VSN Presents:: VHLM First Round Recap

[fromtheinside 1,289]

 

The first round of the VHLM Playoffs have finally wound down and we had some high-level drama in the late stages of the Quarter-Finals. The fact that no series ended in a sweep really is a testament to the current state of the league and how much parity there is between the teams. While some teams performed as expected, other teams certainly went above and beyond and showed they belong in the postseason. The top seed and perennial favourite Mississauga Hounds faced off against the eighth seed Houston Bulls in a true David versus Goliath type series. Meanwhile the top team in the West was the Saskatoon Wild, and they squared off against their conference rivals, the Las Vegas Aces. The third seeded Miami Marauders drew the sixth seeded up-and-coming San Diego Marlins team that seemed poised and eager to prove themselves. Finally the Minnesota Storm would clash with the Halifax 21st in an all-East matchup to round out the first round. Without further ado, let's dive into it and see how it all went down!

 

 

(1) Mississauga Hounds vs (8) Houston Bulls

MIS wins in 5

 

The reigning  Prime Minister's Cup champs began their title hunt in a quarter-final matchup with the Houston Bulls. The series began in a raucous arena packed full of Hounds fans excited to see their team make another run at the Founder's Cup. Just a minute into the first game of the series the fans were sent into a frenzy as @jpach Johnny Pacheco would open the scoring. Before the period was over though the Bulls had answered with a tally of their own and the teams went into the first intermission tied. The rest of the game was a dogfight, back and forth the entire way. Many say this game was one of the most exciting of the series. Going into the third period the Hounds were down one, until the Bulls top line center @Senjo1706 Bradley Senjo potted a pair of goals to put the game out of reach and silence the crowd. When the buzzer sounded it was a 5-3 shocker that nobody saw coming. 

 

However, in the face of adversity the Hounds did not back down. In Game 2, they came out confident and made the necessary adjustments. @Spartakiller2 Guy Lambert opened the scoring halfway through the first and Hounds never looked back. They peppered Houston netminder @enigmatic Aike van Giersbergen with 48 shots in Game 2, and despite his best efforts, the Hounds came away with a very clean 4-2 win. With that the series would shift to Texas for two games south of the border. Despite the change in scenery, the results would remain the same as the story really started to become the Hounds' shut down defense. In Game 3 the Bulls were only able to muster 18 shots on goaltender @Lspinelli Luke Spinelli. Despite that, the game still was relatively close, but unfortunately for Houston fans the game ended by a score of 4-3 for the Hounds. In Game 4 things went from bad to worse as again, Houston was held to just 19 shots on goal. On top of that, Mississauga's lethal offense was beginning to click and they erupted for six goals. Leading the way were wingers @Pythonic Gaspar Yakrevsky and @Vat Gustislav Nasherov who tallied two goals apiece. With a stranglehold on the series, the scene shifted back to the GTA for Game 5. The theme of smothering defense continued in this contest where for the third consecutive game Houston was held to under 20 shots, and with their playoff lives on the line they only would come up with 16 shots on net. Just like in Game 3, Game 5 would end with Mississauga doubling up Houston 4-2 and thus elminating them in five games. Houston did well to make the playoffs, but it was known that it would take a Herculean effort to knock of the best team in the league. They will regroup and look to the offseason while Mississauga would enjoy a couple extra days rest and prepare for the semi-finals.

 

 

(2) Saskatoon Wild vs (7) Las Vegas Aces

LVA wins in 5

 

In a clash between two Western Conference rivals, the Sasky Bois drew the Las Vegas Aces first their first round opponents. The Wild enjoyed a very successful regular season campaign that saw them claim top spot in the West with an impressive 50 win season.  Fans of the franchise were getting flashbacks of their Season 68 and 69 glory days when the team was at it's all time best. Sadly though, the fan's optimism was quickly snuffed out when this series got underway.  The SaskTel Centre was rocking for Game 1 but just a minute and a half into the game, the Aces would open the scoring on a power play marker by @Giles Rigel Giles Sweeney. The American winger took cross-seam pass and blasted a one-timer top shelf from the half-boards to give  Las Vegas the lead. Two minutes later rookie sensation @Seabass The Seabasstard would even things up. The scoring kept coming though as the Aces would add two more power play goals back-to-back. When the dust cleared, the Aces came out of the first period with a 3-2 lead. They sealed the deal in the second period with yet another power play marker, giving them 4 power play goals total in the game. It was a balanced attack with 5 different players scoring goals, and what was even more impressive was the fact they held the Wild to just 14 shots the entire game! 

