2002/2003 Season

Highlights and Commentary

Training Camp 1

The day finally came. Golf clubs were put away, and the frantic search was on for all your pieces of hockey equipment that were scattered about.

Sticks and tape were bought, and blades sharpened. 

Dusty's Training Camp had arrived. 

Dusty's again was ravaged by retirements and free agency.  To fill up the gaping holes management again went out with the team chequebook to sign some big guns.  Management convinced Andre Beauchemin and his little brother Joe to suit up for the local heroes.  Hopefully they would be able to fill the gigantic shoes left by Marc Hebert, Ward Fyke and # 2 Meatball, Robert Tremblay. 

A search for a proven rearguard was still on.  Richard "Barney" Bernat was leaning towards coming out of retirement to suit up once again and deliver his many classic quotes in the dressing room, but team management were not too optimistic. 

First night of training camp started off badly.  Mike Dumaine called and said he was holding out.  Andre Beauchemin forgot to read his email, and Pierre Leclaire was OTS, Out there somewhere.

Frantic for some warm bodies, management coerced the once premier power forward, Ward Fyke to come and lace them up.  Still needing at least one more body, Meatball #2 was contacted and he gladly accepted the team's plea. 

With only 8 bodies, the first night would be difficult as an exhibition game was set up. 

The first 10 minutes of the game went very well, as everyone was filled with adrenaline.  But reality soon set in.  It was obvious that Barry Lavallee forgot to use his batch of Jergens during the summer as his granite hands re-appeared.  Was this the Barry that actually scored 60 goals last year?  Joe looked a little confused as he was trying to fit in with his new teammates. Donny "two sport" Trudeau had a permanent grimace on his face for the entire game.  Robert Perron looked very smooth in the early going.  JP Lafleche played it smart and avoided injury by picking his spots.  At times Brian looked like the goalie that won 26 games last year, but he also looked like a goalie capable of giving any game away.

In the end it was a good test for the local lads.  The beer was there to comfort us and hide any anxiety we had.  Off to the bar for some premium snacks and everything in the world was good.

It got even better when Barney showed up and announced that he was definitely coming out of retirement to lace them up once again!! 

quote of the evening 1:  yeah, give me a gross of condoms!

Training Camp 2

With the final training camp session under their belts, Dusty's Hockey Club has some serious questions surrounding them.

1.  Offence - With the departure of Marc Hebert, Ward Fyke and Robert Tremblay, management thought they had filled those holes with the acquisition of the Beauchemin brothers.  But training camp showed something a little different.  The team struggled to score some goals, and team timing appeared to be a little off.  Will Mike Dumaine get the sophomore jinx, and fail produce?  Will Barry Lavallee  prove to be a one season wonder?  Can the new blood fuse together with the old too create a well oiled unit?

2.  Defence - With Robert Perron holding out for the first three games of the season, the Big Three will have to be JP, Donny and Barney.  Will Barney respond after coming out of a one year retirement or will the ICE Man return?  Will Robert Perron get the sophmore  jinx?  Will Kelly Wallace be an effective spare defenseman? 

3.  Goaltending - Another huge question mark.  First session of training camp, Brian looked alright to very good.  But he seemed to take a step backward during the second training camp session. Will his 26 win season of last year be repeated?  Or will he go down as a one year freak show!!

Starting Monday, these questions will have to be answered, as the local heroes will be taking on one of their arch nemesis, The Broncos.  Hopefully Pierre Leclaire can read the schedule and realize the game starts at 8:45 in IDC.

Stay Tuned!!

Dusty's Ridden Hard by Bastard Bronco's

With training camp over, it was now time to see if the free agent dollars spent by Dusty's management. 

With the dropping of the puck, the first game of the 02/03 season began. 

And it began with Brian making a save on the first shot.  But, the second shot eluded him.  (an improvement from last year)  The Broncos played the unpopular trap, and Dusty's could not figure it out. 

Barry Lavallee continued to demonstrate his hands of stone as Brian struggled for some sort of form in goal.  The offence wasn't showing tonight, apparently, they lost their tickets for the big show. 

With 15 minutes left to play, the local heroes found themselves down 3-1.  Joe, Mike, Robert, Andre, all rattled the biscuit off the posts so far during the game.  But it was now crunch time.  The lads got one more, but the Broncos increased their lead to 4-2 

With a tremendous push, Dusty's got to within one. But then, Barney got a "how you doing" on his own blue line, and a Bronco broke free on Brian for the insurance marker. 

Knowing he had to redeem himself, Brian stared him down and denied the old man his piece of glory.

Pumped by the first big save of the year, the boys came back and tied it all up to save some face.

Final score was Bronco's 4, Dusty's 4.  Joe B.  was the star of the game with the first hat, and Mike Dumaine was the other goal scorer.  Barry Lavallee was shut out!!

Quote:  from Brian "gentlemen, I can tell you that the goaltending does get better, but it also gets worse"

   Storm Rise Up and Smother Dusty's

Another chapter in the heated battle between the Storm and Dusty's was played out this evening.  The Storm had not been able to beat Dusty's in the last three years.  Unfortunately, that trend would not continue tonight.

Was it because it was a back to back week for the boys?  A hot opposition goaltender?  Kelly Wallace playing defence?  Total lack of focus?  Who knows, but Dusty's could bag enough pucks behind the Storm goalie.  Posts and pads were the order of the evening for the local lads. 

Barry Lavallee finally managed to put the puck in the net with Joe and Robert T. rounding out the scoring.  But Dusty's was playing catch up all night long and could not pull out or salvage anything out of this game.

The Storm mangled the mesh behind Brian for 6 big goals.  Final score was Storm 6, Dusty's 3. 

Its a good thing the beer was cold, and the platters big and hot.  The winless start does not seem to be bothering the local heroes at this time.  Team chemistry is evolving.  Pierre is starting to come to the games on time.  All we need now is for Mike Dumaine to finish his frickin house so he can attend all the games.  The team is also looking forward to seeing Robert Perron back in uniform as word has it, he got cut from his latest European tryout. 

Don Trudeau is staring to heal, after a grueling baseball season.  Barney is rounding out into perfect form as demonstrated by the icing calls.  Andre is learning to adapt to his new skates, and Gerald is not missing his brother, yet.  JP finally got some real stretching in and should revert back to his steady style of play. 

Will the team find the winning ways soon?  Stay tuned till next week.  Tuesday at 8:45 vs the Lorette Eagles.

        Lorette Eagles Claw Dusty's Goaltender

With the local Heroes looking for their first win, optimism was abound in the dressing room.  Their task would not be easy, as they were facing the smooth skating Eagles.  Would the much vaunted Dusty's offence finally show up this evening?

The puck was dropped and the game was on.  In no time it was 6 - 2 for the Eagles.  Dusty's was being burned at every facet of the game.  Offence, defence and especially goaltending.  

Enough was enough.  The newly hired guns that signed on the dotted line for Dusty's dug down and found some inspiration.  The tempo increased and Joe and Mike put on a clinic.  

The game was tied and back and forth it went.  But unfortunately Brian was in a pile of quicksand all night.  The local heroes mustered 10 goals, and on most night, that would guarantee a win.  But it took all 10 goals to come away with a stinkin tie.  Final score Eagles 10, Dusty's 10.  

