- On Monday, the Dakota Jackalopes activated C Tanner Brooks from the injured list. Shortly before the All-Star break, Brooks suffered an upper-body injury. Although the injury initially did not seem that serious, Brooks wound up missing over three weeks. As the Jackalopes had an available roster spot, they did not need to make a compensating move to activate Brooks.
- Also on Monday, the Hershey Bliss‘ CHL affiliate in Milwaukee placed LW Karl Gjovik on the injured list. Gjovik exited in the first period of Sunday’s 3-1 win over Cleveland after being upended on a devastating check, and did not return. He is expected to miss at least two weeks. To replace Gjovik, Milwaukee signed F Jerry Cazenovia to a short-term contract.
- On Wednesday, the Hamilton Pistols activated C Marco Venezio from the injured list. The veteran center missed 10 games with a lower=body injury suffered just before the All-Star break. In order to make room for Venezio, the Pistols reassigned C Hilliard Macy to their CHL affiliate in Oshawa, and released F Bobby Warner from Oshawa.
- Wednesday was the trading deadline. The following trades were consummated at the deadline:
- The Michigan Gray Wolves traded RW Gordon Lunsford to the Boston Badgers for RW Rory Socarra. (More details here.) After the trade, Boston demoted RW Felix Delorme to their CHL affiliate in Hartford, and recalled F Jacques Bacon from Hartford.
- The Gray Wolves traded LW Misha Petronov, F Cary Estabrook, and D Brandon Arrowood to the New York Night for LW Flynn Danner, F Henry Constantine, and D Anson Brank. (More details here.) After the trade, Michigan demoted LW Fendrick Scanlan to their CHL affiliate in Cleveland, and New York promoted RW Harris Wondolowski from their affiliate in Utah.
- The Dakota Jackalopes traded D Victor Addison to Boston in exchange for D Jackson Creed. After the trade, the Badgers demoted D Bjorn Tollefson to their minor-league affiliate in Hartford.
- Michigan traded C Warren Marlow to the Quebec Tigres in exchange for C Phil Miller, LW Carl Bleyer, and a 1st-round draft pick. (More details here.) After the trade, the Gray Wolves released F Caleb Moulton. The Tigres demoted C Dwight Flynn to their CHL affiliate in Halifax, and signed F Tim Daisey to a minor-league deal.
- On Saturday, the Anchorage Igloos recalled RW Jean Pierre Fleury from their CHL affiliate in Minnesota. The Igloos demoted Fleury to Minnesota during the All-Star break, and he played brilliantly there, recording 19 points in 12 games, including the CHL’s first-ever five-goal game. To make room for Fleury, the Igloos reassigned RW Lionel LaNeige to Minnesota.
Tag: marco venezio
Champion Pistols Look Poised to Repeat
Last season, the Hamilton Pistols delighted the Greater Toronto Area by claiming their first-ever championship. In the wake of their title — and considerable roster turnover — some wondered whether the Pistols would be up to the challenge of prevailing in the improving East and defending their title. So far this season, Hamilton looks like they’re very much up to the challenge, and are well-positioned to defend their title.
“We’re not taking anything for granted,” said Pistols coach Keith Shields. “But we’re feeling good about where we are, and we’re confident that we can match up with anyone who wants to take the Vandy away from us.”
Over the first month or so of the season, Hamilton found themselves in close competition with the Hershey Bliss. After that, though, they ripped off an 11-game unbeaten streak to establish a comfortable division lead. They’re currently riding a 15-3-3 run. They’ve survived their share of injuries, including to stars like C Calvin Frye and LW Steven Alexander. It’s seemed that nothing can slow them down.
“Everyone in this room is focused on repeating,” said Alexander. “There’s no slowdown and no slacking off. We’re driven to keep the Vandy here.’
Last season’s success was built on the strength of their powerful offense, and the same is true this season. Hamilton is tied for the SHL lead in goals per game, averaging an eye-popping 3.8 goals per game. GM Marcel LaClaire has a knack for finding affordable veterans who produce outsized contributions, and this season is no exception. The Pistols added RW Ben Summers and C Marco Venezio for a combined $1.5 million, and both players are providing bang for their back. Venezio (9 goals, 13 assists, +8 rating) has stepped into the second-line center role that Eddie Costello filled so well last season, while Summers (16 goals, 16 assists, +15) has provided the secondary scoring threat that the team was lacking. They have clicked brilliantly with linemate Magnus Gunnarson, who is on track for a career year (14 goals, 28 assists, +13).
“We have the best second line in the league, no question about it,” said Frye. “And that makes us a really dangerous team, because nobody has an answer for our top six.”
At the other end of the ice, netminder Lasse Koskinen (17-7-4, 3.13 GAA, .914 save percentage) has rebounded from an early-season slump back to his typical elite level of play. And when backup Ron Mason (8-3-1, 2.90, .912) is in the crease, the Pistols don’t miss a beat.
“Having Koski and Mase in net is great,” said Shields. “We know that whoever’s got the start on a given night is going to give us a top-notch performance. And knowing that, our guys are free to be more aggressive and maximize their scoring chances.”
Are there any warning signs for the Pistols? They may not have lost much recently, but some of their losses have come against potential playoff opponents. They’re 2-3-0 this season against Hershey; their last meeting was a 6-0 Bliss blowout at Chocolate Center. And when the Pistols hosted the Western-leading Portland Bluebacks just before the All-Star break, the Bluebacks cruised to an easy 4-0 victory.
