Following up a hockey post with a hockey post. Like that? I do.
This particular post is more supplementary. A while back, I posted a hockey song list of music I burned onto a CD to play on hockey gamedays. I actually give one such album props for helping me focus before games during a championship-winning season at Bridgeville.
Not saying the current roster is going to do that, but here we go, with a few 'esplanations' along the way.
1) Action - Powerman 5000 : This song has been a staple on my hockey albums. Upbeat, fast, and all about bringing the action.
2) Fuel - Metallica : Look above. And it always follows Action.
3) Indestructible - Disturbed : Again, look above. And yes, this always follows Fuel. After this song, the roster gets shaken up like a Magic 8-Ball.
4) Paralyzer - Finger Eleven
5) Doomsday - Nero : There's something about this dubstep song that gets thoughts of spectacularly stonewalling opposing shooters, especially when a game is on the line. Of course it never really works out that way in real life, but still.
6) Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC : Iron Man has always been my favorite superhero. So if this song works for one man with a suit for kicking butt, why not me?
7) Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO : I don't care if it's overplayed on the radio - very few songs get my feet moving on their own accord than this.
8) What We're All About - Sum 41
9) Fever - Bullet for My Valentine
10) My Best Theory - Jimmy Eat World : Rush out, out from the center / Not like one side is any better
/ Stand up as they've been preaching / My best theory is already in me / (already in me)
11) Make It Stop (September's Children) - Rise Against : I swear I heard this song on the X on the radio before the Penguins took to the ice. Guilty by association, I guess.
12) The Sound (John M. Perkin's Blues) - Switchfoot
13) Guilty By Design - Rev Theory
14) Won't Back Down (Bring You Hell Remix) - Fuel : The title says it all.
15) Fade to Black - Apoptygma Berzerk
16) My Favourite Game - The Cardigans
17) Praise You - Fatboy Slim : Heard the Consol blaring this over the speakers during a Pens game this past year, and it just stuck.
18) Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin ft. Valora
So there you have it. My hockey song list. If some of these seem embarrassing, that's okay. I've had such on the previous renditions. It usually hits me after a few listen-throughs when I go "Ew, dumb choice. Take it off for the next version."
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Jerk Hockey
As most of you know, I play roller hockey at a local rink. Likewise, as most of you know, I'm the goalie. Additionally likewise, most of you know that we won the championship last session. A lot of that awesomeness has to do with the team, Jerky Boys, hadn't even won a playoff game until last session; so to go from winning no playoff games to winning it all in one go was pretty cool! Part of that was due to my play in net, and I'm not saying that boastingly. I managed to play better than I had previously, making some really good saves and helping to preserve the small leads we had or giving the team a fighting chance to take the game back from the opposition.
Now it all feels somewhat hollow. Four games into the new season, (new?! it's practically half the season!), we've lost all games and have allowed 31 goals - correction, I've lost all games and allowed 31 goals - and I just can't quite explain it.
When you listen to NHL analysts dissect a struggling goalie, they use terms like "lacking confidence", "soft goals", and "hung out to dry". I don't exactly think it's a confidence issue. I mean - c'mon - I know I can make the saves that I need to; I don't feel like when a shooter gets a breakaway or a really hard shot on net that I'm going to let it in. I know I can stop it. It's just that stopping it is the issue. "Hung out to dry" could maybe apply on a few goals I let in, but it's only 4 goals so far, or an average of one goal per game.
"Soft goals" is what's getting my goat, has me frustrated, banging my head against a wall, my panties in a bunch - what have you. When I look at this season and the goals I've let up, I'm seeing at least 3 soft goals per game. That's huge! That's huge, because our offense is doing good. We're keeping within a few goals of the opponents for most of the game, if we're not either tied or ahead. If I was to eliminate the 3 soft goals from each game, we're 4-0 and almost outscoring the opponents 2-1. Throw out those "hung out to dry" goals, and instead of having a 7.75 gaa, I have a 3.75 gaa. And the difference between those two stats is one thing: me.