SilverHawks Feast on Dusty Flambé

Trying to rebound from a disaster on Tuesday, the local lads made their way out to St. Adolphe to try and find their first win. 

But Dusty's took a couple of early blows, even before the game started.  Robert Perron and Mike Dumaine abandoned their team once again. With only 8 healthy bodies, and a fragile minded goaltender, things were looking grim.  

A long story short, it was a catastrophic evening.  Brian looked even worse on this night.  The eight skaters were worn into the ice.  The biggest highlight was Don Trudeau with the hat!!

Final score was The SilverHawks 14, Dusty's 8.

    Gunners Get "Trapped" By Dusty's

Dusty's still looking for their elusive first win, made the long trek out to the Mitchell arena.  Once again, they were abandoned by their teammates, Mike and Robert.  With Barry, Stonehands in Toronto, Dusty's stepped onto the ice with only 7 skaters and a goalie looking for some kind of identity.

During the pre-game huddle, it was decided to implement the Classic Dusty's trap.  The scourge of many opposing hockey teams!

It was looking like the strategy was paying off, as the local heroes took a 3 - 1 lead.  But the Gunners kept on coming and Brian was still having hard time putting a handle on his game, as 3 weak goals went behind him. 

Andre tied the game at 4 on a penalty shot.  But seconds later, the Gunners were awarded their own penalty shot.  The classic confrontation between good and evil awaited.  As the team held their breath, the Gunner forward headed straight for Brian. 

Knowing he had to redeem himself, and find some confidence for him and more importantly his team, he steadied himself and stared down the opposing player and turned him a way with a big dose of rejection.

Spurned on by this momentum shift, Dusty's into the Gunners zone, and knocked in the biscuit for the winning goal.  Dusty's first win was in the Bag!!!

Final score was Dusty's 5, Gunners 4. 

Next game is Tuesday night at 8:45 in IDC.

Dusty's record is now 1 win, 2 losses and 2 ties.

.500 Hockey, Dusty's is Back

With their first win under their belt, the local heroes took to the ice on Tuesday we renewed vigor and confidence.  The team also welcomed back Robert Perron, but Mike Dumaine was still very much absent. 

Barry Lavallee was still boozing it up in TO so Dusty's called up Kelly Wallace and Robert Tremblay.  Even with the new faces in the lineup, the smell of victory was in the air.

Except for Brian, all he could smell was the stench from his first 6 outings in goal.  Was there ever a goalie with less confidence than Brian?  Who knows.

The game was on and Brian stopped the first shot, but quickly enough let the second shot go by.  In no time it was 2 zip for the WPG Eagles.   You could feel the sigh of hopelessness from the local bench. 

The boys did manage to put the early deficit behind them and poured it on the opposition.  The game ended and Dusty's was the victor by a score of 10 - 6. 

The offence that was missing early on in the season was now found.  Maybe all these goals scored is a direct result of having Stonehands in TO for the past week. 

In any case, if the goaltending could just improve a little, things will go very well this season.  Also, if Mike Dumaine could ever finish building his frickin house and show up for a game!!

Dusty's now stands at 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties.

Next game is Tuesday at 8:45 at the IDC Arena.

Blues Singing Them, Dusty's Writing the Notes

With the local Heroes at .500, optimism was abound in the dressing room.  Tonight they would be facing the Blues, a huge nemesis in the side of Dusty's.  But for the first time this season, the entire team showed up to play tonight.  Dusty's had already won one battle this evening. 

A passing clinic was put on by Joe and Andre as Dusty's stormed out to an early lead.  With Brian finding some form in goal this evening,  the game looked to be well in control. Both lines were firing tonight, and the defence was solid.

In the end it was Dusty's 6, Blues 2.  Dusty's record is now 3 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties.

After hours at the bar was another battle waiting to be fought.  It was Dusty's vs 9 pounds of chicken fingers (approx 100 fingers). With cold Coors Light, and Molson Canadian at their side, the chicken stood no chance.  With the victory in sight, Dusty's grabbed the few remaining strips and swallowed them whole!!   A doubleheader of victories tonight for the good guys. 

                    World Wild Life Fedaration Called out, As Dusty's Lowers the Boom on Hapless Seals!

Back on the road for the 8th game this season, the boys were feeling confident even though they knew Mike Duamine would not be making the trip tonight. 

In the past the Seals have not been able to muster much of challenge to the local Heroes.  Tonight was no different.  Another clinic of passing was put on by the forwards.  It is very obvious that something is wrong with Pierre L. hands.  Did some voodoo doctor put a spell on him?  Did Barry "Granite Paws" Lavallee kidnap Pierre and amputate his hands for his own?  Whatever happened, its an ugly sight.  Even with his new gloves, Pierre cannot find his form from last year.  Maybe that "form" has been lost with the implementation of Molson Canadian into the Dusty's cooler. 

As it was, the boys ripped out to a huge lead, let the Old Men come back a little.  The closest the score got was 7 - 4, but the final score was 12 - 4 for the good guys. 

Dusty's has now won 4 straight and their record is now 4 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties. 

Next game is Tuesday night vs the Glenwood Stars at 8:45.

Dusty's recored is now 4 wins, 2 losses and 2 Ties

Dusty's See Nothing But Black Hole, As Stars Shut Out Dusty's

Last night was a huge test for the local heroes.  They would be facing an impressive, fast skating, aggressive hockey team.  This game would be the biggest challenge of the season.

With the entire team present, the local heroes knew they had a chance.  But it was revealed before game time that Pierre and his compadre Barry, close down the Corner Bar the night before and were looking a tad on the pale side.  The question was posed to Barry, What time did you get home last night?  And Barry just replied, late, as he could not piece together Monday night. 

The puck dropped and the anticipation of a high intensity game came into being.  Fast skating and and the occasional (un)intentional body check was the norm for the evening. 

Dusty's penetrated the opposition zone but could not find the trigger as Stars never game up on the backcheck.

At the other end of sheet, Brian was having his best game of the year, and was successfully holding the Stars at bay.

The first goal against the local heroes was a bit of fluke, but that was all the Stars needed. Dusty's could not bury any pucks into the mesh.  With the defence playing a solid game,and Brian remaining hot the game remained close at 2 to 0 for 30 minutes.  But the relentless Stars broke through to add 3 more goals to their tally.  Dusty's was not outplayed, but outchanced and outscored. 

The final was Stars 5 - Dusty's 0. 

But the boys quickly put the loss behind them with some cold Coors Light and and some premium steak sandwiches at the local tavern. 

Next game is Thursday night at 8:30 in Ste. Agathe.  We are hoping that our two members of AA can stay home Wednesday night and get some rest. 

Royals Sentence Dusty's Back to .500 Hockey

Attempting to shake off the shutout from Tuesday night, the local Heroes got on the team bus and made the trek south to Ste. Agathe for an encounter with the Royals. 

Missing tonight was Rob Perron and Richard Bernat.  That would mean a forward would have to volunteer to play defence. 

Pierre Leclaire was the man to attempt the blue line position, and early on, it was not the right move.  The Royals with their relentless forecheck forced Dusty's into uncharacteristic mistakes and soon they were up 1 to nothing.

