…Another Week In November…

2010-11 Boston Bruins Weekly Puck Drop:

Game 15 v. New Jersey (11/15/10):

The slumping B’s had a rare Monday night home date against New Jersey, which has underperformed somewhat to start the year. Of course, if Big Lou didn’t hand out a $100M pay day to Ilya Kovalchuk, the Divils would be able to put a full team out there on the ice. They’ve also been hard hit by injuries, most notably to Zach Parise, who’s recovering from knee surgery. Tim Thomas got the start in goal against The Mighty Martin Brodeur. Adam McQuaid and Pelley had an early go with Pelley winning on points. The B’s then went on the power play and had several chances in front of Brodeur, but couldn’t get the puck into the net. Following the power play, the B’s were able to maintain pressure in Jersey’s end. The B’s went back on the power play later on as Matthew Corriente was sent off for hooking Ryder. Adam Mair was then called for goaltender interference when he basically tacked Thomas in the crease after a shorthanded rush, setting up the B’s on a 5-on-3 for 56 seconds. Shortly thereafter, Michael Ryder scored at 15:26 when he lifted a wrist shot from the left side of the net. Nathan Horton then went off for tripping at 17:41 but the B’s PK unit did a good job of keeping the puck away from Thomas and the B’s finished off the period with a 1-0 lead.

The B’s went up 2-0 at 43 seconds, as he scored on a wrist shot that went through Brodeur’s five-hole. Jersey then went on the power play and Stuart leveled Tedenby with a check that rattled the glass. Ryder was struck in the face with a stick by Tedenby and was bleeding profusely. Tedenby was called for a double-minor high stick. Recchi and Seguin each put shots on Brodeur that were turned away, but the Divils killed off the four minute man-advantage.

The B’s scored again at 43 seconds (how weird is that?) of the third as Wheeler picked a pass at the red line, flew down left wing and whistled a shot past Brodeur. Ryder was called for a trip at 1:35, putting Jersey on the power play for the third time. But it wasn’t a charm as the PK unit shut Jersey down tight and denied every advance Kovalchuk tried to make. Late in the period, Clarkson broke in on Thomas, but his backhand attempt went just wide. The only question remaining was whether Thomas would get his fourth shutout of the year. Yes, he did.

Game 16 at New York Rangers (11/17/10):

The B’s hit the Big Apple on Wednesday night for a date with the surprisingly good Rangers at MSG. This was the 622nd Bruins-Rangers meeting since the teams laced ‘em up over 85 years ago. But since expansion/realignment, there hasn’t been much of a rivalry as they only collide a few times each season. The Rangers came out in their 85th Anniversary sweaters, featuring a diagonal “New York” design similar to the sweaters they wore in the late ‘70’s. Tim Thomas started against Henrik Lundqvist. The B’s maintained some decent pressure in the Rangers’ end, though Rangers did have a pair of 2-on-1’s that didn’t amount to anything. The MSG crowd was so quiet it sounded like church, no cheering or booing, save for the occasional loudmouth. The Rangers are a tight-checking team under John Tortorella, and the team has responded well under his direction. The B’s went on the power play at 16:17 when Daniel Girardi went off for hooking. The B’s power play has been dismal (2-16) since Krejci went out 10 days ago. It remained powerless that time, too. Late in the period, Gaborik broke in alone on right wing and crashed the net. Moments later, Gaborik was called for a trip at 19:13 and the B’s played out the period on the power play.

In the second, Horton had a great chance that Lundqvist turned aside. Horton was then sent off for four minutes for a high stick on Dubinsky. Caron had a great shorthanded bid that Lundqvist knocked away. Dubinsky scored for Rangers at 7:10 as he broke past Chara down right wing in the B’s zone and fired a wrist shot past Thomas. Rangers turned up the heat in the B’s end as Fedotenko nearly tipped in a loose puck. B’s then went back on the power play as Rangers were caught with too many men on the ice, but that was shortlived as Chara was called for knocking over Callahan. Milan Lucic (7) tied the score at 11:06 as Bergeron created a turnover, fed to Horton, who found Lucic streaking down right wing and he snapped the puck past Lundqvist. Gaborik then fired a point blank shot on Thomas that was swept away. Tyler Seguin (4) put B’s ahead at 16:35 as he grabbed a loose puck at the red line and exploded into the Rangers end and blew the puck past Lundqvist, Dubinsky threw a puck across the crease that the B’s defense scrambled to knock away.

