GAMES TO WATCH FOR

September 8th, 2018

By Arya Stark

With just one week left in the regular season before rain day tournaments, 70s proms and, eventually, playoffs, there’s a lot at stake for teams across the league.  Games to watch for on the final day of the 2018 regular season:


Mathematics vs Butchers
This pivotal showdown pits the current 14 and 15 seeds against each other with seedings very much on the line.  The winner of this match will have to face the suddenly surging Rainbows (winners of the Blakwolf Sweepstakes) in round one, while the loser will most likely get an arguably more favorable matchup with Gut Rot.  The subsequent opponents, barring said upset, would be LBS for the winner and probably Fuzz for the loser.  It’s a tough path either way but as much as people may stress about potential future matchups and such, everyone wants to go into the playoffs on a high note.  These teams are the classic could-beat-or-lose-to-anyone types; going into the playoffs, both will be be a dangerous first round matchup
Storyline: One Herr in, one Herr out; Sarah’s back from injury and gearing up for the playoffs, but Cheeky is finally giving hers (pun intended) a break to heal and recover.  Will that #herrnation swing be enough to give Sarah’s squad the victory?  Or will Math be defeated, giving the Butchers the 14 seed and making Becca very, very happy.

Gouging Anklebiters vs Filthier
This game probably has the most playoff implications of them all.  Filthier, having lost last week’s pivotal showdown with the LBS, can’t claim the division title, but a win would clinch 4th place for them (Fresh Kills would not be able to catch them due to Filthy having swept the season series).  A loss, however, would open up that #4 spot for the Fresh Kills, unlikely but possibly for the Rehabs, and the longshot of a late Poutine surge to #4.  Meanwhile, the Biters can’t catch anyone in front of them, but they need to win to prevent the teams behind from gaining ground on them.  If they lose, Poutine is definitely going to pass them.  The Gremlins will most likely grab a better seed as well.  That would drop the Biters all the way down to 9th, although it really wouldn’t make that big a difference because whether they drop to 8 or 9, their first round matchup remains those very same Gremlins.
Storyline: Besides the playoff race, all eyes will be on Probie to see if he can take down the scoring title.  He’ll have a tough test ahead of him with his final game being against elite goalie and DJ extraordinaire Tim K.

Rehabs vs Fuzz
This was the game that was circled on everyone’s calendar since the schedule came out and, of course, the release of “the letter.”  In the past two months the hype and bad blood have ratcheted down a few levels to the point that Rich & Hicks were seen hanging out and not constantly throwing each other into fences in Ocean City before having their souls crushed by Fuzz captain Jeff in the final.  Fuzz can’t drop below #2, but needs this game to maintain any hope of finishing #1 overall, although it would require a Cobra Kai loss on Sunday (in either of their remaining games).  The Rehabs, meanwhile, can pass Filthy if they win, Filthy loses and the Rehabs make up eight goals of differential.
Storyline: Besides the Hicks defection, this has been one of the premier rivalries of the past couple years, giving us such classic storylines as the 2016 President’s Trophy Race (eventually won by Fuzz, with Rehabs winning the ship), the 2017 playoff classic (won by the Rehabs 1-0) and, of course, the fence shove heard ’round the world.  Will Fuzz finally get over the hump this year and beat their archrivals?  Having Glanzer miss the game is an excellent start.

Cobra Kai vs Gremlins
This Southeast Division showdown will decide the #1 seed in the league, which really doesn’t mean much in BTSH but is better than nothing (arguably).  By the time this game happens, Fuzz will have already played the Rehabs and Cobra Kai will have already played Mega.  Assuming CK & Fuzz pick up the same # of points in these games, the Gremlins showdown will give Cobra Kai a shot at the #1 overall seed which I’m assuming would be their first President’s Trophy in franchise history.  Older people can fact check this as I have literally nothing to go on except a vague feeling, although that seems to work pretty well for Zisser at the strip club.  Anyway, strippers aside – if the Gremlins are able to pull the upset here and Fuzz beats the Rehabs, Fuzz would take the #1 seed while the Gremlins would be able to potentially move all the way up to #5 if (when) they beat the Riots at 6:00.
Storyline: While the savages at the dojo may get most of the attention, I’m more interested to see how the Gremlins respond to the challenge of facing an elite team in their regular season finale.  Rockoff may still be in Australia playing in a Sunday cricket league (true story), but the SaltBoyz will have to find a way to will their team to a win without him (although willing JW to a decent +/- may be the more impressive accomplishment).  Can the ridiculous car from the 70s take down the evil dojo from the 80s?  BTSH enthusiasts and old people everywhere will be watching intently.

