CFHL Cherry Cup - Day 3

 The Checkers came out in Day 3 on fire getting a hat trick from T.J. Oshie and going 3-5-3-7 for the night!  The bright spot, if there was one, for the Raisins, was Blake Wheeler who managed to score 2 goals late to give the Raisins back the lead in goals.  Plus Checker goalie Binnington lost in a shoot out preventing the Checkers from tying Wins.  So still a little glimmer of hope for the Raisins.

However that glimmer could be extinguished tonight as the Raisins only have 3 skaters going tonight, while the Checkers take the ice with 6.  At least for the Raisins, it is two of their best players, Crosby and DeBrincat.  Might not matter with the Checkers top two duos take the ice tonight of Bergeron/Marchand and Toffoli/Petry plus Checkers' lead hitter Ristolainen.  Can the Raisins survive tonight?  

CFHL Cherry Cup - Day 2

 The Raisins did well to climb back into this game in Day 2.  Sidney Crosby had a great night, scoring 2 goals and then adding an assist, PPP and a hit.  DeBrincat also added 2 goals for the Raisins and Jarry, while allowing 3 goals, got the win to give the Raisins 2 goalie wins so far for the week.

Tonight the Raisins will have 5 skaters on the ice while the Checkers have 6.  Key players to watch for the Raisins it's Landeskog and O'Reilly, who has been hot lately. Toffoli and Petry are back on the ice for the Checkers and Binnington will try to tie the game in goalie wins.  It appears Samsonov will not play tonight for the Caps.  

Cherry Cup Update - Day 1

The Checkers came out of the gate fast in day 1 racking up 11 assists already as they take an early 4-0-2 lead.  The Raisins goalies did exactly what they couldn't do and faltered under the pressure of the Cherry Cup Finals first night.  Saros got the win, but barely after having a shut out through 2 periods had to go into OT to earn the win. 

Toffoli and Petry combined for a 4 point play for Checkers

Jarry has a chance to redeem himself tonight.  Tonight should be a little quieter, as both teams only have 4 skaters each going tonight.  Keep an eye on Checkers Bergeron and Marchand while Raisins will have Crosby and DeBrincat tonight. 

Raisins are hoping for a big night out of Sid the Kid

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...)

CFHL Update #8 and Playoff preview

 The regular season is over.  Playoffs are set.  It was a battle for the final playoff spot.  Here is what went down....

The Skull Crushers played spoiler to end an otherwise dismal season beating the USSR 4-2 and knocking them out of the playoffs, while the Crew just couldn't get anything going (which had been the case for weeks) against the Assassins losing 4-1-1.  At one point the Soviets and Skull Crushers were locked up at 3-3 and Crew/Assassins were 3-2-1, but by the end of the night the Assassins were in. 

 

Assassins led the league in assists with 24 and PPP with 10 in the process.  Zibanejad had 5 helpers and 3 PPP while John Carlson had 7 assists!  Skull Crushers got some surprising play between the pipes getting 3 wins and a league best .935 SV% for the week.  Markstrom led the Skull Crushers with 2 wins and .932 SV%.

Checkers recaptured the #1 seed with a 3-2-1 win over White Mambas with a league leading 13 goals and 69 hits.  Brad Marchand led the team with 4 goals while once again, Ristolainen had 20 hits.

Marchand leading the Checkers right to the playoffs

Krampus Carols played to a 2-2-2 tie with the Mayhem on Ice.  Both teams had 7 goals and 20 assists.  Mayhem did get 3 goalie wins led by the combination of Talbot and Hellebuyck, the hottest pair of goalies lately.  And by hot I mean in play...not looks...

Talbot key to the Mayhem run

Who Gives a Puck helped knock the Raisins out of the tops spot with a 4-2 win.  Ove had a big week with 3 goals, 2 assists, 4 PPP, and 8 hits for the Puck.

Ovechkin looking more and more like muscle for the Russian Mafia

Skater of the Week:  Artemi Panarin, Mayhem on Ice - 4 goals, 6 assists, 2 PPP and 1 hit

Goalie of the Week:  Jacob Markstrom, Skull Crushers - 2 wins, .932 SV%

Playoff Preview Round 1: (Checkers and Krampus with the Bye)

Assassins vs. California Raisins

Goals: 103 to 115

Assists: 216 to 209

PPP: 98 to 115

Hits: 448 to 462

Wins: 27 to 44

SV%: .899 to .920

Lots of skater stats close.  Assassins will hope that Zibanejad, Stone and Carlson keep up their play.  Raisins definitely stronger in net behind Jarry and Vasilveskiy.  

