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08/05/11 - Let The Finals Begin
Teal vs. Orange
This series will likely NOT go the distance, just a hunch. Great goaltending is a must and both Assels and Chahal should deliver. As good as Orange was in the regular season for scoring, Teal buried 8 goals in their first round. This series should display more of an offensive flare, but that’s not to say either team isn’t capable of trapping the heck out of the other. Trying to stir things up, both captains were asked to comment about the finals…both gave diplomatic replies about having fun and holding hands. The scorecard for the teams? Well both teams are actually quite even. Teal won the season series, but Kooner will be quick to point out a short bench in those losses, while Braich will do the same in the other game. Orange might have a slight advantage on offense, but Teal has greater potential for offense from the backend and for that they have a slight advantage on defense. Both teams have capable goalies who at times like to mimic Hasek in their approach. Orange will likely get the popularity vote, whereas Teal will have to deal with being an underdog again. Good luck to both teams!
A reminder to all players who still have a PHL jersey, please return it to Karndeep or Laxx for a refund this weekend.
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08/05/11 - Two Down, Two Remain
Teal 1 Gold 0
Stellar goaltending was on display in the final game of this series. Both teams started a little jittery not wanting to make any costly errors. But as the legs warmed up, several quality scoring chances were to be found. And Assels and Mangat were up to the task. At times, the cage would be wide open for a tap in and then out of nowhere the masked men would deliver a great save. Going into the final seconds of regulation time, it looked like we were heading to OT for the first time this post-season with no score. But then with 36.4 seconds to go, a turnover in the Gold zone, led to Captain Braich having just enough room to wiggle off the far boards and wire an absolute bullet to the top corner, cross-bar and in, assisted by Vinning and McMechan. With the net empty, Seroya’s team was not able to gain control and the buzzer fired. Great season for Gold , but the offense was just not there when it counted the most against an underrated Teal. In the end, going to one guy for scoring means an early playoff exit.
Orange 4 Red 3
After questioning the offense in the Game 2 post, both teams finally answered the bell as they started to light the lamp in their finale. After a week of trash talking and bbm’ing, all that was left was the game at hand. And what a game, indeed. The first half showed great saves by Haynes and Chahal as scoring chances were turned aside at their will. The game had a great flow to it and even the fans were into it. Red struck first with a power play marker by Khunkhun from Khangura (finally) and Captain Sidhu. There was no shadow boxing this time around, but just a fired up Sidhu. As the first half was nearing an end, Orange responded with Rashid scoring his first of the playoffs assisted by Brar and Captain Kooner. Kooner was not done there as he buried his first from Brar and Heer. Khangura finally lit the lamp from Gee and Singh for Red . Kooner then again wired a shot past Haynes, assisted by “Bunty” and Rashid. Down 4-2, Red looked to be out of it, especially once they got into penalty trouble. Give them credit though, they scored a late one to make it interesting, but a chance of a repeat went out the door, ending one of the most “talked” about playoff match-ups since the Burgundy vs. Red games of the past. It looks like the advantage of having a well balanced team proved to be too much.
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08/02/11 - Series Tied...
Red 2 Orange 1
Another defensive minded game is in the books as Red held onto a 2-1 win in Game 2. The series now goes to a sudden death third game finale tomorrow night.
