Rockets Fizzle

[cpt obvious]

Strathroy went into its 7th straight OT tonight against Sarnia after taking it to them for most of the game. They have only won once in that stretch. Not the results needed to get away from a first round matchup with London, if LS or SM catch fire they could see Leamington in the first round. Cue Gibson's return next season to save the day. RG was seen standing with a group of cheering Sarnia fans in her "home" rink. That's Strathroy loyalty for ya and people wonder why players bolt out of town as fast as they get there.

[RocketGirl]

I'm really not sure what your point is. Am I not allowed to talk to people? I spent the 3rd talking to Zappa's Mom, which I would not call 2 people a group, and I talked to Mark Davis after the game too. Told him I'm going to Chatham tomorrow and asked if he wanted me to hi to anyone.

And the WMMA is my home rink. I grew up watching hockey in that arena, have been there for 31 years.

[Port hockey1]

RG was seen standing with a group of cheering Sarnia fans in her "home" rink. That's Strathroy loyalty for ya and people wonder why players bolt out of town as fast as they get there.

Gotta find ways to pass time at Rockets games.

[jeff]

Strathroy went into its 7th straight OT tonight against Sarnia after taking it to them for most of the game. They have only won once in that stretch. Not the results needed to get away from a first round matchup with London, if LS or SM catch fire they could see Leamington in the first round. Cue Gibson's return next season to save the day. RG was seen standing with a group of cheering Sarnia fans in her "home" rink. That's Strathroy loyalty for ya and people wonder why players bolt out of town as fast as they get there.

It looks like they have 2 wins, 1 tie and 4 ot losses during those 7 games but who's counting ..... obviously not you cpt obvious. I wasn't at the game last night but for being a very young team they have battled every game. In their last 10 games they are 4-1-1 with 4 ot losses - Leamington, Chatham and Sarnia twice ..... that's some pretty good teams. Will they beat London in a 7 game series in the 1st round .... probably not, but the effort will be there. I plan on making the trip down to see them in London this Wednesday night as a possible 1st round preview.

[Oglethorp]

The Rockets have a lot of OT experience over the season, the 2 wins over this stretch came over St Marys and Lambton Shores 2 other "very young teams". In fact the only draw was a Lambton Shores game as well. Last night was another OT game against another young team from Sarnia for the 4th time. The reality is that it will be tough for any of the young teams to win a best of 7 against veteran loaded teams like Leamington, London and LaSalle with the experience gained last year. In a best of 3, maybe but not a best of 7 where the best talent usually wins out. Strathroy is coming up to the part of its season that has been its Achilles Heel, the off season where players typically bolt for Exeter. Capt Obvious makes a good point when he speaks of the boost the return of Gibson would give the Rockets. The coach has them working hard but hard work will only go so far. Nobody in the league finishes their checks better the Strathroy especially on defencemen, and they could wear down a talent deep team if the series went long so I would suspect they arent a team anyone at the top would prefer to play. I think the coaching is in place, player recruitment and retention is the key to a bright or dismal future for the team going forward.

[ILuvHackey]

Seriously, the abuse some of y'all give to RG is a bit pathetic. She's atleast doing something to get the word out about the great league we all love to follow.

[RocketGirl]

They don't care. I'm a public figure, thus I'm an easy target for them to attack me and pick on me and basically bully me. I learned a long time ago to just let it roll off like water down a duck's back. And really, it just makes them look bad. Last night in Chatham, the Maroons fans I am friends with, told me they read this thread yesterday morning and laughed, and thought, 'oh, Stacy's gonna be in trouble for talking to me tonight'.

[cpt obvious]

It looks like they have 2 wins, 1 tie and 4 ot losses during those 7 games but who's counting ..... obviously not you cpt obvious. I wasn't at the game last night but for being a very young team they have battled every game. In their last 10 games they are 4-1-1 with 4 ot losses - Leamington, Chatham and Sarnia twice ..... that's some pretty good teams. Will they beat London in a 7 game series in the 1st round .... probably not, but the effort will be there. I plan on making the trip down to see them in London this Wednesday night as a possible 1st round preview.[/quote]

If we're arguing over short hairs the Rockets are actually 3-2-4-1 over their last ten games played..... not sure how 4-1-1 were the numbers you came up with..regardless they aren't getting the results they would like to see or need to avoid a tough first round opponent. I like them as a team as well, but they need more of a leadership group behind the bench, if your team goes into 7 ot games and you only win 2...gotta come up with ways to get that second point. As far as RG being a public figure... best one I've heard all week, public figure where? Strathvegas? Funny stuff.

[RocketGirl]

Clearly you don't feel this way, which is your prerogative, but yes I am a public figure. People ask me for my opinion on many things. Some kid contacted me 2 weeks before our season started to ask what team he should try out for next year. Just last week, someone from the CCHL contacted me on Twitter asking for my opinion on 1 of my boys.

[flyers2011]

Just because you do a blog on a website that does not make you a public figure. Most of the articles you write are decent but not a public figure. Sometimes the arrogance level needs to be brought down.

[Oglethorp]

It looks like they have 2 wins, 1 tie and 4 ot losses during those 7 games but who's counting ..... obviously not you cpt obvious. I wasn't at the game last night but for being a very young team they have battled every game. In their last 10 games they are 4-1-1 with 4 ot losses - Leamington, Chatham and Sarnia twice ..... that's some pretty good teams. Will they beat London in a 7 game series in the 1st round .... probably not, but the effort will be there. I plan on making the trip down to see them in London this Wednesday night as a possible 1st round preview.

