The Tie (Game 2)

Last night, the 2019 – 2020 NJ State Champions from Public A and Public B met at Aspen Ice and the seats were empty, but over twelve hundred hits on you tube shows that there was plenty of interest. And what happened???

Joe Yutsus not only faced 26 shots on goal but again his last name was mispronounced by the play by play announcer all game. It’s Yutsus not Yustus. He saved 21 of those 26 shots and I guarantee last night he had nightmares centered on the numbers 36 (Jason Kwestel one goal at 3:29 of the first), 26 (Dylan Idland two goals at 10:20 of the first on a PP and 10:17 of the second), 11 (Andrew Ryan two goals at 7:55 and 11:09 of the third) wearing Knolls green and gold.

At the opposite end of the ice, Aidan Marvin the Knolls goaltender faced only 16 shots from the Rams and a couple of times he was called Merven and Marken and Merlin (sorry to pick on the play by play guy again, we are all human). Marvin saved 11 of the 16 shots. The Rams dark blue and white with the numbers 12 (Andrew Iglar one goal 12:21 of the first), 27 (Ben Yurchuk one goal 9:31 of the first), 17 (Zach Gallo two goals 9:31 on a PP and 12:13 of the second on a PP), and 19 (Luke Spagnuolo the last goal with 3:12 remaining in the third on a PP), must have haunted him last night.

If you did the arithmetic, it was a 5 to 5 tie. And the lesson learned, do not make the mistake of getting penalized against these teams. The Rams did it twice and Knolls three times and the PP behind the goals listed above were all for the five power plays. Neither team missed out on a power play goal.

Speaking of goalies:

How would you like to be the last line of defense trying to keep a one inch by three inch disc of vulcanized rubber weighing 6 ounces called a hockey puck out of a net that is forty eight inches high and seventy two inches wide and all you get is a stick and glove and padding and there are up to ten guys in front of you with the strength to slap that puck at close to 100 miles an hour or deflect it just when you thought that you figured out the trajectory or even worse placed it five whole or top shelve or off the cross bar or one of the two posts and in???

That is why everyone knows that goalies are crazy and hockey goalies are the craziest of them all. So don’t mess with them (in the old days the New York Islanders famous goaltender Billy Smith skated to the center of the ice to fight the Broad Street Bullies goalie (can’t say his name cause I still can’t stand the thought of him and can‘t say the name of his team for the same reason and orange is still the worst color for a hockey jersey) and like all the Islanders, slapped him silly. Loved that team: they won four Stanley Cups in a row in the early 1980s.

Okay, back to the game, let’s give credit to the Rams skaters who assisted on the five goals scored: Ben Yurchuk (3), Zach Gallo (2), Jack Rueff, Matt Cislo, Jordon Cross, and Scott Kuridza.

Oh, yeah…did I mention defense wins championships? But do not despair. Last year the Rams two games against Knolls ended in ties (3-3 and 1-1). And last year on the 22nd of February, the Rams lost to Morristown – Beard five to one. That was the worst defeat of the season, Gavin Einfeldt faced 19 shots and was dejected. Joe Yutsus was called in the third period and saved Beard’s 5 shots to end the game. That was the 2020 Mennen Cup final. The Rams learned their lesson after that game and Gavin and the defense did not give up a goal in the first three rounds of the State Public B tournament (winning 8-0, 6-0, and 5-0).

The record for the Rams on the 4th of February last year was 15 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses (that‘s 21 games). The Rams are scheduled to skate again versus Morris Knolls-Hills High School on Wednesday 2/5/2021 at 8pm. It should be wild and I hope the goalies get some sleep, they’ll need it.

This game will again match the 2020 NJ State Champions for Public B
and Public C in back to back action. As stated before the first two games of this season, the Rams skaters must know that every team will be trying to upset the reigning Public B State Champions, especially Morris Knolls.

And so, the Rams’ coach Rich McLaughlin’s 29th season continues.

And after this game:

FORECHECK!!! AND DON’T GET PENALIZED!!!

How would you like to have Gallo and Yurchuk attacking your net?

a) Who was the NHL skater who scored 400 goals the quickest?

///Answer : The Great One: Wayne Gretsky did it in 436 games!!!

b) Who was the Rams’ skater who made the assist to help the Rams win last season’s state championship?

///ANSWER: Ben Yurchuk crossing to JT and it will never be forgotten, like a Devils fan will never forget the assist by Patrick Elias, crossing to Jason Arnott to win the 2000 Stanley Cup!!! GREAT MEMORIES!!!