Written by When the calendar turns to March, and high school hockey is still being played, you know that it’s a whole new season. Outcomes are not quite as predictable. Grit and determination is up. Scouting is up. Most everyone is aware of both their opponent’s strengths and their weaknesses. Intensity is way up. Every shift, move, pass, shot, hustle, or not, is all scrutinized with a higher degree of viewership. This is playoff hockey, and all of these things were evident right from the opening face-off.
The Clipper Mules from Portsmouth-Newmarket (PN) made their first venture outside of their region this season as the loosely numbered, #3 seed. Goffstown, the host in their 4th different home venue this season, was the #2 seed. The Grizzlies would ultimately score three third period goals, earning a hard-fought 5-3 win. Goffstown advances to play #1 Oyster River in the Quarterfinals on Saturday night.
Portsmouth-Newmarket was without one of their best offensive players, Luke Suhesky, due to protocols surrounding sickness. Suhesky and his older brother Jack (graduated) wreaked havoc against the Grizzlies last season. Luke had a goal and an assist in the game last February.
Despite rosters and players missing on both sides, the Clipper Mules came out with a game plan, pace, and solid execution. The first five minutes of the game belonged to Portsmouth-Newmarket. Jake Webber was in net for Goffstown, his first career postseason start, and he delivered a big save a couple of minutes into the game. Xavier Bibaud had lifted the puck up along the glass in a clearing attempt, but the puck had other ideas, taking a crazy hop off of the glass and out between the circles. Johnny Forrest was ‘Johnny on the spot’ as he turned fired a one-timer on net after the carom came right to him. Webber was ready for the shot and turned it aside. Shortly thereafter, the Clipper Mules took advantage of a Goffstown turnover in their own end, and cashed in. Travis Perkins stole the puck and got away a good hard shot that Webber saved with his blocker, looking like he intended the rebound to go to the corner. Instead it went right to Matt Slover who fired the puck into the net for a 1-0 lead at 3:26 of the period.
PN kept up the pressure and their forecheck as the Grizzlies struggled to get good scoring chances. When they did get shots, it seemed a Clipper Mule player was always in the lane, blocking the shot. As time went on, the Grizzlies got better at their own breakout and moving pucks to open space, line after line, shift after shift. Goffstown got on the board at 9:20 of the period when Jackson Burke picked up a loose puck at center ice and circled to regroup and rush up ice. Burke got to the front of the net where Jack Bussiere made a nice save on his shot, but the rebound bounced into the slot where Jack Wilkinson fought for the puck and pushed it behind Bussiere to tie the game at 1-1.
The period would end with the score still tied at 1 apiece. By the end of the period Goffstown had taken an 17-13 lead in the shot column despite trailing in that category for most of the period. Webber had 12 saves, and Bussiere had 16.
The second period was a much better showing for the Grizzlies overall, but they actually fell behind and trailed, 3-1 with less than two minutes left in the middle frame. They would outshoot PN 13-10 in the period, but still lost ground on the scoreboard. Bussiere made several key saves for the Clipper Mules and the Grizzlies could not get the lead in the game. PN took a 2-1 lead, scoring a goal at 9:52 of the period. Alex Dyer scored from Travis Perkins and Matt Slover. The Grizzlies were unable to get the puck out of their own end, which led to another goal against. Slover and Perkins worked the left wing corner in the offensive end and sent a pass out to the middle, by the blue line. Dyer wound up and blasted a slap shot that beat Webber and the Clipper Mules had the lead. Portsmouth-Newmarket scored again just 90 seconds later. In the category of ‘everything matters’ a not so innocent face-off at center ice led directly to a goal. The Hobey Rolfe for the Clipper Mules won the face-off and Caleb Pendleton pushed the puck back to Mike Durkin. Durkin took the puck in a half circle skate through center ice and into the offensive zone without much contest. By the time the Goffstown defense engaged Durkin he was in the left wing faceoff circle and ripped a low hard shot to the far side post through a bit of a screen set by the defender trying to square him up. The shot was true, if not perfect, and found the back of the net at 11:22 of the period. Goffstown was behind, 3-1, with less than four minutes to play in the middle period. I have to be honest and say that ghosts of playoffs past had tried entering into my mind, but I wasn’t ready to give in to that thinking just yet. A result that seemed destined to come, perhaps earlier than it did, showed itself when the Grizzlies went end to end in mere seconds to score a goal. Eric DesRuisseaux worked the puck behind his own net to Brennan Pierce. Pierce slid a little pass from the corner up the wall to Grady Chretien. Chretien skated to the middle of the defensive zone with the puck and layed a beautiful timing pass to Luc Ouellette at center ice with a little help (tip) from the PN defender. Ouellette fired a shot just before the other defender could get to him and found the net. The goal came at 12:53 of the period, and cut the lead to, 3-2. The Grizzlies had willed themselves back into the game and you could see their belief factor multiply. After two periods, the score was 3-2 and Goffstown led in shots, 30-23.
The Grizzlies took to the ice for the final period, trailing by a single goal. They had started to turn the tide in their direction all the way back in the final minutes of the first period, but still, they were behind. They had been behind in two of their last three wins of the regular season. The Grizzlies also had not won a tournament game since March 9, 2016 when they won an overtime thriller against the Lebanon Raiders, 2-1. I still remember that celebration (go to 1:15:35 and watch). As a matter of fact, they had been outscored 27-12 in their last five tournament games since that OT win. So, trailing going into the final period of a playoff game with a largely young squad on an ice surface they hadn’t played on for several seasons at least was not looking tremendous. That said, I have noticed that there is unquestionably some fight in this dog, and it stems from their captain, I believe. Since the 2-week shut down for quarantine, this team has played like a huge weight was lifted from their shoulders. One of the turning points may have been the come from behind victory against Bow, when Grady and the Grizzlies refused to lose and scored a whopping five goals in ten minutes in the final period.
