Wednesday April 3 (F playoffs round 1)
(6)Horsemen vs Scorpions (3)
M.Kardum carries momentum into playoffs for Horsemen
You have to give the Horsemen credit for sticking with the process after a remarkable night only a week ago that put them in this position. Clearly, they kept the faith as it translated into another win versus the Knights. Momentum can sometimes be deceptive but the Horsemen were able to sustain it for at least another week. M.Kardum definitely felt it on this night as the sharp shooter riffled half of the Horsemen's goals to earn a hat trick. What really helped V.Pandza and his troops was the start to the game. The Horseman scored twice in the first period and eventually led 3-0 before the Scorpions finally got on board. After coming off a stellar performance only a week ago, B.Rubino was once again a force as the solid d-man produced two goals and an assist.
(4)Fat Roy vs Knights (2)
Fat Roy start off their playoffs with a bang
On opening night of the playoffs, the Knights were out played-from the moment they stepped on the court. They allowed four straight goals and couldn't generate any sort of offence. To their credit, the Fat Roy showed that they meant business. N.Gikas came through as he has all season long by bagging two big markers. The Knights did eventually get some life when A.Jalilvand solved J.Sanoudakis for a rare time. Unfortunately, with only one period remaining, the Knights managed only one more tally courtesy of H.Merone.
The SalumiVino player of the night goes to M.Kardum of the Horsemen. By sparking a hat trick, M.Kardum was able to help lead the Horsemen to the next stage.
With the opening round out of the way, four teams will now battle it out in a best of three semi finals. The match ups are as follows:
(1)Mighty Drunks vs Horsemen (4)For how well the Horsemen has played as of late, the Mighty Drunks will need to put out their best effort in order to pass. This series has the potential to be a close if the Mighty Drunks can contain a well oiled machine.
(2)Carnage vs Fat Roy(3) With both teams splitting the regular season along with only one win separating the two clubs, expect a close showdown. That being said, the Fat Roy are looking hot as of late carrying a three game winning streak compared to Carnage, who have dropped three out of their last four games. F.Pace won't have a choice to flooring as many players as possible while formulating a specific game plan if Carnage is to advance.
E Wednesday regular season
(6)Left Wings vs UD Redz(5) S.O
D.Provost-Jarry does it one better in shootout after posting hat trick
One very good thing the UD Redz did for a while was to keep D.Provost-Jarry quiet for a period and six minutes. Then, the sleeping giant woke up and the Left Wings were glad to escape with a close shootout win. D.Provost-Jarry went on an absolute tear to help rally a comeback posting three out of his clubs four goals. That was just the beginning of the end for the UD Redz, who eventually fell short in the shootouts. Already with three helpers, G.Gaitanis scored in the breakaways as did Provost-Jarry, who capped off an incredible night with the shootout winner. As much as the result may sting for the UD Redz, the good news is that it happened now and not next week when both teams meet in the semi finals.
(5)Bramabulls vs Fat Cats(2)
Bramabulls finish regular season a perfect 10-0
The Bramabulls mat be happy celebrating a perfect 10-0 season but aren't fully satisfied knowing that there's still work ahead of them. And even though they took it to the Fat Cats, this contest was only decided in the final fifteen minutes of play. Actually, to be more precise, two and a half minutes was all it took for a slight deficit to turn into a two goal cushion. The Bramabulls scored three straight times in a very short span to gain control of the match. M.Diaco and D.Verta had two goals each, but it was T.Karasek's marker at the four minute mark of the third period that held for the winner. Overall, the Fat Cats will be pleased knowing that they can compete with the front runners. Tonight's loss came without a pair of key guns in J.Scalia and F.Gentile.
The SalumiVino player of the night goes to Dominique Provost-Jarry of the Left Wings. If not for him on this particular night, the Left Wings would have gone empty handed. The skilled forward had a monster game, striking three times in regulation time before capping it off on a shootout winner.
The E Wednesday regular season came to an end on Wednesday night. With all four teams participating, the match ups are as follows:
(1)Bramabulls vs Fat Cats(4) From-the outside, many will assume that the Bramabulls are the heavy favourites with their perfect 10-0 record versus a side with only two victories. But for the two teams, they know better, especially the Bramabulls that can't take the Fat Cats for granted. Tonight was a perfect reminder that anything can happen as they barely got passed them if not for a third period surge.
(2)Left Wings vs UD Redz(3) Just like in the other series, this one will be close as well considering that the two sides played to a shootout. The UD Redz need to identify the obvious threats on the other side and play them accordingly. If they apply a smart game plan, than they'll have a chance, if not, look for the Left Wings to prevail.
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