Brick closes regular season with win over HCCM

Playoffs? Playoffs?

It’s on people, the playoffs. Who’s it going to be? REG just beat the previously unbeaten Lightning to move into the first seed for the playoffs. The Eldo is surging. The Wine House started off hot and finished the season in third place. The Last Steep always rallies in the post season and I’d like to think that anything could happen in the playoffs.
But before we get into the playoffs, we had to bring the regular season to a close and there was a lot riding on the final game Tuesday night between the Brick Oven and HCCM.
If the Brick won, they would secure the sixth seed in the playoffs. If HCCM won, they would tie for last place. Suffice it to say, the energy at Big Mine Ice Arena was intense with so much on the line. The game was so big that even the parents of Brick Oven player and franchise megamind Dan Loftus were in town.
HCCM came out of the opening face off flying, I mean absolutely charging, winning loose pucks and battling in the corners for puck possession. I mean they set a serious tone and were in the drivers seat dictating the pace and the play entirely for the first… 45 seconds of the game.
Once that ended, the Brick Oven set up shop in HCCM’s zone and pretty much took over for the next four minutes resulting in the opening goal of the game. Sheldon Licardy won a battle in the corner and dropped the puck back to Ben Preston at the point. Preston took the pass and lined up the Kiwi cannon (at least I think he’s from New Zealand but he doesn’t have the accent. You know that New Zealand accent. Like when a guy from New Zealand is at your house and he says, “nice deck” only it sounds like he said “nice dick” and there’s a short and uncomfortable pause). Nevertheless, Preston unleashed the thunder from down under, wait that’s Australian. Anyway, he fired a shot and HCCM Andrew Winogradow made the initial save but Loftus made his parents proud and stuffed the rebound past Winogradow for a 1-0 Brick lead.
The Brick looked to continue the onslaught but one thing kept getting in their way, HCCM. Despite their winless record, HCCM just does not give up and with a goalie like Winogradow (which is Slovenian for “one who protects the potato sack”) every game is within reach.
While the Brick kept pressing through the first period, HCCM held strong frustrating the Brick team. Ian McBride’s hustle shut down a breakaway, Mark Sawyer turned away a two-on-one and Winogradow continued to make the saves needed to hold the Brick off.
HCCM’s unique style of play and relentless hustle continued in the second period. Chelsea Wilson stopped a Brick Oven three-on-one in its tracks. Thomas McLean was a clearinghouse of players and pucks in front of the HCCM net and Winogradow maintained his Winogradowness.
HCCM came so close to tying the game at the end of the second period when James Young set up Drew Holbrook for a look-in close but Brick goalie Deuce Wynes pushed Holbrook’s shot wide to maintain their dubious one-goal advantage heading into the third period.
More of the same continued in the final period. HCCM’s erratic style confused the Brick Oven and the Brick just couldn’t find an insurance goal. Fortunately for the Brick, HCCM just couldn’t find a goal at all, and the Brick Oven managed to hold on the final 11 minutes for the 1-0 win and the coveted sixth seed, which means they avoid facing the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, HCCM will open the playoffs against their fellow cellar dwellers, the Talk of the Town.