Wrapping up the week…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Head coach Doug Sauter told the team before last night’s game about
He was hoping it would motivate the Blazers and have them playing at their best, but it didn’t happen.
This is the second time in a row where
Two weeks ago, it was
And I thought maybe I was too harsh with my period assessments, but Sauter pretty much confirmed what I was saying.
I was wondering if the team put too much into Friday’s win. Sauter said no. He said it was just a case of a young team being too overconfident that everything would just fall into place.
Last night was a real learning experience for this group. Also, this was the first time for me where I saw the guys not perform the way we know they can.
The right-wingers didn’t bring it Saturday, only totaling two shots last night.
Sauter joked that had Jason Wolfe played that way he would still be with
The Blazers had 22 shots in the third period, but by then, the writing was on the wall. They had already let a team believe they could win.
Although it was the smallest crowd of the season, big kudos to the group that made it out there.
The fans just couldn’t get into it. The Blazers didn’t give them reason to, and there was no energy in that building. Like I said, it’s one thing to have a sparse crowd, it’s totally another to have a small crowd with deafening silence.
And now
D.J. Jelitto is back, good news. Andy Franck is still out with a groin injury. Sauter said he hopes Franck can return next weekend.
Be back Tuesday for practice thoughts.
Blazers 0, New Mexico 3 – Game Blog
1:05 a.m. – Can’t win ‘em all, but you hate to lose like that. I’ll have much more on the 3-0 loss Sunday with comments from Sauter.
8:36 – Well, make that the worst 40 minutes I’ve seen. New Mexico is up 2-0 and has a two-man advantage to start the third period.
Oklahoma City had two real nice chances early in the period as Bill Vandermeer set up Chad Hinz and Oriel McHugh had a point-blank PP opportunity but was turned away by Jason Wolfe.
The focus isn’t there tonight. Bad penalties, turnovers, not looking sharp for the first time. And really, no crowd to build off of. The diehard fans are definitely here, but we know the answer about the casual fans. They’re in Stillwater or watching Bedlam on TV.
If not for Goose, this could be much much worse. Groenestege has stopped 31 of 33 shots through two periods. Not only has he stopped 31 shots but some of them have been very impressive. Not just the run-of-the-mill type shots. Normally, it’s Oklahoma City putting on the pressure. But tonight, the guys are sleepwalking.
Well, the Blazers have 20 minutes to get things going. The biggest thing has been the lack of an advantage. Too many penalties and when you’re down and fighting back in, you can’t be short-handed (duh).
We’ll see how this final period goes.
7:40 – Blazers need to wake up. That may sound harsh, but that was the story of the first period. New Mexico has a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.
That was one of the worst periods I’ve seen this season from this team. Granted, most experiences have been pleasant this season, but that was a bad 20 minutes and Tyler Fleck even admitted as much to Josh Evans on the interview.
What I think is best about the team has been the crispness of its passing. It was not there in the first. In fact, a bad pass led to a turnover and New Mexico’s goal. Another one led to a too many men on the bench penalty and forced the Blazers to kill a 5-on-3. They did.
You could tell things were different as NM had a 5-0 shot advantage through the first five minutes. That’s not how Oklahoma City plays.
On the plus side, good to see D.J. Jelitto back. D.J. and Ted Vandermeer looked like they were the only ones not skating in mud out there.
New Mexico has an 11-8 advantage in shots. Very late in the period, it appeared the Blazers were getting their stuff together. I’m sure they’d love to forget those first 18 minutes.
Also, the crowd is pretty dead. I’ve never been able to gauge crowd attendance, but it doesn’t look that bad. But nobody is loud yet. Too busy finding out about Bedlam?
Don’t mean to come off negative, but that was not a period you would put in a time capsule anytime soon.
6:07 – Uh oh, Colorado lost to Rapid City in the Rush’s first home game of the season. Rapid City scored three in the third to power its way to a 4-0 win. The Blazers have a chance tonight to be the best team in the league, point-wise. Both Oklahoma City and Colorado have 30 points. Through tonight, they’ll both have played 18 games. Interesting.
