Bada Bing vs 96th Street Batards
1st Period:
BING (1-0) – Jack (1) (assisted by Russo) (6:27)
BING (2-0) – Annie (1) (assisted by Russo) (7:50)
BST (1-2) – Ariel (1) (unassisted) (9:23)
BING (3-1) – Jack (2) (assisted by Annie) (10:15)
2nd Period:
BING (4-1) – Jack (3) (unassisted) (6:30)
BING (5-1) – Annie (2) (assisted by Jack) (11:19)
BING (6-1) – Kev (1) (unassisted) (11:19)
3rd Period:
BST (2-6) – Hicks (1) (assisted by Jessie) (3:57)
BING (7-2) – Milkman (1) (unassisted) (7:59)
GAME NOTES: Over 90% of league members picked black to advance here but purple came out with the perfect strategy, a ton of energy and played what was easily their best game of the season. Behind a hat trick from Jack and two goals from Annie (plus an assist for each of them), the Bastards got thrown out of the club, as Gronk would say. A resounding 7-2 victory for purple in the first (and hopefully only) Collusion Bowl while everyone who bitched to me about not vetoing the trade hopefully learned a valuable lesson about the futility of complaining and how little they actually know about hockey.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Milkman (1G)
2nd – Annie (2G, 1A)
1st – Jack (3G, 1A)
Merry Pranksters vs Jewish Golden Calfs
1st Period:
PRK (1-0) – Zach Weiner (1) (assisted by Andreas) (8:19)
PRK (2-0) – Tom Fitzgerald (1) (assisted by Danilo) (9:14)
JGC (1-2) – Joe Moskowitz (1) (unassisted) (13:40)
2nd Period:
PRK (3-1) – Tom Fitzgerald (2) (assisted by Sam Gelman) (13:51)
3rd Period:
JGC (2-3) – Tommy (1) (assisted by Tash) (1:13)
PRK (4-2) – Ari Fuchs (1) (PP) (unassisted) (10:36)
PRK (5-2) – Zach Weiner (2) (EN) (unassisted) (12:41)
GAME NOTES: This game was a rematch of the second to last game of the regular season. While that game was a total blowout, this one was actually one of the most competitive on the night. But Tom Fitzgerald a) somehow getting a breakaway (actually a 2 on 0) from the red line in and b) scoring a rebound goal with just 9 seconds left in the 2nd proved to be the difference and some bad puck luck late sealed the deal. Pranksters take this one and move on to the next round while legend has it gold’s bench is still yelling at Yehuda to this very day.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Cam (W, 2 GA)
2nd – Zach Weiner (2G)
1st – Tom Fitzgerald (2G)
Bada Bing vs Shooting Blancs
1st Period:
BLNC (1-0) – Adam Satok (1) (unassisted) (4:39)
BING (1-1) – Russo (1) (assisted by Jack) (5:00)
BLNC (2-1) – Goulet (1) (assisted by Adam Satok) (7:19)
2nd Period:
BING (2-2) – Jack (4) (assisted by Russo) (5:58)
BLNC (3-2) – Kevin Aylesworth (1) (assisted by Zach Flynn) (8:30)
BLNC (4-2) – Tom McGuire (1) (unassisted) (10:34)
BING (3-4) – Jack (5) (unassisted) (11:58)
3rd Period:
BING (4-4) – Scott Metz (1) (unassisted) (1:59)
Overtime:
BING (5-4) – Jack (6) (assisted by Kev) (1:04)
GAME NOTES: An instant classic as the heavily favored Blancs find themselves having to face their own goalie which must have rattled them at least a little. Still, they led in this game three times and looked to be in good shape up 4-2 with just minutes left in the 2nd. Live lines had them around -700 to advance but purple was having a night for the ages and would not go gentle into that good night. Metz tied the game early in the 3rd and Jack completed his 2nd hat trick of the night in electric fashion, taking a stretch pass from Kev and burying the goal of the week and possibly the decade. The courts were soaked in booze but that’s just how it goes in the playoffs. A shocking early exit by a white team that most pegged as a championship contender, a second win of the evening for the Bing and a career night for Jack “Tadpole” “Cobra” “JD McGinty” “Leader” “Ransacker” “Pervert” “Jackuum” McGinty. If I left any nicknames off the list please let me know.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Adam Satok (1G, 1A)
