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S31 Championship Week
#46

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

In an impressively even Western Conference Final between the Vancouver Whalers and the Kelowna Knights, the Whalers won their first three games straight, with scores of 3-2, 3-1, and a home ice blow out of 7-4. It's this last game that may have sealed the Whalers' fate. Getting cocky never helps a team, and the 3-1 Knights win that happened in Game 4 is an indication of just that.

The first goal of Game 4 was scored just thirty seconds into the first period, with the Knights coming out hot and putting the pressure on the Whalers. Rookie centre Samee Iqbal won the face off in the Whalers zone, and he and Alex Light played the give and go perfectly until Light saw his chance to do what he does best and shoot. The puck escaped the glove of Haas and found the back of the net, and it was all downhill from there for Vancouver. They would not see the score sheet until late in the second period, after the Knights had already scored two more goals. Both teams played a defensively tight game from there, and the game's end marked the beginning of a slow slide downward to a devastating 5-0 loss in Game 7 for the Whalers.

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

Whether the New England Wolfpack win their second straight Challenge Cup or not, Mia Landvik is - perhaps not excited, but ready for the offseason. It's been a long season, and while that's always the goal for a professional hockey player, Landvik is only in her sophomore season in the SHL. The intense level of competition is always an adjustment for young players from the SMJHL, and as a defenceman, Landvik is relied upon to play a significant amount of time.

"The first thing I'm going to do is have a nice, long date with an ice bath," Landvik says brightly when asked of her offseason plans. "Maybe I'll let some of my bruises heal for once."

The black eye flowering on her face thanks to a punch from the Blizzard's Nikolaus Scholz that laid Landvik out in Game 2 ensures that her words pack a punch of their own.

"After that, I might try out a sauna, see how much that helps. My... Finnish friends swear by them," Landvik adds. "In any case, I'll have plenty of time to relax when we're done here. Until then, I'm happy to keep collecting these bruises."

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

For Mia Landvik, the most important basic stat with regard to playoff success is plus/minus. As a pure defensive defenceman, Landvik's goal on the ice is to create chances for her team by getting the puck where it needs to be so that her goalie is happy and her forwards can go to the net and get pucks in. Though plus/minus is a very biased, team-based stat, it remains one of the easiest and simplest ways for Landvik to judge her success in doing her job. In fact, its indication of team success only makes it more important; as a team-first player, Landvik is always happiest when the New England Wolfpack is winning their games.

"I'd be the first to admit I'm an advanced stats nerd," Landvik says. "You can learn a lot about how best to win games by analyzing your successful plays and your terrible plays in terms of the numbers and percentages and all that. That's why I love watching game tape and talking to our team analysts. But I've been keeping an eye my plus/minus ever since I was little, and it almost never fails to confirm how I felt about a game. And in the playoffs, how you're feeling is extremely important."

4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

The Kelowna Knights have an unsung playoff hero in rookie winger Cory Knouse. Though he spent some time on the top line at the beginning of the playoff run, Knouse proved to be best playing alongside fellow rookie Samee Iqbal and captain Alex Light on the second line. Averaging a solid fifteen minutes per game, almost all of which is played at even strength, Knouse provides a needed depth for the Knights. While his teammates like Geronimo Otto and Trevor Wilson play high scoring, many minute games, Knouse is the every man - he's ready to jump on the ice whenever he's needed and play an all round game.

Knouse's numbers put him right in the middle of the team, production wise: he's scored 7 points, with 2 goals and 5 assists over the first two rounds of the playoffs, laid 13 hits, and even blocked a couple shots. He's made 31 shots on net, good enough for fourth on the team, and though his shooting percentage is a low 6%, his ability to generate offensive chances and support his teammates - especially linemate Light - makes him invaluable. Without the depth Knouse and his fellow rookies provide, the Knights' veterans would be overloaded, and they would not have had the chance at the finals they have now.


Prediction: Who scores the Cup winning goal?

Dieter Dominique

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ArmadaUkSpecters
Player | Updates
#47

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

Code:
255 words

The Eastern Conference finals saw the Toronto North Stars take on the New England Wolfpack. With the North Stars eager to finally bring a Challenge Cup to Toronto, they stormed out to a 3-1 series lead. Having lost game 1, the North Stars were on a roll for the following 3 games, and there was plenty of optimism that maybe it was, after all the heartbreaks, finally Toronto's time. An away trip to New England in game 5 would have been the perfect place to end the series, but no one was worried if they had to return to Toronto to end the series in 6 games. The Wolfpack won comfortably in game 5, with Toronto's lone goal in a 4-1 defeat coming only 3 seconds before the final buzzer. Game 6 was huge, as the smart money was on New England holding home ice in game 7 on the back of a two game streak if they were victorious in game 6. Toronto, like they have done so many times in the past, wilted under the pressure. The Wolfpack dominated the North Stars all night, emerging 7-3 victors. Aside from Mark Harter having an unusually poor game, the key element that contributed to Toronto's loss was their ineffectiveness on the PP. They were given 5 opportunities, but only converted 1. Knowing how deadly the Wolfpack can be at even strength, that return just wasn't good enough. Sure enough, New England went on to win game 7 and, ultimately, the Challenge Cup.

