Aces Deal Themselves into the Founder’s Cup Final:

[animal74 1,855]

Aces Deal Themselves into the Founder’s Cup Final

 

After securing a chance to defend their Founder’s Cup title for the second year in a row by becoming the second team in VHLM history to win the Prime Minister’s Cup with the top regular season record three consecutive seasons, the S85 Las Vegas Aces prepared themselves for a battle against the San Diego Marlins.

 

San Diego Marlins 

 

The West rivals last played each other in the postseason in the S83 Founder’s Cup Final when the Aces won the series in six games capturing their first Cup since S64. The Aces hoped history would repeat.

 

Las Vegas won the first two at home handily by scores of 4-2 and 5-0. The Marlins reciprocated by winning their two home games 3-2 (curtesy of a Vincent Laroche-Gagnier @vincentlg2007 OT winner and Lachlan Summers’ @kirbithan 44-save performance) and 3-1. The Aces were not to be denied however and they took the next two games 5-2 on Wann Kerr’s @VattghernCZ four goals and 2-0 with Aces’ goalie Joel Castle @animal74 setting a franchise record with his 2^nd career playoff shutout.

 

 

Mexico City Kings 

 

In a repeat of the Western Semi-Finals last season, Las Vegas would play their rivals across the border, the Mexico City Kings after they swept the Saskatoon Wild.

 

In a weird scheduling quirk, the Kings and Aces played their entire nine-game series in each team’s first 19 games of the season with Las Vegas winning the series 7-2 and outscoring the Kings 29-22 with 3 one-goal games (including one shootout). This series proved to be even closer.

 

The two teams split the games in Vegas with the Aces taking the first one 4-3 thanks to Jens Lekman’s @Bobcat power play marker at 14:48 of the third just over a minute after the Kings tied it up. Jeremy Swayman @Agito backstopped the Kings to a Game 2 victory stopping 36 shots in a 5-3 win where the Kings overcame Las Vegas’ three power play goals and got two goals apiece from Alexander Stroheim @Stroheim and The Mediocre One @RElblein. The Mediocre One would score two goals again in a Game 3 5-3 win and along with three assists from Quinn Saint-Willes @Squids McKenzie, the Kings were up 2-1 in the series. The Aces would not quit though and in a bounce-back performance after getting pulled in the last two games, Joel Castle made 34 saves and Laytin Cupp @laytin scored early in the third period to craft a 3-2 win to tie the series at 2 games each. Mexico City then torched the Vegas goalies in a 6-2 Game 5 victory with Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide scoring twice.

 

On the ropes, Aces’ fans had to wonder which Joel Castle would show up – the goalie that posted two shutouts in Round 1 or the goalie that had been pulled in all three losses in Round 2? Fortunately for Las Vegas, neither team’s goalie was sharp in Game 6, but Castle was a bit better as the Aces got three points each from Larry Abass Jr @RileyL, Robert Overmeyer @RobBro34, and Wann Kerr in a 6-3 win to take the series to Game 7.

 

Despite scoring first two minutes into the game, the Kings would be on their heels the rest of the way as the Aces scored the next three goals, outshooting the Kings 19-9 and ending the first period with a 4-2 lead on the strength of Kobe Johnson’s @Vkobe-v hat trick. Vegas added another score in the second period and Castle shut the door to give Las Vegas a 5-2 win and their third straight trip to the Founder’s Cup.  

 

Philadelphia Reapers

 

This will be another great series. Las Vegas Aces are the grizzled veterans and defending champions entering their fourth Final in five seasons. The fourth-place Philadelphia Reapers pulled off their own Game 7 miracle in Round 1 mounting an astounding comeback upsetting the East’s top team, the Ottawa Lynx, after being down 3-0 in the series. Then S85’s Cinderella team beat the Miami Marauders in five games to make the franchise’s first Final since S75 when they won the Cup in six games against Mexico City.

 

The Aces won the regular season series 8-3 but that included an overtime win and two shootout wins. All but one game was decided by 2 goals or less with Las Vegas outscoring the Reapers 39-31. During the post season the team’s stats have been fairly even except on special teams where Vegas has a distinct advantage. Philadelphia will have to stay out of the box in order to avoid the Aces’ lethal power play. In net, Evan Bihler @Eb14 has a slightly better save percentage (0.909 to 0.907) but Joel Castle’s GAA is lower (2.63 to 2.96). Castle has posted two shutouts, Bihler has one. Will Philadelphia’s magical run continue or will Las Vegas make VHLM history with a three-peat?

 

Stay tuned.

 

Welcome to the S85 Founder’s Cup Final!

[kirbithan 1,765]

Awesome work as per usual, Animal!! Good luck in the Finals. 

[Shindigs 1,771]

Turns out it barely matters how good your special teams are when you take 17 penalties in the first two games.