In my 2nd Deep Dive of the season, I will be looking at a team that is near and dear to my heart - although this team is also now my rival in the quest for a 4 Star Cup. That team is the Newfoundland Berserkers. It feels like a long time since Newfoundland won a 4 Star, and yet in reality it was only 4 seasons ago. The team has evolved a lot since then - as is the norm with strong Juniors outfits - and yet the Berserkers spent barely any time before becoming a relevant force in the Atlantic Division once again. In this Deep Dive, I will look at their roster to determine where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and what kind of team it may take to defeat a team as strong as the one NL have put together.

Goaltenders

The Berserkers have a strong set of starting goaltenders, with S57 Hugo Grönroos being backed up by sophomore Evgeni Petrov. Grönroos stands tall as a do-it-all goalie, who is especially known for his strong mental toughness during tough outings. Even strong teams like Newfoundland can let shots by sometimes, but with a goaltender like Grönroos, goals that happen early are much less likely to snowball into an unassailable lead. Petrov is a younger compliment to the style of Grönroos with his own obvious strengths; while he is not as mentally strong and his outlets to teammates may leave something to be desired, his quick reflexes and skills when defending against rebounds make him a valuable asset on nights where Grönroos is deemed in need of a rest. While they are not both at 425 TPE, they form a deadly partnership that is tough to face no matter who takes the ice.

Defensemen

Newfoundland have become known for their strong defensive play in recent times, and that continues with their star top pairing of Billy Brooks and Matty Sandeen. Both are very capable defensively, however Brooks is seen to be much more defensive-minded in terms of his on-ice strategy compared to his top-line compatriot. Sandeen is a player that can hold his own on the offense, and has the capability to break any game wide open with his passing and puckhandling skills when he gets the chance. While other teams may have a noticeable drop-off after the top defensemen, the Berserkers have strength in depth in this area. Specifically, they have 2 offensive-minded players in Okamoto and Balcers, who play alongside 2 defensive-minded stalwarts in Pasta the Turtle and Torretta. NL management are careful not to pair the offensive players together too-often, keeping the balance between offensive and defensive options even on powerplay lines. If there is anything lacking in this defensive core, it may be that their strength is somewhat lacking compared to other units around the league - but with their great positioning and checking capabilities as a unit, it is no surprise they pose a threat to any team's offense when out on the ice for a prolonged length of time.

Forwards

Onto the final part of the team and this is where it truly gets interesting for Newfoundland. The team currently has 7 425 TPE players in this section, paired alongside 4 350 TPE players and a long rookie winger who is earning at a solid pace. To say that this part of the roster is not stacked is simply wrong, and what makes it even more fun is the variety that is found in the roles that each player is tasked to play. A snapshot of the team in recent times has players ranging anywhere between Screeners and Danglers to Setup Men and Speedy Forwards. With such depth in the team and such variety in the roles they play, it is very tough to find a tactic that consistently works against such a team. It also makes it tough to single out multiple players of importance - since they are all very important to this team's success and I don't want to be here all day talking about everyone. Therefore I shall focus on one player alone to keep an eye out for this season; finalist for the Alex Light Trophy last season, Ric Charlesworth. The Australian-born center struggled in his first season in the league, but came out guns blazing last season on the way to a 55-point year. A powerful screener, he also possesses the ability to get open anywhere in the offensive zone and make his shots count no matter where from (he scored from 13% of his shots last season, and is currently hitting 11.6% this year as of writing). Look for him to once-again impress, if not take another step forward in a push to make Newfoundland even stronger than in prior years.

In conclusion, the Newfoundland Berserkers have a very strong and - more importantly - very well-rounded team entering Season 59. There are very few teams that can rival what Newfoundland has on paper; however, ice hockey has never been decided during previews, and the team has not put together the greatest early-season run. It would be unsurprising if they recovered and finished off the season in high spirits, though they may regret these early losses should they lose seeds to teams that can cause them problems on enemy-ice. Nonetheless, simply the idea of Newfoundland going up against Kelowna - the other strongest team on paper in the league - in a playoff series is enough to make the mouth water. So, hopefully Newfoundland resurge from this tough opening and get back on track to make the playoffs that much more exciting when the year comes to a close.


@Matty7478 GRADED! +5 TPE