“OAT, OAT…and STAY OAT!” I am paraphrasing here, but these words were overheard on Sunday, as Gold and Blue were officially sent packing from the playoff picture. The remaining eight teams have nothing to lose (nor gain) in the final Sunday of regular season play, save positioning, pride, and the plumping of personal points.
I don’t believe anyone bothered to do the math, but it’s entirely possible that Blue’s playoff hopes were already cement-shoed coming into Week Eight. With zero wins and just one point to show for seven games, the blast doors were closing, if not already closed. Still, Captain Chuck Bender and the gang were all present, accounted for, and ready to play with/for pride, if nothing else, against a hit or miss Grey side. Eric Herrmann has a penchant for pile driving pride, and ripping out throats and hearts, and he got all of that glorious gore underway early in this one. Goals at 8:46 and 7:18 had Grey up 2-0, and the bloodbath looked to be coming to a boil before Blue had even completed a second line change. But lo…a spark…the aforementioned Blue pride fueled a spirited comeback, with John Boddy and Vance Morra rising up to level the score through one period of play. Captain Brandon Olsen wrested the lead back for Grey midway through the second, only to have Blue’s unsung hero, Weston Nawrocki, nip and tuck home his fourth of the season to knot the score at 3-3 through two. Remember Eric Herrmann…from earlier in this paragraph…pile driver of pride…remover of throats and hearts? Well, Herrmann is as Herrmann does, and Herrmann did Blue in for good at 5:51 in the third…completing the hat trick, producing the 4-3 win for Grey, and officially (super officially) putting Blue out of their season-long misery. Nick Meglich (20/23) was steady as ever, but did get some help from the iron in surviving a furious late push from Blue. Chuck Bender (23/27) was tagged with yet another loss, but he and his mates can take solace in the fact that the suffering is nearly at an end…
Black and Red rolled into Week Eight with playoff passports already stamped, just looking to tune up against like-caliber competition, and maintain or improve their respective playoff seeds. Young Canuck™, Brennan Abel, finally yoinked Black’s goal scoring crown from early season scoring stalwart, Carl Vankoughnett, notching his ninth of the season (from Vankoughnett, of course) late in the first to put Black in front. Veteran Joel Gattey brought Red level with his first of the season in the second, leaving the outcome very much outstanding going into the final frame. Chris Tran (22/24) and Don Tran fill-in, Nick Meglich (31/33), kept their dynamic duel going late into the third, when Captain Rob Gaudio finally broke through and broke the tie for Red at 2:51 (from brother Joe…who else). Just when a Red win seemed signed and sealed, Captain Rob’s counterpart stood and delivered. It was the first of the year for Captain Ian Crooks, and it came with 0:19 remaining, preserving 2-2 tie, and preventing Red from keeping pace with Green and White in the regular season points race. The one point leaves both teams ‘in place’, but Navy’s win later in the evening actually moves them ahead of Black on head-to-head going into the final week of play. Red still have a chance to capture the top playoff spot with a win over playoff flotsam, Gold, along with losses for Green and White. Black can climb as high as two, and fall as low as six, but…odds are they will remain at four or five, meaning they will likely face Navy in Week One of playoff action.
A late season matchup between two top teams is already charged enough, but add in that it happens to be the Battle Of The Salt Bros™, and well…hot ticket. As with Red v Black, playoff placement has not been in the peril for Green and White for at least a month, so this one was all about pride, bragging rights, and sowing seeds for a second season rematch. The elder Salt had the first laugh in this one, scoring an unassisted goal just one minute and one second in. White would respond in the second, with Justin Stege drawing his team level at 6:50, and little Salt Bro™, Zach, putting White on top 2-1 on the power play later in the period. The third period belonged to Jon Salt, as he smacked Zach and company with the game-tying and game-winning goals at 3:54 and 1:31. The 3-2 win for Green sets up an intriguing rematch, which seems all but guaranteed to be in our future. The fate of both teams, and the Salt’s Thanksgiving table smack talk trajectory hangs in the balance. Silas Perks picked up his league-leading fifth win with a 12/14 showing, while Alex Theis (15/18) did all he could in a loss (White’s first of the season!) in place of the (still) injured Matt Henderson. The win finds Green in sole possession of first place at 6-2-0, but the final seeding will come down to the final week of play. White (5-1-2), can claim the top spot with a win over Neon, and a Green non-win, while Green will look to tune up for the playoffs in the best way possible…by beating Purple. A win over Purple this Sunday ensures that Green will face…Purple in the first round.
Captain Arnold Gonzales and his Mounties entered Week Eight looking to rebound from a stunning loss to Purple, and generally regain their swagger after having lost two of their previous three games. Neon came in also having dropped two of three, with that one win coming at the elimination expense of Gold. A win for either team would mean a solid chance to finish the season in the top half of the playoff bracket, while a loss would do damage to little beyond pride. David Schlatter put Neon in front early in the first, and put his team back in front late, after a Josh Wirt strike had evened the score. Jim LaGrossa drew Navy level again with the lone goal for either side in the second, with Captain Gonzales and Mark Nagy collecting assists. It was Schlatter, this time short-handed, putting Neon out front early in the third, put Nagy answered with his first goal of the night, then chalked up his third assist of the night on LaGrossa’s game-winner with 1:56 to play. Alex Theis (18/21) backstopped the 4-3 Navy win, while Silas Perks (13/17) did his best Sean Kelly impersonation to no avail in the Neon loss. Neon can now rise no higher than sixth with a win over White in Week Nine, while a loss puts them in jeopardy of falling to the bottom seed. A win for Navy in their finale versus Grey, and some (frankly, highly unlikely) help could push them as high as the three seed, while the lowest they may fall is the six spot.
The marquee game came in the Week Eight night cap, with Purple and Gold facing off with all of the playoff marbles at stake. Well, not quite all the marbles, as a Purple win would take all, while a tie, or a Gold win would push the determination of both teams’ fates to the final week of play. A scoreless first period ratcheted up the tension a notch, with both teams finding opportunity, but no results early. Young Canuck™, Kalen Hunter, decided it was (once again) his time to shine, as the skilled, speedy forward struck gold first for Purple early in the second, then struck second later in the period. The 2-0 lead would hold, as Chris Malki (17/17) chose the perfect time to have a perfect game…his first career shutout, and a sparkling, season-saving performance. His boy, Joe, added the empty net icing on the 3-0 Purple win, with Nick Vacchio (30/32) doing all he could and more in vain in a sub role for the (still) injured Captain Parsa Mostafavi. The loss was the final nail in an already lived-in Gold coffin, while the win pulled the nose of the Purple plane up just in time to avoid a messy mountainside meeting. While there is almost no real benefit to be gained for Purple from what would be a colossal upset win over Green (the potential to move up from eighth to seventh) in their regular season wrap, it would be something of a statement. A loss to Green, and they will have an insta-rematch with Captain Jon Champine’s squad in the first week of playoff action. For Gold, they will play out the string along with fellow playoff castoffs, Blue, just looking to have some fun and avoid injury against Red this Sunday.