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Re: Laker Hockey 2009-10
OK, here are some more of my thoughts on the game. I was sitting in one of the corners opposite the MSU bench, so this is strictly from my perspective and not from watching the game on TV.
I didn't have any problem with the officiating. There weren't that many penalties in the game. Gysbers took a bad penalty in the offensive zone in the 1st period and that quickly cost the Lakers as MSU scored 7 seconds into their PP. MSU took a similar (but defensive) penalty in the same spot a little later but the Lakers didn't do anything with their PP. I think one of the penalties was for interference and one for tripping but they were pretty much the same. From my viewpoint I didn't see the Acton (?) penalty late in the game so can't comment on that.
I thought MSU played better in the 1st two periods and the Lakers carried the play in the 3rd. The Lakers passing game wasn't very crisp most of the night, although it did get a little better in the 3rd. This was especially true on breakouts from their own end up through center ice but they even missed some open guys in the offensive end several times. The Spartans did a better job of coming up with the puck in scrums along the boards much of the night. It wasn't so much a matter of muscling the Lakers off the puck as just being a little quicker with the stick. Again this was especially true the 1st two periods.
Ultimately the Lakers had more defensive breakdowns than did the Spartans. I know Gysbers and Kaunisto are regarded as the Lakers best defensive pairing, but I thought Kaunisto had a bad night. He was beaten badly twice in the 2nd period, the first leading directly to the the Spartans 2nd goal and the same could have happened the 2nd time except for a very good save from BMW.
BMW played great in net. He faced many more quality shots than did Palmisano. He was left out to dry on both the 2nd and 3rd MSU goals by poor defensive coverage, leaving guys open on the far side of the net. The Lakers 1st goal was similar in that the Spartans left Scrymgeour open off to the side of the MSU net. BMW might say he should have stopped the 1st Spartan goal, but it was a good hard shot from a good location a little ways in from the blue line. From my angle, I couldn't tell if it was deflected and it didn't look like he was screened, but perhaps TV would have shown differently.
The Lakers were hindered on the 3rd Spartans goal by Cowey breaking his stick deep in the defensive zone
The Lakers PP didn't produce many quality chances. As I noted, the passing wasn't all that crisp, and many of their shots from the point were too high making it difficult for the guys in front to deflect the puck.
The late penalty (1:57 left) was a killer for the Lakers. The empty net goal was a result of a poor Lakers line change. After finally getting the puck up the ice along the boards to relieve pressure, MacVoy got control of a loose puck along the boards just inside the Spartan line. Given that the Lakers were down a man and down a goal with under a minute to play, he obviously was looking for someone coming up the middle to pass to, but I think all the rest of the Lakers had peeled off to the bench for a line change, plus a man to replace BMW, and MacVoy had no support. He was outnumbered and the Spartans got control of the puck and took the puck up ice for a relatively easy empty netter. In retrospect it probably would have been better for MacVoy to dump the puck in deeper in the Spartan end and try to follow up with a forecheck, but on the other hand I would have liked to see at least one of the other Lakers head up the middle of the ice and behind him to look for a pass (like he was expecting in that type of game situation) rather than peel to the bench for a change. Maybe they were all out of gas.
The three stars: Scrymgeour and BMW were deserving. I was very surprised at Palmisano getting 1st star. You usually figure one of your guys is going to get 1st star in a home victory, but BMW played a stronger game than Palmisano. Gazley or another Spartan were more deserving than Palmisano.
Ignoring the empty netter, it was basically a one goal game. The Spartans got one other PP goal, the Lakers didn't get any. For the most part, the Lakers played the Spartans pretty even although the Spartans generated more quality scoring opportunities and shots than did the Lakers.
OK, here are some more of my thoughts on the game. I was sitting in one of the corners opposite the MSU bench, so this is strictly from my perspective and not from watching the game on TV.
I didn't have any problem with the officiating. There weren't that many penalties in the game. Gysbers took a bad penalty in the offensive zone in the 1st period and that quickly cost the Lakers as MSU scored 7 seconds into their PP. MSU took a similar (but defensive) penalty in the same spot a little later but the Lakers didn't do anything with their PP. I think one of the penalties was for interference and one for tripping but they were pretty much the same. From my viewpoint I didn't see the Acton (?) penalty late in the game so can't comment on that.
I thought MSU played better in the 1st two periods and the Lakers carried the play in the 3rd. The Lakers passing game wasn't very crisp most of the night, although it did get a little better in the 3rd. This was especially true on breakouts from their own end up through center ice but they even missed some open guys in the offensive end several times. The Spartans did a better job of coming up with the puck in scrums along the boards much of the night. It wasn't so much a matter of muscling the Lakers off the puck as just being a little quicker with the stick. Again this was especially true the 1st two periods.
Ultimately the Lakers had more defensive breakdowns than did the Spartans. I know Gysbers and Kaunisto are regarded as the Lakers best defensive pairing, but I thought Kaunisto had a bad night. He was beaten badly twice in the 2nd period, the first leading directly to the the Spartans 2nd goal and the same could have happened the 2nd time except for a very good save from BMW.
BMW played great in net. He faced many more quality shots than did Palmisano. He was left out to dry on both the 2nd and 3rd MSU goals by poor defensive coverage, leaving guys open on the far side of the net. The Lakers 1st goal was similar in that the Spartans left Scrymgeour open off to the side of the MSU net. BMW might say he should have stopped the 1st Spartan goal, but it was a good hard shot from a good location a little ways in from the blue line. From my angle, I couldn't tell if it was deflected and it didn't look like he was screened, but perhaps TV would have shown differently.
The Lakers were hindered on the 3rd Spartans goal by Cowey breaking his stick deep in the defensive zone
The Lakers PP didn't produce many quality chances. As I noted, the passing wasn't all that crisp, and many of their shots from the point were too high making it difficult for the guys in front to deflect the puck.
The late penalty (1:57 left) was a killer for the Lakers. The empty net goal was a result of a poor Lakers line change. After finally getting the puck up the ice along the boards to relieve pressure, MacVoy got control of a loose puck along the boards just inside the Spartan line. Given that the Lakers were down a man and down a goal with under a minute to play, he obviously was looking for someone coming up the middle to pass to, but I think all the rest of the Lakers had peeled off to the bench for a line change, plus a man to replace BMW, and MacVoy had no support. He was outnumbered and the Spartans got control of the puck and took the puck up ice for a relatively easy empty netter. In retrospect it probably would have been better for MacVoy to dump the puck in deeper in the Spartan end and try to follow up with a forecheck, but on the other hand I would have liked to see at least one of the other Lakers head up the middle of the ice and behind him to look for a pass (like he was expecting in that type of game situation) rather than peel to the bench for a change. Maybe they were all out of gas.
The three stars: Scrymgeour and BMW were deserving. I was very surprised at Palmisano getting 1st star. You usually figure one of your guys is going to get 1st star in a home victory, but BMW played a stronger game than Palmisano. Gazley or another Spartan were more deserving than Palmisano.
Ignoring the empty netter, it was basically a one goal game. The Spartans got one other PP goal, the Lakers didn't get any. For the most part, the Lakers played the Spartans pretty even although the Spartans generated more quality scoring opportunities and shots than did the Lakers.
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