Hockey: Goffstown 1 at Nashua South – Pelham 2

~Grizzlies Go Missing in Action at Conway~

In recent years, the visits that the Grizzlies have made to Conway Arena have had all kinds of odd outcomes and scenarios attached to them. Okay, maybe it was just last year. Maybe it was just me. But in reverse order at Conway Arena for Goffstown, a single goal scorer hits 100 goals scored in their career, the start of the game is delayed more than an hour, an overtime loss, and a one-goal loss to a D-III team while dropping to 0-5 on the season. Check out any of these links and have a look for yourself. Do you see what I mean?

Wednesday night (January 12th) the Grizzlies traveled to Nashua to play D-I foe, the Nashua South – Pelham Kings (NSP). The Kings were 0-4 on the season coming into the game, having scored 0 goals through their four games. Meanwhile, Goffstown came in having won 4 of their last 5 games, scoring 17 goals in those wins.

I don’t remember much about being consistent as an athlete in high school, but I am sure I had my good days and bad days. Well, the puck was dropped at the opening face-off, and 27 seconds later NSP had their first goal of the season. Ethan Santoro made three saves in as many seconds, but that wasn’t enough as Nathan Smith out-muscled, if not out-reached three Goffstown defenders to put the fourth shot into the net. Goffstown trailed, 1-0. The visitors were able to tie the game up nearly five minutes later. Xavier Bibaud flipped a clearing pass out to center ice that eluded the Kings defenders. Jake Klardie cut in and under, the defense, fought off a tough stick check, and ripped a shot into the net. Goffstown was outshot 11-6 in the period and were tied 1-1 on the scoreboard.

Once again the Nashua South – Pelham quickly jumped out to take control of the new period. They also went on the power play at 0:32 of the period, which didn’t hurt. What hurt the Grizzlies was the way the Kings scored to go up 2-1. Matthew Migliore made a nice touch pass to Ryan Amesen at center ice, but they were headed toward the wrong net. The Kings were on the power play and although they were not under any kind of pressure they took the puck all the way back behind their own net. Amesen waited behind the net with puck, and left it there for someone else to carry the puck up ice. That someone else was Peter Gamache. Gamache cruised behind the net and took the puck with some speed. He beat a stick check at the top of the circle in his own end, and then another outside his own blue line, picking up speed as he went. He burst over the blue line and split the D-pair in the high slot with speed and pasted a shot into the back of the net. It was an end-to-end rush. It wasn’t Connor McDavid, but it was pretty sensational. The Kings led, 2-1, just 52 seconds into the second period. Then just to make sure the road to a comeback on the road would be a little tougher, the Grizzlies took two more penalties in the period. The Kings didn’t score any more goals but they would end the period with a commanding advantage in shots on goal, with a 21 to 8 onslaught.

The third period was kind of like waiting for the curtain to drop and end the night. Goffstown had an 11-3 advantage in shots, thanks to a pair of power play opportunities, but nothing crossed the goal line. Nashua South – Pelham held on for their first victory of the season, a 2-1 win. They outshot the Grizzlies 35-25 in the game, and only used the opening minute of each of the first two periods to score enough goals to win. Just remember that these wins and losses are not played in a vacuum. Each opponent effects the outcome, so a bad game just might be someone else’s great game. That is the glass being half full if you’re a Goffstown fan leaving Conway Arena for the ride home.

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.