It’s the most complete hockey I’ve seen us play this year.
Certainly, for those first 35 minutes. We’re simply irresistible at times. Talk about things clicking. For that half hour everything went exactly how Haringey must have dreamed it would.
If it was harder going than expected the weekend before against Chelmsford, it was far, far more straight forward on Saturday against Slough. We’d shared the points in the two league games coming into this, and both had been very close affairs. This was very different.
We’re short-benched again; Haringey’s 13 skaters to Slough’s 20. But as has happened so often recently, we excel and thrive in difficult conditions.
We put double the number of shots on net as Slough. And there’s chances galore in that first period.
Ruskin Springer Hughes finds Courtney Grant at the backdoor but there’s too much on it. Oli Cooper’s gloved form the blue line. Conner Smith sends a couple of efforts on net, first with a backhand from a tight angle, then ringing the iron from the left. That one was travelling.
Dylan Philips has to make a couple of saves, kicking out from the slot. Literally a couple too, we outshoot Slough 20 to four for shots on net in the first.
Ryan Payne with a brilliant hip check on the boards. Marton Szasz tries his hand from the hashmarks, then finds Stuart Appleby from behind net. The one-timer covered.
It’s a very assured start from Haringey who are ticking over nicely and seem in total control.
When it comes, it’s a wonderful individual goal by Johan Persson. I thought he was unlucky not to bag one last time out against Chelmsford, but he makes no mistake here. Charging into the offensive zone, his first shot from the right is blocked by the defenseman’s stick but he rattles the rebound home, across goal and into the top corner.
Conner and Rob Rejna follow hot on the heels of the goal with two great chances. Carl Etuazim is relentless on the forecheck. Courtney beats the Slough D-man and has his wrister blocked out of bounds. Cam Pow shoots from the point. Covered. It’s breathless stuff and the Huskies are really forcing the issue.
Moose does well to keep possession at the goal line. He heads to the net but his shot is blocked. Conner skates in, collects the rebound, goes around the netminder at the crease and blams in beyond his outstretched leg. 2-0 and that goal had been coming for him all period.
The first ends 2-0 but it could have been many, many more.
Straight out the gate in the second, Rob makes it 3-0 in the first two minutes, continuing the Huskies’ dominance, continuing the pressure on the Slough net.
Conner spins in the slot but is wide of the target. Dylan makes an incredible double-save, first nearside then at the back post to keep the puck out. Cam and Ryan McFarlane tidy up at the back.
Things quieten down and come alive again after 10 minutes in the second.
It’s the pass of the game, it’s the move of the game, it’s the goal of the game. Mac picks out Marton on the blue line with pin-point accuracy, who drives and rounds the net, putting it back out front to Stu who hammers a one-timer beyond the netminder. It’s some piece of play and summed up our performance thus far in a nutshell; precision, energy, and power.
Cam makes a big block in the slot as Slough come back at us. Dylan gloves from the left. We dig in through a couple of penalty kills, and at times Slough have a two-skater advantage. But this side thrives under adversity.
Moose adds to the tally, shorthanded, on the breakaway, drives to the net and shoots from the right to make it 5-0 Haringey. Courtney picks out Leo De Souza Saoncella at the back but it’s put over the bar.
Slough push back again, the Haringey net leading a charmed life.
It doesn’t hold, and Slough kill the hope of a shutout with a couple of minutes left in the period. A shot from the right goes low and 5-hole.
But with 17 seconds left in the period, Carl fires in from the right off iron after Slough lose possession in the offensive zone. A great way to end the period, especially after Slough’s goal.
Slough change netminders for the third, and we put more shots on net than in either of the previous two periods.
Moose finds Courtney with a bouncing, bobbling puck which is then sent wide. Ryan Payne and Johan with a couple of slapshots blocked and covered. Leo puts it back in front of net for Conner, but it’s lifted over the bar.
After five minutes Slough get their second. From behind the goal line they play it into the slot and it’s a one-timer from the back post and in. 6-2.
Three minutes later, and the Haringey five-goal lead is restored. Carl finds Stu across the slot, and it’s a wonderful cultured, guided finish into the roof of the net from the righthand side.
A minute later and it’s 7-3, the puck’s played from the face-off across the slot and fired in 5-hole again I think, from close range.
We put more on net during the last 10 minutes with Conner, Carl, Marton, Johan, Stu, Ruskin all having opportunities, but the game’s done. 7-3 on the night.
Mac gets Player of the Match – another stellar performance, a sublime assist, and a partnership with Cam Pow that gets stronger every game.
It’s back to the league and Wilkinson Cup on Saturday. It would be great to take points off of, in my eyes, our closest competition for the semi-final slot in the Wilkinson Cup Group B. We have the chance to go six points clear, but MK can bring it to within one point.
The Thunder haven’t played since November 8th, when they lost in overtime to the Slough Spitfires. A three-week gap in which we’ve beaten Bristol, Chelmsford, and Slough.
It was a great game at the Thunderdome in October, very close but not the result we wanted. At the moment, you don’t want the games to stop coming for Haringey with the way we’re playing, and I wonder what that time out for MK will do to the dynamic this coming Saturday. Again, as with Slough, I think we’re better than when we played them last. Let’s see if that counts for anything.
Let’s Go Huskies.
Photos: Phil Hutchinson