Remember when the defense of Orange was questioned in earlier posts? And when it was posted that Sonny Sidhu would need to pick up the scoring in the post-season or that Kush Bains would also need to start producing? Well let’s first reminisce about how it was posted that a Kucharski return would likely result in a Game 3. The Orange goalie returned in net after helping his Superleagues’ team win the Division 3 title and we ARE heading to that 3rd game. Now that’s no knock on the rookie tender, but just a solid prediction by this insider. Great season, Keith! Kucharski is gone fishing now…literally, the rest of the season he’s with his family out east. From here on in, Vic Chahal will have to backstop Orange . In game 2, both teams forgot where their benches were as they started piling up in the penalty boxes. They were the least penalized teams in the regular season, but things have gotten chippy and things will get even worse in game 3…especially if the score gets out of hand. The first power play goal of the series was scored by Sidhu who opened the scoring for his team and then proceeded to beat the hell out of his opponent in a shadow boxing match in the goal celebration. Great analogy by Gold captain, Seroya. Oh and for clarification, it wasn’t Sids who scored. It was Sonny Sidhu. The second goal of the game came after a scramble in front of the net as Bains potted the ball past a sprawling Kucharski. backstop Orange defensive coverage went out the door on both goals, albeit they were short-handed on the first one…err maybe they played short all game long? Anyways, Khunkhun, Grewal and Sam Sidhu notched one assist each. Up 2-0, Red looked to be well on its way to evening the series. But with minutes to go, backstop Orange buried their first of the game as Rashid and Samrai set up Rahim Vasanji . However, too little too late.
Game 3 should be a great display of playoff intensity after a week off. Whether it’s been through BBM status updates, the gamesmanship has been in full effect as both squads will look to oust the other and move on to the finals. Will the offense finally show up? Rashid and Samrai at least have a pair of assists each…Khangura? Zilch…well at least he’s tied with Sids for PIM.
Gold 2 Teal 1
Unsung…unlikely heroes? Often big players come up big in key games. But sometimes unsung players show up to the dance and make a real impact on outcomes of games. Ahluwalia scored his first of the playoffs as he finished off a play from Badesha and Singh for Gold’s first of the night. Things were looking golden, so to speak. But continuing his hot streak, Jessy Vinning scored his third of the playoffs from Walker and Brar for Teal. Seemingly losing momentum Gold did not throw in the towel like in the first game. Instead, Mangat stood tall and shut the door the rest of the way along with a solid defensive game by the team all around. After that tying goal, Teal could not sustain offensive pressure and you knew this was going to be a next goal win scenario. And as time went on, the benches got shorter. Then with minutes to go in the game and on the man advantage, Gold’s Jag Gill finally scored as he deflected or had the shot go off him, past Assels for the winner on a beautiful passing play from Badesha to Brar who wired a low shot that was redirected by Gill. Has Teal lost all momentum? Or will Gold appear in the finals for the fourth time in the last five seasons? Of note, both teams have been relatively quiet in their trash talking, but don’t expect anything less than all balls out come tomorrow! Regardless, two teams will be collecting jersey refunds, while two get to play for the PHL Championship.
Good luck to all!
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07/27/11 - Game 1 results...
Teal 6 Gold 1
After coming out strong, Gold completely got worked as they dropped the opener to Teal 6-2. There were times in the game where they did a good job of controlling the play, but when you get scored on six times in a playoff game, no excuses can be made. After some back and forth play early on, Teal capitalized as Omaar Daya buried a shot through Kabir Mangat from the top of the slot. Assisting was Jasdeep Braich and Gurp Tumber. Less than five minutes later, while on the power-play with Robby Khunkhun in the box, Gold tied things up as Karndeep Singh wired a shot from the point past Kevin Assels, assisted by Jas Badesha and Hershy Ahluwalia. That tying goal really seemed to ignite the Gold squad as they