05/09/2011 10:13:22 PM

During the last month of regular season hockey, TNT didn’t have much to cheer about.  Albeit, they entered the post-season as a number one seed posting a franchise best 17-5 regular season record, in cruise control three of those five losses came during the final month of the regular season play.  It was the type of play that could get them an early exit from the tourney if they weren’t careful.  Their efforts were conservative and lackadaisical and at times even teammates had it out with each other.  Goaltender Adam Weber seemed to have lost his mid-season ‘mojo’ posting a 7.60 GAA over the remaining five regular season games, a career and season low for him in that statistical category.

Entering the post-season bracket, TNT would face the winner of Team Lux and Average Benders after resting through their first round bye.  They would only need one win to advance to the championship.  As Team Lux edged Average Benders in round one, TNT got a favorable match up.  They continued their dominance over Team Lux as they would go on to prevail by a score of 12-6 and would finish the regular season and post-season with a combined record of 5-0 in action versus Team Lux.  And just like that, TNT stamped their tickets to the Championship on Sunday where they faced Thunder.  During the regular season, TNT posted a record of 3-2 vs Thunder so this would not exactly be a guaranteed win for them by any means.

When play opened up, Thunder jumped out of the gates to an early 3-0 lead.  After deliberating over calling a timeout, Assistant player-coach Jim Fish decided against it in the event TNT would need their lone time out later.  Through the first period of play, Thunder held a subtle, yet commanding 3-1 lead over TNT.  They found themselves taking unnecessary penalties and becoming frustrated with the chances they were getting and still being down two goals.  Then, TNT completely took their play to a whole new gear during the second period where they would score four unanswered goals while only allowing one late goal.  “The second period saved us.  We had to respond to their dominance in the first period.  We all needed to calm down a little bit and get back to the high scoring power known as TNT,” said a jubilant Ben Fehr in the locker room after the game as he received a Miller High Life shower from teammate Danny Kunath.  Through two periods of play, TNT held a lead of 5-4.  From then on, it was all the TNT offensive show.  The squad would then have to kill off a major penalty for the remainder of the game with just under five minutes left when forward Jim Fish was ejected for fighting.  Thunder would only be able to muster up one goal in the final minutes, even attempting the pulled goalie for the two man advantage.  With a final score of 7-5, TNT had many more chances than the score indicated.

The offense was very much spread out and the TNT forwards kept the same pace throughout the game rotating three lines, all with scoring ability.  Much to the notice of TNT teammates and fans alike, defensemen Ryan Lessnau and Ryan Latreille displayed a defensive performance like none other disallowing all chances Thunder had during their time on ice.  The defensive pair, known in the locker room as ‘Ryan Squared,’ did not allow a goal for their second consecutive game.  Said Lessnau in a post game presser, “…teams just cant score on us when we’re out there.  Webs owes us big time.”  With this being the first title brought home in TNT franchise history, I would say “big time” is right.  Next game is TBA.

Notes:  Defenseman Matt Broadus threw up during the game but returned to not miss a single shift and was quoted as saying “It’s OK…It’s just beer.” …Forward Peter Vollbrecht also did not allow a goal during his time on ice Sunday night. …Despite allowing 5 goals, Goaltender Adam Weber played a solid game making a number of key saves to keep the contest with TNT’s grasp. …TNT did not exactly have champagne to celebrate, but did drink from the cup with the champagne of beers.

04/15/2011 07:41:09 AM

The residents of Alberta can finally breathe a sigh of relief after TNT’s Wednesday night victory over Average Benders.  The win not only sealed the first seed heading into the month’s end tournament, but also gave TNT their first President’s Trophy in franchise history.  Clinching first place is a feat that TNT had a chance to secure for three weeks now but could not seem to muster up a win.  Prior to the game, the boys in black and orange were amidst their first three game losing streak of the season with consecutive losses to North Stars, Thunder and Average Benders.  A loss on Wednesday night would have extended the losing streak to 4 games, another franchise first.

