D-C-D in the F-I-N-A-L-S

[bigAL 2,176]

No podcast for this week's update because IT'S FINALS WEEK AND I NEED THAT TPE NOOOOOW.

 

It's 10am Sunday January 10. The Dragons have lost 3 straight to the Malmo Nighthawks in the Continental Cup Finals, after going up 2-0. Brooks trophy winner Guy Lesieur is putting the team on his back, while presumptuous MVP Stone Wolski continues to stop damn near every puck that comes at him. Scoring depth like Groovy Dood and Xavier Laflammant are in the wings waiting for their time to shine. No one had predicted this, and if they did, they're a fucking liar.

 

DCD has been the laughing stock of the league since they arrived in expansion. "Your GM doesn't know shit about being a GM," they said. "Picking a first gen first overall is more apt to start a rebuild than end it," they said. "Dragons are a stupid logo because you'll only ever win once every 12 years when the Year of the Dragon rolls around," they said (before being eaten by a dragon). "Lance Flowers is a defenceman you idiot, don't make him play forward," they said. "Your GM plays too much League and not enough VHL," they said. We're here to prove all those haters wrong (except the last one, Eno definitely has a  League problem).

 

DC has faced some adversity over the years that has prepped them for this moment. They've been in the Top 3 for TPA in the last 3-5 seasons, but continue to get SimonT'd each and every year. Coming in with high expectations and getting ruthlessly humbled every year has lowered the bar for the Dragons. It wasn't until they stopped expecting to win that they were able to win. Last season's sweep of Calgary gave them enough confidence to know they can do it, but the rest of the playoffs reminded them that they don't deserve to do it.

 

This season, the Dragons are battle tested, resilient, and hardened. In each of their two playoff series victories, the Dragons have been pushed to the brink but have come away winners in a Game 7.

 

The first win, a huge upset over the reigning champs Vancouver, looks exactly like the Malmo series right now. DC came out guns-ablazing, winning Games 1 & 2 before dropping Games 3, 4, and 5. The ever-feisty Dragons decided not to waste their gift from the Sim Gods (praise be to the Sim Gods) and came back. They won Game 6 at home in overtime. In the Wolf Den, the Dragons allowed the home team to make it look competitive, but DC ultimately dispatched them in OT to move onto the Conference Finals.

 

Meeting them in the second (real) round were the upstart Chicago Phoenix. They were a Cinderella story for the ages. A real expansion team making a playoff run through some tough, tough teams, finding success well ahead of the expected timeline. Their young guns stepped up, their goalie found another gear, and their old farts didn't slow them down. This series inspired a bit more confidence in the Dragons, and again reminded them that cockiness is a dangerous drug. DC won 3 of the first 4 games to go up 3-1, that cursed 3-1 score. Going up 3-1 has been a recipe for a comeback as long as series have been played, and this series was no different. The Phoenix won Game 5. And Game 6. And most of Game 7, but not the most important part - sudden death.

 

For a full breakdown of that Game 7, see Groovy Dood's full, unedited interview with VSN after the game:

Spoiler

Oh man, that series was a ride. I'd never say it while we're in the trenches, but I was so nervous before that game. Just look at how the series had been going up to that point. We jumped out to the quick 3-1 series lead, and things looked in control. Stone Cold was doing his thing back there, and our stars were finally shining. Thank fack Benny and Sir Lancelot got the monkey off their backs and turned into the playoff beasts we know they are. Ove Dyrdahl played such a huge role in his rookie season on the back end. We had all the pieces we needed to close this thing out.

 

But then, we didn't. And then we didn't again. Things started to get a bit nervous between the ol ears. These upstart, underdog Chicagos were such a good story. The fans were all rooting for them because they were plucky, tenacious, and really were greater than the sum of their parts. The kids played their minds out. That fuckin' alphabet soup on the blue line wasn't supposed to be *this* good this soon. Jeff Downey was supposed to be a washed up goof. How were they here in the conference finals? Were they going to keep that Cinderella story going?

 

Buddy, it felt like it. Game 5 was a big statement game. Camus pitched a shutout. Not just a shutout, an embarrassing 5-0 beatdown. Game 6 was sooooo fucking close. We took 'em to sudden death, and were just a lucky bounce away from punching our ticket to the big show. But then that L-oser snuck one by Stone Cold with just a few minutes in and we went home rattled.

