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Game by game recap of the Vancouver Whalers in Season 33. Part 1.

Game 1: Halifax Raiders @ Vancouver Whalers

3-2

The Whalers started the season at home playing host to the Halifax Raiders. Unfortunately the home fans weren't treated to an opening day win, as the Raiders were able to emerge victorious by the odd goal. The first period saw the Raiders jump out to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Sepp Reiter and Niklas Flower. Flower would add his second of the game just a minute in to the second period before the Whalers gave their fans false hope with two quick goals from Keisstone Light and Yuriy Starkonov. Despite Tomas Csonka and Greta Iversen taking penalties in the third period, the Whalers couldn't capitalise and ultimately lost the game.

Max Russakoff had a very good start to the season in goal for the Raiders, as he saved 21 of 23 shots for a 0.913 save percentage. Bartholomew Čechové would have liked to do better though, as he made only 16 saves while conceding 3 goals. Niklas Flower took home the 1st star honours with his 2 goals. with Vinny Marino and Alexsander Komarov also among the awards due to their offensive contributions. Hans Sørensen had a fabulous night in the face-off circle with 16 of 21 draws won, and in 6 power play opportunities shared by the teams there were 0 power play goals.

Game 2: Kelowna Knights @ Vancouver Whalers

4-3

The Whalers continued their home stretch at the start of the season with yet another loss by one goal, this time to the Kelowna Knights. Frankie Latta opened the scoring for the home team before Cory Knouse equalised to send the teams tied going in to the first intermission. Halfdan Thorstein then scored for the Knights, but it was cancelled out almost immediately by Terrance Bravo, as he scored on the power play following a holding call on Ambrose Syrjanen. It was 2-2 going in to the third period, and the third saw a similar stretch to the second. The Knights regained the lead through Janis Døro, before immediately conceding on the penalty kill, Olson Stuart doing the damage this time round. Syrnjanen would make up for his poor discipline though, as he scored the game winning goal with only a minute and a half to play, sucking the life out of the arena in Vancouver.

Adriana Starosta had a hand in everything for the Knights, contributing 2 assists to go with a hit and a shot block on her way to a +2 rating that saw her named first star. Trev Legend's second star honours were courtesy of his amazing physical play, as he racked up 7 hits to go along with his assists. Eddie Andrezjeck rounded out the stars with a 2 assist performance. The Knights were lucky that they didn't get in to more penalty trouble, as they allowed goals both times the unit was called upon. Čechové had another poor night, finishing with a sub 0.900 save percentage for the second night in a row, leaving many fans calling for Johan Walstad to be given a chance in goal.

Game 3: Vancouver Whalers @ Kelowna Knights

4-5

Game 3 saw the Whalers make the return trip to Kelowna looking for revenge. While the Whalers showed the same improvement of scoring one more goal than the previous game, they also continued the trend of conceding one extra goal, leaving them on the losing end of a tight contest for the third game in a row. The first period ended 2-2, with goals from Adam Kaiser and OG Bobby for Vancouver book-ended by efforts from Vasily Horvat and John Langabeer. The Whalers then took the lead early in the second courtesy of Tommy Salami, but it lasted less than 30 seconds as Cory Knouse scored his second goal in as many games against the Whalers. Leafer Rielly got the Knights in front before Janis Døro snatched the game winning goal at 6:32 in the third period. Bob Layton's first goal of the season two minutes from time was little more than a consolation as the Whalers sunk to their third straight defeat.

Cory Knouse showed himself a huge thorn in the Whalers' side with a 3 point night, tallying 2 assists to go with his goal. Vasily Horvat and John Langabeer were also named stars as the Knights out-shot the Whalers 28-15.Sebastian Thompson was lucky his offense was on fire, picking up the win despite making only 11 saves from 15 shots. Čechové's struggles continued with a 0.821 save percentage on the night, and the line of Emiya Shirou, Frankie Latta, and Terrance Bravo deserve a mention for their truly terrible performance, as they all finished the night at -3. Just not good enough for the first forward line of the Whalers.

Game 4: Colorado Mammoths @ Vancouver Whalers

1-0

The early part of S33 proved to be tough going for fans of the Whalers, as they suffered their fourth defeat by one goal on the trot, this time a 1-0 loss to the Mammoths. Though the score was tight, the game was not, as the Mammoths really should have put it out of sight earlier due to their massive shot advantage (24-9). Each time got 5 opportunities on the power play, but only one of them was converted. The Mammoths took advantage of their 5th chance on the PP as Zinaida Titova finally put the puck beyond Čechové. The Vancouver fans in attendance who were expecting their team to finally get a foothold on the season were sorely disappointed, as they instead got the worst team performance of the year.

