THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
Goalie Tony Benson lay sprawled in his cage, $1000 worth of goalie equipment hung out like a yard sale with a body buried in the midst of pad and gloves and blocker. Glenn Hunter and Dale Johnson hunched over, unconsolable. What appeared to have been the Suns finest hour on ice had been raked out from under them in maddening fashion, a 5-4 Overtime loss to team IMS, a loss that skewered the Suns chance to make the medal round.
IMS is an easy team to root against. A Tampa-based billionaire hockey enthusiast cobbled together a team by importing the best half dozen players from Detroit, including former NHL standout John Ogrodnick. The IMS firepower was based on stretch passes and partial breakaways, which they employed in the early moments for a 1-0 lead, and expanded it to 3-1 when the clubs left the ice for the second intermission ice resurfacing.
But there was cause for optimism, the Suns forwards had found their legs and were wearing down the less mobile IMS defenseman. And as the third period unfolded, coach Cubby Burke's enthusiasm proved to be well-founded. The Suns systematically reeled off three consecutive goals: defenseman Barney jumping into the rush, Johnny Miller cashing in from in tight and Dave Hutchinson with a 25' screamer into the top shelf.
The Suns were on a roll, confidently outplaying IMS with 5 on 5 hockey, grinding them down thanks to quick-footed forechecking. The dreams of IMS to buy a championship contender were crumbling. And then with just over 7 minutes left in regulation and the Suns leading 4-3, fate struck. An attempted IMS breakaway pass was 20 feet in front of their cherry picker, and Suns goalie Benson skated out of his crease to smother the puck. The IMS forward charged into the prone Benson, gouging him with his stick and the boot of his skate, leaving a series of marks. The Suns were furious--Benson was clearly injured with no backup on the bench, laying prostrate on the ice for several minutes. When the arguments subsided and Benson dragged his beleaguered body back to the crease, IMS had been issued a 5 minute major penalty with 7 to play. Despite the apparent man-power advantage for the Suns, it was a deadly gift.
"I wish we could have declined the penalty," said the Cub in hindsight.
The refs, having just asserted themselves late in a tight game, got whistle happy. 3 consecutive minors were blown on the Suns, and the 5 on 4 manpower advantage soon devolved into a 3 on 4 penalty kill. The break in momentum, the break in the forecheck flow, the wide ice for the Detroit snipers all contributed to the precipitous momentum shift. The defense tandem of Rappleye and Johnson, Rap and Sluggo, immaculate in the 2011 tournament, were torched for the umpteenth time in 2012, permitting the tying goal on a 2-on-2 rush with a couple of minutes left. What had appeared to be an inevitable, emotional victory that would spring the Suns into a prominent spot for the medal round, had come down to an overtime struggle to survive.
5 minutes of sudden death with their playoff lives on the line. The Suns regrouped and carried the play, generating half a dozen legitimate chances in overtime. With 2 minutes remaining in the extra session, IMS desperately tried to clear the zone. Sluggo dropped to his knees at the offensive blue line and took the slapper in his body, 60 feet away from the winning goal. IMS had skated past him, not expecting the gamble. Johnson found time and space to close another 5 feet, and put his whole existence into his own slap shot, a low rocket headed for the far right corner. For a millisecond the shot appeared to have found its mark, but the IMS goalie flashed his leg and got a toe on the shot. The Suns were sucked in too deep, and this time the IMS clearing pass found its mark, and Detroit's best sniper was in on a clear breakaway.
No one would fault Suns MVP Benson if he failed to stop this breakaway, and the IMS forward put on a sensational deke. But Benson did a Hasek-like snow angel, windmilling around with his back to the puck and blocked the fatal goal with his wrist. A roar came from the Suns bench, quickly followed by deathly silence. A rebound had been shelfed from an impossible angle, and IMS was celebrating like a gang having just been given a reprieve from death row.
