Sunday January 28

Wild distance themselves after a competitive start with the Red Wings

(4)Red Wings vs Wild(13)

The early stages of the game saw both teams keeping it close, suggesting a competitive matchup. However, as the game progressed, the Wild gradually began to assert their dominance, pulling away -from the Red Wings. While many contributed on the score sheet, S.Kalaydjian’s early influence helped set the stage for the onslaught. The sniper scored his clubs first three of four goals before finally letting up a little leaving some of the action for his teammates. Not even a sound goaltender like S.Fraga was able to slow things down-from the opposition. The Red Wings may not have the speed, but enough hockey sense to neutralise a quicker opponent. Instead, it was one bad sequence after another that saw this game get out of hand. The final score reflected the Wilds ability to not only control the game, but also  capitalise when the occasion occurred. The Red Wings will need to simply forgot about a poor night knowing that they are a much better team than what the score shows.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Scott Sauk of the Wild. Although he didn’t need to be at his best, S.Sauk decided to deliver anyway making key saves allowing only three goals on 25 shots.

Panthers hang on to nail biter as Kraken mount fierce comeback attempt

(6)Kraken vs Panthers(7)

The  initial 2-0 lead likely indicated that the strong start was to set the stage for a nice consistent game by the Kraken. Then, after giving up back to back penalty shot goals, the Kraken’s defensive game started to fall apart and the Panthers took it to them riding seven unanswered goals. M.Kardum’s combination of scoring while setting up a few teammates contributed to his teams overall success. It was a kind of game that the Panthers just made things complicated on themselves. Rather than taking the killer instinct of finishing off strong, the Panthers let up, and nearly paid the price in the end. Luckily, time was on their side or else a few extra seconds may have changed the end result. The Kraken went on a late wild scoring frenzy striking four consecutive times only to run out of race track. F.Mistretta and C.Pirone had a strong push scoring two goals each while collecting an assist. After facing significant pressure and challenges, the Panthers were glad to hear the sound of the final buzzer.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Marin Kardum of the Panthers. His impressive two goals and four assists played a pivotal role as to why the Panthers were able to edge out the Kraken on Sunday night.

Sabres secure thrilling victory, C.Nguyen impacts the win on some big plays

(4)Canadiens vs Sabres(6)

The game featured a dynamic flow, with the Sabres consistently playing ahead on the scoreboard, although the Canadiens fought valiantly to battle back. After plenty of back and forth action with the game levelled at two goals apiece, the turning point of the match occurred when the Canadiens took a penalty. The infraction provided a great opportunity for the Sabres pull ahead. Up to take the challenge was J.Testa, who kept his composure under pressure allowing him to break the deadlock tie. The tally clearly fuelled his bench as it took only a minute and change after for T.Nardelli to bury his second . The Sabres effective plays on both ends of the court allowed them to maintain control of the game despite the Candiens pushing back. C.Ngyuen made a few big plays that resulted in three points while R.Testa held the fort in net securing a hard fought win.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Celia Nguyen of the Sabres. Throughout the match, C.Nguyen showcased outstanding play making skills, strategic moves that resulted in three big points to help lead her club past the Canadiens.

Kings thump Flyers, T.Settino and M.Braun contribute significantly

(3)Flyers vs Kings(11)

There was no question the score line reflects a one sided nature of the game. The Kings were simply better winning every area of the court-from their sound defensive line to their scoring prowess up front. At no stage into the contest did the Flyers have any answers on how to slow things down. It got to the point where they wanted to simply end the game and hit the showers. While goals came-from many, T.Settino and M.Braun spearheaded the Kings offense collecting a ton of points each that saw M.Braun convert on five occasions. Sometimes , its unfortunate to face off against a formidable opponent that has everything go their way like in the case of the Kings. The Flyers dug themselves early, and perhaps felt  the uphill battle was to hard to climb. While on the other hand, the Kings never let go of the pedal, and persistently  kept the pressure that resulted in a lopsided victory.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Mike Braun of the Kings. His exceptional contribution was highlighted by an impressive achievement, scoring five whopping goals while adding a pair of helpers.

Predators triumph in overtime thriller after back and forth action with the Islanders

(7)Predators vs Islanders(6) O.T

The game unfolded with a dynamic back and forth rhythm, featuring lead changes that added to the intensity and excitement. First, the Islanders took command scoring twice right away looking in fine form. Then, the Predators went on a surge of their own scoring four straight that saw B.Freitas-Pereira and M.Zuccaro notch a pair each. Unable to keep a good pace going however, the Predators went through a tough sequence enabling the Islanders to battle back and eventually take a lead of their own. M.Barone came through at the 40 minute mark to help pull the Islanders ahead 6-5 for his second of the night. Still, time was yet to be an issue as both teams battled fiercely going through a sense of unpredictability and drama. With the game reaching an intense climax, B.Panarello relieved his bench by providing a huge equaliser leaving all but 30 seconds on the scoreboard. The goal then set the stage for a sudden death frame where M.Chimenelli completed the final chapter by securing the victory in a dramatic fashion.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Luigi Daliesio of the Predators. His play making skills and passing plays were on full display on Sunday night. Daliesio made everyone around his look better by setting up four goals.

Bruins hammer Blackhawks in commanding win

(11)Bruins vs Blackhawks(5)

In a dominating ball hockey clash, the Bruins showed no mercy overwhelming the Blackhawks on the score sheet. From the start, the Bruins set the tone with relentless pressure, and Macri’s scoring spree exemplified their goal scoring proficiency. N.Macri was only part of it with many other Bruins swarming the Blackhawks net. T.Bergomi controlled the back end setting up five goals as did M.Lalitto, who collected four assists. Even though the score may suggest a complete dominance, it wasn’t clearly the case with the Blackhawks having a good amount of ball possession. The problem was that the Bruins boxed them out well, and positioned themselves in the right spots to help simplify the life of A.Benedetto’s goaltending. The strategic and simple game plan applied by the Bruins worked wonders which explains why they got the better of a decent opponent.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Nick Macri of the Bruins. The power forward has a great sense for the net resulting in an impressive five goal performance to help lead the Bruins past the Blackhawks.