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***Esso2264*** · 05-21-2024, 09:41 AM

1. birb

dankoa · 05-21-2024, 09:45 AM

1. CW Trivia

Regulate by Warren G & Nate Dogg

5. Written, 3 TPE, Haven't I seen this already (150 words min.)
SHL has a playoffs setup that has teams in the same division playing each other for the first two rounds.With only 5 teams in each division it often means that same teams play versus each other season after season. This can lead to good rivalries but also get pretty repetitive. Do you think this is a good structure or would you like to see it changed? Why? You can but don't have to ignore limits of FHM.

I have no issues with the current playoff setup, and think that our view of what may come off as boring is biased by the fact that the playoffs in this league occur every 2 months. Think of how exciting it is in the NHL when we see series like the Battle of Alberta or the Bruins vs Canadiens in the playoffs. I think it is fine that we have a system that allows for rivalries to build, and after seasons where teams have duked it out in the regular season and let things simmer, it's brilliant to get some heat added to proceedings with a lot on the line. I haven't followed the SHL playoffs for some time as sadly I have not found my way into them for a while, but it would be great next time Montreal make it in if we could get a series against a divisional rival and give them this work in the playoffs to season things up even more!

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6. Written, 3 TPE, Next season will be ours (150 words min.)
With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 34 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high.

The Montreal Patriotes owner addressed the media following the conclusion of the team's S76 campaign and made some seriously sizable claims, the most notable of which was that not only would the Patriotes find themselves back in the playoffs but would in fact find themselves playing in the final series of the playoff for a Challenge Cup. The outspoken owner drew attention to the success of the team's rookie class in the previous season and the talent that would be called up for S77, and stated his belief that these in combination would be enough for the Patriotes to claim the first cup in the history of the franchise. This undoubtedly puts a lot of pressure on the teams players, but it will certainly sit heavy on the shoulders of the team's general manager. All responsibility now falls on him to deliver on the owners expectations, and if he is unable might we see a change in the front office following the season?

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8/8

*Eggcracker* · 05-21-2024, 09:55 AM

Not for me, just posting something so the task is checked off. I don't have OCD.

**esilverm** · 05-21-2024, 10:48 AM

1. bananas

4. I hate to say it but SFP probably has the upper hand in this contest. They made great pick ups in the offseason which led to regular season success, not to mention some sim flukes which gave them a great spot going into their matchup with LAP (cough cough). In fact I don’t know if SFP would be in the same spot had LAP been ranked higher in the league standings during the regular season. Their battle in the playoffs really came down to who had home ice advantage and was a tossup at best. At the end of the day, though, they won and I believe that they will have a good chance at beating the also strong Baltimore Platoon. The curse is real, run from it, and fear it with your life. There is much to be scared of and it is evident that SFP will win these playoffs because of the curse.

14 Welp! Looks like SFP took home the title. This was kinda expected and a bummer to say the least. LAP has strong ties to BAP so they are our Eastern Conference sister team unofficially and we were mostly rooting for them. However things were pretty lopsided. I think things really couldn't have been closer and at the end of the day LAP or SFP were going to win the cup based on their series as LAP were the only ones strong enough to keep SFP at bay for 7 games, if only it kept them tired. I think BAP still has room to grow and it will be exciting to see them in future seasons.

Pass Forfeit (D) ● Player Profile
Kraken

Special thanks to Blitz, jhockey, Ragnarr, and sulo for the gorgeous sigs <3

[Image: DG0jZcS.png]

Weaves · 05-21-2024, 10:51 AM

(1) Trivia: 3 TPE - Word - bonk

*FaraDian* · 05-21-2024, 12:20 PM

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1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

gades

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3. Written, 3 TPE, Long Time Coming (150 words min.)

Both teams were competent in early S60s but ultimately didn’t end up winning the cup leading both into a rebuild shortly after. Now they are back at the top, looking to end long cup droughts. Making it to the finals isn’t easy and so both teams will want to make this one count. But there can be only one Challenge Cup Champion, leaving the other team to look ahead to next season.For which of the teams you think it is more important to win now and which is in better position to get back to the finals in the future? Why?

Honestly, both of these teams are going to be competitive for some time. I think SFP only has five players who will regress for next season while BAP is noticeably higher at 10. The biggest hurdle for SFP is going to be in goal, with Justin Time being the oldest player on their squad. But goalies will always be voodoo in hockey, whether real or simulated.

But each team is also without a first round pick until S81. BAP looks generally worse off here, with only three picks per draft each of the next three seasons while SFP at least has four. According to the Prospects section of the Portal, SFP has a slight advantage with their current pool. Though only three players show there, all are earning decently. Meanwhile, 3 of BAP’s 4 Prospects have barely crossed 300 TPE and lag well behind the rest of their draft class.

