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mstuk41 · 08-25-2014, 03:51 PM

Task #1 - PMed

Task 2 -
Leadership Change for two franchises.

Looking back at the season there is no doubt that Joe McKeil and Victor Helstrom have been great players and fantastic leaders for the Hamilton Steelhawks and Winnipeg Jets. However if these two franchises were to make a change at the start of the season, two names instantly come to mind as replacements. Roman Schultz for the Steelhawks and the Jets Victor Helstrom's defensive partner Dean Clark.

Roman Schultz, a defensive force on the blue line for the Steelhawks, demonstrates all the necessary traits needed for a captain to be successful.

1. Being Vocal - already an assistant captain of the Hawks, he already has a voice that the locker room respects, or they would not have bestowed that honor on him.
2. Being Good at the Game - Plain and simple, Schultz is a stud. With 32 points from the Blue Line, a +12 rating, including an impressive 9 powerplay points (tied for 4th on the team) Schultz is not only a good player, he is a great player.
3. Logging Big Minutes - As a member of the Top Defensive pair, #1 Penalty Killing unit, and #2 Power Play Unit Schultz is on the ice almost as much as he is off. Logging an average of 23.38 minutes of ice time per game, usually against the opponents top lines.

Dean Clark, like Roman Schultz is also force to be reckoned with on the blue line. Logging 33 points, a plus 6, and an equally impressive 9 Points on the powerplay, Clark excels at all aspects of the game. A rugged Checker, throwing a whopping 156 hits on the season as a member of the top defensive pair. Clark also found himself on the top Power Play unit and Penalty Kill unit. Being able to be counted on each night to leave it all on the ice would make Dean Clark a fine replacement for Victor Helstrom as Captain of the Jets.

I leave you with this quote from the greatest captain.

"As a captain, I think it’s important that the players really know who you are, and what you stand for, what your beliefs are, and to be consistent in those if things are going good or things are going bad."
Mark Messier

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Task 3

Task 4

Offense:
The Hamilton Steelhawks finished the SHL regular season scoring. Putting up an impressive 3.02 goals per game average, the Hawks look as though they will be tough to defeat in the Championship. A roster full of top end talent, highlighted by Center and Captain Joe McKeil's 61 points (good for 3rd in the league), Right Winger Ivo Willems, and Left Wing Ammon Tutankamun. Together this trio combined to put up 64 Goals and 65 Assists with a plus/minus of +72. With these three flying around the ice, I think it will be difficult for the Jets less talented defensive core to keep these superstars off the scoreboard.

Defense:
Like the Steelhawks offense, their defense also led the league in goals against average, with an impressive 2.28. The top defensive pairing of Jordan Hall and Roman Schultz is downright criminal. Two guys with a TPE average of over 1200, being backed up by two more defenders averaging just over 1000 TPE (Jareth Sto Helit & Brandon Cant), have been shutting down offenses all season. That is not going to change when the puck drops on this Championship series.

Goaltending:
Playing in the between the pipes for the Steelhawks may be an easy task, with all the amazing talent in front of him. But with all that talent comes high expectations. We have seen goalies in the past fold like a cheap suit when faced with some pressure (MA Fluery), then there are goalies like Edwin Ask. Ask lead the league in goals against average, with a spectacular 2.12, on his way to leading the Hawks to a league leading 30 wins. One may think that all the talent in front of him, led to easy nights in the cage. In his 40 games played this season, Ask faced an average of 23.3 shots per game, and went on to have shutouts in seven of those games. Needless to say, with this talent loaded roster of SHL Superstars Edwin Ask fits right in on a team that I believe will be the SHL champion.

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Task 5 -

Hamilton Steelhawks

The Hamilton Steelhawks is a who's who of talent. Looking up and down the roster there are superstars at every position. With the Captain Joe McKeil continuing his regular season scoring prowess in the playoffs, most may feel that he is who the Hawks be crowning MVP after winning the championship. This is where I am going to go outside the box and declare that defenseman Roman Schultz is going to be named most valuable player for the playoffs. In the regular season Schultz, thought of as a more defensive minded d-man averaged .55 points per game, with a plus 12 +/-. Since the puck dropped for the playoffs, Schultz has taken his play to a new level. Scoring at a rate of 1.08 points per game, with a plus 3 +/-. Besides lighting up the scoreboard at an impressive clip, Schultz's has stepped up his physical play. During the regular season Schultz was 9th on the team in hits, averaging 1.7 a game, during the playoffs he is up to 7th on the team in hits with a 2.07 a game average. It is my belief that because of Schultz's increased offensive game combined with his already stellar defense, Roman will be named the Hamilton Steelhawks Most Valuable Player on what very well may be the next SHL Champion.

Winnipeg Jets

Analysts say "defense wins championships" look no further than the Jets backstop Lauris Prikulis. Growing up in Preili, Latvia Prikulis dreamed of winning a SHL championship. If the Winnipeg Jets do end up winning the championship, it will be because Lauris carried the team on his back. After a spectacular regular season, that saw Prikulis win 24 games, while carrying a .917 save percentage with a strong 2.27 goals against average and seven shutouts. Prikulis has continued the strong play into the final round of the playoffs. Posting an 8-3 record, improving his save percentage in the playoffs to .918. Even though his goals against average has increased in the playoffs, it has been his play since game seven of the first round against Calgary. With their backs against the wall, Prikulis stood on his head holding the surging Calgary Dragons offense, led by budding superstar Esa Anrikkanen, to one goal, stealing the series in overtime with numerous spectacular saves. The strong play continued in round two against Seattle, leading the Jets to a 4-1 series win. If the Jets beat the odds and win the championship the only place to look for a MVP is between the pipes, Lauris Prikulis.

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Jedi · 08-25-2014, 04:24 PM

Task 1

Pmed

Task 2

If Mckeil wasn't the captain, I believe it would have fallen to Ivo Willems, now I'm not entirely familiar with the way the Hawks organization is run, but Willems has the veteran presence that you look for in a captain. That's not to say that there aren't other great options on this team, apart from Joe and Ivo, Jordan Hall, Schultz, and Winter are all excellent candidates and in reality, it could have fallen to anyone of them if it hadn't fallen to Joe McKeil. Roman in-particular has been, essentially, the face of the Steelhawks since being drafted 9 seasons ago. He makes a strong case, and Jordan Hall's active presence around the league means he's basically a shoe in. All that said, I do believe Ivo Willems to be the # 2 guy in line for captaincy this past season apart from his outstanding play, and veteran presence, he seems like an upstanding dude.

As for the Jets, well, tbqh, Helmstrom has no place being their captain. From what I've heard, he's an honorless bigot, and a man like that has no place leading others into battle, on the ice.
The better choice would have been Onoprienko. A man of utmost responsibility and accountability. A man like that is who you want as your captain. Onoprienko exemplifies captaincy, and he should be wearing the C come next season. The Jets have many prime candidates, Uppercut, Horvat, and Dean Clarke. Unfortunately, they can't give Captaincy to the real captain, Lauris Prikulis. Your team is only as good as it's tendy, and Winnipeg is in the cup final, so what does that tell you about Prikulis' ability? But, Captaincy can't be given to goalies, so we'll have to settle with Onoprienko. Also, a name that really rolls off the tongue. Vidrik Onoprienko. It just fits nicely together, it's a name worthy of Captaincy.

