The Wolves have hit a few potholes and run into heavy traffic at times along the road toward the Turner Cup. Yet throughout the trip, they’ve always been in the driver’s seat.
Until now.
The Wolves got stuck in the mud Tuesday night at the Palace and fell 3-1 to the tight-checking Detroit Vipers before 6,507. As a result, the Wolves, who hadn’t trailed in any previous 1998 playoff series, are down 3-2 in the best-of-seven Turner Cup finals.
And Wolves coach John Anderson isn’t happy about it. The problem, he says, isn’t his team, but rather officiating.
On Tuesday’s game winning-goal, by Detroit’s Dan Kesa that snapped a 1-1 tie at 8:48 of the third period, Wolves goaltender Stephane Beauregard was bumped by Vipers forward Wayne Presley.
“I’m really upset about this,” said a red-faced Anderson. “The IHL has to do something about our officiating.
“I thought we outplayed them and took the play to them. But our goalie can’t make the save when he’s getting punched in the face.”
Beauregard pleaded his case for interefence with referee Greg Kimmerly, but was told he “was out of the crease.”
“(Presley) bumped me at the same moment (Kesa) was taking the shot,” Beauregard said. “He kind of gave me an elbow. I turned around and the puck was behind me.”
After Kesa’s goal, set up by a bad clearing attempt by Wolves forward Steve Martins, Detroit’s Brad Shaw added an empty-net goal with 46 seconds left.
Although the Wolves outshot the Vipers 32-19, Detroit’s tight defensive play and goaltender Jeff Reese kept the Vipers close until they could pounce on a mistake.
“They play as good a defensive style as any team down here (in the IHL),” said left wing Scott Pearson, who scored the Wolves’ lone goal at 14:47 of the first period. “Their strategy the last couple of games has been pretty clear.”
Detroit took a 1-0 lead at 11:37 of the first period when Jimmy Carson’s centering attempt struck the skate of Wolves defenseman Tom Tilley, and bounded past Beauregard. Clayton Beddoes, whom Tilley was covering, was credited with the goal.
The Wolves managed to tie it at 1-1 at 14:46 on Pearson’s team-leading 12th post-season goal. He fired a low shot past Reese from the slot after taking pass from Alexander Semak, who had circled behind the Vipers’ net.
The winning goal came after a poor Wolves clearance. After digging the puck out of the left corner of the Wolves’ zone, Martins tried to clear the puck with a backhander. Kesa stole the clearance and danced across the slot and fired through a screen.
