOAL GRAZ - Gooch gets the assist on a goal for no. 21 who roofs it blocker side.

0-1

Pavlin falls over while being forechecked by Gooch and they both have a laugh about it.

14:21 PEN ON GRAZ - 21 goes to the box, no announcement again by ref or announcer. 

Cerveny has 2 SOGs, with a 3rd just wide. Sabla has one too, along with Mašič and Kapel. This is better, boys! No PPG but it's really reassuring to see some shots firing off for a change.

10:17 Bičevskis gets slammed into his own bench!

10:05 Ćosić sneaks by and ends up 1 on 1 with the goalie, but can't finagle it into the net.

SMASH ATTACK TIME - 1:30? Has it always been this, or is it shorter now that the majority of people would actually have an opportunity in the afternoon game to go and get their free meal there, unlike in an evening game? I think it is the same as usual, but I wonder...

Amusingly the faceoff stops it with 0:00:24 milliseconds left on the Smash Attack. Don't think the Smash Burger owner was too worried by that point.

7:22 Two side net hits for G99.

6:58 Pavlin lays out at a considerable full stretch to break up an attack.

6:44 Another one where Horak stops it and the defender, this time Ćosić, flips it away. Good to see him getting some support for a change!

4:33 PEN ON GRAZ - TRIP ON MAŠIČ BY GOOCH.

Sabla to Tomaževič - deflection saved.

3:34 Horak is comes way out on a shorthanded chance and gets caught in no man's land - he was in two minds and chose to come out too late. Mercifully we escape unscathed.

Passing it to the opposition is not a good idea on the powerplay...

But what is a good idea is...

4s left on PP - GOAL OLIMPIJA - MAHKOVEC. For once we do yet another pass and it works out - Mašič is front and centre for what we all think is going to be a shot, but he slides it on to Mahkovec, who rifles it below the blocker (and then celebrates on the screen with a sniper shot). Great pass, Bine and great shot, Marcel! WE GET A PPG!!! Bičevskis gets the secondary assist.

1-1

Graz challenge for offside, spoiling the celebrations somewhat, but thankfully it's a good goal.

1:28 Sabla pushes one across the goal, drawing gasps from the crowd.

1:03 Crnović beautifully picks Gooch's pocket on an attack.

34s left - crucial faceoff win by Cerveny just outside our blue line.

END P2 1-1

P3

18:42 Nice carry in and shot from Gregorc.

17:46 Lovely pass from Mahkovec to Zajc at the net front.

17:15 Ćosić and Simšič both have shots from good areas, with Nik's going through the goalie's legs but wide.

EXCELLENT PRESSURE, COMING OUT HOT AGAIN LIKE IN P1.

Bičevskis continues to get brutalised tonight, get this man an ice bath post-game!

15:18 Pavlin hits the post!

14:07 Mašič misses wide when wide open in the centre of the ice. Got to hit the target there.

13:51 GOAL OLIMPIJA - BERIČIČ. Zajc shoots and Miha does very well to find the puck through a millipede's party of legs and poke it home.

2-1 

13:07 GOAL GRAZ - Graz get one back quickly with some similar net front messiness. Going to have to watch the film and see what exactly happened there.

2-2

12:43 Cerveny can't control it in a great area. Tomaževič putting in a lot of hard work for the team.

12:05 PEN OLL - Gregorc pulls down no.21 a little bit too blatantly and it's 2 mins for holding.

Important block from Bičevskis.

10:22 Horak gets caught round the back of his net and it's truly amazing that Graz do not manage to link up and score in the wide open net.

8:48 Gregorc lays out at full stretch to extinguish a 3 on 1 chance.

7 - We can't get it out of our defensive zone, lots of messy net front encounters.

6 - More Graz pressure, looking like a powerplay.

4:26 GOAL OLIMPIJA - MAHKOVEC AGAIN! Great work by Beričič and Mahkovec. Marcel aggressively drives it close to the goal, passes it square to Miha and it's back for Mahkovec to just about squeeze past the line. Great to see some more direct play instead of just passing it around the perimeter endlessly.

3-2

We are playing like we really want this win. It's a pleasure to watch and the home fans are singing loudly and proudly.

1:15 Graz go empty net, it's a nervy time of it now.

