A comeback for the ages

Despite only attending a handful of professional sporting events each year, I have been fortunate enough to see many memorable events in the history of Minnesota and national sports.  I was there in 1983 when the Metrodome roof ripped during a thunderstorm and poured in water during a Twins game, in 1991 when the Twins won Game 7 of the World Series, in 1997 when Dennis Rodman kicked a cameraman in the groin in, in 2001 when a riot broke out after an inter-city soccer derby in Seville, Spain, in 2004 when Jeff Gordon’s controversial win over Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega resulted in fans littering the track with beer cans and caused NASCAR to make a major rule change, in 2008 when Adrian Peterson set the record for most rushing yards in an NFL game, and in 2010 when Brett Favre won his first home game as a Viking by throwing a last second touchdown pass.

But none of those compares to the sporting event I witnessed today.

I first met Jay back in 2001, when he was seven years old.  We moved into a neighborhood where a dozen or more kids would routinely play street hockey.  The other kids were generally four years older than Jay.  Although he was decent-size for his age, the age difference made him the runt of the group.  As a result, the only way he survived was by developing tremendous hand eye coordination, passing ability, and a killer wrist shot.  Beyond hockey, I was always very impressed with Jay.  He always was very polite and waved to me when I interrupted his hockey game with my car.  After my son was born, Jay took a special interest in him.  He was soft spoken and humble.

Jay began playing varsity hockey as a freshman at Johnson High School; a somewhat rough high school on the east side of St. Paul.  Many outsiders didn’t even know that Johnson still had a hockey team.

Jay’s sophomore year was derailed by a serious back injury.  He rebounded in time to have a stellar junior year.  By the time his senior year rolled around, the runt had grown to nearly 6 and a half feet tall and 230 pounds.  While he developed into a monster, the skills he learned from those days as the runt of the street hockey games never eroded.  So as a senior, he was not only the biggest player on the ice, but also the most skilled.  That combination resulted in 42 goals scored in his first 25 games of the year, and the attention of many pro scouts.  Immediately after his final high school game, Jay will be leaving to beginning playing for the Fargo Force in the USHL (aka Juniors).

I had never seen Jay play an actual hockey game, and when I heard that Johnson was starting the playoffs and facing a likely season ending loss against the superior White Bear Lake squad, I decided to attend the game.

While my ten year old son missed most of the action as he was consumed with his handheld video game, my eight year old daughter was surprisingly attentive.  To make it easier on her, we kept referring to the neighbor kid as Big Jay so that she would be reminded to look for the biggest dude on the ice and cheer for him. 

The first period was quite depressing. The Bears took a 3-0 lead, including a disastrous mistake by Johnson’s goalie.  Well, what do you expect from an 8^th grader?  Yep, that’s correct; an NHL prospect is trying to win a game in which he has a 13 year old kid in the nets.  Big Jay’s only real impact in the first period was deflecting a White Bear slapshot, which resulted in the Bears’ second goal.

Johnson didn’t gain any ground in the second period, but at least it was entertaining.  White Bear scored early, but then Johnson answered.  Good, at least they won’t get shutdown in the final game of their season.  In this second period, it seemed that most of the players’ efforts were spent trying to deliver bone-crushing checks.  Big Jay himself got into the action, leveling a Bear along the boards and being retaliated against with a couple slashes.  The Johnson faithful empathized with the referee’s decision not to call a penalty for those slashes, indicating it must be hard to control a game when they lost their contact lenses on the ice.  I basically was most entertained during this period by explaining hockey to my daughter and trying to decide if a fight would break out.

The first several minutes of the third period were awful.  White Bear scored again to make it 5-1, and Johnson was playing a much uninspired game.  I was in a bit of disbelief that no one, not even Big Jay, was taking much of a leadership role.  In fact, Big Jay would spend much of his off shifts sitting on the bench while his teammates stood attentively.  I’ll admit that I questioned spending $20 ($23.75 including the hot dog and Swedish Fish for my kids) to watch an overmatched and uninspired team get its butt kicked.

But, something began to change with about ten minutes left in the game.  Johnson’s fans, strong throughout the game, really started to encourage their players.  They didn’t yell at them for a lack of execution or hustle; rather they just yelled encouraging words, reminding them that it was time to pick it up.

The next five minutes started to get pretty fun.  Johnson started to play with desperation and Big Jay himself seemed to find an extra gear.  Johnson generated many scoring opportunities but they just couldn’t break through.

Then, staring at the possibility of less than five minutes left in his high school career, Big Jay decided that enough was enough. 

He got the puck in the corner and with two Bears pulling him down to the ground, Big Jay passed the puck between his legs and to teammate Bryan in front of the net.  It was a beautiful pass and Bryan flicked it toward the net.  The goalie made a beautiful save, but as two Bears lie on top of Big Jay in the corner, Bryan slammed home the rebound   5-2 White Bear.

I exhaled.  At least the boys are going to be able to hold their heads high after the certain loss, knowing they went down trying.

A minute later, the Bears were called for a penalty and Big Jay’s line mate Jake went end to end, split the two defenders like he was a steak knife and they were butter, and scored Johnson’s second goal in two minutes.  5-3  White Bear.  That goal seemed to wake up everyone, as it proved momentum had truly shifted.

