Good Things Come to Those Who Practice

Another week of freezing cold hockey practices produced another weekend of great games. The temperature has dropped and the snow has given way to cold overcast nights, but the team turned the heat up in two frosty rinks this weekend. We focused this last week on short quick movements to and off the puck. Sometimes long running skating drills are not as effective as quick short sprints to and with the puck. Just gaining a millisecond on an opponent with a quick burst to the puck, or catching a goalie off guard with a quick snap shot deserves some special attention. The passing continues to improve as does the quick looks the players now use to communicate on the ice. Pressuring the puck worked well this weekend, which lead us to a win and a tie (I hate ties, but this wasn’t too bad) against the number one team in the division. The team has worked its way up to the number two position with a lot of hard work, and a ton of heart. There is still a lot of hockey left in the season, and a lot of challenges still ahead, but no coach could be happier with the progress and effort this team has presented this season. It is the familiar sound of snow crunching under the feet of the players as they make their way across the frozen parking lot to the rink that stops me sometimes. The sights and the sounds of hockey are unique in all of sports. The puck hitting off the boards, the sound of skates cutting the ice, and the ever present whistles that you never forget are a friendly reminder of the dedication and commitment so many make to this great sport. It is cold, but it is a good feeling that keeps us all a little connected with this amazing sport – that isn’t really all that complicated. We find ways to make it a little more complex than it really is. You find some ice – put on some skates – drop a puck and move it down the ice with a stick – and you have magic. It’s all about what you do with it. Hockey is what you make of it, and you often get more out of it than you put in. It may not seem like that all the time, but eventually you figure it out. The bottom line is that it takes time and effort to really see what you can do on the ice. I’ve seen what this team can do, and it’s been good stuff. I should know – I’ve got the best seat in the house.