#4 Whalers @ #3 Nordiques
The season series is split at one game apiece, but the Whaler's dominant 5-1 win over the Nordiques last month has set the tone for this game. The Nordiques are caught in a state of flux after losing their leading goal scorer Jordy McGee. Their offense has plummeted and their defense has also suffered.
The Whalers have had a roller-coaster season, handily beating the Tuckies, Dead River & Nordiques, but falling hard to the top two teams(Gamblers & Brewers). A win tonight could get them back above .500 for the first time since late November.
The Whalers have the edge up front with a very talented grouping of forwards. Joe Gaudet, Dillan Pierce, Jay Zanleoni and Scotty Shaw are just the cornerstones of their potent attack. They have scored 74 goals in 14 games this season...but have also given up 74 goals. Their defense and goaltender can make or break this game.
The Nords have scored 62 goals this season and allowed 65, but have only scored 12 goals in their last 5 games while allowing 25. If the Nordiques hope to win tonight, they will need to rely heavily on their goaltender Johnny Turner and play a defensive game, hoping to squeak out another 3-2 win.
Whalers win 6-4.
Nordiques Sink Whalers in Shootout
Another classic battle between the Nordiques and Whalers ended up in a memorable game. A low scoring affair that took a full 45 minutes and five shootout attempts. First star of the game goes to Greg "The Butcher" Marsh for a clutch game tying goal late in the third period that forced overtime and the game winning shootout goal.
Second star was the Nordique's netminder Johnny "Temper Tantrum" Turner who stopped 28 saves, both shootout attempts and was down right spectacular at times in this game. Turner's counterpart for the Whalers, Jeremy Seidling, was just as good as Turner in regulation but faltered in the shootout only stopping 1 of 3. Seidling was a last minute replacement for the ever-young Kenny Lallier who was out with an emergency mustache grooming.
There were six different goal scorers in this game and the only player on the ice to have a multiple point night was the Nord's Ian "The Tooth" Coates who had a pair of assists.
It was a back-and-forth game where the Whalers went up 1-0 in the first, the Nords scored a pair in the second to take the lead, the Whalers went up 3-2 in the third before Marshy tied the game with 3:37 to play.
This was a hard fought battle between two talented teams.
Don't forget to vote for the Long Trail Player of the Week! A case of beer is on the line, eh!