VHLM round 1 recap

RstortonYT · April 30, 2021

Well this was an interesting first round here in the VHLM playoffs which featured a single game 7. Let’s take it game by game and see what happened.

ACES VS WILD

Game 1: They got pucks to the net and were able to limit Saskatoon to just 14 shots. Were able to score 5 and were in control for most of the game.

Game 2: Aces fall 6-4 in a high scoring game where both teams took plenty of penalties.

Game 3: 2OT thriller again, penalties were plentiful. Vegas outshot sask by 10 and in 2OT outshot them 8-1 and finally broke through. Shaggy Tipton with the ot winner

Game 4: Aces win 6-4 helped by a 4 point night from Kjell Nilsson. It comes as a shock that Saskatoon is down 3-1 after a 50 win regular season.

Game 5: an excellent season for the wild comes to an end as Vegas played a dominant second period and held strong in the 3rd to complete the upset in 5 games. The 7 seed takes down the 2 seed and will face the winner of San Diego vs Miami.

21ST VS STORM

Game 1: One of the most dominant performances for Halifax as they outshot the storm by 30, and won by a score of 5-1. 3 point performances from Balder Pilsen and the great helped Halifax quite a bit.

Game 2: A much closer game, Halifax taking it by just one goal however still outshooting Minnesota by 9. That was an issue for Minnesota throughout most of the series.

Game 3: Again, Minnesota is outshot by a large amount and Halifax wins by a score of 4-3. Minnesota is down 3-0 in the series and the locker room morale is low.

Game 4: Minnesota stays alive, winning it in overtime. They seemed to have fixed the shot problems, outshooting the 21st by 12. Grapes would have 1 goal and 2 assists, however Caleb Gaudette would be the hero, scoring the overtime winner.

Game 5: Backed by an outstanding 39 save performance from goaltender dexter Vaughn, Minnesota would stay alive once again however they were still struggling to get shots at the net, being outshot 40-24 in this one. Nils Tallinder would be the overtime hero in this one.

Game 6: Minnesota finally falls, getting outshot by 12 and losing by a goal. All 3 goals were scored in the first and Halifax took a lead and never looked back.

BULLS VS HOUNDS

Game 1: 5-3 score, even game however it was a rough outing for Mississauga goaltender Tobias Reinhart posting a save percentage of just .808.

Game 2: Mississauga flat out dominated. They outshot Houston 48-13 and 11 different players getting on the scoresheet.

Game 3: Again, Houston was heavily outshot, however they stayed in it but ultimately fell 4-3. The shots were a huge issue for Houston throughout this series and were a huge reason for their elimination.

Game 4: An excellent performance once again from the Hounds, winning by 3 and outshooting Houston by 26. Luke Spinelli was a little shaky in goal, allowing 3 goals on 19 shots however the team in front of him helped him out by keeping the puck in the offensive zone.

Game 5: Another dominant win from Mississauga to clinch the series. The Bulls were heavily outmatched in this series, getting outshot by a ton once again here in game 5 so the hounds advance.

MARLINS VS MARAUDERS

Game 1: In what was an all around even game, the marauders would run out of gas at the end, getting outshot 27-11 over the course of the 3rd and overtime. The San Diego Marlins would prevail in overtime, with Lachlan Chisholm getting the winner on the powerplay.

Game 2: Miami would bounce back, posting 50 shots in a dominant showing which they won by a score of 5-1. Noah Mashford would put up a hat trick, playing some excellent hockey and thus earning first star of the game.

Game 3: Miami would score 4 in the first, however the Marlins threatened in the 3rd pulling back within a single goal. Miami stood tall, hanging on and taking this one by a score of 4-3.

Game 4: Backed by a 4 point night from Nicholas Mariani, San Diego would even the series at 2 games a piece taking game 4 by a score of 6-4 in what was a pretty high scoring tilt.

Game 5: Miami would respond with a 6-4 victory of their own, taking a 3-2 series lead as we head back to San Diego. Napoleon Bonaparte was feeling it, tallying 4 assists. Declan Wolf and Noah Mashford both had multi-goal games.

Game 6: Facing elimination, San Diego was able to force a game 7, winning by a score of 4-2 with Aldwin Craig scoring twice to keep San Diego alive.

Game 7: Despite a valiant Marlins effort, the Marauders prevail in the lone game 7 by a score of 4-3. This was by far the most exciting series so far in the VHLM playoffs and I look forward to writing about more exciting playoff series’.

Well that does it for round 1. We had a fairly big upset and a game 7. If you ask me who I think is going to win it all, I would say Mississauga. They dominated throughout the regular season and looked very good in round 1. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.