All of which is say that BAP looks to have a shorter window. Not capturing the title this season is going to hurt. The East has been struggling enough that they’ll likely make some more deep runs, but defeating whoever comes out of the West isn’t going to get any easier.

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11. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)

Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I want to know how you decided where your player comes from!

I originally based Marton out of Germany because my family heritage is Germany on all sides. His name is a nod to some German friends. It was a lot of fun to be in the J with first DACH and then Rhine (which I helped rebrand) as we had a pretty active group both in the LR and updating, which pushed us to a gold. When heading to the IIHF, there was a big recruiting push from Ireland, which contained many people I’d become friends with in the league. The German team was great on the ice in a way that made me uncertain of playing time, and the LR was losing steam. I made the switch for the off-ice situation in the hopes that I could propel Ireland to greatness. Though Germany continued its success in the tournament, Ireland did pull a surprise Gold a few seasons back. Our LR is cooling in its own regard currently, as we undergo a transition, but it was nice to be a part of it with my friends.

MuNk22 · 05-21-2024, 02:24 PM

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2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup 

related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer 

must be 50+ words.

2c. Willow Söderberg-Snooks has 7 goals, 18 points, 18 takeaways and no giveaways, is that enough to make them best defenceman in finals? Who would you pick instead?
7 goals, 18 points, 18 take aways and no give aways are absolutely enough for Willow Söderberg-Snooks of the to be named best defenceman in the Challenge Cup Finals. Those are seriously impressive stats. I couldn't think of a more fitting candidate to win best defenceman. The way Willow plays at both end of the rink has been unmatched this postseason.

2d. Which of the teams had easier path to finals?
In the fiercely competitive world of professional hockey, there is never an easy path to the finals. Getting to the Challenge Cup Finals, the grandest stage in all of professional hockey, is always a hard fought battle and is never anything to be taken for granted, especially for these two teams. All of the teams that the San Francisco Pride and the Baltimore Platoon had to go through to get to the finals were there for a reason and that shouldn't be discounted. Both of their trips to the finals were well earned.

2e. Which one would win a fight, a lion or an eagle? How would it go?
I believe a fight between a lion and an eagle would be no contest. In the animal world, they would not even fight at all. They are both predators and compete for the same resources. An eagle would have no reason to engage in a fight with a lion unless of course its protecting its offspring. In that case, the eagle would just have to hope it can scare the lion enough from the air because the lion has the advantage in brute strength.

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10. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Analysis (150 words min.)

Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC! Tell me 

about your team! What are your expectations for your player? What teams 

are you watching out for this time around? Did last season's results 

surprise you and how much you expect them to change this time?

I predict the United States teams will dominate at the WJC. Both of those teams are loaded with talent up and down the lineup. My player, Leonard Wood, plays on USA Blue alongside fellow Raptors' teammate Trent Wiseman, who I won the Four Star Cup with. Although I wish there were more teammates on my team this year, I still believe I will fit in nicely in my final WJC. We will still be the favorites and I wouldn't be surprised if were matched up against the other USA team or one of the Canada teams somewhere down the line in the tournament. And with it being my last year of junior eligibility in the World Juniors, I'm definitely looking to get the job done this year. I don't know the next chance I'll get to win gold because there's even more competition at the higher level and once again I'll be back on the bottom fighting for a roster spot.

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11. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)

Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? 

Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I

 want to know how you decided where your player comes from!

I did not choose my IIHF nation, it chose me. I, Leonard Wood, was born in Madison, WI of the United States of America. I'm proud to play for my country and couldn't imagine playing for any other country. I grew up watching all of the previous USA hockey greats. I dreamed of one day putting on the red, white and blue jersey to continue their illustrious legacy. And it has been an honor being on the USA Blue team in the WJC these past three seasons. I've enjoyed alongside Raptors' teammates such as Trent Wiseman and Shadow Fenix as well. It's always easier playing with people you already have chemistry with.

linsangeles · 05-21-2024, 04:13 PM

1. trivia - hollo

**PapaSorin** · 05-21-2024, 06:29 PM

GRAPHIC
#7 3 TPE

GRAPHIC
#8 3TPE

TRIVIA
(Up to) 3 TPE

Code word: Whoopsiedaisies

Massive Coiler · 05-21-2024, 07:29 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Spumoni

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13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Looks like [TEAM] won Season 76! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

Well, the Pride did it. If you’re going off of the bare minimum stats from the standings (better goal differential in the regular season) it makes sense that the top western team ended up beating the top eastern team. For Baltimore, it sucks to lose in 5 and not really make it a close series. Going into these finals I guess you could assume that Baltimore would have a better defense/goaltending situation at the expense of San Francisco's offense, but that wasn’t the case after game two. Everything needed to go better in those last 3 games. I would say put more and more on the net, try to overwhelm with a volume of shots and just pray, but honestly I’m not sure anything could have been done to fix the results.

