WEEK 18 (thru Monday)

It would be somewhat ironic if a player with the surname of "Hoglander" ultimately prevented Steve Henry and his Ice Hogs from hoisting their 3rd FHL Cup; 20-year-old Nils Hoglander netting two goals and 4.0 points on opening day of the final week of the season, the whistling Wild Ducks drawing to within 4.3 points of 1st place.

The Battle for the FHL Cup
The Vancouver Canucks play seven games over the final ten days of the season - that’s six more games for the currently-hot Hoglander. The Ice Hogs also have to survive two additional games from Connor McDavid. Despite the winding and possibly rocky road, the Ice Hogs are still the team to beat, Taylor Hall (2g) and his 4.0 point effort protecting the Hogs precious 1st place lead.

Because the Vancouver Canucks have so many games crammed into so few days, the Cherry Pickers will swinging until the very end; the Pickers housing arguably the three best Canucks in Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and Thatcher Demko. Neither Boeser (0.0) or Horvat (2.0) excelled on Monday, but the Pickers did gain ground thanks to the play of Demko, the 25-year-old backstop posting a 39 save win; the Pickers moving to within 10.9 points of their former 1st place home.

The Bout for the Money
The Misconducts have refused to throw-in the money-towel. Despite trailing the money by 30.0 points at the start of the week, GM Smalley loaded six different players into his Week 18 cart. The early returns were positive as goaltender Chris Driedger posted a 30 save, 6.0 point shutout; the Misconducts and their Monday-best score (13.3 points) now standing just 25.2 steps behind the green, green pastures of 3rd place.

In 4th place overall, a 9.5 point evening left the Lumberjacks 7.1 points behind a season-ending payday; the Jacks getting most of their points from David Krejci and his three assist game. Rocky Rocks has done an abrupt about-face, the Rocks and their 1.0 point effort now trailing a money-finish by 21.9 points. The Cobras ain’t dead yet - but they’re dying - the Cobras now 32.3 points behind $120.00 after collecting only 6.6 points on Monday.

The Scrap for the Laughing Bag
Standing at the Week 18 starting line, the Boulder Flyers were like a deer in headlights as they stared wide-eyed at seven games from Quinn Hughes and three games from Cale Makar; ten huge point-possibilities over the final ten days of the season; the Polar Bears very-offensive defensemen in position to do a whole-lotta hurt.

While Makar and Hughes are in the last-week spotlight, it was the play of defenseman Justin Faulk who stole the Monday show, the 29-year-old rearguard netting a goal, an assist and 6.0 of the Boulder Flyers 11.0 points; the 11th place Flyers now 25.0 points better than the last place Bears.

With only 3.3 points on Monday, Baba Booey remains Bag-worthy, the 10th place team now only 3.3 points better than the 11th place Flyers; the Laughing Bag sitting only 28.3 points in the distance.

LINK: Standings