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Norsemen Close one Door, Open Another
2024-11-21
Goaltending was NOT a problem for the Norsemen Wednesday night
The Norsemen and Osprey duked it out Wednesday night.
The league leading Osprey were looking at the 4th place Norsemen before their game Wednesday night with a game plan, but a couple of last minute absences threw that into disarray as a full lineup in the Norsemen room were amped up for a chance to beat the leaders.
It was clear from early on that this game was going to be a good one. The Osprey started off with a few good shots on goal, and replacement goaltender Aidan Durnford, filling in for an injured Phil Sprague, was equal to the task, turning away Matt Ryder with a quick glove, and moving through the crease with speed to track passes.
The Norsemen were struggling to get shots on net, and with just one on goal at 11:20 of the first period, Connor Tousignant was alone in front with the puck with enough time to bake some Christmas cookies, but he missed high to the blocker side.
Pete Swistun took a pass from Stephen Warwick and when he found himself alone in front, he did a little forehand/backhand deke and threw the puck up into the top half of the net for the game's first goal. The Norsemen were still being outshot, but Durnford was making difficult saves look easy and keeping his team in it. That enabled Mike Bourgeois to skate up the ice with speed and grace, looking much like Erik Karlsson, he moved in and cut to the net. Matt Baird seemed to get caught cheating to the pass, but the pass never came and Bourgeois shot it short side to make it 2-0. Bourgeois now has 2 goals and 6 assists to go with his (also Karlsson-like) -22 rating.
Stephen Warwick came in just 30 seconds later and tried his luck, firing a hard shot that beat Baird cleanly to make it 3-0 for the Norsemen. This was only the second time the Osprey had given up three goals in a game, so Nathan Bessey and his cheat code felt they could turn things around.
The Osprey won a faceoff in the Norsemen zone with about 90 seconds left in the period and Bessey went forward, shooting the puck to the far side. Durnford made a toe save but Matt Ryder was coming to the net and the puck came right to him. One stride left and the puck was shot into the empty net to break the shutout.
The shots after 1 were 14-9 for the Osprey with both teams doing well to keep shots from reaching their goaltenders. The Osprey would turn up the heat in the second.
Just over a minute into the frame, with the Osprey on a 5 on 3, Matt Ryder came in and found space after deking 3 Norsemen. He went from his backhand, pulling the back to his forehand against the grain and shot, but Durnford was quick with his right foot and made a beauty of a kick save, but no Norsemen were nearby and Keith Webb if the Osprey was, and he had a tap in just one second after the first penalty expired. The game was suddenly 3-2. Connor Tousignant looked to get one back for the Norsemen as he came in and deked Baird, but then tripped over him as he got around. The puck came over to Warwick on the right side of the net and it looked like a sure thing, but Warwick hit the post about 6" off the ice and the Osprey cleared it. On the same shift, Matt Ryder went to work again, making a move and outwaiting a sprawling Durnford to score blocker side and tie the game up before the Norsemen even recorded a shot on goal. Bessey recorded his third assist of the game on the play, making him the first to reach 20 points this season.
Ryder thought he had given the Osprey the lead a short while later when he made a go at a wraparound opportunity. The puck went across the entire goal line and sat at the post on the far side where Warwick pulled it off the line and out of danger.
Pete Swistun, his team early into a power play, moved the puck up ice. Swistun encountered Bessey at the Osprey blue line and looking at Tousignant, froze Bessey like a deer in the headlights as he passed the opposite direction to Warwick. Warwick and Tousignant had a nice give and go, culminating in Warwick coming to the back door as Tousignant slid a pass along the ice and right on the tape for Warwick's 2nd goal and 3rd point of the night.
There was a scary moment when a puck came up and appeared to clip Kevin Myketyn in the mouth, but he was fine. Then, with under 3 minutes to play, the Osprey were getting called for a penalty and they failed to touch the puck. Tousignant tossed it to the front of the net to Blake Whebby who beat Baird's glove hand to make it 5-3. As the puck came through to Whebby, Myketyn was at the side of the net and he took a Norsemen stick right to the chiclets. His front two teeth were badly chipped and his mouth was bleeding as he made his way to the room.