1:00 Tomaževič misses the empty net wide left!

37s Multiple Horak saves here, he kisses the crossbar afterwards.

4th line are on, brilliant glove save from 61.

23s Even better blocker save.

2s left Sodja sets up Pance for the EMPTY NET GOAL! That's the hockey game!

4-2

Final thoughts

On kids' day, we sent Graz and their fans back home crying to Mama. Stick taps to our coaching staff; we looked very well prepared here, coming out fast and mean in both the 1st and 3rd periods. We even improved on our dreaded powerplay, getting more shots on goal and even scoring a PPG for the first time in what feels like forever, thanks to Mahkovec!

Isn't it such a testament to this team that it shouldn't really have been this close? We have just beaten the league leaders, the first to beat them in regulation time, and we could have done better. Do you see what I mean when I talk about this team's juggernaut potential this season?

Next Friday we play Linz away - let's get another 3 points then. Forza Zmaji, you made a lot of people very happy today!

GAME 7 - OLL VS HCB

 OLL 2 - HCB 5

Tight game ends in a flattering score for the foxes

Lineup changes

Cerveny, the replacement centre, comes in surprisingly as the 2nd line centre. Tomaževič moves to the wing and Mahkovec moves down to the 3rd line. Zajc is 13th forward. You have to wonder if Zajc has a knock of some kind, as it's unusual not to have him playing. I thought Cerveny would come straight in on the first line to replace Kerbashian, but it seems Coach Karhula is more comfortable with Bičevskis there, as was the case last year. From what we saw in the game, I would have Cerveny on the top line, keep Tomaževič as 2C and put Bičevskis back as 3C, with Simšič on the wing. Don't mess with what worked!

Stars of the game

* Rudolf Cerveny - Looked like someone who's played in the KHL recently. Seemed to make something happen every time the puck touched his stick. Took a hit to make the play on the Tomaževič goal, which is something coaches always love to see. 

** Žiga Pance (1G) - Pure class, as ever. Scored a delightful goal to spark the team, as he has done before. Love the man!

*** Jaka Sodja (1A) - Doesn't get the credit he deserves. A crack penalty killer, he also seems to draw tons of penalties. Set up Pance very well and generally is very active on the ice. He makes more of an impact than many of the players further up the lines.

Game flow

P1 

HCB have an immediate shot on goal, not a portentous start.

18:37 Cerveny's first touch is a slick handle and pass. Pleased to see him looking sharp out there, as he should coming from the KHL.

16:54 NON-CALL PENALTY, GOAL BOLZANO A blatant trip in our defensive zone goes uncalled. It was so blatant that we sort of stopped playing, leading to a quick snap-chance for HCB that beats Horak 5-hole. 

0-1

15:55 Non-call on a slash on Pavlin, who's hand is in pain as he heads to the bench.

HCB have really smooth neutral zone transitions, with set one-tap plays that keep slicing us up and allowing them carry-ins rather than dump-ins. This is important because the former have a much higher percentage chance of ending in a goal than the latter. Can you guess which one we do more of?

13:30 Nice solo move by Sodja to get a backhand shot on goal.

13:04 Chances at the goal line for Bičevskis and others.

We're creating the kind of pressure in the offensive zone that we don't usually do - it looks like a powerplay, but it's not! Great to see!

11:38 PEN ON HCB - finally the refs give us something! Hook on Tomaževič.

PP1 is Cerveny, Tomaževič, Sabolič, Lavoie and Atwal.

We lose the faceoff, and then Atwal loses possession at the blue line...

HCB get a shorthanded shot on goal before we do on this powerplay....and it ends with 1 SOG to HCB and 0 for us. Cue the Chuckle Brothers 'oh dear, oh dear' meme again. I get that we're never going to be the Oilers PP but come on now. I will go back and check through the match reports, but we must be operating in the 5-10% range on the PP at the moment. For reference, it should be closer to 20-25%! If we can't convert PPs into PPGs, we will not go very far this season.

7:45 Atwal can't finish off a beautiful 4-player move by the top line and pair.

6:21 PEN OLL - Too many men?! Pavlin and Horak contest this one vociferously, but the refs don't change their mind. Too many men penalties are a bit subjective with how big of a crossover there is with changes, but still. We have not been favoured so far.