LIVE at the Ford Center…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
How will the crowd be? We’re about 90 minutes away from the Blazers and New Mexico. Space issues didn’t allow us to run all the fan quotes. I appreciate all comments, and here are the ones I received via e-mail:
Linda Donnelly says:
it might be too late to tell you our plans but here goes…we will be watching the OU game on the big tv, have the Blazers game on through the CHL network on the computer in the front room(21 inch moniter,lol) have the notre dame(i’m an irish fan) game on the in the kitchen(this is why we have a computer in there),and will be updated by Twitter on my phone for the OU hockey game,use the laptop for the NOtre dame hockey game broadcast as well…..i love winter sports! makes for hectic planning.
Kim Queen says:
I will be in section 120 at the Ford Center during the game and in the Booster Club Booth during intermission. There is nothing like an action-packed game that the Blazers have been giving us since October 17. Let’s just put it this way, I will drive in ice and show from Yukon to the Ford for a hockey game but I wouldn’t drive to Norman or Stillwater.
I enjoy football but the sport has so many quirks, rules, yardage adding/subtracting, catch the ball and run like the world is chasing you
that it gets to overwhelming for me.
GO BLAZERS ALL THE WAY BAYBEE!!!
Larry Keeler says:
Bob, the stadium will be full for the OSU / OU game. Both teams will have their support. The Blazers are home and need the support of their fans. That is where we will be!
Watching the game live or from the DVR won’t change the outcome of the OSU / OU game, but a noisy crowd in the Ford Center can help lift the Blazers to victory!
Thanks for your BLOG and great coverage of the Blazers this year!!!
Thanks to all who participated. I saw Hennessey defeat Hominy on Friday and Cascia Hall upset No. 1-ranked Tuttle today in the 3A semis.
The $64,000 question…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s simple: With the Bedlam football game (No. 3 Oklahoma at No. 12 Oklahoma State for non-Oklahoma readers) being Saturday night and perhaps never EVER meaning more than this edition of the rivalry and the Blazers at home against New Mexico, where do you stand?
Oklahoma City would have had no issues moving the start time to avoid traffic/attendance problems, but it simply wasn’t possible.
One, the Blazers are on the road tonight against Texas. Even though it’s not the longest trip ever, it’s still a road trip. You don’t rush your guys back to play a game. That takes away some of the home-ice advantage, right?
Second, New Mexico is at Odessa tonight. That is a 450-mile bus trip. Now you can’t make a team bus for that long and try to move up the start time. That’s not fair to anybody.
From speaking with Blazers personnel, I do believe they would have had no issues moving this to noon or 2:30 or anything like that, it just wasn’t in the cards.
The game will be on all the TVs at the Ford Center. But I’ll be honest, any disappointment I feel about missing a game, goes away once the hockey game starts. Then I have a job to do, and I don’t worry about outside things.
It was like that a few weeks ago with OSU/TTech and the Blazers were home. It was like that last week for OU/TTech when I was at a HS football game. You accept you’re missing it, and you concentrate on your job.
Nobody cares about me missing the game, and you shouldn’t. Now when it’s intermission, yeah, you might see me with the crowd around a TV, but never during the game itself.
So, who is going where Saturday? How many will be in Stillwater? How many will be at the Ford Center? And how many will watch Bedlam at home while listening to the Blazers on the radio? Let me know, it’s an interesting situation.
As for tonight, another interesting situation as Goose will face a stern road test against a solid team in Texas. We might just see how good Groenestege can be with his outing tonight. I’ll be at a HS football game in Hennessey, so you prob won’t hear from me. But please let me know about your plans tomorrow night. If you want, e-mail them to me as some of them might end up in Saturday’s Oklahoman.
Blazers 4, Amarillo 1 – Game Blog
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
10:35 – Another solid if unspectacular win by Oklahoma City. I was so sure Sauter said something to the guys after the first period.
He didn’t. At least nothing out of the norm.
Sauter, as always, is about the team and was happy to see all three lines score again.
If it’s possible, Amarillo is the best 4-11 team there is. The Gorillas play with a lot of heart and don’t back down.
