Points For Both Ends of the Spectrum

The Eurekas played the Tigers for the second time this season and the last game ended 9-1 for the Tigers and was full of odd man rushes and over 60 shots on goal.  

The Tigers may have come in thinking it would be a cake walk, but the Eurekas had one big change in their lineup; Matt Peters.  Peters was playing his first game of the season and was hoping to be a big help to his team, but it was Connor MacPherson getting his team started.  Just 13 seconds into the game, MacPherson came into the Tigers zone.  Norm Gallant took away the pass to Peters and left MacPherson all alone. He made a move to the left and cut back hard, fooling a Nick Comeau to the glove side as he surrendered the first shot on goal for the second straight game.

The Eurekas got themselves into some penalty trouble in the first period and the Tigers, already with a ton of shots on goal, just sent a barrage of pucks towards Ashton Speight.  There were multiple mad scrambles in the crease but nothing would cross the line.  As the second of back to back penalties was almost over, Kenzie Wadden got free and went in alone.  He made the deke and went to the backhand, Speight sprawled out, helpless.  Kenzie took the shot and missed wide.  

The Eurekas were up after a period for the first time this season and had weathered 2 penalty kills, but they were being outshot 25-12 after the first.  The ice was not tilted in their favour.

Cobee MacNaughton on the left wing, shot the puck and it squared through Speight to a waiting Wadden on the edge of the crease.  He made no mistake this time as he put the easy tap in, into the net to tie the game.  But then Ryland MacLellan took his first of two penalties on the night and the Eurekas had their second power play of the evening.  It was Matt Peters making his mark as he dangled a defender and then did the same to Comeau.  2-1 Eurekas at this point.

More shots from the Tigers plus some bars as they tried to tie it up.  It was a shot that was going wide that changed the game as the puck deflected off the skate of Ron Beaton in front and Speight had no chance.

The game would go to the shootout with Norm Gallant electing to shoot second.  Up first for the Eurekas was Connor MacPherson and he did it again, this time beating Comeau to the blocker side.  Cobee MacNaughton tried to go five hole but was denied.  Matt Peters came in and went forehand/backhand to put the Eurekas up by two.  It all came down to Kenzie Wadden.  He also tried five hole but Speight stoned him and the Eurekas picked up their first win of the season and a bit of revenge for their previous defeat.  The final shots on goal were 45-17 in favour of the Tigers.

In our other game we had the Osprey playing the Greyhounds, another matchup with a team looking to avenge a lopsided defeat (7-0 Osprey).

Spoiler alert, the vengeance would have to wait.  Matt Ryder started the scoring on his first shift with an unassisted marker at 15:43 and that would be the only goal of the first until the Osprey got a late power play.  Branden Rankin, certified master of special teams, put the puck in with 19 seconds left in the period for a 2-0 Osprey lead.

The Greyhounds struggled to muster much in the way of opportunities only managing a few decent scoring chances, while the Osprey played a solid shut down game.  With 8:30
left in the second, Derick Levesque made a sweet backhand spinorama pass across to Scott Stewart with a nearly open net and Matt Baird slid across and got a toe on it just in the Nick of time to preserve his shutout.

Matt Ryder scored twice more for the hatty, with goaltender Matt Baird even picking up an assist on the 4-0 goal with just 1:37 left, but he was looking for the shutout more, and with just 3 seconds left on the clock, after a failed attempt at killing the last bit of time by the Osprey, Ashley Leonard got his second of the season, ruining what was an otherwise solid night for the Osprey.

Trevor Pate had a good game in goal for the Greyhounds in his first game as their new goalie for the season but it wasn't enough on this night.

The Osprey will be hoping the Evergreens take an L at the hands of the Norsemen on Halloween so they can be alone in first.