6:11 Pance has a shorthanded chance that the goalie just about keeps under his pad. Cool to see Sodja and Beričič directing each other on the PK. I really admire those guys.

Cerveny replaces Zajc on the PK3 with Simšič. Mahkovec can't quite finish off a good move coming out of the box. PENALTY KILLED OFF.

1:52 Simšič has our best chance yet, but the puck slides under the goalie and past the post.

1:11 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Pance makes a break for it, does a 1-2 with Sodja in support and pulls off a nifty deke move to roof it high glove side. Great work from the best 4th line in the league.

1-1

P2

18:10 Pavlin does some great bodyblocking at the net to set Ćosić free, creating a chance for Mahkovec and Simšič.

17:20 PEN HCB - trip on Beričič through on goal.

We keep possession well this time (1:57 in their zone continously), and the penalty killers are visibly tiring, but we didn't have a killer chance. Signs of improvement, at least!

10 Lots of HCB pressure. 

10:48 Gregorc manages to hit the roof with the puck, can't say I've seen that before! Somebody thinks it's a good time for a SMASH ATTACK!

9:59 We get a smash of a different kind, with a decent fight breaking out. This riles up the visiting Erasmus students. I'm sad Pavlin didn't get some better shots in, but the Bolzano player wisely avoids a straight confrontation with the man mountain and pulls Pavlin's jersey over his head. Maybe next time. 4 minutes each for them.

8:58 HCB hits the post.

6:41 I notice HCB have a defender with a famous name, Bourque, playing for them. He doesn't seem to be a relation to Ray or Mavrik, but he is a Montreal Canadiens former draft pick. Pretty cool!

5:09 HCB RD trails the play and is wide open at the back post, or 'black toast' as we used to say at my school when we played football. Miss those guys!

4:10 Gregorc shows some delectable footwork to nullify a rush chance. Šeško is quaking in his boots!

2:47 HCB hit the post again off the rush. Cerveny does a cool reverse hit, showing his pedigree. None of our guys seem to do that!

1 Gregorc sends Bradley, a pest-y and pesky Bolzano forward, into another dimension with a fake shot from the blue line. Bradley jumps, falls over and then appears to have injured himself slightly. A few hearty laughs from the crowd.

P3 

15:21 PEN ON HCB for ? Refs' mics weren't working all night so I don't know what this was for, there was no clear signal. 0 shots on goal for us, maybe one.

12:56 GOAL BOLZANO - this came out of nowhere and to be honest I missed the buildup. Having watched the highlights, Pavlin and Gregorc get experlty split up and the forwards are not back to help out. To be fair to Bolzano, it's a scintillating move involving all 3 forwards that cuts through us and leaves Horak with little chance.

1-2

11:35 GOAL BOLZANO - Oh-oh. Rapid wraparound chance rebound gets slammed in. Atwal gets dispossessed in the defensive zone and it's over before you know it for Bradley at the back post. Horak getting hung out to dry again. Does it not frustrate you to do this to such a good goalie? I hope it does for our defenders.

1-3

10:33 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Another Pavlin shot and Tomaževič deflection! Cerveny takes the hit to make the play here, getting wiped out but managing to pass it to Ćosić, who feeds Pavlin. 17 blasts one straight into Blaž's skates and it's game on. Ćosić and Pavlin gets assists, but Cerveny deserves one, too.

2-3

9:13 PEN ON HCB - HIGH STICK ON GREGORC.

Decent possession again but only one shot to show for it. We really needed a goal here but we go away empty-handed.

6:17 Sodja has a trailer shot into the goalie's chest.

4:24 GOAL BOLZANO. Another one that comes out of nowhere, against the flow of play, that I miss. Highlights show a rush down the left and a sharp shot that simply beats Horak over his glove side. Good shot, but as the NHL commentators always inanely say, Horak would 'want to have that one back'.

2-4

3:55 Empty net attempt, but Horak sent back by the refs.

3:49 empty net is a go. Cerveny, Tomaževič, Atwal, Sabolič, Gregorc and Lavoie out on the ice. We do not establish possession...

3:13 EMPTY NET GOAL BOLZANO. Game over.

1:10 Lavoie hits the post.

Pavlin and HCB goalie are the two match MVPs, presented as usual by the slightly-concerning 'Angel Hostess Agency'. 

