Playoffs
Semi-Finals
Bruins defeat Hawks 10-8
The Bruins and Hawks took to the stage in the semis and put on a hell of a show for our fans. The Hawks were the league favorite destined to win it all, and it showed in the opening minutes with two early goals from Umar Panchbhaya. The Bruins could not have come this far to lose, and pushed back with a goal from GM Suhaib Shaikh, who championed his team with heart, hustle, and heroics. The Hawks pushed yet again with a pair of goals, this time from Rahman Rana and Panchbhaya's completed hat trick. Leading 4-1 going into the second period, this was sure to be a blow out and why the hell not? The President's trophy winners were firing at will, with a pair of goals from Rana again in the second period. But the Bruin Gang regrouped and mounted what would be nothing short of an epic comeback. Mhajor Gill and Shahrukh Shah would score back to back to bring it within one, and minutes later, Safwaan Patel would be the hero that ties it with a pair of his own. Hawks' netminder Ridwaan Khanji was feeling the pressure as his defense was beginning to collapse around him, while the Bruins' goalie AK had a new aura of confidence around him. Gill and Shah would strike yet again to claim the two goal lead with 8:51 left in play, and you could begin to see the fear pass over the Hawks bench. Umar Panchbhaya would lay it all down for his team with a late goal at 2:32 to give his team some momentum, but Shaikh and company were absolutely pristine in shutting them down. Gill and Shah would have the last laugh as they combined for the last three goals to win this game 10-8 and pave the way for the Cinderella story to continue. Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in 10 seasons, the Bruins are going to the big dance! A huge disappointment for the Hawks, who were by far the best team on paper this season. Everything you thought you knew is now questionable, watch out for #BruinGang at the MMGL Verdi Cup Finals!
Sharks defeat Nordiques 8-5
The Sharks and Nords went at it next to determine who would have the honour of facing the finalist Bruins. The Sharks had an abysmal season to say the least, and were ready to prove all critics wrong. The Sharks struck first with a goal from rookie Abraar Gangat. Following suit, the Nords scored twice with goals from Shoaib Rangrez and Syed Ahmed. To finish the first period and start the second, the Sharks offense came alive with goals from Musa Bhoola and Sadik Patel for the 3-2 lead. Both teams traded goals back and forth, but goaltender Kaleem Mirza would emerge as the hero, playing what turned out to be the biggest game of the season for him. The Sharks locked in on the Nords vulnerable defense and scored three straight over a two minute span thanks to Ismail Patel and Sadik Patel (2). A late lone goal from GM Syed Ahmed was not enough to rally a comeback as the Sharks sealed the deal with the final two goals of the game, winning in emphatic fashion 8-5. I can't believe my eyes, the Sharks and Bruins are both in the MMGL Finals! Neither team has ever won a championship, so it's safe to say MMGL will never be the same again.
Semi-Finals
Bruins vs Hawks @ 8:45pm
The Hawks and Bruins will kick off our semi-finals this week with the number one team pitted against the underdog last place team. The Bruins have come off an exhilarating win last week and have the support of all the fans. Expect goalie Mohammed AK to stand tall for the Bruins, while the Hawks squad will look to their goal scorers to win it for them. Do not expect an easy win for either team, as they have their own reasons to fight till the very end.
Sharks vs Nordiques @ 9:45pm
The Nordiques and Sharks will face off next, knowing at this point who their opponent will be for the Finals. The Nords have had a consistent season of success, led by Syed Ahmed and strong goaltending. As for the Sharks, it was always assumed they would shine during the playoffs when it mattered the most, and this seems to be true. I will resist calling this game one way or the other, given the uncertainty of the Sharks to adapt to success.