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5. Written, 3 TPE, Haven't I seen this already (150 words min.)

SHL has a playoffs setup that has teams in the same division playing each other for the first two rounds.With only 5 teams in each division it often means that same teams play versus each other season after season. This can lead to good rivalries but also get pretty repetitive. Do you think this is a good structure or would you like to see it changed? Why? You can but don't have to ignore limits of FHM.

(Completely ignoring the realities of FMH). I would very much like to see any sort of different format here. As a member of the Forge since S69, I’ve seen Atlanta, Baltimore and Tampa more times than I can count. To be fair though, I’ve also seen an unreasonable amount of Hamilton and New England, so it’s not even like a conference level change would fix things. My idea would say to do away with the entire idea of conferences and divisions. I mean, it’s a sim league, right? Let’s just play everyone in the league an even number of times. There’s no need for travel, organizing teams by geographic locations makes no sense in a world where no one travels or adheres to timezones. Get us all playing against each other, all the time. See some new names and faces every season in the playoffs. No questions of “well if we were just in the other conference/division we’d make the playoffs”. Just put us in a league wide free for all.

Australiankek · 05-21-2024, 07:43 PM

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1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification word - KeK

+3 TPE

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2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! 

Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. Neither of the teams have been relying on one or two superstar forwards to do all their goal scoring in playoffs, 

but if you had to pick a player you expect to carry their team to cup who would it be?

d. Which of the teams had easier path to finals?

e. Which one would win a fight, a lion or an eagle? How would it go?

A. If I had to pick a player from either team that I would to carry their individual teams, for the Pride I would pick David Hargreeves and for Baltimore, I would pick Ekaterina Valieva. Both for similar reasons being their performance in the regular season. Because there is not much information about how these players might play in the playoffs we have to determine their skills in the regular season and past playoff skills and that is exactly how I got these two players. (84 words) [url=https://index.simulationhockey.com/shl/player/3423?type=playoffs][/url]

D. Both teams have equally hard matchups. But personally, I think the Baltimore Platoons had an easier path to the finals than the Pride. The Baltimore Platoons had faced two teams that were excepted to lose in the first to second round. While the Pride played against the number 1 favorite team to win the cup: the Pride. (57 words)

E. At least this is a more balanced matchup compared to the past battles. Both have advantages but the eagle could never win against the claws and jaws of a lion (mostly because of the size difference). Unless the eagle found a weak spot in the rear end (you know what I mean) the Eagle would never win against the furious feline. (61 words)

+3 TPE
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11. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)

Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I want to know how you decided where your player comes from!

Ah the country of Canada, the inventors of hockey and can make anyone who lives in this cold country have the opportunity to become the next great one. Although Kevin Kim has not been the best player compared to the other players in the league, he is still a maple sucking Canadian and the reason is simple why I chose this nation. Similarly to many other people in the SHL I picked Canada because I myself am Canadian more specifically half, but who cares? it is a great opportunity to support my country (other than Australia) to victory in the IIHF and WJC. (103 words)

+2 TPE

8 TPE in total

**RomanesEuntDomus** · 05-21-2024, 07:48 PM

Quote:Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

LastSecond

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2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Neither of the teams have been relying on one or two superstar forwards to do all their goal scoring in playoffs, but if you had to pick a player you expect to carry their team to cup who would it be?
b. Looking at save percentage and goals against average it seems that Beau Kavanagh has the upper hand over Justin Time. Do you think they do or are those numbers misleading?
c. Willow Söderberg-Snooks has 7 goals, 18 points, 18 takeaways and no giveaways, is that enough to make them best defenceman in finals? Who would you pick instead?
d. Which of the teams had easier path to finals?
e. Which one would win a fight, a lion or an eagle? How would it go?
f. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?

a. I would have gone boring and picked Viktor Hargreeves. More often than not the post-season is a continuation of the regular season when it comes to who sits atop the scoring sheets and Hargreeves was absolutely dominant for much of the campaign. He has an All-Star supporting cast as well which should help him make the most of his abilities.
b. I think those numbers are somewhat misleading. Justin Time is one of the best goaltenders in the league and a proven winner but if you play for a team like the Pride, who tend to dominate possession then you don't get to pad your stats as a goalie. You won't face a ton of shots but the ones you do can often be high-quality chances because the other team had an odd-man rush after stealing the pack.
d. I don't think you can call either teams path to the finals easy, they actually both had to deal with some incredibly strong opposition to get there. San Francisco had to dispose of some big big names, including last years Champion in LA and the previous true dynasty of the league in Winnipeg. Baltimore on the other hand had to deal with three teams with rich histories in the FHM era, Buffalo, Hamilton and Atlanta who are all in different stages of their cycles.
e. I would go for the Eagle here, at least if we are talking about two specimen who are among the best of their species. The ability to fly is just such a big game-changer since it allows you to dictate the tempo of the fight and wear your enemy down. I don't think the strength of a lion is a match for that.