But Alexander says the Pistols aren’t concerned about those results. “When it gets to be playoff time, it’s a different game and a different atmosphere,” the winger noted. “We’ve been tested in the battle, and we’ve come out strong. And we’re going to do that again this year. Just you wait.”
2020 SHL Week 8 Transactions
- On Monday, the Kansas City Smoke‘s CHL affiliate in Omaha activated D Lowell Sharkey from the injured list. Sharkey, who is a highly-regarded prospect in the Kansas City organization, missed five weeks with a lower-body injury. In order to make room for Sharkey on the roster, the team released D Kjell Hanson. The 24-year-old Hanson appeared in 15 games for Omaha, recording 2 assists and a -4 rating.
- On Friday, the Dakota Jackalopes placed C Tanner Brooks on the injured list. The 23-year-old Brooks suffered an upper-body injury during Thursday’s 4-1 win over Quebec, and is expected to miss at least three weeks. To fill in during Brooks’ absence, the Jackalopes promoted C Jacob Cunniff from their CHL affiliate in Idaho. Cunniff is Idaho’s leading scorer, with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) so far on the season.
- Also on Friday, the Hershey Bliss activated LW Russell Nahorniak from the injured list. Nahorniak missed five weeks with a lower-body injury. In order to accommodate Nahorniak’s return, the Bliss sent LW Sergei Tarisov back to their affiliate in Milwaukee. Tarisov appeared in 13 games during Nahorniak’s absence, recording 3 goals and a +3 rating. To make room for Tarisov on Milwaukee’s roster, the team released F Jerry Casenovia.
- In one more Friday move, the Saskatchewan Shockers placed D Chris “Lightning” Oflyng on the injured list. Oflyng had to be helped off the ice after being slammed head-first into the boards on Thursday, and is expected to miss up to six weeks. The loss is devastating to the surging Shockers, as Oflyng led the team in points with 30 (8 goals, 22 assists). To fill Oflyng’s roster spot, Saskatchewan called up D Pierre Chappelle from their CHL affiliate in Virginia. The 31-year-old Chappelle was tied for the Virginia team lead in goals (with 15) and points (with 29).
- On Saturday, the Hamilton Pistols placed C Marco Venezio on the injured list. Venezio suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against Saskatchewan, and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Venezio has been a stalwart on Hamilton’s second line, putting up 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists) on the season. To fill Venezio’s spot on the roster, Hamilton called up C Hilliard Macy from their affiliate in Oshawa. It’s the second SHL stint for the 20-year-old Macy, who appeared in 5 games for Hamilton earlier in the season. The Pistols also signed F Bobby Warner to a minor-league contract.
- Also on Saturday, the Shockers placed C Cyril Perignon on the injured list. Perignon suffered a lower-body injury against Hamilton on Saturday; he is expected to miss at least a month. Perignon has recorded 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) and a +1 rating on the season for Saskatchewan. To replace Perignon, the Shockers called up C Trent Harlow from Virginia. At the time of his callup, Harlow led the Rhinos with 30 points.
No Early Favorites in East
At the quarter pole of the 2020 SHL season, the Western Division is starting to shake itself out as expected. The Portland Bluebacks are off to a hot start, eager to prove that their 2019 division crown was no fluke. The Anchorage Igloos have resuscitated from their dreadful opening weeks and are back in the thick of the race, with the Saskatchewan Shockers and Michigan Gray Wolves also in the mix.
The East, meanwhile, is a totally different story. There are only six points separating the first- and last-place teams. No one is running away with the division, and no one is entirely out of it (at least not yet). Each of the contenders has a key flaw that may derail its postseason aspirations. Here’s a look at the state of play:
The Hamilton Pistols are the defending SHL champions, and they’re determined to become the league’s first back-to-back title-winners. And offensively, they’re poised to do so: they lead the league in goals (71) and shots per game (39). And it’s not just the usual suspects who are producing. The second line of LW Magnus Gunnarson (7 goals, 15 assists), C Marco Venezio (6 goals, 5 assists), and RW Ben Summers (8 goals, 8 assists) has clicked brilliantly, and blueliners such as Clayton Risch (6 goals, 8 assists) and Hercules Mulligan (5 goals, 8 assists) have been activated on offense as well.
So why aren’t the Pistols dominating? For one thing, they’ve had issues with injuries. C Calvin Frye recently missed three games, all of which Hamilton lost. No sooner did he return than LW Steven Alexander went down; he will likely miss several games as well.
The Pistols are struggling in net as well. #1 starter Lasse Koskinen has rebounded from a poor start, but his numbers (3.39 GAA, .902 save percentage) are not up to his career norms. And backup Ron Mason (0-3-1, 5.14 GAA, .851 save %) has been atrocious; it’s possible the 36-year-old is washed up. The goaltending struggles aren’t helped by Hamilton’s awful penalty kill; their 73.7% kill rate is second-worst in the SHL. If Koskinen continues to improve and the stars stay on the ice, they should be fine, but neither of those things are guaranteed.
