Perhaps there are times in sports, even in everyday life, when we make mistakes but never really pay for them. Or at least we pay no more than the cost of listening to the taunting of our conscience and its innermost voice. Then, of course, there are times when our mistakes lead to immediate consequence and even seem to be plastered on a larger than life wide-screen for everyone to see.

Goffstown did score 4 goals and several more chances were so close but just missed. (Photo by Charron)

And that leads me to tonight’s hockey game out at Pop Whalen Arena against the Kingswood Knights. The Goffstown Grizzlies took their 9-1 record on the road to face the 2-5-1 Knights. Kingswood just got blown out, 6-0 in their last game, by Keene. That didn’t seem to matter to Kingswood, they seemed to fully understand that they were playing the #1 team in the standings. Then they proceeded to play like they needed to, to win.

Skating is hard enough without someone tugging at you as demonstrated here by Grady Chretien. (Photo by Charron)

Make no mistake, Kingswood played fast. They played hard. They won battles. They kept coming, there was no quit. In a classic example of a closer look at why things turn out the way they do, especially in hockey, there was a Knight player quickly closing the gap in the spaces that lead to the one on one battles throughout the game. I can’t say they executed better than the Grizzlies because Goffstown certainly won the puck possession contest and even hammered 38 shots on goal, not including at least 4 more that clanged off of one post or the other. It was in those spaces that needed filling where Kingswood wanted it more and took the game while Goffstown was left to watch.

I heard folks representing both teams murmuring about goaltending tonight. Goaltending is obviously huge in hockey and very visible. I’ll try to explain how I saw it as follows. If you take pictures with a camera that has a removable lens you know that the further you extend the lens away from the camera, the closer objects appear. They are magnified. Conversely, as you retract the lens the view widens and perhaps some details become less obvious.

Jacob Noonan and Kyle LaSella are ready to defend their net. (Photo by Charron)

Thus is the plight of a goalie on a night like tonight. For the Grizzlies, as the lens extended it magnified mistakes being made in all three zones, until they were fully focused on the backstop.

Kyle LaSella started in goal for the Grizzlies, and even though I am sure he would say it wasn’t his best game, he was the focal point at the end of Goffstown short comings up and down the ice. At the other end of the spectrum, Robbie Fuller made 34 saves for Kingswood and the lens retracted enough to not be so focused on the amount of time that Kingswood spent in their own end, or how difficult a time they had breaking out of their zone, or even that Goffstown was able to storm the offensive zone virtually all night. In fact, Fuller maybe made his best save of the night at 12:31 of the final period, against Goffstown’s third line, when he went post to post, right to left, to rob a Grizzlie bid. That sentence alone speaks volumes if you follow high school hockey. So, yes goaltending was huge, but no more so than the things that were happening up and down the ice.

The CBC line generated three goals at Kingswood. (Photo by Charron)

Pop Whalen Arena, as you may or may not know, is a very cold rink (built early 90’s) tucked into a little bowl of land that has a swamp out front and backs up to Abenaki Ski Area which is the oldest small ski area in the United States. The entire property is surrounded by bodies of water and the hills of central eastern New Hampshire. So even on a milder than normal evening in late January a frozen swamp, lit ski hill, and icy cold rink contributed to the wintery setting for a high school hockey clash in the Granite State.

The MGM line (Max-Gamache-Michael) has been getting stronger play over the last couple of weeks as chemistry has improved and noticeably Michael Fortin has shaken the rust off of his game after a year off from hockey. Goffstown got on the board first when Michael Fortin scored from Max Lajeunesse and Brett Lassonde at 4:30 of the first period. Brett Lassonde made a nice clearing pass from the defensive end which gave Lajeunesse some room to operate before laying a perfect pass out to a wide open Fortin skating his lane. But something seemed as if it wasn’t quite right all night. Maybe it was just me, but I had been saying for a couple of weeks that going into this barn, against this team, was not going to be easy.

It was cold enough inside Pop Whalen Arena to make snow. (Photo by Maureen Sage)

Then as if the rink, and it’s exposed rafters came into play, a fluttering pop fly of a shot sailed off of the stick of fleet skating defenseman, Burke Ruel, all the way from his own blue line and over the shoulder of Kyle LaSella into the back of the Goffstown net. The goal came at 6:21 of the period and the score was tied 1-1. At 10:23 Kingswood struck again. Sean Harrington netted his first of two goals in the game, from Sam Danais. Goffstown would answer, and even take the lead with the CBC line getting involved in the offense. Griffin Cook scored at 10:39 after Sebastian Beal and Noah Charron all handled the puck and converged, as if funneled toward the goalmouth, to bring the Grizzlies even on the scoreboard, at 2-2. It was some two and half minutes later when Charron, Beal, and Cook each took their turn with puck before Cook scored again, from Charron and Beal. Goffstown led 3-2 at the break, leading in shots 14-9, but nothing was settling about the effort, except the score.

