2022-2023 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #21

But Mika Zibanejad quickly changes that in the 2nd as Trouba and Josi go off together for roughing. Center ice face off is won by ZBad and he acted like he was alone on the ice, just him and Vasilevskiy – and Mika won the battle as he went stick side hide to tie the game 1:20 into the 2nd – his 26th of the year. But the Brentwood skaters weren’t going away and midway through the period they regained the lead when Ehlers scores for his 17th of the year. 2-1 Brentwood and that was the score after 2.

Last period of the regular season at home and the Rangers go for broke. They dominate play, although the Bandits got 8 shots on Georgiev, there weren’t too many Scoring Chances – two to be precise. The Rangers on the other hand fired 23 shots that got to Vasilevskiy who single handedly kept the Bandits in the game – he almost stole the show. 23 shots, 9 scoring chance but did it work. Well, Georgiev did his part and stopped all 8 Brentwood shots. Then just past 6 minutes in, the Rangers win the draw in the Brentwood end. Kreider with the puck, he slides it quickly to Zibanejad who winds up for the hard 1 timer – but no, it’s sent toward Tatar who deflects it right past the outstretched Vasilevskiy for the tying goal! For Tater it was his 7th of the year. But that’s it, the game moves on from there with Vasilevskiiy bounce pucks off him or gloving them or deflecting them into the overhead netting – shot after shot, SC after SC. Looks like OT is coming but then with 28 seconds left Tavares wins the draw in the Brentwood zone. to Panarin, back to Tavares – shots – REDIRECTED by Buchnevich and into the goal for a big 3-2 lead! 28 seconds to go. #25 for Buchnevich. And then with the clock running down and 6 attackers on for the Bandits, the Rangers kill the clock and win the game 3-2! Nice way to finish the year at home.

Tough physical game, low scoring but intense.

STARS (All BGR)
3. Tatar 1 goal
2. Buchnevich 1 goal
1. Zibanejad 1 goal, 1 assist (and won 15 faceoffs!)

And Vasilevskiy gets honorable mention for his 45 stops! Imagine if he were your ordinary Joe in the net.

Early in the second, Aleksander Barkov scores his 40th goal of the season, and later in the period Claude Giroux scores to give LA a 4-2 lead after two period.

Two power play goals by Barkov in the 3rd period’s first 5 minutes extends LA’s lead to 6-2, and Shesterkin and LA’s defense finish things off and close out the 6-2 win.

Barkov has the hat trick, with William Nylander assisting on all 3 goals, and LA reaches a franchise record 119 points on the season.

LA regains the lead on a Roope Hintz PPG goal and 1:20 later, William Nylander nets his second goal of the game and 30th of the season. In the second half of the period, goals by Heiskanen and Hintz extend LA’s lead to 5-1.

After a dominant second period, LA seems to think the Bobcats will pack it in and LA can coast to victory. But 26 seconds into the 3rd, Evander Kane beats Shesterkin, and midway through the period a Tom Wilson deflection goal makes it a game at 5-3. Things settle down after that, and LA regains momentum in the last 5 minutes. They can’t score but control play at the end to finish off the game to earn the 5-3 win.

It was a big game for LA’s re-united first line, Nylander 2G-2A, Hintz 2G-1A, and Barkov 3A. Barkov and Nylander with milestone goals this week, Barkov got his 40th versus Alamo on the way to a hat trick, and Nylander scores 2 versus Bucks County to reach the 30-goal mark. Barkov with 3G-3A and Nylander 2G-5A in the two home games may warrant player of the week consideration pending the outcome of LA’s road game versus Gilbert.

Alamo 4 California 1

1-Draisaitl
2-Lehner
3-Bratt

The Bombers get two goals from Landeskok and one goal by Erikkson Elk.

Alamo 7 Flin Fon 3

1- Draisaitl
2- Landeskog
3-Crosby

Draisaitl scores 2 and 4 goals in the two games to net 6.

Jordan Eberle scores on the lone shot of the overtime to end it and has two lamplighters on the evening.

Chicago bounces back in the 2nd, dominating the period. DeBrincat gets his 2nd of the game near halftime, followed by Bunting near the end of the period. Toledo saves face with a late goal by Mangiapane to take a 4-3 lead to the locker room.

Palat ties it up just 27 seconds into the 3rd. Saad is not so sad as he puts the home team back up 4 minutes later. That guy Larkin ties this game up once again, this time its 5-5 with 11 minutes to go. Chicago gets their first lead of the game with a goal from Foligno with 5 minutes to go. The lead lasts only a minute, as Dobson with a rare goal to tie it at 6. That’s where it stays as the horn sounds and we have some free hockey.

Chicago finds a good combo in overtime, dominating SOG 4-1, with the final shot a game winner by Dubois to make the final 7-6 Chicago.

At the end of the game, both teams join in the face off circle and salute Chicago head coach Stray Corrado on his last game coaching in the MWHL as he heads off to a new career in baseball.

1st star – DeBrincat 2G
2nd – Mangiapane 2G
3rd – Larkin 1G 2pts

Not sure if there is any paint left in the visitor lockerroom, but the Griffins knocked the 0 off their side of the scoreboard. Crouse, Boqvist and Boyd all score before they run out of clock, mercifully for the Walleye as the home team slinks to the locker room clinging to the 5-3 lead.

Might need paint in both locker rooms now. Toledo responds with some defense, while getting the puck on the other side of the blue line more often. It pays off with goals by Yamamoto and Pettersson, while shutting down the Griffins, and the final is a better looking 7-3 for the home squad in the regular season home finale.

1st star – Kucherov 2G 4P
2nd – Pettersson 2G
3rd -Barrie 1G 3pts

Chicago overcomes a first period goal by McDavid to score the next 3 and defeat Bucks County