The Hershey Bliss are currently tied with Hamilton for first place. They’re probably the most balanced team in the East. They’re tied for third in goals (59), and they’re in third in shots allowed per game (31.5). The “Love Line” (LW Lance Sweet, C Justin Valentine, RW Christopher Hart) is clicking along as always.
So why isn’t Hershey much above .500? They primary culprits appear to be special teams and goaltending. Their power play, usually a strength, has been merely average so far (20% conversion rate, sixth in the league). And their penalty kill has struggled; they’re only snuffing 80.4% of power-play chances, ahead of just three other teams. Neither number is atrocious, but they aren’t helping.
In the net, free-agent signee Christien Adamsson (6-5-1, 2.87, .904) and rookie Nash Gould (2-1-1, 3.18, .906) are putting up quite similar numbers. Coach Chip Barber has maintained that Adamsson is still the starter, but he may have to explore a more even distribution of minutes if this continues. And surely, they can’t help noticing that last year’s starter, Brandon Colt (2-0-2, 2.40, .916), is outplaying them both in Michigan.
The Quebec Tigres are two points behind Hamilton and Hershey. They’re practicing their usual rugged, hard-nosed defense (allowing a league-low 29.1 shots per game and blocking a league-high 16 shots per game), and they’re performing well on special teams.
Part of Quebec’s struggles are typical – their offense is limited, both in quantity (31.3 shots per game, tenth in the league) and quality (8.8% shooting percentage). But the more surprising issue is the struggles of goalie Riki Tiktuunen (5-5-1, 3.18, .897). If Tiktuunen cannot resume his usual elite level of play, it’s unlikely that the Tigres will reach the postseason.
The New York Night looked to be out of it last week; there were even rumors that coach Nick Foster was about to be fired. But they’ve bounced back to the .500 mark, tied with Quebec. In many ways, they’re the inverse of the Tigres. They’ve scored 67 goals, second only to the Pistols, powered by a leg-eleading 11.4% shooting percentage. They are one of two SHL teams with a pair of double-digit goal scorers already in Cs Brock Manning and Rod Remington.
On the defensive end, however, New York is a disaster. They’re allowing a league-worst 4.08 goals-against average, fueled by a poor defense that yields an eye-popping 41 points per game. Projected starting netminder Sherman Carter (4-2-1, 5.44, .863) appears to have lost his job to veteran “Jersey Mike” Ross (3-5-1, 3.18, .923), but no goaltender can be expected to stop the barrage of shots that the Night allow.
The Boston Badgers trail Quebec and New York by two points. Like the Tigres, they’re built around a stout team defense and slow pace (yielding only 29.6 shots per game). Also like the Tigres, they’re being undermined by a weak offense (having scored a mere 42 on a league-worst 27 shots per game) and a big-name goalie who’s struggling (Roger Orion: 5-6-1, 2.96, .897). Unlike the Tigres, they are struggling mightily on the penalty kill, with a last-place 70.4% kill rate.
The Washington Galaxy are the one team that seems certain not to contend, although given the traffic jam at the top, they’re still technically within striking distance. Unlike the other Eastern clubs, however, they’re not strong in any area of the game. They’re in the bottom third of the league in goals (44), shots per game (32), shots allowed per game (38.8) and GAA (3.67). They may have an impact on the playoff chase, however, if they decide to move some of their stars, such as LW Casey Thurman.
There’s plenty of time for the division to sort itself out, and for a couple of strong contenders to emerge. For the time being, however, it looks like it’s (almost) anybody’s game.
Pistols Get Mad, Get Even in Rout of Night
The hottest rivalry in the SHL right now is clearly the feud between the Hamilton Pistols and the New York Night. Night coach Nick Foster has spent multiple seasons adding fuel to the fire by slinging insults at the Pistols’ arena, their fans, and star Steven Alexander. Foster’s barbs have turned every game between the teams into a grudge match.
Last week, the Night and Pistols tangled for the first time this season at Hamilton’s Gunpowder Armory. It proved to be a wild match full of insults, physical play, and shots galore. In the end, the Night walked away with a 7-6 overtime win, with Foster making sure to twist the knife on his way out of town.
On Sunday, the teams held the rematch at New York’s Neon Sky Arena. It promised to be another feud-filled game. Most observers expected that the Night would have to answer for rookie C Norris Fletcher’s high stick to Alexander’s eye in last week’s game. The Pistols, however, chose not to seek revenge with their fists, but with their sticks, scoring six goals in a frenetic first period on the way to a 10-5 drubbing.
“The Lord reminds us that vengeance is His,” said Pistols coach Keith Shields, “but I have to admit this was pretty sweet.”
When the Pistols took the ice, they were greeted by the sounds of Craig Morgan’s “Redneck Yacht Club,” as well as the jeers of the New York faithful. The cheers and jeers only got louder when Night RW Ivan Trujwirnek scored just 17 seconds into the game. But Hamilton quickly flipped the script. Just 23 seconds after Trujwirnek’s tally, Pistols RW Claude Lafayette found the upper-leftt corner of the net to tie things up. Just over a minute late, LW Magnus Gunnarson drilled a slapper home past night netminder Sherman Carter to give Hamilton the lead.
The frantic firewagon pace of the game continued over the next several minutes, but the scoring hit a temporary lull, as Carter and the Pistols’ Lasse Koskinen both made acrobatic saves. Just over six minutes into the period, C Rod Remington jammed home a rebound to pull back even. That deadlock lasted a mere 11 seconds, though, before Pistols RW Ben Summers stuffed in a wraparound shot to put his team back in the lead.