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

Code:
158 words

With the Manhattan Rage failing in their attempt to reach the SHL playoffs, Ace Redding's offseason started a little bit earlier than he desired. With the bitterness of an unsuccessful season hanging over him, Redding's first action was to take a suitable break in order to regenerate from a tough season of hockey. After a short break to get his body back up to standard, Redding's focus lies with the season ahead. With a large amount of time between the end of his break and the start of team activities, Redding starts on an intense individual preseason workout in order to prepare for the next year. As he is still a young player with many areas of his game to develop, not a minute is spared in preparation. Redding knows he only has one shot at crafting a legacy for himself in the SHL, and it all starts with the work he puts in throughout the whole year.

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

Code:
214 words

While goals win games and without them there is zero chance of winning a championship, I believe that save percentage is the single most important stat with regards to playoff success. Many Challenge Cups have been won on the back of terrific goaltending playoff performances, and it is those with a great save percentage that put their team in the position to win. Through 30 seasons, only 4 times has a goaltender been named the regular season MVP. In the same 30 seasons, a goaltender has taken home the trophy for MVP of the playoffs a huge 13 times, more than 3 times as often. We only have to look at the most recent playoffs to see how important save percentage is. Jakob Tanner's 0.928 save percentage led all goaltenders, and he led the Wolfpack to the cup. Miike Laukanen, also of the Wolfpack, played in 6 games and ended up with the 2nd highest save percentage at 0.918. It's no wonder the Wolfpack were able to retain their Challenge Cup, as both of their goaltenders performed at an elite level. When playoff series' can so often go down to the last game, having a goaltender able to post a great save percentage and steal a game here and there is invaluable.

4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

Code:
205 words

Nathan Russell of the New England Wolfpack is my unsung hero of the playoffs. Overshadowed by the greatness of Jakob Tanner's terrific performance in his retirement run, and the dynamic goal scoring of teammates Raven Silverwing and Patrikov Bure, Russell was nevertheless a key figure for the Wolfpack. Averaging 23 minutes a game, Russell continued his fine two-way play into the postseason. Scoring 5 goals and 9 assists in 19 games for a total of 14 points, he contributed well on the offensive end. Perhaps most impressive were the 55 hits he delivered, ending up 3rd in the league in the category. He also wound up leading the league in +/-, finishing the playoffs with a +12 rating. A true defensive force, Russell played 72 minutes on the Wolfpack's penalty kill unit, significantly less than the 43 he spent on the power play. This just highlights how he is willing to do the thankless tasks instead of seeking glory. Additionally, while he only scored 5 goals, his shooting percentage of 12.50% shows that he was clever about the shots he took. Russell is a phenomenal player, and while the gritty work he does is often overlooked, it's vital to the success of his team.

Prediction: Who scores the Cup winning goal?

Jasper Clayton
#48

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

Once again Texas started the series against Edmonton with a win. Looking to go up two games to none, the Renegades lost game 2 in overtime and this would prove to be the pivotal loss of the series. Texas relies heavily on their defense playing a four defenseman strategy. What was huge in this game was that the Renegades took five penalties. Penalties can be the kiss of death in any game but especially come playoff time. In order to win a playoff series a team needs to be disciplined and the Renegades were far from that in game two. So the already maxed out defense had to exert themselves even more and in the end were too gassed in the overtime to seal the game. Vladimir Lidstrom played 36:34 minutes, Kristoffer Ruud played 36:19, Lord Vader played 33:26 and Pal Vikingstod played 32:14. Those are insane ice times regardless of how high each players endurance is. All four defensemen spent between four and five grueling minutes on the penalty kill. All these heavy minutes took not only a toll in this game but kept the defense exhausted for the remainder of the series. It was the penalties taken in game two that ultimately led to the demise of the Texas Renegades in the series against the Edmonton Blizzard.

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

Well since being knocked out of the playoffs Vladimir Lidstrom once again turns his focus on the IIHF and playing defense for his home country Team Sweden. While most players in the league wouldn't care if the IIHF just went away Lidstrom takes great pride in playing for his country. After winning back toi back gold medals Sweden slumped last season and failed to make the medal round leading to a shakeup of the team's management. Lidstrom has stepped forward to be player coach this season in an effort to get Sweden back on track, Despite having no background in coaching Lidstrom was given the shot at the position due to his unending devotion to his home country. He also set upon an extreme fitness program trying to set an example for his teammates. Hopefully despite the lack of experience Lidstrom can help bring back the gold to Team Sweden this offseason.

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)
The single most important stat in any playoff run would be penalties. Special teams usually men the difference between winning and losing and you want to be on the positive side of both aspects of the penalty situation during the playoffs. What do I mean by both sides? Many teams struggle for offense in the post season and power plays can make a huge difference for a team struggling to score. So you're hoping to draw a lot of penalties on the opposing team and maximize your scoring opportunities. It lets your skill players play more minutes and do what they do best for you, put pucks in the net. On the opposite side you do not want your guys taking penalties. This will doom a team faster than anything else. Not only do you give up more scoring opportunities which is the obvious effect but you also wear out your players killing penalties. This was huge for Texas as they took way too many penalties in game 2 against Edmonton. All four defensemen played 32 minutes or more completely draining them of energy for the rest of the series which resulted in a six game loss to Edmonton. So the penalty minutes tat is in my opinion the single most important factor in a succesful playoff run.

