For the first time since 2004, the Olds Grizzlys will be apart of the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Final Four.
The Grizzlys advanced to the league's semi finals after a dominant 7-1 Game 6 win over the Okotoks Oilers last night at the Olds Sports Complex, a win that clinched the Second Round Series for Olds 4 games to 2.
With 8 goals scored in the game - it's hard to belive none of them came in the first period.
Infact the first goal of the game would come just over a minute into the second period, when on the power play the Grizzlys' "Tic-Tac-Toe Trio", Kwas to deBruyn to Orban to the back of the net, would make it 1-0.
(AJHL's Scoring Summary does not list Kwas on the play - why, I have no idea)
Later at 17:25 Corey Campbell would use hard work and benifit from the great vision of deBruyn and Kwas on the Power Play to make it 2-0 Grizzlys - and thats how the score would stay heading into the third.
In the final frame - Marc Boulanger and the Grizzlys would have to weather an over five minute flurry from Okotoks, a flurry that was finally rewarded with a John McInnis goal to get Okotoks to within 1.
But not 30 seconds later Nic Bourgeois would score for Olds making it 3-1 - stomping out any of the new-found life in the Okotoks Oilers and switching the Grizzlys to rapid-fire.
At 11:46 and 14:20 of the 3rd Brance Orban would score a pair of goals to complete the hat-trick and make it 5-1, at 18:12 Shadoe Stoodley would score an empty net marker making it 6-1, then 19:34 Bourgeois would score his 2nd of the night short-handed to make it 7-1.
After the game Bourgeois, who now leads all active post-season rookies with 5 goals, talked about the goal he scored that quite literally halted Okotoks' hopes of a come-back, "I dont' really know," he said with a smirk, "I walked out there and saw five-hole and tried going five-hole and the next thing I know my stick was out of my hands and I didn't know what happened and all of a sudden I saw the ref. point it was in. . . I was pretty excited, I'm glad it went in."
Grizzlys Net-Minder Marc Boulanger, who, other than a 7-0 shutout over Drumheller in Game 3 of the 1st round, posted his highest save percentage of the post-season, was a cool as a cucumber when he talked about his tremendous performance in Game 6.
"It was just another game, other players to face in another rink" he said. "Tonight things were going my way, pucks were hitting me and sometimes that's just how it goes."
Over 1100 fans piled into the Sportsplex and Brance Orban, who lead the charge offensively with 3 goals, said the community support didn't go unnoticed.
"At home with our fans, I don't think anyone's going to beat us. . .that's incredible."
The Grizzlys will have to wait until games 3 and 4 of Round 3 before getting another chance to entertain the home town crowd as they now enter the Semis as one of the lowest seeds.
And speaking of waiting, they'll have to do just that before they even know who their "Final Four" opponent will be. . . depending on the winner of Wednesday's Game 7 between Camrose and Brooks - Olds will head to either Grande Prairie or Spruce Grove this weekend.
SCORING SUMMARY
| PERIOD 1 |
| No Scoring |
| PERIOD 2 |
| Olds Grizzlys at 1:12 (PP) - Brance Orban from Curtis deBruyn |
| Olds Grizzlys at 17:25 (PP) - Corey Campbell from Curtis deBruyn and Jordan Kwas |
| PERIOD 3 |
| Okotoks Oilers at 6:03 - John McInnis from Brandon Hoogenboom and Jeremy Roberts |
| Olds Grizzlys at 6:28 - Nicholas Bourgeois (unassisted) |
| Olds Grizzlys at 11:46 - Brance Orban from Corey Campbell and Frank Carbonaro |
| Olds Grizzlys at 14:20 - Brance Orban from Corbin Karl and Wade Bergman |
| Olds Grizzlys at 18:12 (EN) - Shadoe Stoodley from Matt Marantz and Wade Bergman |
| Olds Grizzlys at 19:34 (SH) - Nicholas Bourgeois (unassisted) |
GAME NOTES
Grizzlys' Carey Koruluk missed his second consecutive game due to a lower body injury; Grizzlys' Blue-Liner Brendon Algeo was a healthy scratch for game 6; Okotoks out-shot Olds 38-30; Olds went 2 for 7 with the P-P (28.5%); Okotoks went 0 for 7 (0%); Marc Boulanger posted a .973 SV%; In 52 minutes of action Sean Cahill posted a 851 SV% while Steve Papciak in 7:22 minutes posted a .666 SV%.
SERIES SUMMARY
GAME 1 - Olds 5 Okotoks 2
GAME 2 - Okotoks 6 Olds 3
GAME 3 - Olds 6 Okotoks 5
GAME 4 - Olds 3 Okotoks 2
GAME 5 - Okotoks 6 Olds 2
GAME 6 - Olds 7 Okotoks 1
SERIES TOTALS
GOALS
OLDS - 26
OKOS - 22
SHOTS
OLDS - 190
OKOS - 168
POWER PLAY %
OLDS - 23%
OKOS - 15%
OLDS LEADING POINT GETTERS
GOALS - BRANCE ORBAN = 5
ASSISTS - CURTIS deBRUYN & FRANK CARBONARO (TIED) = 5
POINTS - JORDAN KWAS & BRANCE ORBAN (TIED) = 8
OKOTOKS LEADING POINT GETTERS
GOALS - CORBIN KNIGHT = 7
ASSISTS - KYLE REYNOLDS & CHRIS DUSZYNSKI (TIED) = 5
POINTS - CORBIN KNIGHT = 8
INTERESTING TO NOTE
The Olds Grizzlys scored by committee in the regular season and it hasn't stop in the playoffs - here's a list of the League Leading Scorers in the Post-Season (as of March 17th) - you'll see Olds is very well represented.
| NEXT 20 > |
|---|
IN THIS BLOGGERS OPINION
Don't let the score of the last two games fool you - this series was much closer than they would make it seem. This was one hell of a series and to me Games 3 and 4 were the truest indicators of that.
After this series, to me anyway, the Grizzlys have proven the benefits of putting a team together based on character, grit, determination and chemistry. Though their dept chart may not show a team full of All-Stars, when push comes to shove, every player in that locker room knows their responsibility out on the ice, they know they're just one part of the body. They may be a hand, a foot, a finger, a toe, an arm or a leg - but so long as every part moves in sync with the other - there's no telling how far this body can run.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
After the series I had a chance to talk with a proud Grandfather of one of the Grizzlys. I won't say who, but I will say the conversation reminded me of why I, and the majority of people in this country, love this sport so much. He talked about how proud he was to be able to be part of his Grandson's development growing up and being able to see hours of hard work (my words - not his) paying off on the ice, right in front of him. He told me he used to give this practicular Grizzly a dollar for every goal and 2 dollars for every assist - and based on this players numbers in both the regular and the post season - I can say, job well done.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment