CFHL Update #9: Playoffs and the Cherry Cup

Well the stage is set!  After the lost 2020 season, we have arrived at the 2021 Cherry Cup Finals.  It will be an Uncle and Nephew battle between the Uncle Cherry's Checkers versus the Nephew the California Raisins.  These two teams have been battling all season to be the number 1 team in the CFHL and this week we will see who really is.

FIRST ROUND

The playoffs started in somewhat dramatic fashion with the Mayhem on Ice beating the Who Gives a Puck on the final goal of the entire week!  With the game all tied up.  The Lighting game went into overtime where on the final play of the week, Victor Hedman scored his only goal of the week, sending the Mayhem onto Round 2 and the Puck home to play golf. 

In the other first round game, the California Raisins had little trouble dispensing the Assassins 5-0-1.  The Raisins dominated in the net with Jarry getting 3 wins and a .923 SV % and Vasilevskiy getting 2 more wins.  

SECOND ROUND

In the second round it was a pair of snoozers.  Both the Raisins and the Checkers winning easily 5-1. 

Raisins defeated the Krampus Carols who was battling a number of injuries.  It was a little close, as the Raisins won goals by only 2 and assists by 1, but the rest wasn't close.  Barkov had 3 goals and 2 assists for the Raisins while their goalies once again came up big with 4 wins (which they needed since Krampus had 3).  It might have been even closer had Grubauer been healthier and played more than one game. 

The Checkers had an even easier time with the Mayhem, dominating in goals, assists and PPP.  Not so much in goaltending however getting only 1 win and a .899 SV%, but surprisingly it was enough.  The dynamic duo of Hellebuyck and Talbot, which had carried the Mayhem much of the season, let them down when they needed them the most. They ended up with no wins and a .846 SV%.  Ouch...

CHERRY CUP PREVIEW

The Cherry's Checkers will be going for their 5th Cherry Cup title when they face off with the California Raisins, a relatively new team, that seemed to find its groove the second half of the season and has cruised through the playoffs. 

Let's take a look at the Tale of the Tape:

Goals:  Checkers #1 - 155  Raisins #4 - 134:  Advantage Checkers

Assists: Checkers #4 -  251  Raisins #6- 239:  Advantage Checkers

PPP:  Raisins #3 - 130  Checkers #5 - 128: Even

Hits: Checkers #1 - 879  Raisins #6 - 545: Huge Advantage Checkers

Goalie Wins: Raisins #1 - 53 Checkers #4 33:  Not even close, advantage Raisins

Goalie SV%:  Raisins #1 .920  Checkers #9 - .903: Advantage Raisins

In week 2 the Checkers defeated the Raisins 5-1, but in Week 11 the Raisins got revenge beating the Checkers 5-1.  This sets up the ultimate grudge match!

Checkers are led by the Bruins duo of Bergeron and Marchand who combined can tally quite a few points.  Both play on same line and both play on same first power play line.  Toffolio is no slouch either scoring 27 goals on the season.  Ristolainen has 176 hits on the season and leads the hitting brigade of the Checkers.

Barkov has been on fire lately scoring 7 goals over the past 2 weeks and Ryan O'Reilly has stepped up his game in the playoffs.  But the real strength of this team is in net with Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy.  They have combined for 53 wins on the season and a .921 SV%.  In the playoffs they have combined for 8 wins.  

Key to this game for the Raisins to upset the Checkers will be to try to steal at least 2 categories while holding onto the two goalie categories.  If their goalies slip it will be curtains for the California Raisins. 

Prediction:  Checkers 4-2.  Checkers offense proves to be too much for the Raisins.

(Side note:  Tie breaker is highest seed, which favors Checkers.  Also, the site says stats will stop accumulating on May 8.  This was before they extended the season to May 16.  My assumption is that this weeks Cherry Cup will end on the final game on May 8. But stranger things have happened...)