Still in the running for a prize
Last trivia question answer: Dodo
This week’s trivia question:
Which Buffalo Sabres Head Coach was given the nickname, Captain Video?
A) Ralph Krueger
B) John Muckler
C) Roger Neilson
D) Ted Sator
Answer and standings update next Tuesday!
Sweden’s sweet success
Sweden 2 – United States of America 1 Even without Awesome Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk the Americans came out and scored 35 seconds into the contest for the early 1-0 lead.
You can forgive fans for making the supposition that team USA was about to steamroll the winless Swedes, but there were six power plays and not one powerplay goal in this low scoring affair.
Officiating went with all things being equal, as the referees whistled two penalties each period, one for each team.
Technically this game meant “nothing” in regard to this tournament, except that it did, Sweden’s pride was on the line and there are players endeavoring to get noticed for the upcoming winter olympics.
And it was not as if the Americans were not playing their best although without the Tkachuk brothers (Brady injured early) and Auston Matthews there seemed to be a different…focus to the team.
Thursday is going to be an exciting finish to this 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, whichever team fans cheered for they cannot say this tournament was just an all-star fluff, no checking, play for fun style of hockey.
An open ice hit & empty net win the game
Canada 5 – Finland 3 Montreal and all of Canada held their collective breaths this afternoon as Finland quickly pulled within one goal on the strength of an extra skater with over a minute left to play.
Here along the Lake, we wholeheartedly cheer with and for our Northern Cousins successes when it comes to hockey (as long as it is not against USA), Thursday the 20th there will be no love lost between hockey’s North American powers.
The United States of America faces-off against Sweden tonight, injury update for one of the Tkachuk brothers (Matthew) with a lower body and is sitting out this game.
4 Nations played two games that produced an OT and an EN
After Finland was blown out in their first game, they came to play against Sweden a team that lost in overtime to a well-stocked Canadian team in their initial effort.
Sweden scored first but Finland responded with two goals on four shots, with one on the powerplay during the first period for the early 2-1 lead.
Then both teams reversed their scoring with Finland scoring once and Sweden twice in the second period for the 3-3 tie, 13 shots in the third period with one penalty produced no scoring.
Sweden drops their second overtime loss as Finland edged their rivals in most statistics for the game including the all-important 4-3 game winning goal.
Last night’s main attraction from the Montreal Bell Centre featured Canada versus the United States of America and it did not disappoint.
That is if you are a fan of pugilism because as soon as the game started three fights erupted over the game’s initial nine seconds, as well as over 60 hits dished out throughout the 3-1 contest.
Physicality, speed, finesse, excellent goaltending, with no penalties in the second and third periods, produced a tight well-played game that had the empty net goal scored with 1:19 remaining in the game.
The Americans took two more shots on the continued Canadian empty net, one off the post and one by Auston Matthews that was blocked.
Center Matthews as well as his NHL teammate RW Nylander on Sweden were booed each time either one of them touched the puck by the discerning Montreal crowd all day Saturday.
4 Nations Face-Off tournament halts fantasy
February 20th is the 4 NFOT championship game and after one day of rest the NHL resumes play with 14 games Saturday the 22nd, which affords an opportunity during this break to assess the fantasy hockey progress.
The current weekly matchups on pause finish this week with two more days of games Saturday and Sunday before playing the last three weeks of the current FHL season.
My roster changes weekly while I utilize the waiver wire and watch list as a personal farm club to rotate bottom half players in and out according to their recent contributions in point production.
Additionally, I have elected not to play goaltenders this entire FHL season to avoid subtracting points in weekly matchups.
FHL managers realize that netminders are a high-risk, high-reward player and should be cautiously placed on and off the bench, noting that goalies take an active roster spot even if they are not starting the game.
With a 42-point lead over my opponent it is unlikely that I will lose this weekly matchup, but nothing is 100% although this large of a comeback/collapse is near impossible.
At this point in the FHL most leagues have their top four teams set, I have clinched a playoff seeding and my current league has a four or five team spread vying for the last three playoff seedings.
All four tournament teams are playing today beginning at one o’clock this afternoon EST with Sweden and Finland followed by Canada and the United States of America.
Buffalo Winter 