On the same shift, a mere 30 seconds later, Big Jay got the puck on the wing.  He skated hard toward the goalie, faked a shot to the goalie’s left side, and then glided all the way to the other side, waiting until the goalie collapsed before snapping the puck above the helpless goalie and into the net.  5-4 White Bear.

Big Jay glided back toward the bench with one leg forward in a low crouch, pumping his fist and exciting everyone on the visitors’ side with the exception of my kids, who were largely confused by what was happening.

Now a potential problem was that as on fire as Big Jay and his wingers were, they couldn’t play every minute.  In fact, Johnson’s coach continued to rotate three lines, although the second and third lines were certainly seeing their shifts considerably shortened.  However, these players did what they needed to do.  They kept the Bears from scoring again, giving Big Jay a chance to skate one last time.

With a bit more than a minute to go in the game, Big Jay stepped onto the ice for what would perhaps be the final shift of his high school career.

He got the puck on the right wing charged hard toward the net, drawing the defense and goalie toward him.  He flicked the puck right onto the waiting stick of Bryan who slammed it home.  5-5.  Tie game. 

Bryan was mobbed by the other four Johnson skaters on the ice.  As they skated back to the bench, Big Jay raised his stick above his head and pumped it a few times, firing up the raucous crowd even further. 

Shortly thereafter, the horn sounded ending the 3^rd period and the beginning sudden death overtime.  My kids were a bit disturbed in thinking that the losers would be sacrificed, but I assured them it was just a saying.

The Johnson coach gave his team some final instructions during the short break before overtime began, and right before they took the ice, Big Jay pulled the entire squad together.  I don’t know what he said, but it made all of his teammates yell and cheer like warriors about to charge the enemy’s front lines.  So, I assume whatever he said was good. 

But, just as quickly as the underdog had hope, the Bears ripped it away.  A Bear streaked down the left wing and unleashed a slapshot from just inside the blue line.  Some may say the goalie misplayed the shot and some may say the velocity of the shot left the goalie no chance, but regardless…the shot found the back of the net.  White Bear advanced, and the underdog’s season was over.

Actually, that last paragraph did not happen in the Johnson vs. White Bear game. It happened twenty-one years ago almost to the day.  I sat in that same arena in roughly the same spot.  My hockey playing Stillwater Pony classmates were battling the heavily favored White Bear Lake Bears, led by future NHL player Brian Bonin.  The Ponies battled back from an early deficit and tied up the Bears with a goal in the last minute of regulation, forcing overtime.  As hard as hearts were pumping for us hopeful Pony fans, they were immediately ripped out when Bonin streaked down the left wing unleashed a slapshot from just inside the blue line.

This game was similar.  A Bear did streak down the left wing and unleash a slapshot.  8^th grade goalie Sam Moberg waited to face that shot.  I remember when I was an 8^th grader.  I was scared when we played the White Bear football 8^th graders, as they had evil nicknames like “Dr. Death” and “The Terminator” written on their helmets.  I am sure that facing off against 12^th graders would have been enough to make me soil my jockstrap.

Moberg blocked the shot.

Shortly thereafter, Big Jay got the puck on a two on one breakaway and let fly with the potential game-winning shot.  But again, no!  Great save by the White Bear goalie.  Off his facemask.  Which was now broken by the impact of the shot.

In fact, Big Jay’s first two shifts of overtime came up empty.  However, the Bears were also coming up empty as Johnson’s second and third lines were playing their hearts out in slowing the Bears attack.  And Moberg was in a zone.

On his third shift, Jay got the puck in the corner and passed it to the point.  A defenseman took a shot, and the goalie easily blocked it…right back to Big Jay in the corner.  He took two strides toward the net, being forced beneath the end line by the Bear defense.  At the last second, Jay let it fly…a wrist shot of course.  Despite the impossible angle, there was never really any doubt where the puck would end up.

The Johnson fans exploded in exaltation.  Big Jay climbed the boards to acknowledge the Johnson fans and his teammates mobbed him.  I hugged Big Jay’s mom, high-fived his girlfriend (I was tempted to hug her but that may have been weird), and shook his dad’s hand.   I had come to the game expecting to be a passive observer, yet I found myself cheering as loud as anyone. 

Four points in the final 10 minutes of the game.  To put that in perspective, the best hockey player ever, Wayne Gretzky, averaged two points per 60 minute game in his NHL career.

The Bears knelt on the ice, staring in disbelief at the celebration going on.  While the rest of his Johnson teammates mobbed each other at center ice, one player knelt by himself with his helmet off, completely spent.  Big Jay had been getting longer shifts all game, especially late, and had nothing left in his tank.  He left it all on the ice.

Well done, Big Jay.

Author’s Note:  While Big Jay certainly poured it on at the end of the game, he could not do it alone and this awesome victory would not have been possible without the help of many others.  Jake and Bryan, you were awesome.  Moberg, your development throughout the game was incredible to watch.  Johnson coaches, your disciplined style of coaching kept your team very fresh for the end of the game and prevented them from melting down when things were not looking good.  And Johnson fans…you never got down on your players.  You stayed positive.  There were a few times you got down on the referees (and frightened my daughter in the process), but who could blame you, they were missing their contact lenses.

Credit to mnhockeyprospects.com for the picture.