Anyhow, the Scorpions went 1-2-0 in their three games this week, pushing their record on the season to 4-5-1 and putting them in a tie for second in the Southwest Division with Arizona. They meet the Sundogs in Prescott Valley on Tuesday, so someone will have sole possession of that second spot by the weekend.
Like the rest of you, I wasn't able to watch Friday's game at Wichita. It's a damn shame too, because it sounds like it was the kind of game that people pay good money to see. Credit both sides with fighting back to erase deficits, and credit the officiating crew with being on top of the action at the end of the regulation. That's a tough call for anyone to have to make, but it sounds like all involved did their respective parts to ensure the right call was made.
As for Saturday, I was able to watch the game and definitely wished that I'd chosen not to. First things first, full credit to the Blazers, as they showed why they're a force to be reckoned with in the Northern Conference. Still, it's difficult to watch a game that feels like it's being played at two different speeds. The Scorpions were getting beaten to pucks all over the ice and never really looked to play a controlled kind of game.
Here are a few observations/notes from this week:
- First, and most importantly, the Scorpions need to do SOMETHING to sure up their defense. In the past, the Scorpions have struggled with shoddy goaltending. And while Andrew Martin and Jason Wolfe have both had performances they would like to forget, the blame hardly rests on the them, in my opinion. The problem is the guys in front of them. Randy Murphy preaches about taking away time and space in the defensive zone, yet I have seen more freewheeling by the opposition than I remember in recent years. Part of me thinks the guys are a bit edgy with how the league has cracked down further on obstruction penalties and whatnot, but giving anyone at this level time and space is going to get you in a lot of trouble. And it has for the Scorpions, who are dead last in the league with 47 goals against in just 10 contests. On the bright side, the Scorps rank 3rd in offensive output with 41 goals for, but unless you're last year's Sundogs, run-and-gun hockey isn't going to take you to the postseason. Obviously the talent Murphy has up front has negated the relative lack of experience, but the same can't be said for the back end. I definitely feel that Murphy needs to make a move on minimum one veteran defenseman to fill those massive gaps in the back line and take the pressure off Aaron MacInnis
- Seth Leonard is getting closer and closer to game shape every day and he is finally starting to live up to his reputation. I know that his numbers don't look great right off the bat (4g, 2a, -7 in 8 games) but he's starting to find some chemistry with Craig Macdonald and Mitch Stephens, which is an encouraging sign. If Randy Murphy continues to give Leonard some creative freedom in the offensive zone, I have very high hopes for what that line can do.
- Four of the Scorpions' next 7 games are against Arizona, which means a ton of divisional points are up for grabs. Clearly the Sundogs have yet to find their stride as well, so you know both Randy Murphy and Marco Pietroniro are pressing their respective squads to clamp down and grab some points that could potentially make-or-break a playoff birth down the road
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