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After extensive contract negotiations, the Mighty Pirates organization is extremely pleased to welcome back Howie for another season of insightful, amusing, and extremely addictive commentary! Yes, Howie tells it like it is!

You'll find links to each and every Howie Report right here after each game.

Oh, Oh, Oh -- and then Wow! Wow! Wow!
2007-10-15: Mighty Pirates 4 vs. Brewers 1

The Mighty Pirates (2-2-0) have certainly found their place in the Monday Rickard's Division at TNHC in this, their historic 15th season. With four games done in the preseason, before TNHC looks at realignment to balance the divisions, it looks like a pretty good match-up all around. While the Tigers remain undefeated at 4-0-0, all of the other teams have managed at least one win, and no one team seems dominant. The Pirates sit comfortably in the middle of the pack, with a record of 2-2, as their offence and defence begins to take shape and gel as a team. The fact remains that although the team had only one roster change with its regulars, the extra week off for Thanksgiving and the number of players that have been off for games has meant that there has been precious little continuity with lines and play-making at this early point in the season is merely a twinkle in Captain Mola's eyes. But it will come. rest assured, Pirate Nation!

The game against the Tigers way back on October 1 was in fact a very good game, though the 3-0 score would suggest otherwise. It was the scene of a number of important milestones. It was the first game played this season with the full Pirate roster - a chance for the fans to see the Pirate lines work as Roger Jolie envisioned them in the off-season. And the Pirates did not disappoint. While the passes could have been a tad more crisp, and the shifts a tad shorter, the back-checking a tad more energetic, in fact the Pirates played 27 minutes of excellent hockey. Unfortunately, not unlike the previous game against the Toronto Blades, there was a brief five minute breakdown late in the second and early in the third periods, when exhaustion or distraction or frustration took over, and the Tigers took full advantage to score all of their three goals. Yes, there were plenty of odd man rushes against the Pirate net at other times as well, leaving with goalie Matthew Lella wondering at times which colour jersey his team was wearing, since most of the guys parked in front of his crease did not match his uniform. And yes, let us not forget that given the history between the Pirates and the Tigers, everyone was skating to some extent on eggshells, working hard to avoid any contact, accidental or intended, that could spark a scene. Give credit where it is due, the Tigers, with a somewhat revamped roster, were true gentlemen on and off the ice, and the game was as incident-free as any fan would hope. But overall, the game was one that could have been much closer. Yes, the Tigers are young, fast and disciplined, and their forward and defensive lines were well balanced, The score certainly did not lie. But the Pirates could be heard to say that they look forward to the next round, where they hope to be able to step up and make it closer - or ideally bring home a victory.

With the Pirate scoreless streak hitting two games, and the week off in between games making lacing up the skates even harder for most of your heroes, the game against the Brewers loomed large in the locker room on October 15. Two subs were available to fill some of the gaps of the missing buccaneer crew, as Giovanni Tassone and Adam Brown showed up to shore up the roster. But missing in action were Kwinter, Gallivan, Perri and Besant, and Jezioranski showed up late enough that even his legendary dressing skills could not avoid him missing his first shift. The game was a real back and forward affair, with both teams taking the attack deep into the other zone. The Pirates, for perhaps the first time this year, were able to show off theirs skills in cycling the puck in the opponent's zone, and they also managed to score first. The real complaint in this game was the high number of penalties. While few of the calls were intentional or mean-spirited, there were enough infractions that keeping lines together was virtually impossible. And there was a point in the third period when there were five (!!!) people in the penalty boxes (two Brewers, three Pirates). How can a game have any kind of flow with such a situation? Both goalies played superbly, and the defensive lines were by and large well manned. However, the Brewers used their youth and speed on too many occasions to set up breakaway plays that caught the Pirate defense off guard. The speed of the centremen coming back and the agility of Matthew Lella in net was the margin that gave the Pirates a 4-1 victory. All the details can be found in the game sheet at PirateHockey.ca. Check it out for yourself!

And the final game of the preseason looms large at 9:00 p.m. on RINX 3, Monday, October 22 against the Condors, who at 1-3-0 sit right behind the Pirates in the standings, and would love to take the opportunity to jump into a tie for third place with your vaunted Pirate crew. What would Howie like to see? A clean, disciplined game from the boys in yellow and black, with strong positional play in their own zone, the forwards covering the opponent's defensemen at the blue line, the centres coming back to help the D, and breakout plays that ensure that the forwards wait until the defense has control of the puck before rushing up the ice. Howie would like to see more use of the point in the opponent's zone, and more forwards crashing the net. Howie would have a big smile on his face if he could see strong, hard, short shifts and clean line changes. And Howie would be thrilled if the Pirates would stay out of the penalty box. But most of all, Howie would love to see a big, fat W posted on the Pirate record, to bring the team above .500 and show the rest of the division that they are here to stay, and are not looking to get realigned!

GO PIRATES!!! VIVA LOS PIRATAS!!!

Howie