Day Two: Controversy at the X

Posted on September 15th, 2007 – 2:45 PM
By Michael Russo

Team Honesty pounded Team Preparation into oblivion this morning, 6-zip.

But the game wasn’t without controversy. The video headquarters in Toronto must get scrimmage video because Eric Belanger’s goal at the buzzer of the first half first counted, then was disallowed, then counted, then disallowed by the time the second half began.

This must have completely unraveled Team Preparation. The Preppies were in a mental funk the entire second half.

Kurtis Foster opened the floodgates 23 seconds into the second half, and seconds after Branko Radivojevic nailed goalie Josh Harding in the melon with a deflected shot, Derek Boogaard, Radivojevic, Mark Parrish, Mikko Koivu and Danny Irmen scored en route to the rout.

Niklas Backstrom was in net for Honesty for the shutout, rebounding from a shaky Friday. Honesty’s now 2-0 in scrimmages (their team consists of guys like the above named players and Dominic Moore, Morten Madsen, Steve Kelly, Adrian Foster, Tyler Hirsch, Martin Skoula, Petteri Nummelin, Towering John Scott and Erik Reitz).

Team Prep was “no good at all,” as Ottawa coach-turned-GM Bryan Murray loves to say (with an expletive sprinkled in on occasion). And I mean Team Prep was no good.

I’ll re-iterate just for those who aren’t understanding. Team Prep was Terrible with a Capital T.

They better rebound tomorrow against Team Passion, or Jacques Lemaire may have a “conniption fit,” as I like to say. I believe the context when I used to cover Murray in Florida and he didn’t like something I wrote went something like, “Geez, Bryan, don’t have a conniption fit.”

Boogaard’s goal was a beauty incidentally. He looked like Keith Tkachuk in front of the net as he picked his spot and buried it. I see a 30-goal season in Boogey’s future. OK, that might have been a little over the top. 

Of course, it should go as no mention, but Mark Parrish was the only injury. He sustained a nasty gash above his right eye when Aaron Voros creamed him from behind. Parrish, of course, and it should go as no mention, popped up and continued playing.

Dominic Moore, of whom I wrote about today, had another good scrimmage. So did Danny Irmen, for that matter.

Hmmm, anything else? Nah. I’m ready for the season already.

I better get working on tomorrow’s material for the Strib. Shameless plug, but check out tomorrow’s Brent Burns feature. It was a fun one to do.

That’s it from Russoville. Have a fun and safe weekend and I’ll talk to you after Sunday’s workout.

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