The game commenced with Anchorage getting off to a rapid start, with Kovacs scoring his second of the season with just 1:58 on the clock. A good offensive play where Emmerton passed the puck back to Karhunen at the blue line, who took a shot which was tipped in by Kovacs in front of net for an early lead to the mighty Armada. However, shortly after recording his secondary assist Emmerton held his opponents stick on a scary breakaway to prevent a goal, taking a penalty in the process. Alas his attempts to prevent the goal were in vain, when Michael Fox put the puck past Larson in the top right corner, set up by lovely passing from Kiko Rytmeyr and Tyler Tougard. Another goal followed after Michael Fox took a penalty for interference, allowing Anchorage to score on the power play, a scrappy bit of play in front of net, with the goal being credited after some deliberation to Cloutier, from Kovacs and Lockhart (the captain, who leads the team in points as a defenseman). Even more goals followed at the end of the period, first Fox equalising with his second, this time from Forks and Tougard in a breakaway goal, and then with just 30 seconds left in the period, Xena scored shortly after she lost a face-off, as the puck was reclaimed by Kovacs and put in to the centre for her to score. Kovacs picked up his 3rd point of the period, and the score at the end of the period was 3-2 to the Armada.
Period 2
Period two started off very quickly, with Armada winning the face-off and almost immediately ended up icing the puck. The Scarecrows won the face-off, passed it to Forks who got behind the net before being hit hard by Tony Ford. He got the puck to Fox, however and Fox was quick to pass it back to him in front of the net for a simple finish, tying the game at 3. After that, the Scarecrows would go on to take 15 more shots and score none of them. The Armada, however, bided their time, waiting until Dergachyov's guard was down, before striking, with Xena scoring from Emmerton, their second goal and assist of the night respectively, and then to finish the period a hooking penalty led Anchorage to their fifth of the night, with Kenji Yoshimura scoring from Kovacs and Lockhart (that's 4 points for Kovacs and 2 for Lockhart). This led to Dergachyov being pulled in favour of Sorokin after conceding 5 goals in 24 shots (0.792). That was that for period 3, and it was 5-3 Armada with one to play.
Period 3
Period 3 was uninteresting for the most part but did have one big moment. The British rookie defenseman, Tony Ford (playing on the first line with Lockhart), scored his first career goal in the SMJHL, with the puck knocked back to him after a face-off in the offensive zone, he gripped it and he ripped it and it fired through after a slight deflection from a defending Scarecrow. 6-3 Armada and the game continued at a leisurely pace, as the Scarecrows seemed utterly defeated.
Three Stars
1st Star: Oliver Kovacs
Kovacs had an excellent game, excelling on the offense where he scored once and got 3 assists for a 4 point game, devastating the Scarecrows defense. He also played an incredible 21:43 including at least 3 minutes on each special team, and while he only took 2 shots, he made one of them count. Excellent performance.
2nd Star: Xena
2 goals from six shots for Xena, and she keeps up the offensive strength we've come to know all too well. She finished the night +2 having played 21:42 also with 3 minutes on each special team. Another solid performance from the centre.
3rd Star: Tony Ford
This star might not be because he was the third best player in the game necessarily, but you have to be happy for the rookie scoring his first career goal in the Juniors (he said in an interview afterwards he hoped for it to be the first of many). He also dished out 3 big hits, and blocked 3 shots, in a strong defensive performance as well. A great day for the rookie.
Bill Umberger: 0/0 - 0%
Brock Emmerton: 16/22 - 73%
Dean Colt III: 11/28 - 39%
Eko Van Otter: 12/29 - 41%
Johnny Sins: 14/17 - 82%
Kalevi Karhunen: 14/17 - 82%
Kenji Yoshimura: 27/34 - 79%
Leopold Lockhart: 22/38 - 58%
Maxime Bouchard: 25/32 - 78%
Oliver Kovacs: 16/22 - 73%
Olivier Cloutier: 26/33 - 79%
Patrick Muller: 2/2 - 100%
Phil Mcrakin: 18/29 - 62%
Spencer MacLean: 12/29 - 41%
Taylor Lights: 1/1 - 100%
Tony Ford: 23/39 - 59%
Tucker Baloo: 18/29 - 62% Xena: 18/24 - 75%
Conclusion: this game was never really close as most players on the Anchorage have a positive shot differential. The top line of Yoshimura - Cloutier - Bouchard played especially well as they absolutely dominated their opponents possesion-wise.
