Leafs rake Spiders 3–1

Dec. 17, 2017

Despite plenty of chances, the Spiders fell to the Leafs 3–1.

The first two minutes of the game were spent entirely in the Leaf zone. An early pair of penalties kept it five on five, then a Spider PK. And it wasn’t until the last 25 seconds of the period that a Leaf offensive overload created an opening on the back door for the Leafs to get the first goal of the game, past Spiders’ sub goalie Gabe Griffith.

In the second, the Spiders tied it up, with a full-ice play, Bredael from Berman and Droullard. The Spiders then drew their first power play off an incredulous body checker. But with nothing to show for it, the Spiders drew another early in the third, but still got nothing off the Leafs’ goalie Zarras.

Momentum went the other way instead, and the Leafs added their second of the afternoon halfway through the period.

The Leafs handed (or elbowed) the Spiders yet another chance at the power play late in the third. But this power play looked more like a PK, with the Spiders barely able to control the puck in their own defensive zone.

With just under over a minute to go, the Spiders pulled Griffith for the extra attacker. It took 35 seconds, and a free ride for Berman back into the Spider zone for the Leafs to get the ENG. Once more ice and one more pulled goalie with 9 seconds to go, and a pipe from Pappone with a second on the clock, and that was enough for the Spiders to lose their third regulation loss of the season.

Final shots were 26–21 in favor of the Spiders, and final PIM was 8–4 in favor of the Leafs, much to the chagrin of some of the Leafs. But a friendly word of advice would be to not question a certain ref on his ability to make calls.

Standings watch

The Spiders revert to the customary Spiders’ mean: .500: 3–3–1–1. And in sixth place.

The Leafs jump to seventh (3–4–1–0), a point behind the Spiders.

Next up, the holiday break, which will last for approximately 24 hours, as the Spiders return to action the day after Christmas, to take on the still undefeated (in regulation) Fighting Loons (7–0–0–1). The Wolf-Rayets handed the Loons their first non-win of the season, a 4–3 OT loss Sunday night.

The puck drops Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 8:50 p.m. at Phalen.