Heat Fears Make-up Preview – Part Two

September 7th, 2018

Mega Touch at Cobra Kai – 3:30 pm, East
by Richiehero

Mega vs. CK is huge for both teams. Cobra Kai needs to win it’s last two games to win the Presidents Trophy. While that usually means very little, this year it has some value since most of the top talented teams are where they should be. But with Fresh Kills lurking at six, coming in first means you probably wouldn’t get them until the semis. Meanwhile, Mega needs to win to avoid the play-in. A Mega win and WTP loss will also give them their first Southeast title. The ramifications can’t be greater, unless there was even more significance. And then it would actually be greater.

Prediction: “Take care of your job, and good things will happen.”

– Rich Glnzr

Fuzz beats Rehabs and Mega upsets CK 2-1. CK falls to second and Mega avoids play-in. Now, I’ll name random players from both sides, because there are good people on both sides. Some of these people are good.

CK: Rachel N. Campbell, JJ, Dani, Lauren, and a blast from the past Charles Kane.

Mega: Julie, Hansen, Nadia, Larry and blast from the past the jorts guy that wore his jorts way too high for my liking (pause), Harvey.

Read the rest of this entry »

Heat Fears Make-up Previews – Part One

September 6th, 2018

Gut Rot at Denim Demons – 12 pm, East

How in the world did GR agree to a 12 pm game?!?  Vegas is taking bets at +/- 5.5 players present for them when the game begins and the game actually beginning +/- 16.5 minutes late.

Well, there’s a lot riding on the line for Gilligans and Gut Rot in this game.  With two precious points up for grabs that will ultimately seal their final place in the 2018 standings; they can’t afford to be lackadaisical on any shift.  Playoff seeding is vital and no team wants a date with the Butchers.

Gut Rot and Demons celebrating the humiliation of the Zombie Elves.

Same can be said for Boatsex Brad and the Demons.  With two precious points up for grabs that will ultimately seal their final place in the 2018 standings; they can’t afford to get all slapdash on any shift.  Playoff seeding is vital and no team wants a date with Mathematics.

Prediction: with the early timeslot already working against Gut Rot it will be the Demons starting Sunday off right with a win, 3-1. Read the rest of this entry »

2018: Week 17 Box Scores – Scoring Highlights

September 4th, 2018

The BTSH season is coming to a close and that means its playoff extra tournament time! Post HockeyBeach, and another anti-climactic Shortis win in Ocean City, there is a ladies tournament coming in hot on September 15th to our very own Rockaway Beach. It’s aptly named Hock-away, and that pun is probably the best gag in this entire article (not to mention the TVM – time value of media, not money – is so low given the timing of this post anyways), so you might as well just stop reading here, after signing up, of course: here ladies.

Speaking of September tournaments, Cuba Gooding Jr made an appearance at one of inaugural JW invitational committee members’ birthdays this long weekend!

Scrap the Panik at the Disco expansion franchise ideas…Cuba and Justin have a bid in for an Old Baes Sauce team for 2019.

 

On to the box scores…

 

Week 17

Week 9 

Demons 3 @ Poutine 2 (F/OT)

Demons – Miles S (5), Josh Bash Brosen x2 (5)

Goalie Win – Hector $h0wT!m3 Melendez via FA

Poos – Nic H (2), TJ via Half Price Hamilton Tix (1)

Goalie OT Loss – Peter Parker via Air Canada

Game Notes: Teams were finally able to finish their game from earlier in the season…but of course they found a way to rain out their later one.

Quick Shifts: If you accidentally cross the Ottawa river from the Quebec side (in the case you are older than 18 and don’t need need to hang in Dirty Hull), Zak’s Diner has a poutine with enough smoked meat on it to match Cat’s Beef Beat (goes well with a large glass of chocolate milk too).

Which seats are best for poaching “Hamilton” players?

