So I'm watching the Wild game on the DVR so I thought I'd make a quick post about the high-school game I went to tonight. I didn't go to Buffalo, but we live about a minute from the Buffalo Civic Center, so we try to make a couple games each season. This was the only game we were able to make this year, and it turned out to be a heckuva game.

This game was the opening round of the section 8AA playoffs. Buffalo was the 4 seed, St. Cloud Tech the 5th seed. Not sure how that seeding worked out...St. Cloud Tech was clearly the better team. They were bigger, more physical, and played a much more coordinated game. While Tech had constant pressure and peppered the Buffalo goalie, Buffalo for the most part was content dump the puck out of the zone when they did get possession. The final shot total was St. Cloud Tech 43, Buffalo 26. Guess who won?

In an absolute barn-burner (whatever that means), Buffalo wins 7-6 in double-overtime. The largest lead of the night was 4-2 for Tech in the 2nd period, but after having a goal disallowed for a hand pass, Buffalo scored two quick goals to tie it going into the 3rd.

One of those goals was super quick. Unbelievably quick. A penalty was called on Tech at the end of the period. There was 1.1 seconds on the clock. While they called the penalty and skated back to the right circle in front of the Tech goalie, I wasn't really paying attention. I was thinkin, 1 second left, quick drop the puck and go to intermission. I'm an idiot. Suddenly I hear the place erupt. I look up and the ref is pointing to the goal. I'm like "no way." After talking to my wife, apparently the Buffalo player on the faceoff took a swing as the puck was dropped and it went perfectly to the goal and past the Tech goaltender. I kept expecting them to waive it off, because how do you score from a faceoff with 1.1 seconds left? The goal stood. In all the hockey I've watched, I've never seen a goal scored with such a short amount of time left. And in an ironic twist of fate, I still haven't.

To finish it off, Tech took two 1-goal leads in the 3rd only to have Buffalo tie it up both times. In the 1st OT Tech carried the play couldn't get one by the Buffalo goalie. In the 2nd OT one of the senior captains was able to poke the puck away from a Tech player at center ice, went in all alone from the blue-line and deked the Tech goalie for the game winner. Pretty much the way you'd expect it to end. The Buffalo Civic Center goes bonkers again, and we drive the minute home happy we decided to go.

So, Buffalo wins a trip to Thief River Falls Saturday to play undefeated Roseau (assuming they beat River Lakes tonite). Good luck boys...you'll need it.