Quarter Finals
Bruins defeat Falcons 8-7
The Bruins and Falcons faced off in a hell of a game! The Falcons came in as the expected winner of this contest, showing their strength with three goals to start the game, including a pair from Sufyani Kazi. The Bruins took a while to get into the game and had to slowly chip away at the lead with big help from Shahrukh Shah for a pair of goals. The first period ended 5-3 in favour of the Falcons; Kazi having scored 4 goals already. Mhajor Gill would finally wake up from his slumber in the second with his first goal of the night to cut the lead down to one. Yusuf Ingar would one up him seconds later to keep the two-goal buffer. Goalie Mohammed Ingar would soon meet his match as the Bruins managed to net three straight to claim the one goal lead with 7:26 left in play thanks to a goal from none other than Abdul Hamid Kazi himself! Who says playoff hockey isn't fun? Try as they might, the Falcons all of a sudden seemed to be facing a wall against netminder Mohammed AK. The attitude in the crowd had completely changed with all support going towards the Bruins and their saviour Kazi. GM Abdul Manjra played it smart and called a timeout, regrouping the Falcons and coming out hard immediately after. The Bruins were blanked, thankful that their goalie AK could keep them from a late game collapse. With 2:12 left on the clock, the young Kazi prodigy Zaheer Kazi would tie it for the Falcons! With time ticking down every so quickly, this game looked destined for overtime, but the man of the Bruins season Mhajor Gill would have his cake with a goal at 1:01. The Bruins led 8-7, fending off every last Falcons advance and celebrating like there was no tomorrow as the clock hit zero. The Bruins knocked out one of the strongest teams in the league and are determined to see their Cinderella story to the end. Next up for the #BruinGang, the Hawks!
Sharks defeat Jets 9-5
The Sharks and Jets faced off next in a game that would see one team heavily disappointed at the end. The Jets struck first with a goal from Zahid Panchbhaya, only to have his efforts negated with a four goal first period from Zakaria Manjra (2) and company. With a 4-1 lead going into the second, the Sharks were easily in control and were standing tall with netminder Kaleem Mirza. Fayaz Bhayat on the other hand, has seen better days. The Sharks kept pushing as the ball dropped in the second with goals from Aziz and Moin Patel to grab the 6-1 lead. The Jets got their pistons firing far too late in the game to be a real threat, even though they saw some very distributed scoring all around. The Sharks kept pressing and doubled every effort against them with goals from Sadik Patel and Musa Bhoola to seal the deal. Sharks win this one 9-5, leaving the Jets to wonder what in their consistent winning formula went haywire this season. The Sharks will look to face the Nords this week.
Week 10 Summaries
Sharks defeat Bruins 9-4
The Sharks and Bruins faced off in the last game of the season, with the Sharks starting strong. They scored three straight thanks to Abraar Gangat (2) and Musa Bhoola. The Bruins rid themselves of the goose egg with a goal at 8:10 from Suhaib Shaikh, but it did no good as the Sharks' Aziz Patel would score a first period hat trick for the 6-1 lead. The second period saw more of Patel's dominant play, with the Sharks easily winning this one 9-4. The win put the Sharks in second from the bottom, while also displaying some strong goaltending from Kaleem Mirza. The Bruins finish last and will have an uphill battle to fight this playoff season.
Nordiques defeat Jets 7-4
The Jets and Nords faced off next with both teams almost neck and neck for the first 30 minutes of play. The Nords had two goals from Shoaib Rangrez in the first, while the Jets had distributed scoring, all tied at 3 each at the 15 minute mark in the second period. As the clock began to tick down, the Nordiques pulled away as netminder Mohamed Bashir stood tall against a lacklustre Jets' offense. Maaz Panchbhaya would score his second of the night, followed by Syed Ahmed for the game winner. Nords win 7-4, finishing a strong second in the standings while the Jets settle for fourth.
Hawks defeat Falcons 11-7
The Falcons and Hawks played our last game of the season, with the Falcons pushing for an upset win. Both teams were even to start, seeing goals going back and forth. The Hawks had the slight edge in the first period thanks to a Jr Rana hat trick, finishing 5-3. The second period is where they really pulled away, scoring 4 goals over a three minute span, featuring a pair from Umaar Panchbhaya. Two late game goals from the Falcons would be without value as the Hawks effectively won this one 11-7, clinching the President's trophy. The Falcons finish an even 5-5 for third place in the standings. Playoffs to commence this week.
