Claimed:Seventh Heaven: Oslo Storm Past Moscow [Final 6/6]

[Alucard 46]

Seventh Heaven: Oslo Storm Past Moscow

VHLM Game 268

 

Wesley Babiy got Oslo off to the perfect start in Moscow, as the Storm ran riot against their divisional rivals.

 

The Red Wolves were left bloodied and bruised after game 268 of the regular season as European Conference leaders Oslo hit them for seven in an overwhelmingly one-sided game. Second liners Evgeny Nezhmetdinov and Wesley Babiy were the stand-out performers, each accumulating four points and claiming the first and second stars on the night. The game marked the first time this season that the Storm have scored seven goals, and brings their total against the Red Wolves to forty for the season.

 

Both sides came into the game having already secured a play-off birth, with the visitors having already clinched the conference title. If Oslo have had a problem this season it has to be their lack of goals in comparison with the overall standings leaders Saskatoon and Yukon. Even Brampton and Bratislava—both of whom currently sit 22 points adrift of the Storm—have scored more goals, but this was a night when everything came together for Oslo's offensive units.

 

The Norwegian outfit fielded a second line consisting of Hunter Backenbauer and the rookie pairing of Wesley Babiy and Evgeny Nezhmetdinov, and no sooner had they set foot upon the ice than the forward trio had combined to give Oslo the perfect start, with Wesley Babiy providing the final touch on  a slick, free-flowing move for his fourteenth goal of the season.

 

The visitors dominated the opening phases of the game, though they did survive a scare on seven minutes as Moscow's Stumppell Aurinkoinen Jr. hit the post with a fierce drive from the point. Just shy of the twelve minute mark Oslo gained their second powerplay of the night, and took just ten seconds to make the extra man pay. Babiy and Giovanni Reuel picked up the assists on a crackling shot by Sup Hot Fire that was past Lenny Face in the Moscow goal before the netminder even saw it. Moscow came back into the game thereafter, but at the buzzer they found themselves down by three, as Romanowski and Nezhmetdinov combined to set up Hunter Backenbauer.

 

The hosts could easily have been disheartened going in at the break, but a late penalty gave them cause for hope, and they began the second period with a man advantage. When the goal came twenty seconds in there was no surprise as to who was responsible: top scorer Jace Hines netted for the Red Wolves, and Moscow suddenly had a path back into the game.

 

The sides were evenly matched over the course of the following twenty minutes, but a series of penalties gave Oslo more time on the powerplay, and the hosts had their goaltender to thank for keeping them in touch. Midway through the period they capitalised on Face's heroics, as Tomas Andersson set up Santi Piñeiro for the Red Wolves' second. The home fans were revitalised, and the comeback looked well and truly on. At the buzzer the score was only 3–2, but what transpired in the opening phase of the third period lead to an outflux of of supporters from the arena.

 

With the second line having taken most of the plaudits over the first two periods, Giovanni Reuel stepped up for the first line and struck twice in the first three minutes of the third, with centre Le'Sean Coutzen picking up an assist on both goals. It was a whirlwind start to the period for Oslo, and they weren't finished there. Two minutes after Reuel completed his brace the second line were at it again, with Babiy picking up his second assist of the game on a Evgeny Nezhmetdinov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season.

 

The Red Wolves were shell-shocked, and as the period progressed they never really threatened Clegane's goal. The Storm recorded twenty-four shots in the period, and five minutes before the final buzzer they had their seventh—the first time they have hit that number all season. Babiy was involved again, picking up his fourth point of the night as he set up Nezhmetdinov for his fourth point of the night. Oliver Cleary picked up a consolation for the hosts before the night was done, but at the final buzzer the score Oslo 7 Moscow 3. If the Storm hope to upset either Yukon or Saskatoon and claim the championship for themselves come the post-season, they will need young stars Babiy and Nezhmetdinov to continue their good form to supplement the top line of Coutzen, Reuel and Perron.

 

1st Star: Evgeny Nezhmetdinov (G: 2 A: 2 Pts: 4 +/-: 3)

2nd Star: Wesley Babiy (G: 1 A: 3 Pts: 4 +/-: 3)

3rd Star: Giovanni Reuel (G: 2 A: 1 Pts: 3 +/-: 2)

Edited August 8, 2015 by Alucard

[Sixersfan594 247]

Content 3/3 - I love the pbp type article here, and I really loved your coverage of this game. To be fair, I think D_A boosted our offense and that's why we are finally scoring. Also, I boosted Moscow's scoring since it helps my players with the achievement tracker.

Grammar 2/2 - Pretty good

leaders Oslo = leaders, Oslo (very picky - low weight)

Appearance 1/1 - Yup

Final 6/6

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