VHL Quarterfinals Day 1

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Through two games of the VHL quarterfinals, it's time to take a look at each series and breakdown each game.

 

Toronto vs. Calgary (1-1)
This has been a true back and series after the first two games.  Toronto took the opening game 3-1, thanks to a stellar defensive effort and some particularly efficient offense.  In fact, game one was all square into the third period before fireworks took over and ended with the 3-1 final.  It was the combination of Jimmy MacElroy and Diego Machado who each found the back of the net, which sealed Toronto's victory.  In the second game, Calgary answered in a massive way, scoring six goals in an offensive onslaught.  Rip Wheeler was undoubtedly the MVP for game two, pouring in an incredible FOUR goals and adding an assist for good measure.  Their 6-3 victory in game two sets up a hell of a series finish as these two teams vie for a chance at the cup.

 

D.C. vs. Los Angeles (2-0)
While Toronto and Calgary have been defined by offensive explosions, the opposite has been the case here in the D.C. vs. Los Angeles pairing.  The Dragons prevailed in both games, by a combined 4-1 score.  In game one, it started with an early powerplay goal from Jason to kick off the scoring.  Los Angeles answers back in the second, but their offense couldn't get the back of the net before the Dragons finished off the scoring in the third, thanks to Lucas Grey's goal.  Great defensive play all around, but that won't make L.A. feel any better about the result.  Game two was more of the same, this time with a 2-0 finish in favor of D.C. Much like the first game, D.C. scored once in the first and once in the third, relying on their defense and goalie play to keep them in the game.  

 

London vs. Malmo (2-0)
Another 2-0 lead here as London took both games to start this series. They grabbed hold of the opening game with three goals in the first period to put Malmo on their back foot, which kept the Nighthawks just out of reach.  Malmo managed to cut the lead down to one in the second period and subsequently tied the game in the third period, but London's offense was just too much, taking the game by a 5-3 score. In the second game, it was Malmo that seemingly had control of this game early on.  The Nighthawks scored one in the first and one in the second, entering the final period with a 2-0 lead. London answered with a pair of goals, forcing this game to overtime where Leonard Triller ended the game with a walk-off goal for the United.

 

Moscow vs. Helsinki (1-1)
A tale of two games so far for this series as each team notched a convincing victory. In the opening game, the fireworks started early with a combined five goals in the opening period.  Helsinki scored three of these, giving them an early lead over the Menace. Moscow answered with a game-tying goal in the second period and that was just the start of their offensive avalanche. Jarmo Ruutu for Moscow scored in the third, giving the Menace the lead, which was followed by a brace from David Rashford to lead Moscow to a 6-3 victory.  In game two, however, Helsinki came out firing on all cylinders and all but put this game to bed in the first period. They opened up a 3-1 lead and eventually went on to win 4-2 thanks to a pair of goals from Daryl Dixon which nodded up the series one to one.

 

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