Spiders sliced, diced by Blade Runners 8–4

Dec. 11, 2016

Five power plays were a power outage for the Spiders.

Despite being tied in the standings, the Blade Runners showed up the Spiders with a relentless puck possession game, and handily put away the Spiders 8–4.

The Spiders withstood the pressure in the first period, but an early power play just 30 seconds into the game would set the tone both for the whistles and the puck possession, with the Blade Runners controlling most of the two minutes, surprisingly held from a shorthanded marker. For now.

The Blade Runners scored halfway through the period, but the Spiders answered back with a rebound loose puck corrall by Scott Bredael to finish the first.

The second started with a Blade Runner goal, but was quickly answered by a left circle snipe by George Farner for his first of the season. From there, the wheels (or blades) fell off for the Spiders, with the Blade Runners putting away four goals in a seven–minute span.

The almost-dejected Spiders perked up in the third, with Jon Pappone, also his first of the season, on a highlight-reel slot shot from a forecheck set up by Mike Johnson and rookie new guy Cory Vandenberghe, making his 2016–17 C3 Spiders debut.

And four minutes later, Eric Grotbeck made it a two-goal game on a power play goal, assists from the Elling boys.

But that’s where the Spiders’ momentum ran out. The Blade Runners appeared to score again after a puck battle at the blue line, but the astute officiating (as advised by the Spiders’ captain) noticed it was an offside play. On the following shift, the Blade Runners got their karma back when a Spider breakaway shot appeared to cross the goal line, pushed back out under the goalie by a Blade Runner defender, but both refs had yet to cross the blue line and had nothing to call except an eventual whistle.

Awarded another dreaded power play with 7:31 to go, the Spiders lost possession at the blue line and watched the puck end up in the back of the net, for the Blade Runners’ shorthanded coffin nail. With a final insurance marker with under half a minute to go, the score ended 8–4.

Shots ended up at 33 (5, 14, 14) for the Blade Runners, 27 (10, 7, 10) for the Spiders.

The loss keeps the Spiders tied for sixth place, at 3–4, while the Blade Runners jump to fourth, at 4–3.

Next up, the Black Ice, a new-to-C3 team currently dominating the division, at 5–1 in second place behind the undefeated LED Nord, the only standings loss for the Black Ice. They, however, have a roster spot loss, with the current AHA titleholder for PIM, J. Knoll (45 PIM in 5 games played) unavailable due to suspension. Knoll is also the points leader for C3 East, and was formerly the goals leader prior to missing the last two games.

It’s a “road game” for the Spiders, heading to the Vet in Inver Grove Sunday night, 7:45 p.m.