began to pressure more and cause some turnovers deep in the Teal zone. All that pressure didn’t account for many shots on net, though and the game remained tied at 1-1 going into the second half. As the second half began, the game slowly slipped out of the hands of the Gold squad as the onslaught was on. Just under two minutes in, a hard forechecking shift was rewarded with a goal, the game winning goal as Lakhy Gill and Maneet Gill helped force a turnover in the offensive zone and Happy Tumber finished it off with a quick shot just inside the post. Two Teal goals, two Tumber points. You knew this was going to be trouble. Nearly two minutes later, Bobby Walker stripped the ball and found Jessy Vinning by the side of the net who potted the third goal by Mangat. Vinning and Walker weren’t finished there as Vinning was sprung on a breakaway and he made no mistake waiting out Mangat for his second of the game, assisted by Walker and Harpal Brar. Up 4-1, Gagan Bhullar took an interference penalty and Stelios Komianos wasted no time as he wired a shot past Mangat for their first PPG, assisted by Brar and Daya. Gold frustration kicked in soon after as Mangat gave a ‘how do you do’ hook to the groin of a Teal player in front and put his team down a man and John McMechan finished the scoring with a PPG assisted by Walker who led all scorers with 3 assists. Shots were 18 for Teal and 13 for Gold . As mentioned in playoff preview, the success for Teal in game one was due to the role players performing, going 2 for 2 on the power-play, Vinning continuing his great play and of course Walker’s hearty efforts…not to mention, Assels standing strong when he had to. Gold has a few areas for improvement. There was the lack of scoring, lack of discipline and being just out played in their defensive zone. Many players seemed to disappear as the game went on and Jazz Gill let emotions creep back into his game as well. On the other hand, it’s only one game and they played fairly well in the opening half. Even in a huge deficit, Steve Seroya played with a ‘never die’ attitude and the lone goal came from Karndeep Singh’s bullet shot, showing signs of another shooter in the mix…albeit he looked like he enjoyed his time in Italy a little too much. Game 2 goes tonight and this series will likely go the distance.
Orange 1 Red 0
The top two offensive teams of the regular season started their series defensively. Total shots were 14 to 9 for Red, with the final score 1-0 for Orange. Both teams did their best to keep the offensive power of the opponent in check and if it meant a few targeted shots after whistles, oh well. Orange strategy was quite apparent. Take a shot at Sandeep Khangura, Paul Grewal, Alex Khunkhun or any one else wearing Red. And for the most part, there were no retaliations. Orange must have read the preview before last night as they targeted these players and also took a little offence to having their defensive game called out. In retrospect, they played a perfect game in their zone leading to backup Vic Chahal earning the shut-out. The Red offence could not penetrate the blue line effectively and if this series is to continue, they will have to find a way to get to the net. Starter Keith Kucharski is between the pipes tonight though, so that just made it more likely a game three is on the horizon in this one. The lone goal of the game came late into the second half as Komal Brar shot a one timer set up by Omar Rashid and Raj Samrai past Jonathan Haynes. To the credit of Red defense, the well balanced attack of Orange didn’t do much attacking either. Omar Rashid who was quoted as saying he’d ‘take it to another level’ was swarmed at every opportunity. Perhaps a mid-week game has players confused, but when players like Raj Samrai are going off-side on odd man rushes, you know someone isn’t awake…or was it really an off-side? I suspect no one will stand in the penalty box next to Red as the fear of Sonny Sidhu going ape and breaking his stick on someone looms. The captain was beside himself…take that, however you wish. Look to Sidhu to light a fire under the a$$es of his players tonight or else gone is the chance of a repeat. On a side note, will Dampy Brar and Kik Brar be behind the bench of Red tonight? Be certain Rav Hundal and his staff lol will be behind Orange again. “Leh”. Orange players wondered why they had the least amount written about them in the playoff preview, so to be fair, they should get some more commentary… “Leh”.
