That was the Heat's best game of the season bar none.
Smith must've logged upwards of 26 minutes tonight, which is HUGE for his first meaningful game since April 1st of last season.
It was like watching a different group out there. Having Street, Horak, Smith and Jones in the lineup changes the way the younger guys like Hanowski, Knight, Reinhart, etc. play. It's like, "okay, the spotlight is off us now, let's settle down and give it our best." It was a lot of fun to watch.
Hanowski was a monster out there. Very strong on the puck, surprisingly accurate shot (and a hard shot to boot). Always knows where to be.
Berra is oozing confidence right now. He's out there challenging shooters, he's taking calculated risks. For example, if there's a scramble around the crease and the puck is loose, he'll jump on it even if it's three or four feet out of his crease. He's not waiting for someone to get it and clear it. Also, he can't be beat down low. It's impossible pretty much. All of the Monsters' goals came on high shots just under the bar. It's the only way you can beat him.
Brady Lamb had his best game I've seen him play in. He was blocking shots like crazy. He was really aggressive. It helped exponentially that he was paired with Smith though.
As for the question about Wotherspoon. You could see it coming. He needed the break to watch from the bleachers for a game. At times, it's almost like the game is too quick for him, so it's an adjustment for sure. At practice he sometimes makes bad mistakes and he beats himself up over it (i.e., slam his stick on the ice or cuss at himself). It's a good break for him IMO.
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Berra is oozing confidence right now. He's out there challenging shooters, he's taking calculated risks. For example, if there's a scramble around the crease and the puck is loose, he'll jump on it even if it's three or four feet out of his crease. He's not waiting for someone to get it and clear it. Also, he can't be beat down low. It's impossible pretty much. All of the Monsters' goals came on high shots just under the bar. It's the only way you can beat him.
LOVE IT! It's times like this I wish more Heat games were on TV. Or that I had the ability to come out to Abbotsford to see some games (soon hopefully). I want to see him play. I love his style.
The first 0:40 is the Reto Berra show. And what a shot on Billins. He might look good here in a Flames jersey. The last few games I've listened to he comes up alot in (mostly) good ways.
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Poor. They are last in the league attendance wise. Yesterday's attendance was 1,947. In the 3 homes games, they have averaged just under 2,400.
And keep in mind that's tickets sold, not the actual attendance. I'd say 1000 people would be generous.
It's a disaster this season. Oh well, there's still a very very faithful base of season ticket holders. Sometimes they see the team off before a long road trip and welcome them back when their bus pulls in. It's not unusual for a small group of the season ticket holders to see the team off at 5:00am before they go to work. These people range from Canucks fans to die hard Flames fans. It really is quite interesting.
