Saints Slam Spiders

Dec. 8, 2022

The short-benched Spiders spent most of the game in the bin.

The Spiders actually kept up with the first-place Saints for the first period, only down a goal through one, despite being significantly outposessioned and outpayed, and tying the game partway through the second on a Grotbeck far-post shot, penalty trouble kept the Spiders on the PK for pretty much the rest of the game.

Unlike last week’s generous shot count, tonight’s total may have been conservative, as the Saints controlled the puck for most of the night, peppering sub goalie Kyle O’Connor with 43 on net, who had to stand on his head often to keep the Spiders close.

While the scoring was all totaled up after two periods, the scorekeeper still had plenty to do, with a total of six (seven for the moment) penalties in the final period. And had the refs been paying attention, there would’ve been more. Of course it was only the Spiders finding themselves in the bin, with the lone Spider power play ending prematurely thanks to an even-up call.

In all, the Spiders spent 8:59 on the PK. AHA math will show you that there is 40 seconds of PK missing, since the game was called on a no-confidence vote of the officiating (as agreed to by both captains).

In the C3 standings, the Spiders find themselves comfortably in first place (in PIM), but elsewhere in points, which the Saints keep their hold on the lead, sitting in first place, a point over the Minnesota Mallards.

And that’s whom the Spiders get next, in a quick turnaround, for the third game in a week.

This will be just the third meeting with the Mallards, who moved up from D1 last season, and got swept by the Spiders. This season, they look a little more formidable, with a chokehold on the C3 West stats, including three of the top four spots in points, and four players figuring in the rankings. (The Spiders on the other hand, have one … unless you scroll down to the PIMs…).

Puck drop is early Saturday, 7:15 at Richfield.