Wednesday December 20

Golden Knights use late game blitz in see saw affair with Hurricanes

(10)Golden Knights vs Hurricanes(7)

It didn’t take long for the game to unfold with a bunch of scoring opportunities and high scoring drama. The Golden Knights unleashed an early barrage of goals to grab what seemed like a commanding 4-1 lead. Despite facing an early deficit, the Hurricanes regrouped, tightened their defense, and battled their way back into contention. They scored four straight goals on the back of F.Bchara netting a pair followed with two penalty shot markers by P.Labateya and P.Desforges. By this stage, the game had reached its climax as both teams fought tooth and nail to try and finish off stronger. The Hurricanes were pleased coming back, and finding themselves ahead 6-5. It looked as though the court had flipped in the Hurricanes favour. Then, with still plenty of time left over, the Golden Knights flipped the switch as they relentlessly attacked the Hurricanes net. Out of nowhere, the Hurricanes were caught off guard-from the sudden surge unable to contain the Golden Knights will to compete. What made the resilience remarkable was that it took a collective team effort, and not any one player in particular to take charge. The Golden Knights had five different players take turns finding the back of the net resulting in what was an epic back and forth game. P.Elizardo and A.Kalaydjian each scored twice out of the Golden Knights ten goals.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Ara Kalaydjian of the Golden Knights. While it did take a collective team effort, A.Kalaydjian added a little more mustard by collecting four big points that included a pair of key markers.

Oilers edge Blues in overtime thriller

(6)Blues vs Oilers(7) O.T

In a rollercoaster of emotions, the Blues showcased unwavering determination, battling back multiple times, only to fall short in a heart pounding overtime clash against the Oilers. The Oilers always had the luxury of playing ahead due to their better start. S.Ouellette fuelled much of the offense scoring goals while setting up four of the seven tallies that went in. J.Fidrilis, M.Lauzon and P.Stroubakis all chipped in with a pair, but it was P.Stroubakis who arguably got the most important one of them all. The forward secured the win in overtime after receiving feeds-from E.Allen and S.Ouellette. It was a win that didn’t come easy with the Blues battling back on a gutsy effort. G.Pace kept being at thorn for the Oilers defense as the forward found ways to make things happen resulting in an impressive hat trick and an assist. Despite their valiant efforts to battle back, they just fell short in a game that could have gone either way. Its one of those losses that a team doesn’t mind sometimes when putting up such an effort. Sometimes, the final break just doesn’t go your way.  The ability to repeatedly come back and make it a tight contest highlighted the Blues character and resilience.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to Peter Stroubakis of the Oilers. His gritty style and strategic play helped the Oilers win a close battle with the Blues. P.Stroubakis scored his clubs last two goals that included the biggest one of the game, the overtime winner.

Stars find their rhythm in comeback win over the Rangers

(7)Stars vs Rangers(5)

You always look for a good start, and the Rangers were able to establish it by riffling four goals in only 15 minutes. J.Tzanetakos had a major hand as the most  engaged player collecting three points that included a pair of goals. While the start may have set the Stars back, it didn’t quite stop them-from believing in themselves that anything can happen. By remaining calm while keeping their composure, the Stars started to find their rhythm as they slowly began chipping away at the Rangers lead. Some adjustments proved to be crucial by tightening up defensively while creating better chances in order to score. Once G.Charron reduced the gap by two, the snow ball effect was in motion for the Stars as they carried their newfound energy throughout the entire game. L.Cannistraro orchestrated a good chunk of the offense by completing a late hat trick as part of a four point performance. The Stars comeback was fully realised as they kept putting pressure by overwhelming the Rangers defense. What once looked like a promising start for the Rangers, turned into an unfortunate ending. It’s a loss that will serve as a learning opportunity for future games as they’ll know not to take anything for granted no matter how well things shaped up early on.

The Allo Mon Coco Ste Dorothee player of the game goes to L.Cannistraro. His three goals and one assist were instrumental in turning the tide of the game, and securing a memorable victory for his team.