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Task 3
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Task 4
Looking at these two teams, it's easy to see why they are where they are. Hamilton is by far, the best team on paper. Schultz, Hall, Willems, McKeil, they can score from all levels, at any place on the ice. Winnipeg has two top tier defenders, but that's where it stops as their depth isn't great. Each of Hamilton's top 3 Dmen has atleast 8 points in these playoffs. That doesn't bode well for a team like Winnipeg who has very little defensive depth. However, I think Winnipeg has the edge where it counts most: the net minder. Lauris Prikulis is going to be the difference for a thin Winnipeg defense. And he's why Winnipeg will win this series. Winnipeg can score, make no doubt about it. They're scrappy, and they'll fight to the end. guys like Bullis, and Onoprienko, and Alexey Kovalenko will be there to take them to the house. They can score with their own potent offensive attack, and while they're not quite as good at Hamilton's, they're no slouches. Sleeping on this Winnipeg offense is a sure fire way to see your season ended sooner than you'd hoped. Firing pucks on net at will, and the Hawks answer for the Jets' attack is a washed up Edwin Ask. Your team is only as good as your netminders and Winnipeg has them beat there, and it isn't even close. After facing 66 shots in a game against Seattle in the last round, Lauris Prikulis is ready for anything blah that the Steelhawks can throw at him. Because as good as Hamilton's attack is, Lauris Prikulis is playing like Tim Thomas in 2011. Unstoppable, out of his mind, out of this world. Winnipeg's D is thin, but all they need to do is make a few key plays here and there, and Prikulis will do the rest. After he's done winning the S19 Challenge Cup, I'll be referring Prikulis to a world renowned chiropractor to help with the back pain he's experienced carrying this team through to the final.

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Task 5

Obvious MVP for Winnipeg is Lauris Prikulis. He's unstoppable right now, posting a greater than 90% Save percent, 2.5 GAA, he's in top form. And quite frankly, it's because of him that Winnipeg is even here at the moment. Winnipeg has two top flight defenders in Clarke and Uppercut, but look at their depth. It just isn't there and it's been shown numerous times in these playoffs. Lauris has faced an inhuman amount of shots and kept his composure throughout, facing 66 shots in one Seattle game in the Conference round. That's absolutely incredible, at both his ability to remain poised and his Defenses utter inability to do their job. Yet, despite his defenses deficiencies, Prikulis is standing tall, and strong, like a wall built from hardened steel, forged in a searing fire.

As for Hamilton, it's a little less clear, but likely Captain Joe McKeil. Roman Schultz is up there, posting 13 points, good for #2 (behind McKeil). A solid defensive Anchor, and one of the best in the league, Roman Schultz does his job, and does it well. However, McKeil is just on another level. Playing just as lights out as David Krejci normally does come playoff time. Hamilton doesn't have the benefit of having a tendy playing out of his fucking mind, so it's harder to pick but McKeil is the safe bet. with 4 goals and 11 assists, he leads his team in points. The other possible MVP, Roman Schultz has 10 assists and 3 goals. Just 2 points behind McKeil, in addition to 17 blocked shots. It's easy to see that Much of what Edwin Ask has been able to do has to do with a dominant defensive performance in front of him.

Some MPV runners up include Hamilton's Jordan Hall. Defensive Stalwart who adds just as much offense as his counterpart, Roman Schultz. Alexey Kovalenko of the Jets, Winnipeg's #1 offensive force dominates the ice almost as effectively as his tendy does. Lance Uppercut and Dean Clarke, the only two defenders on Winnipeg worthy of mention. Despite their depth, it shouldn't hurt their argument, as everytime they're on the ice, it's light out. I'll bet Winnipeg's GM wishes he could have them out their longer without any detriment. All in all, both teams have significant contributing pieces, but in the next series, someone could really separate themselves from the pack blah it could be anyone blah, even someone I haven't mentioned. Hockey is funny that way.

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Alucard,Apr 14 2016, 03:33 PM Wrote:May the harvest be with you, young spud.

enigmatic,Aug 26 2016, 10:05 AM Wrote:Jedi could have 1 TPE and still improve any team

First ever Norwegian IIHF Goal!!

Code:
2. Team Norway , Jackson Rodgers-Tanaka 1 (Isabella Esparza-Osvaldson, Aleksander Andrezjeck) at 5:50

Special Thanks to Count Chocula for the Hugo G sig <3

teztify · 08-25-2014, 04:32 PM

Task 1: PM'd

Task 2: If Victor Helstrom had not been named the Captain of the Winnipeg Jets organization, there would be a few candidates who are equally deserving, if not more, than Helstrom himself. The Swedish blueliner has a lot of experience already in his young career, but if you look throughout the Jets lineup, there is quite a bit of leadership at every position. However, if I were to choose one player who I think would have the “C” patched onto his sweater, it would be none other than centerman Max McDonald.

McDonald is one of the younger players in the Jets lineup, but he is wise beyond his years and has an unmatched maturity level. He takes his game and the league very seriously, and all reports seem to indicate that he has stepped up as a leader whenever necessary. Perhaps the biggest reason though, is that Max has leadership in his blood. Coming from a family of hockey players, Max is a relative of Hall of Famer Jay McDonald – the creator of the Edmonton Comets (now Blizzard) franchise who won two Cups as manager of that team, and another with the Winnipeg Jets in Season One.

As a second generation Winnipeg Jet, McDonald certainly understands the importance of wearing the C for that historic franchise more than almost anyone else in the league. He grew up hearing the stories of guys like Jonathan Kane, Sergei Karpotsov, Dominic Turcotte, Claudio Krejci, Ron Mexico, Gabriel Fortescue, and the man who is now his GM, Damian Littleton.

It may raise some eyebrows naming such an inexperienced player as the Captain of a franchise like Winnipeg, who already have so many great veterans throughout the lineup. Still, it wouldn't be the first time this has happened and it would really breath new life into the Jets organization, making a promising youngster the face of their entire franchise.

Task 3: [Image: YQtiopM.png]

Task 4: When looking at the Winnipeg Jets roster, it becomes immediately apparent that this is a time that scores and wins by committee. While the club does have some bonafide stars, they've probably got less top-end talent than some other teams who have been in their position over the seasons. Yet, they've managed to get the job done with their biggest strengths – depth and great line management & deployment.

Led up front by a top line featuring Terry Bullis, Alexey Kovalenko, and Jamers Both, the Jets have a solid first trio that can be relied on to score goals in pressure situations. With star forward Kovalenko on the wing, this line is always a threat. Following them on the second line are Maxim Horvat, Mr. Feeny, and Vidrik Onoprienko. Possibly the most balanced line on the team, they've come up huge in big moments for the Jets and are a testament to the depth of this squad. With Max McDonald, JP Leroux, and Jason Smith manning the third line, it's easy to see why the Jets have made it this far.

On defense, we see another strength for this team. Dean Clarke and Victor Helstrom man the first pair, and while they may not be the biggest stars on a first pairing around the league, they've managed to get the job done reliably night in and night out. The second pairing features long-serving Jet Lance Uppercut alongside Dennis Seidenberg. The veteran pairing of this defensive core, Uppercut and Seidenberg will be relied upon heavily and will provide a great deal of experience to this youthful Jets lineup. On the bottom pair we see two young up-and-comers in Simeon Mars III and Randy Bobandy who will provide much enthusiasm to the team as they look to win their first Challenge Cup since Season 7.

