Cherry Cup Finals

For the third straight year the Cherry's Checkers are the Cherry Cup Champions.  They remain the only team on the Cherry Cup, hence the Cup was appropriately named.  The Cherry's Checkers have become the Montreal Canadians of the CFHL.  This year it wasn't very easy and once again the Checkers had to rely on some late game heroics and some luck.

Kopitar and Martinez squared off in the finals

Cherry's Checkers vs. The Enforcers (3-3)

The game was close through out the week.  The Checkers were in control of the goals, being in the lead all week while the Enforcers as predicted were in the lead in PIM the entire week.  Anze Kopitar "the Zombie" lead all players and earned Cherry Cup MVP honors scoring 4 goals, 1 assist and a +5.  Dion Phaneuf lead the Enforcers with 7 PIM, but that was his only contribution as he had no goals and no assists and a -1.  However Shea Weber had 6 PIM and was the Enforcers MVP tallying 2 goals, 2 assists and +2 to go along with his PIM.  

Shea Weber did what he could for the Enforcers

The Goalies is where this game would be won and lost...and for the Checkers case that didn't look good as they were really only playing with 1 goalie, Crawford, as Hiller had been benched by the Ducks.  Crawford managed only one win and got lit up on Friday for 4 goals and a bad SV%.  The Enforcers already had 3 wins between Khudobin and Bryzgalov and lead in SV%.  

Datsyuk's 2 assists looked like enough to win the Cup

On Sunday the Enforcers took a commanding lead 4-2 after getting 4 assists, 2 from Faulk and 2 from Datsyuk.  It really looked like it was over for the Checkers.  The Enforcers finally knocked off the 2 time champs.  I mean surely that is what was going to happen. The Checkers needed O'Reilly to notch 2 assists to tie the game and hope none of the other 5 Enforcers playing Sunday night wouldn't score any more assists.  You could almost hear the champagne corks popping in the Enforcers locker room...

But in the infamous words of Lee Corso; "Not so fast my friends!" Bryzgalov was having a bad day.  After 2 periods he gave up 5 goals...then one more in the Third. He completely blew up and cost the Enforcers the Cherry Cup!  The Checkers won the regular season series with the Enforcers thus any tie the Checkers win.  Completely unbelievable!  The Enforcers no longer lead in SV% and the game ended 3-3.

Bryzgalov after costing the Enforcers the Cup

Kopitar hoists up the Cherry Cup!

The interesting thing was that Bryzgalov was a waiver wire pick up just for this final series.  Had he not been picked up, the result might have been different...but then again, the Cherry Checkers seem to always find ways to win or just pure Fantasy Luck to pull off the impossible.  

The Cherry Checkers have threepeated.  They have done it with truly the same model every year.  They stick to the L.A. Kings players and other western conference players.  They dominated the regular season, although at the end they started to struggle slightly and almost didn't make it to the Finals.  Congratulations to the Cherry Checkers, this year's Cherry Cup Champions!  So now I wonder how many teams next year will be drafting L.A. Kings?

Owner of the Checkers Rick Cherry hoist
up his 3rd Cherry Cup in a Row!

CFHL Semifinals

Cherry's Checkers vs. Fluffy Bunnies (3-2)
The Bunnies put up a good fight and looked like it might stop the Checkers from returning to the Cherry Cup Finals.  However it was the Checkers that prevailed once again to make it to their 3rd straight cup. Pretty much everyone got in the act scoring goals for the Checkers as every player scored at least one goal except Seabrook.  Key to the Checker's victory was also a Sunday victory by Crawford and the Blackhawks to break the 3-3 tie to a 3-2 win.  It didn't hurt that Kunitz didn't play on Sunday either, pretty much smashing any hopes for the Bunnies to pull the upset.

Crawford was key to the Checkers victory

Chris Neil was not happy, 24 PIM in one game

Tyler Seguin continued to be the Bunnies MVP for the year and this week he scored 4 goals 2 assists a +4 and 10 PIM.  Speaking of penalty minutes, the Bunnies sent the Checkers to the finals bloodied and beat up.  The Bunnies ended up with 76 PIM!  Chris Neil had 26, Seguin 10, Pietrangelo 10, and Gudas with 12.  The 76 PIM was a CFHL record.


