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Tag: Connecticut Whale

  • January 14th, 2019 — News and Notes

    January 14th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Monday, january 14th, 2019, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were six games that took place yesterday.

     

    CAROLINA 6, Nashville 3

     

    Carolina Hurricanes Sebastian Aho would go on to record a hat trick in the contest and Nashville Predators Filip Forsberg would go on to have a two goal performance in the Carolina’s 6-3 win.

    Aho would be the fourth player in the franchise history of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes to begin their career with the franchise and  have three seasons with at least 20 goals.

     

    Justin Williams would also extend his goal scoring streak to five games and be the sixth player to do this at the age of 37 or older.

     

    WINNIPEG 4, Anaheim 3 (OT)

    The Winnipeg Jets would win this contest with 11 seconds left to take down the Anaheim Ducks 4-3.  Winnipeg’s Bryan Little would score his 10th goal on the season with this game winner.

    Winnipeg Jets Patrik Laine would join a rare company when he scored his 25th goal on the season.

     

    He would be the seventh player in League history to have at least three 25 goal seasons before their 21st birthday.

     

    COLUMBUS 7, NY Rangers 5

     

    Before the contest between both teams, Rick Nash, who had played for both franchises in his career, participated in the ceremonial puck drop.

     

     

    Columbus would go on to win its third game in four days in this contest when they went on to defeat the New York Rangers by the score of 7-5.

     

     

    NY ISLANDERS 5, Tampa Bay 1

    The New York Islanders faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning and would win the contest 5-1.  With the Islanders win, they would snap the Lightning’s 12 game win streak against Metropolitan division opponents.

     

    NY Islanders goaltender Thomas Griess would go on to have a 26 save performance in this contest to extend the hot streak that the Islanders have been on.  The team has won eight out of their last ten contests.

    The Lightning now has a record of 35-9-2 on the season, good for 72 points.

     

    VANCOUVER 5, Florida 1

    Vancouver’s Loui Eriksson would open up the scoring in the second period for the Canucks when he scored his eighth goal in the season, giving Vancouver the 1-0 lead at the 12:32 mark.

    Late in the third period, Brock Boeser and Jay Beagle would both score empty net goals, sealing the 5-1 win for the Canucks.

    Eriksson had a four-point night to top all scorers for points in the game.

     

    CALGARY 7, Arizona 1

    The Calgary Flames would take on the Arizona Coyotes last night and the Flames would drub the Coyotes, winning the contest by the score of 7-1.

    Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano would score twice in the contest and Johnny Gaudreau would score a goal and have an assist in the contest.

    Arizona’s lone goal would come on a power play from Jordan Oesterle late in the second period.  Arizona cold never get out of the box and would fall behind early.

    With this contest, the Flames would hold onto their best record in the Western Conference and now has a record of 30-13-4 (64 pts) Arizona has a record of 20-22-3 (43 pts).

     

    https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1084696525958144000

     

    Today’s Schedule of Games…

     

     

     

    NWHL

     

    Saturday in the two NWHL contests…

     

    BOXSCORE: Buffalo Beauts 5, Metropolitan Riveters 1

     

     

    For the first time since the 2018 Isobel Cup Final last March, the Buffalo Beauts and Metropolitan Riveters faced off and the Beauts would walk away with a dominant 5-1 win over the Riveters at HarborCenter yesterday afternoon in the NWHL Twitter Game of the Week.

    Buffalo’s Hayley Scamurra would score twice and by doing so would tie teammate Maddie Elia for the lead in NWHL goals with nine on the season.

     

    BOXSCORE: Boston Pride 5, Minnesota Whitecaps 4

     

     

    In the contest between the Boston Pride and the Minnesota Whitecaps, The Pride went on to defeat the Whitecaps by the score of 5-4.

    This was a contest for the battle for first place overall in the NWHL standings and this contest was playded before a sold out crowd at the Warrior Ice Arena.

    This was the first contest since the Pride announced the new partnership with the NHL’s Boston Bruins.

    The scoring in this contest would be fast and furious as the Whitecaps would open up the scoring in the first period when Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield would score at the 3:25 mark.  Then Boston would even the score just 35 seconds later when Kaleigh Fratkin scored her second goal on the season.