The biggest strength for the Jets comes in the form of their goaltender, Lauris Prikulis. One of the best goalies in the league, Prikulis could be the x-factor in this series and become the reason the Jets will win the Cup in Season 19.

Task 5: If the Winnipeg Jets are going to go all the way in these playoffs and win their third Challenge Cup in franchise history – and I believe they will – it will be because of the dominant play of goaltender Lauris Prikulis.

The Latvian netminder has been a force to be reckoned with over the last number of seasons, but has yet to win the big one in his career, so you know he's going to be fighting as hard as he ever has in this series to finally hoist the Cup over his head. As one of the premier goaltenders in the league, with only a few guys you could even put on his level, Prikulis gives the Jets a clear cut advantage at the goalie position in this series against the Steelhawks, and it could make all the difference in the world. We've seen in the past that a team can accomplish anything with a hot goalie, and the Jets know that as well as anyone. The last time the Jets won the Cup (in Season 7), it was goaltender John McBride who took home the Anton Razov as the Playoff MVP. While it was a great team effort all around, it was the goalie who took most of the credit, and it will have to be more of the same if the Jets are going to win in Season 19.

The Jets may have less stars in their lineup than the Steelhawks, but they've found a way to get the scoring done by committee and have surprised many of their critics this season with the play of their depth role players. With everybody contributing, the battle between forwards and defensemen in this series may prove to be a bit of wash between Winnipeg and Hamilton. However, in goal, there is a clear cut edge given to Winnipeg. While Edwin Ask is a tremendous goalie in his own right, Lauris Prikulis is on another level and if he stands on his head the way the Jets know that he can, and feel that he will, there's no way any offense in the league can get very much past him.

The Steelhawks may edge out the Jets very slightly with their explosive top end skaters, but I just can't see them putting many goals in the net with Prikulis between the pipes. The Latvian will make all the difference in this series, he will bail his team out when they need him to, and they will win the Cup as a result. Now if they could only get him to score...

Andy · 08-25-2014, 04:50 PM

Task 1:

PM'd

Task 2:

For being new to the forum its very hard to know who people are. However as time has gone on I have slowly learned who names of players are and what their roles are. For the Hamilton Steelhawks there captain is Joe Mckeil, another veteran. However from my experience I would have chosen another player to be their captain, David Winters. Winter is a long time SHL pro, who I believe has been around for a long time. Winters like McKeil is a first line player, logging major minutes in all of Hamilton's game. Also from my knowledge Winters, has not been any trouble with the league, making him a model player. This decision would be hard for the steelhawks organization. Also as an older team, it is important for them to have a strong leader. Also as a new age comes in to the league with a large draft class coming in it is possible that the steelhawks could see a change of face and a bunch of new young players. To have a brash captain could be very dangerous for the Steelhawks as they would want to not attract young talent as well as retain it. With such a wide range of personalities would a person who has been suspended for racism issues would not be a great person to be a captain. From my knowledge I do not know much about Winters other than I name I have seen on the site. I may be wrong and he may not be a good person to pick as a captain but it does not mean that he would be worse than McKeil.

Task 3:

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Task 4:
For me the Hamilton Steelhawks are the clear cut winners for the finals. On offense the point differential is insurmountable. Hamiltons top line alone scored 30 more goals than Winnipegs, in the regular season. Having high TPE players on the first line is good because it means that you will have a strong 5 vs. 5 unit as well as PP unit. If these games become high scoring then Hamilton stands a strong chance of outscoring Winnipeg. Then we move onto the defense where Hamilton can outclass Winnipeg. This is strongly because of Lance Uppercut. Lance is one of the highest scoring defenseman in the SHL. With that Lance can single handedly help lead Hamilton to the Victory. Besides that from a TPE stand point Hamilton has higher TPE defesenman and with the higher skill defenseman will be able to help lead Hamilton to victory in the low scoring games. The last batlle is Goalie and it is probably the closest. This ie because Edwin Ask has been able to carry Winnipeg all season. Ask is an over 1,000 TPE goalie and that will be able to help carry them to victory over Hamilton. However Hamilton's goalie is no slouch. He has been solid if not good or great because Hamilton is in the finals (clearly he has to be good Tongue

). However the issue is how many shots a goalie can take in a game. No matter how good a goalie is, the more shots they face the higher chance that goals will be scored. With a high powered offense like Hamilton, it will be too hard for Ask to carry the team when the odds are stacked to high against him. Even with a great goalie, Winnipeg has the odds stacked way against them. I think that Hamilton is the overall stronger team winning in multiple areas and those areas will be able to carry them over Winnipeg.

Task 5:

Yet to be copleted

701 aka YUNG GUAP GOD · 08-25-2014, 05:02 PM

TASK 1: PMd

TASK 2: This is a pretty simple one for me, for the Jets it would have to be Mr. Feeny. He not only is one of the most active if not the most active on the team, but he is the main guy building hype around the team and the main guy that talks around the boards. There are other options like Prikulis and Leafs, but neither of them can be the captain, well Leafs can if he is self centered. Now as far as the Hawks go, I would have to say that Ivo deserves the letter on his chest. He has proven that he is committed to the franchise, or he would have left a long time ago. He also was a very active, and great guy in the locker room when I had my short stint there with Urijah Winnfield. Now don't get me wrong, there are a TON of options that could be picked for the hawks. I could make a very strong arguement for Roman Schultz, Sto Heilt, Ammon Tut, David Winter, Brandon Cant, or maybe even Rehn Miller. This team is just full of great options here, but in the end I think that Ivo deserves it the most from the players that I had listed. With both teams they have a ton of potential leaders, or people who have even stepped in as a leader without having the C or even the A on their chest, which is a key thing to making a cup winning team. You really can't go wrong with the options I gave, and I would like to see anyone different for the Jets. In the end, I think that the Jets messed up with picking Victor Helstrom as their captain, but you cannot change that. Different from the Jets, I think that the Hawks picked the right man for Captain. What Joe has done for that franchise is incredible.

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TASK 3: [Image: WvQxKGH.png]

TASK 4: Okay so first things first lets compare the first line of the two teams. The Hamilton Steelhawks have Joe McKeil, Ammon Tut and Ivo Willems. The Winnipeg Jets have Terry Bullis, Alexey Kovalenko and Jamers Both. If I had to give the edge on the first line, I would have to go with the Steelhawks here. They just have more experienced players, and overall just more skilled players. You can't knock Kovalenko here though. Now we move onto the second line. For the Hamilton Steelhawks you have David Winter, Rehn Miller and James Blaine. For the Winnipeg Jets you have Maxim Horvat, Mr. Feeny and Vidrik Onoprienko. Right here I would have to say it is a tie. Both teams have a great second line. Now onto the third line. The Hamilton Steelhawks have Nathan Wong, Jānis Krūmiņš and Magnus Jakobsen. The Winnipeg Jets have Max McDonald, Jean Pierre Leroux and Jason Smith. I give this edge to no team, I find them both lacking anything too good, but if I had to pick one, I would give the small edge to the Hawks. Now onto the first line for defense. The Hamilton Steelhawks have Jordan Hall, and Roman Schultz. The Winnipeg Jets have Victor Helstrom and Dean Clarke. I easily have to give this one to the Hawks. Now for the second line of defense. The Hamilton Steelhawks have Brandon Cant and Jareth Sto Helit. The Winnipeg Jets have Lance Uppercut and Dennis Seidenberg. This one is a little bit closer, but again, I will go with the Hawks. Now for the third and final pairing of defense. The Hamilton Steelhawks have Volker Bayer-Holtby and Adam Johansson. The Winnipeg Jets have Simeon Mars III and Bobandy. I have to go with a tie here. As for goaltending the Steelhawks have Edwin Ask, and the Winnipeg Jets have Lauris Prikulis. I have to give the major edge to the Jets here. Now looking at my selections, I would say the Hawks would win, but I don't think the Hawks will be able to answer Prikulis.