As we hit roughly the quarter mark of the season we have a highly anticipated meeting between the St. Louis Scarecrows and the Anchorage Armada. The game lived up to the hype for the first 37 minutes but that's where things went south for the Scarecrows. The game was a back and forth battled as the teams each took turns scoring, going back and forth till the game was knotted at 3. It was until the last 3 minutes of the game where things went sour for the Crows and the Armada were able to score 2 quick goals at the tail end of the 3rd to give them the 5 to 3 lead going into the 3rd. They then added a 6th goal in the first 5 minutes of the 3rd period to put the nail in the coffin.
The Highlights
The Armada opened the scoring with a quick snipe from Oliver Kovacs, which got this game off to the races, and neither team was looking to slow the pace...
The Crows fought right back as Michael Fox quickly evened up the score just under 2 minutes later, but once again they kept the pace up...
In the late 2nd it was Xena who delived a massive blow that gave Armada their first 2 goal lead of the game, as as you can tell there was a lot of excitement there...
MVP of the game
Oliver Kovacs
In this back and forth battle there were a couple big names that stood out, mainly skaters like Xena, Cloutier, and Tougard, but one player did manage to put up more points then anyone and easily was the one who carried their team to victory. Kovacs had a sensational game for the Armada as he was able to tally 1 goal and a whopping 3 assists to total 4 points on the night. In such a back and forth game it take performances like his to have one team stand out among the rest. Kovacs was also able to put up a respectful +2 on the night which just helped him solidify his performance even more in a game where special team really dominated the play.
JOHN LANGABEER NETS IT AND TIES THE GAME!!!!!
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AND HE SCORES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! JOHN LANGABEER JUST SCORED THE 2 BIGGEST GOALS OF HIS CAREER IN A MATTER OF 10 SECONDS!!!!!!
WEST KENDALL TAKES THE LEAD!!!!
S41 Challenge Cup Finals Game 7, Game Tying and Game Winning Goals.
Steelhead77 Registered
S27, S29, S32, S40, S42 Challenge Cup Champion & Parm King
5. Anchorage Armada , Xena 4 (Oliver Kovacs 3) at 19:27
After exchanging goals throughout the first period, Anchorage buried a late goal at 19:27 to go up 3-2. Xena received a beautiful saucer pass from Oliver Kovacs and buried a one timer that went high glove past Scarecrows goalie Dimitri Dergachyov. It was Xena's 4th goal of the season. What made this goal such a key moment was it came just 1:26 after St.Louis scored to tie the game 2-2 on the powerplay at 18:01 of the first. If St.Louis was able to go into the first intermission tied it would have been a big boost for morale. Instead they allowed a late goal and fell down 3-2. This could have been a completely different game if the Crows had not allowed that late goal. [125]
Goal #6: 3-3
Code:
6. St. Louis Scarecrows , Fork Spoon 4 (Tyler Tougard 6, Basil Magnicotta 6) at 0:32
St.Louis knew they needed to come out quickly in the 2nd period after allowing that late goal in the 1st we just discussed. This early goal was very important to tie the game 3-3 and give them a chance stay in this match up. It was St.Louis player Fork Spoon, shoveling a loose puck in the crease past Anchorage goalie Peter Larson, from Tougard and Magnicotta. The tying goal just 32 seconds into the game set the tone for the period and showed Anchorage that the Crows were not going to go away without a fight. It was a nice momentum booster for them and they followed it up with more chances to score but were not able to get another goal in the period. Which brings us to the next key goal of the game. [136]
Goal #8: 5-3
Code:
8. Anchorage Armada , Kenji Yoshimura 3 (Oliver Kovacs 4, Leopold Lockhart 11) at 19:35 (PP)
