The Maine Timber came into this series after defeating their rivals the Newfoundland Berserkers in 6 games and having a first round bye, being led primarily by their Goaltender Nelly Celly standing on their head throughout the playoffs. Maine has successfully been shutting down teams with their constraining defensive play and getting scoring contributions from all over their roster. Colorado entered the series after winning their round 1 series against Kelowna in 6 games, with Leonard Wood and Nick Kodiak leading the team throughout the series as Colorado's top line was fairly quiet in that series. In round 2, Colorado's top line started heating up against the Nevada Battleborn and goaltender Tanner Pitts ended up solidifying his spot as the starting goaltender for this playoff run after posting a .930 or higher in 3 of his 5 starts. Colorado had the highest amount of goals scored throughout the regular season with their offense scoring 314 goals, 32 more than the closest team. The high octane offense of Colorado matching up against Maine's defense who finished with the 5th fewest goals against proved to be a solid matchup of offense vs defense.

Game 1 of the series was a defensive clinic for the Maine Timber, as they shut down the Raptors' offense and limited them to only 25 shots on net. Special teams were an important part of the game, with Maine scoring on 1 of their 4 chances and Colorado not scoring on any of their 4 chances while allowing a shorthanded goal. Dwayne Swanson scored twice in this one, the first coming 10 minutes into the first period which would stand as the game winner, and again with 4 minutes left in the third period on the powerplay. Julian Kuznatsov scored a goal on the penalty kill 11 minutes into the first period, giving the Timber a two goal lead early that they would only build off of for the rest of the game. Nelly Celly would put up their 3rd shutout of the postseason, turning aside all 25 shots faced as Maine won game 1 by a score of 4-0.

Game 2 of the semifinals saw Maine limit the Raptors to only 2 goals as they continued to frustrate the Colorado offense. An explosion of special teams scoring happened in this one, with Beasoleil scoring 7 minutes in on the powerplay for the lone first period goal. Ace Guilded would tie it up for Maine 3 minutes into period 2 while on the powerplay again, before Leonard Wood wood take the lead for Colorado heading into the second intermission with another powerplay goal. Maine would be the only team to produce at 5 on 5 this game, with Leon Rizzton tallying a tying goal 7 minutes into the third period, and assisting on Edouard Lavoie's game winning goal 4 minutes later. Nelly Celly posted yet another .930 save percentage game as they take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game 3 was an extremely close goalie duel, with only a single goal being scored and it not coming until 5 minutes into overtime. Penalties galore throughout regulation time, with neither team scoring on the 3 powerplays each team had. Nelly Celly turned away 35 shots for a .970 save percentage for the Maine goaltender, but it was ultimately Tanner Pitts walking away with a 32 save shutout for Colorado. Liam Rodgers was the hero in this one, notching the only goal of the game off an assist from Leonard wood as Colorado avoided going down 0-3 in the series. A solid defensive performance by Valerija Serapin as they put up 4 blocks, 2 hits, 3 takeaways and earned a 99 defensive game rating for Colorado.

Game 4 had our third shutout of the series as Colorado tied the series at 2-2 with a 4-0 shutout. Tanner Pitts turned aside all 28 shots he faced as the Raptors took this physical battle that saw the game have 52 hits and 8 penalties. Jussi Mutou scored unassisted 13 minutes into the game while the Raptors were on the penalty kill, this would end up being the game winner. Supreme Dalek and Game 3 OT hero Liam Rodgers would both score at 5 on 5, while Xavier Beausoleil tallied a powerplay goal in the second period as the Raps tie the series at 2 games a piece after being down 2-0.

Game 5 saw the Raptors pull themselves out of the 0-2 hole they put themselves in in the first part of the series and rally to win 3 straight games, winning this one 4-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. Another game with another phenomenal performance by Tanner Pitts, this time turning aside 33 shots with a .940 save percentage as the Raptors were outshot 35-24. James MacAvoy opened the scoring for Colorado 4 minutes into the first period, Jean-Jacques Francois Jacques-Jean would tie it 12 minutes into the second period and the game would be finished with a 4 goal third period. Shadow Fenix would make it 2-1 Colorado 3:33 into the period, MacAvoy would score their second of the game which stood as the game winner 13 minutes in before Maxwell King II pulled Maine within 1 with 1:25 to play in the third. MacAvoy would notch the hat trick goal on the empty net with 13 seconds left in the game to put an exclamation mark on the win.

