2020-2021 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #8
| EASTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASISSTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| Matthews, Austin | JAG | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 23% |
| EASTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| Samsonov, Ilya | TBN | 2 | 4 | 1.93 | 69 | .945 | |||
| WESTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASSISTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| Pastrnak, David | CHI | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 40% |
| WESTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| Saros, Jusse | CHI | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 71 | .959 | |||
| Yellowknife Braves | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | One home game vs the top dogs Chicago |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra @ Yellowknife Braves |
Chicago nets 4 of 5 Power plays in a 9-4 Chicago blowout. Stars #1 CHI Pastrnak 2G 4pts #2 CHI Werenski 1G 2pts #3 CHI Toews 1G 2pts Notables: CHI Toews 18 Kopitar 15 faceoffs won CHI Blackwood 46 saves |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Yellowknife tried to hang with the big dogs. We ended up being their bitch! |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Chicago with 2 home games at the Capone Center, plan on sneaking away with at least 2 points, & hoping for 3. |
| California Regulators@ Chicago Cosa Nostra |
California comes in from the coast and plays a little sluggish. They wake up in the 3rd, but it’s not enough as the Cosa Nostra sneak by them with the “W”.
Final Score: Chicago 5 – California 2 Labatt’s 3-Star Selection: GWG: Jonathan Toews Notables: |
| Toledo Walleye @ Chicago Cosa Nostra |
Chicago is learning how to play defense. They shut down California in their earlier home game to 2 – 3rd Period goals, and then hold the Walleye from Toledo to 1 goal in the 3rd in this one. They also net 4 themselves, so the offense is solid & working well enough to gain 2 more points at home.
Final Score: Chicago 4 – Toledo 1 Labatt’s 3-Star Selection: GWG: David Pastrnak Notables: |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Chicago does well at home this week, grabbing 4 of a possible 4 points on home ice. Let’s see what the road brings for the Cosa Nostra as they play at Central Division Rivals, Bucks County & Yellowknife. |
| Bathgate Rangers | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Rangers are turning into a good team – not a great team – but good. Last week we were 2-2, going 2-1 at home. This week we get a 4 game HOME STAND – woohoo. But it’s against 4 tough teams, Yellowknife, California, Brentwood and MWHL’s top team – JAGR!! Let the pucks drop….. |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Bathgate Rangers |
This one couldn’t be decided in 60 minutes because Tatar scored with 4 to go in the 3rd to tie it up. It was his 2nd goal of the game. Nobody lit the pipes in the 1st but Aho scored for the Braves 22 seconds into a 5 goal 2nd period. Tatar and ZBad then put the home team up 2-1 before Palmieri scored a PP goal followed by a Fabrri goal (his 1st) with 45 seconds left in the 2nd.
So on to overtime. Rangers come out dominate in the OT with 3 quick scoring chances in the opening minute, but Crawford shuts them all down. Finally the Braves get a break and Klefbom grabs the puck and runs over ZBad – the puck gets up to Palmieri for a scoring chance, he shoots – but ZBad returns for the knock down and blocks the shot (with a big grin on his face) and he skates back up ice. Then some up and down play, Crawford and Georgiev control things and the with about a minute left, the Rangers gain the puck, move it up ice, Savard to Tatar to ZBad – wrist shot – lights the lamp and the night is over with a 4-3 OT Rangers win! LOTS of shots 46-38 Rangers and 49 total scoring chances (and 144 attempts – good old let ‘er rip hockey with only 8 total penalty minutes). |
| California Regulators @ Bathgate Rangers |
Another OT game and another 4-3 score! Rangers score first with a SH goal from Nugent-Hopkins midway through the 1st but California retaliates with a Getzlaf goal 4 minutes later for a 1-1 score after 1.Then Kane gets a PP goal in the 2nd for a 2-1 lead.3rd period, California makes it 3-1 when Stone scored 5+ minutes in. But Giroux scores for the Rangers 14 seconds later making it 3-2 and ZBad gets a Rangers PP goal with 7 to go and that’s how regulation ended 3-3.OT again goes on for awhile but this time the Rangers were hanging on for dear lives. But they couldn’t stop the Regulators who came out firing and Kane scores with less than 2 to go for his 2nd goal and the game winner as California comes out on top 4-3 in OT. STARS (all CAL) 1. Kane 2 goals 2. Stone 1 goal 3. Getzlaf Ranta stopped 33 shots for notable. |
| Brentwood Bandits @ Bathgate Rangers |
Division rival and Rangers come out flying high firing 23 shots on Vasilevskiy in the opening period. And the barrage worked to the tune of 4 goals! (Buchnevich, DeAngelo, Sanheim and ZBad.
