CFHL One More Week To Go!!

Checker's Winter Base

Sorry for the two week absence....between throwing my back out and now sitting here in Cape Coral, Florida, actually writing this as I sit on the patio looking at palm trees...but here we go.

The final week of the regular season is upon us and this is the final push for the playoffs.  We will review the current playoff teams, and ones that may have a chance to sneak into the playoff and make that magical run for the Cherry Cup.

The Enforcers

Well one thing is for certain, the expansion Enforcers have clinched the number one playoff spot.  Even after losing 2-3-1 to SLVB.  This game is currently under league investigation as SLVB's owner is the husband of the Enforcers and has propelled the Killer Smurfs into the playoffs currently at the #5 spot with 61 points.  The Enforcer's have been steam rolling the league.  The week before destroyed USSR 5-1 including 42 PIM and 5 goalie wins. So how interesting it was to see them call off the dogs for hubby SLVB tallying only 6 PIM.  Hmmmmmmmm......The interesting thing about this team is that is truly a team effort with 7 players with double digit Goals, but the team doesn't lead the league in any category in the CFHL but holds the best record in the league.

The Fluffy Bunnies

Cheryl Burke, Lupul's girlfriend

The Bunnies are pretty well a lock for for the 2nd playoff spot, and now face the Enforcers in the final game of the season.  Normally this would have been a huge game but withe the Enforcers locked for the #1 seed and a bye, the game doesn't take on much meaning, unless the Bunnies lay an Easter egg and the Mayhem sneak up and take them, but not likely.  The Bunnies played to a 3-3 tie to the Goal King last week but truly were the better team posting an impressive 16 goals and 16 assists along with 54 PIM.  Joffrey Lupul "Lupus" was MVP of the game getting 5 goals, 4 assists and a +4.  And like typical Bunny fashion, is now benched for the final week of the season (i.e. Chris Kunitz earlier this year).  Then again maybe he wanted to spend some time with new girlfriend Cheryl Burke  The Bunnies in the prior week pretty much ended the Crew's playoff hopes beating them 4-2 including 21 PIM from Getzlaf.



Mayhem on Ice



Dan Boyle of Mayhem

The Mayhem have quietly moved into the #3 spot at the moment with 64 points after taking out the falling USSR team 4-2.  It didn't take much to beat them, considering the Soviets only tallied 3 goals, a -6, and 6 assists.  Mayhem was just a little better.  Not a strong team but continues to win to move up the standings.  They were lead by Dan Boyle who had a goal, 2 assists and a great +8. With he AshBusters coming up next week it would appear that the Mayhem will be a lock for the 3rd spot in the playoffs.  As for the USSR, the Kremlin is not happy, going 2-4 and 1-5 the past two weeks and haven't won in 5 weeks.

Now here is where the playoff race gets interesting and tight, with the next 5 teams battling for the remaining 3 playoff spots. 

The defending Cherry Cup Champions Cherry's Checkers came off a nice 4-2 win to over take the  Norris division by one point over the Goal King by beating the Kraken.  It was actually much closer than the score indicated as they edged the Kraken by only 2 goals (8-6) and PIM (22-19) while the Kraken racked up 17 assists.  Semin and Carter both had 2 goals.  This followed the 3-3 tie with the Mayhem the prior week.  "All you have to do is get in the playoffs," said owner Rick Cherry, who last year won the Cherry Cup as a low seed.

Nash should have been a Crew

We talked about the SLVB getting a pass by the Enforcers putting them with 61 points and in 5th overall.  This week they play the Assassins, which should pretty much guarantee a win and a trip to the playoffs.  Pavel Datsyuk and Rick Nash (who the Crew wanted to draft real bad) are truly the leaders of this team.  Combined they are a +23.  Corey Perry continues to be the Smurf D-bag with 62 PIM.  The Assassins just don't have the firepower to keep up with the SLVB.  The  once dominating Shark combination of Thorton and Marleau seem like a distant past. 

The glass has broken

The Own Goal King and Goon Crew (60 and 59 points) are the last two in the mix with the USSR at 58.  Goal King manged to get the tie last week 3-3 after a beat down by the AshBusters 4-1-1 the week before.  They will need a big game from Patrick Kane and Troy Brouwer against those creepy Krampus Carols who has seen a performance serge from Ovechkin and Parise who have combined over the past two week for 11 goals, 8 assists and +10.  Crew have been with out one of their best players in Hossa (Hassa), and now Glass Head Joe aka Crosby finally shattered as he took a puck to his jaw and broke his jaw and will be done for the season.  Sitting only one point away they face the Kraken who has been known to play some poor games and the hope is that it happens again.  Even with that the Crew will need some help.  And as for the USSR, they will also need help and try to win big over the Checkers who seem to have hit their end of the season stride.

So strap it in (or on if that is your preference) this last week will be one hell of a ride.

From the beautiful city of Cape Coral Florida...good day...time to hit the beach!