Big announcement

There have been some persisting rumors stating the Shocker’s would be close to fill out the vacant spot on D by signing All-Star defenseman Andrei Markov. Dominic Duchesne confirmed the persisting rumor by stating the following “He’s [Markov] been stopping by the bar recently to hang out with the Shocker’s. He’s a nice guy, he’s definitely the best tipper in the place, I never get a dime from those Shocker’s… Bunch of Buitre’s!”. Hamelin has been spotted recently trying to convince him to join the Shocker’s “It would be huge for us, but for now he has to fulfill his contract with the Habs. We’re looking more for a summer signing, it would allow Mr.79 to stay in shape and would give us that good first pass we’ve been struggling to get this year…”. Media will be keeping an eye on this story, meanwhile new goaltending sensation Marco D’Ambrosi didn’t seem too excited by the developing story [D’Ambrosi] “Don’t get me wrong, I think Markov would burn this league. I just wish the spotlight would be on the actual recent signing and not on something that might happen in a few month’s…”. Captain Alain Godard on the other hand would love to play with a player of this caliber [Godard] “ I would give my left nut just to play one game with this guy”. This is quite a statement from the captain, especially knowing he only has one nut…

More to come…

Until then, keep your eyes on the ball and your stick on the floor kids…

Capaz Steps Down

Giancarlo Capaz has been a cornerstone to the Shockers organization since the beginning and aided significantly in building and conceptualizing the dynasty-in-the-making. However, earlier this week, he announced that he would be stepping down from being the Shockers' goaltender.

Capaz, did announce earlier in the season that he had been experiencing discomfort in his back and would be hanging it up after the season closed out, but due to his personal reasons has decided to cut his season short.

In a brief conversation with the masked man, he had mentioned that he would test the free-agent market and see if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Capaz leaves the team with a league leading 11 games played with 6 wins and 6 losses, 67 goals against and a 6.09 GAA this season.

Shockers have a two week break before resuming the season and will shop around for a goalie. They already have a key prospect in mind and should not be too long before the club talks contracts.

On behalf of the Shockers players and organization as well as the fans and loyal blog readers, we wish Giancarlo Capaz a great amount of success in his future endeavours and much success with his other team.

All Things Comes to An End

Highlights of Shockers vs. Decepticons

"You can't win them all," is all that assistant captain Andrew Stevens said in a post-game interview.

The Shockers fell 5-2 to the Decepticons on Monday night to snap their three-game winning streak; a team the Shockers clearly should have beaten.

"These are games we have to win and when it doesn't turn out the way we'd like it to turn out, it is a real slap in the face for us," Francois Hamelin explained, "a real slap of reality, that's for true."

Shockers, who had decent success against the Decepticons beating them twice in shootouts the last two times these teams have met, let the bottom drop-out in Monday night's match-up.

"We were playing well and then we changed something. We let our coverage down and next thing you know there were open guys in the slot area. We let ourselves lose the game and we let down our goalie," said Dwayne Pilon, who is quite vocal about what the team needs to do in order to win games.

The only production from the Shockers bench was Andrew Stevens scoring a powerplay goal after Gary McDermott's shot from the point hit him just millimeters from his man-business and Guillaume Cote, who received the call-up once again, jammed it home in a crowded crease area. Otherwise, the Shockers' big guns were shutdown by opposing goaltender, Maxime Delisle-Vaillancourt, and a little help from the posts.

Shockers have about two weeks off before they embark on a tough two games where they will take on FW, who is enjoying a two-game winning streak including giving the Grinders their first loss of the season 4-1, and the following week will be against the Grinders.

Connect Four?

Just like the old children's classic, Connect Four, the Shockers are looking to make a connection of their own when they take on the Decepticons and try extend their winning streak to four games. Winning is not exactly a steady wave the Shockers have been riding all season and every game is a constant battle for the squad, captain Alain Godard explains:

"We were happy to start off the season with a win but things got rocky from there. Picking up some key defensemen helped us out a bunch but we're really working on playing a good defensive game. Every game is a battle for us to remain consistant, I think that is one of our biggest issues."

Shockers have been dabbling in some recent success however, where they have been getting point production from both first and second lines up front and much alike from the defense.

"Keeping the ball out of our net is your main objective but when you blast the ball out of your zone and it goes in their net, that's where this game gets sweet," elaborated Marc Boucher, who baffled everyone at le Rinque with his highlight reel howitzer goal all the way from the faceoff circle in his zone.

Decepticons, who are coming off a close-call loss against the District 5 Knights 4-3, will look to battle back hard expecially since they lost the last two against the Shockers in shootouts. Dwayne Pilon, who notched the game-winner in the shootout last time these teams met commented on how the Shockers need to win it in regulation time this time around:

"We're all good and happy to win the game but we have to win it in regulation time to take the pressure off [Giancarlo Capaz] and ourselves. These guys are beatable, so let's do it!"