Game 6 would have both teams throw defense out the window as Colorado would clutch up the series by a score of 8-4 as they complete their comeback with 4 straight wins to take the series 4-2. An insane first period would see 3 power play goals and 7 goals scored. Beausoleil kicked it off with a powerplay goal 1:36 into the game, followed up by La Sombra to make it 2-0 Colorado 4 minutes later, Mia Lavoie would answer back on the powerplay for Maine just 9:20 into the first. Shadow Fenix would extend the lead to 3-1 Colorado with just under 4 minutes to play in the third, Maxwell King II would fire it by Pitts with 3 minutes to go, with Liam Rodgers extending the Colorado lead to 4-2 with 1:39 left in the first period. Dwayne Swanson would score on the powerplay for Maine with 55 seconds left in the first period to cut the deficit to 1. The second period would have Maine's Kuznatsov tie the game at 4-4 with a goal 3 minutes in, before Brandon Gilleyes would score the game winner 9 minutes into the second period before scoring again 2:30 later. Leonard Wood and Liam Rodgers would add on goals in the third to send the Raptors through to the Finals.

Throughout the playoffs so far, the wingers on Colorado have been producing at an insane rate through Colorado's 17 playoff games. Beausoleil has tallied 23 points and linemate Mutou has put up 19 points, Leonard Wood and Gilleyes each have 17 points, puting Shadow Fenix as the highest non-winger for scoring with 16 points in 17 games. Scoring has been shared throughout the roster so far, with no player hitting double digits in goals but 9 players having 5+ goals so far. Tanner Pitts has been great in net so far winning 11 of his 15 starts in the playoffs, putting up 2 shutouts with a .909 save percentage and a solid 2.9 GAA. Colorado will go on to face the Detroit Falcons in the finals, as the prehistoric Raptors will go on to face their modern day ancestors in a showdown in the finals.

Colorado's top line of Jussi Mutou - Shadow Fenix - Xavier Beausoleil has been producing at an elite level the past 2 seasons. This season they led the squad with Fenix scoring 93 points and 41 goals, Mutou with 89 points and 40 goals, and Beausoleil notching 52 assists and 81 points. The rest of their team is no slouch either, with every player on their second and third lines finishing with 40+ points. Rookie Pinli Switchbang has been a major contributor this season centering a line of second season players Leonard Wood and Brandon Gilleyes. The chemistry on this line has been outstanding, with Leonard Wood tallying 48 assists and 62 points, Switchbang tallying 27 goals and 46 points. Tanner Pitts and Nicholas Scalice have been sharing the net for the Raptors this season. Pitts edging ahead with 49 games played and 26 wins to go along with his 3.49 GAA and .890 save percentage. Scalice has had decent numbers too, with 15 wins in his 25 games and a 3.78 GAA and .883 save percentage. Oranj Konhe has been an outstanding defender for the Raptors, tallying an impressive 59 points with 47 assists on the first pairing while playing all situations and amassing 106 blocked shots. Defensive partner Valerija Serapin put up 32 points and 93 blocks as well as 125 hits to lock down the ice.


The Quebec City Citadelles came into this series off of a first round bye for finishing 1st in the league by quite a margin. After facing off against the Anchorage Armada who they quickly dispatched in just 5 games, outsourcing Anchorage 25-11 in those 5 games.  The dominant Citadelles entered this matchup with expectations of clinching the cup being led by regular season scoring leader Jeff Hunziker, entering his last season of SMJHL eligibility. Quebec has an incredible offense but their biggest strengths this season have been their ability to keep the puck out of the net, being led by rookie goaltenders Lukas Konecny and Song Ju-gong and a solid defensive core, Quebec has been able to maintain an average goals against of just 2.31. The Detroit Falcons enter the series finishing third in the league, with 6 less wins and 14 points fewer than Quebec. They were able to sweep the Yukon Malamutes in round 2 after a first round bye, outsourcing Yukon 21-9 in that span. Detroit had the second fewest goals against this season, but also allowed 39 more goals than first place Quebec. A solid team with no real weaknesses and a lot of well rounded players this season has had Detroit frustrating teams with their great two way ability. They haven't been outstanding in any specific stats but have been excellent in all areas of the ice.

