Battle between Birds and Planes-edited

ended alas, in a SO win for the birds.



Johnson Goal in SO-puck at corner of net.



Rau did not get the goal



Happy Birds Smiling



We're hugging our goalie today!

Am sorry to report a loss to the Griffins in shoot out: Aeros 2 - Griffins 3. Sorry for the Aeros, who battled valianty.
Earl getting a single handed goal on a break away.
O'Sullivan with Di Salvatore and Noreau the 2.
Both in the First Period.
The Griffins got one goal in the first, then evened the score in the 2 period. Neither team scored in 3. and OT.
Aeros had one PP - uneventful.
Griffins had no PP.
But with Smith as the referee we expected just that.
Few penalties called -
only when absolutely necessary as for the Bagnall/Keefe fight-below.




Cuma Down

 






Ouch!



Ministering to Cuma

And of course, he had to penalize Owens for Boarding (Cuma, the target photos above) plus a game misconduct. Happy to report Cuma was back on the ice shortly thereafter.
Scratches for Aeros: Broda,Buck, Fraser, Kalus.



Hackett and CO

 

Matt Hackett in goal did very well. Stopping the onslaught by the Griffins with their 37 shots, only alowwing  allowing 2 in. But also the 3 in SO by Johnson, Tardiff and Minard.

Pearce, the "purple" hatted one, stopped 24 of 27! Not a bad result!
He was agile and on alert and had some spectacular saves, as well.

Pearce

Both teams (thanks to Smith) got away with a few
bad boys' pranks, shall we say:


Scuffle

 Scuffles like these:


More scuffles

 Both goalies did outstanding work. Both teams gave battle. Griffins to the bitter end coming from behind..so to speak.
In the photo below the expression on Ref Smith's face speaks volumes:-)



A knuckle biter decision: Ought I? NOT!



Pearce always watching.



                                  Chilly and the T shirt Toss Hollering

Fans stunned. Some of you might recognise yourselves!

Knights in 'shiny armor'  leaving the battlefield!

Falling down on the job..

literally, I did.
On the way to the garage someone ran in front of me and down I went - flat on my face. Nothing broken, not even my glasses.
No injuries to speak of except to my pride, a slight scrape to my knee and a sore left hand.

So this is late a posting. 
And since elsewhere the game was discussed ad nauseam, I shall refer to it only as the O'Sullivan baptism (for the second time :-D in Houston).
With his goal early in the First (with Falk,Di Salvatore), he fired up the team and the Aeros kept the pressure on the Griffins to the end and exited victorious.
Most of the 'blame' for this win has to go squarely on Josh Tordjman who was incredible, letting in ONLY one goal (and that alas a shorthanded one by Meech with Andersson and Owens).

"The Man in the Purple" Pearce did also well, but could not stop the two pucks the Aeros slammed at him.The second a PP goal by Almond with (again) Di Salvatore and Noreau). 
Both teams put forth great efforts.
Both goalies did well.
While Tordjman stopped all but one,
Pearce stopped all but 2 of the bigger SOG number!
Aeros 2 and Griffins 1.

And the competition will continue this afternoon.

Without further ado,
a few funny (lol) artandhockey speciality photos for your viewing pleasure-one can never have enough photos to titillate one's feeling of "Ah, they won".. right?
A win that places Aeros now in much better contention for a play off spot.
That win was really needed.
Just a few numbers:
Aeros in 4th after Rampage but Rampage have a 3 game advantage(42) over Aeros' 45. Both have 51 points, both trail Admirals, Rivermen.
Aeros are followed by Stars, OKC with Wolves and Icehogs bringing up the rear.
All these teams are separated only by a few points.
It is THAT close a race in the division.
May the Aeros' Star  keep rising.

A Blur of Defense

Saved by Tordjman

Pearce got this one despite the efforts of Welman (welcome back !)

Battling for the puck in not quite the right spot :-)

Well deserved Refresher

the "Other" Griffin Goalie

Battlelines drawn in front of Tordjman

A screen of players



Tordjman recharging his batteries in 2.



What are you looking for? The Puck's yonder..

Someone better get that puck quick !

Pearce keeping a Griffin eye out for the puck!

Almond on Defense



A nest of Griffins ;-)



Baby Wings outrampage the Rampage

Will the real Rampage please stand up?
At least that's how it seemed to me.
Grand Rapids Griffins, also known as "Baby Wings" simply out skated, 
out scored and outwitted the Rampage, and especially Climie, who seemed asleep half the time. 
He did make a couple spectacular 'body' saves in pure Climie fashion, but...

Despite Rampage having 8 PP opportunities - one a 5 on 3, followed by 5 on 4 -

Adam Keefe, Griffin Nr. 11, managed to score the first goal,
later a shorthanded goal AND a fight with Watt (Rampage)-
does that qualify as a super Gordie Howe Hat Trick..
2 goals, one fight instead of 1 goal, 1 assist and 1 fight :-0?
 

And the Grifs scored 2 PP goals by Minard and Tatar.

Plus a surprise goal - the surprise was for Climie who simply let it happen - in the last part of the third.

Jordan Pearce

Overall Griffins kept their sticks to the ice, defended their net with vigor against the 44 shots on goal.

Jordan Pearce, the Grif's Nr. 1 goalie, stopped 42. BTW, he was majoring in Anthropology with a secondary major in Medical Studies at Notre Dame, when the Red Wings signed him 2 years ago.

I can't say the Rampage lacked energy - after all 44 Shots on goal.

Compare that to the 'just' 25 the Griffins managed to throw at Climie,
who let 5 slip through.



Tomas Tatar, 21 yrs old

 The Griffins team is studded with ex-NHLers, such as young Tatar fresh down from the wings!
Plus several real veterans, whose names are surely familiar to hockey fans...
Tardiff,  Pyett, big guy Kolosov, Pare, Janik, and
the 'Hanson Brother' Doppelgaenger Greg Amadio (due to his dark flowing locks).

That some of these 'oldies' (some at age 26 to 31) could muster such overpowering energy coupled with strategic playing was rather stunning.
And THAT , I think, was what did in the Rampage, who had some days off
(resting equals rusting?).

Anyway, Aeros will have their work cut out for them battling a wiry, well disciplined, coordinated Griffins team, IF the Griffins can keep the momentum going.

Photos will follow after weeding out blurries, and empty ice space ones..tee hee.
Although lots will be of Pearce making saves...but there is one, or two, of the 'Climie body save'!