Ryan Boucher; Cole Harbour’s Golden Boy

After a great opening night, the season really started going last night as 6 of 8 teams were in action for their second game of the season. The Astros and Sable were first to get underway and it was some run and gun hockey.

Just a minute into the game, Landon Miron sent a puck toward the net which hit off the side.  Sable goaltender Trevor Pate misplayed the bounce, appearing to think the puck was going to bounce to the boards, but as he moved his position a little, the puck went back to Landon and he quickly tucked into in along the ice to make it 1-0 for the Astros.

2 minutes later the Astros had a 2 on 1 and James Harrison fed Ryan Boucher and Trevor Pate made a big sliding save.  Just 30 seconds later the Sable responded.  Last summer’s leading scorer Cole Stewart took a feed from Jared Creelman and one timed the cross crease pass in.

A Sable turnover was sent to Landon in front and with just him and Pate there, he deked to the right but Pate leaned back and made an incredible stick save in front of an open net, the puck ending up going under him where he froze it.  That was the save of the year so far.

Astros rookie Brent Moulins continued his hit start at 10:07 of the first when he benefitted from the hard work of Sam Ross, tucking in a rebound. 

Jared Worth was busy in the Astros goal in his first start of the season and Cole Stewart thought he had his second of the night when Worth made a big save on him.

Captain Fireball, Zack Harrison, took a wrister that beat Pate just over the pad and under the glove, and the Astros were out to a 3-1 lead.  The Sable were using their young legs on the big ice of rink D to try to push back the Astros defense.  Speedy Silas Bonnell, without glasses on, flew up the ice full tilt and on the breakaway he was denied as he tried to go to the five hole of Worth.  Silas then slammed into the boards, luckily his 110lbs didn’t cause too many g forces on his body, and he was fine.  

Just after that craziness, the Sable’s Creelman and Stewart combined once again with Creelman being the disher once more and Stewart scoring.  Now just 3-2 for the Astros with 4:24 to play in the first.  James Harrison got the puck off to the side of the net a minute later and with a huge chance to restore a two goal lead, Trevor Pate got his second save of the year submission in with a sliding, reaching, glove save on Harrison, stopping the puck and holding on to stop any rebound chance from materializing.

Apples Bonnell was not showing his age in the final 90 seconds of the period as he got a step on the Astros D and got an opportunity on goal.  Taking notes from his captain, and son, Apples (or as some call him ‘Greg’), missed on the breakaway.  After a little battle behind the net, Greg made his nickname valid when he found Jake Rankin alone in front and fed him the pass.  Jake put the puck through Worth to tie the game up at 3, where the game would sit at the end of the first.

Both goaltenders were getting peppered and it was Jared Creelman getting the monkey off his back a few minutes into the second.  His solo effort put the Sable up 4-3, but he and the Sable had not heard of the Ryan Boucher show.

After Bouch missed a glorious scoring chance at 6:50 of the first when he was all alone and missed the net, he wasn’t missing in the second period.  Ryan Boucher took a feed from is Apple dealer Alex Murphy and one touched the puck in.  Then Landon Miron won a draw back to Big Gally at the point and Norm’s specialty is getting pucks through to the net, and he did exactly that.  Boucher had a deft touch on the puck and the Astros took the lead.  How do you like your hatty’s?  Bouch likes em natural.  He scored his third of the night less than a minute after his second as the Astros went up 6-4.  That was how the game ended, no last minute comeback by the Sable this week.  

The Astros and Sable’s records both move to 1-1 but that will change tomorrow when they play their second game of the week with the Astros facing the undefeated Starrs, and the Sable playing the Voyageurs.