I'm clearly awful at predicting scores (maybe having advance rosters would help), but I'm a lot better at predicting game outcomes. Maybe I should start rounding my goal expectations for games to the nearest 10 next week.
Game 1: More Tooth vs. Black Squirrels - This outcome was pretty similar to my expectations, with Squirrels having a makeshift roster and having trouble playing their usual brand of hockey because of it. More Tooth did a good job of getting additional chances and taking advantage of mistakes that Squirrels made, which made sure the outcome didn't feel in doubt even from early on in the game. Their newest rookie was able to score in his first game as has become a bit of a trend for this squad, and they are starting to establish some consistency about their lineups, which bodes well for their chances moving forward.
More Tooth 4 - Black Squirrels 1
Game 2: Liabilities vs. Baseball Bats - This was a statement game for Liabilities. They had a very strong roster even by their own standards, and as opposed to last week when they struggled to get a goal, this week they scored in the opening 5 minutes of the game, and managed to get 9. They even were able to get through the first ~10 minutes of the game without a goalie and ended up coming out of that with a 3 goal lead. Andreas made it to 4 points in the game to lead the team, but the goals and apples were coming from all over the lineup. Shoutout to Dave Gil de Rubio for hopping in goal as the EBUG, and Justin Sherbal for playing in net while the team had no tendy. For the Bats, they need to get more bodies to games if they expect to win them on a regular basis. If they don't get better attendance, it might end up looking more like beginner luck getting to the finals their first season.
Liabilities 9 - Baseball Bats 1
Game 3: Steinway Baby Grands vs. Terminators - This was probably the game of the week, a truly close game where Terminators took a lead in the first 5 minutes of the game on a nice shot from rookie Cole. Baby Grands had a small roster which usually means they fade over the course of the game, but instead in this case they dug in and managed to fight back, scoring for the first time around half way through the 2nd period, and managed to put in 3 straight to get their first win of the season. Rookie Liam scored probably the nicest goal of the game, using his hands to pot a rebound to be the dagger in the eventual 3-1 victory for Baby Grands. All around it was an impressive win by Baby Grands, with Terminators looking prime for the upset, but the resillience of Baby Grands being stronger.
Steinway Baby Grands 3 - Terminators 1
Game 4: Flying Hellfish vs. Dutch Killer Bees - The game started off in a strange way with Dutch Killer Bees getting 4 additional subs minutes before game time, and Hellfish who was supposed to have 12 people in the game only having 8 at puck drop. Killer Bees used their legs to overwhelm the defense and get a goal half way through the first period, and looked poised for a while to pull the upset in the game. Over the course of the first 2 periods, the players on Hellfish made it to the rink (yes, 1 player did arrive about half way through the second period), and the goals started going into the back of the net. Shout out to Mason who ended up getting 4 points in his first game of the season, and all from defense.
Flying Hellfish 5 - Dutch Killer Bees 2