GAME RECAP: Rockers vs. Columbus River Dragons 3/10/23

This weekend presents a big test for the Motor City Rockers, three games at home against the top team in the Continental Division, the Columbus River Dragons. I'd say they passed the first test with flying colors in a convincing 5-0 shutout of the now second best team in the league at Big Boy Arena before a crowd of 1,067.  

Trevor Babin recorded the second shutout in Rockers franchise history, his first, by stopping all 39 shots he faced in a masterclass performance of goaltending. Babin had the high flying River Dragons frustrated and stymied all night with a series of quick glove saves, diving stops and downright highway robberies in net. He also had to face all, or parts of, six power plays as the lopsided officiating only sent one Columbus player to the box all night, I'll get to that later. Babin continues to make the case that he's one of, if not the best, goalies in The Fed. It also had to be extra special for Babs as his family is in town to see him play this weekend, his grandmother was behind us in line at the arena entrance in fact. 

The two teams took awhile to get going in the first, the usual feeling out process between two franchises that don't play each other often. Columbus would outshoot Motor City 12-6 in the first but it was the Rockers who netted the only goal when Dante Suffredini scored his fifth of the year on a beautiful tip-in of a Josh Colten pass. Connor Inger drew the other assist on the play at 15:58 of the first.

The shots were even more lopsided in the second as the River Dragons peppered Babin with 19 shots, while the Rockers could only muster five, yet Motor City found the back of the net twice on those five shots. Nick Magill-Diaz put in his 3rd of the year from Tim Perks and Cade Lambdin at 4:10, then just 45 seconds later, team captain Danny Vanderwiel notched his third of the season from Brad Reitter and Tommy Cardinal to make it 3-0 Rockers. Columbus goaltender Christian Pavlas argued the net was off the moorings when the third goal was scored but after the officials talked it over, the goal stood. 

The Rockers would add two more in the third and even outshot Columbus 12-8 in the period as the River Dragons started to succumb to frustration. Tommy Cardinal drove to the net and deposited it past Pavlas for his 18th goal of the season from Reitter and Suffredini at 6:39, then Scott Coash notched his team leading 29th of the season on a laser with an assist from Declan Conway to close out the scoring at 13:18. Then it was just a matter of holding on and securing the shutout for Babin.

As far as the penalty disparity I mentioned above, the only Columbus penalty of the night came at 11:32 when team goon Michael Greco was sent to the box for slashing at Babin's pads after a save. Greco was running his mouth trying to goad Babin into losing his cool and/or a fight at numerous times in the game, but also couldn't stop running his trap at the fans in the stands either. He kept a running conversation going with a group of fans near the Columbus bench, then went full moron in the penalty box standing up for the entire two minutes shouting insults and obscenities at a bunch of folks in section 7. Among his gems, challenging anyone who wanted to oblige to a fight, declaring the Rockers attendance embarrassing and completely losing his cool at a fan who was literally just continuously pointing at the scoreboard. What a mental midget. These are the kind of interactions I love about minor league hockey and we have two more games between these two teams to see where things go from here. I am sure things will boil over and get more physical before the weekend is over.

The Rockers and River Dragons are right back at it Saturday at Big Boy Arena, with an earlier than normal puck drop of 6PM. You won't want to miss it.