Just before the midway point of the period, Pistols D Raymond Smyth forced a neutral-zone turnover and started an odd-man rush, which Alexander finished with a shot between Carter’s legs. In the last game, the Pistols star drew a fine for a goal celebration that included a mock round of gunshots at the New York bench. This time, Alexander dropped his stick and skated past the Night bench while taking a deep bow.
Less than a minute after Alexander’s goal, C Marco Venezio made it 5-2 by going top shelf from the slot. D Clayton Risch closed out the scoring for the period with a deflection that a helpless Carter failed to corral.
When the clock struck zero on the opening frame, the Pistols had fired 27 shots at the New York net and scored a half-dozen times. They’d driven Carter out of the game. They’d also rendered the arena utterly quiet.
“We headed down the tunnel and we heard total silence,” said Lafayette. “They were too shocked to even boo us. It was beautiful.”
When the game resumed, a healthy chunk of the crowd did not return. They correctly sensed that the Night were not going to rally. And the Pistols declined to take their foot off the gas, scoring four more times against relief goalie “Jersey Mike” Ross.
The Pistols’ scoring was impressively democratic: their 10 goals were scored by nine different players, with only C Calvin Frye recording more than one. (Frye had a chance at a hat trick during a third-period power play, but he instead passed to Smyth, who beat Ross on the short side.) Every Hamilton player recorded at least one point.
“I think it’s a testament to what a balanced team we are,” said Shields. “We don’t just rely on our stars.” This could be interpreted as a shot at the Night, whose offense revolves around their star-laden top line.
After a pause, Shields added an unambiguous shot: “It’s also a testament to how fired up our whole team was after the last game. Coach Foster is a great motivator, at least for our guys.”
For his part, Foster reacted to the shellacking with humor. “Man, somebody really stuck a bee in their jockstraps, huh? I guess it was mine. I’m honored that I mean so much to them, that they went to all that trouble to whip my [expletive]. Well, congrats, you bastards! We can’t wait to return the favor next time we’re in Tank Town, assuming their barn doesn’t collapse before then.”
Continue reading “Pistols Get Mad, Get Even in Rout of Night”
2019 SHL Division Playoff – Game 3
Western Division Series (Anchorage wins, 3-0)
ANCHORAGE IGLOOS 3, SEATTLE SAILORS 1
When it comes to the SHL Western Division Series, the Anchorage Igloos can’t be beat. Literally. Last year, facing the heavily favored Michigan Gray Wolves, the Igloos dispatched them in a shocking three-game sweep. This year, facing a Seattle Sailors team making its first postseason appearance and riding high on the emotion of their impending move to Portland, the Igloos once again didn’t drop a single game. Today’s 3-1 victory in Game 3 completes another sweep, one that sends Anchorage to the SHL Finals for the third year in a row.
“We know how to play our best hockey at this time of year,” said Igloos C Jake Frost. “We’ve been here before, so we know what it takes to win. We don’t hesitate to step up our game, whether that’s pulling longer shifts or sacrificing our bodies to make plays. It’s second nature to us, because we’ve been here before.”
As has been typical for this series, the game was fast-paced and filled with offense. Both Anchorage’s Ty Worthington and Seattle’s Rocky Goldmire were under siege from the beginning, as the teams combined for 33 shots in the first period. Both goalies were up to the task, though, and only one shot made it through: a bouncer from Igloos RW Ben Summers that deflected off the stick of a Sailors defender and into the net, giving Anchorage a 1-0 lead at the midway point of the period.
Seattle struck back early in the second, as C Marco Venezio finished an 3-on-1 rush by putting the biscuit into a wide-open net. The crowd at Century 21 Arena roared its approval, and Igloos coach Sam Castor called time and admonished his team to tighten up on defense.
“I told my guys that there’s a difference between playing up-tempo and playing firewagon hockey,” said Castor after the game. “I felt like we were trading chances with those guys, and we’re better than that. I told them I didn’t want to see any more odd-man rushes.”
Heeding their coach’s instructions, Anchorage played a more disciplined game afterward, slowly suffocating Seattle’s chances. The Igloos’ work in the third period was particularly masterful, as they repeatedly frustrated the Sailors’ zone entries while maintaining offensive pressure of their own.
“The third was just a clinic by our guys,” said Castor. “It’s like we set up a brick wall at the blue line and wouldn’t let [the Sailors] in.”
The Igloos got the lead back just over four minutes into the final period. C Nile Bernard picked the pocket of Sailors RW Elliott Pepper as he crossed through center ice. Bernard then fired a perfect pass to LW Les Collins, who streaked past the Seattle defenders and beat Goldmire on the blocker side.
A couple minutes later, Sailors RW Vince Mango took a rare penalty for high-sticking on a failed lift check. On the ensuing power play, C Jake Frost collected the puck in the slot and put it past Goldmire, giving Anchorage a bit of insurance.
Things got a bit hairy for the Igloos in the final minute of the game, as they took a pair of penalties in quick succession and the Sailors pulled Goldmire for a 6-on-3 advantage. But the Igloos penalty kill and Worthington held strong, and the game ended with the lead intact.