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TASK 5: Well starting with the Winnipeg Jets, this one is rather easy. I would definitely give the playoff MVP to the Latvian goaltender Lauris Prikulis. There is no question that he has carried this team very far, and without him in net, they would not be in this position. Lauris Prikulis has an 8-3-1 record, with .918 save percentage. There really is not a player on the Jets that stands out more than Prikulis. Now with that, I am not saying that the team is not producing outside of Prikulis, but without the performance that Prikulis is doing, they would not be in the finals. If Prikulis can keep up an identical, or at the very least, a similar performance, I think the Jets are in good hands and they will bring home the cup.

Then now we move onto the Hamilton Steelhawks, which is a more difficult choice than the Winnipeg Jets. Since I am forced to pick one certain player, I will have to go with the captain, Joe McKeil. He not only leads the team in points, but he is proving the Hawks right when they made him the captain this off-season by showing an unreal amount of leadership on and off the ice. A very, very close option would be their defenseman, Roman Schultz. As a defenseman, and putting up more than a PPG, he is proving to be a key piece in the Hamilton Steelhawks run for the cup. Roman Schultz is also a top candidate for the MVP with his very impressive +/-. McKeil isn't so hot when it comes to this stat, and Schultz is in the positives. So, in my opinion there is a real debate on who is the real MVP of the Hawks. Now don't get me wrong, the Steelhawks could have many more players that could be listed as the teams MVP during these playoffs, but these two are the main ones who stuck out in my opinion. It will be interesting to see who will win the MVP if the Hawks do manage to win it all, and I say that purely because the team that wins the cup always has the playoff MVP. Is that always the right thing? Not one bit, but it always happens.

In the end, both teams have great key pieces that can be named the playoff MVP. Once it is all said in done, there are many things that you can look into, but I think that Joe McKeil and Lauris Prikulis will be named the playoff MVPs depending on which team wins, just like I said about it will go to whatever team wins it all.

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Twitchy · 08-25-2014, 05:50 PM

2) Oh captain, my captain. The most obvious candidate for who should have been chosen for the Jets, is none other than Dean Clarke. When one thinks of a captain of a championship calibre hockey team, they look for someone who is a well rounded player. Someone who can defend, score, and lead their team to victory. So the obvious choice here is Dean Clarke.

Clarke is an exceptional defenceman, one who is among the best defenders in the league. He has a devastating, lethal hit that will knock opposing forwards to the ice. Heâ€™s a fast skater, which will allow him to play a strong 2 way game, letting Clarke rush up with the forwards, and spring back into action when he needs to protect his goalie. Finally, Clarke has exceptional on ice vision, allowing him to see who is in the best position, before theyâ€™re at the stop. Clarke racks up assist by passing to where he expects players to be, and itâ€™s a reason why heâ€™s put on the top power play line.

But itâ€™s his defence that separates him from the pack. Heâ€™s a guy who can chew up big minutes, playing on the top PK line as well. While a weak power play wonâ€™t kill you, a weak penalty kill will. So having a key guy like Clarke on the back end is a pretty clear reason why the Jets will win â€“ because they have a Captain like Dean Clarke leading the way.

No disrespect intended to the other Jets, of course, who are fine players in their own right. But, come on, this is Deane friggin Clarke! Heâ€™s a monster player who will lead the Jets to the finals. Mark my words, Clarke is an impact player, and it would be wrong to pick anybody else!

(301 words)

4) Offence â€“
The only offensive part of this task is to compare the Jets to Hamilton. Like, really guys, the Jets donâ€™t stand a chance here. Hamilton scored 3.02 goals per game, while the Jets averaged 2.70, good enough for middle of the pack. I mean, the Jets donâ€™t have a poor offence, itâ€™s just that it is really not their greatest strength. McKeil, AT and Willems are a dominant top line, and the Jets are going to need to have some depth scoring to beat the mighty Hamilton Steelhawks.

Defence â€“

This one is very close. Iâ€™ll give the edge in defence to Hamilton though. Both teams allowed around 2.30 goals per game, which is absolutely stellar. But Bostonâ€™s strength comes from their defence. Jordan Hall and Roman Schultz are two of the best defenders in the series, and Winnipeg is going to have their hands full trying to get past these guys. Jareth Sto Heilat is no slouch either, so itâ€™s going to be very difficult for a middle of the pack offence to put up some crooked numbers against these guys.

Goalie â€“

That being said, this series might come down to the goalies. Edwin Ask nearly lost the series against the Toronto North Stars, so who knows if he can even handle the challenge of the Winnipeg Jets. Lauris Prikulis is an incredible goalie, arguably the best in the game, and Hamiltonâ€™s offence WILL struggle against Prikulis. Mark my words on that one. Winnipegâ€™s one true advantage is their elite goalie, and heâ€™s why the Jets stand a chance in this series against a behemoth squad like Hamilton.
In the end I think itâ€™s, unfortunately, Hamilton that will win. They are too well rounded a team, and theyâ€™ll find a way to beat the Jets. Having a strong goalie for the Jets will keep the series interesting, but inevitably, itâ€™ll be the Hawks that win.

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5)The obvious MVP candidate for the Hamilton Steelhawks has been Joe McKeil. Heâ€™s putting up points, leading the team with 11 assists, and adding in 4 goals. James Blaine has a team leading 9 points, and even Ask has been named first star 3 times. But the true MVP of the Hawks is Roman Schultz.

While plus/minus isnâ€™t a great stat, itâ€™s telling that McKeil, and several of the other top forwards have a negative plus/minus. Meanwhile, Schultz, also facing the toughest opposition, is a +3. Heâ€™s added in 10 assists and 3 goals, good enough for second in points on his squad. Keep in mind, ladies and gentlemen, that this is a defenceman, leading the top offence in the league in points. Not only that, but the next closest defenceman has 3 less points than Schultz. That, is something that is very difficult for any one player to do, and itâ€™s a big reason why heâ€™s their MVP.

Additionally, Schultz has blocked 17 shots, and generally speaking has made it tough for opponents to get a good shot on Ask. While Ask has a decent 903 save %, I imagine it would be much, much worse, without Schultz blocking all those shots for him.