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07/26/11 - RED vs. ORANGE
Red
Led by returning Captain Sonny Sidhu, Red is a favorite for the cup, hands down. Sidhu has compiled a team as comparable to last season and is hoping that the results are the same...another championship. The standings speak for themselves as far as this confident bunch is concerned. The team tied for first in points and wins, had the biggest goal differential margin, and had the second least penalty minutes. The biggest concern is emotions and how well they can stay out of the penalty box come playoff time, especially since they haven’t faced much adversity all season long. In filling this season’s roster, Sidhu went after last year’s top rookie, points leader, goal scoring champion and league MVP, Sandeep Khangura as his top draft pick. It has paid huge dividends as Khangura has responded with another scoring title. Rookie Alex Khunkhun was certainly a sleeper in the draft and is second on the team in scoring. The feisty rookie will need to keep his emotions in check as he hopes to capture his first PHL Championship. Speaking of emotions, Paul Grewal has turned out to be a gem of a center for Khangura. Whether it’s winning faceoffs, grinding in the corners, back-checking or chipping in with goals, Grewal has produced. High draft pick Kush Bains was a highly sought after rookie, but he’s having just an average debut. He has great upside and is a speedster, but has not been able to break out during games. If he gets going, he will produce and look to his speed to help him dangle. Was there any mention of depth with respect to Sidhu’s drafting strategy? Well this team just keeps coming offensively, Sunny Johal is another example of a playmaker who has a great sense and ability to make defenders look silly as he drops a pass on the tape of an open teammate. Sonny Sidhu, himself will need to pick up the scoring in the post-season and grinders Amar Heer and Rocky Hehar will need to continue their tenacious play. Tej Sangha is another tower of power as he replaced fallen teammate and sniper, Tony Dhaliwal. Sangha is a big body who maintains ball possession and has a scoring touch to boot. So any weaknesses? Well, many perceive the back end as a weak point. However, having the least goals against must mean something is working back there. Let’s start with a great year by goalie Jonathan Haynes. Often down in the dumps, he is playing some great hockey. He’s simplified his game and is looking to just get the job done. He led the regular season with the most wins, tied for most shut outs and was in the top three for GAA and SV%. What more could you ask for? His d-core has been solid as well. They allowed the second least amount of shots against, while chipping in offensively where possible. Cole Gee, Mandeep Singh, Bobby Randhawa and Raj Sidhu have become a solid foursome on the point and joining them is Sam Sidhu, who normally plays forward. After always playing second fiddle to the younger Sidhu, Sonny drafted Sam for the second straight season in hopes of a repeat…Sam’s won a few before. All in all, this squad resembles a certain Kardashian as it has a good mix of flash up front and solid stability in the back.
Orange
The third seed team led by Captain Gurjeet Kooner is by no means a third place team…if you ask him. Frankly, the cup should already have their names scribed on this year’s plaque. In fairness to Kooner, this team is very well rounded. Unlike any other team, Orange has the most well balanced attack up front, led by last year’s playoff MVP, Omar Rashid who tied for the points lead this season. Rashid 1.0 led the league with 2.36 ppg and isn’t the only source of offense for this team. Raj Samrai scorched the score sheets with a league leading 16 assists and arguably showed why he is among the great playmakers of the city. With an often depleted bench, Samrai stood tall and had great support from Kam Heer who had a career year in the points department. Captain Kanga…err Kooner also had a great offensive season. The squad’s output doesn’t stop with these guys though, as Kooner will tell you and everyone else who is around to hear. Instead, players like rookie Rahim Vasanji, center Komal Brar and “Gissel” all chipped in and should not be taken lightly as they all have the ability to score game winning goals. Rookie Navi Kooner had a very respectful point total and will play his tail off in the post-season. The defensive core is very quietly a solid group. Led by Nadim Daya, the offensive defenseman who is able to thread the needle, while Rob Sekhon plays the stay at home role. Rookie Devon “I talk less than my brother, Aaron” Fraser is a speedster who is capable of shutting down any player, but will need to be available to help bolster the bench. Bobby “Bhunty” Kooner and Mike “Shota Gora” Attrell round out the d group and will be looked upon to contain the depth players of Team Red . A late season goaltending change brought in rookie Keith Kucharski and he will be looked to give the team a solid outing in net. Unfortunately, he may just be in the line up for game 1 of the opening round and will then rely on backup Vic Chahal to help get his name on the cup. Pretty well balanced. But there are always holes in the armor. The defensive end and confidence level are likely the most glaring weaknesses on this team. Twice Red handed them losses during the regular season and the possibility of taking their opponents too lightly could result in disaster for Orange . Both team captains are talkative and look for both teams to come out aggressive. As far as these two teams are concerned, their opening round IS this year’s finals.