Dusty's responded with 3 quick goals of the highlight reel fashion to take the lead.  With Brian having another strong game in the pipes, things were looking good. 

But the wheels fell off the bus in a hurry as the opposition scored 4 quick goals.  It broke Dusty's back.  The local lads could only watch in disbelief as the Royals quickly dismantled this proud franchise. 

Final score was Royals 13, Dusty's 6.  Dusty's drops to 4 wins, 4 losses and 2 ties. 

To regroup, the team headed down to the Corner Tavern and devoured 140 chicken wings and analyse the game.  The concensus was:  forget about it, we play again on Tuesday night!!

Broncos Busted By High Flying Dusty's

Reeling from a 2 game losing streak, the local Heroes knew they had to muster up a better effort tonight than they did last week.  historically facing the Broncos  would bring a little more of an edge to home town team.

With the entire squad available for this evening's tilt, confidence was high.  The Local Heroes busted out of the gate to a 3 - 1 lead and then for some reason hit the coast button.  The Bronco's made it 3-2 but that was as close as they could get.

Joe B. continued demonstrating to Dusty's management that they made the right decision as he potted 3 more goals to increase his tally to over 30 goales in 11 games so far this season.

Even Barry "Marble or is that Granite Hands" Lavallee bagged a big one tonight on a sweet breakaway set up beautifully by Johnny Lafleche.  Just like we drew it up in practice!!!!

In the end the final score was 8 to 4 for Dusty's

Dusty's is now 5 - 4 - 2 on the season.

        WPG Eagles Scream to Defeat, As Dusty's Take it  to Them on The Road

It was looking mighty bleak on Saturday afternoon as game time was closing in.  Dusty's would be without some key players today.  Donny and JP, two of the Big Three from the defence were absent.  Mike "please finish building your fucking house" Dumaine was AWOL and Pierre Leclaire had to miss the match at the last minute.

But this is why Dusty's has THE major scouting system.  Calls went out and some positions were filled.  Coming out of semi-reitirement  was Bones "magic man" Bouvier with those sweet hands of his.  Next up was Al Comeault, a youngster with tons of speeed and Robert Perron brought out another youngster by the name of Scott.  Yes, Dusty's managements fingers probe deep into the heartland of hockey.

If with these acquisitions the local Heroes would only be fielding a team with 8 skaters this evening.  To make matters worse, Andre B had the flu, Joe B with a pulled groin, and Brian with a neck so stiff he was already questioning his effectiveness in the pipes tonight before the game even started.

Just before the puck dropped the boys huddled together and settled on the strategy for the game.  The formidable Dusty's Trap would be put into effect tonight.

But from the huddle to the face-off, the strategy was changed.  Instead of the trap it was "Put the peddle to the Floor" hockey.  And the boys did. 

The offence was all over the pitiful Eagles, and the defensive coverage was right there as well.  When the opposition did manager to break through, Brian was there, heaping out big doses of rejection.

The home team did not know what hit them as Dusty's stormed to a 5- nothing lead.  That pedal never come off the floor, even in the waning minutes of the game, Barry Lavallee was still pouring it on, in the style that only his teammates could appreciate. 

The Magic Man demonstrated why he is such a commodity in the hockey world with his great work in the face-circle and those sweet hands in the offensive zone.  AB trudged on like the veteran trooper he is, and led the young ones on the attach.

Richard Bernat, with his wife and kids in stands, popped one from the Blue Line. Joe B. continued to add to his record breaking goal total. Robert Perron bagged another one tonight and was a force in his own zone all night.  Al Comeault, shook off some early game rust and flicked the the frozen biscuit by the opposition goaltender.

In the end it was a tremendous effort by these 8 road warriors.  Final score was Dusty's 7, Eagles 3. 

Next game is Monday night at 9:15 vs the Fames in the Glenwood Arena.

Flames Singe Dusty's in Tight Contest

Monday night hockey has never been a strong point for Dusty's.  Undaunted, the local lads headed on the road to Winnipeg to face a villainous enemy known as the Flames.

The night was looking grim as the dressing was short 4 skaters.  Andre was out with some old man diesease,  Donny was AWOL, Mike Dumaine was OTS.

An urgent call went out and the and coming out to rescue the team was Corey "Chains" Belot".  Just as  the game started, Mike Dumaine appeared, but Donny never showed.

It was a defensive struggle, with end to end action but in the end, it was Flames 4, Dusty's 3. 

ps Barry scored 3 goals

   Gunners Implode as Dusty's Had all the Bullets

Looking to get back on the winning track, Dusty's was looking forward to tonight's game.  The Gunners have not been able to match up well against Dusty's on their ice, and tonight would be no different.

Joe B.  kept on with his scoring ways.  It was a slaughter, as Dusty's pounded the opposition net with both barrels. The Gunners finally broke through and put one behind Brian to break the shutout bid.

In the end it was Dusty's 13, Gunners 4. 

ps Barry scored 3 goals again

Dusty's Get Burned by Goaltending, Toasters Cook Brian for 9 Scores

Tonight was like any other night.  The boys were on the road for this game.  The scene for this upcoming debacle was the Ste. Agathe Arena.  

The Local Heroes would be facing a team that they totally outclassed.  It looked like a sure W.

But Brian didn't bring his A game.  He just brought a game.  With one of the poorest outings of the year by Brian, Dusty's could only salvage a tie.  Even with Joe B. scoring another six goals and assaulting all Dusty's scoring records, even with Rob Tremblay with the Hat could not turn this match of shinny into a win for the good guys.

Brian could not "see" the puck all night.  But all blame cannot be laid at his feet.  Dusty's Energizer Battery Impressionist, Barry Lavallee looked more like a standard Ray O Vac as he was SHUT OUT this evening.

Final Score was Dusty's 9, Toasters 9.

Dusty's record is now 7 Wins, 5 Losses, and 3 ties.

Dusty's Tame Renegades With Merciless Offensive Attack

Stinging from their last effort, Dusty's was looking to inflict their revenge on some unsuspecting foe. Tonight it would be the Renegades from St. Norbert. 

The game had a very tentative start as Dusty's came gingerly out of the gate.  Right off the bat, it was very noticeable that Brian had brought his game tonight, as in the early going he shut the door down on a Renegades penalty shot. 

The local heroes went ahead by one but the Renegades tied it up.  Dusty's took two one goal leads but the opposition tied it up both times. 

All of sudden the dam burst and mighty offensive powerhouse of Dusty's shook off its cautious playing and took it to the Renegades.  Robert Perron, Rob Tremblay, Barry Lavalee, Pierre Leclair, Gerald Hebert, all put biscuits into the meshed cupboard this evening.  With only 15 mins left in the game, Joe B had not scored yet, but he finished the night with 3 or 4 goals. 

Victorious again the boys headed to the corner tavern to devour 3 King Sized platters and consume some ice cold refreshing Molson Canadien. 

Final score was Dusty's 11, Renegades 3. 

Next game is Monday night vs the Lorette Eagles. 

    Revamped Squad Handles Fast Skating Eagles

It was proven again, that Monday night hockey is not high on the list of favorite nights for the local Heroes to play on. Missing 4 skaters, Dusty's management went to its scouting system again and banged the bushes and found some capable bodies.

On the positive side, Andre B. returned from sickness to play his first game in two weeks. 

