The Norfolk Admirals, who are the Tampa Bay Lightning’s AHL affiliate, headed into tonight’s game with a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Marlies for the Calder Cup. The Marlies have been on quite a run to give the city of Toronto their first taste of a major sports championship since the Blue Jays’ World Series wins, but the Norfolk Admirals have been on a run of unbelievable proportions. They’ve lost three times since the Super Bowl back in February, and weren’t about to lose tonight. They were so determined to win that apparently they paid a stanchion off to give them the upper hand (via SB Nation Tampa Bay):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
1BPsaKNqBXc[/youtube]
Toronto netminder Ben Scrivens, who was also the first star of the game, came back behind the net to play the dump-in, only there was no dump in to be played. Admirals’ defenseman Mike Kostka dumped the puck in, but it wound up bouncing off of a stanchion instead of taking the route that Scrivens expected… and it wound up being the game winning goal.
The Marlies’ fans weren’t the only ones shaken up by the loss. Admirals head coach Jon Cooper actually said after the game that he was “sick to [his] stomach for Scrivens.” Aren’t we all (unless you’re an Admirals/Bolts fan)?
