HALIFAX RAIDERS (0) @ ANCHORAGE ARMADA (1)
GAME LINK

It is a rare feat to see, but a situation that comes from two intense rivals. I am not talking about a game with a 1-0 score, nor one that features close shot totals like this one. I am talking of a game that has an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty in the first two minutes of a game.

That was the highlight that truly set the tone for this game. Immediately within the game, Kristof Kovacs took offense to some back and forth between his teammate Maximillian Egger and opponent Muhammad McLovin following an early hit from Egger on McLovin. McLovin retaliated a bit behind the play, and brought on a bit of an assault from Kovacs.

Considering this game started out rough, it remained within the lines for the majority of this game. Specifically, only minutes later Tucker Baloo of the Anchorage Armada took a penalty for tripping in what appeared to be very much accidental instead. This game was filled with difficult board play and a lot of small checks building frustration over time. The first period, thanks to this, would end with the teams drawing at nil.

As you've seen the score of the game, you know this didn't last forever, but was definitely a constant in the game. We're going to fast forward to the first goal of the game almost five minutes into the second period. Off the face-off, Halifax has the puck. It goes back to Craig Finley, over to Roly Rollerson who carries the puck up ice. Anchorage seems to give space to Rollerson, knowing his weak shot and anticipate a pass. They were right to, however Rollerson instead drops the puck back for Snipperri Baardownen on a set play and he takes one step out toward the slot and fires a shot that goes wide.

With the wasted time on the possession, however, Anchorage was set up in their zone. Jordan Von Matt quickly corrals the puck and swings it past two closing defenders to his defensive partner Viktor Kolesnikovs in the middle of the ice. Another Raider closes in, but Kolesnikovs gives a smooth stutter-step and carries around him driving forward and out of the zone. With only two defenders in front of him due to the missteps by the forecheck, Kolesnikovs carries in and fakes a pass to the right for Bust. The defense bites, drifts over for the stop and Kolesnikovs cuts into a spin move and backhands the puck opposite side for Elias Armia Jr to one-time it just by Kryyst on the recovery for the 1-0 lead.

The lead would last the remainder of the game, as failed powerplay attempts wash by. The only highlight left is a fight between Armia and Kyle Corbett which had no winner and ultimately left the crowd at a simmer.

This game seemed to start off hot, but rather than build that excitement, it fell flat and boring with only a 1-0 score at the end. The crowd seemed to go home happy, but ultimately were still somewhat disappointed with the snore of a game thanks to the strategies at play to collapse onto the puck and hold the play to the outside.