Aeros v. Peoria Rivermen - Game 34

We were watching this show the other day about a SWAT team in Detroit. They spend hours getting ready, learning about the location, the perp, etc. Then they gear up and load into a few vans and when they arrive at the location, they come pouring out of the vans, bust your door down, take your guns, and haul your ass to jail.

And that’s kinda how the Aeros played this game. They spent the first two periods getting ready to show up (while the Rivermen were putting 3 points on the board), and then one guy busts the door down and the rest of them come pouring in. Alby broke the door down with his first goal of the season by being in the right place at the right time, which was behind ALL the Peoria defensemen, so when the puck rebounded off Bishop’s right pad and onto his stick, he was able to just pop it in.

Then with 1:09 left, they pulled Barry from the net, called a time-out, and formulated one hell of a comeback. Almost right off the face-off, they got a shot on goal that Olvecky hammered past a swimming Bishop (and can I just say how disappointed I am that Google Images didn’t have a picture of a Catholic bishop in some form of water for me to use right here? Very.)

Then with 2 seconds left in the game, the Hockey Gods said, “Here. You need shootout practice.” and Locke’s shot from behind the net hit the leg of a defenseman right by the post and went in the net. It was such an unlikely goal I have no problem calling it a Miracle. No... a Freaking Miracle. I KNEW it was miraculous and I knew it was coming (based on comments from those who saw it in real time) and I still couldn’t believe my eyes when I finally saw it. They’re WAY behind on the highlights on AHLLive.com but it’s worth a look when they’re up.

Overtime was even with 2 shots a piece and lots of good defense. And then, Schaefer came in cold and just put the hammer down on the four Peoria shooters, while Ryan Hamilton, who shot first, froze Bishop to one side and then slipped it past him on the other side like he wasn’t even there.

Bishop stopped Locke, Noreau, and Deitsch, but then Schultz fired a rocket right over him that led him to throw a goalie tantrum and bash his stick on the post. A goalie tantrum is almost as good as a goalie fight.

Dietsch, Olvecky, Noreau, and Albers were on the ice for all three Aeros goals, Locker and Schultz for the second two. As sweet as Hamilton’s SOG was, I’m not sure it was first star worthy. How does Alby not get a star with a goal and a first assist? Maybe there were other aspects to the game that I missed but I thought that was a weird choice.

I’ll admit, I fast-forwarded through most of the third period and only half-watched the first two. Once you know your team isn’t going to bust the door down until 17:24 in the third, it’s hard to give much more time than that. However, Brusty looked like he played quite well, especially stopping 13 shots in the third period any which way he had to. He was off the hook.

Lammers, Madsen, and Stoner were out with injuries, and it seems with this road trip coming up and Scott (unofficially) and Kolanos (officially) up with Minnesota, they need some bodies. I mentioned d-man John Adams was summoned from Corpus yesterday and now center Daryl Smith is up from Laredo for a little PTO time. Fresh meat! We'll see how that goes tonight at 7:05 when the Aeros face off against Lake Erie for the last home game for a long stretch.