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After extensive contract negotiations, the Mighty Pirates organization is extremely pleased to welcome back Howie for another season of insightful, amusing, and extremely addictive commentary! Yes, Howie tells it like it is!

You'll find links to each and every Howie Report right here after each game.

Howie-Les Report: Reunited, And It Feels So Good!
2008-12-15: Mighty Pirates 4 vs. Suicide Wings 5

The Mighty Pirates (7-5-0) have now met the Suicide Wings (8-4-0) 12 times since 2001, but their last meeting was over two years ago. Sometimes, it's nice to meet up with an old acquaintance!

After passing the Pirates in the Monday Day Division standings just a week ago, the Wings were looking to put a little distance in between on Monday night. The Bucs were simply hoping to avoid a third consecutive shalacking!

The injury-riddled Pirates were without the services of their beloved Captain Mola, so Alternate Captain Mutch took the reigns, setting up the following configuration:
L: Phillips / Sager / Turner
C: Gallivan / Mutch
R: Leggett / Sousa
D: Besant / Jezioranski / Mintz / Tassone
G: Sturgeon

It started very well, with Tassone digging along his boards, clearing to Leggett inside his own blueline, who then fired the puck beautifully to a streaking Gallivan. All alone, Gallivan faked and deked wide right (classic Wednesday Night Hockey) to put the Pirates up 1-0.

The Wings would counter a few minutes later as de Gale fired a laser-accurate shot past Sturgeon. Minutes later, however, a fierce blast from Besant on the point was deflected by Gallivan. While netminder Hastings made a smart save, the bouncing rebound found its way to Gallivan again, and he snapped it to the upper corner and the Mighty Pirates regained the lead.

Under one minute later, though, de Gale would not be outdone and poked in a loose puck that Sturgeon thought he had covered by the side of the net. 2-2 score!

Before the first period came to an end, a beautiful passing play saw the Suicide Wings grab their first lead of the night, and, unfortunately for your heroes, they would not relinquish it.

An extraordinary save from Sturgeon early in the second kept the game close, but the Wings would eventually double their lead just past the midway mark of the period. Despite the two goal margin, Pirate fans were impressed at their persistence, and at no point did it seem that they were ready to concede.

With 1:54 remaining in the second, Gallivan won a faceoff back to Mintz on the point. With Leggett and Sager planting themselves in front of the goal, we're sure the goalie didn't even see Mintz's shot coming. "Bang!", as Sager would say, the puck went in untouched ... 3-4 game.

The remarkable passing skills of the Suicide Wings would haunt the Pirate once again in the opening moments of the third frame, as a tic-tac-toe sequence left the Sturgeon-ator with no hope. 3-5 Wings.

While the Pirates did generate some chances afterwards, it seemed the bounces were not going to go their way. That is, until Tassone and Mutch jammed in a loose puck with 1:12 to go, cutting the score to 4-5!

With the goalie pulled, however, the Mighty Pirates spend the full remaining minute trying the gain the Wings' zone ... but, believe it or not, they couldn't break through. Credit should go to the Wings, who tightened up their defence as the game progressed, and most singificantly in the dying moments.

Despite the loss for the Mighty Pirates, it was a hard-fought, penalty-free, and close game. What more could you ask for?