On the other side we have the Winnipeg Jets. None of their forwards are having a standout playoff â€“ which isnâ€™t to say nobody is doing a good job, but that theyâ€™re all bunched up with 10-13 points. Maxim Horvat leads the team with 13 points, Feeny has 6 goals and 6 assists, and Uppercut has 10 points of his own. All have been good, but not the reason the Jets are winning.

For that, it might be time we start to recognize the job done by Lauris Prikulis. The standout goalie has an 8-3-1 record, and a playoff leading 918 save %. Heâ€™s doing exactly what you expect of him, which is to stop rebounds, block shots, and prevent them from going on. While his GAA is higher than Askâ€™s, by a narrow .06 points, itâ€™s telling that Ask has a save % that is 903 to Prikulisâ€™ 918. That tells you all you need to know about the difference between Hamilton and Winnipegâ€™s defences.

There should be little doubt in anyoneâ€™s mind that Prikulis is the true MVP of the Jets. They certainly wouldnâ€™t have made it this far without him, and theyâ€™ll need him to keep this up to beat Hamilton.

408 words.

Also PMed the unscrammbled words.

JHS · 08-25-2014, 07:30 PM

Task 1: PM'ed

Task 2: It's the beginning of the season, and The Hamilton Steelhawks are about to select a captain. There isn't much hype surrounding it, as every news station and amateur sportswriter out there could guess that this season's captain would be non other than the great Joe Mckeil. But then, tragedy strikes: Mckeil seemingly refuses to sign his contract without a huge pay raise. Now, with their leader showing qualities very very unworthy of leadership, the Steelhawks management has to turn to a new hero. He's the hero Hamilton needs, bot neccesarily the hero that Hamilton deserves. That hero would be Jordan Hall. A veteran player with many many seasons under his belt, as well as being a very recognizable name, Canadian national superstar Jordan Hall would make a new crop of kids grow up to want to be Steelhawks. He's also a very steady person who is very slow to anger, and with his cool head, he could keep the locker room together and active.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Task 5:

philthethrill81 · 08-25-2014, 07:56 PM

Task 1: PM'd.

Maxy · 08-25-2014, 07:59 PM

Task 1- PMed

Task 2- Who would I choose as the captain of the Jets were it not Helstrom leading the Jets to battle? For me the choice would have to be Mr. Feeny. The guy is over flowing with experience and wisdom. His agent is a main stay in the SHL and has been for years and has all of the qualities that I would want from a captain. He's skilled on the ice, he's got respect when it's needed but at the same time is not afraid to get his hands dirty if something happens he does not necessarily agree with. He is also one of the best at getting under people's skin, on and off the ice. I mean in terms of a captain, what exactly more could you ask for? Helstrom is a great captain and while he may not be the most vocal guy. He does a great job of leading his team on the ice. So by my choice of Feeny, it's certainly not a dig at Mr Helstrom, but just because I respect what Helstrom brings to the table, doesn't mean that another cannot fill the same spot. Truth be told the Jets have so many leaders on and off the ice that it's hard to single out one. With guys like Dean Clarke, Terry Bullis, Lauri Prikulis, Max Mcdonald and of course the enigma Alexey Kovalenko. You can't go wrong but to me Feeny is the one who encompasses what it takes to be not only a captain, but a champion. I know it's a bit of a controversial choice as not everyone sees eye to eye with Mr Feeny or his agent, but the only ones who need to see eye to eye and take the leership in stride, are his teammates and throughout my SHL Career as an agent, no-one has done that better than Mr. Jaytee

312 Words

Task 3-
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Task 4-
Ah the age old question. Which team is better, A or B. The easiest way to do this is to break up the teams into the 3 major parts of any hockey team. Offense, Defense and Goaltending. So lets do just that!

Lets start with the easiest one in my opinion which is goaltending.
Thus far in the playoffs the Hamilton Steelhawks starter, Edwin ask has been asked to start 12 games. In those 12 games, he has managed a save percentage of .903, that's not a great number and it's honestly surprising that it's not higher. A pretty awful 2.48 Goals against average is not great either and it's pretty clear that when he is on his game, he is certainly one of the best as is evidence by his 3 shutouts. But we're going to need to see a lot more of the 3 shutout Edwin Ask than the .903 save percentage Edwin Ask if the Hawks want to win the challenge cup. Prikulis, the Jets starter has been asked to start the same amount of games, he has too started in 12 games and he has done so with a better save percentage at .918% and a similar goals against at 2.54. He hasn't managed a shutout. But that's not surprising given that over the course of those games he's faced about 100 more shots than Ask. All in all, it depends if Ask is on his game or not. If Ask plays as he did in his 3 shutouts. Advantage Steelhawks

but I don't think that will happen to be quite honest. So I will go with the Jets

Now the Defense. In terms of on paper, this one is also easy. The Hawks have the much higher tpe defense and has a player who would be a 1st line defender on most teams, playing on their 3rd line. Simply put they are stacked. And as such they have surrendered the 2nd least amount of shots out of teams with 10+ games and the margin is incredibly slim especially since the Hawks have played a full game more than the Rage whom has them beat. All in all, this one is not as grey as the goaltending situation and it is certainly more black and white. Advantage Steelhawks

And last but not least, offense. Offense is again one-sided on paper as the Hawks are rolling with 2 all star lines and their 3rd line is still powerful. However I'm going to go a bit off the book here and say that I think the Jets have the better offense. They have the same amount of goal scorers and while the Hawks have scored more goals, I think it's likely that the Jets will find a way to put the offense together in the finals. Advantage Jets

Finals prediction. Jets in 7.

(474 words)

Task 5- Mvp, Most valuable player. A term that's extremely subjective and reliant on who you're talking to. But since I am the one being asked I have an answer. As of right now, given the teams as they are and the scoresheet. The Hamilton Steelhawks MVP has undoubtedly been.... Roman Schultz, a defender, who is not only logging big minutes and putting up big points (Second most on the team actually and only two points behind the team leader... Scratch that LEAGUE Leader in points. Joe McKeil has been great for the Hawks but I mean it's certainly hard to put him as the MVP given that he's paid to put up points and only has one more goal and one more assist than Mr. Schultz. Not only is Roman putting up the points, but he's also stopping the points from being scored. With a +3 rating to go along with his impressive point total. He has picked his shots carefully as he is shooting at almost 20 percent. He's performed admirably thus far into the playoffs and should his team win the cup. I think it'd be hard to name someone else MVP. While some may say that Ask's three shutouts may be enough to set him up as MVP, I disagree, while when he's playing good, he's great, when he's not stopping all the shots, he seems to be letting quite a few in. Thus Schultz has been the more consistent performer and should be rewarded as such.

Unless the Jets win the championship, at which point. There's only one choice here and it's not hard and didn't take me more than a second to choose. The easy choice and the right choice, is Lauris Prikulis. The guy hasn't put up quite as great singular performances as Ask has, as he hasn't been able to post a shutout as of yet. That should not in any way detract from the fact that he's been stellar. He has a higher save percentage overall than his opponent Ask, and has faced more shots. He has been the backbone of the Jets team and without him, they certainly would not be in the position they are in currently. While Prikulis' numbers may not be to the extent of Giguere's when he won the Conn-Smythe despite his team losing in the finals, I certainly wouldn't be shocked if he managed to be in the top 3 overall votes, win or lose.

