OLIMPIJA 5 - 3 VIENNA
RUDOLF LIGHTS THE WAY AFTER CHRISTMAS WITH TWO POWERPLAY GOALS
DRAGONS GIFT TWO TO THE CAPITALS BUT OTHERWISE DOMINATE
Lineup changes:
Tomaževič is out with what a source tells me was a bad headache - I wish him well and hope it's not concussion symptoms! Beričič moves up to the first line, leaving everyone else in lines 1-3 the same as last game. Sodja centres the 4th line, with Pance returning from suspension.
Stars of the game
* Rudolf Červeny (2 PPGs) - Not content with delivering presents to the children of the world, Rudolf took charge of Olimpija's sleigh and drove us forward in this game's key moments. Scoring on the PP is something we have struggled with all season, so it was wonderful to see him be so clinical with his chances. That's now 3 goals in his 2 games back - I am rather glad we extended his temporary contract, as I'm sure you are, too!
** Marcel Mahkovec (ENG/PPG, G) - More clinical finishing. Mahkovec is starting to make the transition from being the 'young player of the year' into 'player of the year' contention.
*** Bine Mašič (G, A, clanger of a turnover) - Mašič giveth and Mašič taketh away. A brilliant goal and an important assist were partially negated by a scream-worthy turnover in the defensive zone that led to a goal conceded. Steps to improvement are clear - emphasise and unleash his offensive game while limiting major errors in the defensive zone. We can work this like a classic offensive + defensive NHL pairing, like Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson of the Seattle Kraken. Larsson plays more stay-at-home, while Dunn is allowed to roam more freely. Mašič and Atwal should look to emulate this while they work out how to improve their defence and their offense, respectively.
Stats
I enjoyed our big yellow arrow towards the left goal in the shot chart. We were less concentrated on slot chances, but we're not going to be able to manage that every game. Clearly, we were heading in the right direction...
Talking of shots, Červeny had 10 shots on goal. 10! That was double the amount of the next highest, Mahkovec on 5 shots. We won't be able to funnel our offense through one man every game, but if it works, it works!
Shots-saves at even strength
P1: 11-7 (OLL GG, VIC GG) - we gave away two goals to Vienna, sadly, leaving it level at 2-2 (even though we outshot and out-chanced them).
P2: 6-10 (VIC G)
P3: 7-7 (PPG, PPG)
These final two periods don't include our 5 (!) powerplays, which contained 12 shots. Vienna had two powerplays, with only 4 saves and no goals.
PP: 3/6 for a fantastic 50%.
PK: 2/2 for an even better 100%. Please can we hum along at 150% on special teams for the rest of the year?! :)))
Shot %: 5/38 - 13.2%. Ticking slightly above average, but I don't think we were 'lucky' here. We dominated the game outside of two major errors.
Save %: 28/31 = 90.3%. A quality start for Horak, although he had a howler that gifted Predan a goal.
Game flow
P1
A positive start, as we have 3 clear shots on goal in the first 2.5 mins.
1612 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Mašič, unassisted! A Vienna turnover leads to a break with support. Bine finds the gap between glove and pad and it's in!
1-0
Červeny gets tripped after a clean hit by a salty VIC player, but there's no call.
1337 An acrobatic pad save from Horak, full stretch to his left.
1309 GOAL OLIMPIJA - Mahkovec, also unassisted! 8 takes it by himself while the rest of the line changes. Coach Chippy would be proud of his toe, drag, release - beating the goalie glove high! True quality on show here. And after the ICE League hyped up Vienna's new goalie, Peyton Jones, on their Instagram page this morning, hoping for another shutout ;)
2-0
737 GOAL VIENNA - an absolute clanger by Horak as he fans on a pass behind the net, misses intercepting the ensuing Vienna pass and leaves Predan, of all people, with an empty net to score into.
Like in football, sometimes this new style of active goalkeeping in terms of passing and playing the puck can break down and look awful. Fraser Forster for Tottenham, for any Premier League fans out there.