4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

I feel the unsung hero for the New England Softpak was defender Benjamin Reid. As a defenseman he chipped in 13 points in 19 games which was behind another defender on his team Jasper Clayton. Clayton may get all the recognition for the softies but without Reid New England would not have won their back to back cups. He led all defenders in blocked shots with 33 for the playoffs, sacrificing his body for the betterment of his team. He also logged heavy special team minutes with 42 power play minutes and a whopping 68 penalty kill minutes. So basically Reid was the prototypical two way defenseman, contributing offensively but especially coming up huge in the defensive end. They say defense wins championships. While it may not be the most glamorous job on the ice it is certainly one of the most important, Reid's unselfishness in dishing assists to his teammates and stellar defensive play may not draw the headlines of his teammate Jasper Clayton but I would say he was arguably the more valuable member to his team. Reid is also known for being a quiet calming presence around the league and not trying to draw attention to himself as his much more flamboyant teammate does. It just goes to show that it doesn't always have to be about one player and you can win without all the my little pony rainbow freakin unicorn poop bullcrap that the New England Softpack seem to be all about.

Prediction: Who scores the Cup winning goal? Theo Kane

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#49

2. Once West Kendall Platoon were eliminated from the playoffs for the 3796th time in a row, Klaus Wagner joined his teammates back in West Kendall for what is becoming a yearly ritual: the post-season bonfire. The team invites the entire WKP fanbase to come out to the beach and they have tons of free hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and s’mores. And alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. The biggest draw of the event is the lighting of the bonfire. This season the bonfire is built around a giant Wolf statue, so that the team can burn the team that eliminated them in effigy. The bonfire is lit by the player to have scored the last goal of the season, and he uses the stick of the last person to have taken a shot that could have tied or won the final game of the season. Once the bonfire is lit, the team visits with the fans, and then at the end of the night, the entire team walks into the ocean and reemerges signifying the rebirth of the team’s championship hopes next season.


Code:
183 words




3. The only stat that matters in the SHL playoffs is wins. I’m dead serious. At least 2 teams who have been eliminated registered more shots than their opponents. Teams have amazing goalies, but save percentage doesn’t really matter. I’ve seen teams get out-hit, out-shot, and out-shot-blocked and still win. I’ve seen teams win the goal differential battle and lose the series. I’ve seen it all. At the end of the day, the only predictor of getting a cup at the end of the postseason is whether or not your team made it to 16 wins. Don’t have a 16 there? No cup for you. You can have done everything perfectly on the stats sheet and still come up short. It does not matter. There is no surefire indicator of post-season success. Regular season success doesn’t do it, none of the in-game stats reliably do it. Not even out of game stats, like Total TPE, Average TPE, TPE per line, etc, give an accurate indication. If you look at a mathematical analysis of baseball, they’ve found that the best way to predict regular season success is to look at Run Differential. Top teams find a way to maximize their run differential, and analyze players’ historical performance to determine which players to acquire. However, it’s also been shown that there is no reliable predictor of who wins the World Series. The job of a baseball GM is to get his team to the post-season, and then he has to hope that luck is with them. It’s the same thing in the SHL and there’s no reasoning with STHS’s luck/randomness function. Want to know who won the cup? It’s seriously just the wins column.


Code:
282 words


4. My unsung hero of the playoffs is Zallerras Szlerchek. With West Kendall Platoon having been eliminated, their players are out of the limelight, but it is certainly worth noting that Big Z notched 7 goals, which at the time of this writing, had him tied for the playoffs lead with players who had played in 11 and 12 games, with Big Z only getting 7. A goal per game is a terrifying clip, and while it’s one that might have been unsustainable, it’s certainly worth taking notice of it. Big Z demonstrated versatility throughout the WKP playoff run. He led his team in hits and was second among forwards in Penalty Kill time, showing that his team trusted him in all zones of the ice. Big Z also took the most face-offs of any WKP player (244) and he won 52.05% of them. If West Kendall had advanced, they would have been able to attribute a lot of that progression to Zalleras Szlerchek. Had they been fortunate enough to win the cup, I would have been completely unsurprised to find Big Z named playoffs’ MVP, but due to the fact that the Platoon lost to the Wolfpack again, no one will recognize Big Z’s accomplishments this post-season.


Code:
208 words

5. For the next time the Platoon break your heart:
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Prediction: Raven Silverwing
#50

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.
She wasn’t exactly surprised to see the Rage miss the playoffs. Disappointed, sure, but in a detached way - they didn’t quite feel like her team yet. It was two weeks after the Mammoths had been knocked out of the SMJHL playoffs in a particularly humiliating fashion that Rudnikova allowed herself to relax into the off season. For a moment, just a moment, she considered going to Detroit, just - to watch the competition. Right. Instead, the first thing she did was buy an immediate plane ticket home. Well, the first thing of interest she did once she landed in Russia was get blackout drunk while cross-country skiing. There was nothing quite like pounding shots of vodka every time she saw an arctic rabbit happen across her path. And if she stumbled back to her almost empty summer apartment with an empty flask and barely walking - then, well, there were just lots of rabbits.
(151 words)

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)
Undoubtedly, save percentage is the most important stat when considering playoff success. Without a strong goalie, no team can have a chance of winning a single game, let alone winning a series. Every other stat could be horrible, but as long as the goaltender is on the top of their game, it’s going to be hard fought. Sure, goals are important for winning, clearly, but teams that merely try to outscore their opponents and forget about their goalie aren’t going to succeed in the long run. Such an attempt may work during the individual season, where you face one team and then move right along, but in playoffs? No way. Good goalies and good teams have the best chance of winning, while even bad teams with great goalies can always make a stance. Yet great teams with horrible goalies have absolutely no chance. If the defense can’t trust their goaltender, then there’s no way they can perform at their peak, constantly worried about taking risky plays. As the defense limits itself, the offense will find it harder to generate chances without anything coming out of the back end. Therefore, a strong goalie and a high save percentage is the most important stat because of everything else it effects on the team.
(211 words)

