Post by VFS Adam on Apr 4, 2023 12:23:30 GMT -7
Game 1 - At Chelsea - Starting Goalies: VFS - Forsberg, CD - Swayman
In their second last game of the season, Viking headed to Chelsea for their first encounter with the Daggers and it was a good thing that they brought along a couple of spare hinges for the penalty box doors because they were worn out after this one. Marchand had a hat trick of penalties (one was coincidental), Giordano went to the box twice, and Rielly had a pair as well (one coincidental). Despite that, some hockey was played, and some goals were scored, but definitely not as many as there should have been. Chelsea opened the scoring about midway through the first on a great snipe from Ehlers, who celebrated by riding his stick which the Flying Sutters didn't particularly care. Things got a little chippy from there and the penalties started. The refs finally got everyone to calm down at the start of the second until Crosby went high, blocker side on Forsberg to extend the lead. Wanting to set a good example for the younger players on the team, especially during a down season, team captain Huberdeau took a beauty of a saucer pass from Norris and dangled around Swayman to cut the lead to one. Rielly took a penalty in the dying seconds of the second period, so Chelsea started the third on the powerplay and absolutely dominated with 4(!) high danger scoring chances, only to have Forsberg shut the door as Viking's best penalty killer. Chelsea kept pressing but was unable to get anything past Forsberg. Svechnikov took an ill-timed penalty, putting Viking on the powerplay with less than two minutes to go. With the top PP unit absolutely gassed, it fell to the second unit, and with the goalie pulled, Namestnikov scored the tying goal with less than 30 seconds to go to force OT. Both teams were so tired after the third that they couldn't muster much offense in OT, which left the game tied as Viking somehow managed a point in a game they were not really in at all.
Final Score - Chelsea 2, Viking 2
Shots: Chelsea 48 (12 hard), Viking 35 (5 hard)
3 Stars
1. Forsberg (saved 10/12 high danger chances)
2. Namestnikov (1G)
3. Crosby (1G, strong play)
Game 2 - At the Sutterdome - Starting Goalies: VFS - Forsberg, CD - Swayman
Viking's last game of their inaugural season, and last home game in front of a massive home crowd of hundreds, and it did not start well as Couture potted two quick goals midway through the first. This seemed to tick off Bouchard as on the ensuing faceoff, he strips a Dagger of the puck, goes end-to-end and puts one past Swayman to get the home crowd back into it. Things got a little nuts in the second as on the opening faceoff Parayko, not to be outdone by Bouchard, races up the ice and does the same move to fool Forsberg and restore the two goal lead. A minute later, the hero of the last game Namestnikov, takes a feed from Bouchard for the one-timer and goes bar down to get Viking within one. It was then the start of the Jeannot show as Jeannot blasts one past Swayman on the same shift to tie it. After Marchand puts Chelsea ahead, Jeannot angrily storms back and scores two (one on the PP) to complete the hat trick and give Viking their first lead of the series. The lead would be short lived, however, as on the opening faceoff of the third, on a play eerily similar to the one that started the second, another Chelsea defenseman, Giordano, scores to tie it up at 5. Viking answers back on the next play with Martinook scoring with a shot just under the glove of Swayman. Huberdeau followup five minutes later with a powerplay snipe, that was promptly countered with a one-timer from Ovechkin in his office. Zaitsev would score on the powerplay at the mid-way mark of the third to seal the deal for Viking. Of note, Viking finally figured out which chocolate bars the refs like as they didn't take a penalty all game, compared to Chelsea's six, one of which belonged to a frustrated Swayman as he took a chop at Jeannot's ankles in the last few minutes of the game.