Shockers Outbattle the Warriors

Highlights of Shockers vs. Warriors

Making it back to the 500 club seemed like a dream that had been slipping away for the Shockers when they stared themselves in the mirror after suffering 4 straight losses back in October. November, however, has been an interesting turn of events for the team who has been able to turn the tables and pick up a handful of victories.

Last night at le Rinque hosted Shockers against the Warriors. The Warriors, who have yet to win a game this season, has started to look like a bigger team when three Poncelet brothers click together. Shockers knew they had to come into this game with a clear mind and not take the team lightly.

Shockers would be without Nick Sullo in the line-up so Guillaume Coté was called upon to suit up in his place and Shockers also brought in Richard "Magic Man" Dinelle to help out.

First Period started off rocky for the Shockers as they feel behind quickly 2-0 against the speedy Warriors until the Shockers finally woke up and struck back when Andrew Stevens blasted home a slapshot from center ice. Soon after, Kosta Kastrounis knocked in his fourth of the season off a Dwayne Pilon rebound. A little bit later in the frame, Alain Godard snuck in a shot from the above the faceoff circle that beat the goaltender farside to give the Shockers a 3-2 edge. But the Warriors would strike back on the powerplay beating Giancarlo down and out after a series of tiny rebounds. Just as the period looked like it was about to be over, Shockers struck back with two quick goals, both by Alain Godard, including a setup by Andrew Stevens to beat the buzzer.

Going into the second point down 5-3, Warriors needed to get something going and they did when Martin Poncelet let a taint slapper go from the left side that beat Capaz five-hole making it a 5-4 game. However, that celebration would be short-lived when Stevens sent a long bomb down into Warriors territory that would be tipped down by a defender and in turn sprung loose Godard, who then demonstrated a great deal of patience before shelfing it on the opposing goaltender. Ben Ducharme would drive the dagger deeper when he netted a shot from within the slot off a Dinelle pass. Warriors retaliated with a fancy passing play of their own but within just minutes, fan-favorite, Marc "The Claw" Boucher would rip one from his own end (no pun intended) beating the Warriors pipe-warmer to give him his second goal of the season. That appeared to be the end of the game right there but Martin Poncelet would have the final word, scoring within the last ten seconds of the game as he benefitted off a deflection off Dwayne Pilon's stick, rainbowing over Capaz and in the net. Shockers would walk away with this one, 8-6.

Alain Godard had nothing but good things to say about his team when asked about the game: "We battled hard and won the game by putting the ball in the net. The boys played great!"

When Godard was asked about his 4-four performance, he simply added: "I was where I was needed. It was one of those good days where everything was going well."

Shockers can celebrate during their week off but will resume action on Monday, November 17th when they take on the Decepticons. Shockers have experienced success against them, beating them in both meetings in shoot-outs. Despite the victories, Shockers are expecting to take the 'W' in regulation time next game, Andrew Stevens commented on the matter: "Enough of the shoot-outs, it is too nerve-racking! We know what we have to do, play the man, make sure we have fresh legs out there and put the ball in the net anyway we can...doesn't have to be fancy all the time."

Can Shockers make it 4 in-a-row? Find out Monday, November 17th @ 8:30pm!

Making it Two-in-a-Row

Highlights of Shockers vs. Chiefs

When you have a three-way tie to advance in the standings it makes for some interesting games on tap. Last night was a perfect example of two teams who are battling for better positioning in the standings as the Shockers would look to take on the Chiefs.

First period action kicked off with the Shockers playing surprisingly well as they have been struggling to make strong presence in the opening period all season. Ben Ducharme started the scoring when he banged home a stray Alain Godard ball that made its way through the slot. Godard would soon add a follow-up goal when he hacked in the rebound from Andrew Stevens' shot from an odd angle. The Shockers continued to truck along in the first adding another when Gary McDermott whizzed a shot by the screened Chiefs netminder.

"Fuck yeah!" exclaimed the big and intimidating Jeff Jasmin when asked if he thought his team played a better first period.

On to the second. The Shockers experienced a little lapse in communication when a turn-over sprung a Chiefs attack and, using a defender as a screen, they meshed one past Giancarlo Capaz to make it 3-1. Shockers would reply in a short amount of time when Jasmin received a feed from Shawn McDermott and fired it to the back of the net. With the game at 4-1, Chiefs started to panic, however, panic would turn to celebration as a shot from the corner took a weird bounce off some feet and trickled in to make it 4-2.

The third droned on with exchanges of fair chances for both sides. The silence would be broken when Godard would score his second of the game when he buried a long-ball shot from Francois Hamelin. Hamelin quoted on the play, "PTB [Pony-tailed Bastard] stole my shot, but whatever, it went in and that's what counts, that's for true!"

