SMJHL Game 112
Link to Game Boxscore

Detroit 4 v Kelowna 2
Shots: Detroit 42 v Kelowna 17

Three Stars

1.  Poopity Scoop 
   
2. Hippo Passamus 
   
3.  Chuck Crutchfield
   

Here's two separate introductions for the same game: A dominant Detroit game where the pressure was controlled from the Falcons from the first minute to the sixtieth minute, vs An incredible performance from Kelowna netminder Mark McFleury who singlehandily kept the Knights in the game through 2 periods to only have his, and his alone, victory stolen in the third. Which summary fits you best might depend on the jersey you wear, but both are undeniably true for this regular season foreshadowing of the first round of the SMJHL playoffs. 

1st Period

The 1st period was the closest of the entire game, with the Falcons holding a slim 11 - 8 shot margin against the Knights. It didn't take long for the Knights to capitalize on some early pressure in the offensize zone, with Detroit getting on the board just after the 3 minute mark.



A nice shot from Dank Boija bounces off the pads of McFleury. Xavier Paquette manages to get the inside position of the Knights defenseman to tap in the puck and its 1-0 Detroit!



However, not for long. 7 minutes later, at the 10 minute mark of the 1st, Tim Murda lights the rink on fire with a beautiful self-pass / clear off the boards that he gets back himself and takes to the net for a beautiful, end-to-end goal. 1-1 and this game is tight.

2nd Period

The second period was utter domination by the Detroit Falcons. After the 40th minute buzzer had rung, the Falcons had managed 16 shots in the period alone to the Knight's 4 shots. The game shots were at 27 to 12. It was a rout. Everywhere except the score sheet ...



Only 2 minutes into the second, the Falcons rookie-heavy 4th line is called for icing. Out comes Kelowna's devasting 1st line, and it isn't long before Shouta Aizawa breaks past the tired defense, carries the puck to the front of the net and roofs it. 2-1 Knights, and the rest of the period is a clinic by McFleury keeping his team in the lead.

3rd Period

The 3rd is almost a repeat of the 2nd, with the Falcons once again badly beating Kelowna and winning battles all over the ice. The shots at the end of the period are 15 - 5 for Detroit, and 42 - 17 on the game, but with one change: the puck actually gets past McFleury. Three times.



It isn't until the 9:04 mark that Detroit breaks through, and fans of the Falcons are thoroughly sweating and getting ready to declare McFleury a god. However, Marc Palika wins a face off in the neutral zone, gets the puck back from Crutchfield, and snipes on the rush. 2-2 and a tied game!



The Knights then fall into some icing trouble. With 3 icings in a minute, the Kelowna group is tired. On comes Hippo Passamus, Marc Palicka and the Falcons 2nd line. Some nice lateral movement at the point, and Kelowna is running after the puck. Passamus comes off the half-wall, crashes the net, and scores a nice one five-hole on the beleaguered McFleury. 3-2 Detroit!



The final nail in the coffin is a powerplay point goal by Wolfhard Richter, putting the game away 4-2 for the Detroit Falcons and awarding them the well deserved victory. Hats off to McFleury for keeping the Knights in this game.