Week 8 Previews
Falcons Vs Nordiques @ 8:45 pm
The Falcons and Nordiques face off first this week in a game that will set the tone for the playoffs. Abu Manjra's team seems to have lost a big part of itself since their trade, and will be looking to make a point that they are not out for the count. Expect big plays from the GM himself along with workhorse Shahzad Rana. As for the Nords, coming off of a strong win will only drive them forward looking for another W. Expect another big offensive night from GM Shoaib Khan.
Jets Vs Sharks @ 9:45 pm
The Sharks and Jets face off next, which should display some very clean skillful hockey. The Sharks are coming off of a tough loss and will require all hands on deck to pull off a win against a very strong Jets team. If in attendance, expect a bigger role to be played by Abu Hafejee of the Sharks. As for the Jets, this team looks beatable only when star player Adil Patel is not present. Lock him down and have all offensive cylinders running.
Hawks Vs Bruins @ 10:45 pm
And finally the Hawks and Bruins will meet, after weeks of trash talk that should culminate in a very entertaining game. The Bruins are on a winning high after their trade and will be looking to grab another win against a Hawks team that ran out of gas last week. Expect GM Suhaib Shaikh to dictate play alongside all-star Arif Billa. As for the Hawks, both Khannats will be expected to be on top of their game if they expect to win.
Week 7 Summaries
Jets defeat Hawks 6-3
The Hawks and Jets faced off first in a game that did not live up to its offensive hype. The Jets were in control in the first half with goals from Sadik and Adil Patel. Credit goes to the Hawks for limiting them to two goals, as the game moved on into the second period 2-0 for the Jets. The Jets added two more with goals from GM Ricky Saili and defenseman Joe Bruno. With a 4-0 lead, their defense relaxed quite a bit as the Hawks took advantage scoring three goals in the period coming from Shahrukh Shah and Zabir Khannat (2). Unfortunately their comeback efforts fell short as the Jets added two more to win this one 6-3.
Bruins defeat Falcons 9-4
The next game went to the Bruins and Falcons who definitely gave the league something to talk about. Arif Billa scored his first against his former team to take the 1-0 Bruin lead, only to have Muddy Hussain and Muhammad Iqbal reclaim the lead minutes later. Billa would score another two for a first period emphatic hat trick, showing the Falcons what they let go away. Both teams tied 3-3 going into the half. The Bruins regrouped and came out strong in the second to dominate play of the game as GM Suhaib Shaikh and Billa would score for the 5-3 lead. The lone second period Falcons goal would come from GM Abu Manjra, who was full of regret as Faizan Kazi netted his first hat trick of the season to rout the Falcons 9-4.
Nordiques defeat Sharks 10-6
And finally the Nords and Sharks capped the night with an offensive beauty. The Nords struck first with a goal from Huzeifa Patel, only to be tied with a slick goal from Zahid Panchbhaya. Both teams traded goals back and forth, with both Shoaib Khan and Zahid Panchbhaya scoring a pair in the first period. Nords lead 4-3 going into the half. Taking advantage of an absent Abu Hafejee, the Nords went all out in the second and score six goals, including a 5 minute run that saw five straight netted past call up Abbas Shaikh. Nords rout the Sharks in a strong display to win it 10-6.
Week 7 Previews
Jets Vs Hawks @ 8:45 pm
The Hawks and Jets face off first this week in a game that is sure to have both goalies tested. Both teams dominated last week offensively and will be riding the wave of momentum to secure another win. The Jets boast an amazing offense that was displayed by Adil Patel, GM Ricky Saili, and Abu Patel. As for the Hawks, they boast a diverse offense in Aziz Patel, Musa Bhoola, and a few others. This one will come down to the goalies; the victor will definitely be making a strong statement for the Vezina.
Falcons Vs Bruins @ 9:45 pm
Next up, the Bruins and Falcons. This game will decide who won the trade between the two. There were bets made that taking on Kaleem Mirza as a goalie was a loss, but last week's rout of the Falcons proved otherwise. The Falcons will need to step up their defense as Abdul Manjra and Shahzad Rana clean up in the front. As for the Bruins, their offense has solidified considerably giving GM Suhaib Shaikh more freedom to control the defense. May the best team win.
Sharks Vs Nordiques @ 10:45 pm
And finally the Nords and Sharks face off in a game that will push each team to the limit as they try to grab a W. Both teams are coming off of disheartening losses and will be looking to utilize their offenses more efficiently. Be on the lookout for Rizwan Hassan who has been playing a bigger offensive role for the Nords, while the Sharks are desperately waiting for Abu Hafejee to wake up. The MMGL gurus have pointed to the Sharks to win this one, but I personally am leaning towards the Nords with stronger goaltending.
Week 6 Summaries
Bruins defeat Nordiques 5-4
The Nordiques and Bruins faced off first this week after a big trade. Things looked the same as before as Fayaz Kazi and Rizwan Hassan scored to give the Nords the 2-0 lead. New Bruin Sufyaan Kazi scored his first to put the Bruins up, but that celebration was short lived as Shoaib Khan scored to maintain a 2 goal lead. Erfan Bhanapatel would score just before the half to cut the lead down to one. The second period started with Bruin dominance as Arif Hanslod and Mohammed Kazi scored to gain the lead only to have Fayaz Kazi tie the game. With six seconds left on the clock, the hero would be newly acquired Arif Hanslod with a snipe for the highlight reel. Bruins win 6-5.
Hawks defeat Sharks 13-5
The next game was an offensive roller coaster as the Hawks and Sharks faced off at 10:00. The Hawks struck first with a pair thanks to Aziz Patel and Musa Bhoola. The Sharks' GM Syed Ahmed cut that lead to one, only before the Hawks went on the onslaught with four straight goals, once again thanks to Bhoola and Patel. Hafejee would have his lone goal before period end but the Hawks led this comfortably 7-2. Moving into the second, the Sharks looked more in control but could not keep up with the speedy legs of the Hawks as Aziz was on fire with a 6 goal night. Tough night for goalie Mohamed Bashir as the Sharks drop this one 13-5.
Jets defeat Falcons 15-8
The Jets and Falcons finished things off in a game that the Falcons would love to forget. With newly acquired goalie Abbas Shaikh, things were meant to turn around but the team provided absolutely no defense as they were rocked 6-2 in the first half. The second half domination continued as Adil Patel and company raked in multiple points and won this one 15-8. Giving credit where it is due, Abdul Manjra and Shahzad Rana both had relatively big nights. Here's to hoping they can turn things around next game.
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