For both teams, it is the early season; both teams know it will get real in late January.  But last night, in a battle of two evenly matched teams in November, the Lightning edged the Wolfpack to win their first D8 game 2-1.

Period 1

The opening period was a see-saw battle.  First one team would be up on the attack and have the other team locked down in that team’s zone.  Then a minute later, the roles would be reversed.

But the key in the opening period was that, except for a few opportunities, both teams stopped the other from getting the good shot.  One of those few opportunities came for the Wolfpack early in the period when a rebounding puck ended up bouncing along the top of the Eastview crease.

A Wolfpack forward slapped the puck towards the open net.  It was a two foot shot that somehow the Eastview’s goalie managed to stop with a diving glove save.  It was a great save.

The game see-sawed until the 6 minute mark of the first period.  At that point, Eastview's forwards gained a step on the Wolfpack defense in neutral ice.  At the 4 minute mark, Eastview forwards were beginning to stretch the Wolfpack defense in the neutral ice mounting pressure that was resulting in the Lightning starting to sustain attacks.

By the end of the first period, the Lightning were starting to maintain control in the PCG zone.  Still, the Lightning could not get that good shot.  The first period ended in a 0-0 tie.

Period 2

The first period ended with no penalties called.  None were called in the second period.  That opened the game up.  The tempo of the game changed early in the second period and with the change, the game became more of an up and down game of 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 rushes.  Both defenses were still stopping the good shot off the rushes.  Neither team could score until late in the period.

The game just became a good, well contested, peewee game.  Both teams were setting up and trying to execute; but both defenses were stopping the play.

With just under two minutes to play in the second period, the PCG defense made their first mistake.  A defense man behind the PCG net tried to hit a breaking forward in the slot in front of the PCG net.  His pass was blocked by Eastview’s Caeden Phelps with the puck ending up on Timothy Kapala’s stick in the slot.  Kapala buried the puck in the net to put the Lightning up 1-0.  Phelps got the assist.

Thirty seconds later, the Wolfpack defense made their second mistake.  The Lightning’s Cullen Johnson scored the game winner.  A shot on the Wolfpack’s goal tender from the right face off ended with the puck creeping through the goalie’s legpads and falling behind him in the crease.  Before the goalie could turn to cover up, Johnson alertly broke in from the weak side to tap the puck in the net.  The PCG defenders had been caught up ice.  Johnson had an open net.  Davis Carlson got the assist.  The Lightning struck twice late in the second period to take a 2-0 lead into the third period.

Period 3

Eastview was cruising in the first half of the third period.  They were controlling the puck, trapping the Wolfpack in the PCG zone.  Then on a PCG breakout, the Lightning defense drew the first penalty of the game for tripping.

PCG ran the power play well, moving the puck around the perimeter, but could not find an opening.  The Lightning killed the penalty only to give up a second penalty seconds later.  This time the Wolfpack scored on the power play.

After setting up in the Lightning’s zone, the Wolfpack moved the puck low to Anthony Brings.  Brings fired a hard shot on the Lightening goalie from the left side of the net.  The puck caromed off the back of the goalie into the net to cut the Lightning lead to 2-1.  Carter Newpower and Bailey Hein got the assists.

The Wolfpack continued to pressure the Lightning in the Eastview zone in the remaining four minutes, but could not score.  The game ended with the Lightning picking up their first D8 win of the season 2-1.

What is next?

At this point in the early season, outside of Sibley, D8 looks to be a balanced league.  Both these teams played well for an early season game.  Both know that it is the late season that counts with the possible run to regionals and state tourneys.  It will be interesting to watch how these teams develop over the season.

Eastview’s next D8 game will be against Woodbury AA at Bielenberg Arena in 10 days; Cottage Grove plays Hastings a day later at Hastings.  Both teams will be playing in the Burnsville Thanksgiving Tourney, but they will be in separate pools.  Eastview is pooled with Rosemount, Alexandria, and Minnetonka; PCG is pooled with Lakeville South, Jefferson, and Roseville.