WEDNESDAYS #8 vs. WAVE:

(vol. 18W, no. 8; newsletter by k.r.)
Like Osama bin Laden in the mountains, goaltenders were hard to find for our latest contest. The Pirates were without Harris and his stellar g.a.a. and the opposition had to fetch the keeper from the previous game out of the locker room and then replace him at the end of the 2nd. This game had a little of everything: A three-goal deficit, a penalty kill and five unanswered goals. The Pirates had nine skaters for this one; the blueline rotation of Kevin, Brian and Keith, and two forward lines of Chris-Russ-Craig and Wildman between the Miller Bros.

Goalkeepers were at such a premium that the game began with only one on the rink as the Wings played the first 2:00 minutes with a forward between the pipes. The Pirates could not capitalize, however, before the goalie came onto the ice. In fact, it was the Wings that would get on the board first ... second and third for that matter. Even so, we felt that if we played our game things would turn. Sure enough, Chris scored towards the end of the 1st on a pass from Russ that bounced around the crease before finding its way out to Chris; he turned and fired it over the keeper. At the end of the fi1st period the Pirates still trailed by two goals though, 3-1.

The Pirates came out of the gate quickly in the 2nd period. Evan would chase down a puck on the left-side and fire it on net; the goalie made a good save but could not hold the rebound. and Wildman was in fine position to bang it home. Kevin would get the next goal shortly after when Scott Miller found him with a pass near the blueline — and Kevin did the rest; as the Wings all converged on him he still managed to stickhandle through everyone and fire one in. The line of Chris-Craig-Russ (I call them the CCR line. For those of you old enough — and I think most of us are — can you name the rock 'n' roll band with same moniker?) would join in the fun. Craig would pick the shortside, top corner for the comeback and the lead as the Pirates took control 4-2 at the second buzzer.

In the 3rd the focus became defense. Things were going fine until the Pirates took a penalty. On the penalty kill (and only leading by one goal against a very good opponent) Wildman would step up to the plate in a big way; he managed to keep the puck behind the Wings' net for close to a minute — this was done even though he was outnumbered 2-to-1 and taking many rabbit shots to the back and front of the head (the kind of which he doesn't need in any way). Later, Chris would add the insurance goal with his second of the game on a feed from Russ and Keith, securing the 5-3 victory.

The Pirates have run their unbeaten streak to eight games. Is this a Pirates milestone? In conclusion, I end this as always because I know we all miss it: #67 #67 #67 #67 #67.