Every game I try to prepare myself mentally. I get my focus together and keep an aspect of my game in the forefront of my mind. It could be "keep the stick down" or "square to the puck, not the shooter" or "anything to keep the puck in front of you" or "eyes on the puck at all times", etc. Generally it's a little something of all of those mentioned, but one will be the primary focus. And I don't feel like I'm losing focus, because I don't let myself get rattled by goals, even when they come in short time frames. I'm keeping my composure, only letting myself let loose with frustration once the game is up. I think it's two things, and they're related: execution and reflexive speed. The one I know I should be able to improve: execution. If focus was all there was to it, then I wouldn't have to worry, but when the action is thick, I'm not thinking directly about what I'm focusing on, I'm trying to act out what I'm focusing on. Failure to do so is failure to execute. Reflexive speed is another matter. On one hand, I need it to execute for when a deflected puck goes from heading into my glove to bouncing between my pads: I need to stop leading with my glove hand and start closing the pads to keep the puck from going past them. But reflexive speed is about conditioning, too, and, obviously, flexibility.
I'm not the most flexible guy. You know when Fleury goes post to post along the ice? Not me. If I tried, I'd be pulling my groin and hamstrings. Plus, as the game goes on, I slow down. I could probably help my conditioning by doing more daily physical activity - librarians aren't known for their high physical peakness! More aerobic activity, more exercises, more stretches. It seems weird that I would put that much effort worrying about it for a "fun" league, as all those non-hockey playing people would put it. But I'm getting tired of letting down the Jerky Boys and myself.
I can only hope that I turn it around soon. Sure, the playoffs are all that matter, and everyone makes the playoffs in this league, but if we go into it with nothing to show for it, it will be hard for us to play like we can win.
Now it all feels somewhat hollow. Four games into the new season, (new?! it's practically half the season!), we've lost all games and have allowed 31 goals - correction, I've lost all games and allowed 31 goals - and I just can't quite explain it.
When you listen to NHL analysts dissect a struggling goalie, they use terms like "lacking confidence", "soft goals", and "hung out to dry". I don't exactly think it's a confidence issue. I mean - c'mon - I know I can make the saves that I need to; I don't feel like when a shooter gets a breakaway or a really hard shot on net that I'm going to let it in. I know I can stop it. It's just that stopping it is the issue. "Hung out to dry" could maybe apply on a few goals I let in, but it's only 4 goals so far, or an average of one goal per game.
"Soft goals" is what's getting my goat, has me frustrated, banging my head against a wall, my panties in a bunch - what have you. When I look at this season and the goals I've let up, I'm seeing at least 3 soft goals per game. That's huge! That's huge, because our offense is doing good. We're keeping within a few goals of the opponents for most of the game, if we're not either tied or ahead. If I was to eliminate the 3 soft goals from each game, we're 4-0 and almost outscoring the opponents 2-1. Throw out those "hung out to dry" goals, and instead of having a 7.75 gaa, I have a 3.75 gaa. And the difference between those two stats is one thing: me.
Every game I try to prepare myself mentally. I get my focus together and keep an aspect of my game in the forefront of my mind. It could be "keep the stick down" or "square to the puck, not the shooter" or "anything to keep the puck in front of you" or "eyes on the puck at all times", etc. Generally it's a little something of all of those mentioned, but one will be the primary focus. And I don't feel like I'm losing focus, because I don't let myself get rattled by goals, even when they come in short time frames. I'm keeping my composure, only letting myself let loose with frustration once the game is up. I think it's two things, and they're related: execution and reflexive speed. The one I know I should be able to improve: execution. If focus was all there was to it, then I wouldn't have to worry, but when the action is thick, I'm not thinking directly about what I'm focusing on, I'm trying to act out what I'm focusing on. Failure to do so is failure to execute. Reflexive speed is another matter. On one hand, I need it to execute for when a deflected puck goes from heading into my glove to bouncing between my pads: I need to stop leading with my glove hand and start closing the pads to keep the puck from going past them. But reflexive speed is about conditioning, too, and, obviously, flexibility.
I'm not the most flexible guy. You know when Fleury goes post to post along the ice? Not me. If I tried, I'd be pulling my groin and hamstrings. Plus, as the game goes on, I slow down. I could probably help my conditioning by doing more daily physical activity - librarians aren't known for their high physical peakness! More aerobic activity, more exercises, more stretches. It seems weird that I would put that much effort worrying about it for a "fun" league, as all those non-hockey playing people would put it. But I'm getting tired of letting down the Jerky Boys and myself.
I can only hope that I turn it around soon. Sure, the playoffs are all that matter, and everyone makes the playoffs in this league, but if we go into it with nothing to show for it, it will be hard for us to play like we can win.
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