In the 2nd, the Strome brothers each score but with less than a minute to go, Horvat breaks up the shutout with a PP goal. Rangers get it back 12 seconds into the 3rd with a Vrana goal. Debrush gets the 2nd Bandits PP goal with 2 minutes to go to make the final a whopping 7-2 Rangers. |
| Jagr Mullets @ Bathgate Rangers |
Rangers on a spree hope to keep it up against the evil empire Mullets of Jagr! Best dang team in the league…. Rangers liked the fast approach from the last game and fire 16 shots Markstrom – and he’s good, stopping all but a Hertl goal with 5 seconds left in the period. Prior to that however, Bergeon (who’s scoring from everywhere, whenever he wants) puts one past Halak and so does Miller and the Mullets win the opening period 2-1.But in the 2nd, the Rangers pull even with another Hertl goal, by the clock it was 48 seconds after his 1st goal!. Then Provorov scores a PP goal 4 minutes in and the Rangers take a 3-2 lead. But Mathews ties it up a minute 1/2 later but Hertl isn’t done and he nabs a hat trick with another goal in the 2nd and the Rangers skate off with 4-3 lead after 2.Both teams keep pressing in the 3rd, but no one is getting in close especially in the Rangers end. So down to the last 90 seconds and it’s still 4-3 Bathgate. Then the Mulletts relieve Markstrom of his goalie duties and suddenly the Rangers go on the attack for not one, but TWO EN goals – ZBad and Tatar and that runs to score to 6-3 Rangers and Markstrom slowly returns to the ice for the final seconds. FINAL 6-3 Bathgate STARS (all BGR) 1. Hertl 3 goals 2. Zibanejad 1 goal, 2 assists 3. Provorov 1 goal, 1 assist |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Well, 4 games, 3 wins and an OL for 7 points. And they were big time wins, we are very happy with the way this team is coming together!! And suddenly home ice is becoming very friendly. |
| New Jersey Black Aces | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | One Game this week vs Thunder Bay |
| Thunder Bay NorWesters @ New Jersey Black Aces |
The only game on the schedule see NJ beat Thunder Bay, 4-3 |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 1-0 |
| LA Great Danes | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Home games versus Cincinnati and Gilbert |
| Cincinnati Inferno @ LA Great Danes |
Roope Hintz scores 1:19 into the game for LA, and JG Pageau responds for Cincy with a mere 5 seconds left in the period, so it’s tied 1-1 after one. The teams swap goals in the 2nd (Schmidt for Cincy, Nylander for LA), so it’s 2-2 after two periods.
Ehlers scores for LA 48 seconds into the 3rd, and Teravainen and Armia add goals for a 5-2 win for the Great Danes. All 4 lines score for LA in this one. Stars are all LA – Teravainen 1G-1A, Nylander 1G on 7 SOG and a whopping 11 scoring chances, and Ehlers 1G, the game-winner. |
| Gilbert Sharks @ LA Great Danes |
Big game for LA against division rival Gilbert. The Danes need a winning streak to have any chance of even getting close to getting out of the basement in the Pacific.
A tight 1st period, with no scoring and only 14 SOG between both teams. We continue scoreless until 15:24 into the 2nd when LA and Barkov convert on the power play. LA leads 1-0 after two. Gilbert and Dominik Kubalik finally solve Cam Talbot with 6:58 left in the game, and Artemi Panarin stuns LA late with the game winner with 49 seconds left. A tough 2-1 loss for the Danes as Gilbert’s firepower does the damage late. Tuukka Rask earns the #1 star with 31 saves, and goal scorers Kubalik and Panarin are the #2/3 stars. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 29 Games and counting, Alex Pietrangelo has yet to score a goal this season, despite 11 SOG over the 2 home games this week, and 85 SOG on the season. Alex is pretty low-key, but a few broken sticks lately for Alex, and not from shooting the puck. Along with a team worst minus 12 +/- stat, it’s been a tough season for the captain.
