Hockey Day Dud

Jan. 27, 2024

The Spiders went fishing and came up empty on Hockey Day Minnesota.

The early start time and short bench were summarily removed from the excuses list Saturday night at Richfield, as both teams had only 10 skaters for the 6 p.m. puck drop. A raucous crowd (of the Ungaros) cheered on the Spiders in a rematch with the Fighting Walleye Blue.

With both teams at 10 skaters, but the Walleye with an average 10-year youth advantage, the Spiders looked slightly more together than last week’s one-shot first period, putting up 10 in the first frame, and coming out only down by two, thanks to Andres’ seeing-eye PPG (a solid reply to the SHG immediately prior).

The traditional second period snooze (right about in the middle of these old men’s naptime given the early puck drop) found the Spiders down by an improbably four-goal deficit. And while the Spiders “won” the third period (one goal, and a 7-to-5 shot advantage), none of it was enough to overcome the C3 West-leading tandem of #94 and #45, who are tied for most goals in the division, and combined for all five of the Walleye markers, with the hatty going to #94.

Half the Spiders then switched locker rooms and stuck around to skate with the Gold Rush, who also lost 5–3 to the Spartans. While most of the rest of the Spiders made their way to Pizza Luce, to find solace in the Wild also losing on Hockey Day MN.

Final score: 5–2

A peek at the standings finds the sagging Spiders still somehow in the middle of the pack, though with a relatively insurmountable point deficit to reach the playoff cutoff.

Lifetime against these Walleyes, which dates back to the 2020–21 playoffs (where they went on to win the C3 hardware), the Spiders are now 2–6*, including the asterisk game.

Next up, yet another Saturday matinee, at the pleasant confines of Pleasant Arena, to face the Boreals again, who are sitting on the playoff bubble. Previous matchup in November was a one-goal affair that went the Boreal way.

Puck drop at 7:20 p.m. next Saturday.