The 8th goal of the game and 5th for Anchorage was the true killer in this game. A late powerplay goal at 19:35 of the 2nd period which broke St.Louis's spirit after the Armada had put the go ahead goal on the board at 17:54, just over a minute before this back breaker was scored. This was the key goal of the game, a howitzer from Kenji Yoshimura that rang off both posts and ended up in the back of the net. Kovacs and Lockhart with the assists on this one. This marks the 2nd late goal in the final minute of each period by Anchorage and it turned out to be too much for St.Louis as the Armada would go on to win 6-3. This goal to put them up 5-3 going into the 3rd gave the Crows no hope of a comeback, a key moment and goal in the game. Well played by both teams but nice win by the Armada in this one. [166]
#1 All-Time SHL Goal & Point Scorer - First 2,000 TPE Player in SHL History - - First 400 Goal Scorer in SHL History - - Only 500 Goal Scorer in SHL History - - First GM to Win 5 & 6 Challenge Cups - Esa Anrikkanen Award - SMJHL ROY - Est. S34 Vidrik Onoprienko Award Winner - S45
Top 3 Gritters of the Game
1. Brock Emmerton (ANA) - This game would've been boring if not for him and his teammate, Tony Ford. Emmerton collected 5 hits, absolutely smashing the opposition. He won his only faceoff. His 2 PIMs were for holding the stick though, unfortunate blemish on a great sheet.
2. Tony Ford (ANA) - The blueliner had 3 hits, and 3 shots blocked. Him and Emmerton combined for 75% of the hits that St. Louis threw that game. Insane.
3. Basil Magnicotta (STL) - The man had no hits, which is bad, but he blocked 4 shots, which is very good. He knows how to sacrifice the body, thank God.
03-08-2019, 04:59 PM(This post was last modified: 03-19-2019, 11:38 AM by Lunatyck.)
Plays of the Game:
Comment 1 - Best celly of the game (St. Louis Scarecrows , Fork Spoon 4 (Tyler Tougard 6, Basil Magnicotta 6) at 0:32 - 2nd Period)
After a back and forth first period, both teams headed into the locker rooms with some pep in their step, especially with Anchorage taking the late lead in the 1st. I don't know how many breathing salts Fork Spoon huffed before hitting the ice on the 2nd period but he flew out the gate like a crack head failed out of failed rehab. Fork Spoon took a hard hit from Tony Ford but he popped up without missing a stride, maintained puck control, and buried a goal past Dmitri Dergachyov. While the goal itself was respectable, the celly was probably not but my god was it enjoyable to watch.
Comment 2 - Hit of the game (17:35 of 3rd period - Maxime Bouchard is hit by Taisei-Tiikeri Wawazat and loses puck.)
Taisei-Tiikeri Wawazat came in like a overloaded semi truck heading down the highway at 100MPH when he absolutely flattened Maxime Bouchard in the last 3 minutes of the game. After being absolutely bodied by Taisei-Tiikeri, replays show Bouchard asking his teammate WHAT WAS THAT, which in return they replied Wawazat. Given the nature of the hit and the blow he just took, Maxime's now-concussed brain had trouble handling all the what was thats and coach decided it was time to call it a game for poor Bouchard. It really is incredible to see that Bouchard didn't need a body bag to get his corpse off the ice after that hit, so all the best in his recovery.
Comment 3 - Interception of the game (1st period - Pass by Dean Colt III intercepted by Basil Magnicotta. Pass by Basil Magnicotta intercepted by Johnny Sins in neutral zone. Pass to Kalevi Karhunen.)
This might be the most confusing interception in all of SMJHL history. First Dean Colt III loses the puck to Basil Magnicotta, but then Magnicotta gets picked by Johnny Sins to go full circle. Hell even the announcers couldn't keep track of the puck and who had it, who lost it, or how it ended up in Anchorage Armada's hands after that fiasco. Needless to say, Anchorage's coach was probably relieved to see the puck in his teams hands or else Basil would have had a wide open lane against Peter Larson. Given how the first period was going, it probably would've led to a goal to shift the momentum back in STL hands.
