The stakes were high going into the first and possibly only playoff game for the NS Red Liners as they faced the Meatheads, a team dropped from a higher division and placed in this lower level.
But from the very start, the Liners came out hard from the gate. Everyone stepped up their play especially their goalie, Lee “Special” K. He would make multiple spectacular saves. By skillfully sucking up pucks, the netminder limited the Meatheads’ scoring changes. As the buzzer for the first period ended, the Liners would be up 3 goals to 1 from shots by Toto and Twank, the two centers.
The second period was more of the first but the Meatheads did come out harder especially during their powerplays. Multiple penalties were handed out in this period, some of them questionable. The D pairs of Sobo with Timmy and Bleech and MK tried their pest to swat out pucks left near the crease. Special K continued his great play but did get marked for 2 power play goals. The period would end with the Liners scoring one last goal off a clearing pass from MK to C “Rocket” Smith to Toto.
The Liners then went into defensive mode for the third period. Wingers Matty and The Suth were covering the points and swiped the puck out of their zone in a few key plays. Don and Mixy anchored the remaining defensive offense especially during several tough penalty kills. Toto was able to score a short-handed goal after confusing the opponent’s goalie with a non-icing clearing pass. Finally B-hole laid down the law on one of the Meatheads after they made a derogatory gay joke against one of the Liners. Sobo took like of such jokes when he responded to a similar comment on whether the players liked certain activities. With the final buzzer, the Liners’ goalie ended a spectacular game where his movements between the posts and positioning against puck shooters was exceptional.
With a win off a full team effort, the Liners will move on into the second round, presumably against the #1 seed. They will definitely have their work cutout for them. If they can recreate their efforts from today, they could advance in the playoffs farther than their opponents expected. But, the Liners would not be surprised by such success.