<center>Game #23

Colorado Mammoths (3-2-0) vs. Vancouver Whalers (3-2-0)

Starting Lineups:

Colorado Mammoths

Sim Browski - Steven Stamkos Jr. - Frontdoor McGraw

Ben Dover - Maverick O'Dooley

Ekaterina Rudnikova

Vancouver Whalers

Conklin Owen - Jon Ross - Ace Redding

Theodore Graham - Brynjar Tusk

Maximilian Wehner

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Colorado and Vancouver face off for the second time early on here in the regular season. Last time these two teams met, Vancouver would win in regulation. We go to Jamie Price and Nathan Russel in Vancouver.

First Period

The first period started out with Olson Stuart being sent off for hooking just twenty minutes into the game. Colorado would be unable to capitalize on the ensuing power play, managing just a single shot. Later in the period, Corey Bearss would start the scoring.

Quote:Yvel moves it into the Vancouver zone...and now he'll try and put it down low, but it's intercepted by MacDonald, who sends it up to Llewellyn. Llewellyn dumps the puck in, and Yvel will retrieve it in the corner. Yvel sends a pass across the slot, and Kubrak jumps on it! Kubrak, to Llewellyn, he puts it over to Bearss. He'll slow it down, waits for a chance and sends it to Llewellyn, who will send it right back, and Bearss scores!&nbsp; &nbsp; Corey Bearss buries the one-timer, and Vancouver is on top here, 1-0!

Just under two minutes later, Connor MacDonald would add another goal for the Whalers.

Quote:Goddard will move it through center, and will send a pass up the boards, but Bobby gets a stick on it. Bobby sends it forward to MacDonald, and he'll take it into the Colorado zone, and he sends a drive and scores!&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Connor MacDonald, on a blast from the high slot! It's 2-0 Vancouver!

The rest of the period would pass uneventfully, as the teams headed to the locker room with Vancouver leading, 2-0. Shots on goal were 9-3 in favor of Vancouver.

2nd Period

The first 9 and a half minutes of the 2nd period were relatively quiet, until Jacob Renninger cut Vancouver's lead in half.

Quote:Yakikov is thrown out of the circle, Hagan will take the draw for him. He wins it cleanly back to Goddard, who'll send it over to Leech. Leech sends it back, and Goddard puts it down in the corner for Yakikov, who sends it right back. Goddard and Leech play a little catch. Now Goddard with a drive, and it went just wide! Yakikov picks it up, he'll fire from the top of the circle and they score!&nbsp; It was tipped in front by Renninger, and it went past Wehner, and Colorado is on the board, it's 2-1!

Vancouver would answer with another goal later in the period, this one from Thord Pederson.

Quote:Holiday will carry it in himself, and now he'll put it over to Kaiser. Kaiser walks the line, then decides to put it across to Holiday. Holiday fakes a shot, then sends it to Pederson. Pederson walks in with it, fires, scores!&nbsp; &nbsp; Pederson with a beautiful shot, and Vancouver extends their lead to 2!

The teams would head to the dressing room with the score 3-1. Shots were 11-4 in favor of Vancouver.

3rd Period

Colorado came on strong in the 3rd, and would be the first team to score in the period, as Ben Dover hammered home a power play goal, after a cross checking penalty by Ieuan Llewellyn.

Quote:O'Dooley carries the puck into the Vancouver zone, and he'll fire a slapshot, but it'll go wide! O'Dooley gets it himself, and he'll fire, but it's blocked by Kubrak! Dover will pick it up, he'll walk into the high slot, and sends one that scores!&nbsp; Ben Dover has cut the lead to 1 on the power play with a rocket from the high slot!

Unfortunately for Colorado, Vancouver would answer just seconds later.

Quote:Legend will try to lay one across, but it's intercepted by Bobby! Holiday will get it and will start the breakout, sending it over to Kaiser, who carries it into the Colorado zone himself. He sends it to Bobby, who throws it right back to him. Kaiser sends it to Holiday, who fires, save by Rudnikova, rebound and they score!&nbsp; &nbsp; Seconds after a power play goal by Colorado, and Vancouver has another 2 goal lead, as it's 4-2!

Colorado would answer with another goal, less than a minute later.

Quote:Eichelele wins it back to Dover, who will lay it across to O'Dooley. He'll throw it down to Eichelele, who fires, and it rings off the post! Dover picks it up, and plays catch with O'Dooley, who sends it right back. Dover with a drive, stopped by Wehner, rebound for O'Dooley and it goes wide! Now Eichelele picks it up, he'll fire, a save there, rebound and he scores!&nbsp; Taro Eichelele makes it 4-3! How many more goals are coming?

Unfortunately for Colorado, no more goals would come, but the teams would send a message to each other.

Quote:Yakikov and Wilburn are really going at it infront of the Mammoths net, and now it'll be broken out into the neutral zone. And now behind the play, and Wilburn just jumped Yakikov! Yakikov is back on his feet, and now Hagan is trying to get at Wilburn, but he'll be pulled off by Kilgore! Everyone has a partner and we've got a line brawl here! Yakikov and Wilburn are down on the ice now, and Hagan and Kilgore are still going at center ice, and Hagan lands a couple rights, and oh! He landed one square on Kilgore's jaw, and Kilgore is down! Kilgore picked the wrong guy here, he may be about 20-25 pounds heavier than Hagan, but Hagan is a lot stronger, and he's known for his physical play. And they'll take Hagan over to the Colorado bench, as his night will likely be done, but he's really giving it to the Vancouver bench, it looks like him and Llewellyn are exchanging words. Meanwhile, Wilburn has been escorted to his team's dressing room, and it'll be interesting to see how this all works out. We'll be right back, as things have heated up here in Vancouver.

Welcome back to Vancouver, the aftermath of the line brawl being cleaned up, and let's listen in to the public address announcer here...

[b]Ladies and gentlemen here are the penalties. For Vancouver, #10 Max Wilburn, 2 minutes for instigating, a 5 minute major for fighting, and a game misconduct. #5 Patrick Kilgore, a 5 minute major for fighting. #57 Thor Pederson, 2 minutes for roughing. #19 Carl Farris, 2 minutes for roughing. #98 Connor MacDonald, 2 minutes for high sticking.

For Colorado, #88 Evgeny Yakikov, a 5 minute major for fighting. #37 Colton Hagan, 2 minutes for instigating, a 5 minute major for fighting, and a game misconduct. #17 Jacob Renninger, 2 minutes for slashing. #16 Trev Legend, a 4 minute double minor for high sticking. All penalties at 13:29.

So it'll work out to be 4-on-4 hockey here after all that.[/b]

In the end, Colorado would fall to Vancouver, 4-3.

3 Stars of the Game

1. Alfred Holiday (VAN) - 1G, 1A, +2, 2 SB - Holiday receives the first star for putting home the game winning goal, as well as an all-around stellar performance.
2. Ben Dover (COL) - 1G, 1A, +1, 1 Hit - Dover played a great game for Colorado, helping their offense along as well as being stout defensively.
3. Levi Kubrak (VAN) - 1A, 1 SB, 66.67% FO% - Kubrak was solid in the faceoff circle, which helped start several of the offensive zone chances that led to Vancouver goals in this game.

Highlights of the Game

Connor MacDonald fires a slapper from the high slot, and it gave Vancouver a lead that would not be surrendered.



Pederson's important goal in the 2nd answered Colorado, putting Vancouver up 3-1.



The line brawl with under 7 minutes to go sets up the story for the next time these two teams meet on the ice, as well as sends a message.