Glad to see this back! Of course, hoping the Bats can rally to make the playoffs. Shocked to see Chicago at the bottom though.

Darn Bats... Oh well, we'll get em next year. Glad to see Detroit and Quebec finally in the playoffs! Will be rooting for whoever comes out of that for sure!

1937 MHL Playoffs: First Round

(N2) Detroit Guardians (29-24-11) vs (N3) Club de Hockey Québécois (25-25-14)

A battle of two teams making their postseason debut (technically not in Quebec’s case, but it’s their first since their hiatus) in the Northern first round, Detroit’s Guardian Stadium was the loudest it had ever been as the two teams took the ice. It was a long 8 years for the Motor City franchise, but it was finally their time to prove they had to be taken seriously. As for Quebec, they were playing for survival, making an impossible dream become a reality.

The first period got off to a great start for Quebec, as a great passing play led to Fergus Satter beating Guy Topolinski for the first goal of the game. It was very back and forth in the opening stages, but near the halfway point, David Crevier deflected a shot in, and the visitors were up 2. less than 50 seconds after that, Joe Gillis clapped a shot past Topolinski, and it was an astonishing 3-0 lead for Quebec. Keith Currie increased in even more on a power play, while the Detroit crowd couldn’t believe what they were seeing. After some good chances, Detroit finally got on the board to end the frame, but it was a monumental task ahead of them.

The Guardians started the second period on the right foot, with George Willey scoring a few minutes in off a netfront scramble. However, from there it was pretty much All Quebec, who vastly outshot them. Topolinski had a stinker of a first period, but he stood tall when needed in the second. There would be one goal, with Quebec’s Calvin Thomas making a nice pass to Crevier, who scored his second goal and fourth point of the game. Topolinski got just a piece, but it wasn’t enough. Quebec led 5-2 after 40 minutes.

In the third, Stanley Brand scored early, beating a falling Topolinski who couldn’t get up in time to block his shot. At 6-2, it looked pretty much over. However, rookie Daniel Sutterick would get Detroit back on the board off of a 2-on-1. They couldn’t muster much more, but a deflection by David Pelletier with 5 minutes to play would get them within 2. It wasn’t to be though, as Thomas scored off a turnover in the final minutes, making it a 3-goal game once again. Quebec continued their unthinkable run with a crazy 7-4 victory away from home, eliminating the Guardians.

(S2) Brooklyn Kings (32-25-7) vs (S3) Nassau Scouts (28-26-10)

In the other matchup, it was a battle of local teams, with Brooklyn and Nassau fighting for the chance to face Philadelphia in the Southern Final. Brooklyn was looking to get back into the later rounds, while Nassau was still searching for their first ever playoff series win, having been unsuccessful their previous 5 times. The Brooklyn Aud was loud and rambunctious as any building would be for a playoff rivalry. There were some Scouts fans in attendance, though Kings supporters were far and away the majority. 

The first period started out really well for the home side. A pass by Matthew Graham from behind the net found Frank Girard in front, and he buried it past Mike Whitlow, much to the fans’ delight. Brooklyn got a power play shortly after, and Martin Ferre grabbed a rebound and beat Whitlow to make it 2-0 within the first 5 minutes. Nassau looked stunned, but they would find their footing as the period progressed. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t get any goals back, but they also didn’t allow any more.

Brooklyn had good looks in the second, and Ferre scored his second of the game off one of them. With a Nassau player down on the ice after blocking a shot, the puck came to Ferre and he beat an unsuspecting Whitlow. Samuel Belmont would score before the halfway mark, and it was looking like a rout for Brooklyn. Nassau didn’t seem to have any answers, until the final minutes when Michael McKay deflected a puck in front that Randall Thomas had no chance on. They had some life, but needed more. Brooklyn led 4-1 after 40.

The third was Nassau’s best period, but they couldn’t get any luck early. They had chances, though Thomas stood tall. In one chance, Thomas went across his crease to make a great save, and the rebound was blocked by a defenseman right in front. Finally, Lennie Triplett beat Thomas to make it 4-2, but there were under 5 minutes to play. Chances turned into desperation for the Scouts,  and in the final minute, Harold Sutton took a shot that he didn’t get all of, but it still beat Thomas to make it a 1-goal game, adding to the tension. Nothing happened in the fial 40 seconds, and Brooklyn held on after almost blowing a 4-0 lead. Nassau fell to 0-6 in their all-time playoff series.