2nd – Russo (1G, 1A)
1st – Jack (3G)
Merry Pranksters vs Bluebies
1st Period:
BLU (1-0) – Corey (1) (assisted by Andrew) (1:03)
BLU (2-0) – Sam (1) (unassisted) (10:41)
2nd Period:
BLU (3-0) – Brita (1) (assisted by Corey) (12:19)
3rd Period:
BLU (4-0) – Sam (2) (unassisted) (13:34)
GAME NOTES: These teams met a couple weeks back and the Pranksters took down a shorthanded Bluebies in OT. This one went very differently as with Brad, Andrew and Brita all back from extended midseason absences, blue suffocated tie dye en route to a 4-0 victory capped off by a highlight reel snipe from Sam in the final minute. Some people (aka Jenn on the video) felt that goal was unnecessary. As the CEO of blue and the proprietor of a sportsbook that took a max wager on Pranksters +3, I thought it was just right.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Corey (1G, 1A)
2nd – Sam (2G)
1st – Phelps (W, SO)
Bada Bing vs Big Deke Energy
1st Period:
BDE (1-0) – Joe Magosin (1) (unassisted) (1:59)
BDE (2-0) – Mitch (1) (PP) (assisted by Dom) (3:17)
BDE (3-0) – Pelletier (1) (assisted by Ryan) (11:49)
BING (1-3) – Jack (7) (assisted by Kev) (12:22)
2nd Period:
BDE (4-1) – Joe Magosin (2) (unassisted) (1:20)
BDE (5-1) – Ryan Levine (1) (assisted by Pelletier) (6:47)
BDE (6-1) – Dom (1) (assisted by Pelletier) (8:53)
BDE (7-1) – Elliot Sorkin (1) (assisted by Mikey) (10:59)
BING (2-7) – Jack (8) (assisted by Russo) (13:49)
3rd Period:
BDE (8-2) – Mel (1) (assisted by Ridzik) (6:01)
GAME NOTES: It was an incredible evening for purple, truly one of the most exciting a team can have short of a championship, but playing in their third game of the evening against a motivated and talented yellow team, the clock finally struck midnight for Cinderella. Man, did she party hard before midnight though. Jack scores his 7th and 8th goals of the night, setting a playoff record, but the Dekes score early and often and would advance with a convincing 8-2 victory. Yellow got the trip to the final four, the first of the Mel years (and later to the championship game), and this purple team will live on in history forever. Win/win.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Jack (2G)
2nd – Mike Pelletier (1G, 2A)
1st – Joe Magosin (2G)
Big Deke Energy vs Red Eyed Peas
1st Period:
RED (1-0) – Jason Reape (1) (assisted by Nate) (1:29)
BDE (1-1) – Joe Magosin (3) (assisted by Pelletier) (4:51)
BDE (2-1) – Ryan Levine (2) (assisted by Dom) (13:19)
3rd Period:
BDE (3-1) – Dom (2) (assisted by Joe Magosin) (4:20)
BDE (4-1) – Shan (1) (unassisted) (10:00)
RED (2-4) – Cherie (1) (assisted by Tarnow) (12:55)
GAME NOTES: A super even matchup between the top seeded Red Eyed Peas and the red hot Big Deke Energy. Most fans had red as the decided favorite but the sportsbook listed the game as a dead heat and yellow as the pick. Fading the public proved to be a wise strategy as usual as yellow stormed back from a 1-0 deficit for four straight goals, capped off by a Shan faceoff goal after a red timeout that felt like the dagger. Cherie would cut the margin to two with 1:05 left but it was too little, too late for a red team that had an outstanding regular season but ran into a Dekes squad on a roll. 4-2 yellow for the franchise’s first trip to the finals since pre-covid.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Corey (W, 2 GA)
2nd – Mike Pelletier (1G, 2A)
1st – Joe Magosin (2G)
Bluebies vs On Tuesdays We Wear Pink
