Spiders sweep IceDogs, win 4–1 to clinch playoff berth

March 16, 2014

The IceDogs and next week’s ShameonIce are the only teams the Spiders play three times in the regular season. The Spiders won all three against the IceDogs, 4–2, 3–0 and 4–1.

If the Spiders wanted any hope of extra late-March hockey, they needed a win. Coming into Sunday’s game, the Ak Bars were closing in on the Spiders and Fighting Saints to grab their first playoff berth since 2010–11. The Spiders, meanwhile, put themselves in a precarious position, having lost last week to the Ak Bars 2–1, and going 2–3–1 since February, after having gone on a 7–0 run.

The previous games against the IceDogs have been a mixed doggie bag. The first was a close affair, with goaltending keeping the Dogs in it til the end. The second led to McCormick’s second shutout of the season, on a huge shot differential.

Sunday’s game was more like the first — the Spiders generated plenty of chances, but the Dogs’ goaltender Moy kept everything safely kenneled. Shots in the first period ended even at 9. The Spiders’ lone power play in the first was one of their best two-minute possessions of the season, but nothing got through.

In the second, Andy Schwinn finally opened up the scoring at 6:44, assists to Grotbeck and Berman, in a front-of-the-net scrum that eventually found its way into the net.

With 1:32 left, Schuster sent a rocket from the right faceoff dot that ramped up the goalie’s stick and top-shelfed. Assists to Grotbeck and Pappone.

The IceDogs were whistled for interference with just 4 seconds to go in the period, putting the Spiders on a power play to start the third. On the first shift, the Spiders gained possession, and solid passing behind the net eventually set up Berman in the slot, who sneakily backhanded it through the five hole and put the Spiders up by three. Assists to RW Schroeder and Schwinn.

Schuster was then called for interference, putting the IceDogs on their first power play of the night, but McCormick was seeing the puck like a well-worn dog chew toy.

But, at 11:39, the IceDogs converted on a snapshot through McCormick’s glove from the left dot and pulled within two.

With just under a minute, the Dogs finally got possession in the Spider zone and pulled their goalie. But Farner intercepted the puck, and sent it off to Mike Johnson, who put away the empty netter. 4–1 Spiders. And a couple final chances in the Spider zone were sent away, and the Spiders came away with two critical points.

Total shots for the Spiders were 33 (9–15–9), and 17 (9–3–5) for the Dogs. Not quite the 39–16 torrent of January’s game, but almost double, as the scorekeeper’s post-game math showed.

Lifetime against these IceDogs, the Spiders have now gone 6–0.

Playoff watch

The two points clinches a C3 playoff spot for the Spiders, their sixth straight AHA winter playoff appearance. While the Spiders controlled their destiny, the free fall of the last month put those post-season plans on ice. But the win by the Ak Bars over the Fighting Saints earlier Sunday meant no team below the Spiders could catch up in the standings.

While the Fighting Saints (9–7–2; 20 pts.), last season’s C3 runner-up, have a game in hand, they can only finish as high as fourth, the spot currently held by the Ak Bars (10–8–1; 21 pts.). The Spiders, in third place with 12–6–1 record and 25 points, cannot finish any lower than third, and likely no higher than second, unless some funky AHA math happens. (Which has been known to happen.) But since the most likely tiebreaker against the teams ahead will come down to PIM, the Spiders will find themselves right where they are. The shakeout of the Fighting Piranhas (12–4–3; 27pts.) and Fighting Loons (13–6; 26pts.), who play each other for first place next Sunday, will determine the Spiders’ final seeding.

Now out of contention: the Gold Rush (7–9–3; 17pts.), last season’s C3 champs, were eliminated from playoff contention, losing earlier Sunday night 1–0 to the ShameonIce.

Next up

The Spiders face that Shame squad next Saturday in the rubber match and last game of the regular season. The Shame won the season opener 3–2, and the Spiders took the second behind McCormick’s first shutout of the season, 2–0.

Puck drops at 6:15 p.m. Saturday night at New Hope South.

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