Spiders capitalize on Chaos, 5–1

Feb. 19, 2011

Short-benched Spiders outlast shorter-benched Chaos.

It wasn’t the blowout that the Chaos expected based on the last game, but the Spiders still beat the Chaos for the third time this season, putting up a solid forecheck and backcheck across three periods, and a four-goal second to put the game away.

The incredibly shrinking Spiders bench whittled away throughout the week, leaving the Spiders to reprise their lineup from last week, at 12 skaters for this Saturday night game at New Hope. The faces were different tonight, however, as a stranger to the dressing room — RW John Pellicci — came out of retirement, playing in his first game since Dec. 18.

Fortunate for the Spiders, Chaos captain Webb announced the Chaos bench was even shorter, at just 11 skaters (and would get even shorter as the night went on).

C Mike Johnson started the Spiders off on the right foot — and skate — getting the Spiders on the board halfway through the first, assist from Schroeder. The first closed out with a Chaos penalty, effectively killed.

Halfway through the second, it was a TSN highlight goal, with the patience of a saint, C Cody Yard emerging from Gretsky’s Office, outlasting the goalie’s desire to go down, and finally slicing the far corner to put the Spiders up by two.

Following a Cison penalty for being robbed of a goal, he sprung from the bin, and made up for lost time, putting the Spiders up by three, scored as a D-to-D from Grotbeck to Litton, who shot it off Pellicci’s breezers and right to a waiting Cison.

Back on the power play, D Chris Flannery got his first of the night, assist to Yard, on a slot snipe. The Chaos answered back with a minute and a half left on the second period clock, taking advantage of a Spider defensive-zone turnover to erase their donut.

With the final seconds of the second winding down, Flannery collected his pass off the goalie’s mask and put it away for his second and the Spiders’ fifth of the night.

That’s the way it would stay on the scoreboard, though one Chaos and two Spiders still wanted to get their number in lights on the fancy New Hope North scoreboard. First, the Chaos’ Bibro for roughing, at 10:04, then Litton for pitchforking the Chaos’ Corder in the corner, and finally Schroeder, angry at himself for not getting called on his previous play, for cross-checking.

Shots, not quite at the 40 high-water mark set last week, did make it to 39 (11, 14, 14). And the porous D made sure Fransen didn’t get too cold, allowing the Chaos to generate a respectable 20 (5, 7, 8). But Fransen had an answer for all of them, except one stop where he couldn’t quite make up his mind, almost drawing his first penalty of the season.

Another week, another win for the Spiders, putting the Spiders at 14 wins, just six games left in the regular season. And the win also means the Spiders sweep the Chaos in the regular-season series, and lifetime, even it back up 3–3 in AHA Winter Season play, 3–3–1 including the Fall Tournament.

The Chaos, now 5–6–3–1, remain tied for 5th with the Royals, and four points ahead of the Fighting Saints, the team the Spiders will face next, in yet another Saturday evening game, this one at 7:45 at Breck. Bring the family, tickets are still available.