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13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 76! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

So San Francisco won this season and to be completely honest, I don't know what the other team could have done about that. Baltimore is a good team but it didn't really feel like they had much of a chance, San Francisco cruised to these playoffs more or less, the only really tough series they had where the Conference Semi-Finals against my very own LA Panthers. Aside from that they crushed the opposition, fueled by their crazy good Defense that has both depths and some of the best scorers in the league. BAP already had the edge in goaltending over these playoffs but they still couldn't get it done, so I don't think anything short of a miracle could've saved them.

adamantium · 05-21-2024, 08:15 PM

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1. CW Trivia (3 TPE)

vw: corncob

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2. Grab Bag (3 TPE)

b. Justin Time has the asset of being old, grizzled, and hard as hell on his side. Is there a harder goaltender in the playoffs than this fucking guy? I mean, just looking at him, you know he's making his team as hard as he is. Get out of here with that shit. Is anyone harder than Justin Time. Fuck you. (60 words)

c. Believe it or not, only stat that actually matters for any given defenceman is shots blocked. I mean, goals scored, sure, whatever. Assists. Takeaways. Who gives a shit? Where's your grit? Where's your truculence? Are you gonna put your fucking balls on the line when someone needs to block that shot? Call me when you're halfway through a coke high and thinking about strangling your opponent. That's when I know you're ready. And that's why Philip Fry is my defenceman of the year. (83 words)

e. Eagles can fly. That alone should be your automatic disqualifier, right, I mean even at good odds for you, let's say we give you a gun, right? Hell of a lot easier for the average guy to get lucky and shoot a Lion with a gun. A bird? Fuck man, I know guys that have been hunting for years that are still dogshit at shooting ducks. Let alone an eagle. (70 words)

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11. IIHF - My Country (WC: 112 words) (2 TPE)

Ain't nothin better in the world than playing for the good old United States of Funmerica baby. Long Islander born and bred, there's nothin I love more than going down the shore every summer to fuckin Wildwood or something, wearing my fuckin Pabst Blue Ribbon cutoff and my American flag board shorts and getting called a Benny by the greasiest looking motherfucker you've ever seen in your life. Like, looks like he just fucking slathered himself with bacon grease. Get off the beach, pal, no one wants you here. But if one of those fuckin Brits wants to have a go at him? We're brothers baby. America. We love it. Fuckin jersey.

sigs by me bitch

*UptownCord* · 05-21-2024, 09:20 PM

HO Pass

FnoRespect · 05-21-2024, 09:53 PM

11. IIHF Home country- When it comes down to why I chose Latvia as Kristians Mikelis country it's pretty simple. I decided to pick a nation before I even picked anything else. Part of the fun of sim leagues for me is the randomness involved. I like it so much in fact that I decided to take it a step further when creating Kristians. The first thing I did was enter all of the IIHF nations into a random number generator and, poof, Latvia it was. So far, I haven't regretted this decision one bit, as Latvia has had a great locker room and I think in my next create I will do the same exact thing!
(113 Words) +2 TPE

5. I personally don't like the current setup for playoff matchups. I think having to play the same teams over and over again can get stale, even if it does inevitably create some good rivalries. I think the way the SHL has it set up could definitely be improved, but it isn't the absolute worst. A step in the right direction is the NHL. They have it where there's two divisional matchups per conference and then two wild card matchups. This makes it so every now and then, you could end up playing a team outside of your conference in the first or second round. It also makes it so, in rare cases you could end up playing your conference rival in the conference finals. This is always super exciting, and even more so considering this outcome means a wild card team had to pull off some upsets to make it happen. I believe if the SHL adopted this style of playoffs it would be more entertaining than the current system.
(170 Words) +3 TPE

6. With the Maine Timber losing in the cup finals to the Quebec City Citadelle's, their team owner was left with the daunting task of addressing the fans. His press conference went as so: Thanks to everyone here for coming along for the ride. I know this season didn't go exactly as planned, but I hope everyone enjoyed the ride. This ride, however, isn't over just quite yet. We still have lots of young talent on this tea, and we don't plan on letting it go to waste. Quebec is a powerhouse of a team so hats off to them, but we only plan on getting better next season. We'll obviously be hurting with the loss of our age-outs, but I truly believe our young talents can step up and fill the big holes left in their absence. Thanks to everyone who supported us throughout any point of this season, and I hope we can make it up to you by bringing a championship back to Maine next season.
(168 Words) +3 TPE

8 TPE Total Smile

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