Cherry Cup Finals 2023

 

Who Gives a Puck are the Cherry Cup Champions for the third time defeating the Greek Empire!

This game was close.  In fact it ended as a 3-3 tie and with the home/higher seeded team, The Puck, winning the game in a tie breaker.  This was the third round in a row that a team had to go to the tie breaker to win a playoff game.  Second time in a row for the Puck.

It was the goal tending that did it for the Puck.  As predicted, they would need to win both of those categories and then try to steal another.  Their netminders didn't disappoint as Korpisalo and Oettinger combined for 4 total wins and a SV% of .951!  And they both posted a shutout during the week!  

Oettinger was key to a Puck Cup

Hits is where I thought the Puck might be able to steal a skater category, with Tom Wilson and Brady Tkachuk but the Greek Empire beat them 34-28 in hits behind 6 hits from Darnell Nurse and 5 from Pettersson and Meier.  Tom Wilson did have 8 but the Puck got a disappointing 5 hits from Brady Tkachuk.  Maybe he wanted to take it easy on his big brother Matthew.  

Nurse unloading on a Puck player during finals

However, Brady would lead the team in assists with 3 helping the Puck to take Assists by only one and the game!  

Brady Tkachuk for the Puck

Brent Burns, the Greek Empire owner Mark Boehme look a like, had 4 goals from the blue line in the loss.   A disappointing end to a great run by the Greek Empire who had to win it's final match up to make the playoffs and then play the Number 1 and 2 teams in the league to make it to the Cup Finals.

This is the Who Gives a Puck's third Cherry Cup.  Second only to the Checkers' 5.  Goaltending was key to the Puck's run with Jake Oettinger having 37 saves on the year and then the late season acquisition of Korpisalo, who came up big in the finals.

His play in net was key for the Puck!

So congratulations to Chad Weiland and the Who Gives a Puck on another Cherry Cup Championship!

Tom Wilson hoist the Cherry Cup high for the Puck!