’Twas the game before Christmas, when all through the rink,
Not a lax fan was stirring; as they slurped on their drinks;
The nets were both strung on the sup’r-wide posts with care,
In hopes that a Raven victory soon would be there;

The children were hamming it up on the Videotron
With visions of stardom, they danced with no shirts on;
And my wife in her Raven shirt, and I in my hat,
Had just settled down to watch the new Raven -- Chris Prat.

When up in the rafters there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter.
Swooping down to the floor, it flew like a flash,
Was it bird or a plane? Or a blackbird with a rash?

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Van Raven in a Santa suit! I almost dropped my beer!
The spotlight on the chest of this strange falling crow,
Gave quite an introduction to the evening’s main show,

The first goal of the game was off Chris Gill’s quick stick,
By the end of the night, he would have a hat trick!
Another by Gill, and then Kevin Stewardson
Put a breakaway shot past Matt Roik, on the run.

The Ravens had soared to quite a comfortable lead.
To keep playoff hopes in sight, a win was in need!
But more rapid than eagles, a Storm warning came,
From soaring so high, the birds suddenly went lame.

From a three-goal Vancouver lead, New Jersey came on,
With two goals -- by Travis Kilgour and Grant Johnston.
But as dry leaves that before a wild storm fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, soar to the sky,

So once again Stewardson streaked right down the floor,
The Raven’s transition game made four-two the score!
Then a Matt Panetta goal put the Storm back within one,
But with 2 seconds left, a goal from Kevin Hanson!

At the start of the second, Darren Reisig took a lead pass,
A teacher by profession, he was teaching the class,
He taught the Storm a lesson ’bout gettin’ back on D,
The Ravens’ plan was working, thanks to Paul Dal Monte!

Before their cloud was darkened, the Storm were kept alive,
When Joe Teatro scored a couple, to make it seven-five.
Then the Ravens poured it on, scoring six in a row,
It rained on poor Matt Roik; and it was starting to blow!

The fans whistled and shouted, and called them by name;
Good goal Chris Prat! Jamie Bowen! And nice shot, Matt Dwane!
Peter Morgan! Craig Stevenson! and then Tyson Leies!
True to form, Number Thirteen didn’t disappoint us!

So up to the glass-top the show-boat player flew,
With a wave to his fans, the kids waved back too!
It was thirteen-five at the half, worse in the third,
At three-quarter time it’s nineteen-five for the birds.

It was twenty to five when the Storm broke the spell,
As they scored five of their own, and raised a li’l hell,
Johnston popped in two, then Cam Bomberry, and then
After two from Bill LeFeuvre, the score was twenty-ten.

The hell was when Reisig fought Kerry Susheski,
The rookie was asking for lessons from Ziggy!
It was the only rough play that we saw all night,
They got two each for roughing and five for the fight.

After Morgan’s fifth goal and Stevenson one more,
The Game Before Christmas was a 22-10 score.
With five goals and four helpers, and Game MVP,
Pete Morgan was interviewed, as we listened on TV.

His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
Not from Christmas ‘spirit’ -- just exhausted, I think.
Asked about Christmas, he thought and then said with a wink

“It’s time to get in shape, time to work on your stick”,
“Time to work as a team, not to dream of St. Nick!”
But I heard him exclaim, ere you think that wasn’t right,
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT”

HO-HO-HO! Merry Christmas everybody!

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
New Jersey Storm (1-6)                3  2  0  5  --  10
Vancouver Ravens (3-3)                5  8  6  3  --  22

NEW JERSEY STORM              VANCOUVER RAVENS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
G Johnston     3 - 1     4    Morgan         5 - 4     9
LeFeurve       2 - 2     4    Gill           3 - 4     7
Teatro         2 - 0     2    Bowen          2 - 5     7
Ca Bomberry    1 - 1     2    Stevenson      2 - 2     4
Nadelen        0 - 2     2    Prat           1 - 3     4
Sombrotto      0 - 2     2    Hamilton       0 - 4     4
Stewart        0 - 2     2    Stewardson     2 - 1     3
T Kilgour      1 - 0     1    Ansley         0 - 3     3
Panetta        1 - 0     1    Dwane          2 - 0     2
General        0 - 1     1    Hanson         2 - 0     2
Hanford        0 - 1     1    Catton         1 - 1     2
Roik           0 - 1     1    O'Connor       0 - 2     2
Susheski       0 - 1     1    Leies          1 - 0     1
Talmo          0 - 1     1    Reisig         1 - 0     1
                              Maetche        0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           47    Shots on goal           66
Saves made by (GA)      44    Saves made by (GA)      37
   General (10)      26          Maetche (5)       28
   Roik (12)         18          C Miller (5)       9
Penalties               10    Penalties                9
Penalty Minutes         23    Penalty Minutes         21
Power Play Chances       5    Power Play Chances       6
Power Play Goals         1    Power Play Goals         6
   LeFeurve           1          Morgan             3
                                 Bowen              1
                                 Gill               1
                                 Prat               1
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        2
   (None)                        Morgan             1
                                 Stevenson          1
Loose Balls             33    Loose Balls             48
   LeFeurve           4          Hamilton           8
   Leigh              4          Reisig             7
   Nadalen            3          Prat               5
   Sombrotto          3
   Teatro             3
Faceoffs Won            16    Faceoffs Won            18
   Hanford      (16-17)          Stevenson    (18-12)
   Sombrotto    ( 0- 1)          Stewardson   ( 0- 3)
                                 Reisig       ( 0- 1)

 *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH VANCOUVER RAVENS ***