Blue Fin's Bistro Hockey

Now that the Blue Fins are fully stocked, their game against the Carolina Ale House would be their first true test. Ale House’s strong will and big defenders always result in an uphill battle.

On paper, the game didn’t tally up as a goal tending battle – but after a 2-2 first period, both teams were struggling to get a lead. Mike ‘Stone Cold’ Papst had one or two mental lapses – well, maybe three in total. But overall he played a very solid game. He didn’t have to worry about controlling rebounds, because he didn’t give up any.

Even without the infamous Rich Denisi, the Blue Fins got their share of PIMs. Unfortunately for Jason Myers, the Ale House goalie, most of the aggression was mistakenly directed his way. Kevin Mussler’s shoulder mysteriously found Myers for a blatant interference call, followed later by Captain Mike McGee whose face mask located Myer’s swings.

Defensively, the Blue Fins were able to handle the short handed situations. James Gardiner played another solid game, and exuded a steadying influence on his team when he had the puck. Gene Cookmeyer always got to the puck in the nick of time. On the other line, Wes Gyure quietly played a flawless game, while John ‘The Ladies Man’ Allman paid the ladies their due….

Kevin ‘Ricochet’ Mussler should start buying lottery tickets, or taking more shots. For the second time in two games, Mussler fired the puck into a crowd and after several bounces it found pay-dirt. Allman, standing back at the point, calling for the puck – shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he realized that Mussler doesn’t need any stinkin’ points.

Mike ‘The Body’ Hofmeister’s goal, made him look almost as good as his mirror. Hof picked up a pass from Rusin, slid in behind a screen, and before the goalie knew it, the lamp was on.

Monkey-see Rusin followed Hof’s example and found the far side of the net a few minutes later to put the Fins up 3-2.

Spreading out the scoring for their line, Dave ‘The Godfather’ Berent scooped up the puck after Hof hustled to keep it in the zone. Berent slyly backhanded it to the goalie’s left, catching him completely off-guard.

The star of the game….like every game – was Kenny ‘Scooby Doo’ Glanville. Still reeking of wrecked cougars, Scooby scored his first goal on another back-handed razzle dazzle that he topped off with a fly-by of his own bench.

Have you ever tried to make a peanut butter sandwich without bread? Just like Bily – all you do is end up with a handful of goop. Chuck Fyfe is definitely the bread that keeps his line together. Chuck fired a puck on net that beat the goalie. Luckily for the goalie, the puck wedged between his foot and the post and didn’t quite make it in. Unluckily though, Scooby Doo saw it before he did and slapped that puck like a…….[never mind]. (…I think you know where I was going here….)

Rounding out the scoring, Scott ‘The Fire’ McCandless got the hardest working goal of the night after he chased the puck down the right side and somehow flipped it in.

With a final of 7-3, The Blue Fins string a rare two wins together. Their next game is Monday 8:45 against the Nailers.

…..but much better than Chuck E. Cheese. Chuck Fyfe played a complete game Monday night when the Blue Fins played the Titans. Fyfe’s smart passing and good positioning put his name on the score sheet for assisting on 3 of his line’s 4 goals, but also helped his team to control the puck and keep it in the Titan’s zone.

In addition to Fyfe, the other offensive star was Kevin Mussler. Mrs. Mussler used to pin notes to his shirt so he wouldn’t forget important things….yesterday’s note would have said ‘Remember your hockey stick, your jersey, and your small cup.’ But once Kevin got all the gear together, there was no stopping him. He scored a hat trick thanks mostly to hard work, and just a shred of luck. He also assisted his brother Erik on a goal after he passed the puck to the center. Erik settled the bouncing puck just enough to get it past the Titans goalie. Keith ‘White Shadow’ Locker didn’t score any goals, but skated the entire sheet of ice like a madman….

Also riding on the offensive bandwagon, Rusin chipped in a couple of goals himself and then crafted a wonderful game write-up. The first goal was delivered on a skillful tip from a legendary player. #20 returned to the Blue Fins after too long of an absence. None other than Mike ‘The Body’ Hofmeister claimed his rightful place on the team he helped create. Last week, Hofmeister scored the first Blue Fins goal of the decade. Against the Titans, he scored two more, underscoring his status as a natural goal scorer.

It was easy for the offense to shine, thanks to the Blue Fins defense.

Captain Mike McGee played solid on Defense and relentlessly pinched in on offense. Wes Gyure, Gene Cookmeyer, and newcomer James Gardiner also dominated on defense. Cookmeyer predicted the Titans moves better than a meteorologist watching doppler. Guarding the blue line like the Mexico border, Gyure fired pucks like he was shooting illegal aliens. Gardiner, in his first game as a Blue Fin, carried the puck through the zone as smooth as silk.

The fifth defender, Goalie Mike ‘Stone Cold’ Papst, played a great game. After snaring a slap shot with his lightning fast glove, he also thwarted a break-away with a monstrous leg pad block.

The Blue Fins get their first win of the season by a score of 8-1. After 2 games, their record is an even 1-1. Their next game is Monday night against the Carolina Ale House.