The B’s went up 3-1 just 1:10 into the third on a high near side wrist shot by Recchi that squeezed through Lundqvist’s arm pit and fell into the net. Prust came right back and fired one on Thomas that was knocked away. Gaborik scored at 5:26 when Seidenberg turnover the puck, Steppan scooped up the loose puck and found Gaborik, who was making a beeline for the net. Thomas then made a couple of terrific stops as the Rangers (energized by the goal) pressed the action in the B’s end. Halfway through the period, all the B’s could do was to ice the puck continually as Rangers buzzed Thomas. Avery took a dive at 12:57 and the ref fell for it as Ference was sent off for a high stick. Chara then inadvertently flipped the puck over the glass and was sent off, giving Rangers a 5-on-3 for 1:45. Del Zotto fired a near side blast on Thomas that was snared. Thomas made an incredible stop off of Callahan’s shot as the B’s killed off both penalties. Blake Wheeler then crashed the Rangers’ net and sent Lundqvist for a tumble. The Rangers pulled Lundqvist with less than a minute left, but the B’s defense thwarted their advances, allowing only one shot with the man advantage and the B’s came away with an impressive 3-2 win.

Game 17 v. Florida Panthers (11/18/10):

One night after a big win in New York, the B’s (10-5-1) returned home to face the Florida Panthers, the team with which they swung a big draft day trade last summer that brought Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to Boston in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman and the 15th overall pick in the draft. The Panthers are presently 8-8-0 and in last place in the Southeast Division. Like the B’s they also played on Wednesday night so neither team should have complained about the other having an edge. Tuukka Rask got the call in goal for the B’s against Tomas Vokoun. Bergeron suffered a foot injury in the first minute and went off to the dressing room. Marchand was called for goaltender interference at 2:59 as the B’s pressed the action in Florida’s end. Rask made a couple of big saves as the B’s killed off the early penalty. Garrison hit the post on a shot from the left point. Milan Lucic (8) scored at 15:37 on a rebound in front of the net that beat Vokoun. Right after the goal, Thornton and Darcy Hordichuk went toe-to-toe in a really good bout, but it was a draw.

Recchi was sent off early in the second and no sooner was he out of the box then Bergeron went in for hooking. The Panthers’ power play was much better on this chance as Rask came up big on three sequences in front of the net. On the third, his mask was knocked off and went flying. McCabe was sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct midway through the period but the power play unit couldn’t get out of their way. Late in the period, the B’s picked up the intensity and peppered Vokoun with a barrage of shots. Truth be told, that wasn’t the best 40 minutes the B’s played this year.

In the first minute of the third, Chara went off for diving and tripping Weiss, who had broken down right wing untouched. The B’s killed off the penalty without allowing a shot on goal. The B’s went on the power play five minutes in. Chris Higgins had a shorthanded breakaway but his shot went wide. The Panthers then had a 3-on-2 break but Rask broke up the pass in front of the net. Seguin nearly scored on the B’s next rush, but Vokoun snared the puck at the last second. Late in the period, Marchand had a great chance that Vokoun deflected away. Lucic scored at 14:42 on a break down right wing and fired a wrist shot from the circle that whistled past Vokoun. At 14:57, Lucic went for the hat trick, as he broke with Bergeron on a 2-on-1 and smacked in the rebound of Bergeron’s shot Thornton made it 4-0 at 16:06 when he banged in rebound of Paille’s shot after the B’s crashed the net. After that goal, the B’s bombarded Vokoun with four or five shots. Rask had 41 saves on the night and kept his team in the game for long stretches in which they were outplayed by Florida. Save for that 2+ minutes where the B’s scored three goals, the Panthers were the better team. Sometimes, it’s good to be lucky.

