Rugrat wrote:

The Killers might just be my new favorite UHA team. In the good ol' THL i'll probably cheer for Kirlow

Welcome to the series! Glad you've selected some teams. If you're interested in any sigs let me know.

We're gonna move straight into the THL Season for a double dose today!

1977 REGULAR SEASON


With opposing fans chanting “Heroins” at every Trowburgh game, the Herons weathered the fallout of the Oresovich case to regain some stability as a franchise with so many players indefinitely suspended. New coach Ken Delaney did a masterful job of keeping the ship afloat. The new kids on the block in Guilden and Lecayne both struggled in their second years. The Saints couldn't win any games behind a sieve in the net and the Barbarians struggled to score goals with John Jurski battling injuries all season.

Meanwhile, the Neptunes built upon their Cup success to lead the league in points with a complete performance in all phases as Kris Kotulak notched a Best Forward and goalie Ernie Bukowski landed Best Goalie in an extremely tight race that nearly ended in a 3-way tie. It is a special achievement for Buks, who infamously had an inglorious start to his career. Narva ran away with the Hatch Division but Kavalos continued building on their success, seeing a very non-star-studded roster outside of defenseman Darren Cain be competitive to a 2nd-seed in the division. The Kodiaks had some brutal stretches of hockey but were able to keep it together for a playoff berth.

The Falcons, with Geno Pasternak back in the fold, played tough hockey although at times the scoring faltered with the top line chemistry still finding its way again and Pasternak slowing down. They narrowly edged out Chasonne for the final playoff berth though, who struggled in the net and the blue line but saw growth in many of their young players. The Pioneers lost their winning edge without Pasternak, although the young players all played very well but it didn't reflect in the standings.

With scoring down across the league and defense on display, a razor-tight Willard Division saw some incredible hockey down the stretch. The Anchors saw their season slip away in the last week as the Whales found some puck luck to give them a 2-point advantage behind stingy defense into the fourth seed. The top three spots were separated by just 3 points as the Captains, Glaciers, and Rockets slugged it out for playoff position until the last day. With three games to go, the Captains leapfrogged the then first place Rockets and Glaciers to win the division. Captains defenseman Lauri Rikhard won the League MVP trophy despite Fort Bevin's Pat Ossola taking home the Best Defenseman. Every award was close-contested with brilliant seasons from many deserving players.


Playoff Preview

Captains vs Whales
Both teams surged at the final bell of the season. Who will continue to ride the wave through the playoffs?

Glaciers vs Rockets
Both teams are neck-and-neck, with the Rockets being better statistically while the Glaciers have several stars. Who will shine brighter?

Neptunes vs Falcons
These teams have had opposite seasons. The Neptunes are scorching hot while the Falcons proved clutch down the stretch. Who will show their metal?

Electrics vs Kodiaks
These teams are very closely-matched with very little separation. The Kavs are slightly better in scoring while the Kodiaks are slightly better in preventing scoring. Who will come out on top?


Up next: THL Playoffs

What are your thoughts on recent action?

1977 THL PLAYOFFS

QUARTERFINALS

Willard Division


1 Kirkenport Captains vs 4 Portarra Whales
The Captains were glad to be back in the dance and carrying the #1 seed but the Whales were anxious to get the playoff monkey off their backs. Both teams were cautious in Game 1 as the Captains prevailed but it was Portarra who found their groove and rattled off four straight wins to take the series. [POR wins 4-1]


2 Yubay Glaciers vs 3 Fort Bevin Rockets
With the bad blood already deepening between these two squads, the Glaciers were eager to avenge their loss last year. The Rockets were ready to fight back and stole a home game from the Niko Side in a 3-2 Game 2 win in OT. But the Glaciers stayed more focused and shut down Fort Bevin's potent offense to a series win in 5 games. [YBG wins 4-1]

Hatch Division


1 Narva Neptunes vs 4 Yubay Falcons
The Neptunes didn't quite look like themselves in a closely-contested series against the Falcons. Their offense seemed to sputter against a tough Sava Side squad as Geno Pasternak made life miserable for reigning Best Forward Kris Kotulak. The better roster of the Neptunes came through though, notching a 2-1 OT victory in Game 5 to earn the series win.


2 Kavalos Electrics vs 3 Kirlow Kodiaks
These two teams were considered to be neck-and-neck and it showed in a brilliant series that was very highly rated on TV. With Darren Cain and the Kavs trading games with Pascal Brink and the Kodiaks, the series was tough, fast-paced and had edge-of-your-seat action in every game. Both goaltenders, Electrics' Ray Kosobucki and Kodiaks' Brian Mahaffey made incredible show-stopping saves every night. Heading to a decisive Game 7, both teams were exhausted but hungry to finish strong. In a game that went into OT, it was defenseman Jerry O'Reilly who found a home for the game-winner. [KIR wins 4-3]

SEMI-FINALS

Willard Division


2 Yubay Glaciers vs 4 Portarra Whales
The Whales haven't made it past the Quarterfinals since the playoffs were expanded in 1972 and prior to that their last success was an appearance against the Glaciers in the Cup in 1968. The Glaciers haven't made it back to the Cup since their appearance against the Captains 1971. With a lot riding for both squads, the Glaciers opened the action with a 2-1 OT finish in Game 1. Pekka Jokinen and Peter Isaksson traded games and goals with Cal Capezzio and Co. In Game 6, the Whales had a poentially game-winning goal disallowed late in the third perion when the referee ruled goalie interference on F Walt Gulbrandsen, who was told he bumped Glaciers' goalie Tim Sagendorf on a putback shot. The Whales were incensed but the game went into overtime where Jokinen found a home for the winner to send the Glaciers to the Cup. [YBG wins 4-2]

Hatch Division


1 Narva Neptunes vs 3 Kirlow Kodiaks
Kirlow, straight off a 7-game showdown with Kavalos, punched the reigning champs in the mouth with a 5-3 win in Game 1. The Neptunes were forced to reset and change their strategies, especially after a lackluster series against Yubay. They fought back with a 2-1 OT victory in Game 2 to square the series. The teams traded games until Game 6 which went to overtime for the third time in the series. After a clutch shutout in Game 5, goalie Brian Mahaffey made a highlight-reel save on a sure fastbreak goal from Kotulak. Then Kodiaks defenseman O'Reilly was able to snag the rebound and zip up the ice to a streaking Pascal Brink for the quick turnaround game-winning goal to stun the Neptunes in a major upset. [KIR wins 4-2]


Up Next: 1977 Marcotte Cup Matchup: Glaciers vs Kodiaks

Alright!  We get the battle of the Bear themed teams for the final!  Should be fun, hoping for the Kodiaks to finally win the big one!  

With the move to Solinza it looks like my doubts of stability were right and I am no longer a Marauders fan. Kirkenport was exciting for a brief moment, but that was halted quickly. Not a great year all around, but I hope Brian Mahaffey can grab a title. It seems the goalies coming out of the TYHDA have found the most success. I am happy to see the prior duo of Mahaffey and McKnight both being impact players for two good squads.

Last edited by Thehealthiestscratch (4/28/2020 2:31 pm)