The highlight of this tough game against the Beer Bistro, a past playoff foe, had to be Shad O’man. Yes, the dog. During pre-game preparations, Shad O’man was unceremoniously removed from the ice rink unfortunately. That seemed to predict the results to come. The Red Liners were shut out against the Beer Bistro but there was more to the game. They were unable to score even with 2 great scoring chances.
The goal scoring onslaught by the Bistro in the first period started quickly. A breakaway after trouble clearing the puck would lead to a goal for the Bistro after only 2 minutes. The Red Liners offense did not have many chances to shine. Toto could not deke his way to the Bistro net while B-hole had trouble establishing himself in front of the net. These opponents’ practiced breakout moves and good puck clearing skills would leave the Red Liners on the defensive for the rest of the period. The Bistro rattled off 3 more goals in the first period, one about every 3-4 minutes.
In the second period, the Bistro offense continued to pound at the Red Liners defense as they had trouble clearing the puck. Those opponents in white would rack up 2 quick goals in the first 5 minutes of that period. The Great Stefanski, one of the Red Liners defenseman, also fell ill causing all the lines to be shuffled. Doc would drop back to defense but was immediately called for a tripping penalty. The remaining three defensemen, Sobo, Stock, and Bleecher played double duty and kept the Bistro scoreless. The Bistro offensive onslaught seemed to slow down. The final highlights of the period came with a great scoring chance for Mighty Matty as he tried to flip an orphaned puck over the Bistro netminder and for El Francisco as he one-timed a pass from Teddy which went wide.
The third period seemed like a copy of most of the second. Doc was called for a roughing and tripping penalty as he tried to steal pucks from Bistro skaters. Once again, the offense and defense keep the Bistro from scoring. Neither team would be able to move the black biscuit over the red line. Mixy and CSJ would get stymied as they tried to move the puck up the right side boards. Emotions did get a bit worked up toward the end of the game. Ty would be punched in the back of the head while Teddy would be threatened after skating through the goalie crease with the puck. The Bistro goalie would lose his helmet twice in mysterious circumstances.
This really was two separate games. The first half was all Bistro with a 6-0 wipe out. The second was a back and forth affair with neither team able to score. Hopefully, the boys and girls in red can figure out what didn’t work in one half and what did in the other. With the right approach and combinations, the Red Liners have matched up with even the best teams in their division. It’ll take more adjustments to actually beat these teams.