 

Week 17

Riots 1 @ Pucks 3

Riots – David F (4)

Goalie Loss – Dave GdR (2-11-1, GAA of a fallen basic beach)

Pucks – Justin (5), Sam McI (2), Steve T (1)

Goalie Win – Zac “back in my country there is no 18 yard box at and below the faceoff dots to cover the” Ball Hogg (2-0-0, GAA of a rapper)

Game Notes: When Izzy predicts us to lose, we usually win. It’s the guy on the left (James Duthie) effect, just like when he picked the Sabres to beat the Sens in the 2007 East Finals just because of his prognostication tendency to pick the Sens in playoff series they’d end up losing (which is/was at a Capitals like rate back in that era….sigh)

 

Hookers 2 @ Fuzz 4

Hookers – Tiff (6), TJ via Full Price Hamilton Tix (4)

Goalie Loss – Eitan via LemmeGoalie5Eva

Fuzz – Mike Teyt (21), Paul x3 (4)

Goalie Win – Coach (13-1-1, GAA of 2.27)

Game Notes: If only it was the Richard era and Fuzz could have given all of Paul’s goals to Teets. Unlike Gordie, Teets has earned his previous scoring championships. (Hopefully that last line didn’t trigger HICKSY like all my unassisted tucks at #HockeyBeach2018)

 

Rut Rot 2 @ Cobra Kai 4

RR – Heather A (1), Tommy C (3)

Goalie Loss – Goalie Ed (4-9-0, GAA of yes since Ed is now a mofo teammate and took over my goalie spot on Thints for 2018 he’ll continue to be lightly roasted- I’m not going to sit here and pump his tires)

CK – Big Russ x2 (4), JJ (3), Will G (7)

Goalie Win – Campbell (11-0-2, GAA of 1.16)

Game Notes: Good thing we play sneaker hockey and not sneaker footy because there were two own goals shared between both teams…I could not imagine the travesty of two players not getting awarded the goals they (did not) rightfully score (as they get recorded as OG’s in futbol). #FirstWorldBallHockeyProblems

Quick Shifts: Ed was in form again after a Luongo-in-Florida-before-Vancouver-like-40-save-4+-Goals-Against effort against Fuzz in Week 16 and followed it up with another valiant effort which included a Nabby-before-choking-for-the-millionth-time-against-the-Avs-on-that-Dan-Boyle-own-goal-on-the-reverse-chunked-in-the-net-in-OT like save in this game.

 

Pounds 2 @ Filthier 1

Pounds – ScottyK (19), Jake C (5)

Goalie Win – a light sizzle (10-3-2, GAA of 1.80)

Filthier – OP James (14)

Goalie Loss – Tim K (12-5-0, GAA of 1.89)

Game Notes: Luke was denied a Cheechoo like effort to break the deadlock in the second half as he drove to the net a la Brendan Gallagher (you Americans think of….Chris Kreider) and the play was null on a crease violation. However on the subsequent inbound Los Blancos turned over the ball in from the side and Chapsy snipped top corns and that was all she wrote as Pounds iced it in another peculiarly highly physical defensive outing. But since it was a playoff like affair both refs swallowed their whistles (and then their pride after the game).

 

Karma 0 @ Gremlins 2

Goalie Loss – Steve F (5-7-1, GAA of 3.23)

Gremlins – Rod S (3), Iannis T (2)

Goalie Shutout Win: Jamie the Original Varsity Warrior B (9-5-2, GAA of 2.19)

Game Notes: Walker wasn’t texting me all week saying he played horribly so he must have been…at least even on the day plus-minus wise.

Quick Shifts: Prior to the Week 13 rain out, Gremlins had points in 7 straight games, which included a 6 game win streak, but recently had a 3 game skid before righting the ship with a big southeast 3 Katz division win. Will it be enough in time for the playoffs? Of course not, there will be one game in a month prior to the Round of 16, what team is going to be feeling it come that extra unnecessary week off, eh?

 

Poutine 0 @ Demons 0 – PPD slip’n’slide-oot

Game Notes: With 9 and a half minutes left in the first half, everyone but Rubens wanted the game stopped as the teams had played one full game on the day and thought it better than playing more JW would get to over the next few weeks while he was OOO (as the office is clearly anything comprising a black top rink).

That puddle…tis just another defender to shoot the ball in off of/screen the goalie for you.

