Deep Rewind: The Year of Game Seven

[Doomsday 4,130]

Credit to @Motzaburger for turning back time with this bad boy.

 

Hello VHL, and welcome to the Season 71 edition of Deep Rewind. In this segment, we'll explore the vast history of the Victory Hockey League, as a league such as this doesn't make it more than 70 seasons without having good stories to tell. Whether it's some of the greatest achievements of the league's legendary players, the marks left by top teams, or the outright bizarre, the history of the VHL has a story for everyone. Through Deep Rewind, these stories will be told.

 

Before we begin, let's check out what's going on with the VSN this week! You can check out recaps of the past week for both the VHL and VHLM, listen to @Berocka's latest episode of VSN Radio, learn about the career of Hall of Fame defenseman Alexander Valiq, and catch up on the award races in the VHLM!

 

Under 250: the VHLM Review | VHLM Award Tracker | VSN Weekly Review | VSN Radio | The Talents Behind the Trophies

 

The Conference Championships are underway in both the VHL and VHLM, as Season 71 draws to a close. As the remaining four teams battle to keep their dreams of lifting the Cup alive, we're going to turn the clock back to one of the most dramatic series in the history of the Continental Cup, featuring legendary players, unforgettable moments, and two teams that didn't have the word, "quit," in their vocabularies. I'm referring to, of course, the Season 34 Continental Cup Finals between the Helsinki Titans and the Calgary Wranglers. For those keeping score at home, this is a subject I've discussed in previous articles, but it was only a small part of that article. But in researching the series for said article, it was a shock to me that this series hasn't been talked about more, for it was an incredibly dramatic post-season, culminating with a wild finish that crowned the league champions. Frankly, it deserves its own piece, and to do that, let's take a look at both teams, and how they made it to the Continental Cup.

 

 Season 34 Helsinki Titans 

 

The Titans were a powerful team during the 30's, but they simply never seemed to be able to fully realize their potential and win it all. Continually thwarted by the Riga Reign in the playoffs year after year, General Manager Mitch Higgins was determined to make Season 34 the year that Helsinki finally took their place atop the VHL. This was, after all, a star-studded line-up, featuring future Hall of Famer and team captain Ethan Osborne, one of the era's elite players. He had plenty of support, with three other 40 goal scorers on the team: Brody Hodgson, Nic Riopel and Anatoli Zhumbayev. Further offensive depth was brought in when Al Wilson and Felix Leiter were acquired from Riga, cementing a strong core of forwards, which also included a future Hall of Famer in a young Odin Tordahl. The Titans also boasted a third future Hall of Famer in the crease with Tuomas Tukio, entering the prime of his career. With Till Lindemann, Dmitry Baurzhan and rookie Willie Weber on the blue line, the Titans were a deep, powerful squad ready to finally break through.

 

Koradek made this beauty of a sig depicting the legendary Ethan Osborne.

 

As it was in seasons' past, the regular season was never the problem for Helsinki. The clear class of the European Conference, the Titans cruised to a comfortable place atop the conference with a 55-12-5 record, good for first place, home-ice advantage and the Victory Cup as well. It was a dominating season, finishing with 34 more points than the EU's second-place Riga Reign, with 81 points. Hodgson, Osborne and Riopel all finished with over 100 points, with Tukio recording a .928 save percentage and a 1.83 goals allowed average. After Riga swept away the Cologne Express in the first round, the Titans would need to overcome their rivals to reach the finals. 

 

However, despite their dominance in the regular season, the Titans weren't able to push aside the Reign so easily. Although Riga shocked Helsinki by scoring three goals in less than two minutes in the third period to take Game One, the Titans responded by winning the next two games to take a 2-1 series lead. Riga quickly turned the tables by winning the next two games to get within one game of yet another series victory over the Titans. Unwilling to suffer what would have been an incredibly embarrassing defeat, Tuomas Tukio dialled up his game, allowing just two total goals in Games Six and Seven. With Tukio holding the door shut, Brody Hodgson's hat trick led to a 3-1 Game Six win in Riga, forcing a decisive Game Seven in Helsinki. The Reign were, however, out of gas, as the Titans throttled them 7-1 behind a five-point game from Nic Riopel and Helsinki finally celebrated a trip to the Continental Cup Finals once again.

