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Focusing on the Positives
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<div align="center">FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVES
Vikstrand's breakout year provides some hope for Blizzard defense</div>

EDMONTON, AB - While it wasn't the season the Edmonton Blizzard were hoping for as the historic franchise missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year, Magnus Vikstrand, at least, is trying to focus on the positives.

The team had a slow start to the season, going winless in their first nine games. If not for that poor start, perhaps their fortunes would have been much different. The Blizzard was, after all, only eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the regular season (as was the case in Season 19), and missed only by four points. The players finally seemed to click after some deadline day moves and line shuffling, but it was a bit too late for the five-time Cup Champions, who went on a winning streak to end the year but couldn't make up the difference, finishing behind the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Panthers.

On the individual level, however, Vikstrand had himself quite a season. He didn't only score his first Simulation Hockey League goal – he scored nine of them. He would add 27 assists to those for a total of 36 points in his sophomore campaign. That was good enough for a 26 point increase from his point totals last season – the biggest jump of any player in the league.

While producing offense was the area that Vikstrand improved most at, he wouldn't have been mistaken for a fourth forward by any means. While he didn't have many hits, preferring to break up plays with his stick than his body, he did lead the Edmonton Blizzard team in shots blocked as the least experienced member of their blue-line last season.

“It was a great year for me, as far as stats go,” said Vikstrand. “I was really happy with my production, and I'm glad I was able to help the team as much as I did. I wasn't really happy at all with my rookie season, so to bounce back and have a bit of a break out year like I did, it was huge for me.”

The Blizzard were once known for their dominance on defense, icing some of the best defensive cores in league history during their 3-cup run from Season 13 to Season 16. While things have gotten a bit thing since, having lost stars like Willie Weber and Teemu Nurmi, as well as some depth in OJ Simpson and Gene Parmesan over the past few seasons, things are finally looking up again on the Blizzard blueline. With Vikstrand establishing himself as a threat on the top pair and developping some great chemistry with Matthew Buchesner, Edmonton also has some youth joining the core next season with Jackson Rogers-Tanaka set to make his SHL debut.

“It's an exciting time for our defensive group, I think,” said Vikstrand, who will be looked at as a leader of that group next season. “We know defense is the area we probably lacked the most last season, but we've all been putting in a lot of work. Buch and myself are working hard, Tanaka will be coming up and he's constantly improving, Alens Paurs has been a great addition, and who knows what kind of additions could be made. The defense is coming along and I think we're in for a big year next season.”

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#2

dat Beast. If not for you, I'd have been a lot more fucked.

An old man's dream ended. A young man's vision of the future opened wide. Young men have visions, old men have dreams. But the place for old men to dream is beside the fire.
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Thanks to Jackson, Copenhagen, and Harry Hans!

GOING DOWN IN STYLE. TOAST4LYFE
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