The Aeros did just about everything they could do to give this one to a Rivermen team playing its fourth game in five nights. Two goal lead in regulation good enough? Nah, give it up. TWO two-goal leads in the shootout good enough? Nope ... let's toy with them further, eh?
Look, a win is a win is a win, but the bottom line is this team did not play a good third period. Sure they had their chances and sure enough, Marco Rosa missed another wide open goal. But to his credit, he said one of the factors that prevented him from lifting that puck into an open cage was the snowy ice in where he had the puck. I am OK with that ... after all it was still 3-1 at the time. (And Marco, your 2-0 goal tonight, was a beaut.)
Locke's shootout goal, my God if you don't watch this replay on AHL Live, you're crazy. It was stunning, and it didn't even happen really the way he planned. Locke said he went further out than he wanted to, but it was sweet. That was the turning point in a shootout that featured a lot of snipers and three different goalie slumps.
The Aeros have 11 games left, and only four of them are at home. Playoff chances still look very good, and the Aeros need to start cheering for the Iowa Chops to steal a game Tuesday night when the Rivermen visit.
Three stars tonight were Locke, Stastny and Rosa. These are turned in before overtime, so I am OK with that. If you throw in the extra sessions, then you gotta make Kolanos No. 2 and push Stastny down to three ...
Bottom line is the Aeros picked up two huge points in a schedule that just got a whole lot tougher. Seven of 11 on the road ... If the team goes 6-5 the rest of the way, I really like their chances of getting the two or three seed for the postseason.
It will be interesting either way.
--Aeroscribe
Sunday, March 22, 2009
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