Week 10: Mark It Zero vs. Nice Marmot
The big game. While Da Bulls (and everyone else, for that matter) seem to have improved, we’ve never beaten Nice Marmot and they will always be the true test. Miller, unfortunately, was unavailable for this huge game as he got arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and striking a police officer*. This really sucks, as we’d like to field a full team against these guys, but the fact remains that I tallied 6 points against these guys without Miller, and ever since he’s been on the scene I’ve become a pass-first, less aggressive player. Passing will still happen but we gotta keep an eye on Feller (1st in the league in points) defensively this time around or things might get out of hand quickly.
VS NICE MARMOT
I was able to get dressed and get out there for the pre-game skate, but we had about 3 or 4 players on the ice warming up. Most of the team didn’t make it out until the 1st period started, and even Justin didn’t face any shots before the game. which was notable. True to form, we gave up two quick goals at the start of the first period. This was another hole we’d have to get out of, but at least the predicament is a familiar one.
Halfway through the 1st, Ben was carrying the puck through the neutral zone and I was doing all I could to stay onsides as he bore down on the blue line. With excellent awareness, Ben noticed I was about to go in before him, so he reached the puck out as I crossed the line, pulled it back in and charged the net. I’m not sure if he got an initial shot off, but he had the puck behind their net, fed me in front, and I lifted the puck on the tip of my backhand over the goaltender’s shoulder. It would stay 2-1 Marmot going into the 2nd.
The 2nd period was mostly uneventful scoring-wise. I got a penalty for bumping their man off the puck. Nobody fell down, I just positioned my body in between them and the puck and stopped his momentum. The ref deemed it, of all things, interference. Interference, for the uninitiated, is when you hit somebody when they’re away from the puck. This call was disgraceful.
The penalty expired thankfully without damage. On one rush late in the period, I was being harassed by the defenseman in front of the net. He hit me in the back and shoved me to the ground, as I threw a pass backward through my legs with my remaining balance. I went face-first into the ice but turned around to see the puck find the twine with :10 left in the period. I would find out later that Ryan Murphy got a stick on it, and we’re tied 2-2 going into the final stanza.
The next shift was huge for us. Juke joined the rush and I was behind him entering the zone. Making his way through the Marmot defensemen, he had lost his handle of the puck (or creatively left it for me) and I shot it through the two-person screen he had set up. 3-2. On the ensuing face-off, he was again leading the rush and we found ourselves in a similar situation, except it was a 2-on-2 with me to his right. Juke’s pass was in my skates but only because the D was playing me well and that’s the only place he could put it. I quickly kicked it to my stick (past the defender), brought the puck across to the backhand, and shoved it in the far side of the net right as they were announcing our last goal. There are few feelings as cool as scoring while your name is being announced as the last goal scorer. Never thought I’d ever experience this.
There was still the entire 3rd period in front of us, but Nice Marmot never fully recovered from that shift. They would add another tally to make it closer at 4-3. We got excited on offense and they had an odd man rush on the counterattack. I think it was a 3-on-1. Really bad news. Justin made a huge save on the initial shooter, but our guys hadn’t gotten back and covered all 3 of their forwards so the 3rd guy scored on a following chance. I got another penalty, this time for tripping. I had zero penalty minutes coming into this game and I got two in one game. Luckily (or skillfully) we did a great job killing the penalty and we got an insurance tally in the waning moments. Derek, who played a good game but hadn’t found the net, made a sick backhanded pass to Ryan at the side of the net for his 2nd of the match.
Final score, 5-3 Mark It Zero.
We beat Nice Marmot. Finally.
CLOSE CALLS: Derek had about 80 chances (some of them beautiful) to score in this game and either shot late or took too long in the process of shooting. He seems to favor his wrister rather than snapping a quick shot off. As the first period came to a close, I drew the puck out of a defender’s skates as we were all scrambling in front of their net for possession, and had about 3 chances to score point blank on their netminder. They were low quality, as I just tried to bury it underneath him, but in hindsight I probably should’ve just tried deking around him. There was another opportunity in the 3rd where I finally had the chance to unload a slap shot from the right hash mark. I got a new Synergy for Chanukah so I was ready to utilize my new toy on the far left post but I missed wide. I’m going to score on one of those and it’s going to be a nice, warm feeling but I’ll have to wait on that.
We have two weeks off before our next tilt against the Green Hornets. We’re now tied for 1st place, but have played one less game than the other two teams. Standings in the stats link below.
*I’d tell you the real reason (I don’t know it) but it wouldn’t be as cool.
stats (season)
