Nordiques defeat Sharks to capture Verdi Cup!
Nordiques def Sharks 9-5
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking...buckle up for we are going to experience a hell of a ride. For what started on a quiet September evening in 2012 has ended with a bang. The MMGL finals between the first place Sharks and second place Nordiques did not disappoint. Our amazing fans were led into the game by a sneak peek game of the next generation of Mavericks. To further add to the excitement, our very own Councillor Bonnie Crombie, took time out of a very busy schedule to drop the ceremonial ball (follow @CrombieWard5). And away we go. The Sharks were without Varish Shaikh but had the team suited up and ready to go. Rajan Patel was not in attendance for the Nordiques. The Sharks came out with their regular hustle and dominated play for the opening minutes, hoping to out-hustle the Nordiques. The Nordiques were fortunate to have a lucky bounce and none other than Yusuf Ingar put them up on the scoreboard first. Nordiques’ goaltender Yasir Hussain seemed a bit shaky, as the Sharks managed to let some odd passes and weak plays trickle in. The Sharks played long shifts to keep up the offensive pressure, while the Nords kept fresh legs coming every few minutes. Nordiques were up 4-3 in the half, thanks to the stellar play of Khan, Gogna, and Ingar with just a minute to go. With an unfortunate deflection off a Zahid Panchbhaya shot, the Sharks tied the game 4-4. With 25 minutes played, fans were on the edge of their seats, and you could see each GM changing up the game plan for the second half.
On to the next one...where it seemed like two completely different teams were playing. Sharks' Mohammed Kazi took a penalty, but his team effectively killed it off. Sharks’ impenetrable goalie Uzair Baig let loose many and long rebounds, a sight uncommon in the regular season. Yasir Hussain on the other hand was on fire with an especially painful robbing of Zahid Panchbhaya. The Nordiques took advantage and their stars shone as they went up 7-4 with 12 mins left to determine the champs. The Sharks took an important timeout, and came back with a goal that stumped Nordiques' Hussain. But that was it for the Sharks. The Nordiques fought back hard, with what seemed to be pent up aggression over their regular season losses, and scored two more with Yusuf Ingar absolutely sealing the deal with a goal that defied Einstein and 400 years worth of gravitational physics. A minute thirty left to go and it's 9-5 for the team in white. GM Shoaib Khan refused to use his timeout and was determined to play the ball until the clock hit 00:00.
And that's how the cookie crumbles. A very entertaining game by two powerhouses that defined efficiency and communication this season. Tough loss for the Sharks, and many congratulations for the MMGL 2012/2013 champions, the Nordiques!! To close out the night, none other than Charlie Singh of Verdi Hall would present the cup to Shoaib Khan, whose team unanimously chose to have Yasir Hussain be the first to accept it.
Fun fact: Shoaib Khan passed on the opportunity to take the cup home so that Yasir Hussain could take it instead, presumably to rub it in little brother Muddy Hussain's face.
Note: Yusuf Ingar piled on more silverware by winning the Art Ross, Maurice Richard, and a Mavericks jersey. The Vezina trophy went to Yasir Hussain, with Jason Gogna taking Rookie of the Year. Sharks General Manager won GM of the Year.
Captain Maverick