“We had to come out with a sense of urgency.  April is playoff hockey and this team knows what it takes to go all the way.  By locking up first place, we just gave ourselves a better chance of winning it all,” said play-coach and GM Brian Long after the game.  Long, as well as all the other returning players from last year’s TNT squad, remembers the OT loss to North Stars last April.  “It’s something that has fueled this team all year.  Guys want to win it for each other, we feel like this has been our year since day one,” Long went on to add.  A source close to the team has indicated that Long still keeps the bottle of celebratory champagne from last year’s campaign.

TNT will play host to 5 Holes for the regular season finale this coming Sunday.  This season, TNT holds a 4-0 record versus the struggling club and a goal differential of +45.  If the trend continues, TNT will finish the regular season with 17 wins and 51 points.  “We just have to make the most of the these final games here to get ourselves ready for the tournament.  The other teams are going to be looking to knock us off, so we have to be prepared,” said forward Peter Vollbrecht.

Should the traditional tournament format be adopted from the previous seasons, TNT, along with the second place seed, will likely get a first round bye and then face the lowest seed remaining in the semi-finals.  Chances are they will have to go through Thunder or Team Lux to advance to the finals.  Sunday’s game versus 5 Holes is at 8:55pm.  Beer duty is TBD.

Notes:  …Defenseman Roland Baggot hands down had the hit of the game when he threw a pick on his own defensive partner, Shawn Fehr, in front of TNT’s net. …Forward Jim Fish returned to the line-up after serving a one-game, self-imposed suspension for his antics during the last match up with Average Benders. …This coming Sunday’s game will mark the 2010-11 home finale where the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive special TNT spit-resistant ponchos.

Dating back to last season, the North Stars seem to know how to beat TNT when it matters most.  For those who do not remember, let me refresh your memory.  The North Stars are the reason TNT locked up 2nd place last year by denying them a championship victory in OT.  In the final meeting between the two teams this regular season, they had no problem dominating TNT even with all the troops back on the bench.  It wasn’t even a week ago when TNT’s thinned out squad of 7 rag-tag skaters handed this very same North Stars team their 7th loss of the season.  Only this time, a combination of poor defensive play, no offensive punch and too many penalties sealed TNT’s fate.  Plus, North Stars had a loss from Wednesday night fresh on their minds.

“We didn’t have enough scoring and we had too much poor defensive play and bad goaltending,” said defenseman Matt Broadus, who returned to the lineup this week.  He went on to add, “This might be a good wake up call for us this late in the season.  We got a bit on ‘auto-pilot’ here the past few weeks with the win streak, so we’ll be able to take some positive out of this.”  This was only the fifth game this season TNT has been held to 5 goals or less.  In a last ditch effort, forward Ryan Lessnau suited up for the final 10 minutes of play hoping to spark the troops one last time for a comeback rally.  Lessnau, slated to be a healthy scratch for the game, provided some energy but it simply was not enough to bring TNT back to life.  TNT will just have to take this game as a lesson learned.  It is still very possible that these teams could face each other again in the finale for a championship rematch (Detroit and Pittsburgh style…same magnitude).

Most of the time this is where we would highlight some pivotal saves and highlight-reel goals, but let’s omit that this week.

Presented with a chance to lock up first place for the regular season going into last Sunday’s game, TNT folded under the pressure.  However, they will have an opportunity to accomplish that same feat again this weekend.  If they can get back on course and beat Average Benders, they will secure their first President’s Trophy in franchise history.  With only four more regular season games remaining, there is not much time remaining to finely tune the well-oiled TNT machine.  Next game is Sunday, 04/03 at 7:10pm.  Beer duty is TBD.

Notes:  The season series between TNT and North Stars finished 2-2.  …According to a fan poll on GoAGame.com, 83% of men’s league fans would like to see a post-season rematch between these two clubs. …In the five games TNT has scored 5 or less goals this season, they have a record of 2-3.

