Login

suavemente · 02-08-2020, 01:07 PM

Anaheim Outlaws v. Halifax Raiders raiders

Game 1 of S52 SMJHL Season!
Game Link

Preview:
The start of a new season is exciting for any sport, but in the SMJHL the start of the season is the start of many a young player's professional career. Game 1 is a showcase of your abilities on the largest stage possible with everyone watching: league scouts, friends and family, rivals, and the hockey gods themselves. This year the first game of the season was played in Halifax. Hosting from the opposite corner of N. America the Anaheim Outlaws. Both teams are known for their physicality and raw talent, and now was the perfect opportunity to see them play with revamped rosters full of new blood. Clearly the league knew what exciting game to put first because this match-up did not disappoint!

First Period:

The first period was a flurry of skill and energy. Both teams were firing on all cylinders and players were tripping over themselves still trying to get their skating nailed after the limited preseason. Winning the first face-off Anaheim came out swinging but was quickly countered as both teams got their turns putting on a shooting gallery. 1:49 into the first Halifax Captain Al Kayhall puts Anaheim goalie on the hot seat by slinging 4 shots at net in the span of 6 seconds, this rapid fire technique is a beauty to behold! Frustrated with the lack of success with his technique Kayhall lashes out at 1:58 and get called for Hooking. This was the opportunity that Anahiem was looking for, a chance to test their power-play and with the Halifax captain in the box, now was the time to strike, and strike they did. At 2:45 while on the PP the first goal of S52 is scored by the Outlaw's, Nicholas Owens who is able to back-skate into the open slot and sling one gloveside over Saarinen Jr. netminder for the Raiders . At this point the game begins to open up, players remembering how to conserve energy and how to play a full strong 60 minute game. Lines are getting cycled a lot more and more players are getting chances on net. Halifax's Indigo Trevino comes up with a beautiful 5-hole goal while rushing past the defense really escalating the grittiness of the goals. At 11:00 minutes the physicality escalates and the defense of both teams really starts hitting and mid-ice turnovers abound. One of these hits from Outlaw Zimmerman knocks Raider Jelly-Ouuh to the ice, but Raiders Cheezy and Kayhall are already heading through no-man's land with speed. They is able to enter the zone cleanly and Cheezy sets-up Kayhall for his rapid fire technique. The first shot is stopped by Outlaw goalie Separa Borro, but rebounds right back to Kayhall's stick who is able to pull it to his backhand and sends it home behind Borro.

1st Score: Outlaws

1 - 2

1st Shots: Outlaws

9 - 13

Second Period:
The second period starts with a far more reserved attitude focusing on safe puck possession. That is until on a pretty benign play Outlaw Pooks Holloway is called for hooking 4:45 into the period. The Halifax Raiders start the powerplay off on the back foot just trying to contain an aggressive Outlaw 4 man squad and so end up icing the puck most of the powerplay. At this point the Halifax fans took offense to the cowardly play style and started echoing boos down onto the ice. This time when Halifax takes a face-off in their zone, they are able to sling it up ice but this time to the waiting captain, Kayhall, who shoots one wide of the net but do to a lucky bounce off the boards is able to get it back on his stick (did we mention the insane puck-luck Kayhall is having) and taps it in past the recovering Borro scoring on the Raider powerplay. Anaheim answers back quickly by setting up a no-nonsense deflect goal with C.T. Carragher sending it off Leonid Kofix at 7:12 of the 2nd. Anaheim begins ramping up the physicality again laying some brutal hits, which in turn get the Raiders to return the courtesy. At 4:45 Outlaw Kevin Robinson is called for cross-checking. 10 second later after winning the offensive zone face-off Raider Abel Skinner is "Abel" to tuck the puck into bed behind Barro. Clearly the Outlaw coaching staff saw Barro was beginning to struggle so with an early call decided to change to backup netminder, Strom Chamberlain. The period returns back to its starting pace and focuses on perimeter shots and protecting the puck. Both goalies are thoroughly tested but don't allow anything more past the posts for the rest of the period.

2nd Score: Outlaws

2 - 4

2nd Shots: Outlaws

7 (16) - 8 (21) raiders

Third Period:
The stamina fatigue really began to kick in at this point of the game, with both teams getting far more sloppy in terms of mid-ice defense and rather just focusing on limiting the shots of either team to the perimeter. Seeing and discussing the success of Kayhall's rapid fire technique several other Raider players including D-Kalashnikov and F-Bjornosonson tried their hands at it. The game devolved into an absolute puck blasting battlefield. With the goalies, including Anaheim backup Chamberlain, both standing on their heads to stop the barrages. On one of these barrages guess who comes up to grab and tuck a rebound? Of course it is "C" Al Kayhall for a hat-trick in the very first game of the season! He certainly sent a message with this game and his new technique may upend the entire modern philosophy of offensive play. Dejected with the hat-trick from Kayhall the Outlaws started playing with less passion and some were even overheard discussing on the benches what they thought of Kayhall's technique including some pretty creative uses of profanity. Later on in the period even some of the Outlaws were seen setting up and attempting the rapid-fire technique. Raider goalie Saarinen Jr. was able to stand tall and stop the onslaught, grinding the game back down to a halt. In a perhaps fated consequence, as close as you could get to divine comedy, Anaheim's forward John Forfeit in a "Eeyore" like stride slowly comes up ice and is able to throw Saarnien Jr. off guard with just how slowly and quietly he releases the puck akin to another quite memorable goal: just with less enjoyment.

[Image: EarnestSecretIndigowingedparrot-max-1mb.gif]

At this point the game was all but over, with many shots coming in but clearly neither goalie was going to let another in. Having a good save percentage in the first game can dictate public opinion of your performance as a goalie for the whole year and so both Chamberlain and Saarinen Jr. finished the game out strong. It was a great game to behold but some players had the blessings of the hockey gods upon them and were able to secure victory for their team.

Your Winners of the 1st game of S52 are:

Final Score: Outlaws

3 - 5

Final Shots: Outlaws

(10) 26 - (14) 35 raiders

Three Stars:

⭐ Al Kayhall

⭐⭐ Thicc Cheezy

⭐⭐⭐ Abel Skinner

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us