Sauter said as much as Amarillo was step-for-step with the Blazers in the first period before Oklahoma City put its stamp on the game in the second 20 minutes.
Other thoughts
- Bill Vandermeer is dinged up. Doesn’t appear to be serious. Sauter said Bill would not have played but because of Passmore being out, Bill had to. By the way, Ted Vandermeer got in a couple of good shots, as a sort of mini-revenge to his brother.
- Poor Goose. He was less than 4 minutes away from registering his first shutout. But that’s another W for the Gooser. He’ll be in net Friday at Texas.
- Sauter thrilled with team’s effort. Even used the word excellent, which is rarity from my time with Doug.
- So happy with the play, the boys have Thursday off. They can all eat and get fat and be sluggish Friday. Oh wait, that’s me.
- Friday at Texas and Saturday vs. New Mexico in another three-game week. I plan on taking tomorrow off (no family as they’re all in Ohio), but I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you Friday with a question for Blazer fans.
9:25 – Final officials’ timeout with 5:44 left. Robin Gomez scored as the Blazers are on their way to earning the win. Gomez was set up nicely by Jason Seerey and Tyler Harder. Be back later with postgame thoughts.
9:01 – Well, the Ted Vandermeer story is written. Now let’s hope nothing happens that forces me to change it. We’re just about to start.
8:45 – The second period nearly exactly an hour after the first. Yea, I’m a dork. Anyway, what the first period didn’t have, the second was full of: action, goals, etc.
The Blazers scored three times in four shots and take a 3-0 lead into the third period. Not only was it three in four shots, but it was three in the first seven minutes of the period.
There was more fisticuffs in the second. Justin Sawyer got into it and performed a takedown that would have made either OU wrestling coach Jack Spates or OSU coach John Smith proud. He also would have received some nearfall points and maybe scored the pin.
Then after Bill Vandermeer was knocked down, Brian Passmore came to defend his teammate. Not much was landed, but that was some real intensity in his eyes to stand up for Bill.
As for the goals, Chad Hinz scored his first at home this season and second overall. He was assisted by Bill Vandermeer and Passmore, who might be one the most lethal lines in the CHL.
After that, it’s been Ted Vandermeer making noise. He scored the second and had a beautiful assist to Cam Doull for the third.
And even Goose got into the action. He stopped a penalty shot and let some emotion show.
If things hold up, look for a story about Ted in tomorrow’s paper. But because of early deadlines tonight because of Thanksgiving, I probably won’t be able to talk with Ted following the game.
7:45 – I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before since I’ve covered the team. Oklahoma City did not score in the first period. Neither did Amarillo as we’re scoreless through one.
Blazers had some golden opportunities. A great shot from the point by Jeff MacDermid comes to mind as does a nice chance by Bill Vandermeer.
Amarillo thought it had a goal late in the first but it was wiped out. Doug Groenestege faced a lot in the final minutes and stood up to the challenge.
I thought we were in for a dog fight after Robin Gomez and Amarillo’s Neil Smith made a gentleman’s agreement to fight once the game started. Official decision: Gomez with ease. Not quite a KO but definitely an easy unanimous decision.
So three seconds in, we had fireworks. Then the teams went the next 14 minutes without a penalty. It led to a fast period, but I don’t know if the intensity was there.
In other notable scores, Bossier-Shreveport and Texas are scoreless through the first and Mississippi and Rio Grande Valley are 0-0 early in the first.
7:01 – Well, Ben Buckland (PA announcer) just said he believes this Blazers team is better than both of the championship squads in 1996 and 2000. Is it the kiss of death or even more motivation for the guys? We’re five minutes away from game time.
6:35 – Are we going to play in the dark tonight? Something is wrong with the lighting, and all we’ve got is a spotlight. I had a bad feeling things weren’t running smoothly because when I got here at 4:45 there were some issues. Hey, I want to eat turkey as much as the next guy, but we have to take care of some business first. I’m being told it’s some kind of issues with the shutters. I guess I’ll go eat. I’ve tried just about everything on the ground floor. Tonight feels like…hmm, pizza.