1st Period:
BLU (1-0) – Chad (1) (assisted by Sam) (6:05)
BLU (2-0) – Andrew (1) (assisted by Sam) (11:19)
2nd Period:
BLU (3-0) – Brita (2) (assisted by Chad) (8:55)
3rd Period:
BLU (4-0) – Corey (2) (assisted by Brita) (1:55)
BLU (5-0) – Len (1) (unassisted) (2:40)
PNK (1-5) – Justin McNeil (1) (unassisted) (9:52)
GAME NOTES: At full-strength this game would have been an absolute war but without their top two picks, Jo and Stern, pink were the decided underdogs. They put on a valiant effort for the fans and for each other, generating a number of chances including multiple posts and shelling around Jeff Green, but winning without those two would have been one of the great upsets in league history and they just didn’t quite have enough firepower. Despite some strong games from Rockoff, Burns, Hilary and co, two blue goals in the first few minutes of the 3rd put the game away and sent the 3rd seeded Bluebies to the finals. Pink will be left wondering what could have been with a bit of attendance luck, as many teams often do this time of year.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Sam (2A)
2nd – Chad (1G, 1A)
1st – Brita (1G, 1A)
Big Deke Energy vs Bluebies
1st Period:
BLU (1-0) – Corey (3) (assisted by Sam) (12:32)
2nd Period:
BLU (2-0) – Brett (1) (assisted by Corey) (5:40)
BDE (1-2) – Ryan Levine (3) (PP) (assisted by Dom) (8:50)
3rd Period:
BLU (3-1) – Chad (2) (PP) (assisted by Sam) (3:17)
BLU (4-1) – Chad (3) (SH) (unassisted) (7:06)
BLU (5-1) – Sam (3) (EN) (unassisted) (2:40)
GAME NOTES: A game that was certainly closer than the final score would indicate as the teams traded chances for much of the first before a great individual effort by Sam set up the opening goal. Brett would score on a breakaway midway through the 2nd before yellow got a powerplay on Len’s first of three penalties of the game (championship record btw) and Levine converted. Action was tense for the beginning stages of the 3rd but a Mel trip of Brad sent blue on the PP where Chad’s rip through traffic gave blue a 3-1 lead. Minutes later, yellow got a PP of their own but Chad picked up one of the strangest goals you’ll ever see, sending blue bettors into a frenzy and setting up a frantic final few minutes, punctuated by Phelps and Chad combining for one of the craziest saves in championship history. Sam sealed it with an empty netter and blue held on for the franchise’s 2nd championship in their record 9th consecutive final four appearance…I actually tracked playoff scoring this season and, somewhat surprisingly, yellow’s top scorer was Dom, a defenseman. Jack remained the top scorer of the playoffs after his insane 8 goal night that made me seriously consider awarding the Playoff MVP Award to someone who not only didn’t win the championship but didn’t even make the final four. In the end I couldn’t quite get there but he does get a shoutout in this wrap-up, which you just read…after a historic start to the season that saw them win their first 3 games by a 17-6 aggregate, there were no further games for the rest of the regular season where this blue team had a full roster (or anything close). It was a long (extremely long with the construction delay) and winding road, but winning three playoff games by a 14-2 aggregate cements this team as one of the Top Five of all time. Might be a future article. In the meantime – thanks for a great season even if it dragged on longer than any of us could have imagined. See you in four days when, somehow, we immediately kick off the spring season.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3rd – Sam (1G, 2A)
2nd – Chad (2G)
1st – Phelps (W, 1 GA)