Sockeyes Attract Record Numbers

As much as the Sockeyes were looking to wrap-up the series pulling off a win in game four given that they were holding a three-nothing series lead outshooting the Steelers by a commanding 144-66 in shots the Steelers were no match for the lead-leading Sockeyes.

Any seven game series can be an up-hill  battle for any team but considering that they outscored them by 126 goals game four would promise to be dominated by the home town Sockeyes, which it clearly was.

This contest saw Sockeyes Teo Lin netted his first of the playoffs albeit shorthanded opening the scoring at 4:57 in the first taking control followed by the first of the play-offs off the stick of Beaudy Beaudin at 7:29 with the man advantage.

Richmond continues to dominate shots from all areas of the ice outshooting the Steelers 13-5 after twenty minutes with the team trading  minors in a game that saw the Steelers assessed four minors to the Sockeyes eight.

From there it was the Sockeyes who not only took control, maintaining control with David Yoon grabbing their first goal of the play-offs at 8:27 which would be the final of the game giving the Sockeyes a 3-0 game four win.

The win would eliminate the Steelers from advancing to the  second round of the play-offs, setting up a play-off series between the Sockeyes and the Langley Trappers who eliminated the Chilliwack Jets in five games.

The second round would see the first place Sockeyes (44 wins, 5 losses for 88 points) face the sixth place Langley Trappers who finished with a record of 19 wins, 27 losses, 1 O/T loss, 2 shoot-out losses with 41 points.

Given the above record you would think the series would be a four game sweep or so you would think with the series kicking off in Richmond who came out with more jumps than a youngster on a trampoline on spring break. 

Any play-off series regardless of league is played at the liberty of the team finishing with the most points at season’s end which saw game one played Monday March 9th in Richmond.

The Sockeyes continued to dominate the scoring that saw Joshua Mytton open the scoring at 3:45 of the first for the early lead opening the scoring with Jayden Shirk getting the lone assist.

Given the discrepancy in the standing it was Captain Teo Lin (5th) giving the Sockeyes the 2-0 lead at 8:19 with helpers from Quinn Orr and Jonathan Zhang.

Richmond controlled the first until 18:29 when Langley’s Mason Begg with helpers to Campbell and Toma saw the Sockeyes outshoot the Trappers by  16-7 after twenty minutes.

The second saw the Trappers come out with more “jump” in a period that saw each team have several close in chances with Bryce Strandt (1st) getting the lone goal of the period at 19:41 that ended with the Sockeyes holding a 11-9 lead in shots.

Regardless of the score the third saw the Sockeyes send a pair past Trappers “tender” Beckham Brossard who was tested from various areas of the ice turning several aside unable to get any past Haden Heide who turned aside 25 of the 26 he faced.

The third was more aggressive than the first two considering the frustration was clearly getting the better of the Trappers in a penalty filled period forcing the officials to make several penalty calls to each team.

The Sockeyes managed to finish holding a one game series lead getting set to host game two on a regular Thursday night game at the Fish Tank with the face-off set for 7 pm.

Game two wasn’t as chippy as game one with each team “testing” each tender in a contest that saw the Trappers turn several attacking players shots aside from all areas of the ice forcing each “tender” to pull off some remarkable saves.

Sockeye’s Michael McIntyre opened the scoring at 13:54 while on the PP setting up a goal that held until the third that saw Nick Kovich (3rd) hammer one past Beckham Brossard at 3:58 giving them a 2-0 lead.

Given the consistent play of Trappers Beckham Brossard he was the one that kept the Sockeyes off the scoreboard until the 19:57 mark that saw Trappers Karsen O’Brien get a PP marker which otherwise would have been a shutout for Sockeyes Haden Heide.

Given the dominating play of the Sockeyes they were heading to Langley holding a two game lead into game three but as we all know over confidence can be a detriment for any team considering the home team’s fan base plays a key role in the outcome.

Over the season both the Tappers and the Sockeyes have relied on the solid play of their “tenders” who have pulled out wins for each team knowing that neither team would be changing goalies.

Fans play a key role in the success of any team but game three saw Sockeyes Beaudy Beaudin (3rd) open the scoring for the Sockeyes three minutes in managing to hold the lead until Trappers Bryson Patkau got them even at 13:38 in a period that the Trappers outshoot the visiting Sockeyes by a narrow 12-11 margin.

Langley managed to take a “short-lived” lead with Molidema getting a PP goal at 8:25 followed by Sockeyes Captain Teo Lin get a short-handed goal at 8:31 – six seconds later tying the game at two.

The second again saw the Trappers dominate the shot finishing the second outshooting the visiting Sockeyes by a 16-9 margin in a game that saw a tight checking third with neither team managing to capitalize in the goal department.

Shots after three saw the Trappers finish with 31 shots while Richmond managed 27 after sixty minutes heading to O/T that saw the Sockeyes run into penalty trouble that set up a PP marker that got the Trappers back in the series albeit trailing 2-1.

Having their backs to the wall isn’t something that the Sockeyes are used to given their impressive record this season noting that Teo Lin opened the scoring at 9:24 again on the PP which seemed to be a confidence builder.

Sockeye’s Dylan Nazareth put the visitors up 2-0  getting his first of the playoffs that saw Richmond narrowly outshoot the Trappers by a 8-7 in a period that saw the teams trade penalties with all pressure on the Trappers.

The second saw the Sockeyes manage to get more shots on goal sending 12 directed at Brossard while the Trappers only managed 8 at Sockeyes Heide that saw neither team score until the 19:37 mark when Langley took the lead heading to the dressing room after forty minutes.

The Sockeyes found themselves in penalty trouble in the third as the Trappers pressed, knowing that they never wanted to go down 3-1 in the series.

Langley managed a pair of goals in the third with Esmail getting not only his first but also the first of the period tying the game at two followed by a PP marker at 17:52 with Patkau rounding out the scoring for the final goal of the game giving the Trappers a 3-2 win. 

The Sockeye head home looking to grab a 3-2 series lead March 17th in hopes that St. Patricks Day will bring some Irish luck their way with the face-off set for 7 pm.