The Igloos now await the winner of the Eastern playoff between Hamilton and Hershey. “I think we feel pretty confident against either of those teams,” said Frost. “They’re both strong teams, but neither one has the kind of experience we do.”
Sailors coach Harold Engellund expressed remorse at the sweep. “I really hoped we could at least win one for our fans here at home,” said Engellund. “Would have been a nice going-away present. But those guys, they’ve just got so many ways to beat you. I hope we can learn from the experience and come back stronger next year.”
W Final - Game 3, Anchorage @ Seattle, Century 21 Arena
1 2 3 OT F
Anchorage 1 0 2 3
Seattle 0 1 0 1
Anchorage G A PTS PIM +/- Seattle G A PTS PIM +/-
Koons LW 0 1 1 2 0 Argent LW 0 0 0 0 0
Keefe D 0 0 0 0 1 Lambert D 0 0 0 0 -1
Frost C 1 0 1 0 0 Beasley C 0 0 0 0 0
Martinsson D 0 0 0 0 1 Lidjya D 0 0 0 0 -1
Ericsson RW 0 1 1 2 0 Mango RW 0 0 0 2 0
Collins LW 1 0 1 0 2 Lane LW 0 0 0 2 1
Bernard C 0 2 2 0 2 Mortensen D 0 0 0 2 0
Frederick D 0 0 0 4 0 Derringer C 0 0 0 0 -2
Summers RW 1 0 1 2 2 Gatecliff D 0 0 0 2 0
Miranda LW 0 0 0 0 -1 Pepper RW 0 0 0 0 -2
Citrone D 0 0 0 2 0 Gaspard LW 0 0 0 0 -2
Theroux C 0 0 0 2 -1 Fairwood D 0 0 0 6 0
Calligan D 0 0 0 0 0 Venezio C 1 0 1 2 1
Fleury RW 0 0 0 0 -1 Durien RW 0 1 1 0 1
Kerasov D 0 1 1 0 0 Gallagher D 0 1 1 0 0
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
TOTALS 3 5 8 14 1 TOTALS 1 2 3 16 -1
Scratches:
ANC: Pomfret (DL), Kennedy, Zhlotkin
SEA: Snelling, Bacon, McElvern
Anchorage SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Worthington 40 39 1 0.975
Seattle SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Goldmire 38 35 3 0.921
First Period
------------
GOALS:
09:55 ANC Summers (Kerasov, Bernard)
PENALTIES:
02:31 ANC Koons 2:00 (Roughing)
04:01 ANC Frederick 2:00 (High-sticking)
05:53 SEA Fairwood 2:00 (Hooking)
06:19 SEA Venezio 2:00 (Diving)
12:05 SEA Fairwood 2:00 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)
12:15 SEA Mortensen 2:00 (High-sticking)
Second Period
-------------
GOALS:
01:48 SEA Venezio (Durien, Gallagher)
PENALTIES:
02:16 SEA Fairwood 2:00 (Slashing)
09:29 SEA Lane 2:00 (Slashing)
10:46 ANC Ericsson 2:00 (Tripping)
Third Period
------------
GOALS:
04:08 ANC Collins (Bernard)
07:21 ANC Frost PP (Koons, Ericsson)
PENALTIES:
01:35 ANC Summers 2:00 (High-sticking)
04:14 ANC Citrone 2:00 (Diving)
06:41 SEA Mango 2:00 (High-sticking)
12:11 SEA Gatecliff 2:00 (Tripping)
19:15 ANC Frederick 2:00 (High-sticking)
19:22 ANC Theroux 2:00 (Diving)
SHOTS
------
1 2 3 OT F
Anchorage 14 10 14 38
Seattle 19 10 11 40
POWER PLAYS
-----------
Anchorage 1 for 8
Seattle 0 for 7
INJURIES
--------
None
Eastern Division Series (Hamilton leads, 2-1)
HAMILTON PISTOLS 5, HERSHEY BLISS 0
Coming into the postseason, the Hamilton Pistols felt that they had a secret weapon: their rowdy home crowds. The Gunpowder Armory is the league’s oldest arena by far, and Hamilton’s hockey-mad fans know how to rattle the rafters with their claps, stomps, and cheers. During last year’s playoff against Quebec, the Pistols looked like a different team in front of their home crowd; they had an extra spark, some extra crowd-fueled energy.
“We’ve got good working-class fans here who love the game,” said coach Keith Shields. “And when they’ve got a couple beers in ‘em and they’re feeling that playoff energy… well, they make a ton of noise, and it really fires our guys up. We’ve got the best fans in the league, if you ask me.”
In today’s Game 3, the Armory was at full crazy, and the Pistols responded. They blew past the shell-shocked Hershey Bliss, and moved themselves within a game of their first Finals appearance with a 5-0 shutout.
“[The Bliss] didn’t know what hit ‘em,” said Shields. “As soon as they took the ice and heard our fans hollering their lungs out… you could see it in their eyes. They didn’t know how to handle it.”
The roar in the building was deafening at opening puck drop. It didn’t get any quieter when Bliss D Cedric Meloche was penalized for tripping just ten seconds into the game. And when Pistols RW Kenny Patterson found the lower left corner of the net on the ensuing power play, it felt as though the old arena might just tumble to the ground.
