Under 250: The VHLM Review (S71 First/Second Round Review))

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

 

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 

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First Round Review

 

This first round of the Season 71 VHLM playoffs was a return to exciting playoff hockey, complete with upsets and Game Sevens; a far cry from last year’s round of sweeps in which the higher-ranked team swept their matchup (though we still had one of those just for good measure. Without further ado, let’s jump into the first series between the first ranked Ottawa Lynx and the lowest-seeded team, the Halifax 21st. 

 

Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Halifax 21st (8)

 

I mentioned earlier that there still was one sweep these playoffs, and to no surprise, you are looking at it. Ottawa is a lean, mean, fighting machine, and are remarkably consistent, having scored four goals in every game this series. However, despite losing each game, the 21st put up a remarkable fight, scoring at least two goals in each game. The true MVP of this series, however, was Halifax’s stellar goalie, Hex Valentine. Despite having been swept, he still remains the top goalie in the playoffs by SV% with a .933. Considering Ottawa put over 50 shots on goal in each game, including a staggering 83 shots in Game Three of the series, that four goals per game stands as a monument of bittersweet success to the netminder. 

 

I just want to reiterate that. 83 shots in a playoff game and Valentine saved 79 of them. Truly fantastic stuff, especially considering two of those goals came on the powerplay. For Ottawa, the series was a relative breeze; Valentine’s Game Three heroism was the only time a Halifax player found themselves on the three stars of the game, and continued success from the regular season scoring champ Richard Penisson and partner in crime Adam Syreck, who both scored eight points over the four games, found them closing out the series with ease. 

 

Yukon Rush (2) vs. Saskatoon Wild (7)

 

Our next series was a fair bit closer, at least in the grand context. Ironically, the margins of victory were, for the most part, much wider apart. Really it was a tale of home-ice advantage. The Yukon Rush dominated each of their home games, while the Saskatoon Wild held firm on home ice through Games Three and Four, though eventually succumbed in a Game Six overtime loss.

 

Kicking off their playoff run strong, the Rush beat the Wild 7-2 in Game One. They started off shakey, however, with the Wild taking a quick lead thanks to Kazimir Komarov, and extended it further off a shorthanded goal halfway through the period. But then it all fell apart for the Wild. The Rush, similar to their namesake, found the net four times in just two minutes, including two goals from centre Vin Calia, who then completed their hat trick in the second period. Add in two assists for good measure, and you have a well earned first star of the game. What is perhaps most impressive from this game, however, is Nicolas Fomba’s 57 saves on 59 shots. With such stellar work, the Rush were able to win by such a high margin despite being outshot 59 to 37.  Game Two was a similar story; once again the Wild took the lead, but this time the Rush waited until the third period to begin their assault. In fact, after only putting nine shots on net over the first two periods, they took 18 shots in the third period alone, finding the back of the net three times for a 5-2 victory. 

 

Games Three and Four found our series tied up, as the Wild took to their home ice with gusto. Game Three had an inspired first period that saw the Wild leading 3-1 by the intermission, and they saw this lead out, despite the best efforts of Yukon’s Mickey Dickson, whose two goals kept the Rush in contention before falling 3-4.  In Game Four, despite trailing at the second intermission, the Wild were able to take the game, scoring three in the third period. Third-line forward Jay Jones proved the unlikely hero, scoring the game-tying goal twice to keep the Wild in it, even providing the secondary assist to close the game out with the final goal. Alas, that would be the final game the Wild would win. 

 

Going back to home ice, the Rush struck gold once more with a 7-3 victory in Game 5. Once again, the third period proved decisive, as the Rush went from an even 3-3 scoreline to scoring a quick and easy four goals, including a single period hat trick from the aforementioned Dickson. The final match of the series proved the most exciting, as the Rush would take the game in an overtime thriller. Saskatoon led throughout the game, but with less than four minutes remaining, Vin Calia tied it up. In the overtime period, a tripping call proved fatal for the Wild’s Gary Neal. Despite his fantastic play throughout the regular season and in the playoffs (he led the team in goals for both), this cost them the series, as Yukon’s Jack John capitalized, scoring the series-winning power-play goal to send the Rush on to the second round. 

 

Minnesota Storm (3) vs. San Diego Marlins (6)

 

Enter the San Diego Marlins. This playoff’s first upset, the sixth-seeded Marlins defeated the third-placed Minnesota Storm in six games. This series had it all, from close, overtime games, to huge blowouts. Let’s see how it all went down. 

