After securing an emphatic 6-3 victory over the Manchester Storm, two members of the Guildford Flames spoke to Premier Sports’ Aaron Murphy. Thanks to goals from Ian McNulty (x2), Johan Eriksson, Ryan Tait, Sam Marklund, and Daniel Tedesco, the travelling side was in fine spirits. Here is every word netminder Eamon McAdam and head coach Paul Dixon said about their win, the start of a new Elite League season, and risky passes on the penalty kill.
Eamon McAdam: ‘Penalty-killing is something we really want to excel at’
Aaron Murphy: You made 31 saves and this is a tough place to come, how happy are you with the performance tonight?
🎙Post-Game | #EIHL
Goalie Eamon McAdam on @flamesicehockey's win in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/mJS08XSb5E
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) September 21, 2022
Eamon McAdam: I’m thrilled. It’s easy to crumble when you have the start we had, where we had a bad bounce and were scored on early, in an atmosphere like this. [Our performance] shows we have a lot of resilience in our team: we stepped up, answered right away, and kept our foot on the gas. It was a great performance.
Aaron Murphy: Angela Taylor, my co-commentator who played NCAA hockey and won five Swiss titles, watched you and said ‘I wonder if he ever played as a goalie in football or soccer’ because some of your reactionary saves were pure athleticism.
Eamon McAdam: No, I didn’t actually – I played lacrosse but I wasn’t even a goalie. Athleticism has always been a big part of my game. It’s something that gave me a chance over in North America. It’s something that I need to channel a little bit sometimes but it’ll definitely be present in my game at all times.
Eamon McAdam, formerly of the Toronto Marlies (Image: AHL)
Aaron Murphy: Well, your head coach probably doesn’t want you playing five-a-side football – he’s laughing over to the left. But I think of a couple of the shoulder saves you made, especially on a chance shorthanded. How important for you is it to be the Flames’ best penalty-killer?
Eamon McAdam: I think myself, our defensive corps, and the guys who kill really pride ourselves on that. It’s something we want to excel at all year, and we’ve been off to a great start. We really want to set the bar there, it’s something that can really accentuate your game, and help the team.
Paul Dixon: ‘It was pretty special but your heart’s in your mouth for a second’
Paul Dixon: I think the goalie has to be the best player on the ice when you’re on the penalty kill and he certainly was tonight. I know there’s obviously another four guys out there, and credit to the forwards and defenders that killed, but ‘Mac’ was huge.
🎙Post-Game | #EIHL
Paul Dixon on @flamesicehockey's win in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/0IRIgS33Eo
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) September 21, 2022
Aaron Murphy: Before the game, you told me to keep an eye on Ryan Tait – he’s a speedster, he had the shorthanded goal. Talk about some of the performances up and down the roster from the new guys.
Paul Dixon: We were short by a D-man tonight and I thought the five defencemen handled themselves very well: I like the corps that we have. On the forward front, Tait is always going to catch your eye because he has that speed, the guy can fly out there. [Peter] Crinella, Johan Eriksson, Sam Marklund, and Daniel Tedesco are dangerous players as well.
I don’t like to single guys out too much. I thought it was a really good team performance, it’s difficult playing here, and I’m delighted to come away with two points tonight.
Aaron Murphy: It was a massive performance up and down the roster, I don’t think there is anyone you could say who didn’t have their ‘A Game’. We’ve talked about some of the new guys, but what about Ben O’Connor; how good will he be for the Flames this season?
Paul Dixon: I think he’s massive [for the team]. It’s no secret that Ben offers quality and a winning mentality. When you look at his pedigree and what he’s achieved in the game, I don’t think there’s anything he hasn’t won. To have a guy like that in your locker room, adding to what you’ve already got, was a huge plus for us and why it was important to bring him in this year.
Paul Dixon, Guildford Flames (Image: Scott Wiggins)
Aaron Murphy: I didn’t want to ask Eamon McAdam, I wanted to ask you. Did you nearly fall off the bench when he went high off the glass for a breakaway chance when shorthanded?
Paul Dixon: Yeah, I’d like to say we practice that all the time, but we don’t!
Aaron Murphy: I don’t think I’ve seen that in ten years covering the Elite League…
Paul Dixon: It was pretty special but your heart’s in your mouth for a second.
What did you make of Guildford’s win in Manchester? Join the conversation by tweeting @BritIceHockey.
