Playoff Reactions

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Thump thump, thump thump… Scoish Velociraptor Maloish is standing in the tunnel waiting for the go-ahead to get onto the ice. Maloish is used to playing hockey and all the intros, but this was different… Thump thump thump thump thump… His heart beats faster and faster as the team moves forward toward the ice. The deafening boos instantly get muted for Maloish. All he can hear is his heartbeat. This is it… playoff hockey… sorta.

 

The Calgary Wranglers qualified for the playoffs but had an extra round to get to the main event. Their first task was the play-in round against the Toronto Legion. This was game 1 for Maloish. We actually caught up with Maloish after the morning skate and got his reactions to this special night.

 

Interviewer: How are you feeling about tonight? How does this compare to the VHLM / VHLE playoffs?

Maloish: I’m both nervous and excited about it. *chuckle* It’s truly special to be playing playoff hockey at this level. You work hard all year to get to this point. I can’t wait to get on the ice tonight. Honestly, comparing this level to the M or E is just not fair. Yes, they are very competitive, but these are some of the best players in the world in this league. There is no developmental here. It’s all real.

I: What are your thoughts on the matchup this series?

M: Toronto is a tough opponent. We slipped a bit and got lucky to get this spot in the playoffs. Toronto is going to be here to make a name for themselves. We have to be ready for everything they are going to throw at us.

I: Would you say you had a good rookie season?

M: Honestly, I’m not sure. If you look at it as a goal scorer I wasn’t that good. If you look at the physical / defending you’d be loving me. There has to be a good balance in the future. I’m going to be working on that hard this summer. As for the playoffs, I’m going to be doing what I do best.

I: Do you think you get any first pairing minutes in the future?

M: I’m not too worried about that. I’m just playing hockey and if they need me on the 1st pairing, I’d be down for that. I just want to win and be a team player.

I: Awesome. Good luck tonight.

M: Thanks.

 

It finally set in that he was playing playoff hockey when he sat on the bench and the puck was dropped. The building was the loudest he’s heard. Being the away team is always a challenge, you know the home team will build off the energy of the crowd. That’s why Leandro’s goal at 7:04 of the first period was a huge boost for the Wrangler squad. Listening to the fans quiet down was a morale boost for the team. In Maloish’s first game in the playoffs, he only had 1 shot block. He also had a respectable 27:32 minutes played for his first game. To Maloish it flew by.

 

Fast forward to game 3, the Wranglers are up in the series 2-0 and they return home to hopefully sweep Toronto. Maloish was ready to get on the ice this time. The nerves were gone. He knew the crowd would be loud. There was no drowning out the cheers, he was excited about it. At 10:30 Maloish recorded his first point in a playoff game. An insurance marker to seal the fate of the Toronto Legion. The Wranglers would go on to sweep Toronto 3-0 after a 3-1 victory.

 

“This was a great win for us tonight. Toronto was a great stepping stone to getting used to the playoff atmosphere. Of course, I was nervous in games 1 and 2 on the road. Once we got home I knew we were in good hands. The crowd was deafening and we loved every second of it. We get some rest and scouting before our matchup against DC. Going against the number one seed is no easy task. To be the best, you have to beat the best. That’s what we are going to do.”

 

Maloish and the Wranglers move on to the official round 1 of the playoffs against the DC Dragons. That series starts on Monday in DC. Stay tuned!