 

 Season 34 Calgary Wranglers 

 

Although not quite as established as a successful team as the Titans in Season 34, the Calgary Wranglers were a team on the rise, looking to lift the Cup again after doing so in Season 30. They had fallen just short of reaching the Finals in Season 33, losing to the New York Americans, and General Manager Jason Glasser's squad was ready to take the next step. Future Hall of Famer Alexander Chershenko was back in town, aiming for the perfect ending to his storied career in his final season, and he had a talented squad around him. Calgary lifer Volodymyr Rybak, another future Hall of Famer, made for a dangerous pairing, with Felix Zamora nearly scoring 100 points as well. Giygas, Chico Salmon and Henrik Larsson rounded out the Wranglers offence. Clark Marcellin was a dominant offensive weapon from the blue line, with Kraphf Dringus as his linemate. In net, the nefarious Satan was beginning to come into his own as well, rounding out a Calgary Wranglers squad ready to do some damage. 

 

Boubabi created this sig of Volodymyr Rybak, a Hall of Famer and Calgary legend.

 

In a tough North American Conference that saw the Toronto Legion miss the playoffs with 92 points, Calgary still clawed to a 51-17-4 record, finishing four points behind the first-place Quebec City Meute with 106 points. Chershenko and Rybak both finished over 120 points, with 125 and 121, respectively. Clark Marcellin tacked on 100 from the blue line, with Felix Zamora scoring 96 points and falling just shy of being their fourth 100 point scorer. Calgary drew a tough match-up in the first round with the defending Conference Champions, the New York Americans. Featuring future Hall of Famers in Phil Rafter, Ryan Sullivan and Alexander Labatte, the Americans were looking for one last Cup before an impending rebuild. In a back and forth series, the home team had the advantage. With the road team never winning a game the entire series, the Americans tried to change that when Connor Evans tied the game at 2-2 in the second period, a score that held in regulation. This series was bound to end the same way it had begun: an overtime win for Calgary, and Henrik Larsson's first goal of the playoffs ended the game and the series, sending the Wranglers to face Quebec City for the North American Conference Championship.

 

With the Meute holding home-ice advantage, Calgary needed to start winning on the road to stand a chance at advancing further. With a 2-0 lead going into the third period, Mattis Trumbauer and Wesley Kellinger both scored to send the game to overtime, Calgary's third game of the post-season so far to go to extra time. Shortly after the overtime period began, a brawl erupted after a big hit on Tomas Valiq by Clark Marcellin, with both Alexander and Niklas Valiq retaliating for the hit on their brother. Alexander Valiq attacked Alexander Chershenko, ultimately fighting to a draw. Niklas Valiq, however, pummeled Volodymyr Rybak, receiving a game misconduct for instigation. With multiple players off the ice, the Wranglers prevailed on the back of an unlikely hero, Kraphf Dringus, with his first goal of the playoffs winning the game less than a minute after the brawl. The Wranglers went up 3-1 in the series on the momentum of the big win in Game One, but Quebec City rallied to force yet another Game Seven on their home ice. Calgary went up 2-0 going into the third period on goals by Rybak and Giygas, but with Yuri Grigorenko scoring a power-play goal with ten minutes to go, the pressure was on Satan to close out the game. Facing a total of 13 shots in the period, Satan was able to pull through, and the Calgary Wranglers were heading to the Continental Cup Finals!

 

The Season 34 Continental Cup Finals

 

With both the Helsinki Titans and Calgary Wranglers prevailing through grit surviving Game Sevens (with Calgary surviving two!), The stage was set for a series for the ages, and they did not disappoint. Game One began with Chico Salmon scoring an early power-play goal, but the Titans dictated the play for the rest of the game, peppering Satan with shots. Ethan Osborne tied the game late in the first, and just when it looked like another overtime was on the horizon, Anatoli Zhumbayev scored the game-winner for Helsinki. The Titans' momentum continued in Game Two, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind two Nic Riopel goals in the first period and another Zhumbayev goal in the second. Alexander Chershenko scored two goals of his own to make the score 3-2 going into the third period, but Tuomas Tukio stopped the six shots Calgary mustered in the third period to put Helsinki up 2-0.