 

Game 2 the Wild came out with much more purpose and determination. In a high-scoring affair, young guns @Zakary Delisle and @124715 Duncan Montana both buried two goals each as Saskatoon managed to pull out a 6-4 victory. The Wild were happy to at least salvage a split during their home games 1-1 before heading to the Sin City for the next two tilts. In series shifted to Vegas for a pair of games in the desert. Game 3 would go down as the best game in the series, and perhaps one of the most memorable games of the entire VHLM playoffs. Going into the third period, the Wild trailed 2-1. After trading goals, and less than five minutes to play in regulation, Duncan Montana buried a wrist shot under the glove of @Erik Morgan Karlsson and tied the game. In overtime though Karlsson redeemed himself as the Wild would pour 11 shots on net but none would get by the keeper. The first overtime would solve nothing, so we were off to a second extra frame. Less than halfway through the second overtime, defenseman @TXC Tanky would take a high-sticking minor. And in what is undoubtedly the key trend of this series, the Aces capitalized on their power play opportunity.  The Aces maintained a relentless cycle and eventually d-man @Jakefufu hammered a seeing-eye slapshot from the point that the screened goaltender @BrutalBoost Andrew Bowman had no chance on. 

 

To me, Game 3 was the game that really decided the fate of this series. Losing in double overtime is a draining, demoralizing feeling and sometimes you can't bounce back from those kinds of games. Game 4 saw Vegas really assert their offensive will. Going into the playoffs, it was widely known that the Aces lacked some offensive punch. They went out and got one of the most prolific scorers our league has seen in recent memory by trading for @glass Kjell Nilsson. Game 4 saw that trade pay dividends as Nilsson connected on four scoring plays, posting a goal and three assists. Vegas scored two more goals on the man advantage this game, and with the 6-4 victory, they took a stranglehold on the series going back to Saskatoon. Back on Canadian soil, the Wild fed off their home crowd in Game 5, and for half the game they actually enjoyed the lead. But yet again, undisciplined penalties spelt their doom as Las Vegas would score all three of their tallies on the man advantage and take the game 3-2, thus eliminating the Wild from the playoffs. Saskatoon was a truculent and scrappy team to play against night in and night out, but perhaps in the end, that was what cost them the series as they had no answer for the blazing hot Aces power play. For the Wild management team it's back to the drawing board, while the Aces will look to double down in the Semi-Finals and keep their playoff dreams alive.

 

(3) Miami Marauders vs (6) San Diego Marlins

MIA wins in 7

 

Heading into the playoffs, the San Diego Marlins were the team nobody wanted to be matched up with in the first round. They ended the season red hot and they were finally enjoying some of the fruits of their labour as many of their young developing talent were starting to see results, and the top end players that were already developed were making a serious impact. While the Marauders were clicking at the right time and surging up the standings in the finals weeks of the season, the Marauders were in sort of a tough spot. They were basically locked in at number two in the Eastern Conference. They weren't going to overtake the Hounds for first, and they also had quite a cushion beneath them so they weren't likely to fall either. This is a dangerous place to be as it can be very easy to grow complacent when there is nothing to play for. 

 

The series opened in Miami for two games, the Marlins came flying out of the gates. In the opening frame of Game 1, center @KC15 Luc Tessier potted two quick goals and got the Marlins a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.  Miami would tie it up in the second, and despite both teams getting solid chances, the third period remained scoreless so it was off to overtime. Late in the frame, blueliner @Sportsboy57 took an undisciplined double minor for slashing.  On the man advantage, left winger @Lochlan Chisholm banged in a rebound in tight and won the game for the Marlins. Game 2 was a much different story as Miami came back much more focused and determined. The game started off as a back and forth affair. Tessier sniped his third goal of the series to open the scoring but @LilHCorny Trevor Wallace answered with his second to evaporate the San Diego lead. And that would be the last lead they had as Miami went on to score four more unanswered goals including a natural hat trick by journeyman center @Mashy Noah Mashford. The emphatic 5-1 victory helped regain morale for Miami as the series shifted to San Diego. 

