The netminder plays a conn-smythe-trophy like game, but the players manage to blow a 3-0 lead and just can’t hold it together long enough to eake out even a single point. Sound familiar? Of course it does but we’re not talking Luongo and the Canucks, we’re talking Hogan and the Grinders. (Hogan’s Heroes perhaps? It was sit-com-ish)

Peter plays a text-book game, making glove-hand saves, pad saves, sprawling saves and saves off his own defensemen. Grinders get 2 short-handed goals and a power-play goal to go up 3-0. Peter continues to play a text-book game, making glove-hand saves, pad saves, sprawling saves and saves off his own defensemen. Grinders take him for granted and think they have the game wound up…. uh uh. Following a ridiculously bad call by the ref, they count a goal for the other team (unmentionable bastards) and thats when it all fell apart. Afore you knew it it was 3-3 and heading into overtime. Overtime lasted mere seconds before the other team (unmentionable bastards) took the puck from the red-line un-accosted all the way for a break-away goal.

Pete we owe you one. But in honour of a stellar performance, by special request, here is Peter’s own Grinder Girl!

The Grinders played a hard game with a few unlucky bounces that sank them, but there was a solid effort by Everyone, and I mean everyone including non-Grinders to make this game the best it could possibly be.  Gord shows up with the line-up - where would be without that line-up? Goats shows up to the game as part of a double header!  He finishes his 8:15 game as ‘Tender for the Burn, and then slaps on the player pads to skate as a Winger for the Grinders.  Fired up he was. hustling and grinding and bringin his “A” game.  Tidy gives his bunged knee a try and manages to make it through the whole game, even as the pain became noticeable in the third.  PSP, a last minute phone call and takes on the roll of spare without hesitation, then proceeds to take a spear in the chest. And Stace.  He didnt even play, but he managed to go beyond the call the duty and lend Trainor a sweaty right skate in the third when Trainor’s blade snapped in half.

THIS is teamwork. This is commitment. This is what it’s all about.  Even though we lost. We worked hard. We moved the puck. We hit at least a couple of posts. No whining, just one big solid team effort. It felt good.

From one team member to the team as a whole - “thank you.”

Let’s do it again and put 2-points in the win column!