LIVE at the Ford Center…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and where are you? I’m at the Ford Center for the Blazers and Amarillo. Oklahoma City defeated Amarillo last Thursday. Six days later, will we see the same thing?
As a writer, it’s fun to be back to worrying about what is happening on the ice instead of worrying about legal issues and front office matters.
By the way, who was that bizarro Boneman who wrote the wrong facts Tuesday? All joking aside, I apologize again about that. There will be a correction in Thursday’s paper as well as a clarifying story where Express Sports president Bob Funk Jr. has set the record straight on everything.
Tuesday thoughts…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
With all the rumors/speculations going on about front office positions, the players just want to get out there and play. And today was a little fun at practice gearing up for the second game in a week with Amarillo.
Guys were laughing and having a good time. Working hard isn’t hard work when things are going good.
Goalie Doug Groenestege will get the start once again. He looked good today. It’s almost like when you have some success, it just breeds more confidence. He’s carrying himself differently.
And Doug Sauter is happy with the way Mike Smith has come in. He said Smitty is the epitome of his ACE (Attitude, character, enthusiasm) system. He’s been embraced by the guys already. When you have a work ethic like that, it’s easy to get along with someone like that.
D.J. Jelitto will be out once again. And Sauter said something interesting about that. He is not hesitant about keeping someone out because of injury because the team has such great depth right now. He is not going to rush anyone back on the ice because there’s no need to.
Pure opinion here, but Chad Hinz looks like he is comfortable in Oklahoma City. I try to go to about two practices a week and like looking at the facial reaction/body language of the guys. And today, Hinz looked like he had found a home. For such a star, Hinz is really pretty quiet. But he’s starting to open up.
If management issues start to become official, I’ll have it here later today. If not, hey, see ya tomorrow night at the Ford Center. And Friday I have a question for Blazer fans.
Edit at midnight: There’s a report out of Springfield, Mass., that denies the Edmonton executives were in Oklahoma City last weekend.
That’s my mistake. I thought I heard last weekend. I must have heard wrong. I apologize, and I’m sorry to have misled anybody. That was not my intention by any means. I’ve changed the opening sentence in the original blog post for future viewers.
Edmonton/Springfield in, Lund out?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Hey, apologize, but today was one of the longest days in my short professional career. So many rumors swirling around but nothing too concrete. Here are the two short stories that will be in Tuesday’s paper.
Executives from the Edmonton Oilers’ National Hockey League organization have visited Oklahoma City and the Ford Center and the Blazers Ice Centre, sources confirmed Monday.
The Oilers’ executives reportedly met with city officials about the possibility of Oklahoma City becoming the NHL team’s top farm team in the Triple-A American Hockey League franchise in the near future.
“We’ve had multiple and consistent inquiries from NHL teams about our market through the years, and those inquiries have included different levels of interest involving their farm teams,” Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett said Monday night.
Edmonton’s current AHL franchise, the Springfield Falcons, is based in Massachusetts. That franchise has a contract with Edmonton through 2010.
“The NHL recognizes several things about our market. That it’s big, that the Blazers have been a success and that we have a good fan base,” Cornett said. “If you think of those things, it’s only natural that when they think about where they are going to put their teams they think about Oklahoma City.”
Oklahoma City, which has been in the Double-A Central Hockey League since 1992, has been a constant leader in minor-pro hockey attendance. Oklahoma City often ranks in the top five among all minor-pro teams in North America.
The Blazers are averaging 6,227 fans through nine games this season, which ranks No. 1 in the 16-team CHL. The Blazers’ current attendance number would rate sixth in the 29-team AHL, behind Hershey, Pa.; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Chicago; Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Pa.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Kansas City Blades of the old International Hockey League considered a move to Oklahoma City in 2000. The original, Triple-A IHL folded in 2001, and a new, six-team league was formed in 2007. The current IHL is of Double-A caliber, which is the same level as the Blazers and CHL.
Sports editor Mike Sherman contributed to this report.
And then there’s this short blurb on the departure of Brad Lund. I am hoping Lund will return my calls in the next couple of days.
