So it has been quite some time since there has been a blog. However, occasionally there are events that would cause such a change in the status quo. This Sunday night was one of those events.
Skating this evening against the StreetCones would be:
Randy in net. Defense would consist of George and iJosh. The forwards would be Paul, Baumann , and K.Mitch.
YES! That is it. And to put this into perspective, Mitch was a late addition and Baumann was less than 50/50 until well into Sunday. So there was a fair possibility that there would have been 3 skaters available in front of Randy.
The StreetCones usually treat our full teams like, well, street cones. So there was little hope this would be anything less than an unmitigated disaster. So about 30 seconds into the game the StreetCones would strike, netting their 1st goal. An initial save by Randy would be picked up and netted. 1-0 Orange. 16 minutes and 2 goals later the tired 5 would skate to the bench content that they were only down 3-0. After the 3rd goal, George and a Cone would get into a scuffle and both be sent to the box. 5 on 5. However without another man on the bench for the Cads, it would be a 5 on 4 even strength 2 minutes. And miraculously the Cads would escape unscathed.
The second period, the Cones would get their 4th goal and go up 4-0. But the faithful-five would do their best to keep the deficit at 4 goals. Time after time; Randy save after save; icing after icing the Cads would keep the Cones at bay. Then it happened. Baumann grabbed the puck at mid-ice and got to the top of the left circle. He riffled a shot past the Cone in net. 4-1. The fans - the skaters in the previous game who just wanted see how this would play out - now turned their heads and were watching. Not quite "The Russian is cut!!!!" moment, but a moment none-the-less. Somehow the Cads would end the 2nd period down 4-1.
Between the 1st and 2nd, Ed the Ref asked if we just wanted to ask the Cones for a player. Mitch said he was curious to see how this played out. Now between the 2nd and 3rd and only down 3 goals - Hell, why not?!
3rd period now underway, Baumman would quickly net another, almost identical goal. Quote from Randy, "Now they are going to get angry". However the Skating Zombies (how appropriate at this point) were maintaining the 4-2 score. Then it happened. The Russian really was cut. Baumman! BAUMMAN!!. And now we are tied at 4 with 10 minutes to go. One would think that the Cones would stop playing down to a team that was pretty much "The Skating Dead". But somehow they just could not break through. <Cue uplifting dramatic music> Baumman breaks away and puts one past the Cone in net. The fans go wild. Well really they just grabbed another beer and walked to the glass to watch this happen. This would continue until about 5 minutes to go. K.Mitch would pursue the puck deep in the Cone zone. He would essentially fall into the guy with the puck and Ed would give Mitch 2 minutes to think about his poor conditioning. In the PK, iJosh would block a shot with his hip, only to have it bounce right to the other Cone in the area. He would put it on net. Randy would get a piece of it, but not enough. 5-5 with 5 minutes to go. With about 1:30 to go, a Cone would skate down the left side along with iJosh. He would lose his footing and twist to the ice. iJosh - despite being an arm's length away was called for the penalty. Bad call. Even the other ref said so. Ed would soon apologize by calling an equally questionable call on the Cones to make it 4 on 4. However the Cones would break out of their zone after an attempt by the Cads to untie the game. This would leave George all alone on a 3 on 1. Randy, again would make the attempt, but he was outgunned (what?)! Outmanned (what?)! Outnumbered! Outplanned! And with less than 1 minutes to go the Cones would take a 6-5 lead.
That lead would hold. However the Cads would skate to a valiant 6-5 loss. So the next time you see the Fatigued Five and Randy let them know that you would have loved to have seen it. I'm sure their response would be - well next time just get on the @#$%ing ice.
- 3rd Stars: George, iJosh, Paul, K.Mitch
- 2nd Star: Randy. Seriously he played out of his mind. But.....
- 1st Star: Baumman. REALLY!!!! 5 Goals and he didn't rest once. NOT ONCE!!!!