There was plenty of ice time to go around for all TNT skaters Wednesday night… all 7 of them.  TNT was about 2 more players on a softball team away from a forfeit.  In a rare mid-week match, TNT played host to second place North Stars mustering up a team four forwards and three defensemen.  However, no thanks to Jim Fish, Ben Fehr, Matt Broadus, Danny Kunath, Brian Long, and Chris Day who missed the game for various reasons, the squad of seven went on to prevail 5-2.  It was the first of two back-to-back games against them.  The North Stars jumped out to an early 1-0 lead during the first period, but TNT was able to right the ship and buckle down defensively while applying offensive pressure.  Forward Brandon Latreille, who was a game-time decision with an ailing back, went on to post two goals in the contest.  Said forward Pete Vollbrecht on the collective effort, “We really had to dig deep for this win.  Anytime you can get the points this late in the season with such a limited crew really speaks to the character of your team.”

With a 3-2 lead going into the 3rd period, TNT knew they had to come out and get the next goal to put away the North Stars.  Storming out of the gates for the 3rd, TNT got the next two goals which would eventually seal the victory.  Majority of the 3rd period was spent making sure they did not give up any more chances.

Turning in his best rendition of Pekka Rinne, goaltender Adam Weber made a number of spectacular — and quite uncharacteristic — saves.  In only allowing two goals, his GAA was lowered to 3.82.  He remains the leader among all goaltender stats for the entire league.  During this 8 game win streak, Weber’s GAA is an unheard of 3.37.  Some of the saves Weber made was to the surprise of his teammates who were quite impressed.  When asked about the level of his play during the win streak, a humble Weber only wanted to credit his defense. “Maybe I make a few saves here and there to help the guys out, but really I owe a lot of credit to my defense.  They have been playing very solid….mainly Ryan Latreille,” said Weber.

With only 5 regular season games remaining, TNT still has a couple of road blocks ahead of them looking at the schedule.  After they face North Stars again this Sunday, TNT still has a date with Thunder in a couple weeks.  To say the least, it will be interesting to see how things play out for seeds 2-6.  Any information regarding a post-season is yet to surface but it is safe to assume TNT will more than likely face 5 Holes in the first round of playoffs with one more victory.  TNT will drop the puck against North Stars Sunday, 03/27 at 8:55PM.  Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: TNT stretched their winning streak to 8; a first in franchise history. This game is only the second time this season TNT has won when only scoring 5 goals…Defenseman Roland Baggot recorded his first multi-point game since Nov. 21 with 2 assists. …With one more win over North Stars on Sunday, TNT can clinch the President’s Trophy for best regular season record – which would also be a franchise first.

The record setting trend continued for TNT’s season on Sunday night when they notched their seventh consecutive victory with a win over Team Lux by a score of 15-5. It marks the first seven game win streak in TNT’s storied franchise history. The win came in their typical fashion – opening up the scoring early and continuing heavily throughout the contest. Jim Fish had another big night posting 6 tallies with forward Danny Kunath adding another 4 markers in the win. With the scoring contribution coming from a number of different players, the big story of the night was TNT’s first full roster since late November. Fresh off the injured reserve list, TNT welcomed back forwards Ryan Lessnau (shoulder) and local fan favorite Brian Long (hand) who both underwent surgeries this past winter to repair their respective injuries. The team also saw the return of forward Brandon Latreille and defenseman Ryan Latreille who have been withheld from team activities for the past month due to a coach’s decision.

“It felt really good to get back out there. My hand still isn’t healed all the way yet, but I needed to get back so I could challenge [Jim] Fish for the scoring title,” said a confident Brian Long after posting a hat trick in the game. Much to the speculation of the TNT fan base, there is yet to be an official changing of the guard with Fish still holding the “interim” title as coach and GM, even with Long back. When asked about Fish’s role after the game Long simply put, “There’s nothing to talk about at this point. Let’s just say that Fish performed above expectations in regards to leading the team during my absence.”

In what is becoming a consistent form of play, goaltender Adam Weber played another solid game. With the win, Weber went on the register 10 saves on 15 shots. He continues to set career marks in the goals against column moving the average to 3.93 through 16 games this season. With such a commanding lead in the league, he is making a large bid to win the Brian Dorfman Memorial Trophy for outstanding performance by a goaltender during the regular season.