Brad Lund, a key figure in the success of the Oklahoma City Blazers since the minor-league hockey franchise’s inception, has left the team, multiple sources confirmed.
Lund declined comment when contacted Monday evening.
Lund had been chief executive officer with Express Sports, which owns the Blazers and stages three Professional Bull Riding events in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Nashville. He has been with the Blazers in some capacity since the Central Hockey League returned to Oklahoma City in 1992.
Vandermeer gets honor…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Oklahoma City Blazers forward Bill Vandermeer entered last week having not scored a goal in five games. He enters this week being named the Oakley Central Hockey League Player of the Week.
Vandermeer scored four goals and had two assists as the Blazers were 3-0 last week. Vandermeer scored a goal in each of the three games.
The Blazers (12-1-2) are off to their best start in franchise history and return to the Ford Center on Wednesday against Amarillo.
But still no word on the management shakeups yet.
Blazers 7, Texas 3 – Game Blog
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
10:24 – Hey, sorry about the delay. Had some issues to take care of. This will be brief because tomorrow is going to be a busy day.
Couple of things that need to get out there.
Sauter gave all credit to Chris Dashney for that third period. He said The Dash came in with a plan and the team executed it and ran out to that 6-1 lead.
Sauter was very pleased with Doull, Bill Vandermeer, Brian Passmore, Hinz and Goose.
The five PP goals is the most since Nov. 2001. The five assists by Hinz ties him with Marty Standish, George Dupont, Garrett Prosofsky and Hardy Sauter for the most in a single game.
I said it during, Sauter said it after, this was the most complete and most impressive game by Oklahoma City this season.
While the players have the day off, Monday will have management changes. I don’t have the official word but know that as soon as I do, it will be up here and NewsOK Monday morning/afternoon/night.
7:10 – This one is over. Case is closed. Nail is in the coffin. OK, that’s harsh, but that has been the most impressive performance I’ve seen from the Blazers this season.
Bill Vandermeer scored two PP goals in the first minute of the third period and it is 5-1 with 13 minutes. Wait, make that 6-1 as Oriel McHugh has scored, what else, a PP goal.
And Brennen Francon has put the exclamation point on this one with a fight.
6:40 – I’m serious. Something was said to Doull before this game. He had a beautiful take away and turned around and scored it as the Blazers ran out to a 3-0 lead. It is now 3-1 after the second period.
Brahmas put on much more pressure in the period, but Goose was up to the task. This game has a nice rhythm to it right now. When play resumes, Oklahoma City will have a 5-on-3 for 48 seconds.
Right now, I don’t know, there is not much to this one. It’s a solid effort and actually a little surprising with Franck not in net and the Blazers a little banged up.
Expect a story on Doull in tomorrow’s paper.
5:50 – I don’t know if Sauter challenged his PP unit, but it is making a statement tonight. Brian Passmore scored a beautiful rebound goal off a Oriel McHugh shot from the point and the Blazers are up 2-0 after the first period.
The Brahmas are the best team on the PP and are 0-for-2 so far while OKC is 2-3. Goose hasn’t had to make any spectacular saves yet, but he’s doing his job. Right now, that’s all you can ask.
Doull is playing great tonight. Almost like a spark was lit under him this weekend or something. And Bill Vandermeer is having some fun out there. He’s taken four shots and has scored a goal in the last two games. He’s just barely missed one a couple times tonight.
Tulsa is up on Wichita 2-1 as they start the third in the only other game in the CHL tonight.
5:25 – We have an injury. It’s not a Blazer or a Brahma. Nope, it’s referee Jon MacIsaac. There’s still 15:21 left in the first. The Brahmas enter the game with the best PP, but it was Oklahoma City that got the PP goal. Cam Doull scored from Stacey Bauman and Jeff MacDermid. Short delay is over, back to the ice.
4:30 – Blazers are in black…nice. The Goose, Doug Groenestege, is starting tonight. And Andy Franck is not suited up. In his spot is Mike Smith. Smith used to play for OU and is from Alaska. He has been signed to a five-game tryout contract. We are a half hour away from Oklahoma City (11-1-2) and Texas (9-3-1).