Game 1 of this semi-finals matchup needed extra time to decide a winner, with Detroit scoring in overtime to clinch the game 2-1. The aerial battle between these two teams would see a scoreless first period, with Jaromir Jagrbomb scoring with just over a minute left in the second period to take the 1-0 lead for Quebec City. The Detroit Falcons were on the verge of losing as they were down 1-0 late, but Luma Lee would take matters into their own hands and score an unassisted goal with only 40 seconds left in the third to send the game to overtime. Trevor Lahey was the overtime hero for Detroit, scoring 5 minutes in as Detroit's players came in clutch. Wayne Holloway had a great performance in the Detroit net, with 27 saves and a .960 save percentage. Lukas Konecny played unreal for Quebec, posting 37 saves and a .950 save percentage for the losing side.

Game 2 was much the opposite from game 1, ending up being the highest scoring game of the series with Detroit winning 6-4. Despite the score being close, Detroit outshot the Citadelles 37-23 and demolished on faceoffs, winning 65%. A costly part of Detroit's game was giving the puck away, they gave it away 13 times compared to Quebec's 4. Froya Solberg opened the scoring in the game, striking with a shorthanded goal a minute into the first period off of an assist from her sister Sonja. Falling behind 1-0 early, Detroit's Sowerwine scored 10 minutes into the second period to tie it up, but a flurry of goals would see 4 goals being scored in the final 7 minutes of the second period to tie the game up at 3 a piece. With Hunziker and Skovgaard scoring for the Citadelles and Salami and Morgonstjarna scoring for the Falcons. Jimothee Penjiman scored a minute into the third period to reclaim the lead for Detroit, and Salami would get his second goal of the game halfway through the period. This would stand as the game winner as Lean On (Coconut Mall) would pull Quebec City within 1 goal, but an empty net goal from Will Tomlander would seal the win for Detroit.

Game 3 would see Detroit outshoot the Citadelles yet again this time 23-18, in a low shooting affair with Detroit winning 5-2. Quebec's top line would get on the board first, with Celeste Desjardins scoring with 2 minutes left in the first period off of a feed from Hunziker and Murphy. Detroit wouldn't reply until 5 minutes into the second period with Kenny Omega scoring the tying goal, Lean On (Coconut Mall) would take the lead for Quebec yet against the halfway point of the second period, but Sowerwine wouldn't let that stand for long as they tie it up with 4 minutes left in the second. Will Tomlander would get the game winner 7 minutes into the third period, with Luma Lee scoring 2 minutes later to stretch the lead to 4-2, before Prince Marius would seal it with an empty net dagger.

Game 4 would have Quebec's backs against the wall as they were down 3-0 in the series, but after a strong performance from Song Ju-gong they would force a game 5 winning 3-2. Song Ju-gong would enter this game after last seeing the ice in game 1, they posted a .940 save percentage with 30 saves to weather the storm for the Citadelles. Quebec's top line came out and made a mark in this one, with Celeste Desjardins scoring 5 minutes in from Hunziker and Murphy again. After goals from Detroit's Tomlander in the second and Salami 20 seconds into the third, Quebec would find themselves down yet again. This time Rowan O'Beirne would strike 4 minutes in the third to tie it again, but Jeff Hunziker would be the hero by scoring with just over 2 minutes remaining to win the game and avoid overtime.

