Tonight is the fourth game of the Challenge Cup Finals, and tonight, ladies and gentlemen, could be a night for the history books. If the Steelhawks win tonight in front of a fired-up Calgary crowd, they will complete the sweep and take home back to back Challenge Cups. If they don't, then Calgary has a chance, however slim, to start the incredibly difficult reverse sweep. Tonight is two roads diverging in a wood: which one will we be heading down?
<div align="center">PUCK DROPS IN 45 MIN</div>
PS, so sorry for this being as late as it is, could not get it going last night no matter what I did and I wanted to do it justice.
Muerto Registered
S15, S16, S24, S34, S38 Challenge Cup Champion
First things first, YOURRRRRRRRRRRR STARTING LINEUPS!
The visiting Hamilton Steelhawks: rink-shaking booing, a grandma in the second row waving a sign that says "YOU WON LAST YEAR, HAMILTON, IT'S SOMEONE ELSE'S TURN"
At left wing, RIDER CLITSOME!
At right wing, DEAN COLT!
At center, GRIFFON SIMONS!
A defenseman, CODY BLACK!
A defenseman, JACKSON HAUKE!
And in net, JAKOB TANNER!
And the home team, ladies and gentlemen, your CALGARY DRAGONS: cheers so loud that dust falls from the rafters, someone's eating fire in the 200s, it's a madhouse!
At left wing, STEVEN JALOPSKI!
At right wing, ESA ANRIKKANEN!
At center, NICHOLAS PEDERSEN!
A defenseman, SACHIMO ZOIDBERG!
A defenseman, KRIÅ LABSVÄ€RDS!
And in goal, HUNTER WONG!
FIRST PERIOD
And we have puck drop! Simons wins the first draw, passes to Clitsome who carries it right into enemy territory. He turns to pass it but--oooh, there's the quick stick of Pedersen to snatch it away! Zoidberg passes to Anrikkanen who passes to LabsvÄrds, but LabsvÄrds' pass is intercepted by Black, snatching possession back for the Hawks.
Not for long, though--he passes to Clitsome who gives it up for LabsvÄrds a second later. Quite a game of keep away we have going on here!
lil Registered
S30, S31 and S33 Challenge Cup Champion and Brigade Leader
Posts:1,704 Threads: 113 Joined: Aug 2015 Reputation:0
Once a team is able to string together more than five seconds of possession (be proud, Steelhawks), they do manage a shot on goal, courtesy of McKeil...but it's high and wide. Ogle snatches up the rebound…
Around the top of the third minute, Hamilton get another great offensive chance with their top line on the ice: Clitsome grabs the loose puck when Colt runs over Pedersen. He passes to Colt, who drops it back for Simons who returns it to Clitsome, who SHOOTS…
...and misses the net! But that's okay, Simons is going for the rebound…
Ooooh, that's gotta hurt.
Code:
Sachimo Zoidberg (CAL) for Roughing (Minor) at 3:15
And Calgary fans agree, knowing how crucial an early penalty like this can be in establishing momentum.
lil Registered
S30, S31 and S33 Challenge Cup Champion and Brigade Leader
Posts:1,704 Threads: 113 Joined: Aug 2015 Reputation:0
Or...is it crucial? For the first minute and a half of the powerplay, the Steelhawks employ the time-honored strategy of "pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, dump it in; pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, lose possession," etc. The first actual shot of the powerplay doesn't come until near the end of the fourth minute, and it's Clitsome with the shot, it's off Grosberg...
...and it bounces just wide. Hamilton is quick to get his stick on the rebound, though, and he fires a cannon…
lil Registered
S30, S31 and S33 Challenge Cup Champion and Brigade Leader
Posts:1,704 Threads: 113 Joined: Aug 2015 Reputation:0
And that's it, the only chance. Penalty killed. With a whimper, though, not a bang. It's like Hamilton are playing with their food at this point.
It's six minutes into the period before Tanner is tested at all. Pedersen nabs the puck right out from under Simons, send some sick sauce to Jalopski, who one-times it…
...and PING, off the post. But there's a rebound! Pergher has it, and he SHOOTS…
...and misses the net. Oh, sorry, did I say Tanner was going to be tested? I mean, he had to stand up and act like a goalie for a few seconds, not actually do anything. At this point, that counts.