“The bench was literally shaking,” said LW Steven Alexander. “It was kind of like, ‘Holy [crap], is this an earthquake?’”
The crowd shouted hosannas to Patterson and jeers to the Bliss. The hubbub had barely died down when Patterson scored again, this time on a sharp angle shot that Bliss goalie Brandon Colt couldn’t quite reach.
For Patterson, a veteran winger who was contemplating retirement before signing an extension with Hamilton last summer, the playoff atmosphere validated his decision to return.
“As a player, this is what you get up for,” said Patterson. “The energy in the building was just through the roof, and we definitely fed off of that.”
The Bliss managed to keep the Pistols off the board for the rest of the period, and the crowd’s buzz dimmed a bit as the scoreless second period unfolded. Late in the period, though, Hershey D Bruce Minnik made the fateful decision to pick a fight with Hamilton D Clayton “Crusher” Risch. Minnik said later that he was trying to fire up his team. He may have done that, but the fight also woke up the crowd, which got back to full boil in the final minute of the period when Bliss LW Russ Nahorniak was sent to the penalty box for hooking.
At the start of the third, Hershey found themselves in a 5-on-3 situation when D Steve Cargill was sent off for cross-checking. The Bliss managed to kill of the penalty, but they couldn’t get the puck out of their end, and RW Claude Lafayette made the exhausted visitors pay with a redirection of a Vitaly Dyomin slap shot that beat Colt.
“We knew we’d won at that point, and so did they,” said Lafayette.
The Pistols gave their fans plenty to cheer in the remainder of the period: goals from LW Magnus Gunnarson and D Albie Glasco, and a rousing fight between D Hercules Mulligan and Cargill. But as the minutes wound down, the crowd had a different goal in mind. For the last ten minutes, chants of “Over in four! Over in four!” echoed through the old area.
Alexander is on board with the fans’ desire. “We want to get this done, right here, and celebrate with our fans on home ice,” he said. “They’ve come this far with us, and they deserve it.”
E Final - Game 3, Hershey @ Hamilton, Gunpowder Armory
1 2 3 OT F
Hershey 0 0 0 0
Hamilton 2 0 3 5
Hershey G A PTS PIM +/- Hamilton G A PTS PIM +/-
Milton D 0 0 0 4 0 Alexander LW 0 1 1 0 2
Valentine C 0 0 0 0 -2 Smyth D 0 2 2 0 2
Baldwin D 0 0 0 0 -2 Frye C 0 1 1 0 2
Hart RW 0 0 0 0 -2 Risch D 0 0 0 7 0
Nahorniak LW 0 0 0 2 -2 Lafayette RW 1 1 2 0 2
Meloche D 0 0 0 2 -2 Gunnarson LW 1 0 1 0 1
Kirkpatrick C 0 0 0 0 -1 Mulligan D 0 0 0 5 0
Montrechere RW 0 0 0 0 -1 Glasco D 1 1 2 0 2
Danielsen LW 0 0 0 0 -1 Patterson RW 2 0 2 0 1
Aubin D 0 0 0 0 -2 Campbell LW 0 0 0 0 1
Daniels RW 0 0 0 0 -1 Dyomin D 0 1 1 0 2
Minnik D 0 0 0 5 -2 Marais C 0 1 1 0 1
Ketterman C 0 0 0 0 -1 Hampton D 0 1 1 0 2
Swindonburg LW 0 0 0 0 -1 Estabrook F 0 0 0 2 1
Cargill D 0 0 0 7 0 Costello C 0 1 1 0 1
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
TOTALS 0 0 0 20 -4 TOTALS 5 10 15 14 4
Scratches:
HSY: Kulkarov, Chappelle, Lapointe, Sweet (DL)
HAM: Constantine, Baker, Klemmer
Hershey SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Colt 30 25 5 0.833
Hamilton SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Koskinen 23 23 0 1.000
First Period
------------
GOALS:
01:19 HAM Patterson PP (Smyth, Glasco)
06:55 HAM Patterson (Smyth, Costello)
PENALTIES:
00:10 HSY Meloche 2:00 (Tripping)
18:01 HAM Estabrook 2:00 (Roughing)
18:48 HSY Milton 4:00 (Spearing)
Second Period
-------------
GOALS:
None
PENALTIES:
15:03 HAM Risch 5:00 (Fighting)
15:03 HSY Minnik 5:00 (Fighting)
19:18 HSY Nahorniak 2:00 (Hooking)
Third Period
------------
GOALS:
02:51 HAM Lafayette (Dyomin, Alexander)
09:47 HAM Gunnarson (Hampton, Marais)
15:14 HAM Glasco (Lafayette, Frye)
PENALTIES:
00:01 HSY Cargill 2:00 (Cross-checking)
10:48 HAM Risch 2:00 (Hooking)
14:12 HAM Mulligan 5:00 (Fighting)
14:12 HSY Cargill 5:00 (Fighting)
SHOTS
------
1 2 3 OT F
Hershey 9 5 9 23
Hamilton 15 7 8 30
POWER PLAYS
-----------
Hershey 0 for 2
Hamilton 1 for 4
INJURIES
--------
None
2019 SHL Division Playoff – Game 1
Western Division Series (Anchorage leads, 1-0)
ANCHORAGE IGLOOS 2, SEATTLE SAILORS 0
Seattle Sailors RW Vince Mango didn’t waste words when diagnosing his team’s loss to the Anchorage Igloos in Game 1 of the Western division series.