Condolences:

…we would be remiss for not offering our condolences to the family and friends of Pat Burns, who passed away on Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer at age 58. Burns coached in several places, including Boston (where he never got a fair shake) before winning the Cup with New Jersey a few years ago. He was one of the game’s better coaches who always seemed to get the best out of his players wherever he went. He will be missed.

Game 18 v. Los Angeles Kings (11/20/10):

David Krejci returned to the B’s lineup as the B’s greeted the LA Kings on Saturday night at the Garden. Tim Thomas started against former UMass product Jonathan Quick, who has already won 10 out of 12 starts. Kings scored 57 seconds in as Brad Richardson went top shelf on Thomas, as his wrist shot whistled past Thomas’ left shoulder. Michal Handzus made it 2-0 LA at 11:17 as he banged in a rebound of Davis Drewiske’s shot that deflected off of Bergeron. The B’s had a couple of early chances that Quick turned away as well as a shot by Lucic that hit the post. As was the case in the Florida game, the B’s passing had not been crisp. The B’s had a late power play, though LA’s Brown picked a loose puck at the point and skated in alone on a shorthanded bid. LA’s captain, Dustin Brown crashed the net on the play, which irritated Thomas something awful. So, the B’s were in a deep hole after 20 minutes.

Jarret Stoll made it 3-0 at 2:50 of the second when he grabbed a loose puck caused by a turnover directly in front of the net and tucked it past Thomas (who’s not having one of his better nights). But the B’s were finally able to break the ice (so to speak) as Blake Wheeler scored on a shot from a bad angle. Boychuck was sent off for tripping at 8:53 but the PK unit allowed only one shot on goal. Gregory Campbell made it 3-2 at 11:57 on a rebound of Thornton’s shot. Thomas then robbed Stoll on a point-blank shot out front. Moments thereafter, Chara hit the penalty box for a trip as the Kings peppered Thomas with a few shots but nothing of consequence. Lucic was whistled off for a cross check on Drew Doughty at 17:32 and at 18:40, LA’s Justin Williams was called for goaltender interference as the Kings didn’t get a single shot on Thomas during the abbreviated power play. The B’s definitely had the better of the play in the second.

Moving into the third, after a quiet start, the Kings had three quick shots in a row on Thomas by Kopitar, Drewiske and Harrold that were turned aside. The Kings’ Kyle Clifford was sent off for slashing midway through the period and Bergeron (3) tied the score on the power play at 13:44 as he scored on a shot from Wheeler’s feed directly out in front of Quick. Recchi was called for hooking at 16:17, giving the Kings a late power play but once more, the PK unit did not allow a shot on goal.

The game went on to an overtime session, where one of the linesmen, Steve Miller, was inadvertently hit in the head by a puck with 30 seconds remaining and needed some help. The B’s had only two shots on Quick, so it was on to the shootout (where the B’s lose about 90% of the time). Bergeron missed on the B’s first attempt and Anze Kopitar missed as well. Seguin missed on the B’s next round and Jack Johnson missed as well. Lucic missed on the B’s third try and Dustin Brown also missed. Ryder missed in the fourth round and Jarret Stoll did as well. Nathan Horton missed on the fifth round and Justin Williams did too. Krejci missed on the B’s sixth round while Handzus scored to win the game for LA. All in all, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to pick up a point wasn’t the worst result for which the B’s could’ve hoped.

Liverpool Match 14 v. West Ham United (11/20/10):

Reds greeted last-place West Ham at Anfield on Saturday afternoon and smoked the Hammers 3-0 on goals by Glen Johnson (18), a penalty kick by Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez (38). They could not have asked for an easier foe, as the Hammers put only one shot on frame and the Reds have now pulled to 5-5-4-19 and are in the middle of the Premiership pack. West Ham is now at the bottom of the table and are in serious danger of relegation even at this point of the season.

