WAS WAYNE GRETZKY WRONG?

After Saturday’s games, it is clear that the famous quote from the great Wayne Gretzky, that you have a 50% chance to miss the net if you shoot but 100% chance to miss if you do not shoot, is perhaps not always applicable. Indeed, the clashes yesterday saw teams bombard the goalies from all possible angles without breaching through the wall.


The first game, between the Avengers and Vipers saw the men in blue capitalize on defensive mistakes and a lack of cohesion between the yellow players, who nevertheless showed character in the second half of the game. Every attempt was made to break the defensive box of Sébastien Renault’s men, captain of the Avengers, who were surly and bitter, sometimes at the limit of what is accepted in the league according to both the Vipers and the fans in the stands. It nevertheless demonstrates that a well-executed game plan and hard work can compensate sometimes for weaknesses in terms of implementation and raw talent.


The second game, opposing the Czechers and the Shamrocks, saw the men in gray lose in the last minute of the game for a second time in a row. Despite an empty net goal against them and a confident team against them, the Czechers continued their bombardment of the Shamrocks substitute goalkeeper, who was solid from the beginning to the end of the game. By the admission of Paul Rosa, the victorious Shamrocks captain, the outcome of the game would have been different without the strong performance of their goalie and opportunist attack. In terms of shots total, the Czechers clearly dominated the Shamrocks in the first half, but the men in green opted ultimately on quality rather than quantity, threading quick goals, thanks in part to their elite sub who replaced their Ace scorer Pat Borromeo. The game was very intense and it was like a playoff game!!


If the second game could have been a playoff one, the last of the evening between the Loggers and Tomahawks was worthy of a grand finale, the match was decided in the final minutes, close to the last seconds of the third period. The Tomahawks quickly took lead 4-1, but the Loggers came from behind and tied the red machine. There were back and forth goals, and the Tomahawks came within a whisker of equalizing the scoring late in the period, but the Loggers managed to squeeze victory in this epic game, which also saw funny moments, like captain Michael Wees colliding with his teammate Jean-Michel '' Pain Train '' Sotiron and spread out full length on the ice! One wonders if Jean-Michel felt something from the hit.... Again, this game featured the team that had the most shots loose .... did Gretzky have it wrong?

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Jacob Poliquin