The puck was dropped and the game was on.  Back and forth it went, with the Eagles striking first blood with their first shot on net. 

Undaunted, Dusty's stormed back to tie it up.

Andre B put on clinic of shooting and passing this evening and was rewarded with 4 goals.  With the absence of Barry Lavallee, Pierre L. took it upon himself to do all the crashing and banging. Effective he was. 

At one point, it looked like the local Heroes might have lost Donny Trudeau as he went down and awkwardly twisted his bum leg.

Mike Dumaine played defense tonight but Dusty's overcame that piece of flawed strategy. 

With the usual offensive output from Joe B and some timely saves by Brian, Dusty's went on to win the game 11 to 7. 

Next game is Tuesday night vs The Fools.

Army of Fools Take Down Dusty's

Maybe one of the biggest games of the year was about to be played out this evening.  The Fools from Winnipeg with some players cast adrift by Dusty's would be visiting IDC tonight. 

The Local Heroes felt and looked confident as the entire squad was out,  even though Mike Dumaine showed up only 5 minutes before the game started, and he would pay the price for it later on.

The game began and Dusty's started out very gingerly, as The Fools had 15 skaters this evening.  Their biggest turn out.  To combat this, Barry Lavallee was back from sickness, and the boys were counting on him to aggravate the piss out of the opposition. 

As in the previous game, the first shot on Brian went in.  Brian looked shaky from the get go and never really found his groove.

The game was intense and back and forth all night.  The Big three along with Barney successfully kept the The Fools' big guns wide all night, but Brian could not hold the fort.  The turning point might have been the penalty shot that Brian did not stop. 

As for the good guys, Barry Lavallee, with his antagonizing play, was rewarded with two penalty shots but could only convert one of them.

Mike Dumaine had a strong game with a couple of goals but shredded his groin because of the lack of a proper warmup.

The final was Fools 5, Dusty's 4. 

Next game is Saturday afternoon vs Glenwood. 

   Short Handed Dusty's Cannot Overcome Shoddy Goaltending

If Sunday Hockey is the worst night, and Monday night is a close second, team Management has no idea what to call Saturday night hockey.

Again the local Heroes were shorthanded for a Saturday evening contest.  To make matters worse, some players were still feeling the effects of previous evenings festivities.  For sure the Brian the goaltender was.

With a total lack of warmup, and the opposition fielding 16 skaters to Dusty's 8, it appeared it would be a long evening for the boys.

For the third straight game the first shot on goal blew right by Brian.  Weak in the knees and fuzzy in the mind from last nights indulgence of red wine, the second shot of the night also went right by him. 

Things were looking mighty grim as the bad guys took a 3 nothing lead.  After each goal Brian longingly looked over at the bench wishing he could see a back up.

But the Boys never gave up.  Led by Barry Lavallee's third hat trick in 7 games, the Local Heroes were about to make a game of it.  Dusty's got as close as 5 to 4 but Brian who appeared to have alcohol poisoning was still trying to find some form. 

After the halfway point of the game, Brian shook off enough cobwebs to finish strong, but the boys were too far in hole to come all the way back.

Donny Trudeau bagged a couple with Joe and Andre adding some offense as well.

Alas, with sub par goaltending, the Local Heroes fell 11 to 7 on the night.

Dusty's record is now 9 wins, 7 losses and 3 ties.

Next game is Tuesday night in IDC. 

Quick Wrap UP

Following the past debacle, Dusty's reeled off 3 straight wins.  Dusty's outscored their opposition 37 to 19 over the past three games.  Maybe Brian was still feeling the effects of the wine.  Dusty's record now stands at 12 wins, 7 losses and 3 ties.

   New Year, No Resolutions Needed

With all the turkey finally digested, bodies free of alcohol, wallets emptied of money, it was time for the local Heroes to return to the ice .

To mark the halfway point in the season, Dusty's would be taking on the pain in the ass Storm.  Still stinging from defeat at the hands of the Storm in the opening game of the season, the boys had something to prove. 

The game had a very sluggish start, as Dusty's had not been on their blades for over two weeks.  But as the game wore on, the Boys found their legs. 

Is there a more talented player than Joe B?  With only half the season gone, estimates are that this man has over 60 goals for the local heroes.  Its a good thing, as last year's goal leader, Mike Dumaine has gone into the tank.

But tonight was another Joe B evening.  With 4 goals, all of the highlight reel variety, the boys took it to the Storm.  The Barnyard Dog, still bitter from the lack of communication from team management was a force in his zone all night, laying down the lumber when he had to. 

Pierre Leclaire and Barry Lavallee were obvisouly bad during the past year, as Santa DID NOT bring them a new set of hands.  Robert P, and Donny T. looked strong.

Andre B and Gerald H both had strong performances showing that the old guard still has some left in the tank for the 2nd half of the season.

Brian G, though not busy in goal this evening did stop a penalty shot and was good enough to get the victory.  (Mind you , he did not have to be that good)

In the end it was Dusty's 12, the Storm 2.  Dusty's record is now 13 wins 7 losses and 3 ties.  Next game is Tuesday night at IDC. 

Mid Season Stats

GP 23   W 13  L 7  T 3

Goals For 187  Goals Against 139

Avg Goals per Game 8.13

Avg Goals against per game 6.04

Home Record

GP 11   W 7  L 3  T 1

Away Record

GP 12 W 6  L 4  T 2

Dusty's Climbs the Mountain, All the Way Back!!

The Local Lads were looking to continue their winning ways and get their winning streak to a season high 5 games.  Standing in their way were the Toasters.

Boosted by the return of Mike "I think I'm still a Northstar" Dumaine, and having the entire team out, the boys were confident of victory

But the game did not start on a positive note.  It looked like Dusty's had not digested all the holiday turkey yet. 

The Toasters jumped out to a 3 nothing lead before Mike Dumaine replied for the good guys. But before they knew, the Toasters took a 5 to one lead.  Dusty's thought they were going to be in for a long evening. 

But the troops rallied and cut the lead to 5 to 3.  With the game hanging in the balance, Mike Duamine was awarded a penalty shot.  Mike choked, the Toasters increased their lead to 6 - 3.

Undaunted and unfazed Joe B took matters into his own hands.  Leading the charge, with some beauties by Gerald and Andre the local lads tied up the game. 

Brian shaking off some more rust found some form, and held the Toasters off the score-sheet for the remainder of the game, including a couple of breakaway saves. 

A tied game was not enough this evening and the boys stomped on the throat of the Toasters and added 3 more tallies.  

Final score was Dusty's 9 - Toasters 6.

The boys went to the local tavern for snacks and refreshments.  As the plate of bird was brought out, Richard had the quote of the night "Better dig in boys, or you're going home hungry tonight!"

Dusty's Fall Off the Mountain

Riding a season high 5 game winning streak, the Local Heroes hit the road for a Thursday night tilt with the Landmark Senior Blues.  Dusty's would be without Rob Perron tonight, but they brought up Corey Belot from the farm.

Mike Dumaine showed up late, and that caused much stress for the Barnyard Dog.  Dusty's stepped onto the ice and that was about as positive a play as the boys had all night. 