    Then at the 6:24 mark, Boston’s Amanda Pelkey would score her fourth goal on the season.  Almost two minutes later, Minnesota’s Amanda Menke would even the score at 2 a piece.  After that, the Pride would score three unanswered goals to give the Pride a 5-2 lead at the end of the first period.

    The second and third periods were quiet on the scoring front for the Pride but the Whitecaps would score a goal in each period.  However, that would not be enough as the Minnesota Whitecaps would fall to the Pride in their first game on the weekend.

     

     

    Yesterday’s action in the NWHL…

     

    BOXSCORE: Minnesota Whitecaps 4, Connecticut Whale 1

     

     

    After falling to the Boston Pride 5-2 on Saturday night, the Minnesota Whitecaps would have a dominant performance against the Connecticut Whale and would defeat the Whale by the score of 4-1.

    Minnesota’s Janna Curtis would open up the scoring for the Whitecaps with her goal at the 6:58 mark in the first period, her sixth on the season.  Then about six minutes later, Hannah Brandt would score a goal on the power play to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead.

    Minnesota goaltender Amanda Leveille would once again have a contest with great saves and would register 26 saves in the contest.

    Amy Menke would have a great game, registering two assists before getting a goal of her own about halfway through the second period.

    Despite having four minutes of power play time in the third period, the Whale would not convert on the chances given and would fall to the Whitecaps.

     

    Upcoming games in the NWHL:

     

    • January 19: Connecticut Whale at Minnesota Whitecaps (Twitter Game of the Week)
    • January 20: Boston Pride at Metropolitan Riveters; Connecticut Whale at Minnesota Whitecaps
    • January 26: Boston Pride at Buffalo Beauts (Twitter Game of the Week)
    • February 2: Buffalo Beauts at Metropolitan Riveters (Twitter Game of the Week); Connecticut Whale at Boston Pride
  • Sorokina Returns To Haunt The Whale

    Sorokina Returns To Haunt The Whale

    The Connecticut Whale faced off for the last time against the Metropolitan Riveters this season. It was a spirited bout that saw the Riveters pick up the 6-3 win over the Whale, giving both teams a split in the season series. Earlier in the week, the Connecticut Whale and the Metropolitan Riveters made a trade with each other, which saw backup Whale goalkeeper Maria Sorokina be shipped to the Riveters in exchange for future considerations.

    Here is a quick summary of the game, in which the Whale went down two goals before the ten minute mark of the first period. The first goal coming from Audra Richards, which is her first time scoring on the road this season. The second goal came from Madison Packer, on the breakaway, after a beautiful pass from Amanda Kessel. The Whale managed to get one back, as Nina Rodgers got the goal, when a Riveters penalty expired.

    The Riveters would add another goal before the period ended, and it was Alexa Gruschow with the goal.

    In the second period, there was a net mouth scramble in which Kayla Meneghin, while unfortunately not credited with an assist on the play, tied up traffic in front for Jamie Goldsmith to sweep the puck in the net. This goal is Goldsmith’s first of the year and it breaks her drought.

    The Riveters would then rattle off two more unanswered goals in the second. Goals coming from Rebecca Russo, off a rebound in front of the net; and Audra Richards notching her second goal of the game. Coincidentally, both goals she scored this game came via the power play. With her two goals in this game, it pushes her goal totals to eight. In the third period, the Whale would strike first and fast, as the puck went across the crease and Emily Fluke had a wide open net to shoot at; her goal coming on the power play.

    That would be as close as it gets for the Whale, as almost four minutes later, Miye D’Oench would notch an insurance marker for the Riveters, sealing them the victory.

    Some notable stats for some players in this game, Maria Sorokina would record 18 saves on 21 shots, and Räisänen would make 13 saves on 19 shots in the game. Madison Packer had a goal and three assists for four points in the game. Amanda Kessel had five assists on the game and a lot of them were really pretty. For the Whale, Katerina Mrázová improved her point totals adding two assists in the game.

    The Whale’s penalty kill coming into the game was the best in the league. Unfortunately they suffered a less than stellar performance. The penalty kill gave up two goals, both to Audra Richards. It really is something that they should forget, as the penalty kill has been one of the best things about the team all season long.

    It’s not going to get any easier for the Whale, as their next three games will be against the Whitecaps. The first of the three games will be on Sunday January 13th at Terry Conners Rink, at 3p.

    Boxscore
    https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207053?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

    Video Highlights

  • December 31st, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 31st, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is December 31st, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There was one contest yesterday in the NHL.

