Complete Schedule has been posted!

The complete schedule has been released--nobody we can't beat!  What a relief!!

10/31/10	7:15a	2418	Maple Leafs		Bears		Pickwick	Reg
November 13-14, 2010
11/13/10	10:20a	2428	Maple Leafs		Jr. Reign		Ice Town - Riverside	Reg
November 20-21, 2010
11/21/10	9:15a	2431	Maple Leafs		OC Hockey		Aliso Viejo Ice Palace	Reg
December 4-5, 2010
12/05/10	8:40a	2435	Maple Leafs		Lightning		KHS	Reg
December 11-12, 2010
12/12/10	6:00p	2443	SDIA		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg
December 18-19, 2010
12/19/10	4:15p	2446	Jr. Gulls		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg
January 8-9, 2011
01/09/11	9:20a	2450	Maple Leafs		Jr. Ducks		Anaheim ICE	Reg
January 15-16, 2011
01/15/11	5:00p	2458	Maple Leafs		Dragons		Bakersfield Ice Center	Reg
January 22-23, 2011
01/23/11	6:00p	2463	Bears		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg
February 5-6, 2011
02/05/11	8:40a	2472	Maple Leafs		Jr. Reign		Ice Town - Riverside	Reg
February 12-13, 2011
02/13/11	4:15p	2478	OC Hockey		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg
February 26-27, 2011
02/27/11	4:15p	2483	Lightning		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg
March 5-6, 2011
03/06/11	4:15p	2488	SDIA		Maple Leafs		Paramount Iceland	Reg

 
The season starts with this four game road trip, including the home rinks for Blake and Edward, Aliso Viejo and KHS in Anaheim, where they played together with Beach City for two seasons. After Bakersfield in mid January, five of the final six are in the friendly confines of Paramount Iceland.

My pledge to the team

Until we win a game, be it in regular season or tournament play, I pledge to have some sort of facial hair on display. Depending on how crazy I get, it could lead to Maple Leaf Blue hair, or sideburns shaped like hockey sticks--no telling. I will vary and post it each week with an update.

The current look is a blend of honest Abe Lincoln, and the Uni-bomber, both of which I have been called in my other bearded days. When I was in my mid 20's, my mustache did not come in at the same rate, and I was known as honest Bill, as I had the mustache-less beard going. Then, on a rainy day in my early 40's, I wore a hood with my beard on a wet day and was dubbed the Uni-bomber by the guys I played basketball with. The grey speckles are starting to take over the chin--the goatee look could give me sort of a Col Sanders vibe!

For historic purposes, here it is!  Anyone joining me in a show of solidarity??

Dragons Squeak by tough luck Leafs at Paramount

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

!@#$%^&*())(*&^%$##@

Shots on goal were 30 to 19 in favor of the Dragons, and it looked like Amanda's forecheck goal earned with tough work early in the second would gain us a tie, or a chance to win. The Leafs mustered just 4 shots in the 3rd, and couldn't clear the puck out when a chance arose, and the winner was netted with about two minutes left.


A Reunion with the Bears in Burbank awaits Sunday morning--

Jr Ducks hang 10 on Leafs at Paramount

Early in the regular season, it is apparent we don't like the friendly confines of Paramount Iceland very much, as a solid first 10 minutes quickly was forgotten as we allowed three goals to close the first. The Jr Ducks struggle to score against many teams, but their 3 or 4 stars played like stars, and that was all they needed.

The Maple Leafs from Pasadena continue to be unable to generate chances, as they were outshot about 33-11. Sure, some of the goals were a little soft, but the bottom line is we have to battle much harder before we can see any results on the scoreboard.

Fortunately, the Bakersfield Dragons have to make the trip once again, as they will visit Paramount once again. Last time we were beaten 5-2, with a five minute major leading to three power play goals and the victory. The Dragons also do not have many players, so we can wear them down if we pressure them and push them around early and often. Interestingly, they have not lost yet, with four ties and two wins. They have ties with the Lightning, Jr Gulls, Jr Ducks, and OC Hockey, and they beat us and the Lightning. Last weekend they took it to the Lightning 7-0, after three straight ties, so they are on a bit of a roll.

Still very early in the season, and we are able to play with these teams, but just can't seem to do it for more than a period or so. Once we can do that, we will start seeing better some pucks get in the net.

