SJ.com Penalty Box fantasy-hockey league

It looks like we've got an upset and a thriller in the semifinals.

Not Poodle!! has a 12-5 lead entering Sunday trying to hold on for the upset of regular-season champion TheCrosbyShow.

It the semifinal for my Stormin' Canes against the Charlestown Chiefs, I've got a 9-8 lead entering Sunday.

We both have a forward and two defensemen playing today. If the Chiefs get a game-winning goal without the Canes getting one, that would tie the score. The Chiefs currently have a 13-12 edge in goals scored, which is the tiebreaker. So obviously it could go either way.

Thank goodness for the NHL schedule. I was all set to play Brodeur and Gerber on Saturday night until the Chiefs' Theodore got lit up in an afternoon game to give me leads of .891-.871 in save percentage and 2.53-2.87 in GAA. At that point, the Chiefs had no more goalies to play this week and I led in losses 2-3.

Another big break for me is that the Chiefs' best goalie, Lundquist didn't play all weekend. He was benched on Friday and the Rangers didn't have games on Saturday or Sunday.

I thought the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes didn't play all weekend would hurt me because I have three Carolina skaters. It certainly still could.

With leads in 3 of the 5 goalie categories that could go away with bad games from Brodeur and Gerber, I benched all my goalies late Saturday afternoon. With a 3-1 wins deficit, the only way I could gain was if both won to tie that category and/or if one got a shutout.

Had I played them, I definitely would have sealed a loss. Brodeur gave up four goals in a 7-1 loss to Pittsburgh and Gerber gave up five goals in a 5-4 loss to Toronto. Had the Colorado game been scheduled for Saturday night, I would have played both of them because I trailed in GAA and save percentage entering Saturday.

 

It's my Stormin' Canes and Not Poodle!!! in the two-week championship game. We split the two meetings during the regular season.

My team won by a deceiving score of 11-6. The game was very much in doubt until the Blackhawks-Blues game was over on Sunday. Not Poodle!!! knocked off regular-season champion TheCrosbyShow 12-4.

 

Bring it.

Actually, I am amazed I have made it this far. Good luck the next two weeks.

 

Congrats to 93Devil's Not Poodle!!!, which kicked around the ice my Stormin' Canes in the championship game 12-2 to claim the league title. His team was the No. 4 seed and knocked off the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to win the title. The Charlestown Chiefs claimed third with a 12-6 win over TheCrosbyShow in the consolation game.

 

I guess working the waiver wire and keeping the active skaters on the ice paid off.

Being "smart" enough to draft Ovechkin, Gonchar and Datsyuk didn't hurt either.

I think my goalies (Nabokov, Vokoun and Leclaire) gave me a nice edge all season as well.

I look forward to defending this title next season.