Bentley Generals Senior AAA Hockey Club - Powered By esportsdesk.com

A week after completing a miraculous rally from an 0-3 deficit against Fort Saskatchewan where all the pieces fell into perfect places, nothing went right for the Stony Plain Eagles yesterday.
Before they even boarded the bus to head for Bentley...bad omens had begun. Their top scorer, Justin Cox, wasn't able to make the trip. Neither was Doug Auchenberg. And just minutes after they got on the highway...another set back...as the QE2 was at a standstill just south of Leduc.

Stonyburgh...alas...rolled into Bentley a solid hour behind schedule.

The Army wasted no time at all to take advantadge of their tardy opponents. Travis Brigley's series opening goal came less than two minutes into the game. Jeremy Colliton was at the heart of the sequence, he thrusted away from a check on the side boards, tipping the play back to Matt Kinch at the point and allowing Kinch a tonne of time arranging for Brigley to handle the finishing touch on Wade Waters. The Eagles weren't even close. They were still striding to catch Colliton while the play had long since moved in a different and more devastating direction.
The Generals then rolled out their vaunted powerplay at the mid-way point of the period and once again struck in explosive fashion. Sean Robertson's defensive zone faceoff win was grabbed by an unyielding, Chris Neiszner, who quickly loaded the puck onto the stick of Donny Morrsion. They dashed up the right side of the rink working passes back and forth. Morrison never had any intention of stopping when the super-gifted defenceman hit the Eagles' zone. He stayed with Neiszner the entire way to the net and Neiszner set him up for the 2-0 goal at 14:50.
The Generals powerplay was well- exercised after a busy week of practicing and it showed in their execution all night long. On the very next PP chance, Matt Stefanishion let rip one of his patented post-pinging clappers from between the circles. The ricochet was loud enough to get the town barbers attention in his seat behind the net where he works the goal light when he's not working scissors. Several bonus blinks of the red light really helped accessorize the 3-0 goal. Matt Kinch, once again, was the engineer as he picked up his 2nd assist of the game.

The 2nd period was one of the best 20 minutes the Gens' have played all year. Colliton, continuing to do everything right, won a faceoff back to the point for Scott Kalinchuck. As Kalinchuck lined up for a big blast, Trent Hunter twisted himself into the shooting lane and despite the ferocious velocity on Kalinchuck's shot it was masterfully adjusted from hip height to just under the bar at 12:35. Hunter doesn't take total control of a hockey game the way some people might assume someone fresh out of the NHL might do. He is, simply, an expert at playing the right wing...the right way...and let's not kid ourselves...there are times he does make things look easy. This piercing defelction definatley was an example.

At this point, the game was 4-0 but it might as well have been 14-0. The Generals were feasting. Waters, so incredible through the 4 game rally against Fort Saskatchewan, was fending for himself as his team totally folded in front of him. Unfortunatley...the next goal came with injury added to insult. Literally.
Waters was laying flat on his stomach and still managed an incredible glove save off a Stefanishion shot but the rebound launched out to Morrison who hammered his 2nd of the night into empty strings. Waters did not get up. Training staff had to help him off the ice and Clayton Wilburn came into the firestorm at 11:04. I have to say...as much fun as it for the Army to watch a dominating win in the works...it is always a sad sight to see one of the opponents hero's fall. Waters has been a god send in Stonyburgh. He went there as an affiliate (via Innisfail) last spring and played a major part in rescuing dignity back for the team. At times, during the first half of this season, his magic had went missing but in recent weeks returned to form. The Army is sincere is hoping to see he starts for Stonyburgh tonight in game 2.

On the other hand...if Waters isn't able to go...Wilburn definatley didn't look out of place as a replacement. He was wide awake right away and made about 5 saves in a row before getting beat on an exquisite bouquet of poweplay passing. Kinch...was doing some more pruning...pulling the petals off the Eagles penalty kill one by one...love me...love me not...check me...check me not. ..and then...catching someone leaning into the aroma of fresh cut floral...the final blossom came from Sproat who sniffed out the top corner with a seeding eye shot. An absolute" Rembrandt" at 6:12.

The Eagles knew they needed to generate something in the 3rd. They swung sticks, they took runs and they did everything they could to win back some momentum...already knowing they'd be going home down 1-0 in the best of 7 no matter what. Bakala made a big stuff on Kolisniak's breakaway bid but not long after, Blair Hennses broke the shut out bid on a beauty 3 way passing play. There were nasty points in the dying minutes. Skinner had cross checked Joe Vandermeer in the back in an utterly classless and obvious attempt to goad the Gens' into something. Brett Thurston had no choice but to respond when Referee Greenberg elected to turn a blind eye. Both players were ejected and Gens' assistant coach, Ryan Tobler blasted Greenberg for not being more controlling on the game. He too was sent to the room early...joining Matt Stefanishion and Trent Hunter who took early leave with injury troubles before the start of the 3rd period.

The Army have a few eager reserves waiting to get into the line up but we won't know until game time tonight what kind of a line up Coach Cote will go with in Stony Plain. Puck drop is 19:30HRS in the Glenn Hall Arena.