With a late Sunday night game, the Red Liners suited up an uneven 11 skaters as two players were scratched (food poisoning and traffic jam). They also called up their minor league goalie, Dr. Funk and Jeff Snow, from the McFetridge leagues. They were facing off the 3-3-1-0 Beer Bistro AKA Blacksheep AKA Men in Black Jerseys. After a slow start, the Liners were firmly in charge but several defensive lapses allowed the Bistro to tie the guy. It would take a shootout to declare a victor.
At the start, nine players skated out and these guys in red got on the board quickly as Pauley popped in a rebound into the open near side of the Bistro net. After the two remaining players suited up, the uneven eleven skates let to the dreaded seven forward. The uneven line combinations lead to an anemic offense for the rest of the period. Passes were not crisp. Players were out of position. But even with that, the Bistro could not find the back of the net.
The second period continued with this confusion. It culminated on a Bistro tying goal half way through the period. But the Liners stole the momentum back seconds later as Toe crashed the Bistro net and slip in a loose puck just behind the Bistro netminder. The Red Liners forwards began to settle down and increased their offensive threats. Easy E would pop in a bouncing puck off Dr. Watson’s cross slot pass. Pauley would get his second goal of the game off MK’s bouncing backhand pass across the slot. Jeff Snow, who is rumored to be related to Patrick Kane, made a key poke check for the period off one of the speedy Bistro skaters. Dr. Funk also expertly froze the puck multiple times to keep the frenetic energy to a minimum.
Riding high, the Liners began to coast into the third period and it caught up with them in the middle of the third period. Dr. Funk made more key saves (some which were point blank) to keep the three goal lead for the Liners. However, a lost puck behind the Liner net eventually let to the Bistro’s second goal. A minute later, the Bistro got their third goal off a breakaway. The Bistro scored their tying goal after picking off a cross-ice blue line pass and firing the puck in through five hole.
With the lead gone and all the momentum with the Bistro, the OT shootout looked bleak. However, both parts of the Red Liners came up strong. Both Dr. Watson and Easy E beat the Bistro netminder on the blocker side. Dr. Funk was able to stop both of the Bistro shooter attempts. With the OT win, the Liners remain in second place in the North C3 Division, one point behind the Pirates. They remain one of the elite 6 teams on the top of the two C3 divisions. Their next matchup is on Sat, June 14 at 9:20 (JIH West) against the Theory (3-5-0-0).