Claimed: Meute win three in a row vs Titans, claim first place [1/2]

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Meute win three in a row vs Titans, claim first place

The Helsinki Titans bursted out of the gates this season, losing just two games in their first 25. With Franchise Cornerstone having a breakout year and Astrid Moon looking unbeatable, the reigning champions were proving that they were still the best team in the league. A recent slump, however, has dropped them into second place in the overall standings. While they have succeeded against other playoff hopefuls in Davos and New York, their recent string of games against Quebec has given them trouble. The Titans have played the Meute in four of their last five games; after winning the first of these four, the rest have ended in defeat.

 

Helsinki got off to a fast start in the first game in the season series with Quebec. They scored three goals within the first two minutes, and despite the Meute responding with two later in the period, that was enough to get the win. Cornerstone did add an insurance goal later on, giving him two goals and an assist in the game. The Titans were continuing their dominating ways, but the next few games would show their mortality.

 

Astrid Moon has been a top goalie since his notoriously bad S53 playoff performance.

 

The first of the their losses was a case of former MVP Apollo Skye playing his heart out. The Titans did score the first goal of the game on a power play, but Skye made 47 saves in the game to keep Helsinki at just the one. AK47 and Pierre Gaudette scored goals for the Meute, giving them just enough to take the game. The next game between the two started out similarly, with Helsinki getting on the board first with Black Velvet scoring quickly in the first period. The Meute seemed to figure out Astrid Moon in this game. John Locke in particular was playing well, scoring his second hat trick of the season. Gaudette assisted on all four of Quebec's goals, while Skye held the Titans to just two. In the third game, the depth of the Meute roster really showed. Goals were scored by Titan Kronos, Fook Yu, and Lukas Muller with six different players each getting one assist. Velvet scored the lone goal for Helsinki.

 

The Titans will have to wait a bit before they get a chance at revenge. It should be a welcome reprieve for them and a good chance to climb back to first. With a relatively easy schedule on the horizon for Helsinki, it's possible that they don't lose another game before they see the Meute again, though that would require a couple wins against Stockholm. Quebec's lead in the standings is not even really a strict lead, as they have played two more games they Helsinki and are just a point ahead of them. Overall, though, things have been getting closer at the top of the standings all around. The Vikings have gained some ground on the Titans thanks to the recent losses, while the Americans have had an easy stretch allowing them to come within six points of the Meute. Hopefully things continue to be close, giving us a good Victory Cup and playoff races.

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for maxwell

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[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Review

Nice spot of QC vs Helsinki. this seems like the next big rivalry in the VHL much like we see over the year when two top teams always meet in the finals. like Toronto vs Davos. Go QC since i cant cheer for my conference rivals