I kicked off the third season of my Hall of Fame hockey league with the Comets hosting the Thistles. A lot has changed since these two teams squared off in the finals of the mini-tournament I conducted prior to Season 1. The Thistles won that event, but then finished dead last in both Season 1 and Season 2. I've tried to improve them through trades and the draft, and now this Thistles team looks quite different from the one that skated away with the tournament trophy. Only five players remain from that squad: left winger and captain Tommy Phillips, center Dan Bain, and defensemen Hod Stuart, Moose Johnson, and Dickie Boon. How will Season 3 turn out for the revamped Thistles? Just one of many great storylines I'll be following this season!
The Comets, fresh off their run to the championship series, struck first in this contest when George Richardson scored on his own rebound midway through the first. Early in the second, Tommy Phillips tied it up for the Thistles and then scored again moments later to give the visitors a 2-1 edge. Late in the second, Hod Stuart scored on a slapshot from the point. Reeling from this barrage, the Comets tried to get things back on track in the third -- and the headstrong Thistles seemed inclined to oblige by gifting them back-to-back power play opportunities. The Comets converted on the first one when Jimmy Gardner cut in to score from point-blank range. On the ensuing faceoff, Harvey Pulford took down Lester Patrick, resulting in another Comets power play. In the most intense sequence of the game, Thistles rookie and number-one pick Tommy Smith cruised in against Percy LeSueur on a shorthanded breakaway but failed to score. The Comets, likewise, were unable to convert on their remaining chances and the game ended with a 3-2 win for the visiting Thistles. Too soon, however, to say that they've truly turned the corner!
The Comets, fresh off their run to the championship series, struck first in this contest when George Richardson scored on his own rebound midway through the first. Early in the second, Tommy Phillips tied it up for the Thistles and then scored again moments later to give the visitors a 2-1 edge. Late in the second, Hod Stuart scored on a slapshot from the point. Reeling from this barrage, the Comets tried to get things back on track in the third -- and the headstrong Thistles seemed inclined to oblige by gifting them back-to-back power play opportunities. The Comets converted on the first one when Jimmy Gardner cut in to score from point-blank range. On the ensuing faceoff, Harvey Pulford took down Lester Patrick, resulting in another Comets power play. In the most intense sequence of the game, Thistles rookie and number-one pick Tommy Smith cruised in against Percy LeSueur on a shorthanded breakaway but failed to score. The Comets, likewise, were unable to convert on their remaining chances and the game ended with a 3-2 win for the visiting Thistles. Too soon, however, to say that they've truly turned the corner!
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