S72 Continental Cup Finals Review: Riga Defeats Calgary 4-1

[Laine 1,361]

Introduction:

 

I will be doing a review of all 5 games of this series in full from start to finish from the S72 Continental Cup Final. Let us start with game 1!

 

GAME 1: CGY 3 - RIG 1 (CGY Leads 1-0)

 

Despite Riga outshooting Calgary 10-7 in the opening frame, there were no goals to note. However, there was an interesting fight between Mikko Lahtinen and Codrick Past at the 12:48 mark. The two threw haymakers at each other and the fight ultimately ended up with no true victor. Calgary opened up the game in the second period, getting goals from Kris Rice and Sigard Gunnar to have a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd period. Riga would respond early in the third, getting a goal from Will Clarke 4:03 into the final frame. Calgary would respond right back, Mikko Lahtinen getting his first of the game 1:39 later. The rest of the game was back and forth with no real push from either team. Calgary takes the game 3-1 and takes the series lead 1-0.

 

GAME 2: RIG 3 - CGY 2 (Series tied 1-1)

 

After Riga’s first loss this postseason, they made it evident in this game why they were in the finals and why they had gone 8-0 through the European Conference. Riga would get multiple goals in the first and carry a 2-0 lead into the break. Phil Marleau and Kyl Oferson would get the goals in the first period. Riga would get another goal early in the second as an innocent dump-in from Apollo Hackett finds a miracle bounce past Lafontaine to expand Riga’s lead to 3-0. However, Calgary would continue to claw back, getting a goal from Mikko Lahtinen late in the period to go into the intermission only down 2. The third was a back and forth affair and Calgary midway through would cut the Riga lead to 1 on a goal from Sigard Gunnar. However, it wouldn’t be enough. Greg Eagles shut the door from that point on and backstopped Riga to a 3-2 victory in game 2 to tie the series 1-1.

 

GAME 3: RIG 5 - CGY 0 (RIG Leads 2-1)

 

Despite the score of this game, Calgary absolutely dominated Riga, outshooting them in every period and outshooting them 38-24 throughout the whole game. Riga would get a goal near the end of the first on a breakaway for Phil Marleau. It would be a 1-0 game heading into the 1st intermission. In the 2nd, Riga would open the game up a little bit more with a goal from Apollo Hackett just 3:03 into the period. They would get another goal in the second period from Ryan Busser to make their lead 3-0 heading into the third. Calgary threw 17 shots at Greg Eagles in the third period but Eagles stopped them all, notching the shutout. Riga would have 2 more goals in the third, early goals from Codrick Post at 1:42 and another one at 3:50 shorthanded to seal a 5-0 game for Riga. Riga takes a 5-0 victory in game 3 and a 2-1 series lead.

 

GAME 4: RIG 4 - CGY 2 (RIG Leads 3-1)

 

In this game, you could see the desperation in this Calgary team. Riga would get the game’s first goal from Kyl Oferson early in the first, but Calgary would combat this with a goal of their own just 23 seconds later on a filthy breakaway snipe from Sigard Gunnar. Riga would get two power-play goals late in the period. The first on a one-timer from Patrik Tallinder and the second on a booming slapper from Ryan Busser. Riga would take a 3-1 lead into the locker room at the end of 20 minutes. Calgary would come out firing, notching 10 shots in the first 10 minutes of the second period, but it ends up being Riga who scores the only goal of the second on another one-timer from Patrik Tallinder, his second of the game. Riga takes a 4-1 lead into the 3rd period. In the 3rd, Riga is just trying to contain the highly explosive Calgary offence. Calgary would end up getting a goal from Sigard Gunnar at 6:38. Despite this, it proved to be too little too late as Riga takes the game 4-2 and now has a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.

 

GAME 5: RIG 4 - CGY 3 OT (RIG wins Series 4-1)

 

Calgary would find a sense of urgency and strike just 1:34 into this game with a power-play goal from Edwin THE Encarnacion. However, the first was dominated by Riga. Despite Calgary outshooting Riga 18-11 in the opening frame, Riga would score 3 goals later in the frame including one on a shorthanded breakaway from Ryan Busser. Riga would take a 3-1 lead into the locker room after 20 minutes. Calgary would come out in the second with a renewed vision. Lafontaine would stop all 10 Riga shots this period and Calgary would draw within one of the lead on a power-play goal from Sigard Gunnar. It would be 3-2 heading into the final period. I will say here before I get to the period review, this was the most entertaining period of hockey I have ever watched that wasn’t OT. It would be back and forth up the ice all throughout the third, Riga getting ever closer to the Continental Cup, but with just 1:02 remaining, Sigard Gunnar would find the back of the net with his 16TH PLAYOFF GOAL to tie the game 3-3. With the Cup in the building, we would be heading for overtime. Overtime would go back and forth. Calgary had multiple power-play opportunities to end it and on one of them, Sigard Gunnar rifled a shot right off both posts and out. With just 2:25 left in the first overtime frame, Apollo Hackett would feed Kyl Oferson a breakaway chance. Oferson would walk in and pick his corner on Lafontaine to win the Continental Cup for Riga with a 4-3 OT victory in game 4. Riga takes the series 4-1 and this would be their first championship since S63.

Conclusion:

 

We watched an absolute gem of a series and unfortunately, we only got to watch 5 games of it. Calgary played admirably but they were no match as Riga went 12-1 on arguably the greatest playoff run in the history of the VHL. Greg Eagles went on a great run which I think was the X-Factor for Riga.

 

(1079 words, 5716 characters)

 

People mentioned: @Renomitsu @Patrik Tallinder @Kylrad @Nykonax @Phil @Z16 @Will @Greg_Di @Speed @Tagger @Ricer13 @Beketov @Big Mac @SlapshotDragon @hedgehog337