9pm: Shukr vs Yaqeen A wild card matchup for the ages. Greenbirds vs. Malton Slappers. As we have seen in previous Salaam Cup matchups, the Greenbirds have always come out on top. Shukr will look to replicate the success of years past, but the team has looked shaky since the acquisition of Arslan Mian and Abdur Buttar. Shukr has tied its last 3 games and in all 3 games looked like they were destined to lose if it were not for some late game heroics. Shukr needs its young guns to step up as Humza Chaudhry and Arslan Mian have been held pointless since the trade went down, where usually these two are unstoppable when playing together. We all know what to expect from veterans Osman Buttar, Ali Wadee and Rizwan Kalair, and much of it was on display last week as they scored a nifty goal in the dying seconds of the game to tie it up against the lowly Emaan. These veterans will log most of the minutes and as we have seen quite often, these are the guys to have on when the game matters the most. On the other side, we have the old veterans from Malton who analysts have wondered if they even have what it takes to compete. They are old. They are slow. But what they lack in age and speed, they make up in experience. Led by powerhouses Adil Patel and Emmad Khawaja, this team is trending down going into the playoffs, as they are 1-1-1 in their last 3 games. Goalie Mohammed Khandwala needs to step up big to save this team as he needs to post a better than 2.88 GAA season average to advance into the playoffs. The #2 overall pick Mohammed Kazi has been a disappointment as he only has 2 goals this season. Yaqeen needs a big game from him. Another hidden gem has been Mohammed “Dippy” Patel as analysts have raved about his vision and smarts for the game along with a big booming shot. Can Humza and Arslan rekindle their magic in order to make the playoffs, or will Yaqeen finally get a big game from Kazi and help lift them into the next round.
Leading Scorers:
Shukr - Osman Buttar – 2G 13A – 15 Points
Yaqeen - Emmad Khawaja - 14 Points
Who’s Hot:
Shukr- Osman Buttar (2G 13A – 15P), Ali Wadee (2G 8A-10P)
Yaqeen - Adil Patel (5G 6A – 11P), Ihtisham Qureshi (5G 6A -11P)
Who’s Not:
Shukr - Humza Chaudhry (4G 2A – 6P), Arslan Mian (4G 3A – 7P)
Yaqeen- Mohammed Kazi (2G 7A – 9P), Yasser Habib (1G 1A – 2P)
Samad Prediction; Shukr Advances
10pm: Ridha vs Ikhlas
They were touted as the GM’s to not make the playoffs. They were not even prepared at the draft. Somehow, the kids from Malton have made a massive dent on the I-Slam hockey scene as the 3 young GM’s Rahman Rana, Huzaifah Panchbhaya and Sufyan Kazi have made this team a must-watch every Friday. This team has lost the last 3 out 4 games after starting the season off winning 4 of the first 6. But expect them to come in guns ablazing this Friday as this team is full of speed and snipers. This was evident in the 5-0 romping of lowly Sabr last week. One surprise addition has been the emergence of Farhan Saleh on the defensive end, if this team goes deep he is going to be a lock for defenceman of the year. Expect heavy minutes from the GM’s and defenceman Salman Khalid and Farhan Saleh. While no one can match Ridha’s speed, Ikhlas brings depth that no other team can match. Led by GM’s Luqman Arshad and Zubair Wahid, this team has been locked in since the trade for Sufyaan Sheikh and Zaid Toorawa winning its last 3 games with only giving up 1 goal each game. Rumours are that the Montreal Legend Zubair Wahid will miss this game to play in his brother’s tournament in Montreal, and that will be a huge blow as last season’s Defenceman of the year has been there best player this season. #1 overall pick Abu Manjra has been a huge letdown as his 1 goal in 9 games has made him seem non existent this season. Ikhlas needs Abu to step up and give it his all in this elimination game. Can Luqman lead his boys (and family) back to the promise-land or will the young kids from Malton use their speed to take over.
Leading Scorers:
Ridha – Omar Husain (2G 10A – 12P)
Ikhlas – Zubair Wahid (8G 6A – 14P)
Who’s Hot:
Ridha - Huzaifah Panchbaya (7G 5A – 12P), Rahman Rana (5G 6A – 11P)
Ikhlas - Zubair Wahid (8G 6A – 14P), Tahir Maarouf (2G 6A – 8P)
Whos Not:
Ridha - Salman Khalid (0G 3A – 3P), Umar Mahmood (1G 0A – 1P)
Ikhlas – Luqman Arshad (1G 2A – 3P), Abdur-Rahim Manjra (1G 6A- 7P)
Samad Prediction; Ridha Advances
