Here’s hoping Blue and Gold like to watch, because they won’t be getting in on any of the hot, sweaty playoff action. Both teams certainly flirted with playoff promise, but Navy and Burgundy proved that their desperation game was a little stronger as the ugly lights came up at closing time in da regular season club. With all playoff holes…accounted for…these two will have to settle for some quality alone time for the coming two months. Blue and Gold…whatever you do, don’t hang your heads. Every team this season got a little action, and had a chance to go all the way. Give yourselves a hand, and come…back next season relaxed and refreshed.
Navy was all but left for dead after six weeks of play, floundering along the standings floor at 1-4-1. Their 4-2 win over Purple in Week Nine grew their win streak to three, and firmly placed the padlock on a playoff spot. The streak matches Black’s 3-0-0 run for the best lead-up to the second season, and serves as further evidence that sports is all about getting hot at the right time. Chris Malki was particularly hot in this one, leading the way with 2 and 1, including the game-winner. Matt Henderson is returning to top form just in time, with his 19/21 in this game contributing to a 53/57| .929 | 1 SO line over the course of the win streak. The win also vaulted Navy over Purple, who have taken exactly the opposite course to the playoffs, after starting the season 4-1-1. Navy will enter the playoffs as the five seed, thanks to the head-to-head tie-breaker with Purple, who fall to the six seed. Navy will face Pink in the early game this Sunday, while Purple will look for Pynn-aided revenge against Orange in the second slot.
Navy’s big win had to make Blue uneasy, but they still held a one point edge over Gold and Burgundy, so even a 4-0 loss to Black wasn’t a definite death knell…until it was. Tom Darlington netted a pair, and ‘The Jons’ (Zygleman & Salt) combined for 2 and 2 to propel Black to the top spot in the final week, and leave Blue biting their collective nails. Unfortanately for Captain Nick Vacchio and his crew, the remaining slate of games did not fall in their favor. Nick Godinez provided some life in place of Derek Lobo, but no win, no tie, no playoffs for either blue-clad Nick. Black’s three game surge left their final mark at 5-2-2, and Green’s loss later in the evening meant *YOINK*…top seed to Captain Rob LaVigne & Company by virtue of goal differental tie-breaker. They will face upstart Burgundy in the third game this Sunday.
With both teams assured of a playoff berth, the Orange v Red game was strictly about playoff posturing. Orange improved their posture with a hard-fought 2-1 win, improving their recent record to 4-0-1, and securing the three seed for the playoffs. Carl Vankoughnett continued to produce, scoring the game-winner in the second, and assisting on Mark DeGraffenreid’s goal in the first. Gary Peters added some late drama for Red, cutting the lead in half with 2:36 to play, and helping cut DeGraffenreid’s forehead in half with seconds to play. Orange will look for a repeat of their regular season performance against Purple, while Red will seek redemption for their regular season loss to Green as the playoffs open this weekend.
The elections remind us that every vote counts, and Burgundy is a reminder that every goal counts. It was win or go home for Captain Brett Cohen’s crew. In spite of recent signs of life (a 1-1 tie with Orange, and a 6-1 embarrassment of Blue), Burgundy could not advance without a win (or at least a tie, and some creative tie-breaking). They could not win without at least one goal. Param Gill provided that one goal, and lifted Burgundy to the promised land with a 1-0 win over Green. Captain Cohen himself provided the primary helper on the season-saving tally, and some chick had the second assist. Gill’s late season heroics boosted his scoring totals to the top of the pile (7 and 7), and have granted a stay of execution for a team that most pundits had locked in the basement for life. Green’s defeat unseats them from the top seed, but a 2-2-1 in their final five games is hardly akin to Purple’s back-in job. They will look to prove their mettle against Red in round one, while Burgundy take on the new number one in Black.
Going last has its privileges, at least as far as panicky playoff pushes go. Gold knew that they needed a win over Pink to survive into the holidays. Param Gill did not walk through that door for Gold, and the resulting 0-0 tie spelled doom for Captain Zach Siemer’s creation. Both goalies deflected every shot they faced…a rather pedestrian requirement of Pink’s Elliot Hicks (8/8), and a more impressive, but sadly futile effort for Gold’s Tiffany Fox (18/18). So, it came down to the final game of the final week, but Gold would join Blue below the cut line, and indeed (by virtue of head-to-head tie-breaker) capture the Reese’s Cup, for the team who finishes dead last in a given season. More on that newly-minted honor some other time…Min? Pink enter the playoffs as the four seed, having racked up four ties in nine regular season games. There are no ties in playoff hockey, so we’ll see which way things fold for Captain Matt Drake’s mates as they begin their playoff campaign against Navy in the opener this Sunday.