Saelven88

Word from the Halifax front office is that goaltender Thorvald Gunnarsson is dealing with a lower body injury. He is currently listed as day to day. Gunnarsson appears to have been injured at the 19:05 mark of the second period of the 21st's game against the Yukon Rush. While attempting to make a save on a Nico Suleryski shot, Gunnarson went down. He was reaching right while sliding left and may have overextended himself. Gunnarsson stayed down after conceding the goal and appeared to be favoring his right thigh and knee. He had to be assisted off of the ice by the trainers and did not return to the bench. Michael Johnson came on in relief and was able to get the win in a shootout. Halifax has offered no updates on the extent of the injury. Gunnarsson has been sitting on the bench as a backup for Johnson, although he has not practiced much since the injury.

5 point game @Acydburn! Way to go!

Nice game Hali! Congrats @fonziGG!

Helsinki 3 - Toronto 1

235 Toronto Legion @ Helsinki Titans 236 Calgary Wranglers @ HC Davos Dynamo 237 Riga Reign @ Vancouver Wolves 238 Helsinki Titans @ New York Americans

ST. LOUIS BLUES vs. BOSTON BRUINS Winner: St Louis # of games: 7

+4

I thought you said we were getting chalupas. Very disappointed. Demerit.

Another bad game from me against Saskatoon.

Bad game from me, but we didnt score either so, oh well.

Good game from the Hali skaters.

How very Philadelphia

1. 20 games into the season, who do you think our biggest rival is this season? Saskatoon has been a pain to play against. 2. The leader in points for the team is tied between Gaudette and Axelson, do you think it's going to be a tie until the end of the season or someone is going to run away from the other? Its gonna stay close, and I really don't know who will end up on top. But someone will beat the other. 3. What is your personal goal for the rest of the season? I want to steal a few wins for us this season. So far I have been helped out a lot by the rest of the team, now I want to return the favor. 4. How do you think the team chemistry is this season? Pretty good. I think we're really bonding well as a team. 5. What attribute(s) do you plan to focus on improving? Rebound control and reaction time. Everything else is pretty close to the model I'm using right now. 6. What's your favorite part of the VHLM? The team. We've really built a nice atmosphere in the locker room.

+ 10 Thorvald Gunnarsson.

Way too many soft games from me lately.

Another ugly performance from me. Gotta get better.

Ugh. Lopsided penalty numbers. Ugly performance by me.

Nicely done! Solid little winning streak Hali.

Good game Burn, first star! And 44 shots overall. Great effort for the win.

Solid win guys. Offense was on point today.

Just had to call myself out to start playing a bit better. Maybe I need to get more brutal to bring our my first shutout.

Gave me the idea for the theme of this piece.

After starting the season strong with a GAA of 2.75, Halifax rookie goaltender Thorvald Gunnarsson has seen himself pulled from games on back to back starts. Asked what happened the rookie offered, “I think it's just the level of competition is higher than back home. You can't have a mental night off, or else you will get beat.” What was a promising start to his VHLM career seems to be off the rails. Only managing to stop 10 of the last 16 shots he's faced (.625 save percentage and an astronomical 13.67 GAA), Gunnarsson has been seriously cold. Originally drafted to be a the team's backup goaltender, Gunnarsson was quickly promoted to the starter after Chase announced to the team that he would be leaving the minors and taking his talents to Moscow in the up-coming season. Just before the season started Michael Johnson was signed to back up Gunnarsson. However, as of late it looks as if the roles are starting to change. Gunnarsson's recent bad play seems to coincide with Johnson's rising play. The two had been splitting starts recently so it would not be too much of a stretch to see Johnson run away with the starter position. There have been rumblings of a goalie controversy for a little while, but now it may be open season for the starter job. Up until recently the two have been very close in their performances in practice and it was difficult to say who had the edge. In games however, both had played well enough to put the team in a position to win, but it seemed as though luck was more on Gunnarsson's side for wins. He's certainly enjoyed more goal support in the early part of the season. In the last week though, a clear difference has opened up between the two, with Johnson flashing his skills in practice and in games. “The better guy should play,” said Gunnarsson when asked about this. “I have been letting the team down recently.” Perhaps seeing the game from the bench for a few days would help Gunnarsson snap out of this funk. “I am still adjusting to the game here, but I need to be better.” When asked if there was anything he needed to do differently, Gunnarsson stated that he would have to talk with his coaches first But he stated that he planned on adding more practice time in the coming weeks. “The schedule is pretty packed already, but I think there are a few hours where we can get some more drills done.” Obviously any time a player goes through a bad stretch like this changes have to be made. When asked what needed to be adjusting he mentioned that his positioning had been pretty poor recently. He added that he believes a lack of focus on the ice has contributed to his sloppy positioning and allowed in some soft goals. “I think a hard look at the tape will reveal what mistakes I have made, and where I can make simple adjustments,” Gunnarsson said. “We will be spending a lot of time in the film room, and I will be making those adjustments as soon as I can.” Week ending 5/19/19, 534 words

0 for 8 on the PP. Man we gotta get that going.