The two favorites will face each other in the division final of our Montreal division.

Taking place at the classic arena of Collège-Notre-Dame last Sunday, the playoffs were underway in the Montreal division. The logic was respected when both the Rhinos and the Torpedoes defeated their opponents, both heading into the division final, which will take place next Sunday, August 20 at 7:00 pm. Expect a high-level and high-intensity game from both sides. Make sure you circle the time and date on your calendar!

5:30 pm - Vipers @ Hackers - Consolation Match

Before giving a summary of the division semi-finals, a small talk summarizing the first game of the evening between the Hackers and the Vipers, a consolation game between the 5th and 6th seeded teams. After taking a two-goals lead in the first period, the Hackers saw the Vipers and Bill Carroll (or the other way around, as you wish!) get back up, as the men in yellow scored 2 goals in the second period, thanks to Bill and Paul Desgroseilliers. Then followed an exchange of goals from both sides, including #10’s second of the game for the Vipers, scored on the powerplay. The last 12 minutes not being able to split the two teams, we were in line for an always-exciting shootout dual. As Miguel Hébert and Christophe Larivière quickly scored for their team, followed by a breathtaking sequence when Michael Carter (Vipers) and Carl Kelly (Hackers sub) exchanged two goals who did not harm any team, it was Jeremy Nickanpour who finally won the game for his Vipers, in the 9th round of shoot-outs. Intense ending, to say the least!

7:00 pm - Loggers @ Rhinos - Semi-Final # 1

In our first semi-final, Patrick Blais' Rhinos hosted my Loggers. Entering the important match-up, the Loggers seemed ready to surprise the favorite team, the Rhinos. Unfortunately, it was straight-up the opposite, as the Rhinos scored 3 goals in the first twenty, all assisted by the highly-tooted Guillaume Leclancher. Back in the dressing room trailing by 2 goals and playing with 3 defenders due to a last-minute absence on the Loggers part, the men in black saw Peter Morris (Hackers) put on the sweater and make his entry into the game. The message seemed clear: we erase everything and we start from scratch, one goal at a time. And that's exactly what happened. Only for the Rhinos.. Dominated 6-1 after 2, the Loggers nervously saw the clock ticking and their chance of coming back thinner and thinner, but we all knew it was over. Final mark, 8-3 Rhinos. In the victorious side, Pierre-Luc Aspirot had a sweet “triplé” and an assist, while Joël Marceau, the other offensive dynamo of the team, had a more difficult evening when looking at individual stats, collecting only one goal and an assist.

8:30 pm - Shamrocks @ Torpedoes - Semi-Final # 2

Finally, in our third game of the night, the Shamrocks faced the regular season champions, the mean Torpedoes. Fierce captain of the Greens, Maxence Hilleret led the way has he picked-up 3 assists in the first period only, and the Shamrocks were going to start the second period with a favorable score of 4 to 3. The Torpedoes, a team where Raymond Riffon seems to feel comfy, were not going to let them strive on their lead. Using the special units to begin the comeback, the Torpedoes' powerful # 10 would quickly complete his hat trick on the power play, early in the second period. Then he used the penalty killing to surprise a passive defense, when he quickly escaped and scored his 4th of the game. Special mention to the boys who stayed to watch the game, it seems that their "wave" was awesome. As the game went on and while it was the "Ray Riff" show on the ice and in the stands, the Shamrocks seemed to run out of solution, not able to contain their opponents and enable to settle in the o-zone. Leading 7-4 after two, the Torpedoes added another 2 goals to nail the Shamrocks’ coffin. 9 to 4 Torpedoes.

So the two favorites will compete for the Montréal title, next Sunday, August 20, at 7h00pm. Be there, it should be a fun and interesting match-up! Rumor has it that there will be popcorn on the site, for the spectators and for the players wanting a healthy and nutritious lil’ boost before their game. So.. BE THERE!

Have a good week ladies and gents',

Thibault Varin

THE SCENARIO REPEATS ITSELF ON THE SOUTH SHORE

In the aftermath of the clashes on the island, it was the turn of the four teams of our South Shore division to play one another . Unlike the previous day's games in MTL we were treated to tight matches with even one of them going into overtime to determine the winner. If in our Montreal division we had a good idea of who was going to access the next round we were not so sure in Brossard as we were often entitled to tight games over the last few weeks following the trades that seems to have worked out better then across the river.

At the outset, we saw the "mighty Avengers" face the Tomahawks who gave a sign of life late in the season and took a good lead to start the game shaking-up the Avengers in the first period that seemed destabilized by the play of their opponents. Indeed, the men of Eric Champagne were on fire and had no complex in front of the victorious record of Remy Babin's men. Seen from the stands, we thought we might be witness to the first "upset" of the playoffs but the veterans that we find in the "blue shirts" did not panick and came from behind to finally prevail over the Tomahawks who seem to have lost their mojo as the time diwndoled away on the clock. In the end, it's the individualistic play of some in desperation that we often see in hockey that caused the Toms to fall appart near the end of the game.  Having said that, after a tough summer season, we have to raise our hats off to the Tomahawks, who gave a good run and scare to the South Shore regular season champions who, for their part, showed discipline and hard work, working as a team under the guidance of veteran Remy Babin with the help of the one and only Arnaud Guertin without forgetting the strategist behind the force, Francis Gingras in the shadow of the eagle.

In the second half of the show we were treated to a colossal match with the Meteors facing off against the Barbarians who wanted to avenge last weeks defeat against thease same "orange chargers". The game seemed to play itself in four movements with two goals on one side followed by a replica by the opponents with another two goals coming from the Barbares. But Peter Morris' men were not done, they came back from behind to tie it up with a few seconds to go. The buzzer then sent us for the first time in LFA's history in a 4 on 4 overtime. confrontation. Unfortunately for the men of Jacob Poliquin, a mistake on the blue line allowed a member of the opposing team (Niko Reviakin who was replacing Christophe Grenon) to brake free against the goalkeeper and score, bringing victory to his team.

Having for once had the chance to watch almost the entire games, it is unquestionably the South Shore division that will have given us the most exciting confrontations of the week. Whichever one of these four teams qualifies for our first inter-divisional championship game of our history, the fans will be in on a good one  between two formations that have not played each other this season. It promises !

Later
JFD