Game # 42
Kingston Voyageurs 3 - Lindsay Muskies 5
January 25th, 2008 in Lindsay
Summary
If the Muskies could play the whole sixty minutes like they did the first twenty tonight, they would be a match for any team in the East Division. They couldn't keep it up tonight but deserve a ton of credit for coming back for a gutsy win after letting slip a three goal lead. Kyle Stojsin claimed a hat-trick, including the game-winner, while Richard Nerland, returning in goal, got the win. The Muskies have played nine games since the Christmas break and have recorded at least a point in all but one of them (the narrow 2-1 loss in Wellington), taking 14 out of a possible 18. It moves them six points clear of the Quinte West Pack who did not play tonight, and leaves them six points behind the Bowmanville Eagles, although the Muskies have two games in hand. This evening, the Eagles defeated the Port Hope Predators in a shoot-out. The Muskies travel to Port Hope on Saturday for their first visit there this season.
Period 1
Watching the first period was like watching a bout between two quality prizefighters who knew each others' styles well. They stood toe to toe exchanging blows in a frenetic period that was aided well by referee Sliwowicz's stand off approach, which kept the game flowing. It was the Muskies who got in the telling blows, with the first coming from nowhere like a sucker punch. There didn't seem to be much danger when Mike Wills launched a blast from the blueline but the traffic in front meant goalie Hache had to look behind him to find out what the blur was that he had seen in the corner of his eye. The goal came at 14:04 and assists went to Rob Kay and Jordan Sinclair. The Muskies looked sharp for the whole twenty minutes, and that included the powerplay that doubled their lead. They buzzed around the Kingston zone, controlling the puck and looking for an opening. They found it when Brett Waters slipped a pass out from behind the net to Kyle Stojsin at the edge of the crease. The Lindsay captain didn't seem to have been spotted by the Vees at all and he simply redirected the puck back inside the near post at 18:27. Mike Wills also picked up an assist on the play as the Muskies deservedly finished the period two goals ahead.
Period 2
The Muskies went out looking for the killer punch in the second period and thought they might have it when Kyle Stojsin forced the puck over the line at the end of a scramble in the crease. The goal, at 3:02, was assisted by Devon Jonson and Ryan Oliver for their part in the build-up. But that may have floored the Vees but they slowly struggled to their feet and started fighting back. A series of penalties took the momentum away from the Fish and the Vees began to take control. They struck twice to leave the home fans feeling very nervous. The first came out of nothing from a very tight angle at 15:54 from Mitch Latchford, breaking Richard Nerland's hopes of a shutout. The second goal wasn't long coming as the Muskies began to make mistakes clearing their lines. James Cameron wasn't picked up and he purposefully fired past Nerland at 17:40 to put the visitors right back in the game. The Vees seemed to be taking some liberties with Nerland as he was clattered several times without a call, but it was the Muskies who finished the period down a man and looking somewhat shakey.
Period 3
There was an air of inevitability about the next goal. The Fish still weren't skating like they had in the first period and they were only just hanging on, although they couldn't be faulted for effort. They seemed to get a break when they went onto the powerplay but just like last night, the Vees tied the scores at 3-3 with a short-handed goal. It came from James Cameron as he stole the puck just inside the Muskies' zone and beat Nerland at 5:10. From that point, with the Muskies having blown a three goal lead, it seemed that there would be only one winner, but it didn't turn out that way. The Vees really did look like they might take the lead at any moment but the Fish scrapped and kept them out. A scarce Lindsay breakaway saw the ref raise him arm to indicate a delayed called against Kingston but before he had a chance to stop play, Cam Granger slipped the puck over to Ryan Oliver who in turn spotted Kyle Stojsin stealing into the slot. A quick pass to him and instantly the puck was in the net and the Muskies had their lead back. The goal came with 7:19 still remaining and the game was by no means over. The Voyageurs didn't let up and strove desperately for the equalizer. But the Lindsay defence met them with renewed enthusiasm and finally the pressure was relieved with an empty-net goal. It came at 19:12 as Alex Charette won a battle for the puck by the Lindsay blueline and managed to send it ahead to Shayne Taylor who muscled passed his marker and flicked the puck into the unguarded net.
Box Score: Click here
Game Sheet: Click here
Photographs
A bolt out of the blue as Mike Wills scores from distance.
Aaron Keaney gets behind two defencemen but can't beat Hache.
Kyle Stojsin appears at Hache's right post and beats him from close in to make it 2-0.
The Muskies kept up the pressure at the beginning of the second period as Stojsin comes out from behind the net to attack at the post.
He is able to force it home as Hache tries in vain to cover the puck.
The Fish keep coming but slowly the Vees would take control of the game.
Richard Nerland and Alex Charette get set as the Vees win the puck in the corner.
With the game seemingly drifting away from the Fish, Kyle Stojsin steals into the slot again and buries the puck behind Hache to restore Lindsay's lead.
Shayne Taylor watches as his shot burrows into the undefended goal for the insurance marker the Muskies needed.