Reapers vs Storm: Game 1 Recap

[Thranduil 293]

As the S66 VHLM playoff opener got underway at a sold out Burns Crematorium Center in Philadelphia, the Reapers came out flying in front of their fans, controlling the play immediately. Only 8 minutes into the first period, Philadelphia blueliner Brandon LeBlanc controlled a large rebound, following a shot by Dylan Doyle. LeBlanc wound up at the top of the slot, forcing Minnesota goaltender Wendy Kandee Cain out of her crease to block the angle, but he suddenly slid the puck back to Doyle, for the easy tap-in. The crowd shot to their feet, giving the Reapers an extra boost on energy. Meanwhile, Doyle was mobbed by his teammates for his early heroics. Only 4 minutes later, at 12:03 of the first period, the Reapers struck again, this time on a solo effort by third line center Walter Clements. Kolur Bjoernsson, Reapers goaltender picked the puck up behind his net, and seeing the Storm were making a line change, jumped on the opportunity, sliding the puck to defenseman Duncan Jeffers, urging him to look to Clements, who was barreling through the neutral zone, calling for the puck. Jeffers got the pass off just in time, so that Clements only had to slow down slightly to avoid being offside, but he was able to regain what speed he had lost, and moved in on Kandee Cain, sliding the puck unceremoniously between her wickets. For a moment it looked like she had stopped the puck, but a second later and it was trickling between her legs and into the net. Reapers fans went ballistic across Philadelphia, and confetti was poured on the ice, leading to a 10 minute TV timeout, so that they could clean up the mess. When the Reapers hit the ice again, they were feeling more confident than ever, and with just over a minute left in the first period, they struck again. Walter Clements, the hero of the second goal, won the draw against Raphael Nazarians, sending the puck over to winger Ben Hafkey. Hafkey deked out Brendan Plunkett and ripped the puck from the top of the slot, going top corner and giving the Reapers a 3-0 lead. By this time all of the fans in Burns Crematorium Center were on their feet, singing and chanting as the clock wound down in the first period. At this point it was clear the Reapers were going to win the game, and most likely the series.

 

The second period was every bit as exciting as the first. The Reapers once again took control of the play, getting the first five shots of the period, in a persistent effort to widen their lead. However, surprisingly it was Minnesota who struck mesh first. 8:54 into the first period, Storm defender Donat Szita was finally able to bury the puck for the Storm, on a rebound let off by Reapers goalie Kolur Bjoernsson, making the score 3-1 Reapers. Philadelphia was not discouraged by this lucky break from the Storm, and fought back, putting together a string of 6 straight shots, the first 5 of which were saved by Kandee Cain, however, she could not continue this amazing strand of saves forever, and eventually Reapers captain John Frostbeard buried one short side on a dazzling passing play between him, Edward Vigneault, Walter Clements, and Kevin Low. This goal both killed the confidence of the Storm and bolstered that of the Reapers. From this moment on, it was clear that the Reapers had full control of the game. They would be able to score whenever they wanted, but evidently they chose to take it easier, so they could get some rest for game 2. The second period ended with the score at 4-1, and the shots in the period were 12-4, in favour of the Reapers. Not a lot happened in the third period. The Storm continued to struggle to get shots, once again managing only 4 shots in the period. It was obvious that the Reapers were just coasting out there. They controlled the puck most of the period, rarely taking chances. They took the odd shot on net, but they had no reason to score. The game ended 4-1, with the final shots being 36-15 for the Reapers. Fans in Philadelphia partied all night in the streets around Burns Crematorium Center, and many did not leave until after game 2 had ended. The Reapers, as expected, would go on to win the series in 4 games, not giving the Storm much of a chance at all.