 

Game One of the series set the tone for the rest, as the two teams traded goals, keeping the matchup as close as possible. The Marlins were always on the front foot and never trailed, despite being outshot 39 to 31. Eventually, after a goalless third period, San Diego’s Jungkok struck swiftly in the overtime period to give the Marlins the quick 1-0 lead in the series. They would never trail. Game Two was another close affair, but this time the Storm prevailed, thanks to some great goaltending from Woody McPine and a pair of goals in the third from Minnesota’s Robin Winter. Winter tied the game up early with a short-handed goal and finished it off later with a power-play goal. The Marlin’s Ike Bennet did his best, scoring both of his team’s goals, but it wasn’t enough as the Storm tied up the series. 

 

Game Three of the series was a real shootout, with the teams scoring a combined 11 goals. Impressively, San Diego’s Kosmo Kramerev managed a +5 with three assists, earning the second star. The first star went to Alex Bridges of the Marlins, as his two goals and one assist led the team along with the third star Marshall James Frostbeard, as the Marlins took the game 7-4. Next up was Game Four, another Marlins victory. They shot up to a quick lead in the first period and held that throughout. Throughout the series as a whole, Minnesota’s McPine suffered greatly from streaky performances, and unfortunately for the Storm, this was one of those times. Luckily, Bennet Dahl came in to stabilize, but the damage was done, and they were not able to come back. 

 

Game Five saw a glimmer of hope emerge for the Storm, as they completely dominated, outshooting the Marlins by 43 to 16, winning the game by a score of 6-2. Everything was coming up for the Storm in this game. Their power play was lethal, finding the net as often as not, and the trio of Latrell Mitchell, Jack Feriancek, and Danny DeYeeto was instrumental in this victory, with each of the first two scoring once and assisting twice, while DeYeeto scored twice himself. Unfortunately, it was a little too late, and the 3-1 curse wouldn’t be a reality this series. 

 

Our Game 6 was a tense affair, scoreless after the first period. The Marlins got out ahead early in the second period, scoring twice in the first five minutes, and widening that gap early on in the third to three goals. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous for the Storm, as they scored four goals unanswered, with each of Aleelee Kiak and Jack Feriancek scoring twice. In fact, identical goals from Feriancek as he was assisted by Valtteri Vaakanainen and Squirrely dan both times. It wasn’t the full comeback they needed, however, as San Diego’s JaredN was able to tie it up with his second goal of the game, in really thrilling fashion with just 40 seconds left on the clock, not 20 seconds after Minnesota’s go-ahead goal. In front of home fans, and with the momentum turned, the Marlins struck first in overtime. Ike Bennet ended the game in favour of the underdogs; a fantastic ending to a fantastic series. 

 

Philadelphia Reapers (4) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5)

 

With our first full seven-game series of the first round, the Las Vegas Aces became the second team to upset their opponent, in this case, the Philadelphia Reapers. A really exciting series with more than one lead change, we truly saw an intense 4/5 seed matchup here. 

 

The Reapers took Game One in somewhat surprising fashion. Despite being outshot 31-22, their balanced scoring (no one scored more than a single goal) was enough to see them on top despite the Aces’ Vladimir Shaposhnikov scoring twice and assisting once. This, in addition to a somewhat poor performance from Vegas goaltender Nils Friedriksen, who let in five goals on 22 shots. Luckily for the Aces, he stabilized in time for Game Two, only letting in two goals in 16 shots as the Aces took the win by a score of 4-2. The Aces star centre SS Hornet took a deserved first star after his two-goal, two-assist performance, having a hand in each of their four goals. Philadelphia’s Damien Wolfe earned the third star, continuing his good performances from the first game in which he earned the first star. In fact, Wolfe would go on to lead the Reapers in scoring throughout the whole series, with three goals and seven assists. 

 

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In-Game Three the Reapers came back to win the closest game of the series, stealing one out of Vegas. Their goaltender Isak Sjostrom made 25 saves on 27 shots, and more team play from the Reapers saw six people grab a single point apiece, with no one reaching more than one point. Despite a late push from the Aces with Justin Graves scoring to bring it within one with five minutes left, they were unable to tie it up, and the Reapers took the lead of the series once more. 