With playoffs only a few short weeks away, TNT will very much be the heavy favorite to win it all entering the tournament. In fact, it is more than likely going to be their title to lose. Coming within one win the past two seasons has this team ready for a championship title. These next two games will be very pivotal match ups when TNT will see back to back road games against second place North Stars. TNT is off this coming Sunday and does not play again until Wednesday, Mar. 23rd @ 8:55PM. Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: After being waived earlier this season when suffering his shoulder injury, forward Ryan Lessnau cleared re-entry waivers to re-join the team – his first game back since Nov. 14. …Jeff Day officially looks like a forward version Bill Houlder. …TNT is now 6-0 when scoring at least 12 goals.

The first 10 minutes of the game indicated things could get out of hand pretty fast for TNT. However, thanks to a well-balanced scoring effort and solid goaltending, TNT was able to fight back and score 9 unanswered goals resulting in a 9-3 victory Sunday night against Team Lux. To help matters, player-coach and interim GM Jim Fish called an opportune time-out after Team Lux took a quick 3-0 lead. “We were slow coming out of the gate and they got three quick goals on us. Anytime your on the road,being down early makes it more difficult to stay in the game…I felt like we needed a time-out there,” commented Fish when asked about his bold strategy.

Not known for being a “player’s coach,” Fish was able to rally the troops during the TO and help bring TNT back into the game within one goal by the end of the first period. “He really inspired me to play better. Plus, I had lots of family members at the game so I really wanted to work harder than normal,” stated forward Ben Fehr in the locker room. All around, the defensive effort responded very well after giving up three quick goals, also. Goaltender Adam Weber went on to slam the door on all remaining shots, including a late Team Lux breakaway. Weber also got away with his famous “the-guys-are-tired-and-the-net-accidentally-came-off” move several times throughout the game. When asked about the move after the game Weber simply stated, “I don’t know what you’re talking aboat…the net came off.” Weber lowered his GAA average to 3.76, a new career-low and league’s best in the category.

In addition to Weber’s outstanding performance, he had five other TNT skaters to thank for their sound defensive play. Forwards Brandon Latreille, Peter Vollbrecht and Shawn Fehr, as well as defensemen Chris Day and Ryan Latreille did not allow a goal during their time on ice Sunday evening. “It was nice to have a lot of help tonight. We gave up very few opportunities once we got over our lapse at the beginning,” said Weber in a post-game conference. Slated for a two week break, TNT will get some rest before facing Average Benders on Feb. 13th at 8:55PM. They will look to extend their win streak to 5. It would be their second 5 game winning streak of the season. Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: TNT now posts the largest goal differential in the entire league with a +72. …Forward Ben Fehr returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with a nagging ankle injury. …Highly touted defenseman Chris Day posted his first goal Sunday night since joining TNT last month. …Defenseman Matt Broadus still looks like the late Merlin Olsen with his neck beard.

FRANKLIN, TN — Adam Weber posted his best game in net since Halloween Sunday night when TNT bested Thunder in a 5-2 victory. Thunder’s second goal was more than questionable as Weber came up big with a save on a breakaway only to have it signaled as a goal moments later. “Everyone knows that puck didn’t go in. We won 5-1…period,” said Weber post game. With allowing only two goals, Weber improved his GAA to 4.00 on the season and turned in his best performance since posting a shutout on October 31st. He went on to add, “We’re playing good hockey right now going into the two week break. This was a great win defensively for us.”

TNT skated with only 9 skaters due to a last minute roster change which would include forward Brandon Latreille listed as ‘inactive.’ Said newly-appointed ‘interim’ player-coach and GM Jim Fish after the game, “We tried to go with 6 forwards and 3 D for the second period, but just didn’t have the gas. I got upset with Ryan [Latreille] for pulling off a toe drag in the defensive zone and shouldn’t have. I was out of line.” Fish would end up putting the nail in the coffin scoring TNT’s fifth goal with only 2:38 remaining in regulation. Ensuing after the goal were the cheap shots and trash talk that is beginning to become a bit of a standard for Thunder. At the threshold of a bench-clearing melee, the referees decided to call the game and award the victory to TNT two and a half minutes early.