 

After an off-day, the series shifted back to #MarlinsTerritory for Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately for the Marlins faithful, the Marauders had different plans as they promptly crashed the party with four unanswered goals in the first period, including two from @CptSquall Napoleon Dynamite. The capacity crowd was stunned as the skaters head off the ice after the first frame. However, despite digging themselves a massive hole, the Marlins never quit. After Russian forward @qripll Bogdan Trunov scored a pair to cut the deficit in half,  Luc Tessier notched a power play marker with just under eight minutes to play. Unfortunately it was too little, too late for San Diego as they fell 4-3, but the attempted comeback certainly did lift spirits going into Game 4. In a game that saw more swings then your neighborhood playground, the Marlins came out swinging in Game 4 and took a high scoring affair by a score of 6-4. The hero in Game 4 for the Marlins had to be @Mistxh J Nicky Mariani who exploded for two goals and two assists. With the series split two games apiece, it was back to Miami for Game 5.

 

The scene may have changed for Game 5, but the result did not as it was the Marauders coming out on the right side of a 6-4 win. Mashford got the ball rolling for Miami in the first period with goals six and seven of his playoffs. Carrying a 3-1 lead into the second, the Marauders never looked back. @MrShark Declan Wolf also added two goals of his own, including what would be the game winner and we would be remiss if we didn't mention Bonaparte finding his aforementioned teammates on most of these plays, as he earned himself a big four assist game. It was back to San Diego for a pivotal Game 6. With their backs up against the ropes, the Marlins came out swinging.  One of the teams main leaders, @Eldredman Aldwin Craig, came out flying to start the game and incredibly scored two goals within the first two minutes of the game! The fans were in a full blown frenzy as some faith had been restored in Marlins Territory.  San Diego added to their lead in the second with two more unanswered goals and from there on it was academic as they took the game by a score of 4-2. That set the stage for a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Miami. Game 7 was a back and forth affair, just as the whole series had been up to this point. The tension was palpable and this one went down to the wire. After the lead flip-flopped seven times, the game winner came in the dying minutes of the second period when none other than Noah Mashford buried his eigth goal of the series to put the Marauders up 4-3.  The third period saw the Marlins pour it on with everything they had. They outshot Miami 15-8, alas it was not enough. Goaltender @ClapbombsRus stood his ground and with that, the Marlins were off to the semi-finals, albeit by the skin of their teeth. This series was an absolute thriller and the Marlins should hold their heads high. They have a bright future ahead of them and will surely be a force next season.

 

(4) Minnesota Storm vs (5) Halifax 21st

HFX wins in 6

 

Finally, we have the classic 4vs5 matchup, which is traditionally the hardest one to prognosticate. This one was no exception as both teams were evenly matched throughout the season and only one point separated them in the standings at the end of the season. While Minnesota opted to stand pat and develop the talent they drafted at the start of the season, Halifax was fairly aggressive on the trade market, making numerous deals throughout the season to help fortify their team for the postseason. The series kicked off in Minneapolis, but sadly the Storm stumbled out the gate early and lost their home ice advantage. Halifax would lay a 5-1 shellacking on Minnesota in Game 1. After a goal in the first, the 21st followed it up with an four goal barrage in the second to go up 5-0. Though the Storm got one back, it was not nearly enough. Leading the charge in Game 1 was @GlowyGoat Baldur Poulsen and @Jake Sumner The Great, both of whom had 3 point nights. It should be noted both these players were brought in from aforementioned trades that manager @rory made throughout the season. From first glance, it seemed as though they trades were paying off.