 

Game Four had some superstar play come out of the Aces, as the trio of Joe Proto, Randy Marsh, and General Zod combined for 12 points. Proto scored twice and assisted three times for the first star, Marsh had a hat trick that included the game-winner (his second), while Zod set his teammates up four times earning as many assists. The series was now tied at two wins apiece. 

 

Coming into the final best of three, each team knew it was now or never. The Aces took initiative, and thanks to a fantastic individual performance from goalie Friedriksen with an SV% of .966, took Game Five by a score of 4-1. The outcome was never in question, and the Reaper’s only goal came more as a consolation, being the last one scored. 

 

Game Six was do or die for the Reapers, and they showed up. In part thanks to continued streaky play from the Vegas goaltender (11 saves on 17 shots) they took the game by a score of 6-4. Bob Helminen and Xavier leFlamant scored twice each  (the only two multi-goal performances in the whole series for the Reapers), with Helminen assisting an additional two times. The first period was hot and heavy with scoring as the Reapers found the back of the net four times, and the Aces were never quite able to get up to speed. Liam Flaten had an impressive four-assist game for the Reapers as well, earning the second star for the young defenseman. 

 

Finally, it was time for Game Seven. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the closest game we could have had. Vegas jumped ahead early with three goals in the first period to Philadelphia’s one. Extending their lead with two more goals in the second put the game out of reach for the Reapers, as Vladimir Shaposhnikov led his team to the second round with two goals and two assists. The final score was 7-3 in favour of the Aces, and with that, our first round was over. 

 

Second Round Review

 

Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. San Diego Marlins (6)

 

The second round kicked off with the Marlins taking on the Lynx, looking for their second upset of the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Marlins, it was not to be. The games they won were nail biters, and their losses were, well, significant. Game One kicked off the series strong, with a total of 12 goals being scored. Ottawa struck four times in the first period alone and didn’t let up all game. San Diego responded well offensively, but they weren’t able to match the pure output from the Lynx. 

 

In Game Two the Marlins clawed back into the series, with an overtime winner from Jungkok to take the game. Nikita Kulikovich was a star performer, blocking five shots, laying down 4 big hits, capping it off with an assist on Marlin’s first goal of the game. Perhaps the best performer was Marlin’s goalie Zamboni Driver, who deserved more than the third star after a 42 save performance. The final score was 3-2 in favour of San Diego. 

 

The next game was, in a word, brutal. There is a reason we say that Ottawa has an unstoppable offence, and this game is evidence. An 8-1 victory, putting the Lynx once again ahead in the series. Joakim Bruden of the Lynx managed a  .964 SV% on 28 shots this game and wasn’t even one of the three stars if that tells you how lopsided it was. The standout player for the Lynx was certainly Big Chungus, as his hat trick was complemented by another two assists. Somehow though, despite this beat down, the Marlins weren’t going to lay down and die. 

 

Game Four rolled around, and the Marlins were determined to stay with it. Two goals from Ike Bennet including the eventual game-winner in the third period led them to a 3-4 victory. A close match, in which Marlin’s strong penalty kill was very important, as they shut out the Lynx on all 6 of their power plays. 

 

However, as had been the case all series, the needle had moved and it was time for an Ottawa showcase. The Lynx wouldn’t disappoint, as they again scored big, finding the back of the net seven times to the Marlin’s three. A strong first period put the game more or less out of the reach as they led 4-1 at the first intermission. Particularly impressive was Iangenere Risteneen; his hat trick included the game-winner (his second goal). 

 

The final match was upon us, though of course at the time the Marlins still had hope. That hope was short-lived. Despite a close first period where each team scored twice, the second period saw the Lynx take the lead 4-3. The Marlins were still in it, but they needed to score just one more goal, and that wasn’t something they could do. The Lynx put the game out of reach with two goals in the third, and they secured their trip to the finals for the second year in a row. Let’s see if they can take it this time around!

 

Yukon Rush (2) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5)

 

Other than Ottawa’s initial sweep of the 21st, this was the most one-sided of any series, at least by the final score. That being said, despite the series score of 4-1, the games were actually much closer than one would initially think for the most part. It certainly didn’t start that way, however, as the Yukon Rush dropped the Las Vegas Aces by a score of 5-1 in Game One. Joe Proto scored the Aces’ consolation goal as some balanced scoring from the Rush was more than enough to take the game, and an early series lead. 

