[Critch]

2039/40 Stanley Cup Finals - Anchorage Huskies v Carolina Hurricanes
So this is Anchorage Huskies 4th Stanley Cup Finals in 8 years, a win over Columbus in 2033, a loss to New York Rangers in 2034 and a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2036. We've got time for one more win before the Jordan Gavin/Henry Mews era comes to an end hopefully.

Carolina Hurricanes have also had an above-average time through the sim, they've won a pair of championships (2023 and 2031) but they've got an aging core too. They won the Metropolitan division this year and the President's Trophy too with 121 points, 2 more than Anchorage. No President's Trophy curse for them. It's a bounceback season after a few rebuilding years stocking up on prospects, they've missed the playoffs the last three years, finished 8th in their division once and dead last twice. Despite the recent rebuild they still have an aging roster though, five 33 year olds, a 32 year old, three 31 year olds and three 30 year olds. Aging core or a good mix of young players and experience I guess, depends how you look at it.

Their star players are a pair of 30 year olds, all-star defenseman Stanislav Rakhvalov and top goalie Filip Urban, but they also have a bunch of younger players that'll keep them competitive for years. Until this year they'd missed the playoffs 4 of the last 5 years so they've had the draft picks to rebuild. They've got 4.5 star rated defensive left wing Brodie Felker (27 years old), 4.0 star winger Matthew O'Hara (21 years old), 4.0 star Center Jani Jauhiainen (24 years old) and their backup goalie is one of the best young goalies in the league, 5.0 star potential Emilio Jeffery.

Carolina will have home advantage through the series. It's a rare Top Team in the East v Top Team in the West match-up, normally at least one of the top seeds has gone by now.

Game 1 - Anchorage Huskies 0 Carolina Hurricanes 4
Still no injuries for Anchorage, we go in with the first choice lines, but get blitzed early. Carolina score early and often and we're 3-0 down at the end of the first period. Tobias Tomik gives them the lead at 12:08, Lawrence Fruge makes it two at 15:54 and Brodie Felker adds a third at 19:15. They add another in the second and it's game over, their goalie Filip Urban stopping all 21 shots he faced.

Game 2 - Anchorage Huskies 5 Carolina Hurricanes 0
Second line center Enzo Landrey is out, he's day to day with a swollen ear. I guess it's so big he cant get his helmet on. We've got defensive center Jeff Smith waiting to take his place, he's been a bit of a flop since signing as a free agent last summer and had dropped out the team, it's his chance to shine. The first two periods are settled by special teams, they get two power plays and Anchorage kills them both, Anchorage get two power plays and score on both. Henry Mews at 5:21 in the first, Anssi Ridanpaa at 5:41 in the second and we have a 2-0 lead going into the third. David Prudek scores at 4:55 to make it 3-0 and settle nerves, Jordan Gavin at 9:10 and it's 4-0, and Aleksandr Unichenko adds a final second goal to pad it to 5-0. A solid win, we outshot them 35-18.

Game 3 - Carolina Hurricanes 2 Anchorage Huskies 3 Overtime
Enzo Landrey could play if needed but we did ok without him so he'll not be risked, Jeff Smith stays in the lineup. Carolina go 1-0 up in the first with a goal from Matthew O'Hara, Anchorage tie it up in the second with a goal from Aleksandr Unichenko and it's onto the third tied 1-1. Vladislav Uzhentsev puts Carolina ahead at 4:56 in the third, but then it's power play time again. Anchorage score theirs, Jordan Gavin at 5:55, then kill a Carolina power play and we're going to overtime tied at 2-2. Anchorage score with their first shot of overtime, Borje Svensson with the game winner. He's quietly become the star of the Huskies, three goals and ten assists in the playoffs this year.

Game 4 - Carolina Hurricanes 0 Anchorage Huskies 2
Enzo Landrey is back, he's 100% and Jeff Smith has been mediocre at best as his replacement so it's an easy decision. It's a Lucas Wall masterclass, he saves all 29 shots he faces to shut out Carolina. Carolina keep it close though, it's 0-0 heading into the third but Jeff Martin gets the breakthrough for Anchorage 38 seconds into the third, the returning Enzo Landrey adds another at 18:01 and we're 3-1 up in the series and just one game from a Stanley Cup win.

Game 5 - Anchorage Huskies 1 Carolina Hurricanes 3
Johan Dahlberg is out for this game, a strained muscle. We bring in 5'10 rookie defenseman Martin Pospisil to replace the 6'6'' 246lbs Dahlberg, that doesn't sound like a good swap. Carolina are also missing a couple of players, former Huskie defenseman Carter Murphy (18 games in the 2029/30 season, traded to NY Rangers for the pick that became G Lucas Wall) is day to day and their star Brodie Felker is done for the series too. Missing a star doesnt slow them down, they're 2-0 up after the first, Matthew O'Hara and Stanislav Rakhvalov scoring for them. August Pettersson gets one back for Anchorage in the second, but O'Hara scores again early in the third and the series is back to 3-2.

Game 6 - Carolina Hurricanes 4 Anchorage Huskies 2
Johan Dahlberg is still out, Martin Pospisil is still the replacement. He actually played quite well in the last game despite the defeat. The game itself is a chance thrown away. We're 1-0 up after the first, Hunter Aura with the goal but Carolina tie it up with a short handed goal in the second. Into the third and Borje Svensson gives Anchorage the lead, we get to seven minutes from having our hands on the cup then collapse, three goals allowed in the last seven minutes. Geno Carcone (who's been somebody Anchorage have nearly signed multiple times over the years) ties it up at 13.01, Tobias Tomik adds a power play goal at 14:53 and Carolina add a late empty net goal and we're all off to Carolina for game seven.

Game 7 - Anchorage Huskies 1 Carolina Hurricanes 3
Well balls to that. 3-1 up in the series and we throw it away. Should have won this game too, outshot them 34-24, 6 high danger chances to 4, but lost. Their goalie Filip Urban made the difference. There's no scoring in the first, Jani Jauhiainen puts Carolina ahead in the second. TJ Liboiron makes it 2-0 early in the third, Enzo Landrey pulls one back at 13:23 but that's as close as we got, Carolina added a late empty net goal from Matthew O'Hara (he'll win playoff MVP) and that's the season over.

So Carolina become joint top Championship winners for the run of this dynasty (does anything before 2023 really count?) with their third championship, tied with Dallas. New York Rangers and Toronto have two, the only other teams with more than one championship.

If nothing else painfully losing the Stanley Cup final will remove any suspicion that I was save-scumming til I won. And at least there have been no more crashes.