Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
Our Canadian correspondent Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux was able to meet up with the Janser brothers as well as Bonnie Ferguson in the Wranglers club house. Here is what the two Swiss hockey players and the Scottish punk rocker had to say.
Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux (JLL): 'Thanks for agreeing to meet me, after what must have been a disappointing post-season. Any thoughts on the early exit at the hands of the Phoenix?'
Daniel Janser (DJ): 'Well, it was a blow to morale at first of course. We worked so hard all season to get the best possible start in the playoffs. And then we blew it. This is not to say that Chicago (and all the other teams for that matter) did not work hard as well. I looked at the stats before the fateful game six. We had the advantage in almost every important statistic except the special teams efficiency. But since the difference was only a percent or two, and Chicago took more penalties than us, I thought this would not matter that much.'
JLL: 'So what did make you lose the series then?'
Marcel Janser (MJ): 'I sacrificed some of my defence for a better ppg ratio, which was a risk that did not pay out. Many supporters are putting blame on Ben for the seven goals he allowed in game six. I think this is without merit. Of course a saving rate of .829 is nothing to write home about and no-one knows better than Ben. However if you have more shots after two periods than your opponent and trail 3-0, the skaters have not done their job either. And let's be honest: you cannot reasonably expect to win a game if you are only scoring once. If our netminder only allowed two goals with a saving rate of .951, we would have still lost the match.'
DJ: 'I agree with Marcel. We did not defend well enough and contrary to the regular season, we were not able to compensate lackadaisical defending with elite scoring skills. I mean game five for example we had 51-31 shots in our favour and lost 4-2. I think we were complacent and underestimated the Phoenix. We were not going all in in the crucial fights in the slot and along the boards. And sometimes you just have puck luck abandoning you. Don't get me wrong, Chicago played smart and hard and deserved to proceed to the next round. But to me the series was quite balanced and it could have gone either way. This time Lady Luck was not on our side, and in this series we would have need her on our side, to get the wake up call. I was not able to rally the troops either and in that respect failed as a Captain. I tried to lead by example, but it was not enough and maybe it would have needed a more stern talk in the locker rooms at times.'
JLL: 'What lessons do you take from this series?'
DJ: 'Well, we will work even harder and come back with a vengeance. It is of course a pity that we could not give Luc the send-off he deserved. And I would lie if the sophomores Gonçalves and Wolanin were not heartbroken about the early exit. They gave it their all the whole season and both showed improved stats compared to their rookie campaigns. But they are resilient and already chomping at the bite, looking forward to next season.'
JLL: 'Miss Ferguson...'
Bonnie Ferguson (BF): 'Please do call me Bonnie, dear.'
JLL: 'Okay, Bonnie. What was Daniel like after the loss? I mean, we all know, he doesn't like losing at all.'
BF: 'It did go to his heart, alright. But he was more stumped for his team mates and the Calgary fans. He was not a merry fellow for a few days, it's true. Alas, after two days, he was hellbent to be even better next season and started working out like a man possessed.'
JLL: 'Dan, how did Bonnie and you meet?'
DJ: 'Believe it or not, you could say it was in the line of duty, albeit in a round-about way. You see, Landon, Leandro, Marcel and I volunteered to drop a cheque at the Children's Hospital from the Wranglers organization. We raised money by selling signed match Jerseys and the likes and the boys pitched in to make it a round number. Of course we planned in some time to interact with the kids, some of whom are sadly in terminal stage of cancer. I am not ashamed to admit that I choked when I saw with how much positivity these little boys and girls approach their lifes. I tell you these are the most hardcore hockey fans I have ever seen. So we spent time with them, playing games, reading books, telling stories or simply sign the odd souvenir. Then a father of one of these kids approached us. He was crying of joy because we made the day for his little girl. It turned out that he owns a pub downtown and he insisted that we come there for a drink. Now, Marcel and I have been raised to not turn down a drink as it is tantamount to an insult. So we agreed to turn up later that evening. It's a very inviting pub with friendly staff and life music. As it happens, Bonnie's band had a gig that evening.'
BF: 'Yeah, I was in the middle of my drum-solo when these four fellers entered the pub. All four fit as one can be, scarred from playing hockey. Of course at the time I thought they like a scrap every now and then. They entered with a lazy confidence and I took a fancy on the ring leader. Which is Dan, naturally. Also, the crowd was in awe when these four guys came in. Which intrigued me even more. It looked like a scene from an old Western when the gun slingers enter the saloon. I did not ken that this reverence was due to them playing in the local hockey team, as I was ignorant of that sport until then. Needless, to say this has since changed. So as soon as the band had a break, I sauntered to the bar, where the four were sitting and bought Dan a Scotch. He accepted it, but also told me that he was a professional athlete and that he will not be able to accept any further alcoholic beverages. The rest is, as they say, history.'
JLL: 'What a heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing this with us. That would be all the questions I had. Thanks for your time.'
DJ+MJ: 'Thanks for having us.'
BF: 'Don't mention it'
Stay tuned for further updates.
https://vhlforum.com/topic/128227-a-tale-of-two-brothers-dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/128286-a-tale-of-two-brothers-games-for-the-na-throne/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/128454-a-tale-of-two-brothers-ready-to-rumble/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/128491-a-tale-of-two-brothers-facing-the-season-end/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/128627-a-tale-of-two-brothers-heartbreak-loss/
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news flash: Shindigs does (literally)