The win moved TNT’s overall record at the halfway point of the season to 9-2-0, the best first half of a season recorded in franchise history. TNT also firmed up their grasp on first place with Sunday night’s victory, recording a league-leading 27 points. Thunder, on the other hand, moved to 6-5-0 with the loss and also dropped a spot in the rankings from third to fourth; TNT holds the advantage in the season series between the two clubs with a 2-1-0 record. The boys will take a two week break for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays approaching, returning Sunday, Jan. 9th to face 5 Holes at 4:25PM. This will be the third meeting with the 5 Holes after the first two have been landslide TNT victories. Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: Forward/defenseman Chris Day (brother of forward Jeff Day) made his TNT debut after being called up due to the recent wave of injuries. …Power play struggles continued for TNT going 1 for 9 with the man advantage Sunday night. …Goaltender Adam Weber received the game puck and along with a standing ovation from his teammates as he exited the locker room for his solid performance.

FRANKLIN — The scoreboard said it all after the 5-3 loss to the North Stars on Sunday night…the offense was completely nonexistent. TNT was held to its lowest scoring outing of the season, posting a season-low 3 goals in 60 minutes of play. Sole possession of first place was at stake for TNT being presented with the opportunity to widen their margin in the standings. For the past few weeks, TNT has been able to enjoy their view from the top, but with the North Stars getting their 7th win of the season, they are once again tied for first. It looked like a promising win in the making early on, with forward Brandon Latreille scoring off a bizarre play in the first shift of the game. Latreille had one tally on the night in his return to the lineup with two other guys getting the other two tallies.

“It seems like we’ve been struggling a bit lately, but its just one loss so we have to get back on track,” said forward Ben Fehr in a phone interview. Fehr, who is listed as day-to-day after suffering a shoulder injury, watched his team stumble through the loss from upstairs Sunday night. He went on to add, “Webs looked terrible. He needs to start a new diet with fewer cupcakes because he had at least three Sunday night.” Weber, who’s save percentage was at the top of the league previously, now posts a 4.22 goals against average through nine games.

The TNT bench was short yet again with scratches to Fehr, forward Jeff Day and defenseman Matt Broadus. Forward Ryan Lessnau (shoulder) missed his third consecutive game and remains on the injured-reserve list. TNT was able to roll with the standard two line combination during the game, but came up a bit short on defense rotating just three skaters. It was apparent the fatigue was setting in during the course of the third period, with the boys blowing a 3-1 lead entering the final period of play.

The offense got a much needed boost from sub forwards Shawn Fehr and Israel Ceja, but fell short and could not convert on many missed chances. In an unrelated quote, forward Jim Fish commented, “I think I lost an edge…I couldn’t turn.” It was hard for many of the guys to come to grips with the fact that TNT blanked the North Stars 12-0 in their first meeting earlier this season on Halloween night. The second “cycle” of games through the league will come to close this weekend when TNT will face Average Benders in a matinee game; a team TNT has grown accustomed to beating. Their first meeting earlier this season resulted in a 9-5 TNT victory. The matinee game vs Average Benders is scheduled for 4:25PM on 12/12. Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: Although TNT lost to the North Stars, they still hole a 15-5 lead in terms of goals scored between the two meetings. …TNT currently sits on a five game winning streak over Average Benders and will look to improve that record. …Somehow, Weber is now credited with two goals, and one assist according to GoAgame.com ….Really?

