By Karen Aney (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 24, 2012
Saturday night garnered the Heat their third win of the season, and resulted in the first loss for the Chicago Wolves. It was also the first time the Wolves have trailed in the admittedly short span of the season they’ve played thus far.
The game started explosively – as AHL games should, with so much young blood. The Wolves gained a quick possession and came down the ice for a great scoring chance. Heat goalie Barry Brust was able to block it, though – his first test in net this season.
It took until the third for the Wolves to come unraveled, which has been a common thread for them. Three of their four wins have not been in regulation.
There was plenty of good things from the Wolves, though. Zack Kassian, every Cody Hodgson fan’s most hated man, continued his trend of being a team MVP. Or, in less sports-savvy terms, he continued to party like a rock star. He scored the Wolves’ only goal of the night, bringing his tally up to three for the season. More than that, though, he was a driving force in every play for which he was on the ice. Coach Scott Arniel summed it up at the end of the game: “He’s noticeable every shift, he’s noticeable every period, and that’s what he needs to be . . . He can skate too, he’s a big guy who moves well, he’s got some good hockey sense, he knows where the holes are.” Now re-read that last bit, and tell me you didn’t giggle.
He’s turning into a phenomenal player, and this extra chunk of time in the AHL could serve him better than anyone else in the franchise. Last lockout, Burrows, Bieksa and Kesler played in the AHL though they were all NHL ready. They’re currently at the core of a solid NHL team. If this lockout turns Kassian into that calibre of player, then it won’t have been all bad. Kassian himself spoke to that, saying that he’s more sure of himself: “I think I have more confidence. I’ve been playing in more situations and I’ve been playing more minutes, starting to get more confident with the puck . . . Your confidence builds every game. For me, I just want to do it consistently. I don’t want to have one good game and two bad games, I want to have four or five good ones.”
Speaking of other supposed NHL-calibre players, injury-plagued Steve Pinizzotto has yet to hit his stride. The biggest presence he made on-ice was in a fight versus Chris Breen, the Heat’s six-foot-seven answer to the Incredible Hulk. It didn’t go well for Pinizzotto, and I spent the duration covering my mouth with my hands, terrified that he would have his spine crushed to dust and his NHL hopes would vanish for good. He was so clearly out of his league. In his words, “I tried to finish my check and he wasn’t a fan of it. We ended up dropping the gloves, and that’s part of the game. Exciting, too.” If it’s part of the game, Pinizzotto should likely engage in some serious bar brawling. He needs the practice.
Eddie Lack, despite the 4-1 loss, looked great. He made some phenomenal saves, and seemed completely calm during the numerous times his team left him all alone. He refrained from saying as much during the scrum, focusing instead on his flaws: “I gave them a goal in the second too, but it’s just part of learning and I hope I’ll get better at that.” No Messier syndrome there, which is good to hear.
The final player that needs to be mentioned is Alex Mallet. He was the franchise’s second-round draft pick, and he showed it. He was tenacious on the ice, engaging the Heat’s Carter Bancks (who will forever be Adam Bancks in my mind, a la the Mighty Ducks franchise) in fisticuffs. Mallet soundly pounded him, like the mallet he would be called if he weren’t . . . well . . . French, and stuff. Coach Arniel had only good things to say about him. “He has a real sort of tough edge to him, we saw it in exhibition where he got in a couple of fights and ran some people over. He’s a competitive kid. He’s learning the pro game, what it takes to play . . . He’s an eager, fun kid to be around.”
All in all, it was a great game to watch, and showed a lot of hope for the organization if the lockout ever ends. It ended with a loss for the Wolves, but as Eddie Lack said in his adorable accent post-game (think early Sedins, but less ginger), “keep battle.” Words to live by.