Let’s the games begin.
Playoffs :.
| Semi-Final 1 | ||||||
| Gold | 1 | |||||
| Teal | 2 | Final | ||||
| Orange | - | |||||
| Semi-Final 2 | Teal | - | ||||
| Orange | 2 | |||||
| Red | 1 | |||||
Arenas :.
| NSD | map |
| 7475 Flint Rd SE | |
| Triwood | map |
| 2244 Chicoutimi Dr NW | |
Standings :.
| Rk | Team | W | L | OTL | P | GD |
| 1 | Teal | 10 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 11 |
| 2 | Red | 10 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 17 |
| 3 | Orange | 9 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 11 |
| 4 | Gold | 8 | 7 | 0 | 16 | -3 |
| 5 | Blue | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 3 |
| 6 | Burgundy | 2 | 11 | 2 | 6 | -39 |
League Leaders :.
| POINTS | |||
| 1 | Omar Rashid | Orange | 26 |
| 1 | Sandeep Khangura | Red | 26 |
| 3 | Raj Samrai | Orange | 23 |
| 4 | Jasdeep Braich | Teal | 17 |
| 5 | Jas Badesha | Gold | 16 |
| GOALS | |||
| 1 | Sandeep Khangura | Red | 17 |
| 2 | Omar Rashid | Orange | 16 |
| 3 | Jas Badesha | Gold | 13 |
| 4 | Jasdeep Braich | Teal | 10 |
| 5 | Aaron Fraser | Blue | 8 |
| ASSISTS | |||
| 1 | Raj Samrai | Orange | 16 |
| 2 | Steve Seroya | Gold | 13 |
| 2 | Suhayl Patel | Burgundy | 13 |
| 4 | Laxx Sidhu | Blue | 12 |
| 5 | Brandon King | Burgundy | 11 |
| PENALTIES IN MINUTES | |||
| 1 | Raj Sidhu | Red | 31 |
| 2 | Suhayl Patel | Burgundy | 27 |
| 3 | Karndeep Singh | Gold | 23 |
| 4 | Kart Vasisht | Blue | 21 |
| 5 | Alex Khunkhun | Red | 18 |
| WINS | |||
| 1 | Jonathan Haynes (G) | Red | 9 |
| 2 | Kabir Mangat (G) | Gold | 7 |
| 2 | Kevin Assels (G) | Teal | 7 |
| 4 | Keith Kucharski (G) | Orange | 6 |
| 5 | Dennis Smithson (G) | Blue | 5 |
| SAVE PERCENTAGE | |||
| 1 | Mandeep Dhillon (G) | Blue | 1.000 |
| 2 | Vic Chahal (G) | Orange | 0.906 |
| 3 | Dennis Smithson (G) | Blue | 0.903 |
| 4 | Kabir Mangat (G) | Gold | 0.899 |
| 5 | Bucky Patel (G) | Teal | 0.898 |
| GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE | |||
| 1 | Mandeep Dhillon (G) | Blue | 0.000 |
| 2 | Dennis Smithson (G) | Blue | 1.400 |
| 3 | Vic Chahal (G) | Orange | 1.500 |
| 4 | Bucky Patel (G) | Teal | 1.667 |
| 5 | Happy Tumber (G) | Teal | 2.000 |
| SHUTOUTS | |||
| 1 | Dennis Smithson (G) | Blue | 2 |
| 1 | Jonathan Haynes (G) | Red | 2 |
| 1 | Kevin Assels (G) | Teal | 2 |
| 4 | Gurdy Kaler (G) | Burgundy | 1 |
| 4 | Happy Tumber (G) | Teal | 1 |
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