In the sport of hockey, it is hard to call a regular season game, or week, a ‘make or break’ week because the season is so long. But this week for the Louisiana IceGators may come close to an early ‘make or break’ week and can set the tone for the remainder of the season; and what a tough week it will be. The IceGators will play 6 games in 9 days, which will be a big test of character and heart. There is no doubt the Gators will be tired toward the back end of the week but it is important for them to find a way to compete. They will first travel to Fayetteville for a Friday and Saturday night contest, where they seek revenge for Sunday’s embarrassing performance. They will then return home for home games Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then on Saturday, they will make the drive to Pensacola to finish the long week. A good week can put the IceGators back into the center of the standings, but a string of losses could put the Gators with the worst winning percentage in the league and into an up-hill battle for the rest of the season. A 4-2 week would be a success.
It is important for a team to not look to far into the future so here are some keys to this weekend's games against Fayetteville.
Come out Strong. In the two games against the FireAntz, the Antz have scored on their first shot, less than two minutes into the game. The Gators have done a good job of responding to the first goal, but it is never good to be playing from behind. Set the tone early, and don’t let up.
Stop Rob Sich. Even slowing him down would be nice. Rob Sich and his line have been on fire as of late, with Sich earning player of the week honors with his hat trick on Sunday. Sich led the league in goals last season...by 15. He started off slow this year but used the Gators to kick-start his goal scoring spree. He now has 11 goals in 11 games and his linemate, Chris Leveille has 17 points in 11 games.
Take Shots. Fayetteville goalie St. Vincent proved to falter under pressure which allowed the Gators to score 4 goals in the third period of Saturday’s game. In Sunday’s game he seemed more comfortable because he was not pressured with many shots. The Gators have been a little pass-happy in the offensive zone, especially on the power play. If you have a shooting lane, take a shot. The Gators have had some nice goals but screens, deflections, and rebounds can only happen with shots. Shoot early and often.
There have been two hot topics this week that some fans are saying may be to blame for the slow start to the season - coaching and drinking.
Some fans are frustrated with what they say was a lack of coaching in Sunday’s disappointing 7-2 performance. Even being up by a large margin the coach for Fayetteville was giving instructions to his team while some fans say the Gators coach was doing nothing. On the other side of the debate, some fans say the coach tells the players what to do in practice and they should know what to do.....Our take: It is important to understand that some coaches have different ways of coaching. Some are very animated in games and some rather to just manage games and instruct in practices. Neither is wrong, the coaching philosophy is just a characteristic of the coach. With that being said, the coach is responsible for the play on the ice and ultimately the team’s record. I do understand that some things a coach can not control, but I think blaming just the players is wrong as well. If it is always the players fault then no coach in any sport would have ever lost his job. In conclusion, both are to blame for different aspects, but I think the coach talk is very premature.
The second hot topic this week was drinking. Fans have heard rumors of hangovers being the reason for Sunday’s disaster. Some say it should not matter - they are adults and the old IceGators did it...Our take: People handle situations differently, and drinking is no different. Some players may play different after a night of drinking and some may not. I personally don’t agree with the adult excuse, most fans are adults but they can not show up to their job with a hangover, especially if it is hurting their job performance. I really do not know if that was the reason for Sunday’s loss, I think we just got outplayed. Only the players and coaches know the truth, and hopefully they make the right decisions to win games.
In terms of talent, I believe the IceGators are better than a 3-5 team and hopefully they set the tone this week for the remainder of the season. Please come out and support the Gators at home next Tuesday the 23rd, Thursday the 25th and Friday the 26th.
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