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Post by Yeti on Dec 28, 2003 17:29:55 GMT -5
Bulldogs vs St-Johns, Dec 28th.
The game is tied at 2 in the second. The Baby Leafs picked up a 2-0 lead in the first (first goal on a 5-3 PP).
Two goals by Balej in the second so far (one short handed goal). Plekanec the assist on both goals. Balej now has 15 goals and 33 points.
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Post by Yeti on Dec 28, 2003 18:25:22 GMT -5
3-2 Bulldogs in the third.
Hat trick for Balej, all three goals in the second period (Hossa assisted on his third goal).
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Post by Yeti on Dec 28, 2003 18:50:21 GMT -5
It's over. Bulldogs win 4-2... Guess who scored the fourth goal?  Balej, an empty netter but he tied a franchise record nonetheless... Habs brass was in the stands... Perezhogin didn't score but he was electrifying again. Tellqvist saved it for the Baby Leafs, the Dogs were all over them. |
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Post by FormerLurker on Dec 28, 2003 18:55:59 GMT -5
Habs brass was in the stands... Methinks Balej could get a callup pretty soon. He had a four point night earlier in the month too. He's now got 35 points in 36 games, after a slow start. Balej's stats, per month: Oct - 9GP, 2G, 5A Nov - 15GP, 5G, 6A Dec - 12GP, 10G, 7A Two games left this month. He should be a candidate for player of the month in December. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 29, 2003 0:31:19 GMT -5
Quite an impressive performance, including the four straight unanswered goals in tonight's game. With Balej really starting to come into his own this season and with Perezhogin starting to play with a lot more confidence and success (he was on a nice little run the last few games himself), the brass have to be happy that there is some good RW prospects in the farm. Add the steady play of Pleks, Higgins and Hainsey, and there are some boys making a name for themselves with the top notch ice time down in Hamilton. All bodes well for next season!!
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Post by BadCompany on Dec 29, 2003 9:07:08 GMT -5
Very nice to see. Balej's got decent enough size, speed to burn and a whole bunch of matches to light it, to go with a goal scorer's instincts. Just about everything we need. If nothing else, it should help make sure Dagenais doesn't get complacent with the big club, knowing there is at least one RW on the farm, and probably two, more than willing to take his place.
My biggest concern with Balej has always been his ability - or inability - to step it up. It seems that whenever the tough gets going, Balej... well, he gets going too, but usually not in the direction we want. He has bad playoff numbers at all levels, he didn't do to well in one World Junior Championship, and he skipped the second (that alone kind of upset me). He also had this habit of lighting it up at the beginning of training camps/rookie camps, and then fading down the stretch, as the competition and intensity got stiffer. I don't know if its a confidence thing, a heart thing, or just a BadCompany-making-too-much-of-mediocre-numbers thing, but I certainly hope its not a long term thing. Like I said, Balej has just about everything we could use...
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 29, 2003 11:11:37 GMT -5
Very nice to see. Balej's got decent enough size, speed to burn and a whole bunch of matches to light it, to go with a goal scorer's instincts. Just about everything we need. If nothing else, it should help make sure Dagenais doesn't get complacent with the big club, knowing there is at least one RW on the farm, and probably two, more than willing to take his place. My biggest concern with Balej has always been his ability - or inability - to step it up. It seems that whenever the tough gets going, Balej... well, he gets going too, but usually not in the direction we want. He has bad playoff numbers at all levels, he didn't do to well in one World Junior Championship, and he skipped the second (that alone kind of upset me). He also had this habit of lighting it up at the beginning of training camps/rookie camps, and then fading down the stretch, as the competition and intensity got stiffer. I don't know if its a confidence thing, a heart thing, or just a BadCompany-making-too-much-of-mediocre-numbers thing, but I certainly hope its not a long term thing. Like I said, Balej has just about everything we could use... Balej's performance should keep Dags honest up in Habland, especially when you consider that Audette has been all but written off by management, so that takes some of the competition away. With Ward coming back from injury, it isn't quite clear where and when he will be re-inserted into the lineup, but CJ is very familiar with him and will want to use him. It just seems unlikely that it will be right onto the second line. As for Balej's progression, I am hoping that a full year under Coach Jarvis will take some of those past trends out of his game. Jarvis always gave 100% and I just can't see him asking any less of his current team. He seems to have really molded some good chemistry out of his troops. Pretty good considering the number of new players and the various call ups. I am sure all of these players in Hamilton know the number of pending UFA's and RFA's that are not likely to be re-signed by the Habs, so they want to make their mark with management as well. |
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Post by seventeen on Dec 29, 2003 21:13:53 GMT -5
I don't think its the same kind of pressure, but if he had some of the Habs braintrust in attendance, as Yeti says, scoring 4 goals with the 'principal' staring down your throat, is a good sign of dealing well with it.
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Post by habruti on Dec 30, 2003 11:55:25 GMT -5
The situation at RW is actually a little scary...(in a good way)! With Balej starting to pan out. Perezhogin who seems to start adapting to the AHL, Ward coming back to the big club, Dagenais and Ryder producing, and Sundstrum/Dackell to take defensive resposabilities we can safely say that we have some quality depth at RW.
This is a bit why I pay little attention to trade rumors involving Parrish.
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Balej, an empty netter but he tied a franchise record nonetheless... 
