Fighting For First

The Osprey were once again sitting on the edge of first place as the faced the Lions on Wednesday night.  Both teams were playing their second of back to back games, but while the Lions were locked into their playoff matchup already, many teams were hoping the Osprey would lose, and possibly drop in the standings, out of the first place position they had occupied most of the season.

 

Both teams came out strong and even the refs noted the pace seemed high.  Rohan Dempsey had an early chance on a 2 on 1, but his shot just missed wide.  Greg Moffatt tried the bank shot on Jamie Wutke a minute later, after watching too many Matt Simpson clips, but it didn’t work.  The Lions Jamie Richard then hit the post on a breakaway as the teams were nearing a goal, but still without one.  The Osprey tried to clear the zone on the missed shot but were thwarted at the line.  A little give and go where Jamie Richard made a return pass to Stephen Warwick at the side of the net, but it was a bit ahead of him.  Warwick then threw a backhander right back out in front.  Matt Baird moved to not let the puck bank off him, and Jamie Richard was there in front to get the puck (with a big stretch), and he slapped it into the open net.

 

Keith Webb had a nice chance after taking a pass and dangling 2 Osprey D, but he was unable to beat the third guy who knocked the puck off his stick, ruin8ng what would have been a pretty goal.  It wasn’t long after that that the Osprey got in the board.  Josh Martel, already at double his previous season high for points, fed Rohan Dempsey in the slot, and Rohan’s one timer beat Jamie Wutke on the glove side.

 

Immediately after the goal, the Lions went up the ice.  Warwick made the back door pass to Jarrett Carter, and for the second time in two games, he struck iron on an open net.  The Osprey then nearly got the lead when Matt Simpson fed Josh Stevens and his shot five hole was swallowed by Wutke.  The teams were trading chances in this tight battle and we didn’t see another goal for 10 minutes, and when we did, it was Josh Stevens picking up a turned over puck and doing a slow toe drag on Heritage Moment, then going backhand blocker side for the goal.

 

The Lions turned over a puck exiting their zone and Isaac Pelley passed to Josh Stevens, who one touched it to Matt Simpson in front, and Simpson had the empty net to shoot at.  

 

Up 3-1 heading into the second, all the Osprey needed now was to hold on to their nuts and pull out the win.  Oh I mean that was Matt Pare.  The poor guy took a snapshot from Isaac Pelley right in the family jewels and was in more pain for that than all season of missed scoring chances.  

 

The Lions were feeling impending defeat in a meaningless game, and started getting sloppy.  Rohan Dempsey took a Lions pass off his leg and then was all alone on Wutke.  He shot and it went off the bottom of the netminder’s glove and in to make it 4-1 early in the second.

 

Matt Simpson was looking for his own Heritage moment when he came in on Kyle Weatherbee.  Kyle took out Matt’s feet and then a Simpson slid pas him on his knees, the puck on his stick, he stick handled once then shot high blocker side.  The puck sailed up and just over the crossbar.  Much relief was visible from the body language of Weatherbee.

 

Frighten Osprey kept coming as the Lions decided to take some big chances.  Nick Collins took a shot in a 2 on 1 and the rebound came out to Keaton Hicks in front with the open net.  He was about to shoot when a Taylor McKay tracked him down and knocked the puck to the corner.

 

Josh Martel made a little chip up to Scott Stewart in the Osprey zone and after a self pass around Kirk Levy, he was off and alone on Wutke, he deked to the blocker side, looking like he was out of space, he found room up top for the goal to make it 5-1.

 

Dustin Hall knocked a Joey Richard point shot out of the air and in to make it 5-2, in what was a borderline high stick play.  After being told that a high stick is not the crossbar, but the player’s shoulders when standing fully upright as per Hockey Canada’s rules, the Lions felt the goal being legitimate was the correct call.  We had all assumed the crossbar was the high stick line, and yes, we checked the Hockey Canada rulebook to verify that is indeed the rule.  Now you know.

 

The score was 5-2, and let’s cut to the chase here, that’s how this game ended, with the Osprey locking down first place, and a matchup against the Evergreens.  All we have left to do now is wait for the results of Friday’s games to know the other 2 matchups.