NM Semi Game 5 Postgame: Braves/Nitehawks

 (BV wins series 4-1)

Game 1: Braves 3 - Nitehawks 6
Game 2: Braves 3 - Nitehawks 4  OT
Game 3: Nitehawks 7 - Braves 3
Game 4: Nitehawks 2 - Braves 3
Game 5: Braves 2 - Nitehawks 7


Games 3 and 4 were played in Spokane on Monday and Tuesday, so I was unable to attend but will give a quick breakdown.

Game 3: After being outshot badly in game 2, BV went on a tear and doubled up on Spokane monday night out shooting them 60-31! The first period was relatively even with the score 2-2 after 20 minutes and shots favoring BV 13-12. Goals by Martin and Calvin sandwiched SPO goals by Farmer and Dippolito. Period 2 was the beginning of the rout as BV collected 3 more goals to their 1 and out shot them 25-13. Johnson on a solo pp goal looked to be the only tally until less than 5 mins left and then it was 2 in :31 secs from Nims and Flanagan. Machuga answered :26 after that and it was 5-3 after 2. It was all BV in the 3rd with Martin collecting 2 more for the hatty and BV tossed 22 more pucks at Amatto to a paltry 6 in Perehudoffs direction for a 7-3 win and 3-0 series lead.

Game 4: Feeling superhuman after game 3, BV carried on the barrage of rubber towards Amatto scoring in the first minute on another Martin goal. SPO managed 2 goals in the first from Machuga and Farmer to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. BV scored the only 2nd period goal late from Flanagan while continuing the shot onslaught. Amatto stole the show in the third as BV blasted him for 21 shots but was equal to all tasks while Tappe managed to sneak one of Spokanes 9 past Vlanich for the lead and eventual win.

Normally, Im the one to mention officiating, but since I was unable to make the games I could say nothing about it. The reports I got back from several people that took in the games was less than surprising and pretty much on par for the Nitehawks season. Apparently, officials were atrocious, and even more so in game 3. Like I said, these were independent reports that were passed along to me by several people and are not my descriptions. I have only changed the language that was used IN those reports...lol.

Enough, on to game 5 back here in BV!!

Nitehawks started the game without GM/Head Coach, Terry Jones. Why, you ask? Well, back to the previous topic of officiating, apparently it was bad enough to finally get to quite probably the classiest coach in all KIJHL. As a result, he was not allowed to sit behind the bench and had to take a birds eye view from the Hawks exec box. I wouldnt have wanted to be in there after watching the nasty game that was NOT called tonight!! The first period was mainly controlled by BV with the majority of play in the Spokane zone, yet somehow Spokane out shot BV 11-10 in a scoreless 20 minutes.

Spokane came out in the 2nd and looked like they wanted to take the play to BV and 1:02 in, did just that. Davis made it 1-0 Braves and Hawks fans were bracing for the worst. Cue up Nitehawks captain Chris Derochie! The CCR line gets BV back into it with a sweet inside-outside-backinside play from Deroch who dished it off to the 'Phenom' only to have it bounce back to him and into the back of the net it goes. Spear jumps on a loose puck to give BV its first lead of the game at 11:39, but Spokane would tie it up 4 mins later after Perehudoff made a great save but the puck bounced back out to the open side and Machuga just slips it in past an outstretched glove. Josh Peters gave BV the lead, after him, Baines and Boyczuk dominated on the boards, with 2:34 left and then that all important shift after a goal gets another one :31 seconds later and BV is now up 4-2 after 2. The Nitehawks frustration level towards the blatant missed calls started to rise near the end of the second and for good reason. High-sticks to the mouth, x-checks to the face, and even full blown muggings along the boards were completely ignored. They did, however, manage to hold their composure.

The third proved to be almost a reward for their patience and the complete undoing of the Spokane Braves. The first 10 minutes were back and forth with good chances on both sides. The Niminiken goal just before the midpoint was that proverbial "straw" that collapsed the house the Braves built. Dippolito, along with 2 others, full on attacked Collins at the Braves bench. Peters was the first to respond and refused the offer to fight with Dippolito (that woulda been a good tilt). After all was said and done, Dippolito was tossed with 2 for Illegal Hit to Head, 2 for Instigating, 5 for Fighting and a 10 min misconduct. Peters received 4 mins for roughing and so BV comes out with a 5 minute pp. Just over a minute in, and Spokane pulls off another multi-man mugging. This time its Farmer and Thurston who single out Spear. Before Thurston is escorted, he tries to pick a beef with Deroch, who absorbs it with a smile and skates away. Farmer gets a 10 min, while Spear and Thurston get 10 + 2 for roughing each. Again, less than 1 minute later, K.Redding attacks BV(didnt see who...sry) with a x-check to the head(5-min), a slash(2-min), and a game misconduct. At this point, BV still had 3:48 left in their original major pp and and now get to finish that time 5 on 3.Also, with only 6:55 remaining, they would be on the pp for the remainder of the game as Redding received 7 mins total on that scrum. Lashuk would take them off the 5 on 3 with a x-check of his own and McKinnon would bury a point shot while 4 on 3 to make it 6-2 with 5 mins left and BV still on the pp. Trevor Noldin did the smart defensive thing by giving the goalie his stick when it was knocked away from him. Then he turned around and did the most boneheaded thing he could do, pick up the goalies stick and play the puck. ref called that one immediately and once again BV has a 5-3 for 2 mins. Just content to control the play, BV kept it to the outside for the most part, but Johnson netts his 2nd of the night with :35 left to play and BV dispatches Spokane 7-2 to take the series win 4-1.

Game Stars:

BV - Chris Derochie 1G 1A - took control on the ice and his team followed
BV - Zach Perehudoff  31/33
SB - Branden Amatto  45/52 - kept SPO in the series and this game till midpoint of 2nd

I will say little about the officiating other than this, I thought we were trying to teach these kids to play the game properly, not to become goons by allowing them to get away with stuff until the game gets out of hand and the ref has to then get serious. BV is not an "angel" team and do have their fair share of infractions, but I believe they are one of the "cleanest" teams in this league. When they come up against a team like they did tonight who, granted, were fighting for survival, but also were allowed to do it in a fashion I thought was only restricted to the Nitehawks next playoff opponent, I wonder where the mentality of these officials stand.