Thursday, November 3, 2016

Cubs Win World Series



         Yes, I know this isn’t a baseball blog, but it’s such a historic event that I can’t let it go unnoticed. The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years. They completed a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Cleveland Indians in a 10-inning game 7.

-->          To give a little bit of perspective, the last time the Cubs won was before the NHL was even founded. The Titanic had not yet been built, and the airplane was an experimental invention. Baseball legend Babe Ruth was 13 years old, while Thomas Edison and Mark Twain were still alive. I was lucky enough to witness history last night. Though I have no interest whatsoever in baseball, it was amazing to watch a possibly once-in-a-lifetime event take place.



NHL 3 Stars of the Week (10/23-10/30)



Week #3

         Sorry, this is a little late, but better late than never. The NHL’s 3 stars of the week were announced on Sunday. Craig Anderson (OTT), the first star of the week, had a 2-0-0 record with both of his games being shutouts. At the time of him being named first star, he held a 5-1-0 record, a 2.46 goals-against average, and a .921 save percentage. Second star Devan Dubnyk (MIN), another goalie, celebrated a shutout streak of his own. He had 3 consecutive shutouts and is 5-1-1 with a 1.43 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage. Finally, third star Shea Weber (MTL) had 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 games. He now holds a +12 rating and leads all defensemen with 10 total points.

NHL Scores (11-2)



Vancouver Canucks (0) @ Montreal Canadiens (3)

Detroit Red Wings (3) @ Philadelphia Flyers (4) (OT)

Pittsburgh Penguins (5) @ Anaheim Ducks (1)



Game of the Night

         The game of the night took place in Philadelphia, where the Flyers once again came from behind to win after regulation. The Red Wings were trying to win their first regular season game in Philadelphia since January 1997. Detroit was one minute away from winning, but Philadelphia ultimately won with Jakub Voracek putting a dagger through the hearts of Red Wings fans.
         The young and speedy Dylan Larkin scored the first goal for Detroit at 13:15 of the 1st when his long-range shot deflected in off Voracek’s body. 16 seconds later, the Red Wings would strike again with Andreas Athanasiou putting a high shot by Michal Neuvirth on a goal he would most likely want to have back. Detroit exited the period up by 2, putting them ever closer to ending their 20-year winless drought in the City of Brotherly Love.
         The Flyers offense finally woke up at 13:39 of the 2nd when Chris VandeVelde slipped the puck into the net as he fell over goalie Petr Mrazek before entering the net himself. Philadelphia would tie the game early in the 3rd. At 3:51, rookie Roman Lyubimov picked up a rebound to score his first career NHL goal. However, Detroit wouldn’t go away easily, as captain Henrik Zetterberg pounded a shot by Neuvirth at 8:18.
         The Flyers were once again tasked with coming back in order to win. With 1:02 remaining in regulation, Mark Streit found the loose puck in the middle of a crease scramble, sending the game to overtime. Darren Helm had a great chance to put it away, but Jakub Voracek poked it off his stick before he could take a shot.
         Seconds later, the Red Wings were on the receiving end of a 2-on-1 with the very dangerous combination of Giroux and Voracek. Giroux gave the puck across to Voracek, who rocketed it into the net behind Mrazek. The Flyers once again proved that they are fully capable of winning in comeback fashion. This game also showed just how important of a player Jakub Voracek is for Philadelphia. He was found all over the ice last night.



Play of the Night
https://www.nhl.com/video/hornqvist-joins-the-goal-party/t-283039332/c-45959303