Yellow and Purple earned big wins in Week Six to move themselves closer to playoff safety, while Red and Grey each suffered their fourth consecutive loss to push them closer to the cellar. It’s not over yet, but it’s still o-fer for Royal Blue, who will need to elevate their game several levels in the second half if they have any hope of making the playoffs.
Gold handed Black their first loss of the season, and remained clear of the lower half of the standings, as Geoff Appuhn (12/12) returned from the depths of semi retirement to preserve a 2-0 result. Matt Riordan’s game-winner came just over a minute into the affair, and Alexis DaCosta added insurance midway through the second. Third overall pick, Steve Linke, has been the subject of recent trade rumors for Black, who have gone from comfortable to concerned after falling out of the top pack in the standings over the past few weeks.
Purple changed their team name, and changed their fortune, notching their first win of the season, 3-1 over Green. Mark Ennsmann tallied twice, and Captain Jon Salt scored the game-winner late in the second, as the ‘Purple Cobras’ moved to 1-2-2…one step closer to playoff salvation. Greg Mallinger ruined Shane Sullivan’s shoutout (17/18) with just 1:07 to play, but Green could not escape their second loss in three games.
Rookie Brett Cohen’s third of the year was the first and only in the game, lifting White to a 1-0 win over Red . Red has now lost four straight, dropping them into the danger zone section of the standings, while White’s 4-0-1 run after their opening week loss has them in striking distance of the top spot. Cory Brin (17/17) outdueled Elliot Hicks (18/19), and Red hung tough, killing six penalties, including two stretches of five on three play. Red will need to change their course against Grey in Week Seven, or they could find themselves down and out for good.
‘Skid Marks’ Captain, Mark DeGraffenreid, recorded a hat trick in (what we presume to be) record time, flipping the score from 0-1 to 3-1 within a :31 span in the first period. Josh Wirt had the underdog ‘Royal Pains’ on the board first, but that was the only offense they would muster. Vinny Santora’s first of the season rounded out the 4-1 win for Brown, and Alex Theis stayed sharp (22/23) and unshaken after the early Royal goal. Brown enter their bye week comfortably atop the standings, and may clinch a playoff berth as early as Week Eight. As noted in the open, Royal Blue will need everything they have and then some to avoid an early elimination this season.
Min-Soo Smith, Lena Amelang, and Derek Lobo had a goal apiece, and another quasi-retiree, Don Tran, stopped all but one shot he faced, as Yellow topped Grey, 3-1. Chris Tran’s power play marker late in the third was too little, too late for Grey, who have lost their captain/super stud goalie, Jordan Pynn, for the season (to add injury to insult). Grey will need to tape it all together and surprise a few teams if they have any hope of surfacing this season.