Bartholomew Čechové probably couldn't buy a win at this stage of the season, as when he finally put in a great performance he still ended up on the losing side. His 23 saves with only one goal conceded gave him the honour of first star, but I'm sure he'd have traded it for a win. In a game with little action, Titova took the second star with the lone goal, and Carter Fleury's 9 save shutout slotted in as the third star.

Game 5: Vancouver Whalers @ Colorado Mammoths

4-5

Jesus Christ, you already know just what the result of this game is. The Whalers extend the streak of one goal losses to 5 with another defeat at the hands of Colorado. The worst part about the streak is that every loss was in regulation, leaving the team with 0 points on the board after 5 games played. The Whalers even had the temerity to give their supporters hope early in this one, with Adam Kaiser and Emiya Shirou scoring early to make it 2-0. The lead didn’t last the period though, as Vincent Garland and then Maverick O’Dooley scored on the power play to tie the game heading into the second. Colorado’s Finn Larsson got the lone goal in the second period before Dante Gallo doubled the lead in the third period as the Mammoths scored on the power play once more. Tommy Salami got one back with over 15 minutes to play to give the Whalers hope of a comeback, but Larsson grabbed his second shortly after to shut that down. Adam Kaiser then scored perhaps the most pointless goal of his career in the final minute of the game to cut the lead to one.

If the previous night was a stellar example of how to keep the puck out of the net, the same two goaltenders showed how not to do that in this game. Bartholomew Čechové regressed to his usual performance, saving only 80% of the 25 shots he faced, and Carter Fleury was lucky to escape with a win as he made only 10 saves to end the night with a 0.714 save percentage. Surprisingly, Finn Larsson didn’t make it into the three stars, with his two goals being overlooked by whoever decides these things. Vincent Garland’s one goal, two assist performance took home the first star, Kaiser was able to pick up the second star (courtesy of his late consolation despite it being useless), and Dante Gallo had a goal and an assist on his way to the third star.

Game 6: Prince George Firebirds @ Vancouver Whalers

2-1

Hahahahaha. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahaha. I mean, at some point you can only laugh at what’s happening. In fact, scripting such results would see you sacked from whatever writing job you had. Anyway, the Whalers once again fall to the odd goal, this time failing to beat the visiting Prince George Firebirds. Even more infuriatingly, the Whalers were dominant in shots, out-shooting the Firebirds 32-14, but still they couldn’t get any points on the board. All three goals came in the second period, with Prince George opening the scoring through Karl Hertzberg. Two-way forward Rurik Razin then equalised for Vancouver, but it was short-lived. Smirnov Light Jr. scored with five minutes to play in the period, and the Whalers could not solve Stephen Harris for the rest of the game.

Speaking of Harris, his 31 save performance was inspiring, and deservedly earned the first star. Most impressively, he saved 20 shots in the first period. Were it not for his unreal play in the first period, the Firebirds may have collapsed under the pressure. Light Jr. was named second star as he assisted Hertzberg’s goal in addition to scoring the winner. Nick Dupuis rounded out the stars as he contributed to the final goal. Bartholomew Čechové once again had a poor night, making only 12 saves. Where is Walstad you ask? Who really knows. The Vancouver fans are begging for a change though.

Game 7: Vancouver Whalers @ Prince George Firebirds

1-3

At last, the streak is broken. Unfortunately for the Whalers, it is not the streak they wanted to end. Instead of losing another game by only one goal, the Whalers thought they’d mix it up and lose by two for a change. Emiya Shirou was first on the mark early in the first period, as Vancouver did that thing where they get their fans excited only to ultimately let them down. As usual, the lead didn’t last long, as Teemu Siruis tied the game up a few minutes later. The Firebirds sealed the game with a goal midway through both the second and third periods, with Chris York and Jean Girard the providers.

With both teams registering 19 shots on the night, the difference came down to the goaltending. And once again, Bartholomew Čechové came out on the losing end, his season record going to 0-7-0 on the back of a 0.842 save percentage night. Stephen Harris was excellent yet again, saving 18 of 19 for a 0.947 mark. The three stars all went to the forwards on the Firebirds’ first line, as Teemu Sirius, Teodors Cukurs, and Chris York earned first, second, and third star honours respectively. The top forward line for Vancouver again had a rough night, as they all finished -2 in what has been a rough season so far.

Game 8: Prince George Firebirds @ Vancouver Whalers

2-0

It’s just starting to get a little sad, isn’t it. Eight games played, eight regulation losses. To make matters worse, the last two losses were by more than a goal. If it’s at all possible, things are actually starting to get worse for the Whalers. You’ve got to feel the Firebirds are getting tired of beating up on the Whalers as they won the third contest in a row, this time notching a shutout in the process. Smirnov Light. Jr continued his success against the Whalers, scoring his third of the season to break the deadlock in the first period. Taemin Gede doubled the lead in the second period, and the Whalers never looked like coming back. They managed only 15 shots on target compared to the 25 from Prince George, and there weren’t many Vancouver fans that stayed to the end of this game.