Final thoughts

This was a strange game, in that we are usually the ones who weather the storm of opposition possession and then have a few moments of excellence that make the difference. This time, it was the other way around - we had more possession, but Bolzano had the quality to keep taking chances that came out of relatively little.

- HCB more clinical with their chances, better passing and better finishing

- Complete powerplay failure again

- Conceded goals out of nowhere

- 1st goal conceded was unfortunate, there should have been a call there. Play to the whistle, though, boys!

The first home loss of the season hurts, but let's remember how long we went without one this time last year. It felt like it was Christmas by the time we got one. On to Graz on Sunday afternoon. A big game against the league-leading Man City-esque splash spenders of the summer, and a return for Trevor Gooch. 

Asking AI to suggest the most effective Olimpija lineup...

Having used it for work, I thought it might be interesting to see what kind of advice Chat GPT would offer on selecting the optimal Olimpija lineup. See below for the chaos! (Info gathered from last week)

1ST TRY

To suggest optimal forward lines and defensive pairings for Olimpija Ljubljana in the 2024 ICE Hockey League season, it's helpful to examine both player performance and positions.

Forward Lines:

1. First Line:

   • Ziga Pance (LW): A veteran with a strong presence on the wing, currently with 2 points in 4 games.
   • Alexandre Lavoie (C): A playmaker with good vision, contributing 2 assists so far.
   • Kale Kerbashian (RW): A versatile forward with offensive potential, adding 3 points already.

2. Second Line:

   • Blaz Tomazevic (LW): A reliable scorer, with 2 goals in 4 games.
   • Nik Simsic (C): Offers consistent two-way play, adding 2 goals.
   • Robert Sabolic (RW): A seasoned player who brings leadership, still finding his rhythm.

3. Third Line:

• Miha Bericic (LW): Young and promising, with 1 goal in 4 games.
• Marcel Mahkovec (C): A solid center, focusing on defensive play with 1 assist so far.
• Tian Hebar (RW): A young forward with potential, contributing 1 assist in 2 games.

COMMENTS: Well, they fancy Hebar as a forward now! The Mehle / Sodja / Kumanović disrespect is real! Pance is an absolute luxury on the 4th line, we know that, but Chat GPT thinks he should be on the top line! Talking of that, it doesn't even give us a 4th line. Apparently, we don't need one!

Centre and wing has some crossover, clearly, but it seems to be quite flamboyant with putting Kerbashian, Beričič and Tomaževič, three starting centres (when healthy), on the wings. Obviously, Simšič has played centre extensively for us, but I don't see Lavoie or Mahkovec offering much there (although Lavoie has been taking offensive zone faceoffs, I've noticed).

Defensive Pairings:

1. First Pairing:

   • Ziga Pavlin: A veteran presence, combining defense with offensive contributions (3 points in 4 games).
   • Arvin Atwal: An aggressive, physical defenseman with 3 assists and significant penalty minutes, balancing offense and defense.

2. Second Pairing:

   • Wyatt Ege: Strong defensively, with a goal already this season.
   • Jan Cosic: An emerging talent, showing offensive upside with 4 points in 3 games.

3. Third Pairing:

   • Blaz Gregorc: A solid stay-at-home defenseman, providing experience and stability.
   • Rozle Bohinc: A young defender still developing his game.

This lineup balances experience, youth, and offensive and defensive strengths, positioning Olimpija to remain competitive in the ICE league​.

COMMENTS: It's put two right handers on the first pair and two lefties on the 3rd pair. Whoops! Where is Mašič?! You know my preference for Crnović, but even I am not going to be refusing Mašič his rightful place on the top pair with Atwal.

2ND TRY

Firstly, I told it that Hebar is a defender and asked for 4 lines...

You are correct that Tian Hebar plays as a defenseman for Olimpija Ljubljana. To accommodate that, here's an updated suggestion for Olimpija's lineup with a fourth forward line included:

Forward Lines:

1. First Line:

   • Ziga Pance (LW): Veteran with leadership and offensive skills.
   • Alexandre Lavoie (C): A playmaker with great vision.
   • Kale Kerbashian (RW): Contributes both scoring and playmaking.