Last night at the Ice Den in Hooksett, the Grizzlies showed once again that they were not content with slipping silently away and on to a certain column in one of my spreadsheets. Portsmouth-Newmarket had the better of the scoring chances early in the period but Jake Webber was locked in and the Grizzlies held the score where it was. Then, Goffstown struck for the tying goal. The Grizzlies won a defensive zone faceoff and Grady Chretien got past the first line of defense and he garnered a bit of attention carrying the puck up ice. As he skated with Ouellette on his left, a PN defender got down low with his stick on the ice to take away the pass option so Grady fired on net. Bussiere made the save but Ouellette was there to stuff the rebound into the net. The game was tied, 3-3 with 10:09 left to play. After some loose play and a couple of icing calls against Goffstown they started pouring on the offense. In one long offensive zone possession Jack Bussiere was busier than a hand sanitizer pump last March. He made consecutive incredible saves on Ouellette and Chretien in an athletic flurry that would have made Tim Thomas proud. Then not to be out done, Jake Webber made a save on a shot and then got a piece of the rebound attempt that went through his pads but somehow missed the net, as one PN player raised his arms to celebrate the disappearance of the puck only to see it slide past the post, wide.
Then came “the rush”. As Xavier Bibaud laid one of the few hits on the night, behind his own net, the puck squirted out to Webber’s right. Colby Wright was there and made sure the puck came no closer to his own net. Jackson Burke took the puck from the goal line and turned up the right wing boards. Burke gathered speed and flew up the right wing with the puck and Calvin Sage on his left. Burke split two defenders as Sage curled to stay high in the slot. Then Jackson spotted Jake Klardie wide open at the edge of the crease and fed a perfect pass to Klardie. Klardie slammed the puck into the open side of the net and the Grizzlies had come all the way back to take a 4-3 lead with less than two minutes left to play! And honestly, Bussiere almost got his stick on that shot too.
Here I want to take a moment to interject something that I have observed, and with an open mind, I share. There are folks who believe that Jackson Burke stick handles more than he needs to, and I might be one of them, at times. In the spirit of lifting someone up who brings his own share of gloom to himself with too many adults ready to pile on even if from the third row of the bleachers, I point out the following. If everyone could handle the puck like he does with speed, in traffic, and with skill, they would stick handle too much as well. Second, Burke is a phenomenal talent, and when he is engaged in play, in the flow, and more importantly in the ebb, he is a force to be reckoned with. Lastly, I have seen him make numerous passes this season that most players wouldn’t even see, or perhaps dare to try. Some have been brilliant, others that he probably wouldn’t make with some more seasoning. He sees the ice, and the players around him. If players are skating with him and they are open there is a good chance that he’ll find you.
Okay, the Grizzlies led, 4-3 and Portsmouth-Newmarket was looking for a chance to pull Bussiere in favor of an extra attacker. Goffstown didn’t let that happen, well not until they had a two-goal lead. Grady Chretien laid in the weeds and pounced on an opportunity when he saw it. Chretien picked the puck off of a Clipper Mule stick and beat everyone up ice to slide a breakaway shot into the net and the Grizzlies had scored again just 40 seconds later. The score would remain, 5-3 in favor of Goffstown. They had a playoff win under their young belts and their season continues. What a great come from behind victory for this club.
Regardless of this season, and the limitations that have come with it, this was a good playoff game. Goffstown was able to win it and will play again on Saturday night in the quarterfinals. They will play the always tough, good, well-coached Oyster River Bobcats (10-2) at 7pm on the outdoor rink at Jackson Landing. The wind chill factor should be pleasant.
Check this out: Here is a nice little piece on Grady Chretien that ran on WMUR 9 this evening.
NHIAA Hockey:
Updated records.
Goffstown (6-7-0) vs. Portsmouth-Newmarket (3-8-0)
Ice Den, Hooksett, NH
Wednesday, March 3, 2021. 7:48 PM Start:
Summary:
Goals:
Goffstown: 1-1-3 = 5
Portsmouth-Newmarket: 1-2-0 = 3
Shots:
Goffstown: 17-13-13 = 43
Portsmouth-Newmarket: 13-10-08 = 31
Scoring:
1st Portsmouth-Newmarket at 3:26. Even. Matt Slover from Travis Perkins.
1st Goffstown at 9:20. Even. Jack Wilkinson (2) from Jackson Burke (5).
2nd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 9:52. Even. Alex Dyer from Travis Perkins.
2nd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 11:22. Even. Mike Durkin from Hobey Rolfe and Caleb Pendleton
2nd Goffstown at 12:53. Even. Luc Ouellette (5) from Grady Chretien (11) and Brennan Pierce (4).
3rd Goffstown at 4:51. Even. Luc Ouellette (6) from Grady Chretien (12).
3rd Goffstown at 13:10. Even. Jake Klardie (3) from Jackson Burke (6).
3rd Goffstown at 13:50. Even. Grady Chretien (26) unassisted.
Special Teams:
Goffstown Power Play: 0 for 0.
Portsmouth-Newmarket Power Play: 0 for 1.
Saves:
Goffstown: Jake Webber 28 of 31. (44:55)
Portsmouth-Newmarket: Jack Bussiere 38 of 43. (44:05)
The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.
The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do, but you would have to ask them directly.
Either way, “It’s a great day for hockey” ~ the late “Badger” Bob Johnson.