LEWIS CENTER - In the end something had to give. On one bench stood a formidable offense. On the other was a team that refused to lose.
The defending champion Maple Leafs possess skill across the board. No weak skaters on their team. #93 Barrett is a dominating force in the division, owning the puck in effortless fashion. His green socks, red beard and powerful stride bested team after team during the year, leading to scoring chance after chance. Tonight was no different. The Hawks had to bring their best effort to hold him and the rest of the Leafs in check.
The opening period was scoreless. Both teams had several quality chances, only to be turned aside by stellar goaltending. Bryce Griffith and his brothers opened the game with two close chances in front, but couldn't put it past the Leaf goalie. #16 Macre and #97 Lape of the Leafs were a pain in both zones. Passing was crisp. It was clear early both teams came to play.
The Leafs stuck first at 10:47 in the 2nd with a dandy unassisted effort by #29 Waterstreet. The Arrowhawks quickly answered :30 seconds later to tie the game. Mark Monahan worked his magic and found streaking career point leader Tom Morgan in the high slot. Morgan rifled a high shot over the Leafs goalie's glove.
The Leafs scored the next two goals to take a 3-1 lead. But the Hawks weren't deterred. At 6:57 Bryce Griffith followed a Leaf defenseman behind his own net, stripped him of the puck and burried the puck past the Leaf netminder. The lead was cut to one.
Two minutes later Mike Gauthier was called for a cross check at 4:47 in the 2nd, deep in the Hawk zone.
"It was a bullcrap call," said Gauthier after the game. "I barely touched the guy. I almost cried" The Leafs were going on the power play. Yikes.
Mac Lawless and Terry Walker controlled the play for the next 16 seconds until Mac was called for interference, giving the Leafs a two man advantage.
"I hate to get fined for complaining about the refs this close to Christmas with my wife wanting all that new shiny jewelry, but what the hell," said a fired up Lawless from his locker. "Danny is a great ref, one of the best, he's handsome and looks like he has a good head or hair. Maybe he was screened by another player or daydreaming about being on the golf course, but he missed that call plain and simple. It's the semi-finals and he shouldn't have called that ticky-tack crap. Gary is now my favorite ref -- I love that old bastard."
The Arrowhawks started the 1:46 5-on-3 penalty kill with Kevin and Bryce Griffith and Nick Lanctot from Minnesota. Lanctot was fresh off a plane from Chicago where he was trying to see Oprah but couldn't get tickets. "I hate that hag," Lanctot later admitted. The three were brilliant. They thwarted the first minute and gave way to Mark Monahan, Bryan Griffith and Terry Walker who followed suit, killing the final :46 seconds. The highly skilled Leafs were held to four shots during their two man advantage.
"That was huge. The best player on the ice was Jensen," said Gauthier after the game. "Jay's bald head is really slippery when he sweats so much."
Jensen was terrific when the Hawks needed him, which was pretty much all game. I say pretty much because there was this one 2 second laps a minute into the 3rd period. Lets just say that #16 for the Leafs ripped a howitzer from just outside the blueline that somehow flew over Jensen's shoulder and found twine.
"Classic case of running before the catch," said 3rd line center Barry Snow.
The Hawks were stunned. A woman in the crowd screamed. The Leafs partied like rock stars. In a game so close, would this goal be the final nail in the Hawks season?
"Have you ever seen Danny DeVito greasy naked?" asked Jason Torsok. "Much prettier sight than that goal," he continued.
The Leafs had a 2 goal lead with 11 minutes to play. The Hawk bench was deflated.
Good thing they know how to play hockey. Because that's exactly what they did for the remainder of the game. 3 minutes after the bad goal, the Hawks second line took over the game. Nick Lanctot rushed forward with the puck, deep in the Leaf zone and found a tightly covered Jason Torsok in front who burried a deflection for the Hawks 3rd goal. Not to be outdone, Mark Monahan added another even strength tally :18 seconds later. Lanctot and Morgan assisted on the play. The score was now tied. What a game.
The final seven minutes were back and forth. The Hawks third line of Carpenter, Kenyon and Snow were brilliant, breaking up chances with swift backchecks and active sticks. The Leafs sent their best skaters out against the Hawks third line, but it didn't matter.
"Carp was skating like he used to do when he was a championship figure skater," said linemate John Kenyon. "Without the sparkly blouse and tight pants."
The game was notched at 4 at the end of regulation.
Overtime
Three minutes of overtime. Puck went that way, then this way. Shot here. Shot there. Pass, pass, save. Save, pass, save. Then it was over.
Shootout
The Leafs were the home team and elected to have the Arrowhawks shoot first. Out stepped the Arrowhawks career point leader and most feared sniper outside of Mark Walburgh, Tom Morgan. The most deadly/efficient rifle in the world today is indisputably the M16A2-A4 series and its cousin, the M4. On the ice, it's Morgan. He scored, knocking the Leafs goaltender's water bottle from the top of the net in the process. Hawks 1, Leafs 0
Jensen stoned the Leafs first shooter who shot forehand high glove.
Bryce Griffith was next. He skated in with speed, deeked five-hole but was stopped.
The Leafs #93, an equally deadly sniper in his own right, flew in on Jensen like a freight train and scored. Hawks 1, Leafs 1.
"I matched his movement but lifted my stick and he burried it," said Jensen after the game. "He's a good player."
All eyes were on the next Arrowhawk shooter. To the surprise of many, it wasn't captain Mark Monahan. It was Kevin Griffith. And he burried it. Hawks 2, Leafs 1.
Sensing the gravity of the moment the stadium operator started playing The Final Countdown. All the fans in the building were on their feet. #16 Macre was the shooter. The whistle blew and Macre was off. Zig left, then right. Fake shot, dip the head and WHAM! right into the stacked pads of the league's best goalie (except for 2 seconds a game) Jason Jensen.
"He had hurt his knee earlier in the game, crashing into the boards. Still, I figured he'd try to deke me and go high," said Jensen. "I guess I guessed right."
The Hawks won in dramatic fashion, besting the defending champions.
Three Stars
3rd star - Mark Monahan, C - goal and assist, excellent penalty kill
2nd star - Tom Morgan, LW - goal, assist, shootout goal
1st star - Jason Jensen, G - 32 shots, 4 goals. Won shootout.
