TASK ONE: (worth 3 TPE)

Written: Pick any goal scored in the S29 playoffs so far and write the play by play for it. (150 words)

Here we are in the third period of game seven between the Dragons and Blizzard. The Dragons started strong and opened the game with a 2-0 lead after the first period. However, the Blizzard continue to be pesky, having already come back from a 3-1 series deficit, they have also tied this game after trailing 2-0 with Sarantez's goal earlier in the third period. The Blizzard dump the puck in and it's retrieved by Nuck, he'll skate it out of his zone and dump it into Edmonton's ice. There's a battle along the boards for the puck. Hill gets and feeds Mack in the slot. HE SHOOTS!!!... it goes wide. Hill fires one from the left boards...but it misses by a mile. Nuck races over and keeps it in the zone. He passes to Mack for a one timer!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A TIP BY RANDLEMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ph34r: AND THE DRAGONS REGAIN THE LEAD WITH LESS THAN 10 MINUTES TO GO IN THE THIRD PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Blizzard crowd is silent.


TASK TWO: (worth 3 TPE)

Written: Choose a standout player in the regular season, and write 200 words on how they’ve measured up so far in the playoffs. Must include at least three stats.

Jackson Rogers-Tanaka had a terrific regular season scoring 10 goals and adding 36 assists for 46 total points. The playoffs are known to be a different type of beast though, and Tanaka struggled to find the net, only scoring one goal in 13 games. In addition to his one goal, Tanaka had 6 assists for 7 points, and although that gives him over 0.5 points per game, it isn't anywhere near his season production. This could be a big reason for Edmonton losing to their provincial counterparts in their seven game Western Conference Final. Tanaka's defense has been questioned all year, starting in the regular season. He posted a +4 rating in the regular season, which was low compared to his other teammates and d-men. This may be why it isn't surprising that he had a team-worst (tied with two others) -5 rating in the playoffs. There was one noticeable positive improvement made by Tanaka in the playoffs, and that was his physical play. I mentioned earlier that the playoffs are a different type of beast, and the increased physical play is the most noticeable. Tanaka is not known to be very physical, as he picked up just 29 hits in 50 games. However, in just 13 playoff games he racked up 21 hits. This shows that he was able to alter his playing style in a positive way for the playoffs, even if he struggled in other areas.


TASK THREE: (worth 3 TPE)

Written: Choose what you think is a pivotal moment in any of the series’ so far, and flip it on it’s head. What happens if one team loses a game seven instead of wins? What happens if one goal isn’t scored, or is? How does the playoffs change, and how does the series change? (200 words.)

I'm going back to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between Hamilton and Toronto. Toronto was down by two goals before scoring three straight to take a 3rd period lead. Hamilton would tie the game and then win the series in overtime...but what if it never made it to overtime and Toronto had won that game...What if Harter didn't go for the pokecheck on Clitsome and stayed up to make an easier save on Simons (or Clitsome if he would have kept the puck)? Would Toronto have gone the other way and scored? Would Hamilton have scored later on anyway, nullifying the would be save anyway? All I know is, if Toronto won game 7 on the road, they would have had the opportunity to play against the Calgary Dragons in the Championship series, and potentially win their first ever Cup. Let's go another step back and ask, what would happen if Calgary didn't beat Edmonton in game 7. Did Calgary winning their series influence the result of the ECF? If Hamilton's quest for vengeance (after blowing a 3-0 series lead and losing the Cup to Calgary) against the Dragons helped fuel them against Toronto, perhaps that slightly extra bit of motivation put them over the top against Toronto. So if Edmonton had won, Hamilton wouldn't have had the extra fire that propelled them over Toronto, and we would have an entirely different series. Then again, maybe the two series were not at all linked, and nothing would have changed.


TASK FOUR: (worth 3 TPE)

Written: Your player has won the Challenge Cup! Write 200 words about what he or she does on his or her Cup day. (This applies even to players whose teams didn’t make the playoffs)

During Schnitinfritz Jagr's first Cup win, he mainly just partied with it and didn't do anything extraordinary, however, he has bigger plans for it if he and the Dragons can recapture the title. Jagr plans on going back to the Czech Republic to show his family and friends how special the Cup is, something he was unable to do his first go-around. There is also a local fair present during his day, so he would bring the Cup with him to enjoy all the festivities there. Some of these would include riding with the Cup on the famous roller coaster called Czech It Out...of course the Cup would also abide by the safety regulations, just like the other passengers. There is also a well known kabob eating contest that Jagr has won twice, although last year he got carried away and accidentally swallowed the metal stick it came on...who knew that he was also a mini-sword swallower. Like any proper gentleman, Jagr would try to win a prize for his date (the Cup) in one of the many, sometimes rigged, carnival games. His prize of choice is the typical bright pink teddy bear. The fair closes for the night with musical guests singing the fun to a closure. Back at his house Jagr would drink Jagermeister with the Cup. The Cup makes a move on Jagr, but he doesn't want to go all the way with the slut, knowing it'll be in another man's hands the next day, and possibly another team's next year...also it is metal and it would not feel nice.