I was just starting to get comfortable with the fact that I had not scored a goal all year. I am, after all, a defenseman with questionable offensive skills. The fact that I had just one more assist than the goalie, really did not bother me at all. And then it happened. The puck dropped, then came back to me at the point off J. Lauby’s stick, a few strides in toward the net, the screen set up, a flick of the wrist and twine bows back. I raise my stick in triumph, dap my linemate, then skate back to the bench smug in the fact that I know, that this, our eight goal of the game, was the most important.

Okay, so maybe not THE most important. But I feel it was a significant step for me, to not end the season without a goal. Yeah. I did it.

This was probably our best game yet. We weren’t perfect, but we got the lead, and kept the intensity. 4-0 at the end of the first with a goal by Kveen, J. Lauby, and two by Sir Six Points – Swanson. The first period ended, but with fresh memories of given up leads, no one was talking about the game being over.

The Wild got two goals in the second to cut the lead 4-2. But Etshokin, just off a penalty that yielded their second goal, took the drop back from the ensuing face off, drove all the way to the net and got the point back in a mere 10 seconds. Another score from Hoff got the lead back up to 4.

In the third, the heat was really turned up. Knowing that a win gives us the greatest chance to help us to the playoffs, and also knowing what it’s like to give up big leads late in the game, another 4 goal period was just what we needed to put the game to rest.

The first goal proved that Gardner is not just a man who blocks shots as he got the second assist on Barthelmy’s goal. Then it happened. (Refer to first paragraph for description) Another goal by Etshokin, and the hat trick for Captain TuTu – Swanson, and we have 10 goals against the first place team in the division.

10-3 was the final, and damned did it feel good!

The game against the Taz Devils had a lot of importance as far as how the playoff picture looks. Before the game the Kodiaks were outside looking in at the fourth place Taz Devils and the third place Ice Hogs who were 1 and 2 points ahead of them respectively. The win put them one point ahead of the Taz Devils who have 1 fewer games to play, and tied with the Ice Hogs, who the Kodiaks play later this month and who they have beaten twice before. Amazingly enough it also puts them only 2 points behind the second place Grizzlies, who have faltered their last two games picking up only 1 point on the tie with the Kodiaks. The latest play by the Kodiaks has given them hope in their own play, and the belief that they will be not only in the playoffs, but a force not to be taken lightly.

The Kodiaks started the game as they have far too often this season, with lackluster play, low energy, and a lot of spinning of the wheels. There were two positives during the first period during the game with the Taz Devils: The Kodiaks had a full roster, and a goalie who decided to play like an epileptic octopus with catchers gloves on every tentacle. With Gardner turning every Devil away like an oversized door-man at an elite New York night club, the rest of the team had a chance to step back and discuss their favorite character and their favorite plot twist on the latest episode of Lost.

The second period started out much better as Barthelmy took the opening drop straight to the back of the net in just 8 seconds. This finally woke the rest of the team, and they started playing some good hockey. Both teams had some good scoring chances in the second, including three man-advantages a piece, but good play between the pipes on both sides kept the score at 1-0 through the middle period.

With the contest still close and neither team capitalizing on power play chances, Barthelmy once again opened the period with a quick goal, this time assisted by Ott. Just 19 seconds into the third period, the Kodiaks went up 2-0. From there the Kodiaks spent the next 8 minutes swarming the Taz Devil’s net, putting up three more scores (D. Lauby from Hults, Swanson from Kveen, and D. Lauby from Hoff and Mikhail) just 3 minutes and 34 seconds apart.

Up 5-0 halfway through the third, the Kodiaks were called for 3 more penalties in the second part of the period. The Taz Devils came at the net hard, but masterful play by Gardner kept the shutout intact, after he turned away 27 shots on the game, about 26 of those coming from breakaways.

The three stars of the game are: Gardner for playing out of his mind; the Kodiaks defensive blue line for having more of an impact on the Kodiaks than the opposing defense; and Barthelmy for the first two goals of the game, 8 and 19 seconds into the second and third period.

Despite starting the game with only three players on the bench, the Venom played hard and had some chances against the Kodiaks sub goalie. But their early intensity was short lived as Hoff, Hults, and Reid each had a goal in the first period in a span of just under two minutes.

Near the end of the first period Pietsch took pity on the Venom and decided to give them a chance by gently wrapping his stick around one of the Venom players, and applying pressure with the stick to gently nudge, or “hook” that player toward the puck. Seeing this good natured act, the referee followed suit and placed Pietsch in “the penalty box of appreciation and good judgment”. But, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and Kveen scored a short handed goal just half a minute into the second.

The second period saw a short handed goal, two goals by Swanson, and goals by, Cistera and Ott, as well as a philanthropic effort by D. Lauby to recalibrate the navigational guidance system, or “trip”, of one of the Venom’s players. Even the cold hearted Cistera was moved and decided that it was his turn to give. In his heart, he knew that the Venom goalie deserved the game puck. According to witnesses nearby, Cistera told the goalie to “spin around three times, hold out your glove, and I’ll give you a surprise”. With an empty net in front of him, Cistera pitched a perfect pass right to the dizzy goalie.