Prediction:  California Raisins 3-2-1

Who Gives a Puck vs Mayhem on Ice

Goals: 120 to 86

Assists: 211 to 232

PPP: 109 to 118

Hits: 512 to 584

Wins: 27 to 36

SV%: .902 to .919

Puck clearly have advantage in goals, led by Ovechkin.  Mayhem been riding Talbot and Hellebuyck all year and it could lead them to the Cup.  This one will be close

Prediction:  Mayhem on Ice 3-1-2

CFHL Update #7

 

Only one week to go in the regular season.  The playoff scene is just about set.  California Raisins lead the Checkers in the Cherry Division by only 1 point.   Winner of the division gets first round bye.  Krampus Carols will likely win Smythe Division with a 5 point lead and will get the other bye.  USSR is holding on to the last playoff spot, with the Crew and Assassins only 3 point behind.  

Here is last weeks action...

The California Raisins buried USSR 5-1 behind a week leading 13 goals and 4 goalie wins.  Ryan O'Reilly put 4 pucks in the net and Aleksander Barkov had 3 goals.  Vasilevskiy and Jarry both had 2 wins a piece.  USSR hanging on for their playoff life.

O'Reilly had 4 goals for the Raisins

Checkers are getting in Cherry Cup form hammering the Assassins 5-0-1 leading the league in assists with 27, hits with 86 and SV% of .935!  Marchand and Letang both had 5 assists.  Ristolainen led the team once again in hits with 20 and Vanacek had a .935SV%.  Checker's Bruin pair of Marchand and Bergeron combined for 7 goals, 6 assists, 3 PPP and 11 hits.

This pair has been lighting it up for the Checkers

Mayhem on Ice led the league this week in PPP with 13 in their win against the White Mambas.  They also had solid goaltending getting 4 wins.  Kirill Kaprizov had 3 PPP for the Mayhem and Hellebuyck notched 3 wins.  

Another good week for Kirill

The Crew came up flat in a big game for them to attempt to make the playoffs, losing 4-1-1 to Who Gives a Puck.  Bryan Rust led the Puck with 2 goals, 3 assists, 3 PPP and 4 hits.  Jack Campbell was big in net getting 3 wins for the Puck.

Campbell does nothing but win.

Krampus Carols had little trouble with the Skull Crushers winning 5-1.  Leon Draisaitl continues to lead this team with 3 goals, 2 assists, 2 assists and 2 hits for the Krampus.

Krampus MVP Draisaitl

Next week, the Crew and the Assassins face off in a big game that could determine their final playoff hopes as they are both only 3 points behind 6th place USSR.  However it might not even matter since USSR will be taking on the Skull Crushers who have given up on the season.  

Skater of the Week:  Auston Matthews, White Mambas - 6 goals, 2 assists, 1 PPP and 2 hits

Goalie of the  Week:  Connor Hellebuyck, Mayhem on Ice - 3 wins .938 SV% and 1 shutout

CFHL Update #6

 

The regular season end is quickly approaching.  Only 2 weeks to go in the regular season.  There are 4 teams battling for the final 2 spots, separated by only 4 points.  USSR and Who Gives a Puck sitting at spot 5 and 6 tied with 75 points.  Assassins at 73 points and the Goon Crew with 71.  

Big match up this week between the Puck and the Crew.  Crew needing a big week to improve playoff hopes.  USSR taking on top team Raisins, in a game where they will need to hold the teams below them at bay.  Assassins take on the Checker, after shutting out the Skull Crushers but then getting shut out by the Mayhem!

Here's a look at last week's action...

The White Mambas led the week surprisingly in goals with 14 beating the Skull Crushers 5-0-1.  Three players for the Mambas had 3 goals a piece; Auston Matthews, Mathew Barzal, and Bayden Point.  The Skull Crushers have apparently packed it in for the season.

Matthews scores 3 goals for the Mambas

Goon Crew were tops for the week in assists with 20 in their narrow victory over the Raisins 3-2-1.  Every player on the Crew had at least one assist with Brenden Dillon and Kyle Connor having 3 each.  Raisins still holding onto the number one spot by 2 points.

Connor had 3 helpers for the Goon Crew

Checkers are living up to their name leading the week again in hits with 53, but lose to Who Gives a Puck 3-2-1.  It was a violent game.  Puck almost matched the checkers in hits with 51! Ramus Ristolainen for the Checkers had 14 hits.

Ristolainen laying the wood for the Checkers

Mayhem led the league this week in PPP with 8 PPP in their shutout of the Assassins.   Guess it makes a difference when you play somebody other than the Skull Crushers.  Kirill Kaprizou and Cale Makar both had a pair of PPP.  They also led the league in goalie wins with 3, with Cam Talbot putting up good numbers again, with 2 wins and a SV% of .942.

Kaprizou having a fine rookie season

The USSR and Krampus Carols skated to a 3-3 tie.  Radko Gudas punished the Krampus however with 23 hits!!  Krampus managed 3 goalie wins all from Grubauer.  

Gudas is just a beast.

Skater of the Week:  Gabriel Landeskog, Raisins, 3 goals, 4 assists, 3 PPP and 6 hits.

Goalie of the Week: Sergei Bobrovsky, White Mambas, 2 wins, .963 SV% and 1 shutout