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Post by QC Mike on Oct 2, 2021 20:33:25 GMT -7
The playoffs kicked off with the Bruisers heading into the Qualcomm Quonset Hut to take on the Quarrymen in their first playoff action since the Q-Men had hoisted the Cup. Things got off to great start for the home side when Jakub Silfverburg scored at the end of the first shift to give Quad Cities the lead and set the Hut a rockin'. Bonnavista held a slight edge in play for the remainder of the frame but the Q-Men took their 1-0 lead into the intermission. Off the opening face-off in the second period, Ben Bishop misplayed the Dougie Hamilton shoot in and saw it go into the net less than 30 seconds in to even the score. Michael Stone gave the visitors the lead just after the seven minute mark following a Quad Cities turnover. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got the crowd back into the game when his wrister beat Jacob Markstrom with Clayton Keller in the box for hooking. Bonavista then took control of the game when Travis Konecny scored a brace less than 30 seconds apart in the 13th minute. The game then took on the feel of a European football game where the Bruisers just passed the puck around the perimeter, killing the clock until Chris Wagner scored into the empty net just before the final buzzer to give the visitors a well deserved 5-2 victory.
Game two saw a surprise as Alexander Georgiev, who hadn't suited up all season for Quad Cities, got the start in net. Bonavista opened the scoring at the ten minute mark when Anthony Cirelli beat Georgiev to quiet the home crowd and give the visitors the lead. In the fifteenth minute the Q-Men were again guilty of taking their eye of the prize. This time it was Dougie Hamilton who scored a pair goals in less than 30 seconds giving the Bruisers a 3-0 lead and sending Georgiev to the showers after surrendering 3 goals on 3 chances and 11 shots.Ben Bishop came into the nets and the Q-Men turned their game on its head, playing some good defensive hockey that denied the Bruisers any further scoring chances in the game. Unfortunately Pavel Francouz was up to the challenge and held the fort for a scoreless second. Elias Lindholm broke the shutout bid with a little more than five minutes remaining in the third and a Claude Giroux buzzer beater on the power play made the score 3-2 Bonavista. The hole that Georgiev dug for the team was just too deep and although the Q-Men were the better team on the day, Bonavista were heading home up two games to none.
The third game saw the goaltending carousel continue as Philip Grubauer got the start but it didn't make any difference for the Quarrymen. Shea Theodore score on a rocket from the point less than a minute into the first to whip the home town fans into a frenzy. Barclay Goodrow tries to reverse the momentum with a big hit on Michael Stone but Marucs Foligno doubled the Bruisers lead less than five minutes later. Bonavista going into the second with a 2-0 lead. Bonavista once again started up the European football perimeter passing game. All that was missing was the home fans shouting 'Ole!' after each successful pass. Foligno just over five minutes into the second frame caught Nazim Kadri with his head down and laid him out. Kadri had to be helped from the ice and did not return. Claude Giroux took a roughing penalty off the ensuing face off trying to get at Foligno which led to Dougie Hamilton scoring a power play marker and stretch Bonavista lead to 3-0. At this point in the series Bonavista had generated eleven scoring chances and capitlised on nine of them. Ryan Carpenter then steamrolled RNH who stayed in the game but was then a non factor. Just before the halfway point of the game Reilly Smith beat Grubauer with a nifty deflection to give the home side a 4-0 lead going into the third. Just over a minute into the third period, Shea Theodore scored his second of the game with Patrice Bergeron adding another 48 second later. Bonavista was leading 6-0 before 43 minutes of the game had been played. Claude Giroux immediately replied for the Q-Men but Bonavista again switched to playing keepaway with the puck. James van Riemsdyk added another goal but Quad Cities was horribly outclassed in the affair and lost the game 6-2 and trail the series three games to none.