     

    Vegas 5, ARIZONA 1

     

    Arizona Coyotes Oliver Ekman-Larsson would collect his 312th career point to surpass Keith Yandle for the most points in Coyotes history as a defenceman since the club relocated to Arizona in 1996-97.

    However , he still trails Fredrik Olausson and Dave Babych in the long history of the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes history for most points as a defenceman.

     

     

     

    Marc-Andre Fleury would move to 6-0-3 in his last nine contests with the win over the Coyotes.

     

     

    With the Vegas’ win, they are the first team in League history to have at least 50 points in the standings in their first two seasons before January 1.  The Golden Knights are also now tied for first place in the Western Conference standings.

     

     

    There is a 13 game slate today and that kicks off with the Washington Capitals taking on the Nashville Predators at 12:30 p.m., ET.  You can read TXHT’s preview of that contest at the following page.

    Gameday Preview – 12/31/2018 – Nashville Predators v. Washington Capitals

     

     

    Yesterday there were two contests in the NWHL.

     

     

    For the fourth and final time on the NWHL season, the Buffalo Beauts would go on to shutout the Minnesota Whitecaps by the score of 4-0.

    Buffalo’s Maddie Elia would have a hand on all four of the goals scored by the Beauts in this contest with two goals and two assists.

    With three minutes left in the first period, the Beauts would open up the scoring when Elia would re-direct a pass from Emily Pflazer from the top of the face-off circle to get the puck past the Whitecaps goaltender, Amanda Leveille.

    In the second period at the 3:15 mark, Pflazer would score off of asssits from Elia and Dani Cameranesi and then Hayley Scammura would make the score 3-0 with her goal at the 11:47 mark.

    Elia would score the final goal of the contest at the 12:35 mark in the third period.

    Buffalo’s win would prevent the Minnesota Whitecaps from sweeping the season series.

    The contest would not be without a penalty filled game, however.

     

    Buffalo Beauts vs. Minnesota Whitecaps Box Score

     

    The Boston Pride would go on to defeat the Connecticut Whale 2-1 thanks to Haley Skarupa scoring the game winner 37 seconds into the overtime frame yesterday afternoon.

    The Pride would open up the scoring when Toni Ann Miano netted her second goal of the season in the first period.  The contest would stay at 1-0 until Michelle Lowenheim scored the first NWHL goal of her career with less than five minutes left in the second period.

     

     

    Upcoming contests in the NWHL:

    • January 5th, 2019: Boston Pride at Buffalo Beauts (NWHL Twitter Game of the Week)
    • January 6th, 2019: Metropolitan Riveters at Connecticut Whale
    • January 12th, 2019: Metropolitan Riveters at Buffalo Beauts (NWHL Twitter Game of the Week)
    • January 12th, 2019: Minnesota Whitecaps at Boston Pride
    • January 13th, 2019: Minnesota Whitecaps at Connecticut Whale

     

    Day 5 of the the 2019 World Juniors had two contests…

     

     

    Today for Day 6 of the 2019 World Junior Championships, there are four games on tap.

  • NWHL – Whale And Pride Set To Clash Before The New Year

    NWHL – Whale And Pride Set To Clash Before The New Year

    I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays, because there is actually some NWHL action to be played this weekend! The Connecticut Whale and the Boston Pride are set to play against each other on December 30th in Stamford, CT. This will inevitably be a tough matchup for the Whale, as the Pride boast being the league leaders at this point of the season; eking out top spot from the Minnesota Whitecaps with a better goal differential.
    The last game that these two teams played against each other was all the way back on October 20th in which, the Boston Pride came out on top by a final score of 4-2. The goals in that game for the Pride came from Emily Field, Lauren Kelly, McKenna Brand, and Gold Medalist Gigi Marvin. In net for the Pride was Katie Burt, who made 13 saves in the game. For the Whale, it was Meeri Räisänen in net, making 28 saves off of 31 shots in the game. Goals for the Whale came from Katerina Mrázová and Emily Fluke.
    The last game that the Pride played, back on December 9th, was against the defending Isobel Cup Champions Metropolitan Riveters, they came away with a 5-2 victory in Newark. Goals in that game came from Amanda Pelkey, Dana Trivigno, Kaleigh Fratkin, Mallory Souliotis, and McKenna Brand. It was Katie Burt again playing and making 21 saves off of 23 shots.
    The last game that the Whale played, back on December 8th, was against the Buffalo Beauts in Buffalo. The game ended in defeat for the Whale by the final score of 3-1. It was a tough game that day, as Katerina Mrázová got the lone goal for the Whale and Meeri Räisänen made 32 saves off of 35 shots in the game.