If we're arguing over short hairs the Rockets are actually 3-2-4-1 over their last ten games played..... not sure how 4-1-1 were the numbers you came up with..regardless they aren't getting the results they would like to see or need to avoid a tough first round opponent. I like them as a team as well, but they need more of a leadership group behind the bench, if your team goes into 7 ot games and you only win 2...gotta come up with ways to get that second point. As far as RG being a public figure... best one I've heard all week, public figure where? Strathvegas? Funny stuff.[/quote]

I am not sure what new leadership group is really needed. Strathroy is probably the hardest working team in the league, that is what keeps them in every game. I really don't think this group of players is under achieving. They regularly outwork their opponents and keep it close. Hard work has contributed to wins but generally in a best of seven series, the best team wins in the end. Usually it is the one deepest in talent. The current coaching staff have got a lot of mileage out of what they were given to work with. Some very good players in the mix, but some that need to be changed going forward. As stated before, recruitment and retention is the key moving forward, but that isn't the coaches job. I would think changes on the ice and in the front office should be a higher priority.

I don't know if RG falls into the category of a public figure but she is well known in the league. Personally I think her Strathroy bias can be bit much at times but overall is she much different than anyone else. We all have our favorites.

[RocketGirl]

Of course I'm bias to Strathroy, those are my boys. They've been my team since 1994.

And you call it arrogance, I call it confidence. As RG, I'm confident in who I am and what I know. As Stacy, I'm not always that sure of myself.

[jeff]

Oglethorp ..... you wrote: I am not sure what new leadership group is really needed. Strathroy is probably the hardest working team in the league, that is what keeps them in every game. I really don't think this group of players is under achieving. They regularly outwork their opponents and keep it close. Hard work has contributed to wins but generally in a best of seven series, the best team wins in the end. Usually it is the one deepest in talent. The current coaching staff have got a lot of mileage out of what they were given to work with. Some very good players in the mix, but some that need to be changed going forward. As stated before, recruitment and retention is the key moving forward, but that isn't the coaches job. I would think changes on the ice and in the front office should be a higher priority.

Why do you suggest that the "changes in the front office" need to occur?

[cpt obvious]

Oglethorp ..... you wrote: I am not sure what new leadership group is really needed. Strathroy is probably the hardest working team in the league, that is what keeps them in every game. I really don't think this group of players is under achieving. They regularly outwork their opponents and keep it close. Hard work has contributed to wins but generally in a best of seven series, the best team wins in the end. Usually it is the one deepest in talent. The current coaching staff have got a lot of mileage out of what they were given to work with. Some very good players in the mix, but some that need to be changed going forward. As stated before, recruitment and retention is the key moving forward, but that isn't the coaches job. I would think changes on the ice and in the front office should be a higher priority.

Why do you suggest that the "changes in the front office" need to occur?

Clearly this individual does not like MB and the job he has done in his rookie year as GM. Can't say I don't agree, why is this guy allowed to stay with this organization? He hasn't been able to retain players for years and years....never fails, a year with him and they want out hence the 13 players in Exeter, that's the lesser of the two evils..sad.

[cpt obvious]

Oglethorpe wrote "I am not sure what new leadership group is really needed. Strathroy is probably the hardest working team in the league, that is what keeps them in every game. I really don't think this group of players is under achieving. They regularly outwork their opponents and keep it close. Hard work has contributed to wins but generally in a best of seven series, the best team wins in the end. Usually it is the one deepest in talent. The current coaching staff have got a lot of mileage out of what they were given to work with. Some very good players in the mix, but some that need to be changed going forward. As stated before, recruitment and retention is the key moving forward, but that isn't the coaches job. I would think changes on the ice and in the front office should be a higher priority."

Oglethorp have you seen Leamington, London or Lasalle play? Are you telling us the Rockets work harder then these teams? Either you are a couch potato that hasn't watched a game this year or a guy that doesn't know what he's talking about, you pick which one. There's an old saying in sport: hard work beats skill if skill doesn't work hard....clearly the Rockets aren't the hardest working team in the west are they? That falls on the coaching staff, there's no arguing that, this is the worst season this organization has ever had in recent history, it isn't the team because they have three lines that can play and had arguably the best goalie in the conference for two months of the season.....again, it's obviously not the players. I can appreciate your argument to remove MB but that's not all that is wrong in Rocketland.

[Oglethorp]

Obvious,there is another old saying about making chicken salad that you might want to review. I assume when you mention MB you are not talking about the Head Trainer. He is highly regarded throughout the league. The other MB however, well lets just say his record speaks for itself. I expect the Exeter Hawks should name him as their Director of Player Development for all he has done for them over the years. I have seen many games played by all of the teams in the West and Strathroy works harder than anyone. I didn't say Leamington or anyone else lacked work ethic or doesn't work hard, Strathroy just works harder. Best goalie in the league? He is one of the top ones, but I would say the one that went to JrC with your top scorer in November was a bit better. I think even you would have to agree that teams like the 3 you had mentioned and others are deeper in talent this year than the Rockets. Fun Fact: The Rockets have lost more OT games(8) than St. Marys(3) and Lambton Shores(3) combined. Hard work can get an underdog to OT, talent and skill is what will decide the game in a 4 on 4 or 3 on 3 match up in OT. Good news for Rocket fans, playoff OT is 5 on 5.
Discipline problems that were a regular occurence have been curtailed. I would credit the coach for that.
The come at teams hard. any coach in the league will tell you that. I would credit the coach for that.
The team doesn't have the depth that most of the other teams have. I would credit the GM for that.
"We are a young team this year". Again I would credit the GM for that.
Will Strathroy be a young team next year and the year after? If so I would credit the new board of directors for that.
Best solution going forward starts with the return of DG to the helm. He is at 1/2 the games anyway why not make use of what he has to offer.