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Post by QC Mike on Oct 9, 2021 17:13:34 GMT -7
Game four saw the Quarrymen go into Bonavista looking to avoid the sweep with Philip Grubauer again taking the crease. The first period saw Quad Cities hold a slight edge in play but it was Grubauer who was called on to turn back the one scoring chance generated in the frame. Nil-nil after one. Claude Giroux opened the scoring two minutes into the second to give the visitors some hope. Philip Grubauer then went down akwardly making a routine save and had to be helped to the dressing room. Elias Lindholm scored a power play marker at 12:48, capitalizing on Dougie Hamilton coughing up the puck to double the Q-Men's lead. However, Jason Zucker pulled one back for the home team just over a minute later to give the team some life. After the Bruisers had succesfully killed a penalty, Nazim Kadri was called for hooking and complained a bit too vociferously to the officials and picked up a 10 minute misconduct for his choice words. Bonavista was unable to capitalize on the power play and the Q-Men led 2-1 after two. With Kadri still in the box serving his misconduct, a defensive miscue with the Quarrymen's juggled lines saw Dougie Hamilton atone for his earlier error and level up the game just before the seven minute mark. This seemed to rattle the Quad Cities crew and Tomas Konecny capitalized less than 30 second later to give the home team the lead and send the crowd into a frenzy. Bonavista then went into their possession game to grind the clock out but Kadri on the ice as an extra attacker converted on a cross ice feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to even the score at threes. Kadri then being double shifted won the ensuing face-off and tipped Cale Makar's point shot in to give the Q-Men the lead with less than two minutes remaining and still the home crowd. Bonavista took control of the puck off of the ensuing face-off and pulled their goalie in an effort to even it up but Ben Bishop turned away Patrice Bergeron on a clear chancebut time ran out before the Bruisers could create any more threats. Quad Cities avoiding the sweep with the 4-3 come from behind win.
Game five back at the Qualcomm Quonset Hut saw the raucous home crowd fans talking about repeating their from the brink of elimination comeback during their cup run. The Bruisers held a slight edge in play and Anthony Cireelli converted on the only chance of the period to quiet the crowd and send the visitors to the dressing room up 1-0 after one. The second period was back and forth with neither side holding a real advantage when Marcus Foligno was called for tripping. During the power play Kadri and bergeron tangled in front of the net and Bergeron came up a little gimpy. James van Riemsdyk then converted the cross ice feed from Jakub Silfverburg to tie it up and breathe some more life into the 'Hut. Reilly Smith then short hopped trying to get onto the bench. Ryan Johansson capitlazed on the Q-Men's lack of focus, still laughing at Smith's injuring himself trying to get onto the bench, restoring Bonavista's lead and sending them into the third up 2-1. The third period saw Kadri tie the score up off a pretty tic-tac-toe play less than a minute into it which fired up the crowd and the bench. The Quarrymen fed off the fans' energy and played some stifling defense, Claude Giroux giving the home team the lead on the quick counter attack. A few minutes later Cale Makar unleashed a howitzer past Jacob Markstrom to double the Quad Cities lead. The Quarrymen riding their best period of the season to 4-2 win but Bonavista still leading the series 3-2.
Game six saw Ben Bishop back in the crease as a starter after a couple of relief appearances. The first period saw the visitors with a couple of power plays but were unable to generate any chances off of them while Bishop held the fort against the few chances Bonavista was able to create. Tied at zeroes after one. Tomas Konecny finally broke the scoreless draw just over three minutes into the second with Shea Theodore doubling the lead a minute and a half later. Max Domi clawed one back for the Q-Men with Dougie Hamilton off for a high sticking double minor. Marcus Foligno and Domi had a spirited tilt at center ice just after the twelve minute mark. Dougie Hamilton scored a power play marker with Miles Wood off for elbowing to restore the two goal lead. Bonavista then put their possession game into effect with the Q-Men beginning a parade to the penalty box as they pressed to try and get back into the game. Hamilton and Patrice Bergeron each scored empty netters in the final six minutes to pace the Bruisers to a dominating 5-1 victory and a 4-2 series win.
After the game, the Quarrymen announced the retirement of Cup winning hero Stephen Johns and his joining the team in a community relations role.
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Post by Shamrockville on Oct 10, 2021 13:52:34 GMT -7
Damn, good fight Mike, sounds like most of these were super close. Grats Ryan, seems like that team is just clicking right now.
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