PR - Spirit

Spirit come out on top in team-building game

It's still early in the season, but the Guelph Spirit may have experienced one of those games that brings a team together. In a nasty, penalty-filled affair, the Spirit emerged triumphant against a Chepstow Aces team that was more focussed on hitting everything that moved than winning the game.

The game started rough early, when Ruslan Fedotenko challenged Dion Phaneuf to a fight, by dropping his gloves on the ice. Phaneuf took one look at the taller but scrawnier Fedotenko and laughed it off, skating back to the bench. Fedotenko picked up two minutes for his troubles. Phaneuf then made him pay, opening the scoring with a blast from the point that eluded Thomas Vokoun.

The Spirit's smugness was short-lived though, as Marian Gaborik finished off a pretty passing play with Dominic D'Amour and Alexandre Picard to tie the game.

The Aces dirty work didn't stop there though. Less than two minutes after the powerplay goal, team owner and general manager (and hence, star center) Dave Walter ran Aaron Rome into the boards from behind. Rome was sore and slow to get up, but stayed in the game.

In the second period, the wheels looked to have come off for the Spirit. First, D'Amour picked up his second point of the night, scoring two minutes into the period for a 2-1 Aces lead. Phaneuf finally find a dance partner he considered worthy, as he and Todd Bertuzzi squared off for a spirited scrap that ended in a lot of wrestling and was scored a draw. Spirit defenceman Miko Kalteva, last year's Norris trophy winner, tried to exact some revenge for the earlier hit on Rome by slamming Walter into the boards, but earned his own two minute rest in the penalty box. Walter made him pay too, by setting up Sami Kapanen for his 5th of the season to make the score 3-1. Kapanen, who was let go last year from the Spirit as an unrestricted free agent, has been lighting things up in Chepstow with nine points in six games. Scoring against his former team must have been sweet satisfaction.

So the Spirit entered the third period sore, irate at the antics of the Aces and down 3-1. The Aces looked content to coast the rest of the way, but couldn't hold the lead at all, as Jeff O'Neill one-timed home a pass from Marian Hossa to bring the Spirit within one.

The Aces responded with more goonery. Erik Johnson parked himself in front of the Spirit net and slew-footed goalie Tommy Salo, a blatant penalty that the referees clearly missed. When Phaneuf stepped in to move him away, Johnson responded with a gloved shot to Phaneuf's face. Finally, the refs saw this maneuver and sat him down for two minutes. Now short-handed, one would expect the Aces to smarten up, but they obviously had been given new orders from their GM, Walter, to harass Salo. Unconfirmed rumours state that Walter could be hurt urging his troops to "get in his face" and "rattle his cage".

Well, fourth-line center Kamil Kreps, desperate to be noticed by the Aces GM, took the words to heart. While killing Johnson's penalty, he skated by the Spirit net and took a two-handed swing at Salo's head. His stick shattered across Salo's helmet and the goaltender slumped to the ice. The refs were so stunned they could only give Kreps a two-minute minor, although a linesman had the presence of mind to get Kreps off the ice before he was lynched by a furious Spirit team. Salo had to be helped from ice, disoriented and confused enough to think he actually *had* stopped the Belarussian shot from center ice. Marty Turco, the team's new backup, took his place.

The Spirit held off on revenge, as they were intent on the two-man advantage just handed to them. However, when the penalties expired without a goal, Phaneuf wasted no time in going after the man they saw responsible for the entire affair: Dave Walter. "Kreps obviously was just following orders," explained coach Brian Kilrea, who engaged in a shouting match with Walter following Krep's hit on Salo. "Dion was just doing what he thought was right."

It's fairly obvious that Walter should stick to what he does best - writing press releases (last year's PR winner). When it comes to fisticuffs, he isn't nearly as talented. Phaneuf extracted his pound of flesh, laying a beating on Walter that left him with a black eye, a cut on the forehead and a very swollen and bloody lip. Phaneuf was pulled away to the showers, still shouting at Walter. It's not known when Walter will next write a press release, although his fists are still in pristine shape, having failed to land a single blow against Phaneuf.

Of course, there was still a game to be played, and the Spirit's fourth-line immediately contributed, tying the match at 3, with Valterri Filpulla's second of the campaign. With the score now tied, Spirit center Petr Dvorak tried to spark the club by going after Fedotenko, but the wily Russian now was unwilling to engage and Dvorak received a roughing minor. This sparked the Spirit, and a minute later Alex Steen sprung Mike Fisher on a short-handed breakaway. He went five-hole on Vokoun and put the Spirit up 4-3. Realizing the game was now lost, the Aces gave up on playing hockey. Peter Aston threw an elbow at Filpulla, then Juraj Kolnik layed the lumber on Hossa. Hossa was having non of it and went right at Kolnik, who immediately turtled on the ice.

The game ended with 70 minutes in penalties being handed out, including two game misconducts and four fighting majors.

Spirit coach Kilrea was proud of his team after the game. "Obviously the Aces weren't prepared to play real hockey, and I'm really proud of how our guys responded. They weren't physically intimidated, took care of business, but also didn't forget that there were two points up for grabs.

"We've got a few new faces this year," said a gap-toothed Phaneuf after the game, "so it's good to have a bonding experience like this. We definitely showed that we're willing to stick up for our guys."

"That's a tough spot to come into," said Marty Turco, who picked up his first win of the game in relief of the injured Salo. "With Tommy out, you never know if they're going to come for you next. You try to keep that out of your mind and just focus on stopping the puck, but it's always on your mind a little."

Following the game, it was learned that Kreps had been suspended for five games, meaning he will miss the upcoming rematch with the Spirit. The Spirit reported that Salo would miss the next week or so with concussion-like symptoms.