| Subject: 'Poons escape late rally by Hammers, go up 3-2 |
Author:
Rock Lobster
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 16:59:16 06/04/03 Wed
(HALIFAX)-"We played two games tonight, one 20 minutes long and one 40 minutes long." So said Halifax Coach Andy Murray after his squad which built up a 5-0 lead after the first period, nearly squandered it all in edging the Steeltown Hammers 5-4.
In the opening frame the homeside came out and dominated the Hamilton club outshooting them 17-9 and chasing starter Mike Dunham from the game. The goalscoring parade started with a wraparound by Eric Lindros who was re-united with Milan Hejduk and Marian hossa for the first time this post season. That was followed up by a Greg DeVries screenshot, a Peter Bondra one timer from the middle of the circle, a nifty deke by Hejduk on a 2 on 1, and a Marian Hossa snapshot from the slot. All in all the Halifax offense was working like a well-oiled machine.
But the game started getting away from them in the second. Steeltown devised a way to keep Lindros and Thornton out of the slot and shut those lines down. Pavel Bure scored on an electifying end to end rush with just under two minutes to play in the period. It was 5-1 and the stage was set for a third that was anything but what the Harpoons wanted.
First the penalty kill, which had been such a pillar of strength in the regular season, lapsed yet again as Mariuz Czerkawski was left uncovered at the side of the net and slammed home the rebound of a Mats Sundin wrister. 5-2. Then Sundin himself tallied when he powered in from the left hand side and wrapped the puck around the right. 5-3. Then Dean McAmmond batted a Sundin pass out of mid air and behind goalie Sean Burke. 5-4 with 3:02 left to play. However try as they did, even with the goalie out the Hammers couldn't get that tying goal.
In the aftermath there are several questions beggin answers. Are the Harpoons as good as they showed in the first period? Are they as bad as they were in the third? What do the Steeltown Hammers take away from a playoff game that they lost but feel like they could have won? Answers to all of these questions and more on Friday.
Rock Lobster
HALIFAX HERALD
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
