Dnewsman's Game Summary Log 2007-2008, Game Updates and Sidenotes

Pre-Game Update 10/06/07: It's hockey night opener in the AHL! Wish I could be down in QC for the game. At least I can listen to it on WNTA, with our favorite announcer, Mike Peck, doing the broadcast duties.

I was going to wait until the home opener to start this thread, but I am so pumped about the new league and team, I just had to start it on opening day.

GO HOGS!!

Mopped up by QC, never in the game.

Oh yeah, great season opener boys.

IceHogs, as well as Cubs, lose 5-1. The good thing is the Hogs get to keep playing.

I wasn't able to get to a radio until late in the 3rd period, when it was 4-0. I did get to hear the first AHL Hog goal scored to make it 4-1.
We ended up 1 for 17 on the pp?! With all the changes made (new team, league, players, etc..), our PP still needs work.

For the fans that went, what was it like? Did the rivalry still seem alive? Is the iWireless Center any different than the Mark?

It's like deja vu all over again. The game was strikingly similar to the first game against the Komets last year - the IceHogs came out, but quickly got schooled by a team that looked like they never took the summer off.

The first period actualy wasn't too bad. Passes were good, puck control was good, shots weren't bad. In the second period it was penalty after penalty after penalty...they got sloppier, passes began missing targets, they kept getting their pockets picked by QC, shots were being missed by wider and wider margins. We had a point blank shot in the third. The QC goalie was overcommitted to one side. He then stuck his leg out BEFORE the Rockford player got the shot off - and he still shot it right at his pads.

The experience tonight was not fun.

The rivalry did not seem like it was there. By this I mean that the QC organization did not make fun of Rockford as in the past (things like the video of Hammy on a grill were not displayed). I believe this ican be explained that the organization was more focused on the new team and ne season, and not so much on the Hogs.

The goal song is now "Disco Inferno", and they no longer play "I got the Power!" when they go on a power play (which I won't miss). They've replaced it with Rage Against The Machine. I was impressed that their opening song is "Blitzkreig" by Metallica. And their players skate on to the ice between two flame pots (one of which worked only half the time). Aside from a few opening night miscues, everything else was pretty much the same.

One notable exception was the 80's band, Missing Persons, played during the intermissions. and they had the Boston Bruins organ player playing on the band's keyboard during the face-offs. But I don't think that will be an everyday thing.

We were heckling him for what he did on the organ when they announced the goals...it was the same thing Muskegon does.

OH! I forgot the best part...THAT DAMN GONG THAT THEY USED TO RING AFTER THEIR GOALS IS GONE!!!

204 says it all. After becoming frustrated because of the royal beating QC was handing them, the Hogs started fighting with QC and soon found out that they can't fight either. Looks like it's gonna be a long season if this team plays like this. I was expecting alot more. The fast paced game with all the precise passing and skating I don"t see. I don't even see any checking being handed out from the Hogs. Only little bumps up against the glass. I was actually embarased by the way we played.

I think a lot of that had to do (as it did last year) with all of the hype in the media...not to mention the contrast most of us saw to our LAST IceHogs game last May).

We'd read things in the media like, we'll see more discipline in the third period; guys won't take stupid penalties in the third. (Although to be honest, we only took two. But one happened to be a fighting major in the final minute.)

We'd hear about how we have two of last year's top ten scorers in the AHL, and how our goaltender deserves to be playing in the NHL. And on and on and on...

Then to see such a subpar opening night like that (and against no less of a rival than QC) was an incredible letdown. Unfortunately, it'll be a week before the next game, to see how we do against another team (and then another week after that), which leaves time for a lot of grumbling by the fans, and fans bickering with other fans. My only response is to remember that we went through this last year, too, to nice results in the end. I'm just really hoping that what happens in October doesn't detract from the excitement around this team come November.

On a lighter note, last year's slogan was "Are You Fan Enuff" and one person on here posted "Are they TEAM enuff" after such a lackluster fall.
Now the battle cry of "Raise Your Game" by the IceHogs office is probably going to be responded to by the fans: "Oh, yeah? You raise YOUR game!"

Please please please, hurry up and "Raise your game"

This echoes my feelings pretty much to a tee.

I was crying out for someone to lay a good check all night long, but then I thought that maybe Haviland is probably coaching a different style of hockey than Martinson did. It was not physical at all, unless you count getting your shirt pulled up over your head and beating your face on Flames players fists physical...

We looked lazy, tired, and we just plainly got outhustled, outworked, and beat up. Was Quad City just that fast, or were we just that SLOW?

KMC is right.... it looked just like the opener last year vs Ft. Wayne... except we scored 2 goals in that game!

all that is said already is really good and to the point.

too many stupid penalties, not taking advantage of the 5 on 3's we had, checks were weak, scoring opportunities were terrible.
we were out shot by a good margin, passes were late (after the lane was taken by QC)

but, the bus was air-conditioned....and the "Mystery, Alaska"(movie on the bus) team looked better than the 'Hogs.

at least we got that 1st loss out of the way...

Let's put it this way:

Every team will have a bad game once in a while.

Maybe the Hogs were getting it out of the way?

In any case, the season can only get better.






...right?

YEAH!!! that's the spirit...



It's not over until we say it's over....was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

I'll throw a couple of cliche's at you that KMC heard all night.

It doesn't matter if you win the first game it matters if you win the last.

It's a marathon and not a sprint


For as much bad as we've seen there was a lot of good as well. There were several decent penalty kills, some decent on the tape passes and some good scoring opportunities.

Also keep in mind that they are dealing with a less than ideal situation at home. Dressing in a crappy dressing room in a less than half completed building (which may or may not be ready by opening night) and then cramming into cars and trucks for the short ride to practice on a smaller than AHL ice surface every day. Not exactly standard conditions for any incoming team.

It's one game. We'll be fine.

@Hale - So what did your t-shirt look like? You mentioned something about it over on ITB.

If the Hogs don't do better next game, We'll put them on "double triple probation".