Having a bad season?

[louis 0]

Same here !

I have been away from the 3 years,Got back in the game this year . And it s hard . i use to score a lot and now can t hit a soccer net !

we are 0-3

we have 9 goals for and 21 against and the team is already falling apart !

It s going to be a long and painful season !

[hockeyherb 1]

Wow, this is a timely thread! It sucks that some people aren't having a great year but it helps me know it's something 'going around'.

Our team is doing fine (1st place overall) but my stats are way down compared to the past seasons. Usually I've got at least 1 ppg and as many goals as assists but this year I have only 1 G and 6 A in 10 games.

I think a lot of it is due to the fact we've had a full 3 lines for pretty much every game I've played in this year which is pretty rare. Usually 1 or 2 guys are missing so I can be double shifting and getting more ice time. Since we only play 3 13 min periods and most guys take over a minute per shift, I get only 9-10 shifts a game. Plus, I'm typically playing with our weakest player to balance our lines out.

I know those aren't good excuses but I think I've also fallen into the lack of confidence trap as the games go by and the goals aren't coming. Too often now when I get the puck in a good shooting spot I don't even look up at the net but instead fire it quick and usually miss the net or put it right into the goalie. Several times I realized I could have just skated it towards the net and probably put a move on the goalie or take a higher % shot.

Well maybe reading this will help me realize it's just a slump we all go through from time to time and I need to just work through it. I plan on going to a stick and puck session when I can and just practice shooting with my head up over and over. I need to get back to looking, thinking and then shooting. And hope some teammates start missing games! :P

[flyerman 0]

Yes. I've been doing that too -- shooting without looking up first -- usually right into the bread basket. That's a terrible habit I've gotten into, keeping my head down when shooting and not giving myself a little more time.

Or instead of skating quickly with the puck, taking on defenders and making a move or two, I hold up and force passes which I would never make in the past, often telegraphing them right onto an opponent's stick. I love to pass and set up plays, but it's getting ridiculous. I do not trust in my abilities, and this in a league in which I am playing pretty far below my skill level. So instead of boosting my confidence, I just feel like I must be getting worse out there.

And the three lines thing, I can relate. We have big rosters on my teams, so we roll three lines too. But in the past I seem to always play my best when we have two lines and I'm just going every other shift. Gets me more in the flow of the game. I think the D on most teams have the best deal because generally there are only 2 lines of D on rec teams. That's a lot more ice time for them than the forwards. Maybe I should just play D. Too bad they "need" me to score goals (which ain't happening anyway!).

[thejackal 46]

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.

whenever i felt that way when i was younger, i'd go out to the park after school (when it was cold enough for shinny) and shoot some pucks for an hour or two without trying too hard. it really helps to clear my mind and put some fun back into the game for me.

[BMcDonald19 0]

caught some virus, was sick for a bit, but i dont think i have hit the net in a month let alone scored....

[Shark#81 0]

The basic of success is skating ability. And it is relative. Your skating relative to the other players on the ice. This is what puts you into open space ahead of others, gets you to pucks with time to generate a play or shot.

It's too detailed to discuss in a single thread, but through optimizing or tweaking your blades (and shinpads), you can gain a significant speed, power and stability advantage. Besides experimenting with the G7 Carbon skate boot, I've spent the last couple of years testing different blade setups to stay competitive.

The idea of using longer blade setups for speed started on land with my inlines, and a funny story at Club Med. But from that the 296 LS2 powers that I use now are pretty close duplication to my land K2's - efficient and fast.

In the spirit of this thread I cut a new video.... but I don't think I can post links here or I'll get my keyboard rapped.

[hockeyherb 1]

Yes skating is a part of it, but I can outskate 90% of the guys in the level I play in.

The psychological part of the game and the ability to have a scoring 'touch' also play a big part. One of the weakest skaters on our team is our top goal scorer. He just hangs around the net and constantly bangs in rebounds. I waste my time skating around looking for open space.

[millencolin9387 0]

This year I went from our Pee Wee AAA team to our Bantam AAA team. I was doing just okay last year, finished with 27 goals, 34 assists. This year for whatever reason I'm doing amazingly better. I got a lot better over the summer. This year already I have 16 goals and 20 assists in only 18 games.

I'm actually doing much better this year.

[Jarick 5]

I had a real slow start, and so did my team, but we turned it around in the relatively short season (only 5 games). This is what I did:

Before, I was overskating my team mates. I'm one of the fastest on the team, and I would tear up through the neutral zone either calling for a pass or carrying the puck. Inevitably, they would either send a weak pass from our blue line right onto the tape of the other team's center/defense, or I would be alone in their zone with all my teammates just breaking out of our zone going up against two defenders and a center backchecking. Take a shot, they grab the rebound, break out while the rest of our team is (slowly) trying to transition to the backcheck.

I talked to my linemates, and now we are more patient. I don't try to break out by myself but will try and support another puck carrier, so I can move at his speed. If I do break by myself, usually I will carry the puck in, wait for them to catch up, then dump into the far corner, where my center and winger will go battle for the puck and I move around the slot for the one timer (a poor man's LW lock). Defensively, we really focused, and studied, and worked on staying in position and covering one man each. At our low level, that did the trick, and we went from losing close games to winning by huge margins.

That's my story, and hopefully it keeps getting better. I guess the moral would be that slowing down the game actually gave us more offense and better defense.

[srv2miker 0]

I'm playing defense on the laziest, worst team in the league. It's painful; I don't even look forward to going to the rink any more. Not only do we lack skill, but we lack effort; I can't think of a single play that's been broken up by a back checker all year.

