Breakfast Club: Session II - Week 8

OK, Kirk, what's with me getting the blog days with the bad weather? A few inches of snow and attendance falls off? It works for me because I get more ice time and more one-on-one, of course, but we do miss the rest of you when you don't show. So if you missed this morning, make sure you take advantage of going on "the other morning" so you can get the benefit of being there.

And speaking of shifting days around, the "skate at the Joe" is moved to the last week of class. So, plan accordingly.

With that bit of housekeeping aside, let's have a discussion in passing about passing, shall we? It's not a pass if it doesn't go to the player you intended, nor if you had no intended recipient in the first place. Nope, not a pass, those are more likely a turnover. Seems intuitive, but geesh, it's harder than it looks. Tape to tape. If I don't send it to you good and clean, how can I expect you to get that puck? If you've got your stick up in the air (all you hay pitchers out there) where exactly am I supposed to send that puck? If I just throw it somewhere, "away", with no idea where, chances are it will go where it shouldn't have.

The half-ice offense/defense drills were great, albeit humbling. The first time through, the defense didn't even have their sticks, for crying out loud. So why was the offense so quick to make a panic pass? A blind pass? An otherwise lousy pass, actually not a pass at all but a turnover. All I can say is, it's a good thing there weren't any scouts in the upstairs exercise room today.

This weekend is the St. Baldrick's fundraiser. You don't have to shave your head to support them, you know! Just surf on over to www.stbaldricks.org. The official local event is Sunday the 11th at the Walled Lake firehouse. But I'm sure this great organization will still gladly accept your donations regardless of the date.

Keep your head up and your eyes on the goal!