Semifinals

(N1) Montreal Greys (28-21-15) vs (N3) Club de Hockey Québécois (25-25-14)

It was a battle of Quebec in the Northern Final, with the #1 seed Greys being the heavy favourite. Quebec wasn’t even supposed to be in the playoffs, let alone the semifinals. But they were on a crazy run, one that may just end up going all the way. Victoria Square Stadium was hoping that wasn’t the case as the two teams took the ice for Game 1.

The first period was fairly even, and both teams looked good. There were good chances both ways, and the Greys fans were clearly surprised with how well Quebec was playing. Les Bleus were looking like a veteran team, not the youngest in the league. They ended up outshooting the hosts through 20, but there was no score.

In the second period, Quebec played even better, actually controlling most of the play. However, it would be the hosts that finally opened the scoring in the middle frame, with William Smith scoring off a rebound from a long shot. The home crowd loved it, but Quebec was still controlling the play. Eventually, on their 22nd shot of the game in the final minute of the frame, David Crevier scored off a rebound of his own, tying it up at 1-1 through 40 minutes.

In the third, the goalies were tested with some dangerous shots, but it was the most defense-oriented period. With it looking like the next goal would be the winner, the teams were tighter. In the final minutes, a Montreal shot from the point became a scramble in front, and Michael Carstens beat Barry Chandler to give the hosts a late lead. They ran out the clock, and the Greys took game 1, 2-1 despite being outshot 30-22.

The second game was held at Quebec’s Colisée de la Capitale, the smallest stadium in the league. Despite its size, it was super loud and intimate as the two teams took the ice. 

Early in the game, Montreal had a 3-on-1 opportunity, but Chandler did very well to make a save and keep it scoreless. At around the halfway point, David Fox scored for Quebec, off a beautiful feed from Fergus Satter. The home crowd loved it, but it was short-lived, as Anthony Wilson took a shot from the left circle that beat Chandler cleanly. Montreal was the better team in the opening frame, but the score was level after 1.

In the second, Quebec had an early power play, and on the man advantage, James Paradis made a nice fake before wiring one past Alan Clercius, and Quebec was in the lead again. A few minutes later, Polish-born Mariusz “Mo” Lewandowski made a beautiful move around a defender in close before tucking it in around Clercius. The kids were alright, and they were up 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Early in the third, Montreal had a chance to get in the game, but Chandler made an amazing glove save on Smith, bringing the fans to their feet. However, they would get one soon after, with Chandler making another great save on a shot, but the puck landed on the goal line, where Dennis Lee simply tapped it in. After this, Quebec did a great job at closing out the game, and they held on to win at home, 3-2, and force a game 3. Their amazing run was still alive.

In game 3, back in Montreal, the atmosphere was uneasy. Quebec seemed destined to pull another upset, but they still needed to win one more game. The Greys needed to win to keep their dignity, as losing a series to a team on hiatus one season ago would be very damaging to their high prestige.

The atmosphere went from uneasy to confident very quickly, as it was obvious the Greys came to play. They controlled the puck for basically the entire period and got tons of chances. All that stood in their way was Barry Chandler, who was saving every chance he got. Their break game in the dying minutes, when off a turnover by Satter, Montreal passed the puck to Anthony Wilson, who beat Chandler stick-side to make it 1-0. Despite outshooting Quebec 15-3, they only led 1-0 after 20.

In the second, Montreal got an early power play, and off another Quebec turnover, William Smith tucked it right by an unsuspecting Chandler, making it 2-0. Despite this early goal, Quebec played much better in the second, but not well enough to get anything past Clercius. They also had a couple power plays of their own in the period, but neither was successful. Montreal had the commanding 2-0 lead heading into the final frame, and Quebec needed some magic to stay alive.

In the first minutes of the third period, yet another Quebec defensive miscue led to Francis Martin beating Chandler on a shot that should have been saved. At 3-0, it was looking over. Michael Carstens and Paul Boyle both added power play goals, and it was becoming a rout at 5-0. Michael Quick scored for Quebec late on a 2-on-1, but it was just a consolation goal. Martin scored his second of the game to add salt in the wound, and Montreal handily won 6-1.

