More of a Bark than a Venomous Bite!
2003-11-24: Mighty Pirates 2 vs. Venom 2

Gentlemen,

(Special Howie-Les Report by Gallivancouver Canucks Media Group)

Before anything is said: "Hey Vito, 2 minutes for looking so good!"

Indeed, Captain Mola came to the rink, dressed for success, a whole two hours before the puck dropped last Monday! Reporters spotted him viewing hockey footage (possibly from another, less-exciting league) as he tweaked possible Pirate line-up combinations at Howie's bar. In fact, he was so focused on his tasks that he didn't even require a beer! That's dedication!

Now, on to the game... The Mighty Pirates and Venom were re-acquainted after a few years playing in different divisions, and it certainly wasn't a love-fest. While your heroes battled hard, they battled clean, receiving a single Hooking infraction for the entire evening. Venom, on the other hand, must have had a chip on their shoulders—and chippy they were! Perhaps it was the frustration of losing a 2-goal lead, but they ended the night with 6 penalties, not including a game-ejection, with 4 of those coming in the final frame alone. And on one of those six power-play opportunities, the Pirates made them pay.

The Pirates had a great scoring chance early, as Leggett was simply robbed on a 2-on-1 give-and-go with Gallivan. Of course, as happens so many times in this great game o' hockey, the Venom stormed back with some speed to catch the Pirates a little too deep on the previous play, and a wide-open Venom player was able to find a blind pass to slide home a 0-1 lead.

Of course, we all know how important the next shift is after letting in a goal, right? Hmm, maybe the Pirates don't! A minute after the first goal, some scrambly coverage enabled Venom to mount a 0-2 lead! Uh oh. Not one of these games, please! Well, Captain Mola would have none of it. Vocal and energetic, he got the lines flowing well. Khatter, who had a superb defensive performance, appreciated the captain's work behind the bench, claiming that it was essential for the Pirate comeback.

The Bucs cut Venom's lead in half just 40 seconds after going down 0-2, after some fierce forchecking from Kwinter. He managed to get the puck back to a pinching Dimock who showed why getting the puck towards the net is so important! His hard shot glanced off of a Venom defender in front, deflecting into the net for his 1st goal of the season.

Things really opened up in the middle frame, as the teams traded glorious chances at both ends of the ice. Lella put on a spectacular show, making numerous highlight-reel saves, determined not to let the Venom put the game out of reach. However, the Save of the Game would not come from either goaltender. In fact, it was the recently re-acquired Pirate Levine who earned that honour, miraculously reaching back with his stick to stop a puck, which was just about to cross the goal-line. Fantastic work!

Early in the 3rd, veteran Turner nearly tied things up with a hard one-time slap-shot in the slot, but was barely stopped by the Venom netminder.

Then, on the power-play, after some great work from Mutch in a front-of-the-net-mad-scramble, Leggett, like a rabid dog looking for a bone, dug out a loose puck and shoveled it home for his 1st of the season, pulling the teams even at 2-2.

As the Pirate chances increased, so did the chippy play of Venom, much to the dissatisfaction of the captain, who certainly wasn't shy about his feelings. However, even with a 5-on-3 power-play, the Mighty Pirates couldn't get the winner, and would have to settle for a 2-2 tie, and the hard-earned single point.

Alas, there's only one way to go for the Pirates, and that's onwards and upwards. So, to the next game, and the much anticipated re-match with YTV, who defeated the Pirates 2-10 in their last recorded playoff meeting. No doubt, the Pirates will want revenge. And, rumour has it, so does the long-injured Mandell. Media have been reporting that the Pirate legend may actually might suit up for the game! This is a match you won't want to miss! Monday, December 1st, 2003 at 6:00pm, Rinx 2! See you there!

GO PIRATES! VIVA LOS PIRATAS!