The Slayers were down 3-0 in the third period. They had their chances, but the Cuckoo's D and strong play by the goalie kept the Slayers off the score board. With about 7 minutes and some change remaining on the clock Drew-F-ing Barber found the back of the net. 'Finally!' the team was thinking as they cheered their first goal of the game. Then moments later the birds score a beautiful goal from Trevor G to Joe Peters.
Now down 4-1 and with the clock ticking, the Slayers are once again dejected. Bolton unleashed a rash of insults who was trying to fire up his dejected teammates. He even threaten the team with a level 5 demotion that stirred a bees nest in Brian's brezzers that started a wild change of events that will surely become Durango hockey legend. With only minutes remaining, the Slayers continued to battle and put an injured and angered Brian Cartwright on the ice. Emotionally fueled and fired-up Brian found the back of the net quickly with an off-angled wrister. The goal is credited to hard work in the Bird's end and Brian being in the right place.
On the very next rush Brian was carrying the puck through the crease, then tripped up by a Bird defenseman, he dives and pushes the puck past the extended skate of the Bird's goalie. The ice started to tilt. A minute later a break out pass by Cuckoos was knocked down, passed to Brian who buried it for the hat trick. Incredible! This was all done in one shift! The ice must look like a vertical wall in front of the Cuckoos goalie at this point. Then seconds later, during the same shift, Brian is chucked in the box for a hard check on Trevor G. At the face-off, the Birds call a time out to try to regroup. Then on their first rush, with the score tied 4-4, they nearly put one past Dale. Instead the puck goes wide and the Slayers break out, marching down toward the Cuckoo's goalie. However, fresh on the ice and in an odd position, Kev Kolb knocks down a Bird. As Brian exits the sin bin, Kevin is ushered in to serve his time.
Sitting in the box, Kevin can just watch as his team is a man down again with less than 12 seconds remaining. The Slayers dump the puck, Jordan grabs it and sends it around the boards, it slides to Brian who wrists his fourth goal of the game and gets the game winner. The Slayer's bench erupts. There is only 2.7 seconds remaining in the game. An incredible ending to a crazy game.
Brian did inform Blanchard that he was going to score 4 goals that night, and that was before they stepped on the ice. Who would have thunk he would have scored them the way he did. A raised glass to Brian. Cheers! What will he bring for the last game of the season and the playoffs? Stay tuned.
