Well-Deserved Win at Home

The team played great today. This morning’s win was well earned and hard fought right down to the last few seconds on the clock. I did call for a time out with only 11 seconds left in the game for the players to catch their breath so that we could finish well. Our practices have focused in on increasing each player’s level of skill and speed with the puck, but I have not focused on any systems other than some very basic positioning and simple passing strategies. What we are seeing now is that the team’s effort is paying off with improvements in each game and at each practice. I believe that we are a team that will need each and every player to bring their level of play up in order to bring the team’s overall game to where we would like and need to be this season. Pressuring the puck in the offensive zone has been improving and quality shots on net are another area where I am seeing some noticeable advancement. The defense was solid today and allowed our offense to work more effectively through the neutral zone. With only two lines available, the increased ice time does factor in a tangible level of fatigue, but we are seeing the player’s stamina and endurance improve. This is most notably a difficult hurdle to overcome, but it is something that we do try to weave into each practice in preparation for some intense hockey play. As usual our goalie was superb and he has become an incredible foundation to build a strong offense minded defense around. Our practices will become more intense as we continue to strive for improved teamwork and individual skill advancement. To continue improving as a team we will need a 100% of effort across the board. At the moment we are stuck at 90%, but I am confident that things will work out for the overall strength of the team. The team does very well at 90%, but I will continue to work towards the 100% mark. Nice job team!