 

Fresh 9 @ Butchers 3

FK – Gabe x3 (10), Roxy (1), Frank x2 (3), Tom x2 (6), Soko (7)

Goalie Win – Barch (8-3-1, GAA of an abnormally high subway fare)

Butchers – Dana (3), SUPER Dave (4), Pete D’A (4)

Goalie Loss – Tim Brk (3-6-1)

Game Notes: Has Frank played 5 games?

 

Sky Fighters 4 @ REEEEEEEhabs 7

SKY – Joseph not W x2 (2), Katie S (5), Joe W (8),

Goalie Loss – OG James (4-9-1, GAA of 3.28)

‘habs – Sena (2), Alex WM x2 (10), Hicksy (6), Mo (5), Cherie (9), Buffalo Zach G via WTP (2)

Goalie Win – Hector $h0wT!m3 Melendez (3-1, GAA of a normal subway fare)

Game Notes: Cherie was prepping for OC by getting her Cherie picking on.

 

Math 4 @ ‘biters 5

Math – Josh Wilson x2 via Left Wing Rainbow Poaching (FA), Bradley S (3), Jon M (9)

Goalie Loss – Liang (3-9)

GANK – Chris B (5), Caroline MB (2), Joe P (7), Probie (19), Nolan “Patrick” (1)

Goalie Win – Jamie B via Approved League Sub?

Game Notes: Does Probert care (about the scoring race)? I have screenshots which MAY or may not confirm in the affirmative.

 

Dank-bows 5 @ Mega 4 (F/SO)

‘bows – Josh W Not Wilson Wagner (1), Dan C via FA, Kat “Dragon” C (2), Yetter (7)

Goalie Win – David #MyHotLegs2018 G. (4-9-0, GAA of 3.29)

Shootout Winner – Yetter for almost another two goal effort

Mega – Jeff B (9), Alok G (7), Max T (2), Joe L (4)

Goalie Shootout Loss – Mike T (5-8-2, GAA of 2.93)

Game Notes: I wonder where Yetter picked up the lose-the-ball-and-score -in-the-shootout-for-the-winner move and the chirpy fourth division behaviour….couldn’t have been from any of his new mofo teammates I’m sure.

Quick Shifts: Don’t look now (actually, I had to look at my goalie tracking figures to realize….) the ‘bows have 3 straight wins and could make that streak as many as 5 depending on how the rest of their games on 9/9 go.

Peanuts: Yes, Julie; “What the Puck won anyways”. We can flip the division names around next year, post Week 18 goal differential pending….if you please.

 

Butchers 4 @ Kills 6

Butchers – Pete D’A x2 (6), SUPER Dave (5), Hey Arnold S (1)

Goalie Loss – Tim Brk (3-7-1)

FK – Tom x2 (8), Nick S (7), Ariel (9), Gabe (11)

Goalie Win – Barch (9-3-1, GAA of 2.62)

Game Notes: Has Tom played 5 games?

 

Week 17 (and #HB2018) in Tweets

These are totally not Week 17 related #DoubleClick

If the 2018 playoffs started today…

September 4th, 2018

If the 2018 BTSH playoffs were to start today (or this Sunday), here’s how the match-ups would look based on the current standings. And while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and predict the whole thang. And…we’re off!

Opening Round

20. Tompkins Square Riots at 13. Mega Touch
Prediction: Classic southeast division match-up that favors Alok and Mega as they swept Dave and the Riots this year.  Having said that, defeating a team three times in one season hasn’t been done since Karma crossed the Elves arms over their chest and put them to permanent rest in 2015.  Still, we like Mega 3-1.

19. Dark Rainbows at 14.  Butchers
Prediction: Well, it was a good run for Katherine C and the Rainbows during the second half of the season, but it ends here.  Creamy, MDF and the Butchers have so much pent up frustration that the Rainbows will be left walking funny for a week.  Butchers move on 9-0.

18. Gut Rot at 15. Denim Demons
Prediction: History suggests that Josh and the Demons should cake walk through this one (and they’ve been playing better lately too), but Peaches and Gut Rot are known to pull an upset out of their rear.  Even though GR has the edge in goaltending (no offense) the Demons will win 3-2.

17. Sky Fighters at 16. Mathematics
Prediction: What an unfortunate way for Math to end a miserable season, but perhaps it is for the best.  Despite the veteran savvy of Justin, Amy and Brad, the young guns on the Sky Fighters will be too much for them.  Carlin, James, and Matt move on to the Round of 16, 4-3. Read the rest of this entry »