WEDNESDAYS #4 vs. DUCKS:

(vol. 19W, no. 4; newsletter by b.n.)
After the “meeting” last Wednesday, Kevin McLaughlin volunteered to write the newsletter. Unfortunately, he never took the opportunity to actually sit down and write the newsletter and send it to Harris. Perhaps he is just busy. Maybe he doesn't know how to type. Whatever the case, I happened to know — based on my superior photographic style memory — exactly what Kevin intended to write. I can't believe that I remember this word for word but i do.

The Wednesday Night Newsletter as told by Kevin McLaughlin: “We Won.”

Wow. That was it. What a great newsletter Kevin. Too bad you can't keep your shifts that short.

(editor's note: Sigh. Ok, in an effort to get some semblance of order back into the newsletter, I'll briefly recap the highlights of our outing. The Ducks would score on the first possession when they scored one-timer in the opening 1:00 minute. That 1-0 lead would hold for nearly 10:00 minutes until Wildman knotted things up on a pass from Craig. The Ducks would briefly regain the lead, but then Evan scored on a pass, from the subbing LeMatty, to again tie it 2-2. The Pirates would take the lead on the following shift, when #67 and Wildman netted a powerplay goal, and it looked like the Pirates would take that lead into the break; unfortunately, the Ducks stayed tenacious and with just 2:00 minutes remaining in the 1st period made it a 3-3 game. Although the scoreboard showed a tie game going in the final 22:00 minutes, the Pirates had clearly dominated the play in the 1st period; if not for some spectacular play the Ducks goalie early-on in the period, the Men In Black could have had another four goals. Those four goals, ironically, would come shortly as the Pirates ruled the final period of play. Russ, in the aftermath of the opening face-off at the start of the final period, skated behind the Ducks net and made a spectacular Playstation-like move to wrap the puck into the net with just :45 seconds off the clock. That turned out to be the GWG, but the Pirates were hardly done scoring. Next, Wildman, with help from Craig again, scored to give the Pirates the 5-3 lead. Then Mike and Kevin had a great give-and-go, go-and-give all the way up the ice; Kevin's shot was blocked, but Mike who had ventured way up the ice on the play was there to put in the rebound. Finally, Russ again would score — this time with help from Evan and a sickly Mr. Matthews. When the smoke cleared at the final buzzer, the Pirates had netted four unanswered goals and the Ducks — with their two subs — clearly had run out of steam. The offensive barrage was impressive, but the blueliners — two of which were in a questionable health — played strong and frustrated the Ducks the whole night long. Ok, that's it. Not quite as eloquent as Kevin's newsletter, but it'll have to do.)