2. Second Line:

   • Blaz Tomazevic (LW): Reliable winger with goal-scoring ability.
   • Nik Simsic (C): Strong two-way center.
   • Robert Sabolic (RW): Experienced forward with leadership.

3. Third Line:

   • Miha Bericic (LW): A promising young forward.
   • Marcel Mahkovec (C): A solid center with defensive focus.
   • Miha Zajc (RW): A depth scorer, reliable on both ends.

4. Fourth Line:

• Ziga Mehle (LW): Young player showing growth potential.
• Gregor Zajc (C): Brings energy and solid defensive play.
• Urban Podrekar (RW): A developing player, contributing to depth.

COMMENTS: Who is Gregor Zajc?! Miha's Dad?? I had to look up Podrekar, who is currently playing in the Canadian OHL. He did play for OLL, but a couple of years ago! Be careful trusting Chat GPT, people! With Beričič at centre, that 3rd line could be an interesting combination, so it's not a total failure.

Defensive Pairings:

1. First Pairing:

   • Ziga Pavlin: Experienced and capable of contributing offensively.
   • Arvin Atwal: A physical defenseman who adds toughness and offensive assists.

2. Second Pairing:

   • Wyatt Ege: Steady defender with a scoring touch.
   • Jan Cosic: Young but contributing solid points so far.

3. Third Pairing:

• Blaz Gregorc: Provides stability and experience.
• Tian Hebar: A promising young defender, part of Slovenia’s national setup​(
  
  

This setup balances experience, youth development, and defensive reliability while maximizing offensive potential across all lines.

COMMENTS: So, now it accepts Hebar as a defender, it's bye-bye Bohinc!  It's still going RD-RD and LD-LD on the first and third pairs, respectively. Ah well, at least Ćosić and Ege could be worth trying.

For Olimpija Ljubljana, the preferred goalie should be Lukas Horak, who has had a strong start to the 2024 season.

Goaltender:

• Lukas Horak (G): With a stellar 1.72 GAA and a .944 save percentage across 4 games, he has been a reliable backbone for the team, securing wins early in the season​(
  
  

This selection rounds out the team's lineup, balancing offensive threats, solid defense, and a dependable goaltender.

FINAL COMMENTS:  I don't think the coaches should be too worried about their job security to the might of the machine just yet. I hope you enjoyed this silly exercise - let's hope the real lineup plays to their full potential at home to Bolzano this Friday. See you there!

NEW SIGNING - REPLACEMENT CENTRE

 

NEW SIGNING - REPLACEMENT CENTRE

Here's the translated press release:

Ljubljana, October 7, 2024

The Olimpija Ljubljana hockey club announces that the team joined by experienced Czech forward Rudolf Červený. Rudolf, who plays in the position center, brings to the team a wealth of experience from elite European leagues - Czech Extraliga, Swedish SHL, Finnish Liiga and KHL. Its versatility, review over the game and determination in duels will make a significant contribution to the game of Olympia in the resumption of the ICE season. Červený started his professional career at HC České Budějovice and then played for renowned European clubs - Slovan Bratislava, Mountfield HK, Brynäs IF, Pelikans Lahti, and finally Admirals Vladivostok and Barys Astana.

The director of HK Olimpija Ljubljana, Anže Ulčar: "After injury to Kale Karbashian, one of the key players at the start of the season, The club reacted and made a deal with Rudolph. It is a versatile center that He may also play as a winger. He's very strong in duels and responsible for making decisions in the game. In the months of October and November, there are a lot of tough games ahead of him and after a good start to the season, we don't want anything left to chance. We have made a two-month deal with Červeny with the possibility of extensions."

Thoughts: This is a surprise, but a welcome one. It will be very interesting to see where he plays. Will it be straight into the first line, with Bicevskis moving back down the 3rd and Simsic to the wing? Whatever the case, it's nice to see that the club have identified what we have on the blog - that we lack play-drivers and need more offense.

 P.S. They should probably learn how to spell Kerbashian's surname properly...