5. Design playoff merchandise for a team. Can be a t-shirt, or a hat, or something a little more unusual. Be creative! Must include a team logo somewhere on the item.
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(sorry for the typo i hecked that one up real nicely)


8. Design the Championship banner that will go at the top of the site. Must include at least one render, the team name and logo, and "S31 Challenge Cup Champions".
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#51

3. Well the name of the game is goals, so if you score more than your opponent than you will win. Many may say that blocked shots and save percentage rule all, and they are mighty important. That being said though, if you are doing both those well but not scoring; you limit your success early on. Potting goals is the name of the game in most sports and if you only have one line firing it may not be enough to escape a set team. If you were to ask the Blizzard squad what they would like right now, it is most likely goals. If you were to ask the Wolfpack what they would like, it would most likely be goal as well. Goals are sexy and chicks dig the red light flashing in whatever city you are in.

Let's not forget the effect goals can have on confidence of a player. If you score a goal you are belated and in the playoffs you get that extra jump of excitement. If a goal is scored on you, it deflates you and the entire team. Goals are what set the bar for the game in hand and without them the fans are not entertained and with them the beer sales skyrocket.

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Prediction: Raven Silverwing

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LA Panthers Goaltender
#52

Code:
1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

Game 5, Toronto North Stars vs New England Wolfpack

It's a terrible memory for all Toronto North Stars fan to think that they had 3 chances to close out the series and go to the Challenge Cup Finals and get a chance, a fucking chance of ending the curse. But nope, STHS just said fuck you to Toronto and after this game, the New England Wolfpack got a massive momentum shift and managed to storm back and win in game 7. Game 1 we lost 3-0 which started off the series poorly, Game 2 we managed to win 3-2 with Harter playing amazing that game. Harter continued his absolute dominance in Game 3 and 4, with a shutout in Game 3 and a OT victory in Game 4. Game 5 was clearly the one game that meant everything as the North Stars needed to win in order to eliminate the Wolfpack once and for all. New England made a change in their top 6 line up switching Raven Silverwing with Patrikov Bure in order to jumpstart their offense. The move clearly worked as Bure managed to snag 3 points in that game and sucked up the confidence Harter had after that. Bure continued with another 3 points in game 6 and 2 points in game 7 to end the series.

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

It was that time of the season again, golfing time for the Toronto North Stars. Although this offseason was one for massive change at the head level. Long time GM Jordan Nugent-Hall and Co-GM Count Chocula stepped down immediately and were looking for new GMs to take the reigns of the Toronto North Stars. Cynthia took a plane to New England but was often keeping her eyes on the news for new info on who might the new GMs be. Training wouldn't start for a while anyways, she deserved a few doughnuts here and there Ninja .A couple of days after New England won the Challenge Cup, the GM was announced. Andrey Barbashev was to be the new GM of the Toronto North Stars. Cynthia popped on skype but not to congratulate him or anything else. With Barbashev, she could make many changes... to the LR, the bus, the airplane, etc. Her first change was creating a sectioned off part of the LR for her to have her own changing area, mirror, locker, etc. Currently she's in the middle of some other changes set to occur in the LR, look out for a very bright pink colored airplane soon. Ninja

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

This most important stats in the playoffs is clearly save percentage. A playoff team can have a weak offense, a weak defense, but it cannot have a weak goalie. A strong goaltender can carry a team on it's back, while they may not be able to do this every game. They can come out to play during very key moments in a series. The goalie's own skills come into play once the playoffs start, there is no more getting free wins from the team you play on. The goalie truly has to stand on his head in order to get wins for his team instead of the team getting wins for him. Take Robert Andersson for example, no disrespect to him but he is clearly a goaltender that gets carried by the offense in Minnesota. In the regular season, he's able to hold a 0.911 SV% but in the playoffs, he's at 0.893. If we take a look at the cup champions this season, we'll see that the two highest SV% goaltenders in the playoffs were from New England. The two teams show the difference a true elite goaltender can make in the playoffs, from a first round exit to a Challenge Cup Ring.


4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.
Benjamin Reid

Benjamin Reid is a defenseman for the Cup Champion winning team, the New England Wolfpack. While Jakob Tanner, Jasper Clayton, and Patrikov Bure are all being praised in their efforts in winning the Challenge Cup, Benjamin Reid is one that is mysteriously missing from the train of praise the above players have received. Reid scored one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 19 games. It's quite impressive considering Reid's age in the SHL, having been around for more than 10 seasons. Due to his age, he obviously rarely hits anymore only registering 11 hits in the playoffs, it's for his own safety I suppose but that isn't stopping him from being a giant wall for the goalies. Reid has 33 shots blocked! That is the most shots blocked in the league and he probably doesn't have the bone mass to keep this up for long. He's a trooper for blocking all those shots in the playoffs and he should be regarded as such. Benjamin Reid now has three cups to his name including the Scott Stevens award won in S26, his experience and contributions on the ice are extremely valuable to the New England Wolfpack and I think that he should be praised more as a fellow defender.