“It was the refs,” said Mango. “We lost this game because of crappy officiating.”
What got Mango so hot and bothered? Seattle had a couple of questionable calls against them in the opening minutes of the game, and Anchorage converted on the subsequent power plays, putting the Sailors in a hole they never dug out of in a 2-0 loss.
The first controversial call came during the opening puck drop. Sailors D Hans Mortensen, jockeying for position with Igloos counterpart Dave Frederick, accidentally jabbed Frederick in the midsection. Referee Scott Pritchard immediately sent Mortensen to the box with a double minor for spearing, a call that sparked outrage on the Seattle bench.
“There’s always bumping and jostling that goes on during faceoff,” said Mango. “Sending a guy to the box on the opening faceoff, for incidental contact? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The early penalty allowed the Igloos to start the game on offense, and the Sailors struggled to clear the puck out of their end. Igloos C Jake Frost ultimately fired a shot from the slot that found the upper-left corner of the net, putting Anchorage on top.
Just over a minute later, with the Sailors still fuming over the initial penalty, C Marco Venezio received a minor for elbowing LW Waldo Miranda. Seattle players thought that the supposed infraction was weak at best, and that Miranda should have been called for embellishment instead.
“They went behind the net, and Marco barely grazed [Miranda], but [Miranda] snapped his head back and got the call,” said Mango. “Completely ridiculous.”
Less than a minute into that power play, Igloos LW Jerry Koons fired a severe-angle shot that snuck between Seattle goalie Rocky Goldmire’s body and the post for another goal.
Seattle received two more minor penalties in the period, which they successfully killed off. All in all, the Sailors spent much of the opening frame on the penalty kill, a key reason that they were outshot 16-7 in the period. Although they weren’t penalized in either of the other two periods, they never managed to mount a successful pushback. Anchorage goalie Ty Worthington easily turned aside all 28 shots he faced.
Coach Harold Engellund agreed with Mango that the calls played a role, but added that the Sailors deserved the blame for their defeat.
“Mentally, we just took ourselves out of the game,” said Engellund. “We had a couple bad penalties against us early in the game and got in a hole, and we spent the rest of the night being mad at the refs instead of playing hockey. When you’re in the playoffs, there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself.”
Igloos coach Sam Castor regarded the Sailors’ fury with amusement. “As soon as I saw that [the Sailors] were spending their time arguing with the officials instead of trying to score, I put the W in my mental scorebook,” Castor said. “Honestly, I hope they never get over it.”
“For what it’s worth, I thought the officiating was very fair,” the Igloos coach said with a sly grin.
W Final - Game 1, Seattle @ Anchorage, Arctic Circle Arena
1 2 3 OT F
Seattle 0 0 0 0
Anchorage 2 0 0 2
Seattle G A PTS PIM +/- Anchorage G A PTS PIM +/-
Argent LW 0 0 0 0 0 Koons LW 1 0 1 0 0
Lambert D 0 0 0 0 0 Keefe D 0 1 1 2 0
Beasley C 0 0 0 0 0 Frost C 1 0 1 0 0
Lidjya D 0 0 0 0 0 Martinsson D 0 0 0 0 0
Mango RW 0 0 0 0 0 Ericsson RW 0 2 2 0 0
Lane LW 0 0 0 0 0 Collins LW 0 0 0 0 0
Mortensen D 0 0 0 4 0 Bernard C 0 0 0 0 0
Derringer C 0 0 0 0 0 Frederick D 0 0 0 0 0
Gatecliff D 0 0 0 2 0 Summers RW 0 0 0 0 0
Pepper RW 0 0 0 4 0 Miranda LW 0 0 0 2 0
Gaspard LW 0 0 0 0 0 Citrone D 0 0 0 0 0
Venezio C 0 0 0 2 0 Theroux C 0 0 0 0 0
Snelling D 0 0 0 0 0 Calligan D 0 0 0 0 0
Durien RW 0 0 0 0 0 Fleury RW 0 0 0 0 0
Gallagher D 0 0 0 0 0 Kerasov D 0 1 1 0 0
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
TOTALS 0 0 0 12 0 TOTALS 2 4 6 4 0
Scratches:
SEA: Fairwood, Bacon, McElvern
ANC: Pomfret (DL), Kennedy, Zhlotkin
Seattle SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Goldmire 36 34 2 0.944
Anchorage SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Worthington 28 28 0 1.000
First Period
------------
GOALS:
01:45 ANC Frost PP (Ericsson, Kerasov)
04:15 ANC Koons PP (Keefe, Ericsson)
PENALTIES:
00:00 SEA Mortensen 4:00 (Spearing)
03:18 SEA Venezio 2:00 (Elbowing)
13:08 SEA Gatecliff 2:00 (Elbowing)
18:28 SEA Pepper 4:00 (Spearing)
Second Period
-------------
GOALS:
None
PENALTIES:
11:40 ANC Keefe 2:00 (Interference)
14:24 ANC Miranda 2:00 (Diving)
Third Period
------------
GOALS:
None
PENALTIES:
None
SHOTS
------
1 2 3 OT F
Seattle 7 9 12 28
Anchorage 16 9 11 36
POWER PLAYS
-----------
Seattle 0 for 2
Anchorage 2 for 4
INJURIES
--------
None
Eastern Division Playoff (Hershey leads, 1-0)
HERSHEY BLISS 3, HAMILTON PISTOLS 1
Coming into the Eastern playoff against the Hamilton Pistols, Hershey Bliss C Justin Valentine predicted that the series would go the distance, noting that the teams were very evenly matched. “The key to winning this series is going to be taking one game at a time,” Valentine said.