This makes the third straight trip for the Checkers to the Cherry Cup Finals and seeking to still be the only name on the Cherry Cup

The Enforcers vs. Alex's Assassins (3-3)
The Assassins did almost everything they needed to beat the Enforcers, everything but beat them in the regular season.  It really came down to Fleury in net for the Animals and was having a pretty good game on Sunday as the SV% for the Assassins started to creep higher and higher closing in on the Enforcers.  With a shutout through 2 periods it looked like the Assassins might pull off the win and have the first ever father vs. son Final.  But Colorado ended up scoring 2 goals in the third to halt the Assassins SV% at .931 a .003 short.

Fleury gave up one too many goals

Landeskog continued to be hot, scoring 2 goals, an assist and 12 PIM.  In net Khudobin came through big for the Enforcers, who's weakest position was probably goalie, getting 2 wins and a .954 SV%.

Landeskog signs for a fan celebrating first trip to Cup

This is the first trip for the Enforcers to the Cherry Cup Finals.

2014 Cherry Cup Finals
Cherry's Checkers vs. The Enforcers

Well here we go.  The third Cherry Cup final and yet again the Cherry's Checkers are in the final looking to etch their name for the third straight time.  They will do it with a similar team as they had last year, the L.A. Checkers, or I mean the Kings...Kopitar the Zombie, Jeff Carter, Voynov all were on last years team and know what it takes to win a cup.

At Center:  Checkers come with a Zombie and a Stinky Stamkos while the Enforcers have Getzlaf and Fisher.  Kopitar has 25 goals and 40 assists and is a decent threat.  Stamkos can be a huge difference maker but in his last 3 games he has 1 goal, 0 assists,  and a -6.  Getzlaf is a stud and expect multiple goals and assists from him.  Edge: Checkers.

Zombie Kopitar sporting playoff beard

At the Wings:  More western power houses in Carter and Pavelski who have combined for 66 goals.  Brad "Little Ball of Hate" Marchand brings his +33 to the finals.  O'Rielly for the Checkers vs. Landeskog of the Enforcers will be an interesting matchup (both Avs.).  The Enforcers have Datsyuk back from an injury but may not be 100%.  Zach Parise is probably their best wing.  Edge: Checkers

Pavelski been key to the Checker offense

Blue Line:  Checkers blue liners are Doughty and Voynov from the Kings along with Kronwall and Seabrook. This group may help in the Assist category, but this group is not known to tally a ton of goals or PIM.  The Enforcers have big Shea Weber with his 100 mph shot and 21 goals.  Phaneuf will also be in the line up and will smack around some Checkers with pleasure.  Edge: Enforcers

Thanks Phaneuf for one more shot!

Between the Pipes:  Well as important as Goalies seem to be in this league, these two teams have made it here with some struggles in net.  Enforcers will go with Khudobin, who played great last week, and Bryzgalov has been playing well too.  Crawford may be the Checkers only hope as Hiller has become a basket case and players are being brought up from the AHL to replace Hiller.  Edge: Enforcers

Khudobin will face lots of pressure in the Cherry Cup

Outlook:  Can the Checkers become the Montreal Canadians of the CFHL?  Goals I see going to the Checkers.  Assists could go either way, but Enforcers edge them.  +/- might be close too, but he League leading Checkers in +/- will take that category once again.  This would leave the game 2-1 Checkers.

PIM will be won easily by The Enforcers who bring some heavy hitter and Checkers were not known to be goons.  With the edge in Goalies it would appear that Enforcers will win Goalie Wins. SV% could be close if Crawford plays well.

It would appear that it is getting harder and harder for the Checkers to continue their Championship Dynasty. This could be the year that a new name goes on the Cup.  However...there is that Checker Luck.  The Checkers will need a large lead going into Sunday as the Enforcers have a lot of skaters playing on Sunday, including their two goalies.  All things point to the Enforcers to end the Checkers reign...but something tells me the Checkers pull it out once again.

Checker Mascot ready to celebrate 3rd Cup in row!