Hub City Horrors (Diary of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs)

Filip Chytil's Diary: Monday, August 3, 2020

Toronto, Canada

Eastern Conference, Royal York Hotel

So we're back for another game against the Canes. We lost the first one and now it's onto the second one. Jessie is out because of Brady Skjei's hit. And Shesty is still not ready to go. So Hank is in net again for us.

Buch takes a bad cross-checking penalty to kick off the period. Naturally. Our PK is able to shut down the Canes powerplay however. I'm on the ice and Artemi is wide awake. I can tell from his play and how he is moving around. That's good!

Well, not long after that, during the PK, Svech slaps home a goal. And again it deflects off Staalsy.

Not long after that, Goat blocks a shot and heads off hurt. Then Brett is robbed by Mrazek. I take the ice and put a shot on the net. We're generating some good pressure, but finishing nothing off. It leads to the Canes taking a penalty though. Fleury goes to the box for interference.

Powerplay for us!

Well, of course, nothing comes of the man advantage. But Aho takes a slashing penalty and we go to a 5-on-3 chance. We have to make him pay, no offense Sebby! :)

I watch with eagerness as Artemi receives the puck -- and I am hoping that Artemi's awakenness today leads to something good! -- and he slaps the shot home for a goal! We solved Mrazek again!

1-1!

I take the ice shortly after the exciting tying goal by Artemi. I'm skating into the zone to get open for a pass, when I glance to the side to see Martinhook. He trips me up with his stick a few feet from the net and we head back to another powerplay. We have a good chance to get the lead and pour on some momentum for us!

We can tie the series up!

Mika is absolutely robbed by the Canes goalie. And then Kakko gets a solid shot. (He still hasn't lost his excitement.)

There's some tight back and forth play that follows and the period winds to an end. We head to the locker room tied and quite pleased with our efforts.

The second period opens and Hank is run into by a Cane. Smitty accidentally high-sticks Aho so we head to the PK.

The Canes win the faceoff and get the puck to Svech. Three seconds in, Svech scores to put the Canes ahead by a goal.

1-2 Canes.

Then Martinhook scores shortly after it.

1-3 Canes.

So far not a good start to the second period for us.

The lines are shuffled with Goat heading to the fourth line with Fogerty and McKegg. Brett comes to my line with Di Guiseppie.

We create some pressure in the Canes' end and with the whistle, Brett goes after Brady Skjei. They jostle each other a little bit, before others come in and there's a little bit of a scrum and some words being thrown around.

I'm not one of those players that likes to go at the other team, so I stay back. If someone comes at me, I'm not backing down though, but I'm not feeling like jostling with Brady just to take a stupid penalty because of his accidental hit on Jessie that ended up knocking him out of the last game and this game.

Thankfully Brett knows how far to take it and he backs up. The refs end up splitting the rest of the scrum up.

We make a line change and the play resumes with more back and forth action.

Before I know it, with the period heading under halfway through, I am back on the ice again with Brett. We hook up for a nice zone breakout, passing the puck back and forth and I try to receive his third pass and send it into the back of the net.

But Mrazek, as he has all series, stands tall and stops the play and my shot.

As time expires overhead, there is a brief scrum by the net with Tony D, Artemi, Buch and Martinhook. Tempers are flaring, but I know it's more like a frustration jostle then anything. We just can't get leads or goals, with the exception of Artemi's goal to tie the game back in the first.

Seems like so long ago.

And maybe based around luck.

That brings us to the end of the second and back to the locker rooms for intermission.

The third period begins with four-on-four because of the scrum at the end of the second. I watch Sebby flee the ice and dive into the bench to avoid a 'too many men' call from occurring. He's successful and we play on!

Not long after, there's interference on Mika by Williams, the captain of the Canes. So we head to the powerplay.

It doesn't help much. The powerplay sucks and there's no shots on goal. Credit to the Canes penalty kill though.

Tony D makes a successful defensive play on Sebby and then jostles with someone after a whistle. I'm talking to Brett, so I miss out on seeing who it is, but I know it didn't take that long before they broke up.

I take the ice with Brett and we generate some nice momentum. I glance at the bench as I skate by, the play broken up and the Canes heading back to threaten. I can see Kreids talking with Kakko, like explaining with gestures on where to go on the ice.

We are able to break up the Canes rush and I head to the bench to change.

Trouba misses a hit and Artemi shoves Geekie.

There's some Canes pressure that follows and then Svech ends up receiving a sweet pass from Sebby.

1-4 Canes.

And that about sinks us. All hope leaves and Tony D goes after Martinhook. I mean, not going to lie, I saw this coming with them going after one another since the first period of the game. They exchange mean blows and then both tangle up and hit the ice.

The refs separate them and send them down their tunnels as the clock is close to five minutes.

I take a shot on the net as the play resumes. I'm not sure we can come back, but I've got to at least erase the hole a little bit. Plus, it'd be nice to score my first playoff goal (exhibition didn't count).

It's followed up by an almost goal from Foxy and Buch. In fact, Buch has four chances! But still nothing coming of goals.

The clock winds down close to the end of the game.

Krieds takes a roughing penalty and we head to the PK. We kill it off, but it doesn't matter. The game is over.

1-4 Canes.

And just like that, we're on the brink of elimination.