Osprey Get Durnford’d

The Osprey were happy to be playing on a rink that wasn’t rink D, but they weren’t happy to see that replacing Phil Sprague in net was Norsemen replacement legend Aidan Durnford.  

 

Matt Simpson had the first good chance of the game and Durnford didn’t even need to make a save as Simpson mishandled the pass on his backhand with an open net.  The Osprey wouldn’t have a shot on goal in the first three minutes.  Keaton Hicks would one time a rebound off the side of the goal with the net totally open, a sign of how the game would go for the Osprey maybe.

 

Matt Baird wasn’t very busy at the start of the game for the Osprey either, facing only a single shot in the first 4 minutes, but the shots he was getting were from good scoring positions.  After a few that looked like easy saves, Landon was in the high slot and let a shot go that Baird got a piece of.  As the puck trickled towards the goal line, Zack Harrison, the best Norsemen Harrison on this night, went to poke it in.  Were it not for Isaac Pelley, he would have, but the game remained scoreless.

 

Matt Simpson had a breakaway and he took aim at the glove side but Aidan Durnford flashed the leather to make the stop and holding on with Mike Bourgeois coming in looking for the rebound.

 

The Osprey were dominating but without the puck crowding the Norsemen line, they were no better off and Nick Marshall made them pay.  Getting the puck from a Chad Hasegawa in his own end, Marshall looked off everyone and went all the way, shooting a wrister that fooled Baird and went through his five hole to make it 1-0 Norsemen 7 minutes in.

 

It was a Norsemen giveaway in their own zone that gave the Osprey an opening back into the game.  Rohan Dempsey took the turnover and went where Simpson tired earlier on Durnford, but his shot was better and the game was tied at 1s.

 

The Osprey went to a late power play and Rohan Dempsey nearly tucked in a wraparound,but Durnford got there in time, his 21st save of the period.

 

The Norsemen started the second off exactly as drawn up.  Dylan Kugler won the opening faceoff, passed to Chad Hasegawa, Chad circled the net and sent the pass to Nick Marshall covering the point.  Pete Swistun went to the net and provided the perfect screen as the puck went right by him and past Baird’s glove.

 

A side of the net chance rolled over the line for the Osprey but the net was off, so no goal.

 

The Osprey did get a goal of their own in response just 1 minute later.  Matt Simpson won the draw back to Josh Simpson and went to the net.  Josh shot and Simpson tipped it perfectly up into the top of the net, off the back bar, the game was tied at 2.

 

Rohan Dempsey with the chance of the game as Josh Martel gave him a back door pass, all alone and he put it behind the goalie and out the other side.

 

Landon Miron drove the net and just 30 seconds after taking a big tumble while trying to battle 2 Osprey, he would then deke around Greg Moffat and then Matt Baird, tucking in his 19th of the season.

 

In the Norsemen goal, Aidan Durnford was making save after save and the shot totals were rising for the Osprey.

 

Nick Marshall would end it with his 4th point of the night as his shot, only the 16th of the game for the Norsemen, hit the empty net with a minute to go.  The loss was only the second in regulation for the Osprey this season, and they have opened the door for the Aurora to try to get that top spot.

 

The shot total for the Osprey hit 59 as Durnford made 57 saves to lead the Norsemen to victory.