 

Game Two was a much closer affair, though it still went the Rush’s way. Gino DiGiannatonio opened the scoring for the Rush, and the Rush led 2-1 after the first period. A goalless second and a pair of offsetting powerplay goals early in the third period was all that followed. The Aces struggled to find offensive presence in this game, only registering 16 shots on goal, with nine of those coming in the first period. 

 

Game Three saw the Rush edge even closer to the sweep. Scoring four unanswered goals in the first period started them off strong, and DiGiannatonio’s eventual hat trick capped off the night for the Rush. The Aces scored twice in the second but were unable to complete the comeback, falling by a final score of 5-2. 

 

Game Four was perhaps the most entertaining for a neutral fan (or an Aces fan). Facing elimination by sweep, the Aces had to win to keep their hopes alive. It didn’t start well, as they were held scoreless through two periods, trailing by two at the second intermission. Somehow GM Joe Proto (not to be confused with player Joe Proto) managed to whip his team up in a frenzy because the next period was something else. The Aces managed to score five different times to win the match, even trading a couple of goals to the Rush in the process. The first half of the period was a blitz as the teams scored 6 goals in the first eight and a half minutes. With only a few minutes to go and the prospect of long overtime awaiting them, Randy Marsh put the game to bed, keeping their cup dreams alive; for one more game. 

 

Game Five wasn’t the dream victory they had in Game Four.  Despite Joe Proto opening up the scoring for the underdogs in the first period, a strong second period from Yukon set the tone for the rest of the game. At 16:05 in the second period, Vin Calia hit the game-winning shot that put the Yukon Rush into the finals for the S71 Founders Cup, where they will meet the Ottawa Lynx. 

Finals Preview

 

The finals are shaping up to be an intense matchup. The top two seeded teams managed to avoid the fate of their friends in Minnesota and Philadelphia as they saw their way to the Founders Cup Finals. We caught up briefly with the management of Yukon to see what their thoughts were on the playoffs thus far, and what their expectations were for the finals coming up.

 

“I feel Yukon has had a fantastic playoff run so far. We came into the playoffs winning and we just carried that through the first two rounds. I know my team can continue to do that vs Ottawa. I know Ottawa is a skilled team and they will come at us hard but if my guys work hard and stay mentally well we will have a chance to take these guys down. Let’s do it Yukon!”

-- Jeffrey Tonn, Yukon GM

 

Their AGM joined in, adding:

“I was confident that our team would be able to make it to the finals. So being here isn’t too big of a shock. The players worked hard all season long to get better and it’s finally paying off for them.

What I expect from Ottawa is a great amount of offensive pressure. They have some really good top-end talent but I think we have better depth. It’s going to be a tough series but we have to believe that we can get the job done.”

-- Kris Rice, Yukon AGM

 

Finally, we spoke to Dixon B. Tweenerlegs, GM of the Lynx, to see what he had to say:

 

“I'm super happy with how the team has performed so far. They're really playing at a high level right now, and I hope they continue to do so. I really hope they don't start resting on their laurels, because Yukon is a great team, and we really can't afford to sleep on them. Yukon absolutely earned their spot in the finals, so I expect a competitive series.”

 

Time will tell how the finals will go, but one thing is for sure: this has been a fantastic playoff!

 

That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!

 

GMs:  @Proto, @Berocka, @DoktorFunk, @Dil, @Rayzor_7, @Motzaburger,

@MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @DMaximus, @iRockstar, @Sonnet, @Ricer13

 

Players Mentioned:  @DrHexDex, @bluesfan55, @Spade18, @Gooningitup, @VinCal, @efiug, @Brewins15, @ashton112, @LittleRiDog, @GoadenGoalie35, @tfong, @HearnNation67, @Sonnet, @Caboose30, @Mongoose87, @Alex Bridges, @FrostBeard, @Nothing but goals, @dasboot, @Jackie4967, @Cran, @Grant, @Jubo07, @jacobaa19, @jared, @ng1291, @Biggreen10, @McWolf, @Laflamme, @Austin2997, @JDGraves, @Proto, @oilmandan, @Matt_O, @Bob Helminen, @BarzalGoat, @flatl99, @Lockdown Defense, @Tape-to-Tape, @PadStack, @Ferda, @Maasa, @pennypenny

 

VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

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[MexicanCow123 914]

Love these like always!

[DrHexDex 68]

Amazing article!

[LittleRiDog 17]

Damn I Guess I choked

[bluesfan55 103]

thou cannot stoppeth my production

[jared 66]

great article wish we came up with the win against ottawa