Game 5 was another elimination game as Detroit pushed to eliminate the Citadelles but failed to do so. Quebec came out hard, outshooting and hitting the Falcons, outshooting them 32-24 and out-hitting them 34-21. Song Ju-gong would get their second win in a row, making 21 saves and a .880 save percentage. Shawn Pawn would open the scoring for Quebec with a goal just 36 seconds into the game off of a feed from Sonja Solberg and Leo Roze and Quebec would defend the lead heading into the first intermission. Detroit would fire back with two quick goals early in the second period just 1:05 apart, with Luma Lee striking 4 minutes into the period and Salami following it up a minute later. This lead was short lived though, with Quebec's Rowan O'Beirne scoring 9:22 into the period, and Celeste Desjardins scoring 56 seconds later to regain the lead. Lean On (Coconut Mall) would score 51 seconds into the third period taking a stranglehold on the game with a 4-2 lead. Prince Marius would score for Detroit with 6 minutes left but the Falcons were unable to score a tying goal in the dying minutes of the third as Quebec forced a game 6.

Game 6 would see the Citadelles attempt to push the series to 7 games as the series went from 3-0 to 3-2 in favour of Detroit. Detroit would end up crushing the hopes of Quebec in game 6 though, winning 3-2 in a low shooting affair that Quebec outplayed them in. Wayne Holloway would go on to put up 27 saves and a .930 save percentage in order to clinch the series for Detroit. Luma Lee and Prince Marius would each tally a goal in the first period to take the lead for Detroit and Kenny Omega would score the third unanswered goal for Detroit that would stand as the game winner. Detroit would go into a defensive shell for the rest of the game, being outshot 29-21, only winning 34% of faceoffs and taking 4 penalties.  Froya Solberg was able to score with 6 minutes left in the third period to try to rally Quebec back and she would score again with under 3 minutes left while they were short handed from a roughing penalty by Desjardins, in order to pull within 1 goal late. But Holloway denied them and stood on his head for the final few minutes to come in clutch like he has so many times this series.

Throughout the playoffs, Detroit has relied on equal contributions throughout the lineup. With only 2 players sitting at a point per game, Marek Carda with 11 in 10, and The Murray with 10 in 10. They may not have anyone producing at an insane rate, but they have 12 players scoring at 0.6 points per game or higher, with 9 players scoring at a rate of 0.70 points per game or higher. Detroit's specialty has been being able to shut down teams and capitalize on opposing team's mistakes. Only two players on Detroit's side of the ice have been sitting negative on the plus minus and that is The Murray at -3, and first line center Trevor Lahey at -1. Lahey has had a rough go so far with only 2 points in 10 games but if he can get it going in the finals then this team could have a big boost to their offense. The biggest positive for Detroit so far is Wayne Holloway, sitting at second in GAA and save percentage (among goaltenders with at least 10 games played) with a 2.48 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. If Detroit is winning this next series, it will be due to a large contribution of team defense and Wayne Holloway standing on his head like he has done so many times this postseason.


Detroit finished with the second fewest goals against in the regular season, allowing only 194. Despite finishing third behind Colorado, Detroit had the second most wins with 42. They finished 7th in the league in goals for with 255, and had no one on their team score 30 goals. Led by their top line of The Murray - Trevor Lahey - Prince Marius, the line combined for a stellar season with all 3 players finishing well ahead of a point per game. Murray with 29 goals and 76 points, Lahey with 29 goals and 58 assists for 87 points, and Prince Marius with 58 assists and 26 goals for 84 points. Detroit's third line was especially productive this season, with rookie AEric Calland centering fellow rookie Teemu Salami and second year Marek Carda. Cards would go on to tally 62 points with 21 goals, and Salami would bag 24 goals and 44 points in his rookie year to go along with Calland's 26 assists and 28 points. The second line of Will Tomlander, Emil Karlsson, and Kenny Omega features two top 6 picks from the Season 74 SHL draft, with 3rd overall Left Wing Will Tomlander being centered by 6th overall Center Emil Karlsson. Dunkler Sowerwine was great for Detroit and had 105 blocks in the regular season to go along with an impressive 59 takeaways and only 11 giveaways  playing Next To Simo Jaaskelainen. Jaaskelainen wasn't producing a ton offensively finishing with 24 points and 19 assists, but was solid on the back end with 55 takeaways, 75 blocks and 75 hits. But most importantly, he had the lone fight win on the team which is immeasurable. In net the main man was Wanye Holloway with 50 games played and 29 wins. With a great GAA of 2.98 and a save percentage of .896, Holloway had the net locked down from day 1.