<div align="center"> Colorado Mammoths: 4 at Detroit Falcons: 2

Starting Lineups:
Detroit
Hans Moleman - Nucky Toohoots - Alex Berkis
Prince Daniel James - Jari Sinikka
Sivy McSieve

Colorado
Master Maguku- Steven Stamkos Jr. - Jacob Renninger
Ben Dover - Maverick O'Dooley
Ekaterina Rudnikova

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The home stretch is beginning in the SMJHL, and teams are starting to push hard for the playoffs. Although in different conferences, the rivalry between these two American teams runs deep. The Falcons got the upper hand on the Mammoths last time they met, but this game, the first of a home and home series, could set the tone for the end of the season for both teams.

First Period
The first period started slowly, but the pace picked up four minutes in when Leclerc went off for tripping. The Colorado powerplay has been quiet through their offensive struggles, but they took the ice early in the first desperate to prove what they could do.

Quote:Toohoots is in with the shorthanded chance - and is stoned by Rudnikova! Leetch handles the rebound and starts the attack back up ice toward the Detroit zone. He passes to Stamkos, who finds Goddard in the neutral zone. Goddard dumps the puck before heading off for a change, and McSieve picks it up easily. He clears to Sinikka, but O’Dooley is there with his stick, and it’s the Mammoth’s puck now. Pass to Dover, who shoots - just wide! O’Dooley gets it off the boards, sending it across the crease to Renninger, who’s shot - also goes wide. Dover goes back for it this time, skating behind the goal, he looks for the wraparound - and SCORES! Ben Dover scores on the powerplay, and the Mammoths are up 1-0 early on.

Dover fetches the puck from behind the net to score a beauty
Detroit continued to push, racking up an impressive number of shots, but it was Colorado who would actually score again ten minutes later.

Quote:Toohoots with the shot, but it’s blocked by Legend, who controls it in his own zone. He passes to Kovalchuk to start the transition, who’s off like a rocket, speeding through the neutral zone. He hammers a shot in from the blue line, but it goes just wide! He skates around for his own rebound, though, and has another shot near post - he SCORES! Mammoths go up 2-0 on only three shots.

Kovalchuck scores right under McSieve’s pad after retrieving his own shot only moments before
Detroit wasn’t quite ready to be done, however, and had a massive surge with only a minute and a half left in the first period.

Quote:Dover loses the puck to Muller in center ice, and the Falcons are off. Pass to Vikstrom, to Berzins, who finds Konstantinov streaking up the side. Back to Muller, then across to Evans, as the Falcons set up in the Mammoth’s zone. Berzins calls for it, and Evans sends it across the ice. Back to Vikstrom near the net - he can’t find anything, but Konstantinov is alone in the slot, and he SCORES! Vikstrom may have tipped it, but regardless, that’s a much-needed goal for the Falcons as they’ll likely end the period down only 2-1.

Vikstrom gets the perfect tip to get the Falcons on the board
Despite an incredibly low shot count, the Mammoths were able to build a sizeable lead by the end of the first, although Detroit was not far behind.
Shots: 13-4

Second Period
The Falcons used intermission wisely, and came back on the ice quickly with something to prove, getting into the Mammoths zone within the first minute of play.

Quote:Berkis rips another shot, but this one is gloved by Rudnikova, and she’s going to wait for the whistle. There’s a quick change, but it’s Toohoots and Yakikov who come up for the faceoff. Toohoots wins it, straight back to Moleman. He fakes a shot before passing it to Leclerc at the blueline. Toohoots is calling for it, but he loses the angle on the shot - Berkis is right across the crease though, and he rips it in! Berkis SCORES right over Rudnikova’s shoulder, and this game is even at 2!

Toohoots sends the puck across the rink to Berkis for the quick shot
Only a few minutes later, Rising Hippo would go off for slashing, and continuing the Mammoth’s struggles with special teams, the Falcons killed off the penalty easily. The Mammoths would follow suit, however, as Sim Browski would get sent off for hooking. The Falcons failed to convert, and the second period wouldn’t see more action until much closer to the end.

Quote:Metzler has the puck, but he turns it over to O’Dooley in the neutral zone, and he starts the Mammoths back the other way. Renninger is already set at the blue line, and O’Dooley sends it straight to him. Renninger rips a slapshot, and - Stamkos gets his stick on it, and the Mammoths SCORE! This game is tied no longer, and the Mammoths are back on top 3-2.

Stamkos Jr. gets his stick on the puck just enough to knock it past McSieve
Despite not generating much offense, the Mammoths still managed to hold onto their one-goal lead, and left Detroit only one period to make up some much-needed ground.
Shots: 24-8

Third Period
It was the Mammoth’s turn to come out hot, bursting into the Falcon’s zone only seconds after the opening face off.

Quote:Stamkos beats Toohoots on the face off, winning it back to Maguku. He speeds up the ice, completely twisting Sinikka around to enter the Detroit zone. He rips a shot, but it goes wide! Renninger retrieves the puck, and it’s a fierce slapshot - SCORES! It looks like Stamkos Jr. may have tipped it again, giving him the second goal of his night. One thing’s for certain, however - McSieve is done for this game, and Anderson is already making his way onto the ice now. Tough break for the Falcons, but the Mammoths are now up 4-2.

McSieve breaks his stick before leaving the rink, disappointed with his dismal performance
Despite a multitude of penalties throughout the third - Colorado took 5, and the Falcons took 2 - the game ended at 4-2, with both Anderson and Rudnikova standing on their heads for the entirety of the period.
Shots: 40-13

<div align="center">Stats Faceoff:


19-9-4 || 11-16-5</div>