Quebec’s cinderella run was over, but it was a crazy season for a team nobody expected to make the playoffs, let alone be a game away from the Abbott Cup Final. Their future is still uncertain, but this run may have attracted some businessmen to take over control of the team.

(S1) Philadelphia Minutemen (33-21-10) vs (S2) Brooklyn Kings (32-25-7)

The #1 seed Philadelphia Minutemen faced the Brooklyn Kings in the second semifinal, hoping to make their first ever Abbott Cup Final. The Philly County War Memorial was the loudest it had been as the two teams took the ice for Game 1.

The first period of game 1 was chaotic. Defense was optional, as well as discipline. Early on, Philly’s Joe Hart took a penalty for elbowing, and Samuel Belmont scored for Brooklyn, falling while tapping home a rebound. Philly took a charging penalty soon after, and Belmont scored again. There were a couple of fights in the next few minutes, and tons of chances in the remaining time. Thomas Pelle got one back for the Minutemen in the final minutes, off a very nice shot. It was a crazy opening period, and Brooklyn had a 1-goal advantage.

The second was much more calm, but Philly’s discipline still wasn’t great. They took a couple more penalties, and the fans were getting upset with the refereeing that they deemed unfair. Aside from that, it was pretty uneventful on the ice, and the same score remained after 40 that remained after 20.

The third was pretty boring as well, with few chances. the Kings did a very good job at limiting the severity of the Philadelphia attacks, and it paid off. Brooklyn hit a post near the middle of the period, and in the final minute of play, Frank Girard potted a rebound past Richard Parent to make it 3-1. Brooklyn won by that score, and as the referee left the ice, a newspaper was thrown at him. Commissioner Richard Holland was in attendance, and was not pleased.

Brooklyn had the luxury of heading home for Game 2 with the 1-0 series lead. The home fans were rowdy, and the man that threw the newspaper at the referee in Philadelphia had travelled to the arena to continue berating him. The man was arrested and given a stern talking-to by Holland before being escorted out.

The opening period was the third straight very boring period of the series. There were no real chances, but there were shots. The two goalies didn’t have any trouble with anything, and the most notable thing that happened was the man that got arrested escaping custody and attempting to get onto the ice. He was arrested again and Holland had to be restrained from confronting him again.
The second period was all Brooklyn. Philly had no answer to their offense or defense, and after a ton of shots, Martin Ferre converted off a beautiful pass from Anthony Sapnick, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. Philly had one great chance right at the end, but time expired before a shot could be taken. Brooklyn was in a good situation heading into the third, they just needed to not blow it.

Before the third period started, word got out that the man had attempted to escape custody again, but was unsuccessful. In terms of hockey, Brooklyn continued playing very well, and although the Minutemen had more chances in the final frame, it still wasn’t anything that Randall Thomas couldn’t handle. With 5 minutes to play, Wallace Harper increased Brooklyn’s lead on the power play, making it 2-0. and pretty much sealing it due to Philly’s lack of offense. Time ran out, and the Kings completed the sweep and won 2-0.

It was disappointing for Philly that their most notable thing to happen in the postseason was one of their fans being rowdy, but they’re still young and will certainly be back.



Abbott Cup Final Preview:

(N1) Montreal Greys vs (S2) Brooklyn Kings
Previous Meeting: 1936 Semifinal
Result: Brooklyn 2-1 Montreal
Series Record: Montreal 2-1 Brooklyn

The league’s two grayscale teams face off to see who will win the 1937 Abbott Cup. Montreal is two years removed from their last triumph, while Brooklyn is hoping to win it all for the first time since 1928. They have met 3 times in the postseason before, including last season where Brooklyn won on route to their ACF loss. In an odd ruling, despite Montreal being the higher seed, as they have the same points, Brooklyn will have home-ice advantage on a tiebreaker.

Brooklyn won 2 of the 3 games in the season series, with both of their wins being shutouts. Montreal’s sole win was a close 4-3 victory, so the Kings had the edge in terms of recent play. Another key point is the offenses, which were #1 and #2 in the league. The defenses are similar as well, both in the top half of the league. On paper it’s very even, but still, the Kings seemed to figure out how to slow down Montreal’s high-powered scoring machine. We’ll see if this holds as the final progresses. Definitely can go either way.

