VHL This Week (February 1, 2015)

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VHL This Week

Season 41 Edition 8

 

Welcome back to VHL This Week!  After a week, the playoffs are nearing the end as we're two games into the Continental Cup Finals.  This year we have a battle between the two top seeds - the Reign and Americans.  Although these two were the clear favorites since day one to make the finals, it's a total toss-up on who will win, as evidenced by the series currently sitting at one game apiece.  Should make for an exciting end to the season!

Announcements

With the Americans and Reign in the finals, the Meute and Titans had their seasons cut short with losses in the conference finals.  Better luck to the rest of the league next season!

 

Although the playoffs are still going on, there is something for those whose seasons ended early!  The VHL Entry Draft Lottery was held with the Dynamo grabbing the first overall selection.

 

Make sure to check out Edition 226 of the VHL Magazine!

 

The Super Cup will take place at the end of this season!  The competition will feature players from around the VHL and VHLM competing in a fantasy-style competition that will be sure to add some excitement to this off-season but it is still in need of General Managers!  Sign up to fulfill all your VHL fantasies!

Game Discussion
 

With the conclusion of the conference finals, we will take a look at each series clinching game which sent Riga and New York into the Continental Cup Finals!

 

The first game we'll look at is game five of the North American Conference Finals between the Meute and Americans.  Just thirty seconds into the game, Meute star forward Bruno Wolf picked up a cross-checking minor, a mistake that would lead to a New York powerplay goal just one minute into the game as Matt Bentley took a hard shot from the point that found its way in for an early lead.  Quebec City bounced back strongly from the quick goal but was unable to tie the game up before the first period drew to a close.  Although their effort was not rewarded in the first, the Meute kept at it before Wolf made up for his goal-costing error by deflecting an Aksel Thomassen shot past Brick Wahl to even up the score.  Within five minutes, though, Conner Low took a beautiful shot from the top of the circle to take the lead back before Tom Slaughter promptly gave the Americans a two goal lead, one that would last through the second period.  The third was perhaps the most tightly contested period of the game but with the Meute playing shorthanded for a total of six minutes, they were unable to come back from the two goal deficit as the Americans emerged out of the North American Conference victorious.

 

Game six of the European Conference Finals was even more exciting as the Titans looked to even the series up and force a game seven.  It did not take long for the first goal of the game to be scored in this one with the Titans' Jackson Miller depositing a one-timer into the back of the net just two minutes into the game.  Although Riga limited Helsinki's chances throughout the rest of the period, Tyson Stokes scored after a beautiful passing sequence which began after he intercepted a pass in the neutral zone to put his team up by two, a lead which held up through the end of the first.  Unwilling to be happy with their small lead, the Titans continued to apply offensive pressure as a Jake Wylde goal put them up 3-0, exerting total domination and flawless execution making a win look like a formality.  But Riga would not go down so easily as Brennan McQueen finally erased the goose egg four minutes into the second period.  About nine minutes later, after a James Faraday hooking minor, Robin Gow and the Reign powerplay cut Helsinki's lead to just one before the conclusion of the second period.  In the third, Riga held off the Titans, limiting them to just six shots as they tied the game at three to force overtime.  The extra frame was all Helsinki as they put pressure on their opponents and had a number of opportunities all turned away by Mike Szatkowski Jr. before Robert Gow III finally got the Reign's first shot off, which turned out to be the game-winner as Riga punched their ticket to the finals.

 

TPE Earning

Head to the VHL Magazine, where all you have to do is select a series of numbers to win free player store cash or TPE! More details can be found in the magazine and make sure to check back each week to see if you've won!

Be sure to keep your eyes on the VHL Fantasy Zone, where you can earn uncapped points for correctly predicting the winners and score of selected games. Claim your rewards for the Round 2 Pickem and Predict the Score tasks and make sure to get in your guesses for the Cup Finals Task!