Spiders head south ... to go south, lose 4–1 to Arctic Wolves

Dec. 6, 2015

With losses mounting, Spider ownership group rumored to be eyeing waiver wires before trade deadline

After a 2–3 November record, the Spiders hoped to start December off on the right skate, heading way south to South St Paul, and the venerable Wakota Civic Arena, home of newly inducted Hall of Famer, Phil Housley.

The Arctic Wolves, at 3–2, have been in the league for years, but have never faced the Spiders. With a full warmup while the Spiders got a full one-minute warmup, they immediately took advantage of the cold Spiders, outshooting 7–3 in the first, and scoring the game’s first goal. (And also tallying the game’s first penalty … #9 D. Rosenau would go on to get the “AHA Gordie Howe Hat Trick.”)

The second continued much as the first, with the Wolves bottling up the Spiders in their own zone or locking down the neutral zone. Most all the Spiders could do was ice the puck, as long as the crew in stripes made their calls correctly. After two periods, the score was 3-zip in favor of the Wolves.

With just over five minutes remaining, that striped crew sent D Litton to the box for “tripping,” the lone penalty against the Spiders. It took 42 seconds of Wolves’ power play to make it a four-goal game.

The Spiders finally answered back and negated the shutout, with Grotbeck to Farner (returning from the infirmary) to Grotbeck, and at least two goals thanks to the ref being out of view of the net on the first entrance. Score at 4–1 with 4:14 to go.

Despite a couple of chances, including a pinch-perfect setup by D. Droullard back up the slot, the Wolves’ sub goalie Matt Gottsch (who normally backstops the Northern Gators, the team the Spiders scrimmaged three times in the preseason, so he’s apparently already seen all the Spiders’ tricks) was having none of it, and the game ended at 4–1.

The Spiders drop to a 2–4 record on the season, and sixth (or lower) place, depending on the outcome of other C3 South teams’ Sunday games.

It’s the Spiders’ third loss in a row, a low-water mark the Spiders have not seen since all the way back in 2009–10 (not including the playoffs), where the Spiders lost four in a row early in the season.

The Spiders will look to avoid tying that record next Monday, taking on the 3–1–2 Ak Bars, who sit in 3rd place after beating the seventh-place Fighting Loons 3–1.

The Ak Bars and Spiders have faced each other often since 2005–06, as well as executing a couple trades for players to be named later. Lifetime, the record is even up at 4–4–1–1. But the last time the two teams faced, March 12, 2014, was one for the record books.

Puck will drop at 9:30 p.m. on Monday at new-to-the-AHA Minnetonka Ice Arena.