(405 words)

The Sheriff · 08-25-2014, 08:13 PM

Task 1

PM'ed

Task 2

“Oh Captain My Captain”

The Hamilton Steelhawks have numerous members who would make great captains, but it would be hard to see anyone else in the role of leader. Joe McKeil is one of the best captains in the SHL, but if Joe McKeil were not captain of the Steelhawks, I would give it to King Tut. Sure, he hasn’t been in Hamilton all that long, but the guy’s got swagger. I believe a captain should be someone who will bear it all on the ice and do whatever it takes to win. As King Tut is one of the toughest SOBs in the entire SHL, he would be the perfect candidate. He’s respected and has been in a leadership role before. He is someone who would be a playoff warrior, someone who would play through the injuries and the pain just to win a cup, think Ryan Kesler on Vancouver in 2011. Someone who will block shots, hit anything that moves and contribute offensively as well. As someone who has been in a locker room with King Tut, it is to be expected that someone who was so outspoken and encouraging when I was his teammate would be just the same on the Hawks, in the midst of a playoff run. If not Tut, I could see the captaincy going to Hallsy. Hallsy is a polarizing member, you either love him or hate him, and while I personally wouldn’t make him a captain, there’s no denying that he is a well-established, well-known member of the SHL. Love him or hate him, Hallsy was a big ambassador to Hamilton during the season, making them well known in the media and helping lead them to the regular season championship and to a Challenge Cup finals birth. Would he be popular enough among his teammates, who knows? Would he make a good captain, perhaps.

Quote:312 Words

Task 3

Task 4

First off, I want to congratulate the Winnipeg Jets on a hard fought win to hoist the Challenge Cup. I also want to congratulate the Hamilton Steelhawks on a great season, despite the disappointment of losing in six games. The Winnipeg Jets have an overall team rating of 70, good for ninth overall in the entire SHL. That in itself is a tremendous indication of a team coming together and clicking at the most important time of the year. Every team’s backbone is their goaltender and Winnipeg has one of the best. Lauris Prikilus is a world class goaltender, and his play in the playoffs was nothing short of miraculous. Prikilus, along with Jakub Aittokallio has the highest overall of any of the goalies who took place in the post-season. His experience helped the Jets make it to the finals, and his skill helped them hoist the cup at the end of the post-season. His .923 save percentage was best in the entire league in the post-season, and his 2.28 goals allowed on average showed how well the Jets played as a team. On Defense, the Jets have a steady back-end led by veteran defenseman Dean Clarke and up and coming defenseman Victor Helstrom. Clarke has been around the league a little bit and managed to retire with a cup. Their defense, is relatively young, but they were able to come together and help hold the fort down for Prikilus. As for their offense, they were an experienced bunch who were able to get timely offensive productions from their top players. Winnipeg deserved to be in the finals, in my opinion, because while they didn’t have the highest overall, they were able to come together as a team and get the wins, and that’s all that matters. They were a great team from top to bottom, and it’s easy to see why they were able to win the Challenge Cup, as well as make the finals.

Quote:326 words

Task 5

JKane89 · 08-25-2014, 08:40 PM

Task 1:

PM'd

Task 2:

Task 3:

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Task 4:

Task 5:

LVShark · 08-25-2014, 09:05 PM

1. sent

2. Joe McKeil is often regarded as being the face of the Steelhawks for many years now. He's served as both GM and Captain, and given many years of loyalty to the club. So at the beginning of the S19 season it was a no brainer that the Managers of the club would announce McKeil as captain. Yet this often makes us wonder who would be chosen if McKeil were to ever be leave Hamilton. In my mind McKeil's replacement would be Roman Schultz. The star defenseman is a leader both on the ice and in the locker room. It's been said that Schultz is hands down the most vocal when it comes to the locker room.

"The man never shuts up." said one teammate who wishes to remain unnamed

"I'm the reason Schultz is a star. Without me that scrub would be cleaning the shower floors after i'm done with the rookies!" exclaimed Brandon Cunt

All in all Schultz is what you would imagine in a leader. He's exemplified it multiple times by stepping up and rallying the troops when they're down at intermission. He's one of the driving forces behind Hamilton's success.

"Although we have 4-5 guys on our team capable of stepping up I think Schultz would be our go-to guy closely followed by Brandon Cant, Magnus Jakobsen, Jordan Hall, or King Tut. It's hard to pick one leader when really this whole team is full of leaders. Everyone has that leadership mentality built into them, and that's part of what makes us so good. It's that we all want to win, want to fight for success, and will do whatever it takes to complete that. That's what a huge part of being a captain is about. That's why Hamilton has the success that it does. The whole team is full of leaders."

3. [Image: 2r62jwl.png]

4. As the Hamilton Steelhawks and Winnipeg Jets are set to square off in the S19 SHL Challenge Cup finals we're here to take a look at the rosters from both sides. When we figure in the skills of offense, defense, and goaltending I think it's clear to see that Hamilton has the distinct advantage in all 3 categories. But let's take a look at the offense first.

On Offense the Hamilton Steelhawks are stacked with high TPE earners such as David Winter, Joe McKeil, and Ivo Willems who all have amassed well over 1,000 TPE, and have even gone above and beyond that far into the 1,100's and even Winter with over 1,300 TPE. Followed up close behind them is the veteran James Blaine with over 930 TPE, King Tut with almost 900, and the up and coming Jakobsen whose progressed very well since being drafted by the Steelhawks.

On Defense the Hawks have 4 players all over 1,000 TPE in Roman Schultz, Jareth-Sto-Helit, and Brandon Cant, and Jordan Hall. Hall and Sto-Helit are two of the highest rated defenseman in the entire SHL, and they're both very versitile in the offensive and defensive zones. Although Winnipeg is a very good team, it's hard for their young players to match up against some of the greatest names in SHL history. Hamilton has many candidates who could easily be first ballot Hall of Famers.

Goaltending is the only area where Winnipeg outnumbers Hamilton's TPE count, and yet it's the most important one. Prikulis vs Ask. In the match up of two very elite goaltenders, overall Lauris is the superior goalie and goalies are what win championships. As it's been proven, a hot goaltender is what can win a series for any team.

All in all it'll be an awesome series to watch, and I expect it to go a full 7 games

5. Interview

Mr. Blaine, can you tell us who the playoff MVP is for Hamilton so far in these S19 playoffS?

"Ya, ha me! I'm a fucking all star. What did you think I would say? Roman Schultz? *sniffs runny nose* My back is getting tired from carrying these guys all fucking year ya know? I mean i'm the fucking star of this show. If I don't win MVP its fucking rigged. You know it's not that sieve Edwin Ask. Fucking swiss cheese ya know. Ray Charles could snipe him bar south 100 times in a row."

In all seriousness, Joe McKeil is hands down the MVP of these playoffs for Hamilton. He's been the regular season leader as well as helping carry us in these S19 playoffs. Since day one this year he's stepped up and played to the very best of his abilities and his stat line shows it. Not many other players in the league can skate as well as him, and he's one of the older vets around. McKeil really has helped propel Hamilton to this point of the season. I know it's a team effort to win like this and get to the Challenge Cup finals, and everyone deserves mass amounts of credit for their hard work and determination to reach this stage, but it just seems like every time we've needed a hero that Joe McKeil was the one to make a big hit or score the big goal that would get things rolling for us. Also outside of just being the points leader, he's also been the most consistent player we've had. It's not like a vast majority of his points came in a single series or a single game. He's just showed up and worked his ass off on a night in, night out basis, and I think he's really going to get rewarded for his play. Hell, he definietly deserves it.