It's hard to say if the Suns deserved a better fate. It was clear to all observers that they were in control of this game, until events began to spiral in another direction. It was terrific sports theater, drama that only intensified because of the severe consequences of the outcome. And the ultimate consequence of this thrilling game is that the Suns final Game on saturday vs North Carolina will be about pride and fun, because that elusive national championship trophy will be going to Heartland or St. Nick's or IMS, and the Suns will be going back to Wood River Valley.
Goalie Tony Benson lay sprawled in his cage, $1000 worth of goalie equipment hung out like a yard sale with a body buried in the midst of pad and gloves and blocker. Glenn Hunter and Dale Johnson hunched over, unconsolable. What appeared to have been the Suns finest hour on ice had been raked out from under them in maddening fashion, a 5-4 Overtime loss to team IMS, a loss that skewered the Suns chance to make the medal round.
IMS is an easy team to root against. A Tampa-based billionaire hockey enthusiast cobbled together a team by importing the best half dozen players from Detroit, including former NHL standout John Ogrodnick. The IMS firepower was based on stretch passes and partial breakaways, which they employed in the early moments for a 1-0 lead, and expanded it to 3-1 when the clubs left the ice for the second intermission ice resurfacing.
But there was cause for optimism, the Suns forwards had found their legs and were wearing down the less mobile IMS defenseman. And as the third period unfolded, coach Cubby Burke's enthusiasm proved to be well-founded. The Suns systematically reeled off three consecutive goals: defenseman Barney jumping into the rush, Johnny Miller cashing in from in tight and Dave Hutchinson with a 25' screamer into the top shelf.
The Suns were on a roll, confidently outplaying IMS with 5 on 5 hockey, grinding them down thanks to quick-footed forechecking. The dreams of IMS to buy a championship contender were crumbling. And then with just over 7 minutes left in regulation and the Suns leading 4-3, fate struck. An attempted IMS breakaway pass was 20 feet in front of their cherry picker, and Suns goalie Benson skated out of his crease to smother the puck. The IMS forward charged into the prone Benson, gouging him with his stick and the boot of his skate, leaving a series of marks. The Suns were furious--Benson was clearly injured with no backup on the bench, laying prostrate on the ice for several minutes. When the arguments subsided and Benson dragged his beleaguered body back to the crease, IMS had been issued a 5 minute major penalty with 7 to play. Despite the apparent man-power advantage for the Suns, it was a deadly gift.
"I wish we could have declined the penalty," said the Cub in hindsight.
The refs, having just asserted themselves late in a tight game, got whistle happy. 3 consecutive minors were blown on the Suns, and the 5 on 4 manpower advantage soon devolved into a 3 on 4 penalty kill. The break in momentum, the break in the forecheck flow, the wide ice for the Detroit snipers all contributed to the precipitous momentum shift. The defense tandem of Rappleye and Johnson, Rap and Sluggo, immaculate in the 2011 tournament, were torched for the umpteenth time in 2012, permitting the tying goal on a 2-on-2 rush with a couple of minutes left. What had appeared to be an inevitable, emotional victory that would spring the Suns into a prominent spot for the medal round, had come down to an overtime struggle to survive.
5 minutes of sudden death with their playoff lives on the line. The Suns regrouped and carried the play, generating half a dozen legitimate chances in overtime. With 2 minutes remaining in the extra session, IMS desperately tried to clear the zone. Sluggo dropped to his knees at the offensive blue line and took the slapper in his body, 60 feet away from the winning goal. IMS had skated past him, not expecting the gamble. Johnson found time and space to close another 5 feet, and put his whole existence into his own slap shot, a low rocket headed for the far right corner. For a millisecond the shot appeared to have found its mark, but the IMS goalie flashed his leg and got a toe on the shot. The Suns were sucked in too deep, and this time the IMS clearing pass found its mark, and Detroit's best sniper was in on a clear breakaway.
No one would fault Suns MVP Benson if he failed to stop this breakaway, and the IMS forward put on a sensational deke. But Benson did a Hasek-like snow angel, windmilling around with his back to the puck and blocked the fatal goal with his wrist. A roar came from the Suns bench, quickly followed by deathly silence. A rebound had been shelfed from an impossible angle, and IMS was celebrating like a gang having just been given a reprieve from death row.
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