Jr Gulls swoop past Leafs 7-1

Another strong start, and two late 1st period goals led to a "swan" dive downhill as the Jr Gulls never looked back. A strong 3rd period with a power play goal, as Amanda rebounded a shot from the point by Blake, as well as a grade A penalty kill gives us something to build on as we welcome our neighbors to the south from Anaheim next Sunday 6pm. The Ducks beat the Lightning just 3-0 at KHS. They are certainly beatable, if we shut down their big guns, and be aware of the big hitters.

Notes from Sunday 10/10/10 6pm tilt with Jr Gulls

They dressed 20 players, to our 14 including the debut of Austin Stanovich, who will serve as backup goalie as well when called upon. Austin did himself proud, smartly sending the puck to the point to Blake on the power play which led to a goal.

Roman got stronger as the game went on, turning aside 35 of 42 shots, while we had 13. We battled well in the 3rd, with each team getting just one goal. The end of the 1st and the 2nd, our usual bugaboo, dug us a 6-0 hole, and we didn't pack it in. Interestingly, they had 7 different goal scorers, a sign that they shared the ice evenly with their four full lines and 3 sets of D-men.

The Leafs took just one minor penalty, which we skillfully killed, and the Gulls were called for two head contact minors (scored on the one early in the third), and a goalie interference whistle with just under four minutes left in the game.

Final Pre-Season tilt goes to Leafs 5-2

I don't care if you are playing Gumby and his pony pal Pokey with clay-formed teammates, Horshack, Epstein, Freddy Boom-Boom Washington and the Sweathogs, or Laverne, Shirley and the d-pairing of Lenny and freakin' Squiggy--if you throw 52 shots at the net, you have done something! The Jr Reign goalie stopped 90% of the the shots, without a doubt his best save percentage of the season. For example, you get 12 goals scored on you, and make 36 saves of 48 shots, that is just 75%, so on 52 shots, that would be 13 goals! In order words, they were lucky to have been in this close of a game.

Game stats of note: Penalties Leafs 2, Jr Reign 7 (5 by #97 including a 10, a 5 and a game Misc)
Shots by Period
1st Leafs 12, Jr Reign 1
2nd Leafs 20, Jr Reign 6
3rd Leafs 20, Jr Reign 3,
Game total      52-10

Plus/Minus for the Leafs
Cole   +4
Rey and Amanda +3
Julian, Ryan and Doug   +2
Jeffrey and Jaxon   +1
Blake and Jolene    0
Robert, Edward and Tommy    -1
and technically, Roman was a +3 !!@#$%^&*

Doug fires it low and hard

Leafs had a single goal in the first, and two each in the second and the third.  Both Jr Reign goals came in the second. The Leafs scored four unanswered goals after their (Reign) two short-handers early in period two.

13 had a fine game!

In the first, we outshot them 12-1, but only scored on Julian's patient off angle shot where he out-waited the massive netminder and put it in behind him just 1:43 into the game. Amanda should have gotten an assist as she cleared the zone and feathered it down the ice for #13 to skate and score!

Julian too much room, goalie way out of position--It's 1-0!

In the second, two shorthanded goals in just six seconds put the visitors in the driver's seat, but then the J-Line (Jaxon, Julian, Jeffrey) got busy, teaming with Blake at the point with some low hard shots. Julian tips in his second of the game, Blake assisting, Jaxon digging it out and feeding the point.

If at first you don't succeed...

...try, try AGAIN!

About 40 ticks later, on the very next shift, Doug cleared it around the boards to Amanda, who fed Rey in full flight and he swooped in and swept it past the Jr Reign goalie! That made it 3-2 and the Leafs kept the intense pressure up to the tune of 20 shots in the second and the third period.

Amanda hits 97 Rey as he assaults the GOAL!

Early in the third, Rey came off the wing and rifled a low shot, Amanda hustling as always, poked it into the back of the net!

Amanda battles and knocks in another one!

Isn't it cool that Rey is often near fallen players in non-Leaf gear??

With just under two minutes to play, Rey, Julian and Ryan were out for a faceoff in the offensive zone. After being crushed along the boards, Ryan picked himself up off the ice, battles for a puck, gets a nifty little block by Rey, eludes two defenders, and wrists it up high off the far post and back to the near side of the net!  GREAT GOAL!

Ryan goes all Worms-doubler-y! Yikes and double Yikes!

Next weekend we face the Jr Gulls, who have been all over the map, including a tie with Bakersfield, as team we can defeat with our "A" game handily!  Tied for first--play like it Leafs!