A nice win over Cincy, but a damaging loss to Gilbert, leaves the Great Danes treading water in the basement. |
| Gilbert Sharks | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Gilbert has 2 home games this week versus Toledo and LA as the Sharks look to continue their good play. |
| Toledo Walleye @ Gilbert Sharks |
The goaltenders keep this one scoreless until midway through the 2nd period when Petterson breaks the seal for Toledo. Fiala matches for Gilbert and it is 1-1 going to the 3rd period. Toledo retakes the lead on a goal from Nemeth with about 5 minutes left but Kubalik sends the game to OT with a goal in the last minute of regulation. The goaltenders hold up through OT and 2 rounds of the shootout but Petterson puts the game away in the shootout for Toledo. |
| LA Great Danes @ Gilbert Sharks |
Tyler Ennis opens the scoring in this one for Gilbert with the only goal of the 1st period. Scheifele and Ehlers get goals in the 2nd period to put LA ahead but Gilbert gets 2 of their own from Burakovsky and Kubalik to take a 3-2 lead into the 3rd Period. Thornton and Tkachuk put Gilbert up 3 before Ehlers gets his 2nd goal of the game to cut the lead back to 2. Panarin puts it back to 3 and Rask shuts down LA the rest of the way to preserve the 6-3 win. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 3 points in 2 Games for Gilbert as they look to get within range of California and Alamo who lead the division. |
| Alamo Defenders | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Alamo has a big week at home. They play Brentwood, Cincinnati, LA, and rival California. |
| Brentwood Bandits @ Alamo Defenders |
Crosby and Bratt score for the Defenders in the first. The Bandits get a power play goal by Tavares, but Marchand scores an equalizer to close out the 1st period. After 1 period, Alamo leads 3-1.
In the 2nd, Marchand scores his 2nd goal of the game. Connolly scores for the Bandits. After 2 periods, Alamo leads 4-2. In the 3rd, Ekblad scores an empty netter, which is his first of the year. Alamo wins. Alamo 5 Brentwood 2 1st – Marchand 2 goals |
| Cincinnati Inferno @ Alamo Defenders |
The game starts out very slowly. In the 1st, Parise scores with 8 seconds to go in the 1st.
In the 3rd, Mittelstadt scores to give Alamo a 2 goal lead. Pacioretty gets the Inferno on the board. But, Alamo gets an insurance goal by Draisaitl. Alamo 3 Cincinnati 2 1st – Draisaitl |
| LA Great Danes @ Alamo Defenders |
In the 1st period, Nurse and Barkov score goals for the Great Danes. Bratt scores his 10th goal for the Defenders and the period ends with LA having a 2-1 lead.
2nd period – Wheeler for Alamo and Hintz for LA score in the period. 3rd period – LA gets 2 goals to put the game away. LA 5 Alamo 2 1st – Barkov 1 goal 1 assist |
| California Regulators @ Alamo Defenders |
Rival game between California and Alamo. Stamkos scores 2 goals in the 1st and Staal scores 1 for the Regulators.
In the 3rd, Draisaitl scores his 19th goal of the season. Alamo 3 California 1 Alamo outshoots California, 42-15. Raanta has a great game and saves 39 shots. 1st – Stamkos |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Alamo wins 3 of 4 at home. |
| Brentwood Bandits | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | With Jagr running away with not only the division, but the league, Bandits management has some tough decisions to make on whether or not we think we can upset them in the playoffs again (like we did last season), or will we even make the playoffs? Let’s see how we play against the powerhouse offense.