Piacenza Match 16 at Citadella (11/20/10):

After a run that brought biancorossi to the middle of the table, they lost 3-0 at Pier Cesare Tombolato in Citadella on Saturday afternoon and have now fallen to the bottom of the Pack in Serie B. The home side got goals from Francesco Scardina (24), Andrea Manucci (42) and Federico Piovaccari (64). Piacenza is now 3-7-6-15 and have to be wondering how they can right the ship.

To The Gridiron:

Harvard Crimson Game 10 v. Yale (11/20/10):

10 Saturdays
10,000 Men
1 Team

In the 127th renewal of The Game at the Stadium, the Crimson had two goals: Beat Yale and (2) in the process, knock the Elis out of contention for a piece of the Ivy title. It was a windy, cool and crisp afternoon in Cambridge and, as usual, the Stadium was banged out with students and alumni from both schools. Yale won the toss and elected to receive but punted away, as did Harvard on their first possession. Yale’s second go, they moved the ball well into Crimson territory. Yale faced a critical fourth-and-1 at the 5 and decided to go for it. Quarterback Patrick Witt carried up the middle to pick up the first. Alex Thomas carried in from the 2 and Yale took a 7-0 lead midway through the quarter. The Crimson’s Hanson nearly fumbled away the ensuing kickoff but he carried out to the 33. Collier Winters hit Cook for a first down at midfield. Winters then connected with Marco Ianuzzi on a terrific catch and run down the right sideline to Yale’s 4. After three unsuccessful cracks at the end zone, Harvard went for it on fourth down and Gino Gordon carried off right tackle into the end zone to tie the score. It was a six-play, 64-yard drive for the touchdown. Harvard attempted an on-sides kick, but it was played poorly and Yale took over at the 48. A holding call against Yale negated a big pickup.

Yale opened the second quarter at Harvard’s 20. From there, Witt overthrew Bloom, who was wide open and could’ve easily scored. Thomas then carried up the middle to the 10 but a 15-yard chop-block penalty took the ball back. Witt was then sacked for no gain. Yale attempted a 46-yard field goal but Pannico’s kick never got close. Yale’s defense was playing up in the box and effectively shut down the Crimson’s running game. Harvard was forced to punt away into a strong wind and Yale took over at their 40. Alex Gedeon dragged Witt down for a loss on second down, but Witt responded by hitting Mordecai Cargill down to the 30. From there, Randall carried down to the 13 but was popped by Collin Zych. Cargill then attempted a fourth down rush at the 9, but was stuffed short by the Crimson D. After picking up a first down at the 23, Winters was sacked for a loss and, after another punt into the wind, Yale took over at the 50. Witt faced down a heavy rush and hit Chris Smith, who made a leaping catch for a 30-yard gain. Inside the final minute, Yale was sitting at Harvard’s 11, where Witt hit Bloom on the play-action left to the 6. A pass interference call against Matt Hanson put the ball on the 2. From there, Thomas banged off right tackle and into the end zone and Yale took a 14-7 lead with 13 seconds left. Yale thoroughly dominated Harvard in that first half of play as Yale outgained Harvard 221-71 in yards and had a 2:1 advantage on the clock.

Marco Ianuzzi returned the second half kickoff down the left sideline and to the house to tie the score, 84 yards! Smith returned the ensuing kickoff back to the 39, but the Crimson D forced the Elis to a three n’ out. Winters hit Cook over the middle to the 39. After a penalty, Winters hit Mike Brown on the left sideline for 13 and Gordon carried for a first down at midfield. Winters was then sacked for a 6-yard loss and the Crimson punted away. Collin Zych put a hard hit on Chris Bloom and Zych took the worst of it, but was able to get up and leave the field. Witt led Yale’s offense to their 40, and then hit Smith for a first down at midfield. Witt was then sacked by Josue Ortiz for a big loss, forcing a punt that was blocked by Ortiz and rolled out of bounds at the 23. Gordon picked up a first down on a swing pass. Gordon then banged up the middle to the 4 for a first down and, on the next play, he carried off right tackle and leaped into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Yale then moved the ball out to midfield on a rush by Thomas as the quarter came to a close.

