Tuesday, December
18
Flyers vs. Penguins
Concord, MA
As Tonawanda (NY)
residents watch (via satellite and streaming Internet) the AMHL Tuesday
Championship game, referee Peter Bagley announces the return to five-on-five
play in the third period. “All even!” he yells to the Flyers and Penguins, the
teams tied at two goals.
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| Tonawanda native Mike Moore eludes two Penguins |
Bereft of their beloved Buffalo Sabres, the good citizens of
Tonawanda are on their feet to watch their native son, AMHL Flyers defenseman
Mike Moore. Will Mikey, they wonder, be able to repeat his spectacular
performance in the 2012
Summer Championship?
Moore played his youth hockey way back when Brighton Arena (where
he says “the Moore brothers never learned how to backcheck”) didn’t have a roof.
He later attended Kenmore East
High School (2011-2012 Division II state hockey champs) and worked at Ted’s
(Mike recommends the footlong dog,
toasted bun, with everything on it.)
Fast forward to Overtime, the Flyers and Penguins still
tied, 2 –2.
Moore strides forward—skating right to left across your
AMHL Internet— cradling the puck and circumnavigating would-be defenders. A left-handed shooter, he arrives in enemy
territory and skates below the right face-off circle. Backhand…goal!
Wednesday, December 19
Sharks vs. Sabres
Concord, MA
Mike Moore doesn’t play on Wednesdays, but Tonawanderers have traversed the
Internet again in search of Sabres hockey. They find the AMHL Wednesday Sabres,
who eked out a penalty-filled 2 –1 victory last week against the Rangers, struggling
to land shots on Sharks netminder Chris Bade.
The Sharks, who endured a seven-game mid-season losing
streak, are riding hot goaltending and a three-game winning streak.
 |
| Chris Bade: All the Big Stops |
Bade watches his offense-generating players, like defenseman
Larry Brown, block shots. Up 3–0 in the second period and the Sabres shooting
right to left across your Internet connection, Sharks forward Rob Witty—a goal-per-game guy—takes one for
the team.
In the third period and the Sharks nursing a shut-out, Tony
“Sharkie” Psikarakis slides and sweeps the puck from a Sabre’s stick.
The Sabres score twice, though, and Tonawanda is all atwitter.
But Bade and company return to form and put the kibosh on a
second celebration in Greater Buffalo.
Sharkie credits his goalie, saying that Bade “made all the
big stops.”
Thursday, December
20
Avalanche vs. Panthers
Concord, MA
Moore is playing
on Thursday, for the AMHL Bruins. When the folks in Erie County learn Moore is
on Rink Two, however, they are not consoled. South Jersey, though, is thrilled
to witness one of its own playing for the Koffey Cup.
We join Brent Delehey and his Panthers against the
Avs. Delehey, a Bobby Clark fan if ever there was one, is amped up (after
the game, he'll say his increased intensity may have been caused by the two Aleves he took earlier this morning.) The most likely reason for his elevated compete level
is not naproxen but rather that his eldest two sons, Jack and Kevin, are home from
college.
The boys watch, from the stands behind the goal in the west
end, as their dad wreaks havoc on the Avs.
Delehey is credited with two goals in the first period, and the Panthers
lead, 5–3, in the second stanza.
Delehey shoves an Av in front of the players’ bench. Merry Christmas from Bobby Clark.
“Geez,” one of the boys says as their feisty father skates
to the sin bin, “Dad really took that guy out.”
The Panthers kill the penalty, and Delehey (whose nickname
in college was “Brr”) is a free man.
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| Panthers Center Brent Delehey: Channeling His Inner Bobby Clark |
To the third period, the Panthers ahead 5–4 and skating far end to near end, Brr
plants himself in front of the Avalanche’s crease. Teammate Paul Nelson shoots. Jack and Kevin
watch as the puck deflects off their dad’s skate—and then trickles… over the
goal line.
The college kids rise to their feet, applauding and hooting.
Delehey glances upward and flashes a wild child-like grin,
not yet knowing that he will spend another two minutes in the penalty box, that
the Avs would score on the power play…or that Panthers goalie Anthony Bonfiglio
will save the day for the Deleheys, the AMHL Panthers, and all those Philly
Flyers fans in the Garden State.
Friday, December
21
Hawks vs. Whalers
Concord, MA
“It wasn’t our season,” says Moore, after yet another
consolation game, this time playing for the Kings. The Royals lost last week to
the Whalers, who advanced to play the Hawks.
We rewind the championship game to the second period and the
Hawks winning, 5–2.
Mike Travalent, who netted a hat trick last week against the
Stars, shoots low and just inside the post to bolster the lead.
“Wear ‘em down, guys,” a Hawks bench jockey bellows, “Wear ‘em
down.”
Neither team scores another goal in the second period, but
the Hawks—comprised of several Stow (MA) residents, score three more in the third to win going
away, 9–3.
With that, the AMHL media wishes everyone—from Upstate New
York to South Jersey to Middlesex County, MA— safe travels, a joyous Christmas,
and happy New Year.
