[Critch]

2032/33 Playoffs Round 2 - Los Angeles Kings
LA Kings have been the alpha dog of the Pacific Division for a good few years, they've won the division 4 of the last 5 years (Anchorage won the other, Kings finished second that year), they've made the playoffs each of the last 7 years, and 9 of the last 10. They won the division with 118 points this year, and cruised through the first round of the playoffs beating Winnipeg in 4 games. So they'll be tough.

Anchorage played them three times in the regular season, won 5-4 in Anchorage in September, but lost 5-3 in LA and 3-0 at home since then. So, as I said, they'll be tough.

Game 1 - Anchorage Huskies 6 Los Angeles Kings 0
Kaden Pitre is still out, so the team is exactly the same as the one that hammered San Jose in game 7. And it's a similar result too, the second time in a row our oppenent has had to pull the starting goalie in the second period. Anchorage edge the first period and go ahead after 17:38 with a Matthew Paranych goal. Right before the end of the period Kirill Kaprizov (it's far enough in the future that a real player is getting to be a novelty, even if he's not at his real life team anymore) is penalized for slashing. The first ends with Anchorage 1-0 up, but Anchorage start the second period on the powerplay and go 2-0 with a goal from Vasili Podkolzin. It sets the tone for the second period, Anchorage dominate, 20 shots and 3 more goals. Easten Turko, Oskar Vuollet, Jordan Gavin and the game is in the bag, 5-0 after 2 periods. Easten Turko adds another at the start of the third and it's game over. Evan Maillet stops all 23 shots he faced, glad I didnt drop him.

Game 2 - Anchorage Huskies 3 Los Angeles Kings 1
The injuries are adding up. Kaden Pitre (facial injury) and Emil Hemming (hand soreness) can play but aren't 100%, David Prudek (chest injury) and Jackson Gillespie (broken toe) will both be missing though. I decide to risk Pitre but let Hemming rest, you can't really make a facial laceration worse by playing I guess, but a hand can get sore-er. That's the logic. Los Angeles go 1-0 up in the first, Kasper Simontaival scores, he's a player with a day-to-day injury that LA are risking too. Kaden Pitre makes it a good day for players with owies by tying it up in the second with a powerplay goal, Lucas Karmiris makes it 2-1 19:25 into the second period. Jordan Gavin makes it 3-1 early in the third and that's the end of it, back to Anchorage with a 2-0 lead and two games won on the road.

Game 3 - Los Angeles Kings 3 Anchorage Huskies 2 Overtime
Emil Hemming, David Prudek and Jackson Gillespie are all still out, but Kaden Pitre is now 100%. It's the 1st of the month so we get the monthly development report prior to the game, both Poltapov and Podkolzin have negative numbers on it so that's the nail in the coffin for their chances for new contracts. With Jackson Gillespie out, Steve Peters stays in the team, he has the distinction of being the first and only Anchorage Huskies player to actually be from Anchorage. The only player to be happy when Anchorage drafted him (4th round, 2028). Lucas Karmiris makes it 1-0 Anchorage in the 1st, Cross Hanas ties it up in the second, Jorgen Palms gives Anchorage a brief lead in the third, William Zellers ties it up during 4-on-4 play (one of LA's top players Quinton Byfield and Tomas Lavoie get coincidental minors), then it's off to overtime. Anchorage dominate overtime but lose anyway when Michael Burchill scores the winner after 15:25. So close to a 3-0 lead.

Game 4 - Los Angeles Kings 3 Anchorage Huskies 4 Overtime
The good news is Emil Hemming is back. Aleksandr Yeremey is also back, he's been out 3 months with a Grade II Concusion so he's short on game time and a free agent after the season, so he's probably not going to play for Anchorage again, but nice that he's back. LA Kings lead 1-0 after the first period, Brady Wassink scoring seconds after coming out the penalty box. Henry Mews scores an unassisted goal 28 seconds into the second, but Gavin Cornforth puts LA back ahead at the midpoint of the second. Jeff Martin ties it up again and we go into the third tied 2-2. At 13:16 of the third, Anchorage's own Steve Peters puts Anchorage ahead with all his friends and family probably in the stands, but Gavin Cornforth ties it up again and we're off to overtime again. This time it's a happier ending, LA's Rick Claycomb is called for tripping and Anchorage make them pay when Lucas Karmiris scores a powerplay goal 20 seconds later. We're heading back off to LA with a chance to finish them off.

Game 5 - Anchorage Huskies 3 Los Angeles Kings 2 Overtime
The injuries are clearing up, Jackson Gillespie is available but not quite 100%, so we'll keep Anchorage's own Steve Peters in the lineup instead. LA Kings come out strong, they edge the first period and take a 1-0 lead, Colton Alain after 4:49. Second period is much the same, LA Kings edge the period and score, it's 2-0 after 5:58 on a goal from Michael Risteau. The third period changes completely, Anchorage dominate LA, it's now or never, if you dont count the other two chances. After 4:56 Oskar Vuollet sets up Urho Mattila to score and we're right back in it. After 13:20 Colton Alain and Weston Knox go to the penalty box for coincidental roughing minors and it's 4-on-4. Less than a minute later Oskar Vuollet sets up Urho Mattila again and it's all tied up. No more scoring after we kill off a late LA powerplay and we're off to overtime for the third game in a row. It doesnt take long, 6:30 into the first overtime period and Jordan Gavin scores an unassisted goal and we're off to the Western Conference Final.

So onto the Western Conference Finals and it'll be Anchorage Huskies v Colorado Avalanche. Colorado beat Seattle 4-1 after Seattle upset the reigning champion St Louis Blues in the first round. In the East it'll be Ottawa v Columbus in the conference Final.

Racking up the achievements this year, just got a "Upset! Win a playoff series against a team that finished ahead of you in the regular season" popup.