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Playoff Preview: Championship Game

Fresh Kills Is Not Intimidated By Mike’s Canadian Scowl

#7 What The Puck (12-5-1-2) at #2 Fresh Kills (14-4-2)
Location: Tompkins West, 4:00 PM
All-Time Series: What The Puck leads 9-8-1
2011 Result: Week 1 – Fresh Kills 3, What The Puck 2 (OT-SO); Week 8 – Fresh Kills 3, What The Puck 0
Game Notes: At the beginning of the 2011 season, picking What The Puck to reach the championship game was a no-brainer.  Larry “Mad Dog” Zimmer had just concluded an off-season shopping spree, pillaging the Rehabs of goaltender Anthony Romeo and forwards Brock Bosacker, Alex Doucette, and “The All-American Canadian” Adam Skuse.  Zimmer’s grand plan to ambush BTSH with his all-star squad was working to perfection through the spring, as What The Puck jumped out to an 8-1-0-1 record through ten games.  However, once the calendar turned to summer, injuries and lackluster attendance began to deplete Zimmer’s charges, and his Orange Juggernaut stumbled to a 1-4-1-1 finish, scoring an uncharacteristically low 11 goals in this seven game stretch.  Once the playoffs began, however, What The Puck returned to the form everyone expected to see, and the team dispatched the Sky Fighters, Denim Demons, and Butchers, allowing just one goal in each game.  What The Puck’s opponent in the championship game, Fresh Kills, is a familiar foe.  The two teams are meeting in the postseason for the fourth time since 2006, and as members of the Hackett Division, they faced off twice this season.  Captain David Sokolyansky, armed with a much smaller budget than Zimmer’s, took an alternate route to building his squad, preferring to add undervalued free agents and players other teams viewed as flawed.  This haul included Scott Lee, who was cast aside by the Mathematics because of his inability to finish.  Sokolyansky’s philosophy paid off, as Fresh Kills performed consistently throughout the season and claimed the Hackett Division crown on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.  However, all of this hard work was almost undone in the opening round of the playoffs, when Fresh Kills was extended to a shootout before putting away Mega Touch.  The next two rounds proceeded more like the regular season, as Sokolyansky’s bunch used stifling defense and opportunistic offense to eliminate the Dark Rainbows and defending champion Happy Little Elves.  Entering the finals, Fresh Kills now seems to have all signs pointing in its favor, as Sokolyanksy and his crew are the higher seed and swept What The Puck in the season series.  However, Zimmer is known for pulling rabbits out of hats throughout his illustrious BTSH tenure and may have one more trick up his sleeve.

Keys To The Game For What The Puck:
1. In last week’s semifinal against the pesky Butchers, Hannah Stark delivered in the clutch and scored the game-winning goal with 1:30 remaining in regulation.  What The Puck will once again turn to her to rise to the challenge in this pressure-filled matchup.
2. Goaltender Anthony Romeo continued his postseason success in last week’s semifinal, as he allowed just one goal for the third consecutive week.  This has come after a regular season rife with attendance issues and mediocrity for the centerpiece of What The Puck’s offseason acquisitions.  However, Zimmer is not surprised, as his master plan all along was to rest his top goalie from the wear and tear of the Indian summer, allowing Romeo to be fresh and healthy for the playoffs.
3. Grizzled veteran Tom MacDonald has had a bit of a chip on his shoulder after Zimmer cut him just prior to the playoffs in order to clear roster space for Brock Bosacker.  However, after Bosacker’s ship lost communication somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, Zimmer resigned MacDonald one day after his release.  MacDonald noted that he understood Zimmer’s initial decision, but he is now determined to prove he belongs on the playoff squad.  He had one goal in last week’s semifinal.
Keys To The Game For Fresh Kills:
1. Without the presence of last season’s leading scorer, Justin “The Boss” Ross, there has been a team-wide effort to fill his offensive void.  As a result, in Fresh Kills’ three playoff games, nine different players have combined for the team’s 12 goals.    Sokolyansky boasts that his team is particularly dangerous, because any line can score at any time.
2. After finishing the regular season with the fourth best GAA among qualifying goalies in BTSH, Patrick Barch has been a steady force between the pipes in the playoffs.  He has allowed just four goals in Fresh Kills’ three games, including a shutout of the Dark Rainbows.  In addition, Barch seems to have a cosmic connection with his favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose results have mirrored those of Fresh Kills since the start of the playoffs.  In other words, if Fresh Kills wins on Sunday, look for the Steelers to upset the Patriots.
3. As a special treat to motivate his team, Sokolyanksy had intended to bring back former Fresh Kills captain “Hollywood” Jeff Lesser to give a rousing pre-game pep talk.  However, in finalizing the details, Dave’s brother Mike repeatedly called Lesser by his given name, rather than “Hollywood,” as Lesser prefers.  These gaffes offended Lesser so much that he will no longer be attending.  Instead, the team will receive a pre-game pep talk via satellite from former Notre Dame head coach, Lou Holtz.
Rich Glanzer’s Thoughts: If this game was played from June to August, Fresh Kills would be five goal favorites. But WTP has come from their now-annual summer swoon to the championship game. Fresh Kills has had one goal all year: not just to make this game, but to win it. Talent-wise, What The Puck has the better men, and FK has the better women. Goalies are pretty much equal. I say this game comes down to who wants it more, and I gotta believe Fresh Kills does. I see a tight defensive game where Fresh Kills grabs a 2-0 lead, WTP scores early in the 2nd half, and FK adds one more late. 3-1 Fresh Kills.
Eli’s Pick: Fresh Kills.  It’s worth noting that my history of correctly picking the championship game is extremely suspect, but the Corlears Hookers are not in it this year.
Derek’s Pick: What The Puck.  Dave Sokolyansky seems to think his team plays better when I pick against them.  As such, if Fresh Kills wins, it’s because my pick helped them out.  If WTP wins, I knew it all along.
Watchability: 5 Mr. Skuses.  This game is so big they’ll be listening to a live feed all the way to Cobourg, Ontario.

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