Reward for Sweep - Four Games in Five Days

Finally, a weekend sweep!

The Phantoms didn’t play their best hockey, but they found a way to win nonetheless, twice- and Alpena is not a terrible team. I don’t think they are as talented as they were last season, but that was still a playoff team that we beat. Good teams find a way to win, even when they are not playing their best. But then again, great teams just play consistently well. Hopefully we’re in the middle of that transition.

Saturday’s game was one of the slowest games I have watched. I love defensive hockey, don’t get me wrong. It doesn’t give me a whole lot to write about, but as a former goaltender, I’d rather see an exciting 1-0 game than a sloppy 7-6 one.

The 2-1 shootout loss to St. Louis was an exciting defensive game, but this past one against Alpena just wasn’t – only 40 shots on goal combined, very few scoring chances, sloppy play in the neutral zone, lots of whistles, etc.

At 12-5-2 and (4-0-1 in the last five), you can’t call the start of the season anything but a success. However, we need at least five points in this four game stretch to keep that momentum going here until the schedule becomes friendly. Four games in five days, all on the road. That’s going to really test our depth.

Coach Mainhardt has said all season that his team is built for depth, and that at this level, each line should be able to score. He has proven it with the recent contributions of his third and fourth lines. Now it (the depth) will be tested to the highest degree thus far.

Unfortunately, according to the team’s trainer, the Phantoms will be without the services of Kurt Washnock again for the remainder of the road swing. Washer just seemed to be hitting his stride with Kenney and Carr on that fourth line, all had started producing.

Grant Blakey is starting to emerge as one of the team’s top rookies as well. Blakey, is second amongst Phantoms rookies (behind Moser) in scoring, and came up with two clutch game-winners in Alpena. Congrats to Blakey for his honorable mention.

After Tuesday, there is only one road trip per month from December through March. Counting the North Division Showcase (played in Boardman), the Phantoms will play 27 of their final 35 games in the friendly confines of the Ice Zone. Players, and coaches as well, have told me that there is a totally different energy in the locker room before the home games. The Mahoning Valley fans almost create a permanent power play.

With the parity in the division, there really are no easy games all season. You might be able to say that if you were going to play Alexandria, Bismarck, or Kenai River some time, but not in the North.

Traverse City proved three weeks ago that they can hang with the Phantoms if we aren’t ready to play, as the two teams split last time at Center ICE Arena. Looking at the North Stars, they really don’t have any statistical studs. Against us, Stephens, Bourbonis and Greener each had 3 points – the majority of those coming in the final game as the Phantoms fell just short of coming back to win from a 4-0 deficit. Hughes and Niemann are legit scoring threats as well.

The Stars have had 14 days to prepare for these games at home, so it’s going to take a 60 minute effort each night on our part to pull off another sweep. The next home weekend is coming up in 10 days, Friday and Saturday Nov. 23-24 against Traverse City - Besides just the games, there are some great attractions at the Ice Zone that weekend as well.

I’ll tease you with that – Until next Wednesday…