Oh, and we play New Jersey, too. 😉 |
| Jagr Mullets @ Brentwood Bandits |
Connolly (8) gets things started in the 1st. Bandits 1-0
Ovie (15) gets it back and we’re tied 1-1 going into the 2nd. Bandits throw 20 shots at Markstrom! 2nd period sees Ovie (16) on the PP and Matthews (17) score to make it 3-1 Jagr. Niederreiter (3) puts a pledge pin on his uniform and makes it 3-2, but Matthews (18) gets it back on the PP to make it 4-2 Jagr. 3rd period Konecny (6) scores on the PP to make it close, 4-3, but Markstrom shuts the door and the offensively struggling Bandits continue to underwhelm on the offensive scoresheet and drop a home game to Jagr, 4-3. The Bandits fired 44 shots at Markstrom, and he saved 41 as he outplayed his counterpart, Vasilevskiy, who only saved 24 of 28 in a less than stellar outing. When we hold an offensive powerhouse like Jagr to 28 SOG, he’s gotta be better. Ovie and Matthews score 2 each. Bandits top offensive weapons are quiet in the loss. Tavares goes pointless. |
| New Jersey Black Aces @ Brentwood Bandits |
New Jersey comes to town, wanting to spank the Bandits for disrespecting them in their weekly summary (which was a shoddy attempt at humor).
One of the lone offensive bright spots on this team, Debrusk, scores his 10th of the season as the Bandits take a 1-0 lead. Eller (5) follows up to make it 2-0. Thomas (2) would score near the end of the period to make it 2-1 Bandits lead. 2nd Period – Kotkaniemi (1) finds the net behind Vasilevskiy to tie it 2-2. Josi (5) pulls the Bandits ahead again 3-2. Beauvillier (6) ties it again, 3-3. Eller (6) scores a shorty near the end of the 2nd to make it 4-3. New Jersey throws 15 shots at Vasilevskiy who plays like he should and turns them all away as Vlasic (2) scores the empty netter to send the socially distanced crowd home happy and COVID free! Final Score |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | The defense has been solid for the Bandits all season as we are tied for 2nd with Charlotte, behind Cincinnati (with a game in hand) for least goals against, which is why we gave the 4th line more ice time, and they responded well (Eller with 2 goals against Jersey) but it’s the top two lines (top especially) that are suddenly under-achieving.
It’s easy to be spoiled by past success and get upset with this season, but the silver lining is that without our big guns performing, we are still in the playoff hunt and currently in 2nd place in the Metro. If our offense can wake up, or we can add a piece or two via trade, we can march toward another potential upset of the Jagr Jagoffs. We can dream, can’t we? |
| Charlotte Buzzards | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Charlotte’s lone home game this week was against division-foe Cincinnati; the Inferno have absolutely dominated the Buzzards in their brief history and Cincinnati won practically every division game between the two last season to help propel it to the playoffs. This year, the Buzzards have displayed zero offense — only twice this season has the team reached four goals and three consecutive 2-1 losses (pathetic) have dropped the team below .500 (11-14 entering this week of play). |
| Cincinnati Inferno @ Charlotte Buzzards |
The Buzzards circle and get an uplifting, much needed, and rare 5-3 division win over the Inferno. A subtle lineup change sparks Charlotte: desperate for any offensive sign of life, Alex Killorn is moved to the second line from the fourth and the move pays immediate dividends. Teamed there with Mitch Marner, the two combine for three goals. Marner gets two goals and Killorn gets one goal and 3 assists (what a difference) and they are first and second stars respectively.
