Meaningless Games
I planned on doing a mid-range report on both of these games, but the ICE League data site for Olimpija has been down this past weekend, so I'm afraid it's a mega-token sentence or two each for the meaningless games post-8th-place-security.
RBS V OLL
3-2 OT
Close-fought game again versus a top team. RBS are definitely one we should hope to get if and when we beat Pustertal in the pre-playoffs. We have caused them trouble all season.
VIC OLL
1-6
Rounding into form at the perfect time, we demolish Dunaj. Apart from more excellent play by Luka Kolin, I enjoyed Ćosić's P3 fight. This was followed immediately by another VIC player challenging Červeny, who refused to drop the gloves and instead pointed to the scoreboard. Love to see it.
OLIMPIJA 1 - 2 PUSTERTAL (AOT)
WOLVES SNATCH VICTORY FROM OUR CLAWS IN OT
LJUBLJANA ZOO LOOKING FOR MISSING ZEBRAS AS REFS LOSE CONTROL
Lineup changes
Bonino returns, no Gregorc due to illness and Lavoie is not on the teamsheet. Bohinc 7th D and no Mehle again, so Tomaževič is on the 4th line.
Stars of the game
* Lukaš Horák (32/34 for 0.941) - played excellently as usual and gave us every chance to win. The only goals he conceded were one trapped under Červeny and a HCP F and a heavily-screened OT shot. Assaulted by his opposite number after the game (from behind, no less - stay classy, Pustertal!), who did apparently get a 10 minute misconduct as a result, but this was not announced at the time. I imagine it will be a spicy one in Pustertal on Tuesday, but we need to keep our composure and demolish them as we have done already and repeatedly this season.
** Nick Bonino (A) /Rok Kapel (G) - Rok is not who I expected to gel best with Bonino, but it's been a pleasant surprise how well they gel together. Bonino did fantastically to secure the puck in the OZ and get it back to Kapel, who hit the slot late and hit the top corner.
*** Kale Kerbashian - KK was constantly trying to make things happen with furious crossover skating and intelligent distribution throughout.
Stats
Shots-saves at even strength:
P1: 7-9 (OLL G)
P2: 6-17
P3: 14-5 (HCP G)
OT: 2-1 (HCP GWG)
What does this show? An even first period and lop-sided P2 and P3. For us to concede in P3 rather than score with that stat line is not good enough (although, to be fair, we did very well in P2 to weather that storm).
Shooting %: 1/37 for an abysmal 2.7%. Pasquale played well (hijo de ****), but we were unlucky with multiple posts and crossbars. Have to do better next game.
Save %: 32/34 for 0.941. Certainly not Horak's fault, especially given how the goals went down.
Game flow
P1
1911 HCP start with intent and it's a net-front scramble for Olimpija.
1810 We let HCP in net-front again - fisticuffs follow.
1751 GOAL OLIMPIJA - one to settle the nerves. it's Bonino who expertly wins the puck back in the OZ, setting up Kapel for a late slot appearance to shoot over glove side!
1-0
1505 Ege locks up a power move very technically, reminding me of Ronkainen before his dramatic fall-off later last season.
1414 Kerbashian to Sabla next front, but nothing comes of it - except Sabla getting a good punch to the jaw in at the end.
1121 Wicked sharp angle backhand by Červeny nearly catches Pasquale out.
956 Bonino has a ricochet net front chance but can't hack and whack it in.
810 Bičevskis is finishing his checks, playoff hockey baby!
758 PEN HCP - slash. 1 SOG, another right after PP ends and a marginal offside call against Mašič, who looked like he had kept it in.
407 PEN OLL - Ćosić for what looked like quite a soft roughing call.
326 Pance hits the bar shorthanded 😱 that would have been such a sweet goal!
Great PK coverage by Pance and Sodja. 13+23 combining!
Kerbashian and Sabla are sent on for the final few seconds of the PP, presumably with a view to transition to offense quickly after the PP ends. Slightly dangerous, but they must sense blood in the water.
131 Sabla marmelises a HCP player; another HCP player swings and misses him.
105 Wonderful passing move by the 2nd line leaves the puck near the goal line, but it doesn't cross.
P2
1626 HCP have been applying sustained pressure throughout the start to P2. Why is it that opposing coaches always seem to be able to successfully make adjustments against us after P1, yet it's almost never the other way around?
831 HCP have double the shots we've had in this period, 5 to 10.
740 Nearly a zebra assist as it hits the ref's skate and carroms back into the danger zone.
625 its 6-13 shots to saves thus far.
255 Last ditch effort save by Horak. Infrequent line changes are leading to big pressure once more.
In the final 3 minutes, HCP look extremely dangerous and could have scored multiple goals. We do just enough to stop them, especially Červeny, who gets hit and hurt but hobbles back to tie up and stick lift a HCP F in a prime scoring position.
P3
1608 Simšič deflects one at HCP's Pasquale in net, who makes a brilliant save.
1550 GOAL HCP - it looks like absolutely dead-on goalie interference at first glance, with a HCP F sat on Horak's pads. On the highlights, though, it's clear that it's Červeny who pushes him into Horak and keeps him there. Mašič does well initially to stick lift, but is too slow to react to stop the other HCP F from tapping it in at the empty back post. The refereeing announcement after the review, that there was "NO GOAL-tender interference" should probably have been worded more clearly. "The call on the ice stands, we have a good goal" would have been the optimal choice there, bucko.
Here's my highlights note: Červeny loses inside position and on replay clearly pushes HCP F into Horak and holds him there, trapping Horak's pad. Masic ties up stick initially but the other HCP F is too fast at disengaging, finding the open net. Initial thoughts, including mine and GB's, were that Horak was out of his blue crease and therefore there was no interference.