Defensive Lapses
If you are looking for a tightly contested, defensive game, look elsewhere because this was definitely not one of those games. However, if you are looking for a high scoring, high shot total, fast-paced and end-to-end action, look no further. This game between the St. Louis Scarecrows and Anchorage Armada featured a lot of goals and a ton of shots and was very exciting for the fans to watch. As for the coaches behind the benches, I cannot say the same thing for them. Following the first period, shots were tied at nine shots each and the score was 3-2 in favour of Anchorage. The teams traded goals back and forth a couple of times with each team scoring on the powerplay once until the Armada pulled ahead for their third lead of the period with just seconds remaining on the game clock. In the second period, Anchorage amped up the pressure, outshooting St. Louis 15-9 and outscoring them 2-1, bringing the score to 5-3. The Scarecrows scored early in the period to tie the game but the Armada answered back late in the period, including another powerplay marker and chased Dmitri Dergachyov from the goal. Anchorage added another goal fairly early in the third period to finish out the scoring in what would be a 6-3 win for them and again outshot St. Louis, 10-7 this time with the final shots on goal reading 34-25 for the Armada.
Comment #2
TSN Turning Point
The turning point in this game had to be late in the second period, with Anchorage leading by a score of 4-3 and St. Louis' Basil Magnicotta took an undisciplined hooking penalty. With the extra man, the Armada made no mistake in capitalizing on a tremendous opportunity to put the game away. Kenji Yoshimura took a shot that was deflected wide of the net by Oliver Kovacs. Olivier Cloutier picked up the loose puck and fired it off of Dmitri Dergachyov's pads with a juicy rebound. Leopold Lockhart picked up that loose puck and fired towards the net in which Oliver Kovacs tipped just wide of the net. Kenji Yoshimura scooped up behind the net, wrapped it around and tucked it home. That would put Anchorage up by a score of 5-3 and St. Louis would pull Dmitri Dergachyov from the net in favour of Billy Sorokin. The Scarecrows would never recover and gave up one more goal in the third period.
Comment #3
Fever's Player Of The Game
My pick for player of the game in this contest would have to be Anchorage's Oliver Kovacs. He did everything for the Armada in this game, scoring once and adding a trio of assists. His goal was a crucial one, opening the scoring early in the opening period and giving Anchorage a great start to the game and feeling good about themselves. He posted a pair of his assists in the first period as well on goals by Olivier Cloutier and Xena. Kovacs' final assist came in the final minute of the second period on a powerplay goal from Kenji Yoshimura to seal the game for Anchorage. Kovacs was a +2 on the night with two shots and ate up the minutes, logging over 21 minutes of ice time.
We're going to talk about a couple key factors in this big win tonight for the Armada over the Scarecrows.
Kovacs or Kovaaks: Kovacs was looking as cracked out as the people who grind Kovaaks all day, putting up 1G and 3A to lift his team up today. Anchorage leans on him heavily with over 20 minutes of ice time and he isn't letting them down with a big 4 point night.
Dergach-yikes: Dergachyov is St. Louis' big goalie and they lean on him heavily as Anchorage does with Kovacs but sadly he didn't deliver as Oliver did tonight. Dergachyov put up a real stinker, letting in 5 goals on 24 shots before his coach showed mercy and took him out of the net. The Scarecrows will need a better effort from him in the future if they're to have a chance at the Four Star Cup and I'm sure there will be a lot to talk about at practice tomorrow.
1st star: Oliver Kovacs
Oliver Kovacs had an amazing game and was all over the ice this game. He had 1 goal, which was the first of the game and he had 3 assists, to total for 4 points. He last assist was on the game tying goal for the Armada and it was an amazing pass to Kenji Yoshimura. The rest of stat line was good too, Kovacs was a plus two and had two shots.
2nd Star: Xena
Xana had two snipes this game and the first one but the Aramada up 3-2 at the end of the first period. He also played over 21 minutes and was flying all over the ice. He also won 13 out of 30 faceoffs.