The  Blues simply outclassed Dusty's this evening.  From the goaltending out, it appeared the local heroes were in a trance all night.  Even the scathing outbursts from Richard could not shake Dusty's out of their doldrums. 

The problems of the night were exemplified when Gerald broke his brand new stick in the boards of the rink. 

The final score was Blues 9, Dusty's 3. 

Barney said it best when he stated:  This game should just be erased!!!!

Next game is Tuesday night at IDC. 

Hitmen Set Sights On Dusty's Hapless Goaltender

Needing to shake off their losing ways, the Local Heroes wee looking to lower the boom on the Hitmen.

Robert Perron was unavailable for this evening's contest, so Team Management brought up Kelly Wallace from the farm club.

The game started off and it was all Dusty's. Andre Beauchemin scored the first 4 goals of the game for the Local Heroes to build up a 4 - 1 lead.   But somewhere it is said, that no matter how many goals you score, you still need a goalie decent enough to keep enough pucks out of the net.

Tonight, Brian Gareau did his best imitation of Patrick Roy, aka, December 6 1995, when Patrick was burned for 9 goals vs the Wings.  But, he was not being helped by Kelly Wallace as he looked to have the big club jitters and gave the puck away three times.

Still, Dusty's was beating the Hitmen in every aspect of the game except goaltending. In spite of the black hole in the Dusty's net, the local heroes had the lead for most of the game.  The Hitmen finally tied it up at 8 and then went ahead by 2.  It looked like the boys could not believe the implosion happening in their own goal.

Dusty's came back with one more goal, but that was it.  The final score was 10 - 9 for the bad guys.

To put an exclamation point on the game, JP was nailed for tripping which resulted ina penalty shot.  As JP skated by Brian, he apologized.  Brian's response:  "The way I'm playing tonight, this is going to be a snap!!!"  Brian was then promptly beat upstairs to the blocker side.

Game over. 

Dusty's Not Intimidated by SilverHawks

Questions were swirling around all night before game time.  Would Brian bounce back, could Robert Tremblay take Mike Dumaine's place, Could Andre Beauchemin keep up his torrid scoring pace after turning 39 the day before? Would Barney's new Nike Lumber hold up?

This game was all about old fashion in your face hockey. Many battles were fought all over the ice.

Round 1:  Robert Perron leveling a Hawk in front of the Dusty's goal.

Round 2:  A puke of a Hawk attempted to decapitate Donny behind the goal.

Round 3:  Barry Lavalle is almost be-headed by the Puke Hawk.

Round 4:  Big Surprise, Barry Lavalle mixing it up with another Hawk

Round 5:  The Puke Hawk in Brian's crease.  Brian gives him a shot, Puke strikes back then Brian power slams the Puke into the ice. 

Decision goes to Dusty's on points. 

Besides the old fashioned hockey, some pretty goals were scored, Brian bounced back with a strong performance.  Pieces of Nike Lumber were stuck in many of the Hawk,s arms and legs, Joe B and Andre B put on another show, Robert Tremblay notched a score, JP Lafleche sacrificed his body on more than one occasion and the beer was cold.

Final score was 7 - 7. 

Summary of the Past 5 Games

Two wins, Two losses and a tie.  Brian out for two games with the flu. Kelly Wallace and Dennis LaFleche filling in admirably for him.  Kelly with a win and Dennis with a tie. 

Joe B still scoring.  Mike Dumaine, still missing in action.  Donny Trudeau still hurting.  Barry still needing some hands.  Barney still barking.  Andre still skating.  Gerald still going.  Pierre still checking to see if he somehow has Barry's hands. 

       WPG Eagles Pull Out Win in Final Minute

Another Saturday game for the local Heroes and that meant another dip into the talent pool of the Dusty's farm system.  Needing four warm bodies, the scouts recalled Dan "magic man" Bouvier, Corey"Chains" Belot, Junior Lavallee, and Warren K. from Brian's work.

With a full lineup for tonights game, expectations were high.  But the wily veteran, Andre Beauchemin, was seen carousing at the Local Tavern from 11:00am until an hour before game time.

Barry and Brian rescued him from the rye and hauled him to the game.

The match opened up at a crisp pace and the local lads went up 1 nothing.  Back and forth the game was until the Eagles tied it up.  Most of the action was in the Eagles zone, but Dusty's could not bury their numerous chances.

At the other end, Brian was fighting the puck sometimes, but generally holding things together.  The defensive pairing of Bones and Chains was something to behold.  It took them about 59 minutes to gel and by that time the game was over. 

Andre B must have been drinking some pretty offensive rye, as the team never saw him on the backcheck. The turning point of the game could have been this.  Brian robbing an Eagle forward with with a double stacked pad save, and then Andre being sent in all alone. this would have put the boys up by 3 but instead AB could not deliver.

Momentum was clearly on the Eagles side as they pressed the attack.  The local lads managed to tie up the game at 7, but Barry Lavallee took an invisible roughing penalty with a minute left in the game.

All eyes were on Brian as he needed to turn away the penalty shot to preserve the tie.  But about 10 seconds later, all eyes were rolling as Brian could not make the save when it counted. 

Final score was Eagles 8 Dusty's 7. 

Dusty's record is now 16 wins, 11 losses and 5 ties.

Fools Turn Tables on Dusty's, Dusty's Look Like Jokers

Another Monday night hockey game for the local Heroes.  Another Monday night debacle. 

With Mike Dumaine still looking for the Bertrand Arena as of this day, Dusty's was shorthanded for this evening's tilt with the fools.

Two minutes into the game it was 1 - 0 for the Fools, and the hurt kept coming.  With a total lack of intensity for all facets of the game, offense, defense and goaltending, the Local Heroes were easy meat for the primed up Fools.

Final score was Fools 9, Dusty's 4.

Dusty's Put It All Together and Take Out Built up Frustration on Feeble Storm

Reeling from a stretch of total underachieving, the Local Heroes were looking to put the pieces back together.

To assist this effort, management brought up a speedster by the name of Kelly Wallace.  Looking to maybe stick with the Big Club, Kelly set out to prove he belonged in the big leagues.

He did not let the team down.  Playing a well disciplined game, Kelly bagged 4 big goals tonight and showed team management that he may be ready for this league.

The rest of the team also picked it up a couple of notches.  The Storm opened up the scoring on a weak goal but this seemed to wake up the sleeping guns. 

Wave after wave of offense was hurtled at the opposition Storm who could not turn the tide, no matter what they tried.  When they did break through, Brian was steady enough in the cage to turn them back.

It was a complete effort and the final scored demonstrated it.

Dusty's 13  - Storm 3.

Sunday Night's Are Meant for the Couch and Remote Control

Another Sunday night, another trying effort by the Local Lads.  Shorthanded with only 7 skaters, it was looking grim.

Tonight Dusty's would need an all star effort from their goaltender to escape with any dignity.  Dusty's is still waiting.

Final score was the Gunners 13, Dusty's 3.

Bronco's Beat Beleagueured Dusty's

Still stinging form the whooping on Sunday, team management decided to make some changes to shake things up.

Out was Brian.  Team management found a new goalie for this evening, and put Brian out on right wing.

In the early going, all was well as Dusty's opened up a 3 to 1 lead.  But then darkness descended.  With the score 3 -1 the Bronco's scored 3 goals on the same shift to go ahead 4 - 3. 