My Pick: The Kings prevail in an all-time classic series, 4-3.

Wow, I wasn’t expecting Quebec to get this far into the playoffs, but I was still surprised by how close they got to the finals! I’ll especially be keeping my eye on what happens to them in the offseason (such as whether they be sold to a local buyer or someone from out of town and relocate, I have a feeling it will be the latter since their current arena is so small).

1937 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(S2) Brooklyn Kings (32-25-7) vs (N1) Montreal Greys (28-21-15)

The Brooklyn Auditorium was hustling and bustling as the two teams got set for game 1 of the 1937 championship series. Brooklyn was looking for their first title in 9 years, while the Greys were attempting to win their second in 3.

The series started off with two great chances, as Wallace Harper had two breakaways early on, but both were stopped by Alan Clercius. The series icebreaker came 6 minutes in, when Montreal’s Rodney Tebow fed Frank Martin, who beat Randall Thomas cleanly. This lead wouldn’t last long, as 2 minutes later, a netfront scramble led to Clercius being far outside of the net, and Richard Gravel tapped home a loose puck to tie it up. It was a very fast-paced period overall, and it was tied after 20.

Montreal played much better in the second, limiting the Brooklyn chances and getting more of their own. For the majority of the period Brooklyn did well to contain the chances, though there was the occasional open look that was missed. Jean Dezouvre deflected a shot from the slot with 6 minutes to play, giving Montreal the lead back. However, Brooklyn responded before the frame ended, on the power play. The two late goals meant it was still deadlocked through 40.

The third period was the tightest period of the game. The majority of it was pretty tight, though Brooklyn did get a power play they couldn’t convert on. With the tension growing, the tightness increased. Eventually, Montreal got a power play in the final minutes, and on the man advantage, Anthony Wilson beat Randall Thomas 5-hole to give the visitors a late lead. Soon after though, Montreal took a penalty of their own, and in the dying seconds, Samuel Belmont scored on a defensive breakdown, tying the game and sending it to overtime. The crowd was electric.

It didn’t take long for overtime to find the winning goal. Both teams had chances in the opening minutes, and 6 minutes in, Vincent Haley took a shot that Thomas saved, but the rebound went right to Lawrence Painden, who easily slotted it home and gave the Greys the series opener, 4-3.

Game 1: Montreal 4, Brooklyn 3 (OT) (Montreal leads series 1-0)

Game 2 saw a crowd that was hoping for a better result than in Game 1, and there was more anxiety this time. This was amplified when just 2:53 in, on a power play, Paul Boyle scored off a nice pass from William Smith. The Greys were looking good. Brooklyn couldn’t get anything going, and the Greys defense was suffocating. To make matters worse for the Kings, Michael Carstens would beat a screened Thomas in the final two minutes, and Montreal was up 2-0 after 20 minutes of play.

Brooklyn played much better in the second, but not before the Greys scored their third power-play goal of the game, courtesy of Rodney Tebow. The Kings got on the board 7 minutes into the period courtesy of a nice move by Richard Gravel, and 2 minutes later, Gravel made it a one-goal game off a nice shot. It wasn’t 3-2 for long, except it was now Montreal who scored off a shot by Tebow that Thomas didn’t get all of. Before the period ended, Tebow completed the hat trick, off a pass from Dezouvre that resulted in a wide-open net. Montreal thought they got another in the final seconds, but it was waved off as time expired before it entered the net.

Brooklyn gave their all in the third period, but it seemed like they were getting no calls and Montreal was getting all of them. by the halfway mark of the period, Montreal had 7 power plays to Brooklyn’s 0. The fans were getting frustrated, but there was nothing they could do. The Kings put up 13 shots in the final frame, but Alan Clercius stopped them all, holding on to the Greys’ 3-goal cushion. As time expired, Montreal was up 2-0 in the series headed home, the best possible position to be in.

Game 2: Montreal 5, Brooklyn 2 (Montreal leads series 2-0)

Games 3 and 4 were to be held in Montreal’s Victoria Square Stadium, which had seen its fair share of Abbott Cup action. The Greys were in a good scenario, and their goal was to finish the job and win their 4th Abbott Cup. As for Brooklyn, Game 3 was a must-win.

