Wednesday December 8

Panthers advance edging out Altius

(3)Altius vs Panthers(4) D conference  Round 1 playoffs

The Panthers earned the clinching win with second period goals-from J.Blunt and J.Collins along with a pair of third period tallies by J.Mason. The Panthers seemed to get better as the game went on doing all the little things right in order to get the edge. Once they carried a two goal lead, the Altius knew they were in trouble, especially riding a shorter bench than usual. P.Arkalis did everything in his power to help bounce back his club by netting a pair of third period goals, but it just wasn’t enough in the end. The Panthers did a very good job eliminating time and space while applying constant pressure to recuperate the ball. In the end, their hard work paid off as they’ll gladly move on to the next round.

RCGT Knights blasted by Brew Crew

(10)Brew Crew vs RCGT Knights(2) E conference Semi final game 1

With two teams practically on the opposite side of the spectrum, nothing really changed much for them on Wednesday night. The Brew Crew have been a solid consistent team throughout the entire season while the RCGT Knights struggled to put it together. So if a betting man was to pick a winner, the safe bet would have come in. The Brew Crew sent a strong message that this series will be theirs for the taking. Anytime a team takes a convincing 10-2 result, its because there is a miss match. Basically the onus is on the RCGT Knights to figure out solutions. Although its easier said than done, they’ll have no choice but to buy into a strong defensive game while relying on their net minder. Tonight was just to easy for a team that cruised their way to victory. A.Belanger bagged a hat trick while B.Sansotta and C.Palermo chipped in with a pair.

S.Racicot OT winner sends Punishers to semi final

(4)Punishers vs Assadi Consulting inc(3) O.T D conference Round 1 playoffs

S.Racicot netted the winning goal on the power play into overtime and the Punishers are now moving on to the next round. It was just an unfortunate circumstance for the Assadi Consulting inc, who played well enough to knock out a serious contender. One badly timed penalty was all it took to make the difference with the game deadlocked at three goals a piece.  The Punishers appeared to have things wrapped up in regulation time until a late one timer by J.Rochon forced the extra time. Both sides never really had the edge after trading two goals in the first period. P.Karvouriaris eventually broke the tie for the Punishers late in the second period for his second, but the game was still very close and up for grabs. Even though they gave up that late goal, the Punishers made sure to take complete advantage relying on their lethal five man unit.

Third period let down has Fatal Demons scrambling for answers

(8)Horsemen vs Fatal Demons(5) E conference Semi final game 1

The Fatal Demons were in good shape entering the third period on Wednesday night. They had scored three consecutive goals and held a slight 3-2 lead . But once that final frame began , the Fatal Demons grip on the game began to slip away thanks to some costly self inflicted wounds. They surrendered three goals in only three minutes, and out of no where fell in a deep hole. Credit to the Horsemen however by simply going about their business. A.Lepore was the catalyst behind the comeback as the slick defenseman buried two quick goals before capping off an impressive night with a hat trick. There is a sentiment that the Fatal Demons may have beat themselves, but at the same time, the Horsemen knew how to get themselves back in the game by dictating the pace. This series will come down to how the Fatal Demons are to adjust because the Horsemen are doing everything right so far.

The SalumiVino player of the night for the D conference goes to Samuel Racicot of the Punishers. By finding himself at the right place and at the right time, the Punishers were able to down the Assadi Consulting inc and find themselves playing in the semi finals.

The SalumiVino player of the night in the E conference goes to Anthony Lepore of the Horsemen. Anytime your defense can provide serious offense, then chances are your in good shape. Lepore did just that by netting a hat trick that included two very big third period goals.

The D conference is now down to only four teams. The match ups are as follows:

(1)Armadillos vs Panthers(6) No question the Armadillos are the hands down favourite, and that’s not because they are playing the Panthers. The Armadillos will expect nothing less than to win this division. So who ever they face, the expectations will remain high. The Panthers really need to keep the game as close as possible for as long as possible. If the score stays tight, the Armadillos will be the ones feeling the pressure.

(2)United Arms vs Punishers(4) The Punishers will fell good about coming off an overtime win. However, they will face a different kind of challenge going up against the United Arms. This is a team that wears anyone down. The Punishers need to be patient on how to approach this series. They may have some blue chip players, but the United Arms have an overall dedicated style rolling three lines that will annoy any opponent on any given night.