To add insult to injury, the old netminder at the other end was holding the vaunted Dusty's attack at bay.

With the Bronco's up up by 2, Dusty's notched a tally to cut the lead to 5 -4. With only 2 minutes remaining, a questionable decision to pull the goalie occurred.  The Bronco's gained possession of the puck and fired the biscuit into the yawning cage.

Final score Bronco's 6 Dusty's 4.

Dusty's record is now 17 wins, 15 losses and 5 ties.

Determined Effort Pushes Dusty's Past Toasters

Reeling from Tuesday loss, and trying find some consistency, Jeckyll and Hyde Local Heroes hit the road for this evening's tilt.

With the retune of 70 goals Joe Beauchemin, there were some positive vibes in the room prior to game time.  The game before, JP asked Donny Trudeau if he was going to ever score again and Donny's reply was, I haven't scored since November.

One big negative was the mysterious absence of Rob Perron. Dusty's would be going with 3 D tonight.

As for the norm, the Toasters opened up the scoring with a weak goal on Brian, but the local lads tied promptly tied it up.

Donny "Sweet November" Trudeau graced the team with a heater to the right corner that had the Toasters goalie still looking for the puck. Barry Lavallee chipped in a couple of goals. 

Joe B scored a some beauties and the Angry Farmer had another strong game. 

With the local lads leading 5 - 3 the Toasters mounted a counter attack and went ahead 6 to 5. 

Digging deep the local lads pressed the opposition. With Brian making some Hasek type saves at the other end, Dusty's vowed not to let this game go.

The boys tied it up and then iced her away. 

One hell of a gritty performance for a bunch looking for some confidence and identity.

Dusty's record is now 18 wins, 15 losses and 5 ties.

Next game is Tuesday night.  A rematch of the Royal Rumble with the SilverHawks.

No Rumbling, No Goaltending, No Win

It was looking good on Tuesday, as the Dusty's arch nemesis, the SilverHawks showed up with only 8 skaters. 

With no Joe, the big club called up Kelly Wallace.  The big club was anxious to see if Kelly could put back to back games together for the local heroes. 

With much penetration, but no satisfaction, Dusty's was frustrated most of the evening.  Kelly could not find the trigger this evening, as every shot he put into the pads of the opposition goaltender.

At the other end, Brian was shaky at best.

In the end it was not much of a contest as the Hawks blew 8 goals past Brian, Mike Dumaine did not pick up the reins, and Barry Lavallee's new stick brought him little success. 

The problem this evening was exemplified when Pierre L. missed a wide open net. 

Final score was Hawks 8 - Dusty's 4.

Quote of the night:  Hey, pass me that pizza cutter, you're holding it like a girl holds a cell phone!!!!

   Character Tie Buoys Local Heroes

Tonight the local heroes would be making the trip south to face the ST. Pierre Pioneers.  In the past this would be guaranteed win night, but with a re-tooled opposition, and an underachieving local squad, the sure things were no longer so sure.

Pierre Leclaire showed up with a new weapon, but similar results followed. 

JP Lafleche jumped into the defenceman scoring race with a beaut, and Rob Perron also added one. 

Mike Dumaine was a force all night, but tunnel vision seemed to inhibit his effectivenss to his linemates.

In the pipes, Brian made some saves (we'll take it) but no stellar performance was forthcoming. 

With the score 6-5 for the bad guys, Mike Dumaine was awarded a penalty shot. With only a minute left in the game, could the man who owes a box beer to the team pull them into a tie?  The moment was tense but Mike Dumaine delivered.  A goal that is, still waiting for the beer.

Final score was Dusty's 6, Pioneers 6.

Dusty's record is now: 18 wins 16 losses and 6 ties.

Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Going down the home stretch, the Local Lads are struggling.  Trying to right a sinking ship, the boys faced the evil Flames on this night. 

Without their superstar Joe Beauchemin, a win tonight may not be feasible option. 

At the huddle Brian told Barry that he saved himself for this game by not running, or aerobics before.  Five minutes into the game, as a shot from the blue line went over Brian's left shoulder, Barry skated by and said, "maybe a little jog would done you some good"

Not to fear, the local lads came back to tie it.  It was a sloppy game, as Dusty's had no goaltending again, some atrocious giveaways in the defensive zone and two penalties that resulted in one goal. 

Brian continued his year long struggles in goal as he could not come up with the big save when needed.

Barry Lavallee looked like the Barry of old, as his stone hands potted him two BFI type goals as he was all over the ice tonight. 

Pierre Leclair, still fighting the disease that has affected his once smooth hands missed a glorious opportunity.  Andre also missed a wide open net.

The Barnyard Dog was 200 pounds of frustrated farmer has he laid out the verbal abuse to his teammates.  This is man who just wants to win.

With the score 7 - 4 for the bad guys, Dusty's turned up the dial another notch and scored two big goals to cut the lead to 1.  But time ran out and another loss on record is recorded. 

What is wrong with this machine we call Dusty's?  It appears its missing a few ball bearings and it is not the well oiled unit it once was. 

But all was forgotten at the local tavern as the delicious bird was brought out.  The question went out about a new team picture and Barry responded:

"I've got super trick digital camera at work, I just don't know how to use it"

Next game is Thursday night vs the Hitmen.  Come out and watch, as it will be  revised lineup as 4 regulars will be missing in action.

To plug the holes management is bringing out the smooth skating Kelly Wallace, #2 meatball Robert Tremblay, Corey"Chains" Belot and the newest spare, Martin Nolet.

Hitmen Pegged by Andre Beauchemin

With a revamped lineup for tonight's match, the outcome of this evening's game was not a sure thing. 

Andre B., who was going to take the night off, decided to suit up and Dusty's is sure glad he did.

The Hitmen opened the scoring on a weak goal (nothing new for Brian) but Andre tied it up for the Local Heroes.  It was a good thing as Andre  was the only Dusty forward who brought his A game to the rink.

The score went back and forth, with Brian dipping down to new levels of ineptitude.  But every time the Hitmen went ahead, Andre was there to put in the equalizer.

With the score 5 - 4 for the bad guys, the wily veteran Andre, went to work. He single handedly tied the game and potted the winner. 

Barry "Granite Hands" Lavallee, and Pierre Leclair ( Barry's newest protege) played with meatball #2 tonight, but could not generate any positives. 

The Big three on defence had a strong game, and the Barnyard Dog played with his usual intensity. 

As for the goaltending, well there are only 3 games left and Brian won't be there for two of them. 

But the star of the night was 39 year old Andre Beauchemin who scored two natural Hatricks.  Final score was Dusty's 6, Hitmen 5. 

The bar was lively tonight as the team celebrated their victory.  Platters and beer go a long way. 

Dusty's record is now 20 wins, 17 losses, and 6 ties.   Next game is Tuesday night in IDC versus the WPG Eagles. 

        Farm-Hands Propel Dusty's to Victory

As this evening's tilt rolled around, team management again had to go to the farm and bring up some talent.

Missing tonight would be Joe Beauchemin, Mike Dumaine, Gerald Hebert and Brian Gareau.

To fill those gaping holes management brought up Cory"Chains" Belot, Robert "Meatball #2" Tremblay, Martin, "I just want to play" Nolet and Dennis"BigFoot" Lafeche in goal.

