CFHL Week 11

Some interesting games this week.  We saw the number one team in the league take it on the chin, another shut out in the league and one team lit up the score board.

AshBusters vs. Checkers (3-1-2)

Lundqvist had 3 wins for AshBusters

Just when it looked like the Checkers were running away with the league, they let their guard down, got too comfy and the last place, worse in the league AshBusters came into town and upset the 2 time defending champs.  On Sunday the Checkers just couldn't make a move on the AshBusters.  Goals remained knotted at the end at 6 while the AshBusters dominated the assist battle 12-5.  It was a total team effort for the AshBusters with 4 players getting 2 assists each.  Both teams were strong in net... both had 2 wins and SV% was .943 - .935 in favor of the AshBusters. And this was done with only one goalie on each side! Lundqvist for the AshBusters and Hiller for the Checkers.  Hiller's win on Sunday at least helped it from being worse than it was.  Just goes to show you...any given...Monday through Sunday...

Mayhem on Ice vs. Assassins (3-3)
You could say the Assassins had a pretty good game.  9 goals.  11 assists.  20 PIM.  4 goalie wins.  a .912 SV %.  Hell that would be good enough to beat a lot of teams.  However not the Tavares lead Mayhem on Ice.  They had 12 goals! 16 Assists! +16! All that to keep this game tied at 3.  Corey "Dog" Perry did what he could for the Assassins netting 2 goals, 3 assists, +4 and 2 PIM.  But John Tavares was huge earning player of the week.  He scored 4 goals, had 6 assists, a +9 and 2 PIM!  Tavares was a BEEAAASSST!!!

Ice Girls collect hats from
Tavares' hat trick!

Fluffy Bunnies vs. USSR (6-0)
The Bunnies were done messing around and took it out on the USSR shutting them out and moving to only 1 point behind the top seed in the CFHL.  This game was never really close.  USSR manged to only score 2 goals.  Bunnies won +/- by 18.  PIM by 4 and wins by 2.  Filppula lead the way for the Bunnies getting 2 goals an assists a +4 and 4 PIM.  Carey Price had a great week too getting 2 wins and a .957 SV%.  Rask however had a tougher go at it as the Bruins played along the west coasts and lost 2 of 3.  Thankfully for the Bunnies their one win was a shut out.  That will help the old SV%.  Rumor has it several USSR players were sent to Siberia for the poor play this past week.

Price came up big in the Bunnies shut out.

Goon Crew vs. Enforcers (5-1)

Tavares had 5 assists for the Crew

The Goon Crew have fought and clawed their way back into the playoff race with this 5-1 victory over the Enforcers.  While the Enforcers edged the Crew by 1 in goals thanks to Getzlaf getting 3 goals and Toews 2 (one on Sunday that helped them capture the goals category), the Crew blew up assists getting 18.  Vanek was huge getting 5 assists and a +9 as he benefited playing on the same line as this weeks Player of the Week Tavares.  Brad Richards also had 5 assists.  The Crew were also helped in their victory by the Enforcers problems in net.  Nabokov got the start, and was coming off a groin injury...few minutes after his first start back he re-aggravated it, leaving the Enforcers with only one goalie rest of the week in Mike Smith, who couldn't get a win all week.  This game looked like it would end at 4-2, then 4-1-1 when the Crew tied up PIM.  But then with only 3 seconds left in the Flyers game Simmonds lost it and got a 10 minute misconduct penalty to give the Crew their 5th victory.

Krampus fans celebrate with the Krampus Mascot

Around the league...Krampus Carols pulled the upset of the Killer Smurfs 3-2-1.  The Sedin's were benched for this one in the SLVBs attempts to alternate them in and out of the line up.  Okposo and Nash helped keep the SLVB in this combining for 7 goals, enough to alone beat the Krampus in goals.  The Defense was the story here for the Krampus.  Their defenseman combined for 6 assists a +3 and 8 PIM....Who Gives a Puck edged Heisenberg in a close one 3-1-2, but the story in this one was the beat down they put on Heisenberg.  They beat them in PIM 41-13.  The 2 big goons for Who Gives a Puck were Kreider (17 PIM) and Koivu (10 PIM).

Player of the Week:  John Tavares, Mayhem on Ice.  4 goals, 6 assists, +9, 2 PIM.
Tavares was on fire!  You knew he was going to have a big week when he starts out the week in the first game getting a hat trick, 2 assists, and a +3!

Tavares has huge week!

As we pass the mid way point of the season its time to start making that serious run for the playoffs, pick up that key player that will make a difference, or work a trade that will fill that final piece of the puzzle for a Cherry Cup Championship.  As we stand today, the Division leaders seem to be in pretty good shape.  The Checkers have a 14 point lead over the Assassins in the Norris Division.  The Fluffy Bunnies have a 17 point lead over the SLVB in the Smythe Division.  The Enforcers have an 8 point lead in the Patrick Division.  The race will be for the last 3 slots.  Season ends March 23 with playoffs starting March 24.  Trade deadline (not that we had any this year yet!) is February 20.