Cryptic Stench Febreezed

The teams had met earlier in the season. Cryptic Stench had won. The teams had met in the playoffs last season. Cryptic Stench had won. The teams had met in the playoffs the year before that. Cryptic Stench had won. Before the puck was even dropped, many assumed the players would skate like actors, fulfilling their seasonal roles in a play that would send the soviets packing and the Stench further into the playoffs. Well, that script never made it to Russia.

After allowing an early goal, Mother Russia played a nearly flawless game. Hendricks tied the game on a strange play during a delayed high-sticking infraction. The goal was a thing of beauty, as he snapped one past the goalie near side. It was a rarity that the Red Army be on the positive side of a late period goal. The momentum that carried over into the second was palpable. Socialism was awarded a four on two advantage (thanks to two drawn penalties by the "second" line) and cashed in. Odell fired a pass to Hendricks, who then fed Lotocki who was streaking backdoor. The lead was short lived however, as moments later the game would be tied after Hendricks and Odell were caught on a long shift.

What ensued was the flukiest goal of the game, and the eventual game winner. Funk, skating along side Captain Hand, took a shot inside the blue line. The puck ramped up the goaltender's stick and over his shoulders before sliding across the line. The Red Army would not look back. Hendricks tacked on another goal to end the period, capping a great forechecking effort from Odell, Lotocki, and Schram. The Red Army was only fifteen minutes away from an inconceivable round two.

"We knew we were close. One more good period was the mantra on the bench." Odell said after the game. "If there is one thing I learned during my hiking excursion this summer it was to never take your foot off a snake. Don't give it an inch to attack. Sure, that was the longest four days of my life, standing there in Montana, waiting for this rattler to die of starvation. But damn it if I didn't feel great when it passed." Mother Russia heeded outdoorsman Odell's advice, and kept on the offensive, partly due to the Stench's inability to remain out of the box. On another power play (3-4 for the night) Lotocki cranked a one timer from the point that eluded the goalie thanks to an Odell screen. In a 5-2 game, with roughly half of the third period to play, everyone was waiting for the Stench's push. It was deterred thanks to an unwavering second line. Funk, Hand, Horton, and Lynch were relentless in their puck pursuit. The line was a plus 2 for the night, and faced the oppositions top unit. "We had a meeting on the bench about maybe breaking up our line to even out some talent, but the way (Steve and Jerrod) were playing it would have been a crime." Hendricks told reporters after the game. "The gameplan was simple, have their line not surrender any goals and let us take care of the scoring. What a bonus when you get them to net two on their own. I think we had two first lines tonight." Hendricks and Lotocki added the nails in the coffin, each capping off their hat trick performances with late goals, and Mother Russia skated onwards leaving the Stench to exit stage left.