Without their superstars, the team would have to pick it up a few notches.  With the Big Three still intact with the Barnyard Dog, and Andre Beauchemin coming off his 6 goal performance, optimism was still hovering pretty low. 

Cory, who was told to beat it last week as Andre did make the game, took it upon himself to show Dusty's management that he can still get the job done.  He led the attack with 3 slick goals and demonstrated why the Portage Terriers send him a letter 16 years ago. 

BFI Barry has returned.  He potted 2 more to add to his tally this.  But maybe the biggest surprise of the evening, was Pierre Leclaire with 2 goals.  We think that doubles his output for the second half of the season. 

The Frustrated Farmer also flung the biscuit behind the opposition goaltender and Andre round out the scoring. 

In the defensive zone, BigFoot was moving as well as his namesake.  It appeared he was mired in quicksand for  most of the evening, but he did get all beat up in the warmup. 

Even with Barney blowing a tire, and Dennis' shaky stance, the Local Heroes were able to come up with the 9 - 7 victory. 

Next game is Tuesday night in Ile Des Chenes. 

Record now stands at 21 Wins, 17 losses and 6 ties.

       Dusty's Stumble Past Seals

With the addition of All Star Goalie, Scott Wallace, tonight's match should have been a total slaughter for Dusty's.

But, Scott Wallace did not bring his A game.  But the local lads persevered in spite of Scott's dreadful performance and came away with the 10 7 victory.  Dusty's record is now 22 wins, 17 losses and 6 ties.

   The Final Conflict:  Young Storm Fall to Revved Up Dusty's

It was finally here.  The Big Game of the year.  Good versus Evil.  The Old versus the Young.

Still stinging from the 13- 3 whipping from the hands of Dusty's the Storm went out and found some reinforcements to assist them in the attempt to dethrone the Local Heroes. 

Down the stretch run, the Local Heroes had pieced together a 3 game winning streak, but at times, looked very shaky.  For Dusty's to pull out this major victory, this is what would have to happen:

Could Brian find some form in goal and piece together 60 full minutes to hold the Storm shooters at bay?

Joe Beauchemin would have to keep supplying Dusty's with the highlight reel goals, and lots of them.

The Big Three would have to become a wall of invincibility and hopefully pitch in with a goal or two.

Would the Barnyard Dog's Swoosh Stick hold up to the heaving going?

Could Andre Beauchemin deliver another quality performance on his 39 year old legs?

Would Mike Dumaine show up?

Barry Lavallee would have to continue his Kamikaze attitude and hopefully pick up whatever garbage he could. 

Gerald Hebert would have continue with his steady play.

And Pierre Leclaire would have to continue with his hard nosed style, and any type of offense from his hands would be a bonus.

The time was over for words and inspirational speeches.  It was time to strap on those game faces and lay down the law to the Storm. 

When the puck dropped, Dusty's was without Mike Dumaine.  Undaunted, Dusty's took to the Storm early and hard.  Even with tons of pressure in the early going, Dusty's could not convert any chances. 

The game started going back and forth, but the Big Three thwarted most attempts at the Dusty's goal.  Mike Dumaine finally showed up, and optimism and determination settled upon the Local Heroes. 

But the Storm and some effective pressure in the Dusty's zone,  and opened the scoring with a puck past Brian.

Knowing that his team could not go down by two, he reached down deep and found his A game.  The game continued back and forth with action and saves at both ends. 

Mike Duamine tied the game with a wrister to the top corner. Dusty's went ahead 2-1 but the Storm tied it up. 

JP Lafleche made and astounding play to break up a 3 on 1.  Barry Lavallee was a pain in the ass to the Storm all night. 

The good guys went up 3- 2 with a laser from Don "March Madness" Trudeau but the Storm came back with 2 goals to go ahead.  On the fourth goal Donny Trudeau was attempting to repair his damaged helmet when the puck was dropped and it was a two on nothing.  Brian stopped the first two shots but could not stop the third.  Would this break Dusty's? 

With steel determination the boys took it up another notch.  Joe B scored another highlight goal to the roof of the net.  With the game tied, Brian saved his best stop of the year for this moment, robbing a Storm with a lightning quick glove.  With everybody's jaw hitting the ice, Barry yelled from the bench "That's gotta be good for a leg or two!!"

That was all the boys needed as Dusty's went up 6 - 4.  In the final minutes of the game the Storm replied with one goal, but Andre Beauchemin sealed the deal with a burst of speed that left the young Storm in awe, and he went in all alone and bulged the twine. 

When the final buzzer range, it was Dusty's 7, Storm 5.  Even with all their reinforcements, the Storm could not match the skill and desire of the old boys.

Another chapter in the epic struggle went to Dusty's.

After the game it was time to celebrate with about 80 pieces of Champs chicken, some cold Beer, Ceasars, Barney's friend Gibby, and a room full smiles.

The festivities ended around 6 am the next day. 

Look for the year end wrap up coming soon. 

2003/2004

Training Camp 1

Team Management trotted this year's edition of Dusty's this evening to see what had to be done before the season started.  

Dusty's had already taken a blow to the solar plexis this August, when it was discovered that Don "Sweet November" Trudeau had busted his left arm, leaving a gaping hole on defense. 

As the player's hit the ice, it was obvious that some things never change.  Brian still fighting the puck in goal.  His new 145 pound body seemed to wither as the game went on.

Barry still has his granite hands and Pierre, well, at least he showed up on time.  Johnny Lafleche picked his spots with care, Gerald looked good in the early going, Andre looked almost 40 and Chains and Kelly will turn out to be competent spares.

Mike Dumaine did show up and actually bagged 5 or 6 goals this evening. Too bad they don't count for the stats. 

Barney, the frustrated farmer never did get out of the barn on this night.  Its obvious some cows must have felt the frustration boil over!!!

But its the exhibition season and team management will breakdown the tapes and make some big decisions next week.

        Training Camp 2

Dusty's roster was finalized this evening.  Some positives and some negatives were discovered.

The positives.

The Barnyard Dog has committed to the team for another year.  It was iffy for awhile, but after bagging the first goal of the game, and breaking his swoosh branch, Dusty's veteran Dean of Defence made the right decision. 

Joe Beauchemin looks ready to terrorize opposition goaltenders once again, as demonstrated by his 3 or 4 cross bar shots this evening. 

Mike Dumaine actually showed up two nights in a row!!

Scoring goals should not be a problem this year.

The not so positive.

Goaltending.  Even with new pants and new skates, Brian is struggling in the blue ice. Can he bounce back? 

Barry not only needs a new pair of hands, but maybe some eyeglasses as well.  Evidence for this was when he leveled his line mate Pierre at the blueline. 

Can Don Trudeau be replaced?  This evening his skates seemed to big for Kelly to fill, as Kelly was continuously fanning on his passes. 

But training camp is behind us, just like the chicken fingers from last week and last nights Bid Dude Platters.  The post-game events are already in mid-season form!!!

First game is next Tuesday in IDC versus the Storm. 

Dusty's Too Old, Too Slow?

The dawn of a new season was upon the high class organization known as Dusty's.  With all the pieces of the puzzle in place, except for Don Trudeau, the local lads hit the ice without trepidation.  Tonight's opponent was their arch nemesis, the Storm.