2-1
541 PEN VIC - Beričič draws a holding call in front of the Vienna goal.
430 PPG OLIMPIJA - 49s left on the PP and it's Červeny on the receiving end of some good passing from Sabolič. He beats Peyton Jones' glove and Vienna are pulling their 'star' new goalie! I am definitely not cackling to myself about this after the ICE League's fawning post earlier!
3-1
242 Atwal with a menacing hit.
152 The 3rd line of Kerbashian, Lavoie and Červeny combine for a high danger chance across the net, well kept out by Wraneschitz, the well-named new goalie for Vienna.
34s left - GOAL VIENNA - another awful turnover in the defensive zone! This time it's Mašič, who passes it straight to an incoming Vienna player after getting caught in two minds over where to go with his breakout pass. That turns into a 2 on 1 and they pass across to score with ease. It should be 3-0 but we have given them two goals ex nihilo.
3-2
P2
VIC's new goalie gets his skate stuck in the netting at the back of the goal, but we can't take advantage of his flopping around.
1636 Another turnover right in front and Horak is fortunate to be able to squeeze the puck and stop it slipping through.
1351 PEN VIC - trip on Sabla. 1:30 Smash Attack, too.
1138 Mahkovec breaks away at one end, then Gregorc expertly breaks up a chance coming back the other way.
845 PEN OLL - Sabla for interference. An unlucky one for #55, as the little Vienna defender essentially skates his face into Sabla's shoulder, without the latter really knowing anything about it. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes! Why are we giving a penalty for that? I'm not being hyperbolic here - watch the replay and you'll see Sabla knows nothing about this player as he turns around.
844 A brilliant faceoff win from Bonino, the best defensive faceoff win I've seen! He pushes it forward, all the way down to the other end of the ice! You get what you pay for...
645 Big block by Bonino at the end of the PK.
611 PEN VIC - hold on the indomitable Červeny, who is driving so much offense tonight.
517 Červeny - who else - hits the post.
224 GOAL VIENNA - Crnović gets tied up and a wide shot beats Horak's blocker. I don't want to sound like a mediocre North American hockey commentator, but 'he'd like to have that one back' does apply here. Horak would expect to save that one. It's tied, after all our control of the game (for better and worse, it seems).
3-3
101 3 on 1 and we can't even get a shot away! It's good backchecking from Vienna, in the end, but come on Sabla - we need to do better than that.
P3
1453 PEN VIC - trip on Sodja. The master/magnet at drawing penalties strikes again!
1352 how does that not go in?! Sabolič finds Bonino in front of goal, who hits the very bottom of the right post :(
755 PEN OLL - Bohinc with a crosscheck. This was another unlucky one, as it wasn't a hard crosscheck but it did come at the exact point where it would knock the player over. Another learning moment for the talented young defenseman.
617 VIC hit the post. Atwal with an ensuing nasty hit. :)
130 PEN VIC for a slash.
114 PPG OLIMPIJA - Červeny again! Mašič on the assist and Bonino/Bonino's trailing defender with a screen. Left circle, beating Wraneschitz's glove.
4-3
114 PEN VIC - abuse? This is huge for us, as the empty net will be less of a man-advantage.
30s left - ENG/PPG OLIMPIJA - Mahkovec with a relaxed one! Game over!
ENDS 5-3
Final thoughts
This was a really positive game. Why? Because, essentially, it's a 5-1 win. Two soul-crushing turnovers, from Horak and Mašič, should not happen again and are anomalies. Leaving that which should be immediately corrected out, we breezed through this game, against a team directly below us in the table, no less. This showed that, when we don't get in our own way, we are a class above the rest of the play-in teams. As such, we should be aiming to keep climbing the standings and creep into an automatic playoff place by the regular season's end in February.
Tougher games are coming up, but we're riding a 4-game winstreak and should have the requisite confidence (and healthy players) to match up to anybody.
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