Prediction: Jasper Clayton (yay I got it)

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Thanks to Enigmatic and Crutch for the beautiful signatures
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#53

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.
In round two of the SMJHL playoffs the Whalers began the series against the Knights by winning the first two games. However, the Presidents’ Trophy winning Kelowna Knights did not want to get swept. They fought back in games 4 and 5 to make it 3-2 and force a game 6. Up until game 6 the Whalers still feel like they have a big advantage and it should be still easy for them to win, but game 6 is where it all changed. Losing the sixth game completely destroyed the morale of the Whalers. They couldn’t believe it, they were up 3-0, and now they could be eliminated. The element of this game, however, that killed their morale the most was that they outshot the Knights. The Whalers won with 29 to 21 shots. Aittokallio shut the door on them and Whalers felt like there was no way they could beat him going into game 7. Additionally, the Whalers had 7 power plays and only managed to capitalise on 1 of them. This should have been their win, but somehow the Knights managed to squeak out the victory and force a game 7. After doing everything right and outplaying the other team yet still losing the Whalers were ready to fade away into the offseason. As expected, after this beating to their morale the Whalers dropped game 7 by a score of 5-0.


Words: 233


2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.
After winning the Four Star Cup the first thing that Wilson will do is hoist the cup, obviously. But to kick off the offseason, all of the Knights will get together and have a pancake/waffle breakfast at our captain’s, Alex Light, house. This is in honour of Dieter Dominique, who valiantly led us to the semi finals last season. After this breakfast, I will start the offseason as any stereotypical hockey player would, with a round of golf. Feeling on top of the world after winning the cup, I will be able to shoot a 72 and it will be great. After this round of golf, it should be about late enough in the day to begin celebrating the LA Kings way. On the green of the 18th hole I will pop a champagne bottle with my team mates. And, from there the rest of the night can be left to the imagination.


Words: 153


3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)
Goals are without a doubt the most important stat in playoff success. A team could outplay the competition in every single way for multiple games, but still lose in four straight because they could not score.The entire game of hockey revolves around scoring goals. Sure other stats can help a team, but all of those stats are either to support goal scoring or stop the other team form scoring goals. Take shots on goal for example. In game 1 of the Raiders and Falcons series, the Raiders had 28 shots on goal compared to the Falcons 24. However, the Falcons won the game by a score of 7-2. Shots give a good indication of how close the game is and who’s getting more chances, but it forgets about the goalie. You could have more shots, but maybe the goalie is stopping everything. Goals takes all of that into consideration, how well the skaters are playing and how well the goalies are playing. Now let’s look at sv%, that’s an important stat right. Well, really save percentage is to goalies like shots are to skaters. A goalie could have a great save percentage, but that doesn’t mean his team will win, just that he is helping them a lot. So all stats that are not goals put an emphasis on one single part of the game, except goals. Goals give an overview of how well a team is playing together. And goals are the only stat you need to win a hockey game, so therefore it is the most important stat.


Words: 260


4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.
The unsung hero for the Knights in this playoffs is almost definitely Eibhear Sorenson. We have not been hearing much about the rookie defender, but he has consistently making plays to help the team. He has a fair amount of points with 2 goals and 7 assists. He’s be the quarterback for the Knights this playoffs, since Hohenberg has cooled off just a bit. He’s been a large part of their goal production in both even strength and power play situations. He’s put up an outstanding 2 goals and 2 assists on the power play. Sorenson is currently the backbone of the Knights’ offense, yet he gets very little in the way of credit for. Not only has he been putting up points, but he’s been showing no fear of getting in the way of the opposing team’s shot. He’s recorded a team high of 14 shots blocks during the playoffs. His 3 hits are lacking a little, but that’s not really the way he plays. He’s been doing a great job of forcing the opponents to low risk areas without using the body. He’s also been able to do this without taking unnecessary penalties. He’s only visited the box for a total of 2 minutes in this playoffs. All in all, Sorenson has been a huge part of the Knights success, but hasn’t been getting all the credit like Wilson, Otto, and Aittokallio.


Words: 234


Prediction: Raven Silverwing

Player Page --- Update Page
[Image: twils.gif]
Picture credit to Allen, Jenny, enigmatic, Wasty, ckroyal92, 701, and EJ

300+ Career Goals, 750+ Career Points
5th All-Time Goals Scored for WKP,
8th All-Time Goals Scored for SEA/TBB
3rd All-Time in Playoff Points
17th All-Time in Goals

6 Consecutive 50+ Point Seasons, 7 Total
Quote:"idc if ur naked if ur holding that cup" -Jenny
#54

Prediction: Nathan Russell
#55

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

Game 5 was the game, where the platoon lost the series. They were up 3-1 to this point in the series, scored the game's opening goal in Game 5. However they let the wolfpack attack, strike with 3 goals in the 1st period. Bojo Biscuit (WKP) for Tripping (Minor) at 7:12 was being lazy and gave the wolfpack a chance to tie the game at 1, with a bad penalty that he should've not done. If <a href='index.php?showuser=1157' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-4'>Bojo</a> wasn't so dumb and didn't commit the penalty maybe the Platoon would be the champions of the Simulation Hockey League. Bojo is also one of the teams best Penalty killers and going to the box at such a critical time in the game was just idiotic. This allowed NEW to tie the game up at 1-1 and change all the momentum that the Platoon were building to NEW's side and well so did the series. I think the platoon need to look in the mirror and evaluate the mistake that was commit. They need to be more discipline, especially after scoring a goal and getting a lead in a hockey game in an elimination game where you could be going into the 2nd round of the post-season with a victory. They are never going to get to round 2 if the lack of this mindset.