Zych returned to the lineup and then Witt was sacked for the third time by Ryan Burkhead and the Bulldogs punted away. The Crimson went three n’ out on their next drive and Yale took over at their 34. Witt was sacked by Burkhead again setting up another punt and Dan Minamide returned the shanked punt inside Yale’s 40. On second down, Jesse Reising hit Gordon in a frightening collision after Gordon caught a pass over the middle and both players were knocked out cold. Gordon was able to get up after a few minutes by Reising had to be removed from the field on a stretcher. It took several minutes to clear the scene and the crowd fell completely silent. Reising was assessed a 15-yard penalty, which placed he ball at the 15. On first down, a personal foul against Yale’s Joe Young for a hit on Winters moved the ball to the 4. On third down, Winters rolled right and hit Alex Sarkisian in the right corner and Harvard went ahead, 28-14. Yale returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield and a wildcat play moved the ball inside the 25. On fouth-and-9, Yale went for it but Witt’s pass completion to Smith fell a yard short. Scales then fumbled on first down and Yale’s McCarthy (who stripped the ball) recovered at the 19. A screen pass to Thomas picked up 13. Witt was then sacked again by Burkhead for an 11-yard loss. A roughing the passer call against Harvard negated an interception and put the ball at the 9. Thomas then bulled his way inside the 1. On fourth-and-goal, Thomas carried in to make it a one-score game at 28-21 with 3:15 remaining. The Crimson went three n’ out on their next series and only burned a minute on the clock. A 47-yard punt into the wind put the ball at Yale’s 17. Thomas quickly picked up a first down on a pass over the middle, but a procedure call set the ball back to the 22. Thomas then moved the ball to the 35 and a minute left. An offensive pass interference call set the ball back 15 yards. On fourth down and 17, Witt’s pass fell well short of a first down and the Crimson took over on downs. Winters took a knee and the home crowd loudly sang “10,000 Men of Harvard” together with the victors.

Illegitimum Non Carborundum.

UFL Hartford Colonials Week 10/Game 8 v. Las Vegas Locos (11/20/10):

The Colonials wrapped up their first season in Hartford with a home date against Las Vegas, who will be returning to the UFL Championship game against Florida next week. Other than their most recent outing in Orlando, the Colonials were pretty competitive this year and but for a couple of late game/OT losses would’ve been in the championship game conversation.

Vegas won the toss and returned the ball out to the 31. Rookie Chase Clement from Rice brought out the Locos’ offense and lost six and then four yards on their first two plays. Syndric Steptoe returned the initial punt to midfield before fumbling but the Colonials’ return team recovered. Josh McCown started at quarterback for the Colonials and he quickly led the offense into positive territory. From the 35, McCown hit Tory Harrison for 19. A holding call negated a touchdown rush by McCown, so they ended up settling for a 38-yard field goal by new kicker Sam Swank. The Locos started out their next drive at the 23. MLB Danny Lansanah was shaken up and left the field on first down and the Locos went three n’ out. The Locos started out their next drive inside the 20. De De Dorsey ripped up the middle for 16. On second down, Clement was intercepted by Lansanah in the flat, and the MLB took it to the house. With Swank’s point after, the Colonials went ahead, 10-0. Clement connected with Tab Perry for a first down on the Locos’ next drive. DE Michaele Spicer went out with a hamstring injury as the first quarter came to a close.

Tra Battle intercepted Clement’s first pass of the second quarter. Ryan Perriloux came in at quarterback for the Colonials to open the quarter. Swank capped off the drive with a 20-yard field goal and it was 13-0 Hartford. Late in the quarter, Clement finally led the Locos on a scoring drive as he hit Andrae Thurman on a long gainer and then Dorsey scored from 7 yards out. On the final play of the half, Tyson DeVree ended up catching a 39-yard desperation touchdown pass from McCown in the back of the end zone and the Colonials were ahead 20-7.

