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***golden_apricot*** · 03-01-2023, 08:52 PM

The S51 Anchorage Armada are an interesting team to look back upon. The start of the S51 season was thick with controversy as the league went into full chaos mode when it was discovered that the Hamilton Steelhawks in the SHL found a way to break the sim. Really all this entailed was reading a thread on the official STHS forums but no one to this day wants to use logic about this so we will move on. After Hamilton was discovered to have a full team of shooters, HO went through all teams and found Anchorage was also a team that had all shooters in all positions. The intent behind this is still questioned to this day. That said the team had lost a few pieces from having a few good drafts in the late S40s, but it appeared they should be a top team in the league and with a bit of sim luck possibly make a late run in the playoffs with some younger, developing talent. The team finished the regular season in second place, with a 28-16-8 record, well off the pace of the Carolina Kraken who themselves finished 35-12-3. After a first round bye in the playoffs (6 teams earned a bye in the 10 team format) the Armada faced off against the Anaheim Outlaws, they themselves just coming off a long 7 game series against Detroit. This series was brutal on both squads, requiring all 7 games in order to achieve a conclusive series result. Early on it appeared Anchorage would roll, winning the first three games by a combined 12-5, but then every teams worst nightmare happened, a shift in series momentum allowed ANA back in to the series where they forced a decisive game 7, but in that final game Anchorage put their foot down defensively, allowing only 12 shots and getting the win in the game and the series. Up next for Anchorage was the 10 seed Vancouver who just upset the top seeded Kraken in 6 games. Vancouver battled hard in this series but was unable to show much fight outside of two games, one of which it was clear Anchorage was caught napping. This series had a few fans looking for a bit more out of Vancouver, despite their 10 seed, these two teams had a history at the time going back a few seasons with a bit of bad blood starting to brew before Vancouver fell off a bit around this time. But with a series win, Anchorage was off to the final where they played Kelowna. This was an all time series especially back in the STHS days where GMs and HO knew the results and had to keep them quite until play by plays were posted on the site. After taking the first two games at home, the Armada went on a three game skid, putting them on the brink of elimination, and Kelowna one game away from achieving their franchises first cup. In game 6 goaltender Ian Vennables for the Armada stood on his head, stopping all 22 shots the Knights were able to get on target, and with two early goals by Bischoff and Vyskoc game 7 was forced back in Anchorage. Game 7 started hot for Anchorage with an early goal, which was then matched by the Knights. MVH was able to notch a second at the end of the first putting the Armada up one with 40 minutes to play. In the second and early third the team was able to put up two more goals. But the knights were not done, with two goals themselves they got the game to within one goal with less than 2 minutes to play. But that was it, Anchorage was able to rag the puck ofr the remainder of the game and take the series and the 4 star cup in a season where some might say they should not have won.

***bluesfan55*** · 03-01-2023, 09:04 PM

elite team ngl

ty to @High Stick King @EvilAllBran and @Ragnar for the sigs

*CptSquall* · 03-02-2023, 12:19 PM

Approved, +5 TPE to @golden_apricot

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