Moosalicious Win

Feb. 17, 2013

The Spiders took another step towards the playoffs on Sunday afternoon with a solid 2–1 win against the division-leading “mighty-mighty” Moose as part of Hockey Day In America. Once again, the difference proved to be a Lombardi-esque pre-game chalk talk by “A” Captain Grotbeck and stellar, if not Wild-Westish, goalie play from Cowboy Bill McCormick. The rare late-afternoon start time seemed to put both teams in a leisurely mood, but did draw out a huge family-friendly AHA crowd of at least twenty strong, even though some were probably getting early seats for the State Fair rodeo.

In the first period, the Spiders definitely came out of the chutes a little stronger, maintaining consistent possession in the Moose zone for several minutes and raising expectations that a competitive game was in the offing. The Spiders proved it by scoring first and early with hot-potato passing that resulted in a Freed poke-in off a sweet pass from Johnson, who received the blazing spud from Grotbeck.

Adding to the ambiance was the sketchy officiating (again), which sent two Mooses to the pen for a 5-on-3 power play halfway through the period, the second penalty assessed for being runover by a charging Johnson. The Spiders maintained good possession on a much-improved power-play but could not capitalize.

Freed’s first-period goal

Lavigne’s second-period goal

At 1–0, the Spiders’ confidence seemed to grow while the Moose seemed dazed and confused, as evidenced by their lack of emotion to the phantom Vandenberghe no-goal just a few seconds later. Thus said the ref: “I saw it go in the net but not cross the line.”

More phantoms calls came late in the first with Droullard and Lavigne occupying the sin bin, apparently for leaving a stick underneath a Moose hoof and tackling, respectively. The Spiders killed the penalties effectively, heeding the pre-game advice to manage the blue lines. Farner was stellar in this regard by poking several pucks out of the zone from his stomach. Show-off.

The second period was a pendulum of hockey drama as the reeling Moose tried to generate something, anything, to get a goal, including sending a sixth man to the ice in cahoots with two-thirds of the Three Stooges in stripes. The Spiders for their part sensed the historic event in the making and played tough and confident, even making calls for the refs when they had to.

Confidence was growing and Droullard smelled victory when the Spiders scored later than sooner at 3:49 in the second period. Schwinn adeptly handled an offensive-zone faceoff by sweeping the puck to the versatile Grotbeck, playing at the blue line this game for the sniper Captain in absentia, who fired it at the net. The Moose stopper stopped it but couldn’t corral it and Lavigne deftly played with the puck for several minutes and decided to eventually flip it into the net for the Spiders’ second, and ultimately game-winning, goal.

Meese Matson body check on Schroeder.

Tension filled the Coliseum in the third period as the crowd sat on the edge of their seats to see if a Moose comeback was in the making. The Moose were getting desperate, as evidenced by a violent, earth-shattering check on Schroeder, who was flying down the ice assessing the goalie’s eye movement and body lean and didn’t see the offending offender sneak up from behind. Even though the Spiders got the man advantage, the felonious play seemed to energize the Moose as they killed off the penalty and then snuck one in through the side door on a frantic offensive rush. 2–1 and the seconds turned to hours for the Spiders.

McCormick keeping the crease clear.

The Spiders’ worst fears became reality. No, not the goal (it was almost expected. Rob.), but the nefarious and calamitous cowbell that rang out across the cavernous stadium. But rather than shirk from the hideous sound, the Spiders responded with a penalty of their own, as McCormick used his scythe to mow down a Moose during a scrum in front of the net. Lavigne, ever the gentleman, sauntered over to the penalty box, then the bench, then back to the penalty box to serve out the time.

The Spiders successfully used successive icing plays to kill off more time and see the win within their grasp. Except for McCormick’s, who tried to keep time going by coaxing a sticky puck from his glove directly in front of the open net and several advancing Moosi. A pileup and panic ensued but a goal did not, and the Spiders held on diligently to preserve the fragile lead, despite being outshot 12–4 in the final period.

The Moose may look back and regret their debatable decision not to pull the goalie with over a minute and a half remaining and a face-off just outside the Spiders’ blue line. But it matters not to them, only to the Spiders, who gain a HUGE win over a formidable opponent and momentum for the final stretch of the slog that is the hockey season.

Congratulations Spiders for a well-deserved and hard-fought win.

Standings watch

The victory gives the Spiders (now 9–7; 18 pts.) a huge eight legs up for their post-season plans. Having been on the outside looking in just two weeks ago, last week’s Sled Dogs defeat and this week’s upset of the Moose (now 13–2–1; 27 pts.), keeps the Spiders in the running. The Spiders weren’t the only one upsetting the top of the apple cart Sunday. The Sled Dogs (now 8–6–1–1; 18 pts.), neck and neck with the Spiders, followed suit beating the second-place Mastodons 4–3 in OT at SLP. Meaning the playoff race stays just as tight as it was last week, and puts the AHA tiebreakers still in both team’s back pockets.

Next up, more key matchups, the Spiders face off against those very same Mastodons (11–2–0–3, 25 pts.) in the season’s rubber match (Spiders won first game, Mastodons won middle game), next Monday at Highland Park, at 7:40 p.m., while the Sled Dogs host the still-in-third Fighting Saints (11–5, 22 pts.) on Sunday.