Astros and Highlanders in a tight one

The Christmas game between the red and green teams was a beauty.  These two teams traded chances like Pokémon cards.  It took 2 minutes for us to have a huge save and it was Logan MacLean robbing the Astros’ Justin Langille with a glove.  

Keith Webb had a great chance a couple minutes later for the Highlanders and he whiffed in it, but the wonky shot nearly fooled Jared Worth.  Webb made up for that ugly play by having a beauty of a tip on goal off a Travis Hatcher shot.  Worth was equal to that task as well.

It was of course a shitty bounce that resulted in the first goal.  A puck was rimmed around the boards in the Astros zone and it was almost to Norm Gallant when his captain counterpart David Lacey had the puck hit the Zamboni door and bounce right to him.  Jared Worth was caught unprepared as Lacey quickly shot the puck by his blocker. 1-0 Highlanders.  Lacey would have a chance to make it 2-0 as he came in on a breakaway, Gallant in hot pursuit.  As Norm yelled “high and wide”, Lacey shot and surprisingly went neither high, nor wide.  He did however not beat Jared Worth who made the easy stick save.

Sam Ross was trying to make things happen without Ben, but it was difficult.  He cut through 3 Highlanders and poked the puck through, nearly getting alone on MacLean, but Logan covered it just before across could reach it.

Ashley Leonard took a one timer in front of Jared Worth, but right into the pads, and then the Astros had a few minutes of hard pressure as Zack Harrison, Alex Murphy, and Josh Beaudreau hemmed in the Highlanders, with a handful of good opportunities that the Highlanders could only sustain.  Then the Astros changed lines and Landon took over where they left off, cutting across the zone and firing back against the grain, beating the glove of Logan MacLean to tie the game.

A Highlanders power play took exactly one minute to capitalize.  It was a point shot from Connor LeBlanc that went well wide of the net that created the opportunity.  Jared Worth was cutting down the angle and when the puck bounced hard off the end boards, Greg Delano was in the right place at the right time and just had to tap it into the net.  Dorian Brooks got his first of the season with 15 seconds to go as the Highlanders took a 3-1 lead into the second period.

The game’s scoring chances escalated in the second.  Ryan Boucher and Landon Miron had an unsuccessful 2 on 1 early, then David Lacey was stopped on a 2 on 0 which Brock Bethune knew he wasn’t receiving a pass on.  Then David Lacey fanned on a one timer in the slot, a glorious scoring chance.

Brock Bethune nailed the post then Landon tipped a point shot that Logan gloved as he faced many shots.  Brent Moulins thought he had a goal as he had an open net, but Logan came across and made a stick save that goes on the save if the year candidate list.  The only problem is that Sam Ross was right there to bury that rebound and bring the game within a goal with 8:14 to play.

It was time for the Astros to get a man advantage as Tylor Jennex went to the box.  Darren Ells had a nice tip on goal but Logan shot out the foot and just got a toe on it.  Then there was a terrible givaway by the Astros D and Greg Delano was going in on a breakaway, or he should have been,  he bobbled the puck instead and the Astros recovered.  They couldn’t make anything happen on the power play and the Highlanders came up the ice just after it ended, David Lacey finding some more alone time with Jared Worth.  Lacey found his strength and determination, and after missing so many glorious chances in the game, this time he finally missed high and wide, back to his old ways.  Just a single point shy of 100 in his Nomad career, he couldn’t find it and instead the Astros made him pay.

Landon Miron, Ryan Boucher, and James Harrison’s chemistry came out to play and some crisp passing had Highlanders heads turning as they could only watch Harrison get another little tap in at the side of the goal.  Tie game with 4:18 to go.

Taylor McKay took a feed from Dorian Brooks with a couple minutes left on a 2 on 1.  McKay shanked the shot just wide and this thing went to a shootout.  4 shooter missed or were stopped, then Keith Webb beat Jared Worth under the blocker arm, and James Harrison had to save the day for the Astros, but his deke was mishandled and Logan MacLean poked it away for the Highlanders shootout win.