    3 Players to Watch

    Emily Fluke: She really loves to play against Boston; no I mean really loves to play Boston. In the 7 career games she has played against the Pride, she has tallied 4 goals and added 3 assists for 7 points!

    Katerina Mrázová: Her first NWHL goal came against the Pride, and it set her off on a goal scoring streak. In the 6 games she’s played, she has scored 6 goals in her last 5 games.

    Meeri Räisänen: In her last game against the Pride, she made 28 saves. In her last 3 games though, she has faced 104 shots and has made an impressive 98 saves.

    3 Dark Horse Players to Watch

    Nina Rodgers: The rookie from Boston University has been playing pretty well these last few games. She has been building off her 2 point performance in Pittsburgh, and with more attention possibly thrown at Mrázová and Fluke, she might get more offensive chances.

    Jamie Goldsmith: Having been one of the hardest working players for the Whale this season, and probably one of their best penalty killers. Her last goal came against the Pride last season, and maybe this is the game where she breaks her drought.

    Jordan Brickner: The only player on the Whale team who can boast that she is in the plus category of the plus minus stat; the veteran defensemen, like Jamie Goldsmith, her last goal came against the Pride last season. Maybe this is the game where she can also break her drought.

    The game will be played at Terry Conners Rink at 3p, and you can watch the game here:
    https://www.nwhl.zone/watch

  • Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    As 2018 draws to a close, and we head into the holiday season, now is a good time to reflect on the season that has been so far. I have often stated that the Whale this season have shown signs of improvement from last year; so I would like to compare and contrast the team last season, to the team this season. Each team, at this point of the year, have each played seven games on the season.
    Last year, at this time, the Whale’s record was two wins, five losses. They scored 11 goals at that point, and unfortunately given up 24 goals against, giving them a goal differential of -13. This season, the team’s record is two wins, four losses, and one shootout loss.

     

    They’ve scored 12 times this season and have given up 23 goals against, for a goal differential of -11. Although seemingly having very similar records, when you look closely at the difference in stats from this season compared to last season, it’s where you begin to notice the signs of improvement the team has gone through.
    Even though the goal totals have remained about the same, there are differences as to who leads the team in each department. Through seven games last season, there was a three way tie for the goals lead.

     

    Leading the way then was Kelly Babstock, who now plays for the Beauts; Sam Faber, who retired before the season started; and Emily Fluke, who is now the captain of the team. Each of these three players had two goals through seven games. Leading in the assist department was Kelly Babstock, she posted four assists through seven games, bringing her point totals to six.
    This year has been completely different, as it has been the rookie NWHLer and Czech native Katerina Mrázová who has been leading the way with six goals on the season. The six goals she has scored have come in her last five games.

     

    It seems that everything she is throwing at the net has gone in; she also finds herself in the right areas on the ice to put the biscuit in the basket. In her last game, she had a nice deflection goal off a shot that came from Emily Fluke.

     

     

    Additionally, Mrázová leads the team with eight points on the year, including two power play goals and one coming while the team was shorthanded. In terms of the setup, there is a tie for the team lead in assists. It is captain Emily Fluke and rookie NWHLer Michelle Löwenhielm who both have three assists on the year. One of Fluke’s assists on the year came via the power play; while Löwenhielm has had an assist on the power play and the penalty kill, feeding both goals to Mrázová.

     

     

    Although the team has a goal differential of -11, there is actually somebody on the team who is in the plus category of the plus/minus stat. She is the only one on the team who can say this and the honor goes to the veteran defensemen Jordan Brickner, who is a plus one.
    One of the biggest differences between last year’s team and this season has been the penalty kill. I know, I know, I have talked about the penalty kill to death, but it really needs to be continually stated how good the penalty kill has been all season long.

    Currently, the Whale has a 96 percent penalty kill rating, which is best in the league right now. Upon further inspection of the stats, they’ve been on the penalty kill 25 times this season through seven games.

     

    They have only been scored on ONCE all season long. The lone goal came from the Boston Pride on October 20th. Compare this to last season, through seven games; they went on the penalty kill 28 times, and the Whale were burned for seven goals through those games.

