Week 2: 5 things we learned

There were plenty of positives for the Adrenaline to take away from a 1-1 weekend split. Despite dropping a 5-3 contest to the CBR Brave on Saturday, the boys rallied and soundly beat the Sydney Bears 3-1 on Sunday.

We'll look forward to seeing them take the ice at home on the weekend. Here are five things to take away:

#1: Penalties penalise 
 

It was a fierce start to the weekend with 7 penalties given in the first six minutes against Canberra (and a  5 - 2 Power Play advantage throughout the game). Two goals with the extra man proved to be the difference. Sundays' game against Sydney was a far more disciplined outing, which shows how much it helps not starting on the back foot.  

If the Adrenaline are going to beat some of the top four contenders, like the CBR Brave, they'll have to make sure they keep a cool head.

 

Our goalie situation is looking awfully good. Despite copping a barrage of shots over against Canberra, King was outstanding in goal on Saturday robbing Canberra on multiple occasions. King stopped 39 of the Braves' 44 chances, the scoreline does not do his goaltending effort justice. Me made multiple acrobatic saves to keep the team alive and spark a comeback effort. Check out one of his great saves here:


Charlie Smart started on Sunday and continued his winning streak between the pipes, helped by a more cohesive Adrenaline defensive unit. The 18-year-old allowed only one goal on 26 shots. 

 

#3: Imports Shine Bright
 

Coach Ryan O'Handley has shown his quality as the man in charge in the first two weekends of the season by getting the imports to click right away. Shown first with Tyler Grove slotting in perfectly in the first line with limited preparation. Grove has 9 points in four games and is second in the AIHL in scoring. 

New import Jonathan Boxill has left an early imprint too. He literally met the team at Sydney airport and played hours later right off his long-haul flight.  Preparation was severely limited but Boxill didn't look out of place at all with the Brit slotting home three points.

 

A first minute exchange set the tone for Saturdays game confirming the fine line between aggressiveness and assertiveness, resulting in a handful of penalties in the first period. He set out to make amends and lead the way in offensive rushes for the rest of the game, swinging momentum back Adelaide's way. This was backed up with a solid performance on Sunday, scoring the go ahead goal against the Sydney Bears.

 

Whilst commencing the season with 2 road games might not seem an ideal way to start, it does wonders in bringing the team together. Adelaide will be better for having these two trips under their belt, and on the flip side, it means more home games at the back end of the season. A 2-2 result from the first four rounds is very respectable.