McCown brought out the offense at the 23 to open the second half, but couldn’t pick up a first down and Jy Bond punted away. The Locos moved the ball out to midfield and then Clement smartly rushed up the middle for 17, but then Quintin Demps intercepted Clement’s pass and returned the ball 72 yards for the touchdown to make it 27-7 early in the quarter. After an exchange of possession by both teams, the Locos elected to go for it on fourth-and-2, but the Colonials’ D stuffed Marcel Shipp and Hartford took over on downs. Late in the quarter, Clement rushed again for another first down up to the 25, then connected with Denard for 7.

Moving into the fourth quarter, Dorsey picked up a first down on a shovel pass up to the 40. But Clement’s third down pass was broken up and they decided to go for it on fourth down but a procedure penalty forced the Locos to punt. Clement was replaced by Drew Willy at quarterback for the Locos, and Willy connected with Hakeem Hill for a first down. Brian Hernandez picked up 13. Willy was able to move the offense inside the 30. From there, Willy hit Thurman in the left corner of the end zone and with the point after it was a 27-14 ballgame. After the touchdown, Perriloux entered and the Colonials stuck to the ground and he ran for a first down. The Locos had another shot and Willy moved the ball with success against the Colonials’ prevent defense but, with less than a minute to go, there would be no miraculous comeback on this evening. Hartford showed a great deal of heart playing well in a game that meant nothing in the standings. So, the Colonials ended up at 3-5-0 and didn’t finish in last. If they’re around next year, we’ll give them another look.

Saskatchewan Roughriders at Calgary Stampeders (Western Finals) (11/21/10):

The Riders traveled to McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday afternoon to decide who
would represent CFL West in next week’s Grey Cup Final. Last year, the Riders made it
to the finals but lost in heartbreaking fashion. This year, they’ll have their work cut out for them winning on the road against a powerhouse team led by quarterback Henry Burris and running back Joffrey Reynolds. In the Eastern Final held earlier in the afternoon, Montréal Alouettes demolished Toronto Argonauts 48-17 to make it to the Finals. It was a bitter cold (-17°C/1°F), overcast afternoon with intermittent snow showers in Alberta as snow covered the area but the grounds were fairly cleared, though the turf was quite slippery in certain spots.

Calgary won the toss, elected to receive and brought the ball out to the 36. On the Stamps first possession, Burke Dales punted away and the ball rolled into the end zone for a single . The Riders started out their opening drive at the 45, where Darian Durant hit Getzlaf for a first down at midfield. From there, Wes Cates carried up the middle for another first down. The drive stalled and Eddie Johnson punted away with the Stamps taking over at the 20. Burris connected with Nik Lewis over the middle for a first down at the 35 and then to Romby Bryant on the right sideline at midfield. From midfield, Lewis made another catch over the middle on second down and ran the ball down to the Riders’ 15. From there, Rob Maver knocked in a chip shot to make it 4-0. The Riders started out at their 35, where Weston Dressler picked up a quick first down but the drive quickly fizzled thereafter as the running game couldn’t get untracked. On the Stamps next drive, Burris moved the ball to the Riders’ 35. From there, he hit Franklin on a slant route and Franklin broke two tackles and scooted into the end zone and it was suddenly 11-0 and there was a sense that things were starting to unravel for the Riders. Ryan Grice-Mullen returned the ensuing kickoff back to the 31. Penalties killed that drive and Johnson punted away.

The Stamps had the ball at the 45 and punted away to open the second quarter but once more, Durant’s accuracy was lacking and the Riders went two n’ out. After the Stamps quickly went two n’ out, Grice-Mullen returned the punt to the 48. From there, Durant scrambled to the left and shoved his way for a first down but could go no further than midfield. Midway through the quarter, the Riders got the ball back and Durant hit Dressler on the right sideline out to the 40. From there, Durant hit Andy Fantuz, who made a nice catch and run down to the Stamps’ 34. Cary Koch then picked up another first down on a hitch n’ go down to the 20. After the three-minute warning, Durant found Chris Getzlaf on the left flat at the 7. From there, Getzlaf caught a pass on a slant to the right and ran it in for the touchdown. After Warren Kean’s point after, it was suddenly a football game at 11-7. On the Stamps’ next drive, Burris was able to move the ball to midfield on a pair of completions to Rambo and Franklin, On second down, Burris was intercepted by James Patrick, who returned the ball all the way down to Calgary’s 20. A pass interference call against Brandon Browner put the ball on the threshhold with 39 seconds left in the half. Durant then connected with Koch at the back of the end zone and the Riders now went up 14-11 with three seconds left on the clock.