Here's friend of the blog NR's message to me after the game, a real banger, where I'd called the non-call "insane" (edited for clarity and quoted with permission):
"The goal was clear. Červeny pushed PUS player into Horak, who was then blocked. The issue was Mašič once again as he is proving to be a complete defensive liability. Player watching instead of puck and haven't even tried to beat the player off puck. Crappy way to receive an equalising goal. However, we totally let off gas after 1st period where we were extremely dominant team and with each period PUS was hungrier for the win. But they also played very dirty, avoiding tons of penalties due to bad refereeing (for example clear tripping on Čošić, foul on Sodja in OT,...) and the events at the end of the match were a disgrace. Pasquale showing no sportsmanship whatsoever, going after Horak once he had back turned. A very clear sign of no respect of morals that people hold ever since middle ages (e.a. no fight is fair when opponents back is turned). IMO this should have resulted in a game ban at least and as we know that refs are usually against us, monetary fine would give at least something.
Painful loss and really hoping we can go to game 3, but at least an entertaining game to bring a coworker to as his first hockey match. Pustertal was the end of us last year and I'd hate to see it this season too, especially since the trend of beating them in the regular season and then losing in pre-playoff seams to repeat. Really hoping that we can get past them on game 2 and bring it back to Tivoli. The best thing (beside our goal, which was actually phenomenal) was the crowd and I'd love to see even better atmosphere on game 3."
Well said, sir. NR has been homing in on Mašič's defensive play this year; it's something I need to keep more of an eye on as things progress.
1152 Ćosić hits the bar :(
1115 Sabla's shot is well saved.
928 PEN HCP - holding.
115 HCP hit the post!!!!
OT - it's a 16 minute period break for a full 20 minute OT rather than the usual 2 mins for a 5 min OT.
1938 PEN HCP - trip. Come on, men!
It's Lalonde as PP QB, joined by Kerbashian, Bonino, Červeny and Sabla.
Refs miss some trips, or refuse to call a 5 on 3 in a playoff game. It still counts, you amateurs!
1510 GOAL HCP - screened blue line shot sails in. OTW HCP.
Post-game - Pasquale slashes/trips Horak from behind?!?
- Whether or not Pasquale will be suspended is making my head hurt tonight. Per G, a referee friend of the blog, the 10 min misconduct awarded after the game concluded is simply a clerical write-up by the referee and once he signs the game book, it's done. G does not expect a suspension for Pasquale. Now, we'd love to be pleasantly surprised, but I trust G's judgement here. A crying shame but not overly surprising given how the ICE League have tended to treat us (e.g. publishing Pasquale as a "Game Hero" today despite knowing what he did post-game. Thank you to NR, ŽG, F13, KB and others who supported me and the team on that comment page!).
Final thoughts
Fans who wished for revenge on Pustertal instead of an easier game against Vienna, be careful what you wish for!
We played better than them, but that counts for nothing if you don't convert the win. After being so good in OT for most of the season (9/11 on the season going into tonight) and having beaten HCP 4-0 in the regular season duels, you would expect to come away with the win. We did not. That MUST be rectified on Tuesday, otherwise this season will end abominably and the club may struggle to attract the players and fans it needs next year. If we don't do much after getting past the first round, that's fine. But we HAVE to improve on last year. This squad deserves to go further than that.
I joked with my security guard that if we get bounced 0-2 in the pre-playoffs by HCP after winning against them all 4 times this season (2 OTWs, 2 Ws) that I'd delete the blog - please don't make me do that, OLL 😅
Per friend of the blog JK, HCP's second goalie has the second worst save % in the league this season. So, if by some miracle Pasquale is indeed suspended in the end, SHOOT THE PUCK, FELLAS!
EDIT:
NR, on fire at the moment with great takes, pointed out that regardless of goalie suspension we need to prepare to demolish them in Pustertal on Tuesday night. He also very fairly highlighted that the ICE League's "Fair Play" emphasis looks pretty hollow after rewarding someone who essentially committed assault on another player with the title and publicity of "Game Day Hero". As I told him, though, remember - it is Win2Day's Fair Play. A gambling company telling you it's fair, hmm.... The house always wins!
A final note on the season ticket prices...
Whether I missed the extra 20% off for previous season-ticket holders in the initial announcement or they only added it in later (I only saw it publicised on the team's IG stories later on), the initial look of a 50% increase in price doesn't stack up. It actually works out as very similar to last year (180-216 for regular season and 250-256 for playoffs). Mr Lefebvre DM'd me in response to my story about the price increase, which I really appreciated. He said that they are making a big push to bring in elite talent and be really competitive next year. It's a fine balance with looking after fans and looking after the team, but I believe he is doing that and doing it well. He admitted that they will communicate more on this front, which I also appreciate.
I had a sad react from another backroom staff member to this story, which I found a bit perplexing. I obviously want to support the team, and have already bought my playoff season ticket for next year because I believe in Mr Lefebvre's vision. However, I am not a club employee (yet 😉😉) and can thus freely express my opinion that I am not bothered about the concerts and fanzones that were mentioned alongside the price increases. I want a good product on the ice, first and foremost, which is what they mentioned with "a more ambitious team". As my colleague (also SA, funnily enough) said, if the team is no good then no one will turn up to the concerts and fanzones. Please note, though, that I would happily lose some of my independence to gain an official role with the team, so hit me up please OLL staff!!
Ultimately, I hope people support the team so we can go big-game hunting this summer on the transfer market (and coaching, potentially, as I don't see AT back if we get bounced by HCP).
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