Saving Ryan Seals Tigers Triumph

Bison 1 Telford Tigers 4

17/3/12

Bottom of the league Telford Tigers came to Planet Ice with a season’s record of only 9 wins (of which only 3 were won in regulation time) in 48 games and a goal tally of 1 scored for every 2 conceded. Everyone expected this to be like mugging a pensioner, shooting an unarmed man or stealing a sheet of music from Stevie Wonder. But on an evening of surprises, the Bison crowd were left open mouthed in shock as the pensioner fought back, the unarmed man ducked and Stevie Wonder clung tenaciously to his sheet of music. In the end a young Tigers team ran out winners by 4 goals to 1 and Bison can blame only themselves for a poor defensive display in the 1^st period which allowed the Tigers to rack up a 3-0 lead and effectively win the game.

Why is it that Bison have so much trouble beating the Tigers at home? 3 of their last 4 games at Planet Ice have seen the Tigers go home with the points. Do they raise their game or do Bison lower theirs or is it simply a case of over confidence? Probably all three of those apply.

Telford started the first period in lively fashion and roared into the lead with 2 goals inside a minute in the 6^th. Set up by the admirable Scott McKenzie, Slovak D-man, Juraj Senko fired in a shot which goaltender Matt Colclough seemed to have saved, but the puck squirmed under him. On came the goal light, up went the Tigers arms in celebration. These two were also involved in the second goal. This time Senko fed Joe Henry, whose centring pass was hammered home by way of a one timer snap shot from McKenzie standing all alone in front of goal without a Bison player to put him off. A similar lack of blue line vigilance resulted in the third goal on 16 minutes. This time it was 18 year old Callum Bowley firing in unmarked in front of goal for 0-3.

So ended the 1^st period with Bison outshooting the Tigers by 14-10, but failing to find a way past young netminder, Declan Ryan, who would walk off (actually skate off) with the Tigers’ Man of the Match beers at the end of the game. And a worthy winner he was. He faced 46 shots on the night and allowed only 1 – a save percentage of just below 0.98. It has to be said, however, that, although Ryan produced a series of good saves, many of his stops and blocks were made easy by Bison shooting straight at him and not finding the gaps. He didn’t have to be the size of Fatty Foulke (go on Google him).

Bison continued to press in the 2^nd, but without reward. 16 shots rained down on Ryan from all angles, but he stood as solid as the Great Wall of China. Towards the end of the period Slovak Cannon, Marcel Petran, received a 5 + game penalty for a head check on Scott McKenzie (someone correct me if I’ve got the wrong player). Just under 2 minutes of the penalty carried forward into the 3^rd period and shortly after Ryan Sutton, serving the penalty on Petran’s behalf, was sprung from the box, Bison finally clicked the scoreboard onto Home 1. In typical style, the Savvy Slovak, Viktor Kubenko, took the puck around the back of the Tigers’ net and slipped a pass to Bison top scorer Joe Miller. He found the gap between Ryan and post to score his 29^th of the season. Bison skipper, Nicky Chinn, picked up the second assist.

Was this the start of a Bison revival? There was certainly enough time on the clock for them to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But it was not to be as Ryan continued to block, deflect, catch and engulf the puck and keep Bison at bay. 16 shots he faced in the period and only 1 goal did he allow.

With the clock ticking down past the 2 minute mark, Bison took the risk of pulling Matt Colclough. The Bison goaltender skated to the bench as fast as fast could be to allow the extra skater on for a 6 on 5. Then a bigger calamity than Calamity Jane herself struck. Surely with no goaltender, the attacking team has to keep the puck. A dump in is not a good idea as you have only a 50/50 chance of retaining possession. However, that’s what happened and the puck was picked up by Telford and worked forward to Luke Brittle by Ryan Selwood. The youngest of the 4 brothers Brittle sent the puck goalbound from the red line. Was it going in? Yes of course it was. 1-4 the game ended.

A disappointing night for Bison. Lots of effort, but, apart from Joe Miller’s goal, no end product, and a blueline nightmare which gifted 3 goals to the Tigers in the 1^st period which effectively won them the game. Well done to 19 year old Declan Ryan for his performance. He will consider himself very unlucky not to have recorded a shut out. Liam Chong with a typical all action display picked up the Bison beers. And Stevie Wonder? Well he kept his sheet of music.