 

Game 2 was a much closer affair, yet it was a similar result as the 21st would take a 2-0 stranglehold on the series. Poulsen maintained their hot hand and notched their third of the series as Halifax would win the game 3-2.  Riding a wave of momentum, the Boat Gang headed back home looking to sweep the series in four games. The momentum train kept on chugging along in Game 3 as Halifax would win 4-3. Poulsen opened the scoring in the first with their fourth goal in three games. Minnesota did manage to Storm back with two goals of their own in the second to tie the game. With less than a minute left in the second period, defenseman @KingMortie Big Mortie blasted a one-timer from the point to score a power play marker. This would end up being the game winner. Though it was a 4-3 win, the 21st really did dominate this game from start to finish. They doubled the Storm in shots 40-20 and looked in control the whole way through.

 

Game 4 Halifax had a chance to break out the brooms and win on home ice. This game was exciting all the way through. The Great would open the scoring for Halifax but the lead didn't last for long. Winger @Kyle01 Sean Ramirez would score two for the Storm in short succession, but Halifax simply would not go down. After clawing back, the 21st carried a 3-2 lead into the third frame. @tylerwest Tyler Steel padded their lead further with his second marker of the series to make it 4-2. Minnesota would get one back on the power play, cutting their deficit back down to one goal. With their backs up against the wall, winger @Gaudette Caleb Gaudette took a pass off the rush and tied the game with a hard wrister over the glove of Halifax netminder Johnathan Bustard. The period ended at a stalemate, so we went to overtime.  Just seven minutes into OT, it was none other than Gaudette coming up clutch yet again. He burred his second of the game and sent the series back to Minnesota for Game 5. The Storm would live to fight another day.

 

The series shifted back to Minnesota for a crucial game 5. This one was a low scoring affair all the way through. Credit to both goaltenders, especially Storm tender @Flames1Fan Dexter Vaughn who would make 39 saves on 40 shots to lead his team to a 2-1 overtime win. The teams traded goals in the second and the third period remained scoreless. Young rookie phenom @Patrik Tallinder Nils Tallinder scored his first career playoff goal 8 minutes and 26 seconds into OT.  For the second straight game, Minnesota refused to die and pulled off overtime magic. It was back to Nova Scotia for Game 6. The magic finally ran out when things came back out East. In another low-scoring game, Halifax really tightened up their defensive game, only allowing 19 shots on goal all game. All the scoring came in the opening period. The game winner ended up on the stick of veteran winger @MikkoKoskinensMistress Kikko Moskinen when he slipped one five-hold on Dexter Vaughan.  Down the stretch the 21st deployed the 2-1-2 neutral zone trap to perfection and the Storm were unable to respond. It's a tough loss for Minnesota but they did well to force the series to six games. Meanwhile the boys and girls in Halifax all went out for donairs after their big Game 6 victory at a local shop in Nova Scotia. 

 

What a fantastic first round we had this season! Even the 1 vs 8 matchup had a bit of intrigue to it, and the rest of the matchups were equally as fun to watch! With all the series decided, the semi-finals are as follows.  The first semi-finals features an all-Canadian matchup with the powerhouse Mississauga Hounds taking on the Halfifax 21st. Meanwhile south of the border, the high scoring Las Vegas Aces will look to go all in on their playoff hopes when they face the Miami Marauders! If the first round was any indication, we are in for some great hockey down the stretch here in the VHLM. Until next time, thanks for reading and take care!

 

 

[Eldredman 81]

Straight fire as always! I enjoyed reading this entire article like always.

[JB123 728]

Next season you'll be writing about us!

 

[fromtheinside 1,289]

5 hours ago, JB123 said:

Next season you'll be writing about us!

 

you bet your ass i will be!

[Juice 641]

Best AGM I could have ever asked for ;-;

[thadthrasher 1,692]

19 hours ago, JB123 said:

Next season you'll be writing about us!

 

"The Yukon Rush were swept away by the San Diego Marlins, an ending that surprised no one."

[Juice 641]

8 minutes ago, thadthrasher said:

"The Yukon Rush were swept away by the San Diego Marlins, an ending that surprised no one."

Oh? You're making the playoffs you think? That's a shocker.