With Al from Cape Cod in goal filling in for Ed, only 8 skaters (Fran, Josh, Frank, John, Greg, Jeff, Paul, and Bob), and the Kings facing a full Icemen bench, it appeared to be a mismatch. And it was, but in the Kings favor.
After the Icemen pinned the Kings in their defensive zone for the first two minutes, Jeff potted two goals on the same shift early in the first. His first tally was a tip while parked right in front of the crease, and the second on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. Josh assisted on the first three goals. The Kings were moving the puck well most of the night and there definitely could have been more assists handed out, but so goes NESHL scoring. The Icemen scored on one of their few odd man rushes near the end of the first with a nice pass from (who else) Rodrigues.
In the second, John blasted a goal top shelf glove side on a three-on-two with myself going hard to the net to put the Kings up 3-1. Rodrigues scored on a shot tipped by Fran to tighten things up. However, John answered on a breakaway, crashing into the goalie and knocking the net of its moorings to put the Kings lead to 4-2. It was a spectacular goal. With about 16 seconds left in the second after a nice long shift in the offensive zone, Greg drove to keep the puck in and just missed, springing the Icemen on a potential three-on-none. However, Al quickly skated out of the crease and played the puck near the blue line. The Icemen did collect the puck and fire it at the empty cage, but Greg hustled back and made (another) goal saving block.
The third featured more penalty trouble for the Kings, but the penalty kill did a great job keeping the puck out the best Icemen’s hands and barely allowed the Icemen in the attacking zone. Paul lost his footing back-checking killing a penalty, which brought jeers from the Icemen bench, but he would have the last laugh netting a short handed goal to put the game out of reach. Bob scored the final goal a few minutes later with a big slapshot from the point. After getting hit high, Greg brawled some dude to close things out.
Solid efforts all around. Nice win men.

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