 

GAME 6 - PIV VS OLL

 GAME 6 - PIV VS OLL 

PIV 2 - 5 OLL

DRAGONS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS, BUT IT WAS CLOSER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE

Stars of the game

* Lukaš Horak - the birthday boy was not given the present of 'organised team defence' on game night. Similar to last season, it is concerning to see that the identity of the team seems to revert to 'let's just have Horak and Kolin's excellence bail us out when we have regular defensive meltdowns'. After one of these, where a PIV forward got to stroll down the middle of the ice unhindered, Horak booted the puck down the ice in anger. It's brilliant that we have goalies who can bail us out, but we need to stop exposing them to the amount of high danger chances that we currently do.

** Nik Simšič (1G 1A) - a really good performance from 12. Instead of turning the puck over in the neutral zone, like others, he was nabbing takeaways and generally just being really on his details defensively. He also scored the crucial goal to go up 2-4 and seal the deal. Having to move from wing back to centre is no mean feat, so hats off to him for adjusting so well.

*** Žiga Mehle (1G) - scored an important goal, but more generally was doing the dirty work of putting himself in the net front mixer and working hard to generate opportunities for the team. Glad to see him rewarded for this with a goal. He has so much to offer this team, long may it continue.

Game flow

P1

On the very first dump in, we almost concede a tap in. Oh-oh.

16 - Sodja hits the bar!

12:03 - GOAL - OLL - MAŠIČ. Assisted by Simšič, who also provided a bit of a screen. Nice to see Bine on the scoresheet after squeezing one through the goalie. OLL were on a line change, but Simšič and Mašič play fast through a PIV switch-off to score. Great stuff, boys. 0-1

11:20 After Ege gives his best looping Kaprizov impression... THE PUCK WENT OVER THE LINE, BUT IT'S NOT CALLED A GOAL!!!

11:20 On review... GOAL - OLL - MEHLE. Assisted by Gregorc, with a beautiful dish across the net front. Great work from Mehle to get back up on his feet and follow through on his deflection, stabbing one in under the goalie's pad. 0-2

The energy levels seem way up compared to yesterday.

6:43 GOAL - OLL - BIČEVSKIS. Assisted by Sabolič. A real beauty from Sabla, making it look like he's going around the back of the net, but instead curling it back over to Bičevskis for the tap in. 96 gets his goal from the other night! Great positioning on his part. 0-3

5:50 PEN ON PIV - INTERFERENCE (?) ON CRNOVIĆ. Pance is on PP1 again over Simšič. PIV manage to get a shot on goal before we do..... We actually don't get a shot on goal this powerplay. As the Chuckle Brothers used to say, "oh dear, oh dear".

Crnović is subbing in for Pavlin as the 7th defenseman quite frequently. It seems like they're spotting Pavlin's minutes a bit, which makes sense. He is still a beast, but as a 39 year old it's tougher to keep up, especially with the kind of huge frame he has!

2:00 GOAL - PIV. Wraparound chance is saved but the net front area is wide open for a PIV player to put in the rebound. PIV were engaging in rapid-fire movement here, but there is another instance of a lot of puck-chasing. I am no expert in defensive systems, but we do seem to do this quite a lot. Do we really need three players skating after the puck carrier? Are we playing man or zone? Man? Maybe we should try some more zone?

10s left - a big wraparound chance for the top line.

P2

PIV's stadium is 3/4 empty. Just like last year.

17:31 PEN ON OLL - Mehle hook or interference (not announced on the broadcast). Slightly unnecessary, but he was trying to slow the player down. Penlty killed off with one shot on goal. Forward pairings go 96+13, 23+10, 88+12. Gregorc and Ege throughout.

15:22 PENALTIES - BOTH TEAMS - Atwal and a PIV player can't stop themselves jabbering on about something and both get 5 mins for unsportsmanlike conduct. This doesn't make it a 4-on-4 though.

PIV are finding net front gaps with alarming regularity. Thankfully the Czech wall is there to stop them.

11:30 A near-calamitous giveaway in the neutral zone by Bičevskis results in a double chance that Horak saves, doing especially well with the potential deflection off his back.

10:07 Horak furious as he makes a glove save on a PIV forward who sailed right down the empty middle of the ice unimpeded. He boots the puck down the ice for good measure. Please, sir, may I have some more (effective team defence)?

Lackadaisical defending leaving Horak out to dry - just like last season. At least we could try mixing in some zone defence to combat this. Something has to change.

