Seven Days in Hell

It was four months ago that we began this journey, seeking after a simple prize: Lord Stanley's Cup. And now, here we are, in the finals. We are on the road for four games this series and we're facing the #1 team in the East, two things that we have struggled against this season. In fact, we lost both of our regular season match-ups with the Maple Leafs. This is going to be rough. I'm not exactly confident and would not be surprised if we got swept here. Nevertheless! The show must go on.

And on that note, Stickup says he is good to go. 

Game 1

The first period is a period of nerves. Interestingly, though, the nerves are all on the home Maple Leafs. We get five power plays in the opening 12 minutes of the game. And on the fifth.

Kashuno makes them pay. Poque retrieved the puck deep in the attacking end, gave it to Leatherman, and FL found Kashuno. 1-0 early and I just screamed in my hotel room. 

A few minutes later and the Maple Leafs have a good go at it. Fisk blasts the puck away, PMom picks it up, and

Finds Moat to give us the 2-0 lead. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Ok, ok, it's way too early to be getting excited. 

Near the end of the first, we get our sixth power play

AND KASHUNO SCORES ON THE COUNTERATTACK. WE'RE UP 3-0 IN THE FIRST PERIOD. WHAT IS HAPPENING???????????

The second period starts with a little action back and forth. We get a powerplay and attack quickly but their goalie covers it up. Face-off happens at the SEGA logo in front of their goal. It comes out to Snooze Cruise, who passes it in the mixer

AND MURMUR TWIN TOUCHES IT TO FISK WHO BURIES IT. The dashed lines are where the puck went and the solid arrow is where Fisk actually scored it from. IT'S 4-0 EARLY IN THE SECOND PERIOD. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. That's the score going into the third.

All good things must come to an end, though, and with a little over six minutes to play they score from a ridiculous place.

The arrow shows where he was when he shot. 4-1, and all of a sudden I'm ridiculously nervous. Luckily, that's how it ends.

I'm still not sure what I just witnessed. We outshot them 31-20. We were given 11 powerplays and only gave up one. We were sin binned for 2 minutes vs their 32 minutes of penalties. We had 12 takeaways to their 5. I... wow. What a complete performance.

Additionally: Podima is back. So... having just won a game 4-1... do I slot Podima back in, or do I let things ride?

Game 2, Scumhunters lead series 1-0

I decide to play Podima. 

Immediately I regret my decision. Podima turns the puck over just under five minutes into the game, and quickly the Maple Leafs attack the other way and score. We're trailing for the first time in the series, 1-0. 

Apologies for missing them, but we concede a second and then Moat scores (Fisk/Pod assisting), so down 2-1 going into the third.

AND IMMEDIATELY FROM THE FACEOFF, POQUE TO BUSB TO PMUSH TO TIE IT 2-2

The third passes without much more, until about 7 minutes left. We get a power play and collect the puck deep in our end. Murmur Twin quickly plays it out to PMom, to Fisk,

AND WE'RE UP 3-2 LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With just over two minutes to go though Birdstrike cant hold onto a shot and spills it and it's scooped in by the Maple Leafs. 3-3. To OT we go.

There are a lot of nervous moments. The Maple Leafs put us under siege and nearly score multiple times. I think OT is a little buggy because once again it just decided a winner.

BUT IT WAS US AGAIN! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm fairly sure this is the first time we've been up 2 games on anyway the whole playoffs. Podima, despite me being grumpy with him, was awarded a silver for his play here (Poque gold and PMush bronze). Wow. Y'all... I'm so excited.

Game 3, Scumhunters lead series 2-0

The first period is mostly quiet until the dying moments. Fisk passes out to Moat, who exchanges passes with PMom

And then Moat scores the first home goal of the finals for the Scumhunters. 1-0 going into the second.

Toward the end of the second, the Maple Leafs #8 hides out behind goal while basically everyone else line changes. Fisk comes bolting in after him, leaving him no choice but to try to pass it out.

The orange is Fisk's movements, yellow is #8s. PMom collects the puck after #8 got rid of it. I'll give you three guesses who PMom passed it to, and the first two don't count.

That's right! To Fisk, and Fisk buried it to make it 2-0, which is how it is going into the third.

Late in the third, the Maple Leafs go to attack and pull their goalie.

Unfortunately for them, Kash steps in a passing lane and just glides the puck back into the now empty net. 3-0, which is what the series is now at.

Game 4, Scumhunters lead series 3-0

Since we have four tries to win this, I decided I'm going to make sure everyone gets ice time in the final round here. Ecco will start today in goal and I'm making rotations to the rest of the lineup.

The first period is very quiet. The second begins still tied 0-0.

A goalmouth scramble in front of Ecco leads to us being down 1-0 less than five minutes into the second. Almost immediately after, Hats scores to level things up. No screenshot since I looked away. Boo. Thirty minutes to play still!

Goes into the third level at 1-1. Twenty minutes to go. Hopefully we can find the winning goal.

Ten minutes.

Five minutes.

Four minutes.

Three minutes.

And then.

PMOM SCORES WITH 2:12 LEFT TO PUTS US UP 2-1. WE'RE ALMOST THERE!

Two minutes.

Ninety seconds.

Maple Leafs have pulled their goalie.

One minute.

A CROSS FLASHES ACROSS THE GOAL MOUTH BUT KASHUNO BLOCKS OFF THE MAPLE LEAF FROM REACHING IT. Hats with the puck now. Thirty seconds. He sends it long. Icing. Face off in front of our goal on the Sega logo. They win the faceoff. A SHOT GOES JUST PAST THE POST. Magnus Gallant clears. Fifteen seconds. PMom collects it. HE RUNS BEHIND THE GOAL AWAY FROM EVERYONE ELSE AND THE CLOCK STRIKES 0!

#1 Mumbles Scumhunters SWEEP the series over #1 Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 AND HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP

Lets see those emails

Here is a final look at the playoff stats and the last team report

The weekly awards came out shortly after that.

The last thing to do is to fast forward to the post season awards. And, uhhh... someone did very well.

The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position.

The William M Jennings Trophy is awarded to the goaltenders, having played the minimum number of required games, for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Not sure what that minimum was, but sorry Ecco.

The Jack Adams Award is presented to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his teams success. I'm a general manager, or otherwise this would be a huge snub.

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs. Sorry Fisk, I thought you should have won this.

Birdstrike was the only player to make either team.

I guess one last thing to show:

Due to our success, I am the highest regarded general manager in the world.

Well, that's it for the Scumhunters, or at least my active involvement. Wren, Snooze Cruise, and Keane are about to leave the team. Would anyone be interested in knowing how things go for our players here on out? I could just sim the years until they are all retired and post a few updates. Let me know what yall think about that.

(The title is a reference to that funny HBO mockumentary and also probably describes the week the Maple Leafs had losing the Cup to us.)

UPDATE

After I finished the season, a few more news items came in.