Stephen Harris once again put in a terrific performance, saving 15 shots on the night on his way to a shutout. Harris had an absurd three game stretch against Vancouver, saving 64 shots and conceding only 2 goals. The Whalers could do with a goaltender of that calibre. Unfortunately, they have Bartholomew Čechové as the GMs seem unwilling to try out Johan Walstad. Taemin Gede and Smirnov Light Jr. were second and third star respectively thanks to their goals. Caelan Fearghal may feel a little disappointed not to be named a star as he provided a helper on both of the goals.

Game 9: Vancouver Whalers @ Prince George Firebirds

3-1

No, that is not a typo in the scoreline. The Whalers finally did it. They finally upset the odds and got some points on the board. And not just one point, as many were predicting an OT loss to be the best this team could hope for, but two points for a win. In regulation no less. A win by two whole goals. It honestly sounds crazy to think about due to just how poor this team has been. Tommy Salami opened the scoring only 4 seconds into the game before Rurik Razin extended the lead to two. It was 2-0 at the first break, and just when it came time for the Whalers to collapse, Emiya Shirou decided to pop up and score his third of the season to extend the lead once again. Smirnov Light Jr. scored on Čechové for the third night of four midway through the third period, but that was the only resistance the Firebirds had. There was to be no comeback on this glorious night. Hear that Prince George? The Whalers do not lose nine in a row. Eight, sure, but not nine. That is too far.

Rurik Razin took the first star for his goal, and Tommy Salami was named second star for similar reasons. And would you believe it, motherfucking Bartholomew Čechové was named the third star. With 17 saves on 18 shots for a 0.944 save percentage and, most importantly, his first win of the season, Čechové was inspiring for the Whalers. Walstad who? I take it all back Based Bartholomew. You are the bringer of wins, the sultan of swing, the goalie of my heart.

Game 10: Halifax Raiders @ Vancouver Whalers

2-3

Two fucking wins in a row. Let’s fucking go boys. The first eight games were merely an extended preseason. Following a huge win away to the Firebirds, the Whalers returned home eager to give their fans the first home win of the season, and boy did they deliver. Solaire Azarov got things going for Halifax in the first, and you would have been excused for thinking it was back to old habits for Vancouver. But you would have been wrong, as Yuriy Starkonov equalised before the end of the period. The second saw the Whalers come alive with goals from Bob Layton and Berard Gutler to give them what would ultimately be an insurmountable 3-1 lead. Zanarkand Abes made the third period a nervous affair with an early goal, but the Whalers were able to hold out for the win.

Tommy Salami went one better than the previous game, this time finding himself named as the first star. He had 2 assists, a hit, 2 shot blocks and finished the game with a +2 rating. Gutler and Layton were the other stars, both earning the honour courtesy of their goals in the second period. Shout out to my main man Bartholomew Čechové, goaltender extraordinaire, who ended the game with a 0.917 save percentage on 22 saves. Max Russakoff finished with only a 0.824 save percentage, and perhaps he would be better served learning some of Čechové’s sweet moves. Though it is hard to learn something that is clearly god-given.

Game 11: Vancouver Whalers @ Detroit Falcons

3-4

Well, we had a good run. A two game win streak was obviously going to be difficult to extend, and it all came crashing down in the shithole that is Detroit. A tight first period saw few shots and zero goals. The second opened things up though, as the Falcons went ahead four minutes in on the power play, with Roddy Hawkins the scorer. Sami Free then doubled the advantage halfway through the period, before Rurik Razin’s third goal of the year brought the score back to within one. Harper Wright restored the two goal lead before the period was out though, and Detroit were 3-1 up heading into the final period. Razin got himself another early in the third, before Tommy Salami smashed home his fifth of the season midway through the period on the power play. With the game poised at 3-3, Frankie Latta was sent to the penalty box for interference, and Aaron Crawford punished the Whalers to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead and ultimately win the game.

The first star on the night came from the losing side, as Rurik Razin done enough to impress old SimonT. His two goals kept the Whalers in the game and the fact they weren’t able to pull it out wasn’t anything to do with him. Harper Wright finished as second star, and he had the most points on the night with 3 (a goal and two assists). Roddy Hawkins was third star with a goal and an assist for Detroit. It wouldn’t be a Whalers game without talking about our old friend Bartholomew Čechové. While he fell back down to earth from his previous two performances, he wasn’t terrible. He made 28 saves on 32 shots for a 0.875 save percentage, not the best statline, but two of his goals against did come on the power play. He did enough in my mind to keep Walstad at bay for another game, not that it would really matter, as Čechové could probably murder the parents of the GMs and still not get benched. In fact, maybe he already has, and they’re just far too scared to do it. Patrick Diehl had an alright game in the other net, ending the game at 0.885 with 23 saves.
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