6:16 Lovely fast move by the 4th line - 23-10-13 - but Beričič probably should have shot there instead of passing to Pance, who can't reach it. As the grandads behind me at Hala Tivoli often say - SHOOT!!!

3:26 - GOAL - PIV. This felt awful to watch. Tomaževič turns it over on the blue line and Atwal gets blown past. Even Ćosić ends up kind of just watching. Now the game is much closer than it deserves to be, all due to a lightning counter ex nihilo. We absolutely have to clear the zone there, no ifs or buts.

2-3

2:08 PEN ON PIV - INTERFERENCE. One shot on goal; Lavoie goes well wide with a decent chance. To be honest, I feel like it's barely worth watching our powerplays anymore - it's that frustrating. We could just fast forward a couple of minutes and continue the game.

3s left - PEN ON OLL - Ege for interference. Yanking a player down in front of the refs isn't the best idea.

P3 

Penalty killed off.

15:37 PEN ON PIV - hook on Ege.

13:14 PEN ON OLL - clumsy trip by Pavlin. Seems like we are doing everything we can to throw a great first period's work away.

5:26 - GOAL - SIMŠIČ. Assisted by Crnović and taking place on a line change, just like the Simšič/Mašič link up. As a Crni truther, you know I am pleased to see this. A gorgeous zone entry by Crnović as he breezes past three players and sets up Nik for the hugely important goal to go 2-4. This is more like it! We can't score PPGs, but at least we can be 5 on 5 monsters sometimes!

5:03 - PEN ON PIV - slash on Beričič through on goal. We have the best 4th line in the league, don't we? I always loved 10 and 23 from last season's PK efforts, but adding Pance on there is such a luxury.

42s left - EMPTY NET GOAL - OLL - SABOLIČ. Assisted by Lavoie. Game over!

Final thoughts

PIV seemed to have our number last year, bullying us in one-sided losses. So, it was wonderful to see a win - but the circumstances must be learned from. 1-3 was a fair reflection of the game, but conceding the 2nd PIV goal was unforgivable. We just can't get dispossessed on the blue line like that. Horak is sensationally good, but he can't save every mega high danger chance that he gets exposed to. Coach Karhula needs to address the team defence as a matter of urgency, as better teams will punish us more consistently for those lapses.

On the other side of things, our powerplay is back to being powderpuff. It feels like we're fighting simply to get a shot off - and even then, it's often only after the other team have already had a better chance shorthanded! I was hoping Coach Karhula would find a solution to last year's PP woes, but it doesn't look great so far. They're meant to be an advantage, fellas...

Now, you might fairly say 'it's a 2-5 win away to a team that beat us last year, why do you have to be mad?' Look, I'm happy - I just think if we can sort ourselves out a bit (on the two above points), we can be a real force this year. Not a 'scrape our way into the play-ins' - a real contender. I would dearly love that to be the case, as I'm sure would you, so let's hope they can keep refining and keep it rolling.

Anyway, on to Bolzano on Friday, who got walloped by Asiago in their penultimate game (8 goals conceded!) but today shut out Fehervar 3-0. Hopefully another big loss for them!

P.S. The club's IG account once more tried to hit this narrative that 'we were better' than Innsbruck on Friday. We were not - and that is fine. Sometimes we come out a bit flat and the other team plays better. That will happen this season. There's no point deluding ourselves!

P.P.S. If I can survive my way through reports season, there should be an interesting non-match report article out in the midweek. Stay tuned...

GAME 5 - HCI VS OLL

 GAME 5 - HCI VS OLL 

HCI 3 - 0 OLL

A sharknado wipes out the dragons

Stars of the game

* Evan Buitenhuis, HCI Goalie - he got the shutout and had an outrageous stick save on what should have been a sitter for Bičevskis, in the style of the legendary playoff saves like Braden Holtby and Adin Hill.

** Arvin Atwal - Had some nice moments, including a lovely shimmy-and-shot and some spot-on pinches and recoveries when defending. Was not at fault for the own goal off his skate; he had tied up his man excellently.

*** Lukaš Horak - The three goals were either extremely high danger chances or a fluke own goal. Apart from them, he played excellently under intense pressure from HCI. The highlight of this was a monstrous quadra-save.

Lineup

Mašič and Ćosić both returned from illness. Both looked like they still hadn't arrived at full fitness, though. 

