Back at the Allstate Arena for some more hockey.
The game started with a moment of silence for Tim Breslin, a former player with the Wolves, who died from a form of cancer I had NEVER heard of: he died last Wednesday night due to complications from appendiceal cancer - yes, a malignancy of the appendix. He was diagnosed in late November of 2004. He was a local guy and fan favorite. Everybody knew him. So, it was a sad beginning of the night.
But, OH WHAT A GAME!
Milwaukee has been a major problem for us this year, but tonight something was different. The energy was up for both teams. It was like watching a post-season game! The intensity was great, a lot of up and down play, hard hitting...
The referee - Jeff Smith - wasn't calling anything. Which you would think is bad, but the key is he was consistent, and that's all you can ask for in a ref. The crowd was really going after him when he wouldn't call something but you could see that he just wasn't calling anything.
Well, until the 3rd. With only 44 seconds left and the game tied 4-4, he called Brad Larsen for interference. It was a controversial call, because the ref actually DIDN'T call it - one of the linesmen did (I think it was Jay Jacobs). Linesmen can't call a penalty unless it's a major. In this case, there was a "skirmish" between former Wolf Simon Gamache and Steve Maltais right between the two benches as they were leaving the ice. Brad Larsen was on the bench and grabbed Simon Gamache. So, it turns out that this is another case that a linesman can actually call a penalty.
We made it though the 3rd, but that also meant it was 4-on-3 for 1:16 into the 5-minute overtime period.
Turns out that the Wolves survive that and overtime ends in a tie. It's been a couple of years since we saw a Shootout (due to rule changes), but that's what we were headed for. The Wolves outscore Milwaukee 2-1 in the shootout and WIN.
Michael Garnett was in goal tonight because Kari Lehtonen has had strep. Garnett has been in net for the 2 Shootout Wins the Wolves have had this year.
Pretty damn exciting and the best game we have seen in a long, long time.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet)
2008- STH secret presale...
2007- Wolves 6 - Crunch 2
2006- Wolves 1 - Phantoms 6
- Strong women
2004- KFC
- I hope the smoke detectors don't go off
2003- OK, people... just move along... move along...
- Cheers, Alan!
2002- Wrong Call
- SLC Day 4