The Osprey pulled Baird in an attempt to come back., but despite outshooting the Norsemen 39-14, would fall 5-3. With Durnford shutting the door, it has opened the door for the Evergreens to overtake the Osprey for first place as they play the Tigers tonight.
It was clear from early on that this game was going to be a good one. The Osprey started off with a few good shots on goal, and replacement goaltender Aidan Durnford, filling in for an injured Phil Sprague, was equal to the task, turning away Matt Ryder with a quick glove, and moving through the crease with speed to track passes.
The Norsemen were struggling to get shots on net, and with just one on goal at 11:20 of the first period, Connor Tousignant was alone in front with the puck with enough time to bake some Christmas cookies, but he missed high to the blocker side.
Pete Swistun took a pass from Stephen Warwick and when he found himself alone in front, he did a little forehand/backhand deke and threw the puck up into the top half of the net for the game's first goal. The Norsemen were still being outshot, but Durnford was making difficult saves look easy and keeping his team in it. That enabled Mike Bourgeois to skate up the ice with speed and grace, looking much like Erik Karlsson, he moved in and cut to the net. Matt Baird seemed to get caught cheating to the pass, but the pass never came and Bourgeois shot it short side to make it 2-0. Bourgeois now has 2 goals and 6 assists to go with his (also Karlsson-like) -22 rating.
Stephen Warwick came in just 30 seconds later and tried his luck, firing a hard shot that beat Baird cleanly to make it 3-0 for the Norsemen. This was only the second time the Osprey had given up three goals in a game, so Nathan Bessey and his cheat code felt they could turn things around.
The Osprey won a faceoff in the Norsemen zone with about 90 seconds left in the period and Bessey went forward, shooting the puck to the far side. Durnford made a toe save but Matt Ryder was coming to the net and the puck came right to him. One stride left and the puck was shot into the empty net to break the shutout.
The shots after 1 were 14-9 for the Osprey with both teams doing well to keep shots from reaching their goaltenders. The Osprey would turn up the heat in the second.
Just over a minute into the frame, with the Osprey on a 5 on 3, Matt Ryder came in and found space after deking 3 Norsemen. He went from his backhand, pulling the back to his forehand against the grain and shot, but Durnford was quick with his right foot and made a beauty of a kick save, but no Norsemen were nearby and Keith Webb if the Osprey was, and he had a tap in just one second after the first penalty expired. The game was suddenly 3-2. Connor Tousignant looked to get one back for the Norsemen as he came in and deked Baird, but then tripped over him as he got around. The puck came over to Warwick on the right side of the net and it looked like a sure thing, but Warwick hit the post about 6" off the ice and the Osprey cleared it. On the same shift, Matt Ryder went to work again, making a move and outwaiting a sprawling Durnford to score blocker side and tie the game up before the Norsemen even recorded a shot on goal. Bessey recorded his third assist of the game on the play, making him the first to reach 20 points this season.
Ryder thought he had given the Osprey the lead a short while later when he made a go at a wraparound opportunity. The puck went across the entire goal line and sat at the post on the far side where Warwick pulled it off the line and out of danger.
Pete Swistun, his team early into a power play, moved the puck up ice. Swistun encountered Bessey at the Osprey blue line and looking at Tousignant, froze Bessey like a deer in the headlights as he passed the opposite direction to Warwick. Warwick and Tousignant had a nice give and go, culminating in Warwick coming to the back door as Tousignant slid a pass along the ice and right on the tape for Warwick's 2nd goal and 3rd point of the night.
There was a scary moment when a puck came up and appeared to clip Kevin Myketyn in the mouth, but he was fine. Then, with under 3 minutes to play, the Osprey were getting called for a penalty and they failed to touch the puck. Tousignant tossed it to the front of the net to Blake Whebby who beat Baird's glove hand to make it 5-3. As the puck came through to Whebby, Myketyn was at the side of the net and he took a Norsemen stick right to the chiclets. His front two teeth were badly chipped and his mouth was bleeding as he made his way to the room.
The Osprey pulled Baird in an attempt to come back., but despite outshooting the Norsemen 39-14, would fall 5-3. With Durnford shutting the door, it has opened the door for the Evergreens to overtake the Osprey for first place as they play the Tigers tonight.