Cincinnati, trailing 4-1, made the game close with consecutive goals from Point and Pageau in the last half of the game, but a Colton Sissons goal on the Charlotte power play with 1:16 in the third period closed the scoring and put the contest on ice. Three stars: Notable: Charlotte narrowly outshoots Cincy 36-35. GWG: Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Jake Allen in relief of Carey Price, records 32 saves (.914 percentage). Point 16 faceoffs won, Merzilkins 31 saves for Cincinnati. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Charlotte in its only home game of the week, finds its offensive mojo after the three consecutive 2-1 losses and, more importantlym may have stumbled on the right line combinations it needs moving forward. It also gets spectacular goaltending from Jake Allen in this latest win. |
| Bucks County Raccoons | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | 3 game home stand against Charlotte and division games with Yellowknife and Chicago |
| Charlotte Buzzards @ Bucks County Raccoons |
Charlotte set the tone for the game by scoring twice within the first 8 minutes, and even though Bucks County rallied to tie the game, the Buzzards took back the lead mid way through the 2nd period and then added 2 more in the third to skate away with a 5-2 win. Charlotte frustrated the Racs at every turn and deserved the hard earned 2 points. |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Bucks County Raccoons |
Still smarting from their loss against Charlotte the Racs shook up their lines and delivered what may have been their most impressive game of the season in defeating the Yellowknife Braves 5-1. The Racs held the visitors to only 22 SOG for the game with 5 scoring chances and effectively put the game with 2 PP goals in the 2nd period to take a 5-1 lead. |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra @ Bucks County Raccoons |
Crucial game with the division leaders saw Jonathan Toews score with 23 seconds left in the 3rd period to break a 3 all tie and lead Chicago to the 4-3 win. Neither team had a significant advantage in any of the key stats, both going 1-4 on the PP, SOG at 32-24 and Scoring Chances at 18-20. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | A disappointing home stand, picking up only 2 of 6 possible points and dropping a game to the division front runner in the last 30 seconds of play. |
| Toledo Walleye | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Yellowknife and Bucks County come to the Glass City – Huntington Centre – for some hockey action. |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Toledo Walleye |
Braves 3, Walleye 0 – Goalies rule the game for the first 58 minutes. Each getting some pressure via powerplays. Both teams kill off 4. So we cut to the final 2 minutes.
Bjorkstrand gets a nifty pass of a faceoff in the Moose zone, and scores to make it 1-0. After the ensuing faceoff, the Walleye pull the goalie and put some pressure on the Braves. A lost puck quickly heads the wrong way and Malkin gets an easy EN goal. The Walleye continue with one minute left with an empty net, and another turnover see Bjorkstrand net his 2nd of the game, final one, to make it 3-0. 1st star – Crawford 42 saves |
| Bucks County Raccoons @ Toledo Walleye |
Raccoons 7, Walleye 6 – Walleye come out smoking and hang 4 goals (Anisimov, Kucherov, Kempe, Pettersson) on Bishop in the 1st period which earns him the early showers, as the first period ends 4-2 Walleye. Goals by Oshie and Meier soften the pain a bit. Khudobin comes in to stop the bleeding.
2nd period sees the visitors whittle the lead down to 1, 5-3, as Blueger and Suzuki get goals. Kucherov answers for the home team. 3rd period has Kucherov get his hat trick and put the home team up 6-4 with 13 minutes to go, but thats just too much time. The lead is held to just about the 5 minute mark, when Kane scores, and a feeling of dread falls on the crowd. 3 minutes later, Oshie brings it home and ties the game at 6. We head to overtime. Both teams get chances, but its McDavid, who has been quiet most of the game, who brings it all to a close with an end to end run, after getting the faceoff in his end. 1st star – Kucherov, 3G, 4pts |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Very disappointing week, losing one lead with only 3 minutes left, and losing a tie with only 2 minutes left. Gotta work on conditioning. |
| Jagr Mullets | |
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| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Two home games against Portland and New Jersey. |
| Portland Storm @ Jagr Mullets |
Portland comes to town with a 3-19-0-5 record, and leaves at 4-19-0-5.
Granlund (4) and Backlund (8) score late goals in the 3rd against Markstrom to turn a 4-3 lead into a 5-4 loss for the home team. Backlund’s late tally gives him a hat trick in the game; I suspect he’ll get lucky back in Portland. Scoring Summary Star 1: POR Backlund 3 G GWG: Mikael Backlund Notables: POR Holtby 37 saves, Backlund hat trick, Hall 3 assists |
| New Jersey Black Aces @ Jagr Mullets |
A defensive contest – Jagr ultimately prevails 2-1 thanks to Tkachuk’s 9th goal at 8:23 of the 3rd.
Scoring Summary Star 1: JAG Markstrom 28 saves GWG: Matthew Tkachuk Notables: NJB None |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 1 W 1 L |
| California Regulators | |
|---|---|
| Gilbert Sharks @ California Regulators |
Gilbert beats California at home, 4-3. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | California drops its only home game this week. |
No home games – Cincinnati
Simmed Games – Thunder Bay and Portland – Thunder Bay 5, Cincinnati 2 / Thunder Bay 3, Charlotte 2 / Charlotte 3, Portland 2 / Thunder Bay 5, Portland 3