 

Did we look rattled at the start of Game 7? I was rattled. I think it showed through the first half of the game too. Syreck gets one in the first, and Kiak got another at the start of the 2nd. I was starting to feel like we weren't going to pull it off. I started gripping the stick tighter, losing patience and taking shots I shouldn't have, and just starting to get desperate.

 

But Guy, good guy Guy, he said "mais no, we win this one". When the guy who wins the Brooks with the most goals in the league says that we're going to win, you gotta believe him. The best part about Guy is that he walks the walk. Buddy goes out there and scores a minute after they score. And then again 30 seconds later. All of a sudden, Guy decided to give us a chance. His magic touch tied it up and gave the team a huge boost. Guy was gassed and didn't score again, but he didn't have to. He taught the rest of us how to do it. X follows it up with the go ahead goal four minutes later and all of a sudden we've ripped the game away from those Scottsdale jerks.

 

Yeah, whatever, big fat Squirrely dan got one back in the second, but we still had literally half the game left to break the tie. We weren't worried. I finally calmed the nerves and coach trusted me enough to give me a regular shift again. Finally. Here, let me draw up the play with all the empty beer cans:

 

The puck's going into their end and, as always, Willy's the first one off and X hunts that thing down like a dog on a bone. I hop over the boards because I'll take any chance I get to play with X now that we're on separate lines. So he's chasing the dump and grabs it in the corner. They're on the long change cause of the 2nd eh, so they're all discombobulated. X beats chum into the corner and grabs it. I'm streaking up behind him when the puck squeaks out and surprises me, landing RIGHT on my stick. He always knows right where I am. I'm at the right dot, just kinda wide open, but Camus is staring me down. Have you ever seen him with his mask on? It's fucking terrifying, his blue eyes pierce your soul. I'm standing there, just me 'n' him, clamming up. The chances of me sniping a clean shot on this guy are zip. But speaking of zip, I see big man Ove just zipping down the ice. That goon just doesn't have brakes, and it's what we love about him. He's just burreling at the net, and I catch his scent. You know when Ove's hustling cause you can smell his engine chugging about halfway through the first. So I sniff a stiff breeze, and, without breaking eye contact with Camus, sauce the puck across to the other circle. Camus and I are just eye-fucking each other, and he doesn't notice the big man coming in either. Ove smashes the puck back door and that's a goal for the good guys! We locked it down in the third and that beauty held up as the series-winner.

 

I think we're pretty confident going into this Malmo series. We've got the top goal scorer in the league, who might be Playoff MVP if we finished now. We've got the best goalie in the league, who might win the season MVP. They're both studs who have led us this far. When they have good games, we know that as a team we can't afford to waste it. So far, we haven't.

 

As far as Malmo goes, really, truly, Malwho? Never heard of 'em. Next question.

 

And now, here we are again. Down 3-2 in a series to an upstart underdog. Two wins away from glory. Planning on a Game 7, but not discounting the importance of Game 6. It's crunch time, but have no fear - the Dragons have been here before.

 

You heard it here first: The DC Dragons will beat Malmo in overtime of Game 7 to win the Continental Cup.

[ROOKIE745 593]

review: really good media spot post, good pacing and some good humor to. You did a good job filling us in on some details from each series and just forming the picture for the dragons and what it's been like for them since coming into the league. (I for one think the Dragon's logo is the best) You got a good amount of content here and thank you for spacing it all out. 10/10

[CrazyCaityCat 65]

Review: Well written and added a nice touch of character with the tone. Obviously I'm rooting for you all. Nice legibility due to the spacing. I think some color or bold words might have broken up the text a touch. 9/10

Edited January 10, 2021 by CrazyCaityCat

[NickSunderbruch 392]

I'm glad to see someone giving DC some love for once, it's a nice change of pace. Well written article, no spelling errors that I can see. Also I really enjoy the structure of this article, I believe it's worth mentioning that not many people make use of hidden comments for spoilers, and you made good use out of that. Anyways I think maybe you could add and image and it would make it a 10/10, but otherwise I'm gonna give you a 9/10.

[bigAL 2,176]

Donation doubles week, awwww yeah

Malmao