But the Venom did not give up. Just 5 ½ minutes into the third, the Kodiaks let the Venom ruin the shut out performance of the sub goalie. After that, the Kodiaks realized that an eight goal lead was slipping away from them, and they strengthened their resolve and got their lead back on an impressive two assist goal by Swanson for his hat trick.

At the end of the game, the score was 9-2 and I’m sure that showers and beers were had by most.

The Kodiaks come back against the Grizzlies with a good performance to advance one point in the standings, one point behind the fourth place Devils and two points behind the third place Ice Hogs. The tie puts them in a good position to take over either fourth or third place with games coming up against both teams, and having the edge over the Ice Hogs after beating them in both prior matches.

It took just under three minutes for the Kodiaks to get on the board in the first period. Aggressive play and good fore checking, as well as heads up passes from Hults and J. Lauby gave Welch an offer he couldn’t refuse. So he didn’t, and the Kodiaks went up 1-0.

But those pesky Grizzlies got themselves a power place chance when a rebound popped out front of the goal on the stick of the Grizzlies Lawrence. Gardner made 12 or 13 saves on him before Lawrence put it up over the pad to tie the game.

The Kodiaks did not roll over though, and halfway through the first they took advantage of a man advantage with more superlative passing from Reid and Cistera, dishing off to Ott who performed his stick magic and got one into the net.

The second period started well as the Kodiaks took a two goal lead when Captain Swanson took the superlative passing from Hoff and Kveen and buried the puck in the back of the net. But just over a minute later the Grizzlies had tied it back up with successive goals just 19 seconds apart.

In the third period an early goal by the Grizzlies was quickly counter with more exceptional passing from Cistera and Ott to get it two the scoring powerhouse Reid for the tying goal. Gardner made a few game-saving stops late, and the Kodiaks got their chances on offense, but regulation ended with both teams happy to take a point.

The overtime session saw the Kodiaks out skate the Grizzlies as they got a few quality scoring chances. But the puck didn’t fly right for them and the game ended even.

After the game, spectator John Quinn said, “When you guys were moving you’re legs out there you where skating right around them...” and “it was the little things that kept you from winning…” and “when you guys had the rush, the guy with the puck would get down to the net with two or three defenders on them, and he had no one down there to pass it to…”.

All in all the Kodiaks played a good game, hard rushing game, and all four of their goals came with two assists, which shows they were moving the puck well. With their next two games against the hard luck Venom and the Taz Devils, and the Ice Hogs next battle being against the division leading Wild, the Kodiaks have an excellent chance to move up into a playoff qualifying position in the standings.

The first period against the Ice Hounds offered the Kodiaks a chance to size up the opponent they narrowly beat the last time the two teams met back on December 2. The low energy start was marked by a lot of missed passes, and shots well wide of the net. Neither team was particularly defensively sound, but rather offensively deficient. It was a miracle bounce off a referee that provided the only good scoring chance during the first 17 minutes for either team, which the Ice Hounds capitalized on to take a 1-0 lead.

But during the second period the Kodiaks found their feet and again became a team that plays with its collective head up. They began making passes and started to jump into the play as opposed to watching it, jumping into passing lanes and pressing the Ice Hounds at the blue line. This created some turnovers and scoring chances for the Kodiaks. Barthelmy in just his 3rd game this season took a feed in deep from Hoff and Swanson and blew it past the net minder to tie the game 1-1. 21 seconds later the Kodiaks took the lead on J. Lauby’s solo effect.

The third period didn’t start as they would have liked when just a minute into it an Ice Hound shot from the blue line sailed past Pietsch’s head making him promptly fall over sideways. Gardner made the initial gravity-defying save with a seamless gazelle-like motion, but the rebound landed on the tape of the other team’s winger and the game was tied at 2. After the game, Pietsch had this to say about the goal. “Dude, it was like, right at my freakin head!”

Perhaps it was this goal, or perhaps it was the chippy play of the other, larger team, or possibly it was the referee telling the Kodiak bench to “shut up”, but what ever it was it apparently pissed off team captain Swanson, who rattled off 3 consecutive assists in a span of just over 4 minutes to Etshokin, Barthelmy for his second tally of the night, and Hoff. Not bad for the C1 North assist leader, who had 4 assists on the night.

5 minutes after the Ice Hounds had tied the game, the Kodiaks led 5-2.

The rest of the way the Kodiaks played a sound defensive game led by the rocket propulsion of Fitz’s Mexican dinner, and the game was capped by the Lauby brothers showing off their youthful styling and sense of fair play as one got the goal and the other an assist on the all important 6th point of the night.

I hope you enjoy!