Chiefs would score their third and final goal of the game with a little less than five minutes left in the game, when they buried home a tipped shot from the point on the power-play. Goppy Sandhu would put the icing on the cake with minimal time left in the game when he snuck in a rebound from Dwayne Pilon's shot from Shockers' territory to make the final score 6-3 and not to mention, his first of the season.

Shockers make it two wins in a row and they can attribute their recent success to hard work on defense and a new found energy upfront for they have been achieving scoring success from both lines.

Chiefs' #15, Ryan Riback, commented about the Shockers after the game: "They're really good!"

"We know what we have to do every game and there are few things to change from game to game, it is just whether we're going to do it every time we're out there, that is the main question," commented the hard-hitting Dwayne Pilon who's motivation on the bench has kept his team's head high.

"[Pilon] knows what he's talking about so it is in our best interest to hear him out," Andrew Stevens spoke about Pilon.

Despite the Shockers' win, there was a loss that came attached to it. This morning team management confirmed that they received a letter of resignation from forward Nick Sullo. Sullo, who had been ejected from last night's game for unsportsmanlike conduct was involved in a behind-the-bench altercation with another teammate. The team did say to the press that Sullo did apologize to the team and to his teammates and does believe that the team can move on without him upfront. He ends this season with 1 goal and 4 assists.

Speaking of loses, in a post-game check-up Capaz had been diagnosed with back spasms and is still marked as questionable for tonight's match-up against the Warriors. Capaz has been suffering from back spasms this season had recently announced his retirement from hockey due to his injuries, however, he did confirm to finish the season as the Shockers starting goaltender. The team did not comment on who will be between the pipes for tonight's game.

Shockers have a chance to make some leg-room in the standings as they will take on the winless Warriors. The Shockers vow not to take the Warriors lightly as they have been experiencing recent success with scoring against the teams the Shockers have had a great amount of trouble against.

"There isn't a team you should take more lightly than others. You should always come out firing on all cylinders," commented Pilon.

Time Change for this Sunday's Game

This Sunday's game against the Chiefs has been scheduled for 9:30pm instead of 10:30pm.

Capaz's Final Countdown

Giancarlo Capaz, Shockers' star goalie, has announced today that this season will be in fact be his final season with the team and possibly his last of his hockey career. Capaz made his reasons short and to the point stating that he reached this decision after experiencing discomfort in his back. Capaz also freelances for a few other teams in other leagues and it is not for certain whether he will drop hockey all together or fill in on an on-call basis for those teams if needed in the future.

"We're sad to see him go. When you are building a dynasty or even just a normal team to play, you think about goaltending a lot, you got to have someone you can trust between the pipes and [Capaz] was our guy. He's got to look out for himself though," commented team captain, Alain Godard.

Capaz has confirmed that he is all cleared to finish the rest of the season with the Shockers and hopes to bring home the cup for his last season.

"I made it twice to the finals with the Blues [former NABHL Elite Division team] and never won it, it'd be nice to go out on a high note," Capaz said.

With Capaz stepping down, this opens the door for a new face but as this was such a shock to the Shockers' organization, there has been no mentionings of a replacement for next season.

"We'll keep our focus on this season and worry about next season when the time comes," said Andrew Stevens.

Shockers End Losing Streak in Shoot-outs

Highlights of the Shockers vs. Decepticons

Final Score
Shockers 4 - Decepticons 3 (SO)

For a team who has been struggling to find the right combination the Shockers certainly looked like a different team in last night's bout against the Decepticons.

The Shockers did not give up a single goal in the first period which has been rather uncharacteristic since the first period always seems to be a sleepy one for the team to get moving. Quite the opposite this time around. The forwards were coming back to help the defense, the defense was making sure the front of the net was clear and the zone exits were near perfect each time they moved the ball.

Last minute call to bring up Shawn McDermott to center Kosta Kastrounis and Nick Sullo ended up being a huge success as the line potted 2 out of the 3 regulation goals, picking up 2 assists for himself and over-all, they moved the ball well amongst the three.

Giancarlo Capaz, who has arguably kept the Shockers within contention all season was stellar once again between the pipes especially in the shoot-outs where the Shockers relied heavily on him to be on his game.

"It was definitely a different game for us, we played it smart and didn't give them much opportunity to score," commented Andrew Stevens who was blanked of the score sheet for the second time this season.

"It was fun to play something different, I'm not used to this league and to le Rinque so it was a nice change of pace for me," commented Shawn McDermott and then briefly spoke about his shoot-out miss,"...I usually get that shot everytime, but it come off my stick a bit weird and it went high and wide."

Kosta Kastrounis had two goals on the night, both from great passes by Shawn McDermott to add to his point total on the season (3G - 4A).

Shockers (3-5-0) will go up against the Chiefs (3-3-0) next Sunday; both teams are tied in the standings and both are looking to go ahead in the standings. The last time these teams butted-heads the Shockers came up on top for the win, 6-4.