     

    As we have learned this season, a good penalty kill can stymie the opposition and can gather momentum, which can lead to greater offensive chances. The Whale proved that this was the case in the games against the Riveters.

     

     

    The power play is slightly better than it was last year, but not by much. Last year, through seven games, the Whale only scored one power play goal on 20 attempts. The lone player who got the goal on the power play was Jamie Goldsmith, and it came against the Boston Pride.

     

    This season, the Whale have been to the power play 21 times and have only managed to score two goals from it. Which is good for a 9.5 power play percentage; both of the goals came from Mrázová, in which she scored against the Riveters and the Pride.
    Goaltending has always been a strong suit for the Whale. The past two seasons, their goaltending always kept them in games and even giving them a shot of winning. In the seven games last year, three of them were one goal games, in which the Whale boasted a 2-1 record in those games. The stellar goaltending came from Sydney Rossman, who is now a member of the Minnesota Whitecaps.

     

    There have been two one goal games this season, in which the Whale are 1-1. The goaltending this season has been nothing short of spectacular and that is all thanks to first year NWHLer and the first ever Finnish player in the league Meeri Räisänen. A very late signing in the offseason, just days before their first game, she has turned in some really incredible performances this season; which includes a shutout she recorded on her birthday against the Riveters in Pittsburgh. She has been by far, the reason why the penalty kill has been better and why the team continues to show signs of improvement.
    Earlier in the year, when I did my preview for the team, I asked three questions. This seems as good a time as any to see if we got some answers, and possibly ask some new questions for the second half of the season.

    First question: How will Emily Fluke build on her incredible rookie season?

    Earlier in the article I stated how Emily Fluke was tied for the team lead in goals through seven games with two. Well, she had also posted three assists giving her five points through those seven games, which was good for second best on the team behind Kelly Babstock. During the second half of the year, Emily Fluke went on to post another two goals and three assists, giving her 11 total points on the year and she finished with a plus 2; which was the team lead in every offensive category.
    How has she faired this season? Well, first things first, she was named captain of the Whale. A huge honor for her, I’m sure. She has transitioned into her new role very well and has registered one goal on the year, which came against the Pride (She really likes scoring against the Pride).  Additionally, she has added three assists on the year, for a total of four points through seven games. A slight dip in numbers, but she is definitely one of the hardest working players out there. It even garnered her honors of being named an NWHL All Star. Safe to say, she’s improved upon her rookie season.

    Second question: How will Cydney Roesler do in her new role of being a player/assistant coach?
    Earlier in the year, before the season started, the Whale announced that Cydney Roesler would be named an assistant coach. She was going to adjust to a new role of being player/coach. Last year, she was an assistant coach for Quinnipiac University, so it made the most sense to give her such a role. I think she has adjusted rather nicely to this role. There is always something new for her to learn while behind the bench, and she’s been on the ice in four games this season. Her first game wasn’t particularly good, a hat trick of penalties is never a good thing; but in the other three games, she definitely showed that the first game she played is not indicator of anything. I look forward to seeing her continued development in her new role.

    Third Question: Who will be the starting goalie for the Whale this season?
    As stated earlier in the article, Sydney Rossman was the starting goaltender all last season for the Whale. When the Whitecaps became an official NWHL team, she departed to go play goalie for them. She is from Minnesota, so it really made sense for her. However, it left the team looking for a new goalie. It seemed heading into the season that the goaltending tandem was going to be Sam Walther of Hamilton College or Maria Sorokina of the Russian National Team. Coincidentally, the team chose another option, Meeri Räisänen. The team signed her the same week the Whale were going to face off against the Beauts in their home opener at Terry Conners Rink. She has been the clear cut favorite for the starting goaltender spot ever since, as she has started every game this season. She boasts a record of 2-4-1, a 2.76 GAA, and a .917 save percentage, including one shutout. She was also named an NWHL All Star.

    Questions I would like to ask for the second half of the season:

    Which players can step up and help create secondary scoring?
    As great as Mrázová has been all season long, she can’t do it all by herself. The team seems to go as she goes, which is good and bad. Good, in the sense of her current hot streak; again, everything she is firing at the net is going in, but bad if she (hopefully not) starts going cold. Others will need to start stepping up and help the team score more goals.

