After falling flat in the playoffs, the Blue Fins limped into the last game of the summer season riding a 4-game losing streak. Not many players showed up for this essentially meaningless game. It’s as if the Fins stormed Normandy – they’ve already lost a lot of good men for next season. The team and it’s energy are deteriorating….
Seven Blue Fins skaters played against twice as many Mother Puckers, who were just as eager for a win.
The Puckers struck first, after Goalie Mike Papst’s knee locked up and opened the net up for an easy tap-in. This game was going to be an uphill battle for the Blue Fins.
The Fins flexed their Muscles. Check that – Musslers. Well in this case – Musslers = Muscles. Kevin Mussler tied the game thanks to an assist from John Allman mid-way through the first period. Mussler then followed it up with one of the first break-aways of the night and gave the Blue Fins the lead. At the end of the first period, the Blue Fins actually led the game 2-1.
In the 2nd period, Wes Gyure smartly pinched in to grab the loose puck. He got it to Rusin, who blindly back-handed a shot past the goalie thanks to his knuckle dragging limbs.
Then Rusin got the pass over to Glanville – who slowed it up a bit. The puck hopped over his stick but Eric Mussler was right there. He fired the puck past the goalie to give the Blue Fins a comfortable 4-1 lead.
But with only 7 skaters….the Fins had to come up for air. They watched as their lead steadily disappeared in the 2nd period. When the puck dropped for the 3rd period – the score was 4-4.
The Blue Fins held up well though – and for over half the period, the score remained tied.
Kenny Glanville got the lead back and scored to make it 5-4.
Eric Mussler scored a minute later to increase the lead to 2, but the goal did more damage to the Puckers attitude than it did to the score.
The Fins kept up the pressure throughout the period. Their defense – led by John Allman – kept the pressure on the Puckers and made passing look easy. Gyure and Gene Cookmeyer followed suit and outskated the Puckers to almost every loose puck in the 3rd period.
What few shots he did face in the 3rd – Goalie Mike Papst stopped them all and protected their lead.
Their superiority on defense led to more offensive pressure. The Fins scored four more goals, for a total of six unanswered scores in the final period. Rusin scored his 2nd of the night, while both Eric and Kevin Mussler tallied hat tricks. Gene Cookmeyer unveiled his offensive flair and scored the final goal of the night.
The Blue Fins win their final game of the season 10-4.