Montreal started off on the hot foot, right where they left off. However, this time, Randall Thomas wasn’t letting anything past him, and this seemed to give Brooklyn some confidence. halfway through, Samuel Belmont scored for the Kings, the first time they had a lead in the series. Montreal got a few more chances in the final minutes, but Thomas and Brooklyn were playing differently. The Kings held on to the 1-0 lead after 20.

Brooklyn started the second period very well, with Martin Ferre shooting a laser beam past Clercius 4 minutes in. Soon after, Sapnick scored his second of the playoffs to make it 3-0 for the visitors. The remainder of the period was pretty boring, aside from a good chance by Montreal, where Thomas made two good saves from in close to preserve the lead. Montreal outshot Brooklyn 18-13 after 2, but Brooklyn was up 3-0.

Montreal finally got a breakthrough early in a wide-open third period. Frank Martin got a breakaway and backhanded it past Thomas, and the hosts were on the board. There were tons of shots throughout the frame, but Montreal couldn’t build any more momentum throughout the majority of the period. William Smith would score a rebound to make it 3-2, but unfortunately for the Greys, that came with exactly 1 second left on the clock. They couldn’t do anything about that, and the Kings were back in the series with a 3-2 win.

Game 3: Brooklyn 3, Montreal 2 (Montreal leads series 2-1)

The Montreal crowd was less loud for game 4, but they were still feeling good, as their Greys were in the lead, and could put a chokehold on the series with a Game 4 win.

The game started out slow, but there was an early goal, with Brooklyn’s Matthew Graham scoring off a rebound 7 minutes into the game. Every team that scored first had won so far this series, and Brooklyn looked to keep that going. However, Montreal would tie it up before the end of the frame, with a long shot from Robert Denis beating Thomas, tying the game and igniting the crowd. With no further action after that, the teams headed to the rooms tied at 1.

In the second, Montreal almost took the lead off a defensive turnover in Brooklyn’s end, but Thomas made a nice save to keep it tied. Montreal had another great chance off a fantastic puck possession by Smith, but the shot ended up going just wide. The chaos in the Brooklyn end continued, with much shoving that ended up in Randall Thomas provoking Rodney Tebow, and the two almost fought. Despite all this action, the same scoreline remained through 40 minutes of play.

In the third, Samuel Belmont continued his torrid playoff pace, scoring his 6th of the postseason in just his 7th game. He received a nice pass from Martin Ferre, and beat Clercius upstairs. Montreal got some more chances the other way, but Thomas backed up his trash talk by stopping them all. Robert Bass scored a late sealing goal to make it 3-1, and Brooklyn came and completed a huge task, going from 2-0 down to tying the series at 2 games apiece, heading home with all the momentum.

Game 4: Brooklyn 3, Montreal 1 (Series tied 2-2)

Back in Brooklyn, the Kings faithful were much happier than at the end of game 2. They had a chance to go up 3-2, while Montreal was hoping their road play would do the same for them.

There were good chances on both ends to start, with Thomas making cross-crease saves and Clercius stopping breakaways. Matthew Graham poked home a rebound halfway through to give Brooklyn the lead, but 7 minutes later, Joseph Gill scored an uncharacteristic goal by going in close and beating Thomas cleanly. It wasn’t the most entertaining period outside of that, but at a goal apiece, you couldn’t complain.

The second period was more in Brooklyn’s favour shots-wise. They gave the Greys few chances, and had good looks of their own. Unfortunately, one of the few looks Montreal had was converted, with Dezouvre scoring off a rebound, giving the Greys their first lead of the game. Despite having more good looks and opportunities, Brooklyn couldn’t tie it. Thomas was bumped into on one play, and despite being a little shaken up, he stayed in the game, to the delight of the Kings faithful. This seemed to boost their play for the remainder of the period, and potentially give them momentum heading into the third.

Montreal was the better team in the third, but just like it was in the second, the team that had less chances got the goal. The themes of the goals so far were rebounds, and Graham scored his second of the night, potting home a rebound, tying it back up at 2. The Greys had two great chances to tie the game late, both breakaways, but neither was able to beat Thomas. Time expired, and the two teams headed to an extra frame for the second time in the series.