223 words

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

The first thing that I do after getting eliminated out of the post-season or regular season is drink. This is because I want to forget the sins and shit plays I made throughout the season that helped aid my team into not being champions this season. This might be depressing but as a hockey player you need a forgot your mistakes and not dwell on them. I find that this is the best way to do so in my opinion. Then I start to build off my game, I know generally the weaknesses in my game, I need to get faster, stronger, handle puck better, make better decisions in my own zone. All important areas, where anyone can improve on in hockey, no matter the talent level in my opinion. Since we just missed the playoffs last season by a long shot, I feel that I have to be better, I played a lot of minutes last season and well I have to be better if we are ever going to make the playoffs.

174 words

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

Having a low Goal Against/shot against or even a good Penalty kill are some of the most important stats in hockey to win a championship. It is going to be hard to lose games when the opposition is having troubles grabbing momentum or even putting the puck on or in the net. If the other team can not simply score on you, you should be able to score. It isn't hard to score statistically speaking as you should be able to score more than 2.50 goals a game, if you can lower your goals against to 2. You are simply going to win more games, teams will power house offences will not be able to score as you have one of the best defences in the game and you limit their chances and you will just wait for them to make a mistake and pounce on it. These powerhouse offences are making mistakes and are making bad plays due to their aggressiveness nature on the offensive side of the puck, they are defintely making a mistake and if you just play shut down defence and wait for the other team to make a mistake, you should be able to win hockey games. In a playoff series moreso, as there is more pressure to score or win games with these powerhouse offences and if you limit their chances and limit their ability to score well they gunna get mad.
239 words


4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

Toki Wartooth, He was second in block shots despite playing only 12 games during the post-season. He had 32 hits too, so he was one of the most physical players in the game, he might not get a lot of points 6 points, and was a bad even strength player with -6 as a +/- however he was a warrior on the ice for the Toronto North Stars. He battled in teh corners, won puck battles, was hard to play against, teams were afariad to go in corners because of this guy. He was willing to put his body in the line to help his team win. I just a player putting in the effort and trying his best to win a hockey game. Was he succesful? no, but he worked his ass off every shift of every game and it showed. He was put in every situation, he went to war and frought for every inch of the ice. His lone goal that he scored was a game winning goal so he did have a impact for his team in the post-season. I think he was just a team player who, showed teh star players of the North Stars that he was willing to put the work in, to line his body in the line and battle to win hockey games like it was his last.

226 words

Bonus: <a href='index.php?showuser=2267' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Waters</a>

[Image: hallsy.png]
#56

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3- letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

The West Kendall Platoon lost to the New England Wolfpack because of the STHS now you see the STHS is just a placebo effect. in never actually works it is just random stats with random names. if you upgrade your guy it just puts you name possibly more then the others then records the so called stats. I have a good amount of a tpe with a decent build but I just suck. The STHS just feels like giving handys to random people at random time especially in the playoffs this placebo effect just happends when you are down 3 to 1 and it decides to say oh you won too much so guess what? you lose 3 in a row magically. this has happend 5 or 6 times now TO THE SAME TEAM. I am pretty sure I am the one who is causing this mess so that is one reason I am going in FA for S33 so that WKP can win the cup haha your welcome bojo and engi Tongue none the less I enjoy getting stomped sometimes because change is in order and when change is in order it is time to go and make my own decision. The decision in FA S33

207 words



2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

they trade me for a second rounder or 14th pick in the first round and then proceed to watch me fail somewhere else as they go phew dodged a bullet there and they kick back and crack a beer open for 2 months straight and evidently win the cup because mt name is just bad luck for the STHS as we go to game 7 every time I score one goal in the series check it out I am not kidding Tongue if I score a point we lose the series in 7 it is confirmed. The STHS is racist. anyways Yea free agency is where I am taking my player in S33 and it will be different for sure since I have been with The West Kendall Platoon since S24 so think of 7 seasons AKA almost 2 years! literally 2 years on one team. that is insane! where I will go it all depends on the state of the team if they will make the playoffs before my regression so I will have maximized unluckiness for the rest of my career. not a terrible kick start to the off season once I get eliminated from the playoffs with West Kendall one last time

214 words

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

The single most important stat is goals. If you score more goals then your opponent then you win the game! it is simple really. shots on goal do not matter because if you cannot score on all of the shots you take then you lose. save percentage is irrelevant because you can have terrible save percentage and still win a game. plus minus is up in the air especially with thid STHS everything is up in the air. these stats never matter because your team loses when you take 50+ shots your team wins when you take 15 shots. You lose multiple games in a row that you won statistically. it all does not matter it is just fake. for example your team is good, Okay cool but you still suck. that is why there is no single important stat except for goals and even that is up in the air. there is a secret stat people do not know about its is called luck. majority of this league is luck. how good your player does in the season is luck. you upgrade your player and then you have to pray luck is on your side. When you hit the playoffs you just have to get lucky each series and hopefully your teams luck is not in the pooper once you hit game 7.

