Spiders hit bottom on Dany Heatley Bobblehead Night in Bloomington

Dec. 27, 2015

Spiders can’t buy a goal in 3–0 shutout loss to first-place Royals, claiming sole possession of C3 South last place.

Despite a short bench, the Spiders were in this game, keeping the Royals at bay for most of the first two periods. But the late start, increasingly heavy legs and big BIG 3 ice, combined with three lucky bounces for the Royals, led to the Spiders sixth consecutive loss.

Schuster penalty shot

The open ice resulted in mutliple breakaways for David Schuster, who had the BIG crowd of four or so on its feet shouting 50 in ’15, especially on an early penalty shot attempt after he was hooked from behind across the blueline by a pair of Royals. His last breakway though actually ended up in the Royal net, but was eventually waved off by the trailing ref, who checked video review for a distinct kicking motion on the goal, and preserved the shutout for the Royals’ Cavender.

Both teams learned of a USAH rule late in the third, when a Royal defenseman shoveled the puck directly into the net in his zone. A quiet suggestion by the Spiders’ captain to the ref that it’s an easy penalty in the NHL, led to an actual two-minute sit despite excessive protestations by the Royals goalie that it’s an NHL-only rule. However, it turns out it’s a USAH rule too, with some grey area:

Rule 610(c) Delaying the Game: A minor penalty shall be assessed to any player or goalkeeper who delays the game by deliberately shooting or batting the puck outside the playing area, including after a stoppage of play.

(Whereas the similar NHL rule would also apply — A player or goaltender intentionally shoots or throws the puck out of the playing area; the Royals thought the refs were calling the other NHL rule: 63.2 A defensive player in the defensive zone shoots the puck directly (without being deflected) over the glass.)

But the man-advantage turned out to be just another opportunity to turn the puck over for the Spiders, who couldn’t connect on a single pass on the power play, let alone the rest of the third period.

One more tally by the Royals set to a goal horn and celly soundtrack courtesy of scorekeeper Lenny, was all she wrote.

The final: 3-zip for the Royals. Shots were as imbalanced as the final score, with at least 17 (6, 7, 4) for the Spiders on Cavender, and 36 for the Royals (8, 15, 13) on McCormick, who was called on to make numerous game-preserving saves with the tired crew in front of him.

Standings Watch

This latest loss, the sixth in a row and second shutout of the season, drops the Spiders to sole possession of last place with cellar stablemates the Northern Horde claiming their third victory of the season over the Les Étoiles Du Nord Sunday night.

The Spiders head into January looking for their first win since the last time they played the Du Nord, in November, a 3–0 shutout.

Puck will drop Saturday, Jan. 2, at 9:30 p.m. at New Hope S.