Having a bad season?

[djinferno 2]

Man, this year, i don't know whats wrong but even tho I feel like my shot is better and my skill is higher, I can't seem to do anything productive...

It's like I'm out there and I never get the puck in a good situation, I always get shitty passes if I get them at all... Whats funny is that I'm feeding guys beauties and I'm making good plays for others but nothing for me...

Now i'm losing confidence, it's like i'm out there doing nothing and we keep losing, this is frustrating...

[wullymc 0]

I am having a terrible start season so far.

Our team is getting slammed. We're 0-4 so far. I have been practicing, shooting everything and nothing is working for me.

I need help with hockey sense I think. Where to go without the puck for the best opportunities to score.

I have tried to by new stuff to help me but it has failed so far. ha ha ha

[Jarick 5]

I'm playing my first league season since i was a kid. Team went 0-3 for our pre-season tourney, won our first season game 5-1. Still haven't got a point on the board, only getting a couple low percentage shots per game. Breakouts and passing haven't been great, but I'm trying to slow down my own pace to contribute defensively.

It's frustrating because I know I can do a lot better, and I've been improving all summer in open/pickup games, but when we get to the meaningful games, I feel like I'm completely out of sync with my teammates.

But it was fun to win a game, even if I didn't get some points on the board. I'm a scorer though, so hopefully I break through tomorrow and make a contribution. I think I need to stop screwing around with my equipment and just drive to the net more.

[nni 0]

we are 0-3 i missed a game, i have 2 goals 2 assists, (2g in one game 0 in the other) the losing is killing me and i really need to step it up.

[evor1 6]

i joined a new team and im playing like shit. im just too nervous or intimidated or something. i can play 10 times better at pickup or stick handling sessions but at team practices and games its not good.

[TBLfan 25]

I had a horrible season last season, this season is much better. It will pass, keep working and it will come together, don't get down on yourself.

[tips09 0]

Having a pretty crappy start as well. Trained the hardest i have ever trained in my life this summer and the coach told me he doesnt have room for me this year( Played on the team last year) but was also told at the end of tryouts that i was doing fine and had made the team. So i moved on and have to put up with a terrible coach who thinks its better to do breakaways all practice and not a single breakout/ 3-2's and stuff. Cant seem to put the puck in the net as i havent got the puck passed to me in 2 games. Atleast ive been setting people up. Im definately loosing some confidence.

[Patrick67 1]

I was having a decent season, then I went out and scored zero goals in a tourney (first time ever in my career) even though I lead all players in shots on goal. At least I was playing really good, but nothing went in the net.

Then last weekend I went out and had the best tournament of my life points wise, making 4ppg, and I didn't change a single piece of equipment between the 2 tourneys, not even the way I do my tapejob.

Don't worry about your slump, as long as you try your hardest things will turn around. Keep working your ass off. Besides that, talk to your teammates to get a fresh perspective on your game, and vent some of your frustrations.

[marc_9 0]

my team is off to a horrible start we are 0-4-2 and we are in last place. I trained hard all summer and i feel that i have improved alot and it showed in try outs i was really close to making AA but ever since try outs i haven't been doing very good...i can't seem to get back to the level i was at the start of the season. My coaches aren't that great. instead of working on important stuff we need to work on like our break out (we can barely get the puck out of our end with out getting picked off) our coaches skate us for %80 of the practices <_<. My team is starting to lose confidence and it shows in our play. Hopefully we can win one soon, then maybe we will start to re-gain some confidence and play better.

[Jarick 5]

Hmm...maybe new stick broke my drought. Scored 1g and 1a on a 5-0 win. We're 2-0 now with 10 goals for and only 1 against. I'm still feeling like I can do more out there though, maybe that's just part of the game.

[chilaxin12 2]

I'm having a rough year also, guess its just a down year for most, but I play club hockey and we had to get a new coach so we missed 5 weeks of being on the ice, then on top of that in the first game I had 3 goals and a assist and then my last shift of the 2nd period I got hit and tore the mcl in my right knee and i'm out 6-10 weeks as a result of it, hopefully everyone in here snaps out of the funk and gets the results they are looking for.

[Shark#81 0]

I thought about this thread for a while...and you might not be having a a "bad" season depending on how it is defined.

Besides decent goaltending, to be competitive a team needs scoring(offensive) forwards, defensive forwards, offensive defencemen and defensive defencemen.

Sounds kinda strange but if I look at all the teams I've been on I could group players into those roles. Of course the defensive crew will sacrifice points, goals, shots, in support of the more one-dimensional offensive minded players. You know the guys who stay high, never back check, leave the zone on a sniff of a break and have that burning will to score.

The defensive player is a tough role to play but one that you may unconciously be assuming out of knowledge of the game and respect for team results.

A pro player told me points aren't the only measure, and you can help the team in other ways. It's true, somebody has to take care of business out there.

[Tyler B 0]

im having a good season points wise compared to last year. but whats totaly killing me is the amount of big hits im taking to set up a play or keep our team on the puck. Thats and having our top line forced into playing on seperate lines cause other players wont show up.

[Ti-girl 0]

3 games.

1 win, 1 loss, 1 tie.

2 assists...5 posts and 2 crossbars...

