TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

While Richard C. Hocolate has won cups with Dragons, he certainly has never been appreciated. One of the situations he has faced is that he has been the back up for the Dragons for 7 seasons and barely got any ice time in the playoffs. Another would be him finally getting the starting position in season 37 and getting eliminated in the first round where a game 7 was involved. Being an active goalie, and barely getting any recognition can be disheartening. The adversity with Hocolate does not end there; poor Hocolate finally got a ride to the finals on a typical Dragons playoffs-fire run but fell short to a hot Rage goalie. Still, getting a chance at the cup in his second season as a starter would be enough to say that Hocolate has overcame tough obstacles in his career to get to where he has. He posted up a solid 10-6-1 record with a .900 SV%, a decent statline in his first full ride in the playoffs. There will be no doubt by hockey fans that he will only improve from here on out as he truly was a hidden gem for the Calgary Dragons.

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

The unsung hero this playoffs would definitely be Dani Forsberg of the Calgary Dragons. Forsberg logged in the least amount of minutes played on the Dragons top 9 forwards with 18.28 average minutes per game. He took advantage of every single time he hit the ice; 53 hits, 15 points (12 assists) and 3 blocked shots in 17 games. He turned heads with his offensive prowess and showed that he was not afraid to shoot the puck at all, putting up 52 shots on goal. A solid two-way player, Forsberg was a major contributor to the Dragons' playoffs run and there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that he was an X-factor in the tournement. The Dragons needed a facilitator within their bench and Forsberg proved his versatility beyond others in taking the depth of the Dragons forwards to the next level. Sadly, he might not even get the recognition he much deserves because of Calgary falling short of their Challenge Cup goal.

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

A young winger who definitely made a name for himself in the Season 38 Playoffs would be Mike Izzy. He might not have put up big offensive numbers but was potent enough playing the depth role on line 3. He did establish his presence as an agitator and a finisher, getting under opponents' skins with a team high 61 hits, 26 penalty minutes and shooting 16.22%, easily top 3 in that category. He was a nightmare for opposing coaches, a top finisher on the 3rd line, with 6 goals and 7 points, making his mark at such a young age. A season 35 draftee, Izzy is well developed for his age, mature and built to play in the big league. With the playoffs all said and done, his name is out there now and he has unfinished business to attend to going into next season. This was just a sample size of what the physical scoring winger can bring to a team and expect him to become even more of a freakishly agitating young stud for the Calgary Dragons.

TASK SIX: You’re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

Given that the Dragons lost to the Rage this finals; there are a few strategy changes I would have made to Calgary's roster which (in my opinion) would have given them a greater chance against Manhattan. The Rage won because of their hot goaltender and solid defense- it is a tough pill to swallow after being such a mediocre team in the regular season. They got hot when it matter nonetheless, which required strategy adjustments to counter their personnel. Dragons have relied on their much proven offensive strategies to which the Rage took exception, and probably should have went more defensive on a lot of their lines. I would have made their 3rd line into a checking line, going 1-1-3 there. 0-2-3 on their 2nd line to make it more of a shutdown line and would have made all their defense lines more defensive by 1 strat point. We could see Hocolate struggled a bit compared to the Rage goalie and I think giving him some more support and matching the Rage in a head to head adjustments may have given them a better shot at beating them.