The only other player in this series that could contest McKeil would be Lauris Prikulis because it's plain as day that he is the reason Winnipeg is in the finals. They have a decent team, but they have the best goalie in the SHL, and when he's on his game, which it appears to be, they are unstoppable, and I think are the only team that could stop Hamilton in their tracks. It'll be interesting to see who wins the MVP trophy once the series is finished

iRockstar · 08-25-2014, 09:56 PM

TASK ONE
PM Has Been Sent

TASK TWO

To me, the Winnipeg Jets are a mixture of young and old, and have tremendous talent to choose from every season to determine who the captain will be. While I think that both the player Helstrom and his agent Secord were a great selection for this team, I'd say there are two more players that could honor this completely. The first one is Mr. Feeny and JayTee. Feeny has shown time and time again that he can commit to bringing a good game to whatever team he's on and shares a winning and caring attitude that should boost any teams moral no matter the circumstance. JayTee is a great person to talk to on the board even though he hates me tremendously, I still feel like he's been around so long that he knows what it takes to get things done and to make a great player. The other player I would have looked at as captain is Vidrik Onoprienko and JackCross simply because they've got the most TPE in the less amount of time. Unless someone messed up, Ono is way ahead of all his teammates that have had more time to gain TPE, on top of that he's constantly trying to get better and proving himself day in and day out. Ono and Cross do a lot for this team, and honestly it'd be neck in neck for me with these three guys. All great stand-up guys and it wouldn't surprise me to see any of the three in captaincy over the next few seasons. They may all get their shot. A dark horse competitor that could be a future captain for this team is BBH and his player Johan Swanstrom. While he's fallen a bit behind in practice hours, he's certainly got a lot of potential to be something great. This guy is very creative and active and has always been very into this league and helping his team much like the current greats on this team.

Quote:330 words!

TASK THREE

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TASK FOUR

So since all my point tasks have been about the Jets. I've decided to breakdown the Steelcocks...er I mean Steelhawks and see how they compare to the Jets. We're going to breakdown the offense, defense and goalie, as well as compare them to their opponents. First and foremost we are looking at the offense. In terms of TPE totals, they've got a combined 9268 TPE with all of their forwards on their roster page. That is a tremendous amount of practice hours earned and seriously looks insane compared to the other teams in the league. They are lead by Janis Krumins, Ammon Tutankamun and Rehn Miller. These three guys are studs on the team and all pretty recent draft picks, with the latest one being Rehn in season fourteen. It should be noted that this offense is not involved with the season eighteen draft at all, yes, this team has NOT ONE draftee from the most recent draft.

When we breakdown defense, we look at a little less TPE as the team has less defenders. They've got a combined 3391 TPE but while this number looks low, the defenders they have are unreal in practice hours with three guys over 1000. They are currently being lead by Roman Schultz and Brandon Cant, two future legends on this team, easily.

And finally we look at their goalie, a player they heavily relied on to make it to the finals and attempt to win it all. They have a combined 1152 TPE but Ask is the goalie to look for in this series. He is constantly standing on his head and he's got an unreal attitude when it comes to playing properly and getting the team wins.

So now we're going to look at the other team in terms of overall TPE, number of players and so forth.

Steelhawks (9286, 12 forwards) vs. Jets (5708, 11 players) - Steelhawks win - This is a massive advantage for the Hamilton squad. They have one more player, but just under 2000 more TPE between just their forwards. A lot of people have given the Jets the upperhand when it comes to their forwards, but when it comes down to it, the Steelhawks are killer.

Steelhawks (3391, 4 defenders) vs. Jets (3047, 8 defenders) - Steelhawks win - Again the Hamilton team takes it. The Steelhawks have more TPE totals with half the defenders on their team. Not one of the Jets has 1000+ while the Hamilton team has 3 of them. Not to mention, a lot of their players are active while the Jets have a bunch of scrubby inactives set to retire.

Steelhawks (1151, 2 goalies) vs. Jets (1403, 2 goalies) - Jets win - While the term defense wins championships still abides here, goalies do pitch in too. The Jets have a goalie over 1000 TPE but it doesn't really help them balance out that defender situation. If the Jets had more guys to rely on defensive wise, I'd say even though their forwards are heavily outnumbered, they'd win this series easier than they may now.

Quote:550 words!

TASK FIVE

TBD

Schmidt · 08-25-2014, 10:11 PM

TASK ONE

PM'd

TASK TWO

Victor Helstrom is an integral component of the Winnipeg Jets, providing toughness at the blue line and putting up points when the team needs to dig deep. But perhaps next season he wants to step down from his leadership position, who would fill those skates for the Manitoban franchise? My pick would be young gun Vidrik Onoprienko. Some may have doubts about the language barrier, but the Estonian sophomore leads by example, scoring 20 goals and 38 points last season, good enough for second on the team in both categories. He isn't afraid to dish out or take hits either. So far in these playoffs, Onoprienko has 11 points in 15 games, proving that he doesn't fold under pressure.

He is the son of SHL legend Vyacheslav Onoprienko, who is very heavily involved in scheduling and organizing the league, and young Vidrik has inherited not only his hockey prowess but also his personality and work ethic. Vidrik always provides a positive attitude, and is very committed to training in order to better himself and help his team, which are qualities desired by anyone in a leadership position. He is very humble, he doesn't brag about his successes nor does he dwell on his failures. He doesn't go out and get hammered on the weekends (at least during the season) unlike so many other young players, instead he keeps his focus on his game and on helping the Jets to victory. His ability to keep a level head is how he is able to perform so well under intense pressure, helping him put up a goal and two assists through the first three games of these finals.

With Vidrik just wrapping up his second season in the SHL, Winnipeg will look to sign him long-term to provide leadership for the Jets for the forseeable future.

Code:
304 words

TASK THREE

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TASK FOUR

The Jets haven't had an abundance of offense from their top line, who have only put up a combined 24 points in the Jets 12 playoff games coming into this series. However, their second line of Feeny, Horvat and Onoprienko has been picking up the slack, posting 36 points between themselves. Hamilton's offense has been clicking well though, with their top line combining for 35 points in their 12 games. They have the opposite problem that the Jets do, as the Hawks rely too heavily on their first line. More secondary scoring will really boost the Steelhawks chances of taking home the Cup.

Edge: Jets

Lance Uppercut and Dean Clarke have been outstanding on the Jets blue line, and overall the Winnipeg defense core has been instrumental to their playoff success, whether it's blocking shots, taking the body, or setting up a goal. Hamilton's defense provides an even matchup when it comes to putting up points, but they play a faster and less physical game than their Western counterparts. The Steelhawks blue liners will need to get rougher on the Jets and really wear them down.