214 words

4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

playoffs unsung hero goes by STHS the three biggest stats are the random game 7 % the goals it scored because it felt like it. all of the random big pooper scooper upsets it felt like doing after being up 3 games to 1 it continues to amaze me how many player of the games the STHS got it got first star second star and third star in every game on every team in the playoffs. you thought your team was good? you thought you were getting first star for that hat trick? no STHS comes up to you and says you played yourself. you have been tricked into thinking that stats matter fam buuuuuuut really they do not. the unsung hero is the STHS 100 percent it continues to amaze me to say the least. the third stat the STHS is really good and changed the playoffs is oh wait nevermind who cares the STHS is just going to jump the gun and change success immedietly well damn guess what there is no unsung hero because that means they sucked too much to be noticed let's be 100 percent honest what is an unsung hero anyway? someone who sucked hard and then you have to do a quick search up in the first stars STHS search and come up with the defenseman who is +1 and has 50 mins played a games. unsung hero another word for absolute trash canaroons. thank you and have a nice day.

250 words

Goal Prediction: Gaming winning goal Jasper Clayton New England
#57

Task 2-Offseason Plans
Code:
Laukkanen's offseason plans started by recovering from his victory hangover and getting on a plane to Kelowna to cheer on the Knights in their series against the Raiders. He caught up with his old captain, Mikko Linna while he was there, and there was a small Knights alumni reunion when the current Knights finally won their own Championship. There were a lot of hangovers for Laukkanen this offseason.
Next on the cards was a vacation in Spain with his significant other, taking advantage of the warmer weather in Europe to enjoy some time on a beach, where the plan is lots of cocktails, and even more sunscreen.
He's going to finish up his offseason like he always does, back in Finland to work with his goalie coach there, to get back into shape for the upcoming season before he flies back out to Boston for training camp. He has a championship title to defend, after all.

Task 4-Unsung Hero
Code:
Through the first two rounds, there's one clear answer for the unsung hero of the playoffs: veteran defenceman Jasper Clayton. The former alternate captain for the Wolfpack, Clayton quietly has ten points through the first 14 games of his playoff run, and on top of that has been a defensive anchor, recording 19 blocked shots in those games, and a plus/minus of +7, good for second highest on the team. He's a leader on and off the ice, and though he's rotated through several defensive partners throughout the season, playing with both veteran Brandon Pomery and sophomore Mia Landvik, he's settled into a partnership with long time Wolfpack defenceman Benjamin Reid, and it's paying off for a New England team trying their hardest to be the first team to have back to back Cup wins since the Renegades won in S20 and S21. Clayton is a workhorse for the Wolfpack, regularly logging over twenty minutes a game, and he's part of both the power play and the penalty kill (and in fact, five of his ten points have come with the man advantage). Without Clayton, the Wolfpack are simply a far weaker team, possibly not even a playoff team.

Task 7- Poster
[Image: 9pbvYSl.jpeg]

Task 8- Championship Banner
[Image: rfkFUSF.jpg]

Bonus: LOL

[Image: 57817_s.gif]
#58

2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

With the completion of S31 and New England again emerging victorious it is now time to look towards to offseason for power forward, Tim Buckner. After all the pomp and circumstance in Boston, it’s time to get focused and ready to yet again defend their title. Buckner spends his summers at his family lake house on the shores of Lake Ontario in a small rural town. There, without all the distractions he can work on conditioning and strength training. After months of battling on the ice his body needs time to recover and strengthen all those stabilizers and joints that have taken a beating all season long. With morning runs on the shore with his dogs he concentrates on re-centering himself for the next seasons grind. His of ice strengthening coach meets him at the gym every day to work on core his core strength. He loves the peace and quiet away from the big cities to spend time with friends and family. Not only does his body need to rest but also his mind. As the next season approaches he’ll finally lace up the skates again at the local rink. He’ll run through some light drills while also just enjoying being back at the rink. He always takes time to visit the midget teams in the area. He owes everything he has to his home town and gives back as much as he can. Without the busy season taking up his time he is finally able to say thank you to the people that have supported him throughout his career. All of these things help to refocus Buckner for the next season ahead.

3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)
I believe that to have any success in this league the most important stat is shots on goal. If you look at any of the teams that have continued success in this league there is one thing that is extremely apparent and that is shot generation. A simple concept really, but an effective one. If you get more puck on net, you can eventually wear down the defense and sneak one past a wall of a goalie. Another stat that is not generally talked about is puck possession as well. With more possession you’re able to make the plays you want and control the game. A lot of this is driven by face off wins. Win more face offs, get more possession, shoot more pucks, score more goals. None of this is really mind blowing but extremely important. If you look at the current finals, through 3 games, New England is dominating shots for with 34.29 per game to Edmonton’s 29.45. That translates to 3.21 goals a game versus Edmonton’s 2.91. With the championship game upon us it’s clear the New England needs to continue to pressure Edmonton’s net minder with as many shots as possible if they are to continue their success.

4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

With so many incredible players in this series it’s hard to pick just one hero, but if I were to choose I would have to say New England’s Brandon Pomery. Through 14 games he has 8 points with 3 goals and 5 assists. What’s more incredible is that two of those three goals have been game winners for New England. He gets down low and scores the key goals when he’s needed. He has been soaking up big special team minutes (tied for fourth in power play minutes for the Wolfpack) and playing extremely well defensively. He currently has 12 blocked shots and is constantly frustrating the opposition. He currently stands with a plus minus of 7 showing just how effective he and his line mates have been. He is extremely efficient when taking his shots and leads New England with a 17.65 shot percentage. Pomerey has been an incredible player in New England and has proven himself as a key cog in the Wolfpack’s roster. While he doesn’t show the flash of the all-stars, he is extremely consistent and can be relied on for when things get tough. He is effective leader on and off the ice and will continue to bring success to New England for many seasons to come.

