Founders Cup Finals: Games 1 & 2

[VHL Games 1,156]

Game 1:

Halifax 21st vs. Las Vegas Aces

 

Game 2:

Halifax 21st vs. Las Vegas Aces

 

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Founders Cup Final - Halifax 21st vs. Las Vegas Aces (Games 1 and 2)

 

A while back I discussed how the finals, despite ending in a sweep, were an epic set of close matches, with 3 games going into overtime. They came down to the very wire. Let's look at the first two matches.

 

Las Vegas and Halifax took to the ice in the first game, both looking to start off this final on the right foot. It was a tight game with neither team refusing to give even an inch to the other team. The Aces were getting more shots on goal in the first period, leading 19-12. However, after almost 17 minutes of gameplay, the Aces allowed the 21st to have a man advantage. The 21st capitalized and Brodie Landry III scored to open the series on the power play. In the second period, nobody scored and both teams continued to battle it out. The Aces were outshooting the 21st but nothing was going in due to the stellar goaltending of Geoff Bezos. In the third though, the Aces got the goal they needed despite the low number of shots on net from both teams. (Halifax had 4, Vegas had 3) The goal came about 16 minutes in, courtesy of James Kagelberg. This game was going to overtime and the Aces found their OT hero in Fred Hampton, scoring to give Vegas a 1-0 series lead. 

 

Interestingly enough, this was the only game in the series that did not end in overtime. This game was quicker in having its first goal, with Brodie Landry III again opening the scoring on a 21st powerplay. However, just after the 18th minute mark of the period, Hayden Bromley scored for the Aces in order to tie it up. In the second period, things began to pick up for Las Vegas as Hugh G Johnson and Larry Abass Jr scored two quick goals just over 9 minutes in. Al Land later added to the Vegas lead with a goal at the 14 minute mark, giving the Aces a 4-1 lead heading into the last period of the game. All the Aces needed to do was hang on and they would get their second win in their Founders Cup Final campaign. And they were successful, only letting in a power play goal from the Mediocre One. That gave Vegas a 2-0 lead heading into the final two games. And now, considering it's after the fact, it's safe to say getting a quick series lead helped propel them forward into victory.