Game flow

P1

16:12 PEN ON OLL - Sabolič for hooking. Late call and quite soft. Killed off successfully!

11:09 PEN ON OLL - Beričič high stick. Just an accident. Lucky not to draw blood and make it a double. Nice to see Zajc and Simšič out on PK3. Ćosić and Pavlin were not swapped out; I wonder if that was intentional or if they didn't want to risk a change. Killed off.

5:25 GOAL HCI - they caught us changing lines (1st to 2nd) and connect a lovely play together, started by a backwards pass. Ege came across and left the back post open, which Lavoie was too far away to cover.

HCI are skating rings around us at points here and look scintillating when puckhandling. Did they bring in some hot new signings or something?

P2 

17:57 PEN ON HCI - crosscheck on Pance.

Pance is out with PP1 now, replacing Simšič. (Pance, Lavoie, Atwal, Sabolič and Tomaževič)

Kapel gets a shot on goal, but that's it.

14:14 HORAK QUADRUPLE SAVE! Ćosić turns it over in dangerous territory for the second time tonight, leading to 4 separate saves from Horak. What a beast!

13:01 Sensational save at the other end from Buitenhuis, recalling Holtby for the Capitals and Hill for the Golden Knights. I love sprawling paddle saves, not so much when it's against us! Bičevskis looks to the heavens and can't believe his rebound chance (created by Sabolič) didn't go in.

6  Big chance after big chance for HCI.

5 HCI hit the bar on a breakaway.

4:05 GOAL HCI - 2-0. Pavlin can't get the puck out of the defensive zone to reset the attackers and an Innsbruck player makes a wonderful pass to split Pavlin and Tomaževič to serve up his teammate right in front of goal.

We have been playing really flatly so far. HCI are playing much better and are deservedly 2-0 up.

2:45 A gorgeous move from the 4th line - Sodja to Pance to Beričič - but he hits the post! 

The thought crosses my mind that we need more from Lavoie. He has not done much to replace Gooch's points thus far. Mahkovec has also been very quiet after his young player of the season award last year. Kapel is getting knocked down a lot, too.

6 seconds left GOAL HCI 3-0. Mašič and Simšič get run around and it goes in off Atwal's skate. Starting to feel like it's game over now, barring a huge 3rd period comeback. As Jeff Reinebold of Sky Sports NFL used to say, the most important player is Mo Mentum - and he is firmly with the other team right now.

P3

16:51 Lavoie hits the post.

16:05 Big chance for Mahkovec gets saved.

HCI's forwards seem to have a lot more pop and finesse than we do tonight, and their defenders seem a lot more robust than ours this evening.

Is there much to learn from this? Probably better to forgive and forget and move on to the next game. We were messy and they were clean, that's it, really.

1:20 PEN ON OLL Lavoie interference (?).

Final thoughts

The team's Instagram account (follow @olimpijahockeyblog, by the way) characterised this as 'we got goalie'd', outshooting Innsbruck 41-27. As I said to a student of mine last week, I would rather you do one high quality page of writing than 7 pages of lower quality writing. We peppered HCI with shots, but very few of them were high in quality or danger. Again, minus Kerbashian, we seem to be forced to the outside for long stretches. For those who aren't as familiar with ice hockey, being forced to the outside results in lower quality shots/chances. You need to be carrying the puck into the zone and setting up shop with bodies on the inside to really start making the most of rebounds on shots, etc.

We certainly had moments of quality, like the 4th line's lovely link up movement that ended with hitting the post, and we did get goalie'd on Bičevskis' close-range shot, but Innsbruck simply looked far more skilful on the puck than we did. These mere moments were up against waves of strong Sharks play (why is Die Haie 'The Sharks' in Germanic languages?! It doesn't seem right to me).

If you'll allow me to rehash something I said in a meeting this week, Pete Carroll of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks often reiterated his aim to 'connect the circle' of offense, defence and special teams. We seemed to be doing all three, but not in a way that was flowing and connected with the same philosophy. This isn't an easy problem to solve, except to just wipe the slate clean and try again anew tonight. 

Just as an addendum, I found it interesting that Buitenhuis said that they have 'good coaching and players who are listening this year'. A very spicy comment. Whatever the case, they certainly look much improved!