5. Design playoff merchandise for a team. Can be a t-shirt, or a hat, or something a little more unusual. Be creative! Must include a team logo somewhere on the item.

[Image: Capture1.png]

[Image: Capture2.png]

Prediction: Who scores the Cup winning goal
Clitsome
#59

Prediction: Raven Silverwing

[Image: 41373_s.gif]
[Image: vhY18i8.png][Image: 7WSfxIG.png][Image: nBgNUTY.png]



#60

1. Pick the game in a series that lost the losing team their chance at the cup (e.g. going down 3-1, letting a team come back to force a game 7), and write 200 words about what specific element of the game (a line, a statistic, a fight, etc) contributed the most to the loss.

Not for the first time, but we see another Texas team lose to the Blizzard in 6 games. This time, Texas took home the first game, but when it mattered in game 2, Texas couldn’t get the early series lead at home. Falling 3 to 2 in overtime once again killed the Renegades. Unable to close out games is the biggest problem for Texas. Despite playing well, the biggest issue in this game was Texas’ first line pairing. Kinsler, Knight and Allen all went -2 in the game, and Edmonton’s top line ran roughshod over them. While Texas was able to rely a bit on their second and third lines to keep it close, without that production offensively or defensively from the first line, it was a game destined to be lost. With a combined total of 14 shots on that line, something should have given way, but the line as a whole recorded 0 points, and was a combined -6, even with being on the ice for 25+ minutes each. When a line like this can’t click, the team falters. Texas didn’t get the series at 2 to 0, but left Texas being tied 1 to 1, which resulted in a downward spiral, and another first round exit.



2. Your player is out of the playoffs! Whether this is because the team didn't make it, or you have been eliminated, or you won the cup, write 150 words about the first thing they do to kickstart the offseason.

Well, once again we’re out of the playoffs, and we’re all left feeling incredibly depressed. It sucks to be kicked out again in the first round, even more so being dumped out by the Edmonton Blizzard in six games.. again. But we all know that we’re a perennial contender, and we all let ourselves mope for a day but then got together to figure out how to improve and do better next season. Durden will likely take his skills to the blue line to shore up our defensive troubles in Texas, and we’ve brought in Cody Black, arguably one of the top 3 defensemen in the entire league. Now, we’re all developing a game plan, and are right back to the practice rink. We’re not taking any time off this off-season, and we’re determined to work our asses off to start hot out of the gate and not look back. We’re not determined to be another statistic and we’re looking to compete once again in the playoffs.



3. Write 200 words about which single stat is most important in playoff success, for example goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, sv%)

The most important stat in the playoffs is plus / minus. While we have had a lot of teams do well because of their offensive juggernauts, it only goes so far. This year we can take a look at the West Kendall Platoon, who had top scorer Zallerras Szlerchek who had a goal a game, but the team lost their series in 7 games. Oliver Pettyfer did well too, scoring 5 in 7. But alas, this wasn’t enough. Szlerchek was a +3, Smirnov (9 points in 7 games) was a +1, and Ray Pejonis who had 8 points in 9 games was a whopping -5. That means while he was able to score 8 points on the ice, he was on the ice for 13 opposing teams’ goals. Bojo Biscuit falls in this category as well. While he was on the ice for 5 team goals, he let 10 goals get scored against the Platoon while he was out there. On the other side of the ice you have players like Charlie Winchester who was a +4, even though he only had 1 point in that game. Brandom Pomery was a +4 while scoring and assisting, but was defensively sound, which led the Wolfpack to eventually taking the series. It’s not enough to score, but you have to be responsible on your side of the ice.



4. Write 200 words about your chosen unsung playoff hero. Must include three stats.

Right now, Benjamin Reid is the unsung hero of the playoffs. While we all want to focus on pretty stats like goals and assists, Reid is sitting 3rd for defensemen in points, but is doing it quietly because of his contributions to the defensive side of the ice. Reid has pushed up 9 assists to help the team, but really shines in the back end. Reid has played the second most minutes in the playoffs with 349. Given that you’ll play a lot of minutes on defense, especially when you’re in the finals, but Reid has done well while being on the ice. Reid has blocked 27 shots for Tanner, and is a +4. While a +4 isn’t great, Reid is playing top minutes against top lines and this shows. Reid doesn’t throw around his body a lot, but contributes where it’s needed. Playing an average for 25 minutes a night, Reid is quietly doing the work that no one else will do and protects the net so there aren’t as many opportunities as normal. With Reid contributing 10 points, he’s also making sure that even if he can’t stop every shot from being taken, that he helps his team out as well when they need it up front. 7 of those points have come on the power play, exactly when the Sawftpack need Reid to score.


Goal Scorer:

Patrikov Bure

Update PageWhalers | Wolfpack | Player Page


Jack Durden:

Season 24 - *4 Star Cup Champions - Vancouver Whalers*
Season 36 - *Challenge Cup Champions - Texas Renegades*
Season 36 - *Anton Razov Trophy Winner - Playoff MVP - Texas Renegades*
Season 41 - *IIHF Gold Medalist - Team United Kingdom*
Season 41 - *Triple Gold Member*
**Vancouver Whalers Hall of Fame**
**Texas Renegades Hall of Fame**
**Hall of Fame Member**




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