Edge: Jets

Lauris Prikulis hasn't slowed down from his incredible regular season pace, posting a stellar .918 save percentage with a 2.54 GAA to go along with it. He also has an impressive 8-3-1 record going into this series, which, given the fact that the Jets are giving up over 34 shots per game on average, really goes to show how instrumental Prikulis has been to this Challenge Cup run for Winnipeg. Edwin Ask hasn't been as busy as Prikulis, only facing about 25 shots per game. His GAA is about the same at 2.48, but with the less shots his save percentage hovers lower, around .903. That's not to say that Ask has been bad in these playoffs. On the contrary, he boasts an 8-4-0 record with three shutouts and an assist to boot.

Edge: Jets

While I believe that Winnipeg has the edge in all three categories, it is not a wide margin at all, and this will be a hard-fought series. Still, the Jets will prevail.

Code:
351 words

TASK FIVE

With the entire Jets team clicking exceptionally well in these playoffs, it becomes increasingly difficult to pick out one player as the difference maker. However, as a goalie myself, I feel the need to highlight Lauris Prikulis. He has been nothing short of a solid rock foundation for this Winnipeg franchise, continuing his playoff success deep into the playoffs. With the heavy workload as mentioned earlier, Prikulis has needed to be ready to make the big save at any given moment, something he has always followed through on.

This was most evident in the Jets first round matchup against the Calgary Dragons. Prikulis was heavily relied upon, especially in games 5 and 7, both of which he won in double overtime, stopping all but four of the 90 shots he faced in those games combined, 27 of those coming in the overtime periods. Lauris was equally key in beating the Seattle Riot in the second round, but his best game came in their only loss in that series! It was game three, and though Seattle won 2-1, it took double overtime and an incredible 66 shots on goal to finally solve the Latvian netminder! Prikulis faced another 27 overtime shots in that game alone, so he has turned aside all but one of the 54 overtime shots he has seen in these playoffs, which gives him a playoff overtime save percentage of .981. That right there, is playoff goaltending at its absolute finest.

While Prikulis does not have a playoff shutout to his name yet this season, he holds an impressive 8-3-1 record, and has never failed to bounce back from a loss. In his games played after a loss he is 4-0-0 with a 1.67 goals against average and a .942 save percentage, and his ability to shake off a loss is an incredible skill that many goaltenders fail to grasp. The lightning-fast Latvian is also a key contributor off the ice, posting regularly in the play by play threads, encouraging his team. He has strong work ethic as well, and is one of the highest TPE goalies in the entire SHL. If goalies were eligible for captaincy, Prikulis is one who would be a candidate for sure. If Winnipeg wins this series, or possibly even if they lose in game 7, it would be hard to select anyone other than Lauris Prikulis for the playoff MVP honours.

Code:
400 words.

TASK SIX

Link

**leafsftw1967** · 08-26-2014, 01:01 AM

Task 1- word scramble
Pmed

TASK 2 WRITTING- change in leadership

In my opinion Joe McKeil will go down in Hamilton Steelhawks history as one of if not the greatest captain the team has ever had in its franchise history. This SHL legend has been the heart and soul of Hamilton for countless seasons and has truly been a great leader on and off the ice. He has lead his team to a Challenge Cup championship and ha also lead them to great success during the regular season. I could not imagine him ever being stripped of the “C” but if he ever had to be replaced as captain of the Steelhawks, I think a good alternative would be defenseman Roman Schultz. I have had the honour of coaching Schultz back in my days with the Montreal Impact and in my mind he has all the attributes to be an awesome team leader and captain. Roman Schultz is a respected veteran defenseman in the SHL who in my opinion is a top ten if not top five defenseman in the league. He is the leader on the back end for Hamilton playing top line minutes and has also been extremely loyal to the hawks organization throughout his career. He was originally drafted by Hamilton and is set on retiring a hawk. He has been there during the good times and bad times and has learned what it takes to building a winning atmosphere in the locker room and out on the ice. Schultz has also showed his dedication to the Hamilton franchise through his hard work building a 100 tpe defenseman and has taken every opportunity that came his way to get better. Overall, I think Roman Schultz would make a great captain on the Hamilton Steelhakws as well as any of the other eleven teams in the Simulation Hockey League.

(Exactly 300 words)

TASK 3 GRAPHICS- line up

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TASK 4 WRITING- team overall

I think that on paper the Hamilton Steelhawks deserves to win the Challenge Cup. They have a much deeper team with a ton of talent on their first, second and third forward lines as well as two solid defensive pairings on the back end and a decent goalie. They have also proved to beat the best of the best this year during the season nineteen playoffs as the knocked off the Manhattan Rage and their star studded roster even though they finished second in the league during the regular season. With veterans and superstars like Joe McKeil, David Winter, Ivo Willems, Ammon Tutankamun, Rhen Miller and James Blaine, the hawks top six ends up being arguably the best top group of forwards in the league on paper with many of them over one thousand tpe. The Hamilton Steelhawks are not too bad on the back end either and have a solid top four, again arguably one of the best with Jordan Hall, Roman Schultz, Jareth Sto Helit and Brandon Cant. All four of these defensemen are in the upper echelon of defenseman tpe wise and have proved they can shut down top caliber opposing forwards. The only slight concern for this team would be the reputation Edwin Ask has created for himself during the post season being known as a “playoff chocker”. He is honestly an average goalie who should succeed with the team in front of him but for some reason in past seasons he has always let his team down. Never less I still believe comparing the two rosters on paper Hamilton has the upper edge in every area except goaltending. I am going to stick to my predictions from earlier on and say the Hamilton Steelhawks win the Challenge Cup in a hard fought six game series.

(Exactly 300 words)

TASK 5 WRITING- MVP

It has been an amazing playoff run for both the Hamilton Steelhawks and the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams have defied the odds and beat some of the best teams in the SHL in multiple hard grueling seven games series to get to the Challenge Cup finals. While there are many certain individuals who have stepped up on different nights to help both Winnipeg and Hamilton make it deep into the playoffs, today I am going to look at the one player from each team who I think has been the most valuable player throughout the season nineteen playoffs. Starting off with the Challenge Cup champions, the Winnipeg Jets I would have to say their teams MVP would have to be none other than Latvian goaltender Lauris Prikulis. Every cup team usually needs great goaltending to win it all and throughout the entire post season Prikulis had stood on his head for the Jets and helped solidify them the cup. In eighteen games he recorded twelve wins, four losses and two over time losses with an 2.93 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. Overall those are very impressive numbers which put Prikulis a top of almost every leader board among goaltending statics in the playoffs. On the other side I would have to give the most valuable player award to SHL legend and Hamilton Steelhawks captain Joe McKiel. He was an offensive power house for the hawks all playoffs long leading the team in points with eighteen points in eighteen games. Joe also put up sixty hits and was fifty three percent in the faceoff circle which was a team high. In my opinion he was Hamiltons best two way player for most of the playoffs and had the tough task of not only being depended on to get the hawks offense going but also had the responsibility of shutting down the opposing teams to line forwards night in and night out. Overall, Joe McKiel lead the entire league in points and assists throughout the playoffs and was arguably the most consistent forward in every series he played in. So when comparing both Joe Mckiel and Lauris Prikuils for who was the single most valuable person I would have to give the edge to Prikuils. On the back of his goaltending the Jets were able to pull off an impressive six game series winning the Challenge Cup. Goalies are the one position in hockey that can single handily steal you games and that is exactly what Prikuils did for the Jets. Without him I don’t think the Jets would have won the cup.

(434 words)

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