    What role will Colleen Murphy fulfill for the team on the blue line?
    Before the Whale played the Beauts, it was said that Murphy would make her debut. She played well, having one shot on goal in the game. It will be interesting to see what the former Beaut brings to the team with her veteran presence on the blue line.

    Can the Whale continue their improvement and finish with a better record than last season?
    As stated early on in this article, the Whale were 2-5 last year through seven games, seemingly pretty similar to this season. However last season was definitely not something worth remembering or repeating because the team went on and had a 1-6-2 record in the second half to finish out the year at 3-11-2.
    The team is 2-2 in their last four games, having shaken off the cobwebs of the first three games. They have continued to show the signs of improvement; can they keep taking the steps forward and make last season a thing of the past?

     

    We will certainly find out as the next game the Whale will play will be just before the new year on December 30th against the Boston Pride in Connecticut at Terry Conners Rink. The game will be at 3p.
    Happy Holidays Whale Fans!

  • Whale Score, But Fall To The Beauts Again

    Whale Score, But Fall To The Beauts Again

     

    Well, at least it wasn’t a shutout. Also, even though she got two assists in the game, Kelly Babstock didn’t score either. So they still haven’t been burned by an ex-player. But I will dispense with the humor here. The Whale once again played a really tough game against the Beauts last night. However, this time the score reflects that; as the final yesterday was 3-1. There was good action for both teams, and the goalies played really well. It was All Star Meeri Räisänen for the Whale and her All Star teammate Shannon Szabados for the Beauts.

    In the first period, the Whale had some early power plays as Kelly Babstock was sent to the box twice before the seven minute mark of the first. However, even with the early advantage, the Whale couldn’t muster much in the way of offense. That was evidenced, as the Whale are officially credited with two shots on goal in the first. Everything looked like it would be a tie heading into the first intermission, but just before the end of the first, the Beauts Julianna Iafallo scored. With that goal, the teddy bears came flying on the ice.

    In the second period, Buffalo got off to a good start getting a goal at the two minute mark. This goal came from Hayley Scamurra. This would be Scamurra’s fourth goal against the Whale this season, and her seventh point in the three games played. With a little over half of the period played, the Whale would get one back. The captain Emily Fluke scooped up the puck and rounded the circle in the offensive zone and she took a shot which was deflected in front and off the deflection, it got by Szabados. Who got the goal? Why, none other than Katerina Mrázová of course. She was in the right place to get this goal. It would be her sixth goal of the year, and her fifth in the last four games.

    Not much happened in the third period. Both teams did trade chances; however it would be Buffalo getting the insurance marker. At the halfway mark of the period, a goal that came from Emily Janiga, which would be her first tally on the year. After that goal, the Beauts cruised on for the win.

    Not a ton to write home about in this game. The Beauts simply played a better, grittier style in their defensive zone, despite the fact that before the game, the Beauts relieved their head coach and their GM of their job. Their style of defense held the Whale to 11 shots on goal through the whole game. That’s a lot like the first game that these two teams played this season, when the Beauts held Connecticut to 10 shots all game.

    The penalty kill was once again good. I’ve said it a lot this season, but I really think that the penalty kill has been the best thing about the Whale all season long. The commitment to blocking shots and keeping teams to the outside, making the saves easier for Räisänen. Also, they have been doing a really good job getting the pucks out of the zone on every penalty kill. The Whale did an exceptional job staying out of the box and the penalty kill was perfect yet again. They stymied the Beauts and made them go 0 for 2 on their power play. This pushes their PK percentage up to 96% which is league leading and absolutely insane.

    Also quick note, making her Whale debut was former Beauts defender Colleen Murphy. She played really well, registering a shot on goal and was a -1 in the game. Definitely looking forward to the veteran presence that she will bring to the Whale blue line.

     

    3 Stars of the Game

    Meeri Räisänen: She made 32 saves in the losing effort, however; she came up big when she needed to and kept the Whale in the game. Cause let’s be honest, it could have been a whole lot worse.

    Emily Fluke: Tallying the primary assist on the Mrázová goal, she was leading the way in the offensive zone. (I actually thought the goal was her’s) She was tied with Mrázová in shots on goal in the game with two.

    Katerina Mrázová: She got another goal. It’s crazy how well she’s been playing all season long. As stated above, it’s her team leading sixth goal on the year and her fifth in the last four games.