Landan Talley returned the opening kickoff to the 52, where Burris hit Lewis for a six-yard gain. Reynolds’ rush up the middle was stacked by the Riders’ Ryan Lucas, but Dales’ punt struck the corner of the end zone and popped out of bounds for a single, cutting the Riders’ lead to two points. Durant was sacked on the Riders’ opening drive and Johnson punted away. A penalty against the Riders gave Calgary new life and Jon Cornish carried on a draw to the Riders’ 20. From there, Maver kicked a field goal to put the Stamps back on top at 15-14. Cates fumbled on the Riders’ next drive and Calgary recovered. Coach Miller challenged the ruling on the field (it sure looked like his knee hit the ground before the ball went loose) and the call was overturned. Getzlaf then picked up a first doen after a catch over the middle at the Stamps’ 47. Getzlaf made another tough catch over the middle and ran down to the 29. From there, Cates banged up the middle for another first down. Durant then carried up the gut on the draw down to the 7. On second and goal, Durant’s pass intended for Jason Clermont was incomplete but a penalty against Browner gave the Riders another crack from the 4. Cates the went off right tackle and into the end zone. Kean’s point after attempt was botched and the Riders had to settle for six and now regained the lead at 20-15. Talley returned the ensuing kickoff back into Riders’ territory at the 50. From there, Burris connected with Bryant on the right for 9.

The Stamps opened the fourth quarter at the Riders’ 31 facing a second-and-14. Burris was sacked by Byron Bullock and Dales’ coffin-corner punt did the trick to make it 20-16. From the 35, Durant connected with Dressler on a short gain and then to Clermont for a first down. On second down, Cates gained 9 on a swing pass, setting up a critical 3rd-and-inches. Durant leaped up the middle to keep the drive alive. But Durant then threw two incompletions and Johnson punted away. The ball went out of bounds at the 20, where Burris connected with Lewis for 7. Lewis then picked up a first down and took a big hit from Patrick on the play. Rambo then made a great catch and run to midfield, but a taunting call set the ball back to the Riders’ 50. Burris was then sacked by Freeman for a 9-yard loss and Dales came on to punt away. From the 26, Durant hit Getzlaf over the middle at the 42 for a first down, though the Riders were set back five on a delay of game call. The drive stalled there and Johnson punted away, with Talley coming up with another great return to the 47. Burris threw a great jump pass in the teeth of the rush for a 4-yard gain but an incompletion on the next play forced a punt. Grice-Mullen slipped on the turf and fumbled Dales’ punt and it rolled into the end zone, where Freeman recovered the punt for a touchback in a mad rush for the ball. The ball went through three different players’ hands before Freeman dove, slid and came up with the ball. From the 25, Cates picked up a first down on a catch over the middle with less than two minutes and counting. Cates then carried off left tackle for 8. Cates then banged up the middle for a first down with a minute remaining and Calgary out of timeouts. Durant took a knee and the Riders pulled off the upset! Despite the brutally-cold temperatures, The 13th Man (a sizeable contingent) waited in the front row to congratulate the team while the home crowd cleared out of McMahon faster than a comet. The Riders were awarded the CFL West trophy and the coaches and players were absolutely thrilled. Durant hoisted the trophy for the fans in Green as the team made their way to the dressing room. The Riders return to Grey Cup next week against Montreal with a chance to avenge last year’s heartbreaking defeat. The final score for the final time from Calgary: Riders’ 20, Stamps 16.