Just like the first overtime game, it didn’t take long for a winner to be found. Just 5 minutes in, Richard Gravel found Wallace Harper right in front, and he backhanded it past Clercius, setting the Brooklyn Aud alight with cheering and jumping. The Kings had won three straight games, and could win it in Montreal in Game 6.

Game 5: Brooklyn 3, Montreal 2 (OT) (Brooklyn leads series 3-2)

Victoria Square Stadium was a wild mix of emotions heading into game 6, knowing that they could be seeing the Kings lift the Abbott Cup in their own arena. Montreal had never lost an Abbott Cup Final in their history, and they did not want to witness a first for their franchise.

The first period was fast-paced, and started with a bang. Less than two minutes in, Jean Dezouvre potted home his own rebound past Thomas, giving the hosts the opening goal. There was lots more action, with Brooklyn getting tons of chances and Montreal having more of their own. However, the two goalies did their jobs for the remainder of the period, and despite the higher number of shots, The early goal was the only one that came in the first period.

The second period was a barrage from Brooklyn. Early on, they hit the crossbar, the closest they had come so far. The Kings put a ton of shots on Clercius, but he started playing like his prime, stopping every single one of them. Brooklyn had almost reached 30 shots by the end of the period, yet the score was still 1-0 for Montreal. The crowd was giving a standing ovation after every save, and despite the rest of the team doing their worst, he was keeping them in it.

The Greys would get another early goal in the third period, with defenseman Tommy Ash, the last person you’d expect to score, shooting one home and making it 2-0. the Brooklyn Barrage continued in the third, and it was even more intense than the first two periods. Shot after shot and chance after chance came on Clercius, but he would only break with 2 minutes to play, when a slot shot from Matthew Graham beat him to make it 2-1. However, that would be all Brooklyn could muster despite their 43 shots. Clercius had one of the best games of his career as the Greys won 2-1 and forced a game 7, the third straight year the Abbott Cup would be decided by a winner-take-all game.

Game 6: Montreal 2, Brooklyn 1 (Series tied 3-3)

The Brooklyn Aud was as intense as ever heading into game 7. The Kings had won the Abbott Cup before, but it had been 9 years and the fans were desperate to cheer for a championship again. It was go time.

The hosts had vastly outplayed Montreal in game 6 despite losing, and their dominance continued to start game 7. This was probably the best they had played in the series, but Alan Clercius was up to the task to start. However, with 4 minutes to play in the opening period, a giveaway went straight to George Patchian, who quickly shot it past Clercius, who could do nothing about it. The Kings had the lead. Montreal couldn’t get anything going, and to make matters worse, with 6 seconds to play, Robert Bass scored from right in front of Clercius, making it 2-0 for Brooklyn. They outshot Montreal 15-3 after one, and it looked like everything was going right.

The two goals in the first seemed to open the dam for the Kings. 4 minutes into the second, Wallace Harper converted a beautiful pass from Richard Gravel, making it 3-0. 2 minutes later, Harper received the puck again, and beat Clercius in the top right corner, making it 4-0. Neutrals hoping for a close game realized quickly that Brooklyn wasn’t going to let that happen. They were dominated, and Montreal was playing flat. In the final minute, Harper converted on a scramble in front, and he had a natural hat trick in Game 7 of the Abbott Cup Finals. Brooklyn was up 5-0, and it was all but over. They were outshooting Montreal 29-12, and just needed to play 20 more minutes, and the Cup was theirs.

The third period was more of a formality than anything. It was Montreal’s best period, but they were still being outplayed by the Kings and not getting any real chances. The crowd was ecstatic the entire time, just waiting for the clock to run out. Brooklyn had scored in the final minute in the first two periods, and as an exclamation point, they did it again in the third. Robert Bass tipped home a shot with 40 seconds to play, and the only thing that did was delay the celebrations a little longer.

Time ran out, and the Kings and their fans celebrated. Brooklyn had their 2nd Abbott Cup, and became the 5th team to win multiple Abbott Cups, after Toronto, New York, the Greys, and Chicago.

Game 7: Brooklyn 6, Montreal 0 (Brooklyn wins series 4-3)