 

Another Koradek creation of Tuomas Tukio, who shut the door on the Wranglers to give Helsinki a 2-0 series lead.

 

With the series going to Calgary, the Wranglers responded with a dominant first period. Tukio was beaten for three goals in a span of roughly ten minutes in the first period, and while the Titans were able to slow things down afterwards, they could not get their offence going. Anatoli Zhumbayev scored a power-play goal in the second period, but Satan would not be beaten again. Volodymyr Rybak's second goal of the game in the third period restored the three-goal lead, as Calgary won 4-1. Game Four featured more fight from Helsinki, as they opened the game with Odin Tordahl's third goal of the playoffs, only for Henrik Larsson's third goal of the playoffs to tie the game at 1-1. Ethan Osborne put the Titans up 2-1 going into the third period, but the grizzled veterans for Calgary, Alexander Chershenko and Volodymyr Rybak both scored in the third period to take Game Four 3-2 and tie the series at two games.

 

After dropping two games on the road, the Titans were glad to be back home in Helsinki, and it showed: Satan was peppered with 10 of the 21 shots he would face in the first period, with Brody Hodgson opening the party six minutes in and Odin Tordahl scoring two goals in the period. Chico Salmon also scored in the period, leaving Calgary down 3-2. Unleashing a torrent of shots, Rybak scored on the power play late in the period to narrow the deficit to one, but Tuomas Tukio had stopped 31 of the 33 shots he had faced to that point, while Satan had saved 14 of 17 shots. Calgary mustered twelve more shots, but Tukio stopped them all, making 43 saves on the night and absolutely robbing the Wranglers on a rare off night for Satan, who had only faced 21 shots. Helsinki would not be as fortunate in Game Six, for it was Satan's night to shine. While Tuomas Tukio and Satan both made 27 saves, Tukio had faced 28 shots. Chico Salmon's goal in the first period wound up being the only goal of the night, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, the Continental Cup would have to be awarded following the conclusion of yet another Game Seven.

 

A Koradek creation for Calgary lifer Chico Salmon, whose goal in Game Six forced Game Seven.

 

With the home team having won all six games so far in this series, the Titans looked to continue that with a quick goal by Odin Tordahl, who had scored the team's last three goals. Satan had played five straight shutout periods against Helsinki, but the Titans had beaten him just two minutes into Game Seven. Both Tukio and Satan, however, were locked in for this decisive game. No other goals were scored by either team, with Helsinki leading 1-0 after the first period. The second period featured more dominance from the goalies, as the score remained 1-0 going into the third period. Although Calgary was 0/3 on the power play, a hit on Kraphf Dringus by Till Lindemann was deemed excessive and he was assessed with a double minor for roughing. It was the break the Wranglers needed, and after drawing the penalty, Dringus provided the primary assist on Alexander Chershenko's game-tying goal on the power play, his 18th of the playoffs. Neither team, however, was able to end the game, and regulation ended with a 1-1 tie. Seven games were not enough, and for two teams that had thrived in the critical moments, one last goal would be required to finally crown a champion.

 

Early in the overtime, Till Lindemann again took a critical penalty, getting caught for a hook on Volodymyr Rybak two minutes into the period. However, a masterful performance on the penalty kill by Nic Riopel, who cleared the puck out of harm's way three times, and Tuomas Tukio, who didn't allow a single rebound on the shots he faced, kept the game alive for Helsinki. As the minutes ticked by, it started to look as if one overtime period wouldn't be enough. But then, just before the end of the period, history happened.

 

The home crowd of Helsinki brought the energy that only a Game Seven with the Continental Cup on the line could bring. 

 

