This Week in SCOHA – Dec 13th, 2023

We lets kick things off by wishing Dale Brons best of luck as he enters the Great Christmas Light Championship. Feel bad when his neighbour realized their hydro bill is sky-high from Dale plugging into their backyard outlet…

United Division:

Oilers 9 Sharks 5: Oilers won! A few key acquisitions helped pave the way to victory along with a 4 goal and an assist effort by power forward Steve Ditta. Newcomer Tristan Graham scored a goal and added an apple in his first game as an Oil and his dad Dave played well on the blueline. For the Sharks, Joe Schulist scored a hatty and Dave “have” Mercer scored a goal and added an assist in a losing cause. Some firewagon hockey in this one, folks. A lot of Proline tickets were torn up after this game.

Bruins 6 Blackhawks 5: Get a load of this: 11 different scorers in this game and the fans were saying the same few guys are scoring all the damn time. Showed them. This game was nuttier than a porta-potty at a peanut festival. Looking at my records, 27 goals were scored in the 3 United games this past weekend, that’s insane. Goal scorers are starting to get in a groove just in time for the 2-week Christmas layoff.

Redwings 2 Flyers 0: Redwings “keeper of the cabled cabana” Brad Ballman returned from missing several weeks with a LBI (lower-body injury) and pitched a 23-save shutout as the Wings shutout the Flyers 2-0. Marco Caiella scored both goals for the Wings, who are proving to everyone that they are definite contenders for the cup in April. I don’t disagree. Flyers GM and player-coach Mike Haslam said he wasn’t too concerned over this loss and his team will be ready to play this weekend. Mike knows the game like I know lasagna.

Masters Division:

Flyers 3 Kings 2: Vince Mercuri scored the game winner with 44 ticks left to lift the Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Kings. This game had more ups and downs than the Sherman Cut but it was the Flyers who prevailed in the end. Both goalies stood on their heads for the majority of the game. Jonas Scott got the start for the guys in orange, stopping 19 shots for the W.

Blackhawks 6 Stars 5: Jolly St.Nick Miscione scored the game winner with 4:47 left in the game to help his team fly past the Stars 6-5. Darren Corneau, back in the lineup, scored a goal and added 3 assists. Darren took the game puck home and put it on top of his Christmas tree, replacing some paper angel he made back in grade 2 with macaroni’s glued all around it for wings. This Miscione kid can score goals with a black sock covering his eyes. Hopefully a clean one. Stars had two-goal performances by Warren “fables of the green” DeForest and Henri “the great” Marfisi. Stars were missing fan-favourite Al Angelone who would of rather taken in the Nutcracker for crying out loud.

Bruins 5 Sharks 3: On the eve of Gord Bryce’s 60th birthday, he assisted on the game winner as the Bruins swam past the Sharks 5-3. His neighbours came to the bar afterwards to help celebrate, nice folks. My neighbour would only come to the rink to let me know I need to cut my lawn. Anyways, oddly enough, 8 different scorers in this one, what is it with everyone lighting the lamp? Sharks Mike “12-string acoustic” Guitard has the best name in SCOHA, other than Max Pizzagrilly and Guy Shaver of course). But ya, Guitard scored a dandy in a losing cause.

Penguins 4 Redwings 4: Larry “ballroom” Litzgus and Dan McLaughlin both dropped a deuce as the Redwings and Penguins tied 4-4. The aforementioned Max Pizzagrilly scored a beauty and many were talking about t for hours upstairs in the bar over a beer and a slice of…

Well that’s all from this end of the ice. One more weekend of action before the yule break. From my experience in this league, play amps up a bit after Christmas as we prepare for the playoffs. The break is a welcome few weeks off to rest some nagging injuries and for some teams to regroup before the 2nd half. Good luck with the shopping and with your game this weekend.

Chris Marttila

SCOHA blogologist