20 ways of creative officiating?

No, really I mean that.

Between the officiating of the two Referees (Meyer and Croft) nothing resembled the Van Ryn Motto:"Keep It Simple (usually followed by Stupid-KISS)".

I lost count of the many three on five penalties both teams endured.
And some were called rather innovatingly:

• Delay of game BEFORE puck drop in Third? Duh? 
• Closing Hand on Puck? Double Duh?
• Others were the usual offenders.

At least in the end they were evenly divided 10 and 10, and both teams made two of them count!
Both Cuma of the Aeros and Pistilli (looked like) of the Checkers went down on the ice and needed attention from the teams' athletic trainers. Thankfully both came back to skate some more.
Neither incident was (apparently) severe enough for a penalty on the other team, this time!

Action around Murphy

Now after an unsually hectic fast paced first period in which the Aeros managed 5 Sogs to the Checkers 13,  the score was 1 Aeros - O Checkers..

Eyes-on-the-Puck Endras :-)

Endras simply making save after save - seemingly in most incredible ways...deep butterfly, stretched body, high glove catches, hard blocked shots (you could literally hear the puck striking his pads!)...

Just to recap Aeros Goals:
Taffe, Chenoway, DiSalvatore (1. period).
Foucault, Fontaine, Ortmeyer (2.)
Wellman, Taffe, DiSalvatore, Unassisted goal by McMillan, and finally empty netter by McIntyre, Fredheim all in the 3.

To the far right Ortmeyer and Foucault Goal 2

After Goal 1. PP by Taffe

Samson still looking (for a Delilah, perhaps? lol)

Checkers:
Soryal, Faulk, Staal;
Matsumoto, Samson, Faulk;
and Samson, Terry, Matsumoto all in 2.

Di Salvatore, Foucault chasing after puck



Soryal goal

Sutter (C) consoling Murphy after Houston goal 3

 McMillan=Number 1 Star with unassisted goal.

I truly believe this was one of the worst officiated games I've seen.

And the "Third Period Aeros" DID show up again to win this game against all odds...truly!

Almost unbelievable officiating (all those 3 on 5 calls) plus some less than stellar playing by several Aeros (Cuma, Bagnall (he ought to know better after all the years), Broda, Medved).
Did they, mayhap, mishear Van Ryn's "Keep It Simple"?

Well, whatever the case.
Aeros kept Checkers in check - but only by the skin of their teeth - especially in the second period.

Warming up in the 1. (as we now know they like to do).
Barely making it in the 2. (aided perhaps by ref's calls!)
And roaring back as the by now - almost expected  - AEROS OF THE THIRD!
Win with 5 to 3 vs Checkers.