3rd Star: Tony Ford
Tony Ford had a very well rounded game. Ford had 1 goal. was a plus one, had one shot, three hits, and three blocked shots. Ford's goal came while the Armada was already up 5-3 and added much needed insurance to the dreaded 2 goal lead curse.
(2nd comment)
Armada's Offense
The Armada offense was on fire for this game, they had 6 goals on 34 shots, with 15 shots coming during the second period. The Armada had three goals in the first, two goals in the second, and one goal in the third. 8 different players recorded a point for the Armada with Oliver Kovacs leading the team with 1 goal and 3 assists, totaling a game high 4 points. The Scarecrows goalie was no match for the Amarda offense this game. Xena led the Armada offense with 2 goals and the 2 goals in the game were tied for the most goals scored by a player in the game.
(3rd comment)
Goaltending An Issue For The ScarecrowsGoaltending An Issue For The Scarecrows
Dmitri Dergachyov started this game for the Scarecrows but he was not able to finish it because he was pulled after two periods. He had made 19 saves on 24 shots and did not seem like he was ready to play this game from the start. He had let in some silly goals and was not able to make some of the easy saves which is very important when you are playing against a very offensive team like Armada. Billy Sorkin came into play the third period and he showed a glimpse of good goal tending until he allowed one goal in his only period of action. Both goals combined to let in 6 goals over 34 shots and that cant happen again of the Scarecrows want to make another deep run in the playoffs.
Dmitri Dergachyov started this game for the Scarecrows but he was not able to finish it because he was pulled after two periods. He had made 19 saves on 24 shots and did not seem like he was ready to play this game from the start. He had let in some silly goals and was not able to make some of the easy saves which is very important when you are playing against a very offensive team like Armada. Billy Sorkin came into play the third period and he showed a glimpse of good goal tending until he allowed one goal in his only period of action. Both goals combined to let in 6 goals over 34 shots and that cant happen again of the Scarecrows want to make another deep run in the playoffs.
Comment 1: Special teams analysis:
The Anchorage power play looked dangerous all night on their way to a 2/5 performance, scoring them the all important 3rd goal of the game. Anchorage opened the scoring at 5v5 but St. Louis began to push back and grab momentum answering back with a goal of their own when Michael Fox took a bad interference penalty. Olivier Cloutier was the beneficiary of some excellent puck movement on the PP, initiated by Leo Lockhart. Lockhart added another PP helper in the 2nd. Looking like Tom Brady out there, and cementing himself as one of the better PP quarterbacks in the league. Xena and Jonny Sins looked rock solid on the PK for ANC holding the usually potent St Louis PP to just one goal.
Comment 2: PSN’s unsung hero award
Not quite a completely unsung hero, as he did receive the games third star was Anchorages Tony Ford. Ford, this years SMJHL 6th overall pick, was considered a reach by some GM’s but is quickly proving well deserving of his draft position. He’s come out of the gate playing his ass off, playing big minutes against top line matchups in his rookie season and he had perhaps his best game in junior to date tonight against the Scarecrows. He killed penalties well, blocking shot after shot and doing a good job keeping his stick in the opposing passing lanes. And although he’s played well defensively this year it hasn’t always shown up on the scoresheet, but he got the monkey off his back tonight with a rocket from the point, in a game he will remember for a long time.
Comment 3: Interview with Tony Ford
Pro Sports Networks Dick McGruff standing by with Anchorage Armada super rookie Tony Ford. Tony you got you played a hell of a game tonight and got your first SMJHL goal how did it feel.
Tony: Honestly Dick it felt amazing to put that behind me and I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t been weighing on me a bit. I’m excited to just focus on winning games from here on out.
Dick: Tony you were drafted 6th overall by the Armada were you surprised to hear your name called so early?
Tony: Not really I felt I had a great draft combine and I knew that Anchorage had interest in drafting me. I think both parties felt it was a great fit.
Dick: Lastly Tony, new team, new locker room. Is there anyone in the room that makes you laugh on a daily basis?
Tony: We have a pretty good group of guys in here I love coming to the rink each day, but I’d have to say Spencer (MacLean) showing up absolutely hung to the tits every morning and missing curfew every night has been pretty fucking funny.
Fordyford
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