Controversy aside, Spiders top Devils 5-4 in OT

March 16, 2015

Early game times and nice weather was a recipe for an expected large attendance, however, the playoff elimination last week left prime tickets still in the hands of the scalpers at game time. Attendance officially was at ten but that might have been a generous count based on season ticket holders. Those who did show were treated to a game with a playoff feel to it.

Spiders had split the previous two games with the Taz Devils and both were very tight contests. Taz Devils entered the contest in sole possession of second place with the Spiders sitting in sixth looking to play spoiler. In a rare moment two days before the game, new comer Derk Jacobson stepped out on the Nostradamus limb and said “We are going to win….” It is not sure if Derk really has some ability to see the future because the second part of his prediction that he would score a goal. At this point he still has the same goal count as the goalie.

Scoring began five minutes into the game when Kuppe broke through the defense of the Devils on the left side and rifled a laser over the glove hand of the shocked goalie. It was a good start but momentum could not be sustained. At the end of the first period, Taz Devils had out-shot the Spiders 10-6 and were holding a 2-1 lead.

That lead got expanded early in the second with the Devils taking advantage of yet another scrum in front of the net to bury their third to make it a two goal lead.

Spiders’ power play has been struggling as of late. 0 for 10 in the last 12 periods has not been a number that Assistant Captain Jim Maietta has been please with. He said “Buckalew’s goal was one of the grittiest goals the Spiders have scored in a long time.” Near the end of a dominating power play Buckalew took a rebound from Hilden’s shot and top-shelfed a shot to pull within one. Then with one minute remaining in the period, Wilson took a pass from Buckalew, buried it, and tied the game.

The third period is where the fun begins. Townsend put the Spiders up 4-3 and the Taz Devils began their march to the penalty box with 5 penalties. With 4 minutes remaining, a seeing eye-knuckle puck beat Dow and eventually put the game into overtime.

After Dow got steamrolled by a Taz Devil player, the Spiders made the power play work again. With the Spiders pressing, Vandenberghe unleashed his patented three MPH, off-speed shot that stopped short of the goalie. Townsend crashed the net only to be ridden down from behind into Taz Devils’ goalie. As he is bracing the fall, his stick tips the puck and it slides underneath the sprawling goalie. After video review, the call on the ice was confirmed. Spiders win 5-4!

Next up for the Spiders is the B3 leaders, Ice Hogs. Spiders have lost by a 2-1 margin in the previous two games so this game will test their mettle.