[Ti-girl 0]

YES! Hit one more post today...

Geez. We play tomorrow so hopefully I can actually put one in...or our team can. Being shut out two games in a row is sad.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I don't play in a league....but since the groups I play with are set groups with the same guys every week...and we usually play with the same teams...it's more organized than just a casual drop in...it kinda feels like league play.

Anyways...I figured I'd try to keep track of my "stats" this year, to kinda track my progress a little better. See if I'm actually figuring this game out or not.

Group 1: 3GP 1G 1A

Group 2: 5GP 5G 3A.

I've got more points in Group 2...but I think I tend to play better with Group 1. It is the faster of the 2...but I feel more involved in the play...better positioning. I just tend to get more breaks in the other group.

So,I guess I kinda have a good season and a bad season going *L*

[Shark#81 0]

Before, I was overskating my team mates. I'm one of the fastest on the team, and I would tear up through the neutral zone either calling for a pass or carrying the puck.

That's a good point. I've seen players do this and in the past myself as well. Synchronizing in a networked attack of 2 or 3 players, is key to consistent scoring. Our top line has been playing as a unit for as long as I can remember with the center and RW sitting 1-2 in league scoring right now. I've witnessed the most unbelievable plays. LW on the line plays more of a defensive role, but still scores points.

Another example is one of our centers, not a ]great skater but he potted 3 goals in our last game just going to the net (the most likely place to score). He didn't need a wicked shot, just chipped in some rebounds or loose pucks that sprung for him. Another game he parked himself off the edge of the net for side door re-direct:

[shifter 0]

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.

Same, I have been having a bad start lately but the team is doing great. We are 6-1-0 but I feel like I can't do anything on the ice. Never gettign the puck and get to shoot. I have practises on school days and i seem to be doing better in practises then games. When it comes to games those 2 hours before a game i can't stop thinking about hockey and when i step on the ice my legs start to shake a little and my brain just goes into hockey mode and trying so hard. In practises it feels like I can do anything and I feel like I do better in practises. I try not to be obssesed in thinking about the game but, I just cant help it :(

[Bryan Czajka 0]

I'm playing better than I ever have. Lots of points, hits, but our team is having a rough start to the season. Can't seem to put three solid periods together.

[hockeymom 2]

MissD hasn't found a post worth missing all season. Getting so bad I'm thinking of sneaking JR's blade back on her shaft... 'course then her backchecking would fall apart too.

[marc_9 0]

my season just got a whole lot worse; after hyperextending all of the ligaments and tendons in my wrist in late november, got checked last night and broke my wrist - both due to late checks and no calls on them and both injuries to my right wrist. now i am out for 6 weeks which is pretty much the rest of my season except for maybe one tournament. this sucks! :(

[mattzilla 0]

I've been playing like shit for the last..3/4 of a season ( half of last season and the first few of this one )

I played on a team 2 oe 3 divs down from where i normally play, and its fucked with my game. Im not a scorer, but i get points. mostly assists and pinching from the point. but when i was playing down i was relied upon to score more, i had more leeway because i could easily get around these guys and get my shots off.

I learned my lesson, it was nice to get the points.. but... in the end it wasnt worth it. i put up just as many points 3 divs up as i did in the lower div but it was more d orientated goals as opposed to the gotta-do-everything kinda goals. Im not a guy who should be the focal point of an offense but its stuck in my play.

I'll break out of it eventually.

[adam14 182]

broken 7 sticks since september: AK27, ccm v10.0 shaft and ops, one90, easton ST, vapor xxxx shaft and a cnt shaft talk about shitty year 14 games, 12 wins 2 losses, 2 goals 4 assists...

[sjsharks11 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...

the exact same thing is happening to me. to make things worse i just messed up my left shoulder (i shoot left handed) so i can't shoot and can barely pass. it's a long season though so hopefully things turn around.

[-brady2 0]

Bad season for me so far too.

Team has been supbar, nobody buys into the team concept, and its starting to be a shitty group of guys to hang around with. I've gotten back to around a point a game, havent gotten credit for nearly that many though, which sucks. Didn't make league all-star game, and our teams contribution probably should of just been our first line, but due to my attitude i'm assuming I didn't make the cut. I just let my frustration get the better of myself so far this year

[t1tan 19]

I haven't had a decent season since 2001, the league I had always played in didn't have enough players to run anymore and my only option was to play for my schools club team, which I chose not to my freshman and sophomore year since they were terrible. Things didn't change, lost all but 1 junior year, senior year comes I get the first goal of the season and an assist on the tying goal so we thought senior year was going to go a bit better, wrong, another 1 or 2 games out of 20 something. One thing that bothered me most in my senior year was that the freshmen were being played 2:1 over the seniors and everybody else with more experience and drastically higher skill. It's not a good feeling showing up to a game knowing youre going home with a loss. Now out of highschool for 4 years and season after season of mens leagues I get stuck with people that havent played in 25 years or are just starting up and just cannot get any help. I feel like I'm doing especially well this season, all my new gear is breaking in nicely and I'm skating great despite a leg injury after blocking a shot halfway through the first game and not being able to skate the rest. Finally last night we were doing well, tied through the game so it was at least even, half way through the goalie gets sick or something and leaves and we're stuck with an empty net and they score 6 more goals. I get discouraged and dont feel like showing up most times, but I do anyways because I like to play and just hope things will turn around someday, untill then I try to make what fun I can out of it.