A Tale of Two Periods

It was a huge opportunity.  The Evergreens were sitting in second place behind the Osprey, but the Osprey's loss the night before, left room for the Evergreens to take first place with as little as a shootout loss.  The Tigers were seeking to make up ground on the Lions, just ahead of them in the standings.

The Tigers came out as if they were the ones trying to take first place.  Ron Beaton forced a turnover at his blue line and passed the puck up to Dan Keays.  Keays dangled Silas Bonnell as the last defender and then alone on Jonny Prall, Keays went blocker side for the game's first goal.  It would be the goal that opened the flood gates.  Just a minute later, with an Evergreens penalty on the way, Brad Kincade fed Matt MacNeil just in front of the net and he put it beneath Prall to make it 2-0.

It was pretty much all Tigers for the first few minutes, but the Evergreens quickly responded to the Tigers second goal.  Drew LeFrank brought the puck into the high slot and fired a wrister that beat Nick Comeau on the glove side.  

Landon Miron and James Harrison were making a lot of good plays and putting some pressure on the Tigers but Comeau was making big saves, and his team supported him.  Dan Keays went high glove on Prall for the Tigers 3rd, then just 18 seconds later, Ron Beaton took a nice pass along the ice from Matt MacNeil and in a smooth motion, he fed it along the ice into the back of the net to make it 4-1.  Then Darren Ells made it 5-1, and with 5:46 left in the first period. Dan Keays completed the hat trick when he took a pass at the top of the circle and blasted it through a checking Landon Miron and the blocker of Jonny Prall.  At 6-1, it was looking very good for the Tigers.

James Harrison got a second rebound on Comeau, uncontested and managed to somehow squeeze it in to make it 6-2 just 30 seconds later.  Wa defensive breakdown left Comeau facing 3 Evergreens players on his own and Carter Nickerson made the Tigers pay, bringing the Evergreens within 3 with a nice backhand.

After one period, the Tigers were up 6-3, and outshooting the Evergreens 18-10, but it still felt like anyone's game as the Evergreens had begun surging as the period wound down.

The Tigers took an early penalty and the zevergreens PP1 went looking for blood.  They did not find any, so out came PP2.  They moved it around well but were unable to bury.  With an unknown Tigers player picking the puck up behind his own net from Comeau, the unknown player proved himself to be a delivery man, working for Little Caesar's, he served up a Hot 'N Ready to Landon Miron who caught it, put the puck down and had the puck to the back of the net before Comeau could get back into position.  This was the TSN Turning point, a big Power-Play goal for Miron, whose goal scoring was now activated.

But first, the Tigers Matt MacNeil had a beauty of a toe drag that he turned into a shot and beat Prall long the ice to make it 7-4 for the Tigers.  It was right off the faceoff that Shane Whitman busted his ass to the net, outworking the Tigers and getting in alone behind the D in pursuit of a loose puck.  Comeau was showing poke check and Whitman went around him to the glove side and put it in, the game now at 7-5. 

Having owned the first period, the Tigers were getting owned as the Evergreens just kept cycling and running the Tigers down.  All the pressure by the Evergreens left them a bit exposed, and George Murray received a good pass from Cobee MacNaughton for a breakaway with 8:45 to go.  He tried going five hole, but Prall denied him.  The Tigers were not getting many chances but the shots they had were good ones, and Prall was looking much better than he was in the first.

A minute after the Prall save, Landon found the twine with a high backhand to the glove side of Comeau for his second of the night to make it 7-6 and the Tigers were not feeling very well.

Sitting on two goals, Miron picked up the puck in his own end and he looked for someone to walk.  He decided on everyone as he went through the whole Tigers team, even the guys watching from the bench were undressed.  Landon got to Comeau and he once again went backhand, popping the water bottle along the way and this game was tied!

What a comeback!  Down 6-1 and now tied at 7, the Evergreens weren't content with the game going to a shootout.  The Tigers weren't either and found some energy to muster some chances but the puck wasn't bouncing their way.

Up ice, James Harrison thought he had a goal when he got in alone on Comeau, but he couldn't beat the goaltender's stick as the puck ended up off it and over the glass.  The faceoff to Comeau's left was won by Jonny Bamford and Landon Miron immediately shot it and his 4th of the night was the Evergreens first lead with just 3:22 left in the 2nd.

With only 2:45 to go, Matt MacNeil, looking for a hatty himself, tried a wraparound when the opportunity presented itself and as he was denied, Brad Kincade got the puck in front with Prall laying prone and Kincade... missed.  The Evergreens got back and stopped the Tigers chances from turning into goals

The Tigers tried pulling Comeau to get the game back to level but they instead took a penalty and the dream died with it, the Evergreens taking the 8-7 win and sole possession of first place.