The Boys in Orange and Black fought off a Thanksgiving hangover Sunday night with a decisive victory over a feisty Team Lux. A tight first period turned into a lopsided 7-2 route with a second period flury of TNT goals. Notable scratches from the TNT roster included both Latreille brothers who were sent briefly to the minor league affiliate in Chicago for “a little redirection” according to player-coach Brian Long. Also missing was center Pete Vollbrecht, who suffered an abdomenal strain during a high school alumni game back in Michigan over Thanksgiving. The spirited crowd at A-Game was treated to the TNT debut of Shawn Fehr, the older and taller brother of forward Ben Fehr. Said Ben in a post-game interview, “Coach just assumed I’d want to play on a line with my brother, but I was like, no thanks. That guy is always off-sides”. Instead, Shawn centered a line including Danny Kunath and B. Long, whose splinted thumb hindered his already marginal puck control. Kunath commented after the game, “On one play, Long got his own rebound two or three times and just kept jamming it back into the goalie’s leg. I thought, does he think it will eventually just go right through his knee pad? Don’t tell him I said this, but if you’re not 100% are you really helping TNT by coming off the DL early?” In a bizarre move, star forward Jim Fish played the entire first period at defense paired with utility sub Reed. When asked if the temporary move to defense was his choice, a notably angry Fish snapped, “what the F#*$ do you think, eh? Defense is for sucks.” Next game is Sunday 12/5 at 8:55 against North Stars. Beer duty is TBD.

Game Notes: Goalie Adam Weber fought through a nasty upper respiratory infection and turned in another stellar performance. League officials are investigating his self-prescribed regimen of over-the-counter cold remedies which included high doses of pseudoephedrine, a substance recently banned from the B-League.

FRANKLIN — TNT could not have scripted a better rebound game after coming off a disappointing loss to Thunder last week, their first loss of the season. The lopsided win over 5 Holes started early on when TNT jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the end of the first period which would result in a 14-2 final score in their favor. The abundance of TNT scoring got underway when forwards Jim Fish and Ben Fehr connected on a beautiful tic-tac-tic-tac-toe goal in the first shift of the game. “I felt like I had to really bring it this game…especially with my performance last game with the penalties and all. [Benny] and I were really firing on all cylinders tonight,” said Fish in a post-game interview. Fish posted his sixth multi-goal game of the season and sits comfortably atop the league scoring lead. Currently, Fish is on pace for a career and league high 63 goals in one season. The recipient of the scoring title (58) from the 2009-2010 season seems to only be competing with himself, as no one else is in any position to pass him. Fehr, who was questionable to start Sunday’s game with a lower body injury, showed no signs of a lingering high ankle sprain inhibiting his performance.

Goaltender Adam Weber also showed strides of returning to his early season form by stopping 14 of the 16 shots he faced. Ironically enough, three of the 16 shots Weber faced were from teammate Jim Fish. The two goals allowed by Weber on Sunday night is the second lowest number of goals allowed this season and his lowest since his shutout posted on Halloween night vs the North Stars. Weber’s GAA improved from 4.83 to 4.43 after the win Sunday. “I would’ve had the shutout, but all the guys kept saying the “S” word before the game was over. It’s their fault I didnt get the goose egg,” commented Weber after Sunday’s win.

Not to any surprise, forwards Ryan Lessnau (shoulder) and Brian Long (thumb) were both held out of Sunday’s match with upper body injuries. Lessnau, who dislocated his left shoulder last week, is on injured reserve and TNT personnel have indicated that his status could remain that way for the coming month(s). Long, on the other hand, is rumored to have skated at Monday morning’s workout and remains a possible starter for TNT’s next game on Sunday. However, sources close to the team have indicated that forwards Brandon Latreille and Peter Vollbrecht as well as defenseman Ryan Latreille will be unavailable for this Sunday’s game. On a programming note, due to the flex scheduling by A-Game Sportsplex officials, the game vs Team Lux this Sunday, 11/28, has been named “America’s Game of the Week” and is now scheduled to start at 4:25PM. Beer duty is TBD.

Notes: With Sunday’s win, TNT now posts a record of 6-1 and 18 points. …TNT has now beat 5 Holes by a combined score of 19-6 through two meetings this season. …If you go to www.goagame.com, some how on our stats sheet Weber is credited with a goal and an assist on the season. WTF?