[hapamatt122 0]

Last season my team went to our mens league finals.. this season we won our first 2, then got slammed 4 straight losses.. got one back last night but its sad to be 3rd from the bottom in a division we lead last season.. It is frustrating but I'm hoping things will come together. So far I have 4 goals and 5 assists in 7 games, thats a personal best for me.

[djinferno 2]

I have a game tonight so hopefully I do better, i keep having this bad dream that I start the game and the ice is so slick that I cant get to the puck and as the game goes by the Ice gets so slushy that I cant even skate right...

I know i'm trippin...

[wullymc 0]

Go into it expecting nothing. Just have fun and hussle. Don't try to hard. I am going to do this next time. I have been so bad offensively that they put me on defense!!!! (sorry defensemen!!) Good luck tonight!

[number21 3]

i need to work on my shooting and receiving passes!

i have only been playing about 2 years, my positioning is coming along well, but man i miss too many passes and my shot it weak!

my problem is i have a long daily commute so time to work on stuff during the week is very hard, not to mention no city rinks have a stick and puck.

Last night i had a great opportunity for a one-timer, the pass was ahead of me, the goalie missed it and was out of position but i completely missed it! Looked like a total tool out there.

I need to find an empty lot where a buddy and i can do some passing on rollerblades before the snows come.

[Chadd 916]

Last couple weeks I've worked 13 hour days before my games and was up something like 20 hours by the time they were over. That always makes it tough to contribute as much as I would like.

[Edge 0]

I had a very good start to the season...got about 2 points per game for the first 10 games as a defenseman, but i've been slumping lately, which is kind of unusual.

[tro 4]

When I have a guy on my team having a tough time, it is usually because the player is thinking hockey. Thinking about what kind of pass to make, thinking about where to shoot, that you need a goal or helpers. The old wise dad, always told me and the bros "just go play hockey, never think hockey", I usually get out of a slump by going back to this.

[jjtt99 0]

Add me to the early season suckage list. I dislocated my shoulder during the second game of the year. That put me out about 4 weeks, now I'm trying to get back in the groove. Legs are decent, defensive play is okay, but I'm talking ZERO offence -- and I'm a centre.

On the positive side it's starting to come. The last couple of games I had a few scoring chances and my passes are starting to get to their intended target. I have hope for the second half -- and really, that's when it counts.

[cj190 0]

I am starting this season with injuries. I hate it when you know you can do well if just not for the injuries. I have a sprained wrist and a bad groin pull to start out.

[djinferno 2]

the encouraging thing is I'm not alone, the problem with muy play is that the teams are built on players past ratings league wide so if your a good player and you do bad, the finger is easy to point...

[flyerman 0]

Man, this year, i don't know whats wrong but even tho I feel like my shot is better and my skill is higher, I can't seem to do anything productive...

It's like I'm out there and I never get the puck in a good situation, I always get shitty passes if I get them at all... Whats funny is that I'm feeding guys beauties and I'm making good plays for others but nothing for me...

Now i'm losing confidence, it's like i'm out there doing nothing and we keep losing, this is frustrating...

I know how you feel....

I feel like I am playing worse everyday, and right now it's the middle of next month (Brooksism).

Yeah, I am sucking it up bad this season. I play on 3 beer league rec. teams (one is a pretty competitive level with some ex-junior/college players). I just have no freakin' confidence anymore. I used to be really driven and skate my ass off and win the puck and score "quality" goals. Now, I just feel like I can't get anything going and am too busy trying to make pretty plays instead of just having fun and playing the game.

I'm in my late-30's now and I feel like I have aged 10 years in the last 2. I think part of my problem is that I injured my back last year and my back and my skating (which was prob the best part of my game) has never gotten back to where it was. Plus, my overall fitness has gone to shit, so I just can't (or don't) compete like I used to. I could use the excuses of my sticks not perfoming well and blame some of it on my teammates, almost all of whom seem to skate with their heads burried in their jocks. But the biggest problem is in my head. I feel out of sync and my confidence, like I said, is at an all-time low. My frustration is leading me to taking stupid penalties (not my game at all) and putting myself in vulnerable positions as I am "over-trying" and not seeing the ice like I usually do.

And plays like this just make it worse...

Last night my team was down by one with about a minute left. We won the face off in our zone and broke out quickly and pulled our goalie. I was trailing the winger into the off. zone in the high slot and he slid me a perfect pass between two of their defenders. In one motion I received and snapped the puck and in my mind actually saw it hit the upper right corner of the net. I mean, I am not superstar ex-pro, but this was as perfect release and shot a I could have made. Their goalie got about a half-inch of the tip of his catching glove on the shot (he actually showed me where it hit his glove after the buzzer) and it deflected to the corner. They held us off after that chance and got it out of the zone, and that was it.

So, what the hell? Ever since moving from New England to Kansas, I feel like I've been getting worse and worse (even though there are actually some very decent players and hockey here), but now I'm at an all-time low. Hockey has always been such a joy for me, but now I feel like I'm losing that a bit 'cause I'm not doing what I want to be doing -- and know I am capable of doing -- out there. And I guess I feel I'm letting myself and my team down. Sounds kind of ridiculous, but hockey is my only outlet and community here. Definitely a head job...

Thanks for indulging me with this rant. Maybe I need to just play hockey and "not think hockey" as tro said. And getting back in shape and some more practice time wouldn't hurt either.