Who’s Playing For The Patrick Cup?
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It all comes right down to this. The 3ICE common season is over, as followers eagerly await puck drop on Saturday. Four groups will enter Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on August 12, however just one will go away a winner. Over the previous couple of weeks, Teams Murphy, Patrick, Bourque, and Johnston punched their ticket to Championship Weekend. Now, they may battle for the Patrick “Patty” Cup.
The weekend will comply with an identical format to the 3ICE common season. Two semi-final video games will kick off the afternoon. The two winners will transfer on to the Patrick Cup Finals, whereas the losers will play for pleasure within the comfort recreation. Regular season seeding determines the semi-final video games. The prime seed will play the fourth seed, whereas the second-seed faces off in opposition to the third seed.
Game 1 – Semi-Finals: Team Murphy vs Team Johnston
The first semi-final recreation options top-seed Team Murphy taking over the fourth-seed Team Johnston. Team Johnston barely made the playoffs. They held the fourth and last playoff spot coming into the season’s last week; nevertheless, Team Fuhr may have leapfrogged them by successful the Week 6 Clarksville Tour. Luckily for them, Team Fuhr misplaced their semi-final recreation to Team Patrick 5-1, eliminating themselves from playoff competition and locking in Team Johnston’s ticket to Philadelphia.
Week 6 additionally featured Team Murphy dropping their first recreation of the season. They, too, misplaced their semi-final recreation, 5-3, to Team Mullen. They didn’t take their loss kindly. They smoked Team Fuhr 10-4 within the comfort recreation, ending the season in dominant vogue.
87-year-old Ed Johnston, the second oldest head coach in sports activities historical past, has a troublesome hill to climb to assert the Patrick Cup. Team Murphy is a wagon with stout offensive capabilities. Crone, a constant three-stars of the night time performer, has led 3ICE in factors this season. He scored 15 factors in six video games, whereas his teammate, Colton Hargrove, is tied for third in factors with 12 in six video games. Fortunately, Team Johnston arguably has one of the best goaltender in 3ICE. Brandon Halverson has a .871 save proportion, prime of the league, whereas tied for one of the best goals-against common in 3ICE with 2.5. He is tough to unravel, however Team Murphy might have the offensive artillery to determine him out.
It might be offense versus protection in 3ICE’s first recreation at Wells Fargo Center. These two groups are conversant in one another. They confronted off within the Grand Rapids Tour finale in Week 3. Team Murphy defeated Team Johnston in a tightly contested 4-2 affair. Team Johnston proved they may cling with the Patty Cup favorites in Grand Rapids, however will they have the ability to upset them on 3ICE’s grandest stage?
Game 2 – Semi-Finals: Team Patrick vs Team Bourque
The second semi-final match has Team Patrick dealing with off in opposition to Team Bourque. The matchup options two coaches new to 3ICE this season. Ray Bourque was a contemporary face, whereas Craig Patrick dealt with the mantle of Commissioner and served as a coach for the primary time—a powerful but time-consuming job.
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A battle to look at is Team Patrick’s offensive dynamo, Brandon Pirri, and if he can clear up Ryan Bednard, Team Bourque’s brick wall within the web. Pirri is second in 3ICE scoring with 14 factors in six video games, whereas Bednard is second in save proportion with a .824.
Team Patrick appeared like a playoff crew from the start of the season after a 3-0 begin. Their first loss in Week 5 got here by the hands of Team Bourque—a recreation that earned Team Bourque a spot at Championship Weekend. The two groups confronted off within the Boston Tour finale. Team Patrick, who was trying to safe a 4-0 document, was up 3-2 within the match. With their season on the road, Team Bourque rattled off 4 unanswered targets, successful 6-3.
Team Bourque’s Week 5 win proved they will deal with intense stress. It was successfully do or die for them, and so they gained a must-win recreation in opposition to a flawless Team Patrick. The second semi-final recreation is about as equal because it will get. One crew is the upper seed with a stellar offense, whereas the opposite has excellent goaltending, nice protection, and understands the duty at hand. Will Team Patrick avenge their Boston loss, or will Team Bourque show victorious once more?
3ICE Season Comes Down to This
Three first-time 3ICE coaches guided their crew to the ultimate “fantastic” 4. Craig Patrick, Ray Bourque, and Ed Johnston could make their debut season within the league one to recollect with a win in Philadelphia. In their method stands the Patty Cup favorites, Team Murphy, coached by Hall-of-Fame defenseman Larry Murphy. With the league’s first and third main scorer, Team Murphy might be a troublesome out.
Related: 3ICE Commissioner Craig Patrick: From Concept to Coaching
The 3ICE Championship is single-game elimination, that means any crew can piece collectively two glorious video games and declare the Patrick Cup. With the second season of 3ICE coming to an finish, each shot, purpose, and save counts far more. Which of Team Murphy, Patrick, Bourque, or Johnston, will make historical past and hoist the Patrick Cup?
With the season over, Team Murphy, Team Patrick, Team Bourque, and Team Johnston have earned the chance to play in championship week on Saturday, Aug. 12, whereas Team Mullen, Team Fuhr, Team LeClair, and Team Carbonneau completed outdoors the highest 4 and won’t play subsequent weekend.
Make certain to remain tuned to The Hockey Writers for all of your 3ICE protection all through the remainder of the season.
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