The Bliss took their first step forward in today’s Game 1, making the most of their opportunities and withstanding a late Hamilton charge to secure a 3-1 win in front of a sellout crowd at Chocolate Center.
“I thought we did a great job today,” said Valentine. “We didn’t get too fancy, we just played good, straight-ahead hockey and didn’t screw anything up. Seems simple, but in the playoffs, nothing is.”
The Bliss came out strong in the first period, outshooting the Pistols 15-8. Hamilton goalie Lasse Koskinen was sharp, turning aside most of Hershey’s blasts. He was pierced once in the first, though, when LW Gabriel Swindonburg crashed the net and made a slap-pass to D Reese Milton, who jammed it home just inside the left post.
Early in the second period, Hershey took advantage of a rare Hamilton miscue to double their lead. D Albie Glasco collected the puck in the defensive end, and fired a headman pass to center ice to start a breakout. Swindonburg anticipated the pass and picked it off, starting an odd-man rush that RW Noah Daniels finished by beating a sprawling Koskinen up high.
But Hamilton hung tough, and when Bliss C Vance Ketterman was sent off for high-sticking in the closing minutes of the second, Pistols LW Steven Alexander scored on the ensuing power play to cut the deficit in half.
The Pistols turned up the intensity in the third, and Hershey found themselves in a tough spot midway through the period when they took a pair of penalties just 29 seconds apart. During the 5-on-3, C Calvin Frye nearly scored the game-tying goal, but his shot pinged off the crossbar. The Bliss fought off the penalty kill, and a couple minutes later, Ketterman added a little insurance with a wrap-around shot that got past Koskinen.
Despite the loss, Pistols coach Keith Shields remained upbeat. “We had nothing to be ashamed of in the way we played today,” Shields said. “We basically played dead-even, but a couple of the breaks went their way. If they’d gone our way, we probably get the win. I know my guys will be playing hungry tomorrow, but if we keep playing as well as we did today, we should be good.”
E Final - Game 1, Hamilton @ Hershey, Chocolate Center
1 2 3 OT F
Hamilton 0 1 0 1
Hershey 1 1 1 3
Hamilton G A PTS PIM +/- Hershey G A PTS PIM +/-
Alexander LW 1 0 1 0 0 Milton D 1 0 1 0 1
Smyth D 0 0 0 0 -1 Valentine C 0 0 0 0 0
Frye C 0 1 1 0 0 Baldwin D 0 0 0 0 1
Risch D 0 0 0 0 -1 Hart RW 0 0 0 0 0
Lafayette RW 0 1 1 0 0 Nahorniak LW 0 0 0 0 0
Gunnarson LW 0 0 0 2 -1 Meloche D 0 0 0 0 1
Mulligan D 0 0 0 0 -1 Kirkpatrick C 0 1 1 2 2
Glasco D 0 0 0 0 -1 Montrechere RW 0 0 0 0 1
Patterson RW 0 0 0 0 -2 Danielsen LW 0 1 1 2 1
Campbell LW 0 0 0 0 -2 Aubin D 0 0 0 0 1
Dyomin D 0 0 0 0 -1 Kulkarov D 0 1 1 0 1
Marais C 0 0 0 0 -1 Daniels RW 1 0 1 2 2
Hampton D 0 0 0 0 -1 Ketterman C 1 0 1 4 1
Estabrook F 0 0 0 0 -1 Swindonburg LW 0 2 2 0 2
Costello C 0 0 0 0 -2 Cargill D 0 1 1 0 1
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
TOTALS 1 2 3 2 -3 TOTALS 3 6 9 10 3
Scratches:
HAM: Constantine, Baker (DL), Klemmer
HSY: Minnik, Chappelle, Lapointe, Sweet (DL)
Hamilton SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Koskinen 32 29 3 0.906
Hershey SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Colt 30 29 1 0.967
First Period
------------
GOALS:
10:24 HSY Milton (Swindonburg, Cargill)
PENALTIES:
16:50 HAM Gunnarson 2:00 (Holding the Stick)
Second Period
-------------
GOALS:
01:18 HSY Daniels (Kirkpatrick, Swindonburg)
17:40 HAM Alexander PP (Frye, Lafayette)
PENALTIES:
05:46 HSY Kirkpatrick 2:00 (Interference)
17:14 HSY Ketterman 4:00 (High-sticking)
Third Period
------------
GOALS:
14:50 HSY Ketterman (Kulkarov, Danielsen)
PENALTIES:
10:21 HSY Daniels 2:00 (Slashing)
10:50 HSY Danielsen 2:00 (Tripping)
SHOTS
------
1 2 3 OT F
Hamilton 8 10 12 30
Hershey 15 8 9 32
POWER PLAYS
-----------
Hamilton 1 for 4
Hershey 0 for 1
INJURIES
--------
None