     

    Boxscore

    Here is the boxscore of the game:

    https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207041?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

     

    The While will have some time off, but their next game will be just before the new year; December 30th at home in Stamford, Connecticut against the Boston Pride. The game will be at 3p at Terry Conners Rink.

    Happy Holidays Whale Fans!

  • Gameday Preview – 12/8/2018 – Connecticut Whale v. Buffalo Beauts

    Gameday Preview – 12/8/2018 – Connecticut Whale v. Buffalo Beauts

    Whale And Beauts Set For Third Clash Of The Season

     

    It’s game day for the Whale and they will square off against the Buffalo Beauts tonight. It’s a chance for the Whale to prove that they are much better than they were at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately in the previous two games against the Beauts; the Whale were unable to score, and the Beauts went on to win both matchups by a combined 11 goals. The first game was a final of 4-0 for the Beauts in Connecticut during the Whale home opener at Terry Conners Rink. Unfortunately the second game was worse, a 7-0 shellacking in Buffalo.

    Definitely not scores we want to see repeated. Both Beauts goaltenders recorded a shutout in those games. However, like all things there are some positives to take from the game. The puck movement for the Whale was good at the start of the year, even though the shots were lacking. In the past three games, the Whale have done a much better job at taking shots from the point and collecting rebounds, which have led to some big goals.

    The biggest positive that I noticed, seeing the boxscores of the two games played already; as it has been all year long, the Whale penalty kill has been spectacular. It stymied the Riveters in the last three games, and the Beauts are no exception either. In the two games the Whale penalty kill were perfect again, by making the Beauts go a combined 0 for 8. If the games against the Riveters proved anything, it is that momentum can be gathered from a successful penalty kill.

     

    The game will be in Buffalo at the HarborCenter at 6p and can be seen live on Twitter.

     

    3 Players to Watch

    Meeri Räisänen: Recently coming off a shutout on her birthday in Pittsburgh, she looks to continue her good play and improve upon the 93 saves she has made in the past three games.

    Katerina Mrázová: The leading scorer for the Whale is on fire. She has five goals on the year, and she has four goals in last three games.

    Haley Scamurra: In the two games she played against the Whale, she scored three goals and added three assists for six points.

     

    Boxscores

    Here is the boxscore for the first game:

    https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207010?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

     

    Here is the boxscore for the second game:

    https://www.nwhl.zone/game/show/22207013?subseason=512423&referrer=4170047

  • December 8th, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 8th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Saturday, December 8th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    DALLAS 3, San Jose 2

     

    The Dallas Stars faced off against the San Jose Sharks last night and would win this contest 3-2.

    Dallas is 10-3-1 when playing games at home on the season thus far.

    Dallas has also won their last four contests.

     

    St. Louis 1, WINNIPEG 0

    With this 1-0 St. Louis Blues win, they would snap the four-game win streak for the Winnipeg Jets.

     

    EDMONTON 7, Minnesota 2

     

    Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid now has 33 games in his career where he has at least three points in a game before his 22nd birthday.

     

    McDavid joins four other players for this exclusive list.

     

    With this win, Edmonton has won their last four home games and six out of the last seven.

     

     

    Carolina 4, ANAHEIM 1

    The Carolina Hurricanes took on the Anaheim Ducks last night and would end up winning the contest 4-1.

    Sebastian Aho would score the empty net goal to seal the win for the Hurricanes late in the third period.

     

     

     

     

    This week’s NHL European Game of the Week is the contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres

     

    In NHL news…

    The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced yesterday that Calgary Flames D Mark Giordano has been suspended for two games for kneeing Minnesota Wild’s F Mikko Koivu.

    Also, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Calgary Flames F Ryan Lomberg has been suspended for one game for leaving the player’s bench on a legal line change to start an altercation.

    This is additional discipline for the automatic suspension that was announced earlier yesterday.

     

     

    Today in the NWHL…

    The Buffalo Beauts take on the Connecticut Whale at HarborCenter today at 6 p.m., ET.

     

    In NWHL news today…

    The Buffalo Beauts announced that head coach Ric Seiling and assistant coaches Craig Muni have been relieved of their coaching duties.

     

    https://twitter.com/NWHL/status/1071210855004602368

     
    TXHT has more coverage on this news at the following page.

    Buffalo Beauts Relieve Coaches Ric Seiling and Craig Muni