sunday's game was a big one, really really important and it had a favourable result but that about the only positive we can draw from the game. it was the last regular season game and we needed to end the season on a high note because the playoffs start next weekend. we were playing the old tymers and they are right below us in the standings and this was a huge game because we sure as hell didnt want to finish the regular season with a 0.500 record.
the first shift (me, stabs and jason) was great. we came out gunning and had them on their heels. for all of about 1 minute until we got off the floor. after that it went downhill, some parts werent very pretty to watch. for some reason we couldnt clear the zone all game once they were in our end and any chance we got we would try to clear and they would stop the ball before it got past the red line and just bring it back in again and get more shots. we got SO outshot yesterday that it was starting to get embarrasing. luckily we had baskie in net to keep us in the game, and he sure as hell did.
the second period was pretty much same as the first. us trying to gain the zone and failing often, and then letting them walk right into our zone and us struggling to clear the ball. not very pretty. one upside we can take from this period is that we had a few more shots than the first and we were able to kill off some penalties and it was still 0-0.
the third period was where we knew we had to step it up a bit because we couldnt let them get as many chances as tehy had gotten in the first 2 and let baskie keep us in it. we had to get a goal for him. i could tell guys were starting to get frustrated at the fact that we werent winning and hadnt been able to do anything in their end, baskie was pissed and yelling at us every play stoppage and maybe that helped us. there was about 6 minutes left in the period and hackett, johnson and someone else were on the floor and i remember looking at someone and half jokingly saying "hackett's not comin off the floor till we have a goal". anyways, 1 minute passes, 2 minutes pass, 3, 4, johnson's already come off and hackett's out there lurking waiting for that opportunity because i know that once he gets it we'll be up 1-0. i guess he finally gets tired and comes off and now its the plug line out there for the last 2 minutes. me, jason and cow, put in to waste time and give the good players a rest so they're ready for overtime. we get a nice rush going towards their end and its me and jason coming in against one defender and cowin trailing behind. so anyways i go in, deke out one defender, wait for another guy to get back just so i can deke the pants off him too, then i walk in and completely embarass the goalie and rifle the ball top cheese to put us up 1-0 with a minute and a half left.
well... thats how i remember it. what may have actually happened is that me and jason were rushing in and i tried to pass the ball to him but for some reason flicked it wayy too high and did a sort of ugly lob pass into the corner. i could see jason was not amused by my retarded pass and i was pretty embarassed at myself at the time too. so jay goes into the corner to fight for it and fires a shot at the net and the goalie gives out a beefy rebound that goes right onto cowin's stick just as he is getting to the net and he fires it a few times from the side and it somehow trickles through and i see the ball and an open net in front of me and slash at it a few times right before the goalie falls on it. for a minute it thought i had just screwed up our only chance to win the game in regulation and then somehow the ball rolls out from under the goalie and right into the net. WOOHOO!!! a minute and a half left and we're up 1-0 off of an ugly goal by me. I cant remember exactly what happened next but kells and this olli jokinen lookalike that looks like Powder with crazy eyes get into a bit of a scuffle and the play is stopped and they both get penalties. as jokinen is walking by our bench he starts talking about how next week in the playoffs he cant wait to play us again and i just keep telling him he's rattled.
we play the last minute and a half biting our nails and get the hard fought W against a team we shouldnt have struggled against but we did.
next week is the first game of the playoffs, and if we win that we have 2 games the following week.
we were missing cainer this week because he had an easter dinner with his mom he had to go to. we were also missing ross... not sure why. we could have really used him, we missed his speed yesterday and if he had been there i doubt we would have won by only one goal. we were dead all game and we played our asses off and it was pretty ugly.
looking forward to next week.
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