Week 10 Previews
Bruins vs Sharks @ 8:45pm
As we roll into the last week of regular season play, the Bruins and Sharks will battle it out first. The Sharks are, according to some analysts, the sleeper pick for the playoffs as they have a lot of potential bottled up. As for the Bruins, a solid team with a top rated goalie will go a long way. Expect both teams to put on a display of strength this week.
Nordiques vs Jets @ 9:45pm
The Jets and Nords will face off next, with the Nords having the potential to take over the top spot. Expect the same skilled play from the Nords, although I would be cautious not to rule out the Jets. They have shown some serious gains in points over the last few weeks despite an early season slump.
Hawks vs Falcons @ 10:45pm
The Hawks and Falcons will cap the night off with our final game of the regular season. If the Nords win, you can expect a very strong effort from the Hawks to remain #1, while a loss may prompt them to play a slower game, allowing the Falcons to retain the number 3 spot. So many different outcomes, so many variables, you gotta come out and watch this one till the end.
Week 9 Summaries
Jets defeat Bruins 8-7 SO
The Bruins and Jets kicked things off in a game that showed the true spirit of the MMGL. With both teams sitting in the bottom half of the standings, being forced into a corner brought out the best in them. The Bruins struck first with a goal from Mhajor Gill. The Jets' Ricky Saili would tie it up before both teams would go on to score another pair, bringing them to a 3-3 standstill at the half. The second half saw the Bruins score three straight, including a pair from Shahrukh Shah for what looked like a solid lead to win. The Jets would not take no for an answer and regain a one goal lead with 1:47 left to play. With all pistons firing, Bruins main man Gill would tie it up and send this game to a shootout, which would eventually be won by none other than Zahid Panchbhaya. Jets win this one 8-7.
Hawks defeat Nordiques 7-6 SO
The Hawks and Nords put on a hell of a show as the powerhouses went head to head. The Hawks managed to get a win the last time the teams met, with a 5-4 nail biter win. They struck first with a goal from Jr. Rana, who has been an absolute force this season. The Nords would not sit back and take this, scoring two thanks to Syed Ahmed and Faizan Kazi. Both teams were tit for tat, ending the period with a tie score of 3-3. The second period saw more of the same skilled play, with both goalies being tested from all angles. Back to back Nords goals would give them the 6-4 lead with 10:45 left in play. Hawks' netminder Ridwaan Khanji would not allow anymore as his team pushed back; Jr. Rana being the hero with a pair of goals to force this game to a shootout. The Hawks would walk away eventual winners, 7-6, knowing full well first place is still up for grabs.
Sharks defeat Falcons 13-5
The last place Sharks took on the Falcons in a game that no one could have predicted, much like an orange-faced internet troll winning presidency. The Falcons struck first with a goal from Yusuf Ingar, followed by a barrage of Sharks goals that seemed unreal. Netminder Kaleem Mirza kept his cool as the Sharks would net 7 straight first period goals. Musa Bhoola had a hat trick while Aziz Patel would net a pair. The Falcons regained some ground with a trio of goals to settle the first period 7-4. The second period saw more Sharks dominance as Ismail Patel and Zak Manjra came alive with a handful of goals to rout the Falcons 13-5, sending a very strong message close to playoff season.
Week 9 Previews
Bruins vs Jets @ 8:45pm
The Bruins and Jets will face off in a game that will have a strong impact on either team's confidence for the playoffs. The Jets are definitely beginning to look like the team they are on paper, while the Bruins just cannot seem to get it together. With the way the trend has been growing, pundits are expecting the Jets to walk away with a win. That leaves GM Suhaib Shaikh to rise to the task and prove them wrong.
Nordiques vs Hawks @ 9:45pm
The Nords and Hawks face off next in our game of the night. With a win, the Hawks will maintain first place, while a loss can help the Nords grab the top spot. Expect GM Syed Ahmed to step up and bring his A team while the Hawks are expected to go heavy on defence. There will be a lot of back and forth, so stay put and watch till the clock hits 0.
Sharks vs Falcons @ 10:45pm
And finally, the Sharks will take on the Falcons to cap off the night. The last place Sharks will be trying to save face on the season while the Falcons have a lot to play for. Giving them a win with a week left to play would help boost their rankings. Expect the Sharks to put up a strong fight as they are still in contention for playoffs