Robbie Fuller and Sam Danais from Kingswood won the second period. Danais got an unassisted goal at 2:50 of the period which tied the game at 3-3. That’s how the period would end, but not before Goffstown squandered a pair of power play opportunities and a dominating 15-4 edge in shots on goal. Throughout the game Goffstown had three lines rolling, all of whom showed tremendous abilities to manage the puck and also to create scoring chances. The CBC line, the MGM line, and the line of Theo Milanes, Brett Branscum, and Grady Chretien, they all played well with the puck in the offensive zone.

Colby Gamache carries the puck while Jacob Noonan and Madeline Sage watch for any offenders. (Photo by Charron)

In perhaps a false sense of security Goffstown jumped out to a 4-3 lead at 0:27 of the third period. Sebastian Beal and Noah Charron essentially willed themselves to a goal with Charron getting the score from Beal. But the mistakes up and down the ice continued. Okay, maybe not all mistakes, but it was like watching as the bully took their school lunch money and the Grizzlies seemed to be unable to do anything about it. For the Goffstown faithful who all anticipated that the St. Thomas Saints were going to fly up and down the ice this past week, well that’s what the Knights did and the Saints didn’t. They flew up and down the ice, while Goffstown looked slow or tired, or mesmerized or I am not sure what. At 2:13 Kingswood tied it, Sam Danais from Burke Ruel. At 3:14 it was over. The Knights scored the game winner when Logan McEvoy found open space to score, being set up by smooth skating Cole Emerson and the ever present Sam Danais. Folks, Burke Ruel might not be the best defenseman against the boards but if he gets his shoulders turned up ice with the puck, you better hit him square or line someone up in front of your own net because you’re not going to catch him.

You need two players back on defense if you want to contain the slick skating Cole Emerson. (Photo by Charron)

Oh, and there’s a term in hockey that some folks use, it’s simply “puck luck”. I am not big on luck, good or bad, especially in sports. If there is such a thing, I would say it’s largely a result of desire, effort, and will. I am sure every single Goffstown player would answer the question appropriately were they asked whether they wanted to win or not, but the Kinsgwood Knights, tonight, wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to answer the question because they were on the ice speaking in their actions. After the teams each called their timeouts, and Goffstown pulled Madeline Sage from the net (she relieved LaSella at 3:14 of the 3rd and played 10:32, saving 3 of 3 shots), the final horn sounded. The Knights stormed the ice, and mobbed Robbie Fuller in front of his net. I don’t know if this was the best game Kingswood played this season, but it was a fantastic win for them either way. Looking forward, perhaps this will go down as a fantastic loss for the Grizzlies, because now it’s up to them and how they respond. The competitor in me would not soon lose the image in my mind of the celebration at Pop Whalen tonight, because every competitive fire needs a little fuel now and then.

Griffin Cook has been flying for the Grizzlies as of late. (Photo by Charron)

“…Life is a road, it’s a motorway. And the road gets rocky along the way. But if it gets too smooth it’s time to call it a day…” Maybe the road had been a little too smooth for the Grizzlies, but then we will see how it goes from here.

Goffstown plays their next game at Sullivan Arena, on the home ice at St. Anselm College against D-II defending champions, the Bow Falcons who gave Windham all they could handle tonight in Concord. The game is Wednesday night at 7:15pm.

NHIAA Hockey:

Updated records.

Goffstown (9-2) vs. Kingswood (3-5-1)

Pop Whalen Arena, Wolfeboro, NH
January 27, 2018. 7:16PM Start:

1st Goffstown at 13:14. Even. Griffin Cook (9) from Sebastian Beal (13) and Noah Charron (12).

2nd Kingswood at 2:50. Even. Sam Danais unassisted.

3rd Goffstown at 0:27. Even. Noah Charron (16) from Sebastian Beal (14).

3rd Kingswood at 2:13. Even. Sean Harrington from Burke Ruel.

3rd Kingswood at 3:14. Even. Logan McEvoy from Cole Emerson and Sam Danais.