Tigers vs Greyhounds

The Greyhounds and Tigers were first to hop on the ice in week 2 and we didn’t even get a shot on goal in the first minute.  Brandon Crowell shot one just over the crossbar from the top of the circle, but Logan MacLean seemed to know it was high and just let it go.  Allan Beaton got the first shot of the game almost 2 minutes on a 1 on 1.  It was from outside and Logan got his shoulder on it easily, but hey, it was a shot, but a few seconds later the Tigers had a little rebound action and we were quickly up to 4 shots on goal.  Norm Gallant tried for his own shot on goal, but his clapper looked like a chip shot from the bunker as it arced over the net.

 

Aiden Camphorst knocked a puck down at the blueline and deked 3 Greyhounds before taking a backhander low that Logan MacLean kicked out right to Greg Renouf who had a whole net but he couldn’t get his stick on the puck as it slid through the crease harmlessly.  Still no Greyhounds shots on goal.

 

The Greyhounds finally found a shot at 12:57 of the first.  It was a deft deflection by Brock Bethune off a Mat McLeod shot that beat Josh McCarther, the second game in a row where he has allowed the first shot of the game to get past him.  Then tigers had a good response shift, though it ended with a Greyhounds rush and shot on goal.

 

Greg Delano tried a backhand wraparound off the next draw but McCarther wasn’t in to mood to let that in.  A minute later Glenn Boyce would give the Tigers their best chance of the game when his backhand pass from behind the net went right to Christ Stickings.  Stickings had all day and took the shot.  Logan came out to cut down the angle and blocked it with his glove and then poked away the rebound.  This all would lead to a Greg Delano chance the other direction.  He almost had a breakaway, but Dan Keays tracked him down and knocked the puck away before there could be any real danger.

 

Greyhounds rookie Bryan Gillis would have a good shot on goal that McCarther stopped, setting up a face-off in the Tigers zone.  Off the scrambled draw, Brock Bethune took found the loose puck, skated across the front of the net and buried a shot low to make it 2-0 for the Greyhounds.

 

2 minutes later, the Tigers would find some satisfaction.  Dan Keays got the puck at the point and skated in, freezing Logan in goal.  Then Keays passed to Brandon Crowell on the goal line.  Crowell tried to tuck the puck in but instead had the puck roll off his stick and right into the pads of MacLean.  Luckily for Crowell, the puck was still shot hard enough to bank into the net. 2-1 Greyhounds with 6:27 left in the first. 

 

The Tigers were getting their chances.  Shane Whitman took a feed in the slot, and like Stickings earlier, he was alone.  He put it right into the crest of the goaltender however and they remained down a goal.

 

Bryan Gillis had another good chance a minute later, but McCarther’s glove was the winner of that fight as he caught and held the puck.

 

In the Greyhounds zone, the Tigers were looking to centre a puck but a rock Bethune dropped to a knee and got a stick on it.  Kyle Gouthro then picked it up and went coast to coast, eventually getting to the bottom of the right wing circle, where he cut to the net, tucking the puck in through the five hole of McCarther as he tried the poke check.  The Greyhounds persisted and Nick Roach keeping the puck in was key.  He sent it down low to Ashley Leonard who fed it in front to Kris LeBlanc who missed the puck but Brock Bethune was lurking in behind and he converted the pass into the back of the net as the Greyhounds took control of the game.

 

A few minutes into the second, Connor LeBlanc went for a skate, rushing the puck up the ice like his hero Kyle Gouthro.  As LeBlanc neared the net, he took the most awkward falling shot ever and nearly scored, but he didn’t, he just got really snowy as he slammed into the end boards.

 

Norm Gallant took a wrister from the point with just under 13 to play and it barely missed the top corner.  Mat McLeod found the puck behind the net and then found Greg Delano chomping on cherries out at centre.  Greg deked but was stoned by McCarther buuuut the Tigers failed to clear the zone and a little tic tax toe with Captain Connor MacPherson burying it to make it 5-1.

 

Trevor Clarke would add to the lead on the power play when the shot hit him at the side of the net and he knocked it in as it dropped to the ice.  The Tigers would eventually get one back when Allan Beaton knocked down a point shot and then with Logan out of position, he put the puck in the net.  

 

With the teams at 4 on 4, Greg Renouf had a chance to close the gap a little further for the Tigers as he was sprung on a breakaway, but he shot hit the knob of MacLean’s stick and went up over the glass.  Logan was in a giving mood though, and when he stopped the puck beside the net with 3:30 and Connor LeBlanc heading his direction to help, Logan threw a little behind the back backhand behind the net right to Brandon Crowell who spun as quickly as he could to put the puck on goal.  LeBlanc however was using his head and came around the net sliding as he blocked the shot and saved a sure goal.

 

The game would end 6-2 in favour of the Greyhounds who improve their record to 1-1, the same as the Tigers.