Claimed:AZ, Express Off To Decent Start [Reviewed]

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Zhumbayev and Cologne Holding Their Own

 

Season 48 of the VHL season is now underway and Cologne Express rookie goaltender, Artom Zhumbayev now has eight professional games under his belt. The Cologne Express are a very young team who will take at least a couple of seasons before they legitimately start to compete for Continental Cup championships. With that being said, the Express and Zhumbayev are both holding their own in their games thus far this season. Following eight games, Cologne sports a record of 4-3-1 and Zhumbayev has posted a 0.903 save percentage with a 2.97 goals against average and one shutout. He has also put up two penalty minutes and has looked good about one-tenth of the way into his rookie campaign aside from a game against the Helsinki Titans where he was hooked from the net.

 

The nerves are usually really going for young players in their first career professional game but that did not seem to be the case for Zhumbayev when he and the Express suited up against the Reign in Riga, Latvia for the opening game of the season. AZ stopped all nine shots that he faced in the first period as his teammates fired eleven shots on net but failed to solve Fedir Okranitz. In the middle frame, Cologne outshot Riga once more, eight to five this time and Zhumbayev passed that test with flying colours. Maxime Perron potted a pair of second period goals for the Express with Joel Jarvi and Lucas Zhukenov both picking up a pair of assists, giving the Express a 2-0 lead heading to the third period. In the final perios, Cologne was able to outshoot Riga eleven to six but failed to score any goals. It didn't matter though, as AZ held down to fort and stopped everything thrown his way, stopping 20 shots in the game to record his first career shutout in his first career VHL game.

 

The Express then traveled to Seattle for a tilt with the Bears and Zhumbayev was much busier in this contest. He was tested 22 times in the first period alone, stopping each and every shot while his teammates were only able to muster five shots on former Cologne goaltender, Sandro Clegane. In the second period, AZ faced twelve shots and stopped all but one, allowing a Niels Skovgaard marker early in the period and they were down 1-0 heading to the third. Pete Stockton and Tyson Kohler both picked up their first career VHL goals on seven Express shots during the third period while Shawn Muller countered for Seattle on thirteen shots. The game needed extra time and overtime solved nothing so a shootout was needed where Zhumbayev stopped all three shots and Pete Stockton scored the only goal to give the Express the win. AZ stopped 47 of 49 shots in the win. Seattle and Cologne then had a re-match in Germany and this time the Bears picked up a 5-4 shootout win, AZ stopping 30 of 34 shots in the loss.

 

Next up was a trip to Stockholm, Sweden for a match-up with the reigning European Conference champions in the Stockholm Vikings, Gifford Shock notched a powerplay goal late in the first period to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes, despite being outshot 9-6 by Cologne. The Vikings outshot the Express 12-10 in the middle frame but the Express managed to score the lone goal, Tyson Kohler picking up his fourth on the year and things were all tied up, heading to the final period. Tyson Kohler then picked up his fifth goal on the season to put Cologne aheadbut two minutes later, Vogon Jeltz tied it up and Lord Karnage scored the deciding goal at about the halfway mark. Zhumbayev took the loss, stopping 24 of 27 shots.

 

Cologne then returned home to Germany for a meeting with the Riga Reign where they were able to come away with a 3-1 win, outshooting Riga 34-19 in the process. Pete Stockton and Maxime Perron scored for Cologne in the first period, while Bronson Faux picked up a second period goal for Riga and Maxime Perron scored his second of the game early in the third period to put the game out of reach. Joel Jarvi recoreded two asssits and Zhumbayev stopped all but one of the nineteen shots that he faced.

 

The next game was not so pretty as the Express were in tough against the powerhouse known as the Helsinki Titans and were blown out 7-1. Helsinki outshot the Cologne Express but only by the tune of 35-24. It was just a bad game for Zhumbayev who allowed six goals on nineteen shots and was pulled from the net late in the second period. Giovanni Reul scored Cologne's lone goal with David Hamilton picking up an assist. Aleksi Koponen, Marcel Faux, and Phil Hamilton all had three-point nights for Helsinki while many others had a multiple point night.

 

A re-match with the Stockholm Vikings came next but the result was the same, a 3-2 loss in Cologne this time around. Stockholm badly outshot the Express in this one, 43-25 and Zhumbayev was able to trap 40 of those 43 shots. Giovanni Reuel and Joel Jarvi were the goal scorers for Cologne while Tyson Kohler and Lucas Zhukenov each had a pair of assists. Vogon Jeltz and Lord Karnage countered for the Vikings in the first period and Severin von Karma potted the winner early in the third period.

 

The Quebec City Meute then came to town in what would prove to be a high-scoring game, Cologne coming out on top by the score of 5-4, outshooting Quebec 34-26. Giovanni Reuel picked up a pair of goals, while David Hamilton, Joel Jarvi, and Tyson Kohler also found the back of the net. Lucas Zhukenov put up a trio of assists, Reuel potting the game-winner midway through the third period. Zhumbayev stopped 22 of 26 shots in the win.

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Good article is good.

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Review:

good article. glad to see my former teammate doing well in the big time! Cant say the same about Cologne as i am now a Seattle Bear haha. a few more pictures to break up all the text would be helpful next time, if possible

 

991 words  

Edited March 19, 2016 by ADwyer87

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