"Less than a minute to go here in overtime of Game Seven of the Continental Cup Finals, Calgary and Helsinki tied at one and we might need more time in this one. Faceoff set in the Titans' zone, CAL C2 ejected from the draw, CAL LW2 takes his spot. Hodgson wins the crucial defensive zone draw, and passes it off to Zhumbayev as he takes a hit. Moving it up the ice, Calgary isn't challenging him, so Zhumbayev is going to take it in himself! At the circle, fires a shooooot… missed the net! Thunders off the boards, and that's Willie Weber with the puck now. Less than half a minute to go now, SHOT by Weber, and BLOCKED BY MARCELLIN! Sacrifices his body, but Baurzhan with the puck, passes to passes to Hodgson, twenty seconds to go, passed to Zhumbayev, back to Hodgson, back again to Zhumbayev, over to Baurzhan, passed back to Zhumbayev and SHOT! Missed the net, but Hodgson's got it! The Titans are relentless right now and Calgary is desperately trying to hold on! Fifteen seconds left, SHOT BLOCKED BY HODGSON!! The puck is loose, Satan can't see it! Zhumbayev picks it up, flips it AND HE SCORES!!! HE SCOOOOORES!! THE HELSINKI TITANS HAVE WON THE CONTINENTAL CUP!! Helsinki is rocking and equipment is flying everywhere as Anatoli Zhumbayev has just scored the Cup-winning goal!!"

 

With a combined five Game Sevens, it took the biggest goal of Anatoli Zhumbayev's career to finally end one of the wildest playoff runs in the VHL's history. Continuing with the wild nature of the series, Alexander Chershenko needed to be brought back out into the Helsinki Titans' celebration to be awarded the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as Playoff MVP, with 18 goals and 18 assists for an absurd 36 points during the Wranglers' playoff run, a new VHL record and one that still stands today. But as Chershenko left the ice for the final time of his career, carrying the Kanou with him, he left behind the prize he truly wanted: the Continental Cup. Finally, Helsinki could be held back no longer, and the Titans enjoyed the celebration that is the goal of every VHL team leading up to each season: taking a skate with the Continental Cup, made even sweeter happening on their home ice. After years of frustration, players like Ethan Osborne, Brody Hodgson, Tuomas Tukio and Zhumbayev were finally champions. 

 

Years of playoff frustrations were instantly erased when the Helsinki Titans finally lifted the Continental Cup.

 

As the playoffs roll on, VSN extends our best wishes to your teams! May you find the success and glory that the Helsinki Titans did, and if you can't… go down fighting as hard as the Calgary Wranglers did.

 

Player Mentions: @Higgins, @STZ, @Tylar, Nic Riopel, @fever95, Al Wilson, @Hybrid1486, @BOOM™, @der meister, @Dion, @snipealldaylong, @Victor, Rybak_49, @frescoelmo, @.sniffuM, @xDParK, great_save_luongo, @diamond_ace, Kraphf, @Bushito, @Phil, @Advantage, @sterling, @Tyler,@PensFan101, @Jericho, @Kyle, @Koradek, @Squinty, @Boragina

[Victor 10,953]

4 minutes ago, Doomsday said:

Alexander Chershenko needed to be brought back out into the Helsinki Titans' celebration to be awarded the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as Playoff MVP, with 18 goals and 18 assists for an absurd 36 points during the Wranglers' playoff run, a new VHL record and one that still stands today.

take me back to this monster

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

1 hour ago, Victor said:

take me back to this monster

Pavlov will have a hell of a resurgence 

[Victor 10,953]

2 minutes ago, Mr_Hatter said:

Pavlov will have a hell of a resurgence 

Pavlov isn't fit to tie Chershenko's laces.

[Phil 5,119]

Those were some GOOD Freaking TIMES

[der meister 3,197]

I remember this vividly, and I still believe that Till was innocent. Clearly the officials thought he was excessively rough just because of his size. Not his fault that he was a man amongst children on the ice.

[Higgins 3,618]

Really easy to read! you’re good at this. 

[bigAL 2,176]

 

On 5/7/2020 at 12:03 PM, Doomsday said:

Continuing with the wild nature of the series, Alexander Chershenko needed to be brought back out into the Helsinki Titans' celebration to be awarded the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as Playoff MVP.

 

Finally, Helsinki could be held back no longer, and the Titans enjoyed the celebration that is the goal of every VHL team leading up to each season: taking a skate with the Continental Cup, made even sweeter happening on their home ice.

 

Awkwaaaaaaaaaaaard. My heart breaks for the OGWAC Chershensko, poor guy never got the Cup he deserved.

[Victor 10,953]

13 minutes ago, bigAL said:

 

 

Awkwaaaaaaaaaaaard. My heart breaks for the OGWAC Chershensko, poor guy never got the Cup he deserved.

He already 2 rings from before including another MVP, Game 7 cup-winning goal as captain in S30.

 

But I appreciate the emotional support even now.