Final Score - Viking 8, Chelsea 6
Shots: Viking 38 (15 hard), Chelsea 41 (12 hard)
3 Stars
1. Jeannot (3G)
2. Couture (2G)
3. Bouchard (1G, 2A)
Kind of odd stat - in total for this game, Viking had 3 PPGs, but only 1 PPA (I rolled randomly)
In their second last game of the season, Viking headed to Chelsea for their first encounter with the Daggers and it was a good thing that they brought along a couple of spare hinges for the penalty box doors because they were worn out after this one. Marchand had a hat trick of penalties (one was coincidental), Giordano went to the box twice, and Rielly had a pair as well (one coincidental). Despite that, some hockey was played, and some goals were scored, but definitely not as many as there should have been. Chelsea opened the scoring about midway through the first on a great snipe from Ehlers, who celebrated by riding his stick which the Flying Sutters didn't particularly care. Things got a little chippy from there and the penalties started. The refs finally got everyone to calm down at the start of the second until Crosby went high, blocker side on Forsberg to extend the lead. Wanting to set a good example for the younger players on the team, especially during a down season, team captain Huberdeau took a beauty of a saucer pass from Norris and dangled around Swayman to cut the lead to one. Rielly took a penalty in the dying seconds of the second period, so Chelsea started the third on the powerplay and absolutely dominated with 4(!) high danger scoring chances, only to have Forsberg shut the door as Viking's best penalty killer. Chelsea kept pressing but was unable to get anything past Forsberg. Svechnikov took an ill-timed penalty, putting Viking on the powerplay with less than two minutes to go. With the top PP unit absolutely gassed, it fell to the second unit, and with the goalie pulled, Namestnikov scored the tying goal with less than 30 seconds to go to force OT. Both teams were so tired after the third that they couldn't muster much offense in OT, which left the game tied as Viking somehow managed a point in a game they were not really in at all.
Final Score - Chelsea 2, Viking 2
Shots: Chelsea 48 (12 hard), Viking 35 (5 hard)
3 Stars
1. Forsberg (saved 10/12 high danger chances)
2. Namestnikov (1G)
3. Crosby (1G, strong play)
Game 2 - At the Sutterdome - Starting Goalies: VFS - Forsberg, CD - Swayman
Viking's last game of their inaugural season, and last home game in front of a massive home crowd of hundreds, and it did not start well as Couture potted two quick goals midway through the first. This seemed to tick off Bouchard as on the ensuing faceoff, he strips a Dagger of the puck, goes end-to-end and puts one past Swayman to get the home crowd back into it. Things got a little nuts in the second as on the opening faceoff Parayko, not to be outdone by Bouchard, races up the ice and does the same move to fool Forsberg and restore the two goal lead. A minute later, the hero of the last game Namestnikov, takes a feed from Bouchard for the one-timer and goes bar down to get Viking within one. It was then the start of the Jeannot show as Jeannot blasts one past Swayman on the same shift to tie it. After Marchand puts Chelsea ahead, Jeannot angrily storms back and scores two (one on the PP) to complete the hat trick and give Viking their first lead of the series. The lead would be short lived, however, as on the opening faceoff of the third, on a play eerily similar to the one that started the second, another Chelsea defenseman, Giordano, scores to tie it up at 5. Viking answers back on the next play with Martinook scoring with a shot just under the glove of Swayman. Huberdeau followup five minutes later with a powerplay snipe, that was promptly countered with a one-timer from Ovechkin in his office. Zaitsev would score on the powerplay at the mid-way mark of the third to seal the deal for Viking. Of note, Viking finally figured out which chocolate bars the refs like as they didn't take a penalty all game, compared to Chelsea's six, one of which belonged to a frustrated Swayman as he took a chop at Jeannot's ankles in the last few minutes of the game.
Final Score - Viking 8, Chelsea 6
Shots: Viking 38 (15 hard), Chelsea 41 (12 hard)
3 Stars
1. Jeannot (3G)
2. Couture (2G)
3. Bouchard (1G, 2A)
Kind of odd stat - in total for this game, Viking had 3 PPGs, but only 1 PPA (I rolled randomly)
