The Cuppa Joe Grinders

The Grinders welcomed the 2nd new team to our division with yet another tick in the Grinder Win column.  With a full line-up and a heck of a fore-check the Grinders were able to make life difficult for the All-Blacks. They had some of their regular roster, Keenlyside, and Gargonzola but they seemed to lack a bit of the usual puck-carrying momentum that they brought to the previous encounters over the years.

Peter wasn’t too busy in the first two periods so we adjusted our game plan and let him see the puck a little a little in the 3rd.  Someone on the bench mentioned the “S” word one shift prior to the Allblacks  scoring their one and only goal in the game.  Feeling guilty, perhaps, Jay took the ensuing face-off and carried the puck all the way to the Allblack netminder’s crease, but failed to score.  Unlike MR. TEIGEN who calmly placed his streak-maintaining goal into the net during the second period to extend his point-per-game streak to 5.  FIVE.   I want him on my line next game. Way to Go, Guy.

Bueno efforts were made from each and every player on the Grinders this game, with encouragement on the bench, short-shifts and a general sense of everyone giving their all. Including a glorious display of effort in the second period with a rush down the right wing, with almost Chacko-like flair and energy, until a little rub-out along the boards resulted in a Yard Sale.

Passing was the key to the game with the likes of Santa making his patented rush but then dishing off to the wingers, getting the defenders moving side to side opening up the ice in front of the net. Santa ends up with an assist on the nite, as does Triggsy, PSP and Cranston ends up with 2!

Tanchack gets a goal by letting go a blast from Yust Over the BlueLine (I capitalized that because I thought it would make a good Yorgy Yorgenson tune) and it was Newts who started it all off in the second period through good old fashioned hard work.  No need for any of that new fangled hard work.

In fact all three Grinder goals came in the second, then we hung on for dear life (See Start Strong and Hang On).  With time ticking away in the third period the Allblacks yanked their goalie and started to press in an effort to make a comeback> The Grinders were defending their end trying to do good by their keeper, wondering why it seemed a little lopsided and the pressure was a little more intense than it should be, we looked out to center ice, and what did we see? A Yard Sale.

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below the fold

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