The Storm, after taking 3 beatings from the local heroes last year, went out and re-tooled their hockey club.  To make matters even tougher tonight, the Storm showed up with 3 full lines of young studs.

The grizzled veterans of Dusty's looked over at their bench with utter disdain at this low class play.   Trying to put it behind them, the boys lined up for the face-off.

In a matter of seconds it was 1 nothing for the Storm as they broke in and buried the first shot behind Brian.  Reeling, the local heroes tried to find a gear to match the young legs.  But tonight, all Dusty's had was a 4 speed with no overdrive. 

Andre scored a beauty to tie the game but that was as close as the local heroes would come this evening to knocking off the young'uns. 

Wave after wave of Storm crashed the Dusty's goal.  The Barnyard dog was doing his best, but he looked like the kid with his finger stuck in the dam.  The defence was holding but the offense was invisible.  Joe B was neutralized and Mike Dumaine could not find the trigger.  Even BFI Barry couldn't bust through with any type of garbage tonight. 

The final score was Storm 7, Dusty's 2. 

To ease the pain of this loss, the local lads went to the corner office for some high end Club Subs.  The pain of the loss was soon forgotten (probably right after the cooler was opened).

Next game is tomorrow night vs the  Seals. 

            Too Old, Too Slow, but Not Dusty's This Time

Not wanting to go to an 0 - 2 start, team management made sure a confidence booster was scheduled in the early going. 

The Seals have never posed a problem to the local heroes but tonight half the squad was missing and patchwork team was put on the ice for this contest. 

Just before the puck was dropped, it was mentioned that once the score was out of hand, the local lads should just hang back.

Again once the puck was dropped, a wave of opposition waltzed into Dusty's zone and promptly beat Brian with the first shot again. In no time it was 3 to 1 for the old and slow Seals.  What was happening tonight?  With some jobs on the line, the local heroes slowly started putting it together.

Brian steadied himself and rejected the Seals for the rest of the night.  JP Lafleche buried a frozen biscuit to ignite the boys.  Barry Lavallee crashed and banged his way to a four goal performance.  Mike Dumaine who showed up for the fourth game in a row potted 2 goals as well. 

It was not the prettiest game of the year but in the end it was a 13 to 3 victory for the local heroes.  With the record evened at one and one, the next game will be against the Bastard Broncos, another too old and too slow team, who usually take it to Dusty's a couple of times a year.

Dusty’s Batter Bastard Bronco’s with Firepower

This evening Dusty’s would be going up against another arch nemesis.  The Bronco’s.  Though old and slow, the Bronco’s have been a thorn in the side of the Local Heroes for many years.  Tonight would be different.

With Meatball #2 called up, Chains Belot on the Blueline, and Joe salivating at the thought of some quick goals, tonight had the makings of a potential slaughter. 

When the puck was dropped the Bronocs started out as there scrappy self and had some early pressure on the Dusty’s defence and goaltender.  But the wall held and the boys up front started putting on show. 

With Robert Tremblay and Joe B. each bagging four goals, the decision was not in doubt.  But to make matters interesting Brian gave a few “gifts” to the Bronco’s just to give them that tiny sliver of hope that could be crushed again and again after each offensive attack.

In the end, the Bronco’s were too old and too slow.  The final score was Dusty’s 14 – Bronco’s 5.

At the corner tavern it was Dusty’s special pizza’s along with a side of chicken fingers for the real hungry boys.

Pioneers Brought Into the Modern Era

Riding a Two game win streak, the local heroes made the road trip out to St. Norbert this evening.  Having not played the Pioneers in the last few years, the lads had no scouting report to go on.  There was a feeling that the boys may be in over their heads tonight, but undeterred they put the pads on anyway.  Dusty's was not about to mail in the victory.

With a couple of holes in the lineup tonight, Dusty's brought back Chains Belot to bolster the blueline and dragged Larry "I love the couch" St. Laurent into the starting lineup.

The game was a see-saw battle from the moment the puck dropped.  The Pioneers looked to be a formidable opponent, and the game might come down to who had the hottest goaltender. (Not a good strategy!)

In the early going, Brian was holding Dusty's in the game but suddenly the wall crumbled and the bad guys went ahead 5 - 2.  In a critical moment, Brian stopped the first penalty shot of the season with a double stacked pad save, which seemed to ignite the offensive machine.

Even with Joe B getting shutout, Dusty's leaned on the defence for some offensive input.  Robert Perron and JP Lafleche took it upon themselves to turn this game around. Robert Perron, with some coast to coast rushes resulted in the Pioneers taking some penalties.  Robert buried both his penalty shots and then added another goal for the Hat.  JP let go with a howitzer to the top corner to add to his early season goal total. 

In all the local lads scored 6 unanswered goals to go up 8 - 5.  The pioneers responded with one more, but the wall was rebuilt and held for the rest of the game.

A huge moral victory as Dusty's showed some real grit and character in coming all the way back. 

Dusty's record improves to 3 wins and 1 loss.  Next game is in IDC on Tuesday.

Royals De-Crowned as Dusty's Win 4th Straight

Another road trip for the local heroes was upon them this evening.  The positive, it was an early game (that means we could still have snacks at the corner office), and Mike Dumaine was showing up for his 7 outing in a row!!!

The negative:  half the team was not able to make it out.  So Dusty's management went into their network of scouting systems and pulled out the following warm bodies.  Martin Nolet, Corey "Chains" Belot (again), and the two Balcean Brothers.

Even with the new replacements things were looking favorable for a victory as Joe B was there, Robert Perron was coming off a huge 3 goal performance the week before and  the BFI Man's easily bruised leg was healing. 

The local heroes took it to the Royals right off the bat and raced out to an early 2 nothing lead. With Brian having a solid outing in goal, it appeared that maybe the two goals were all that would be needed. 

But then reality set in as the Royals pumped 4 fast ones by Brian with the help of some defensive miscues.  Still, Brian re-focused, explained to Chains that we were the guys in dark and Dusty's regained its momentum. 

Mike Dumaine who appears to be on a mission to win the scoring title, (obviously he isn't scoring at home) deposited 3 sweet goals behind the Royals tender.  One was a classic Mike Dumaine coast to coast rush that left the people in the stands yearning for more.  But that's all he had.

Chains redeemed himself for his lapses in the defensive zone with another goal to his total with Dusty's. 

In the end, with a rock solid effort from Brian, a gritty performance by the new recruits and JP covering Cory's ass, the local lads prevailed with a 6 to 5 win. 

That's for in row for you people counting at home.  After the game it was off to Dusty's headquarters to dissect the game and feast on some bird. 

Next game is Monday night vs the SilverHawks at 8:45.

SilverHawks No Match for Revved Up Dusty's

The game was a strange one, as the opposition arrived with no goaltender.  The official game did not start until there was only 20 minutes left to play.

But that was all the local heroes needed as they quickly stormed out to a 2 nothing lead.  The Hawks tried to make a game of it but could not penetrate the wall of defence. 

In the end this strange outing turned into the 5th straight win for Dusty's.  Final score was 4 - 2 for the good guys.

  Dusty's Keep Rolling, Hitmen Become Dusty's Sixth Target