S78 PT #5: Playoff Woahs and Woes
Due: Sunday, September 15th @ 11:59 PM PST
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NaomiMannequeen
Recruitment Team Senior Member
09-09-2024, 03:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-13-2024, 01:09 AM by JamesT. Edited 1 time in total.
Edit Reason: Updated season in title
)
Please pick ONE prompt to write about. Do not mix and match prompts. Identify the prompt you are using in your submission - Copying and pasting the prompt will deduct from your word count so if you do this make sure YOUR submission is 150+ words excluding the prompt.
Written Option 1: Most players want to show off their skills on the ice. Whether in the form of a fancy save or incredible goal or even a hit that makes the glass shatter, spectators love being impressed. This is even more true for the playoffs where the stakes are higher. Does your player try to impress the crowd come playoff time? If so, how do they try to do so? Do they include their teammates in a set play that will make the crowd roar? Or do they try to take the glory for themselves to make an impossible play? If they aren’t the type to change their style of play to impress fans during playoffs, how does your player maintain their focus when the games get tougher and play gets more intense? Graphic Option 1: Draw a play made by your player that would impress the crowds of the arena or draw your player trying to hype up the crowd with your player’s celebration of their amazing play. Written Option 2: Every season, only 17 players of the 340 in the SHL get the honour of lifting the Challenge Cup and only another 17 of the 272 players in the SMJHL get the honour of lifting the Four Star cup. With the odds stacked against you, how does your player deal with the pressure of potentially losing in the playoffs? How does your player deal with defeat in playoffs? What does your player do with the free time after the woes of losing in playoffs? Does your team follow the tradition of golfing after the playoffs? Graphic Option 2: Draw your player doing their favourite offseason activity. You will receive 3 TPE for fulfilling all requirements. All responses are due on Sunday, September 15th at 11:59 PST. NOTE: IF YOU SUBMIT/EDIT AFTER THE DEADLINE YOU WILL RECEIVE REDUCED/NO TPE. Graphics need to be viewable when PT is graded or you will not receive TPE. Discord only hosts images for very limited time. Affiliate claims from either PBE or ISFL or WSLB or SSL are accepted; link directly to your post and note if your username is different there. If you have any questions/concerns, please PM me. Tasks with malicious intent will not be graded. The graders reserve the right to determine malicious intent, after discussion with me. You will not be warned. This task is for SHL players and send downs only. If your player is S79 or S80 this is not for you. PT Credit: NaomiMannequeen
NaomiMannequeen
Recruitment Team Senior Member
ThisSeemsFishy
SMJHL GM Posting Freak
Jussi isn’t really one to intentionally play to the crowd. But he is aware of the way he plays having an effect on the crowd. Whether he’s playing on the road or at home, he will ramp up the physicality when needed because he knows it will either fire up the home crowd or deflate the opposing teams fans. Jussi also isn’t one to shy away from dropping the gloves if it will really rally his team. But there are less and less people willing to throw down these days. Long gone are the days of old time hockey.
Jussi knows the value of having the crowd on your side at home, or having opposing fans so devestates by seeing their team manhandled. And he tries to get his teammates involved as much as possible. “I want Montréal’s stadium to be a terrifying place to step into for opposing players. I want them to be shaken before they even step on the ice. And if they have even a fraction of confidence when the puck drops, I will make sure that’s gone as soon as the crowd gets going.”
Salming
Registered Posting Freak
Task 2:
For William Salming, pressure is a privilege. It means you have done something right so other people consider you are a favourite to win something. Salming has won the Challenge Cup twice. For him, he didn't felt any extra pressure between playoff or regular season hockey. Normal habits and routines helped him to avoid thinking about that only 17 human beings win every year something big and others need to feel disappointed. So yeah, you just need to avoid those kind of feelings that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some players. Someone can play in the playoffs only once or twice in theirs career let alone to speak that finals appearances are even more rare and exclusive. The mind set has to be that you just have to play as well as you can and it then maybe gives you a chance to achieve something huge, big and unique. But if you think about pressures all the time then it is tougher. Keep grinding and good things will happen.
cake307
SMJHL GM Queen of Crows, Bringer of Freedom
Written Option 2: Unfortunately, losing is something you get used to. Alexa's Scarecrows have been knocked out of the playoffs twice in the first round, and once in the second. It's easy to know how to lose when you've got practice, and so she has a routine. Never assume any game is won until it's over. Never assume a series is won, even when it's over. And when you really are knocked out, make sure to go work as soon as you can. Of course, Alexa has actually never had a true 'holiday' from hockey; in the off season, even in years she's eliminated in the first round, she's always called up to one of the USA WJC teams, after all. This means there's never time to dwell on it too deeply, at least not while the wounds are fresh, and that inertia simply carries her forward. Though, sometimes, deep in the night... it gets to her.
Gyro_Hero
Registered Senior Member
How does your character deal with the pressure - Matthias is significantly more concerned with whether or not he’s helping his team than with any particular award or trophy - sure, he plays to win, but he’s always thinking about what it takes to win, from himself and others. Being engaged, being “locked in,” is always going to mean more to him than getting a W or taking an L. And most importantly of all, he always wants to feel that things are going to be okay between his teammates, and himself. That’s what really matters. (I find this is a much better mindset to have, both for my player, and for the guy behind the screen, too - good luck, everyone!)
As for the off-season? No no, golf isn’t *nearly* extravagant enough for Matthias and the gang. Really, it depends on how much money the team brought in that year, and how much absolutely unhinged, extravagant expenses he’s racked up for them over that time - I mean, Diamond-encrusted fishnet hockey jerseys were on the expensive side, so he might have to do some side hustles to earn the team back its money in the interim - that hasn’t happened yet, but it could be anything from doing modelling work to becoming a pro wrestler to getting elected to high office and then becoming corrupt almost immediately, funnelling his money back to his team, and then resigning the moment the next season starts. That could be fun - and then there’s always that space station we built a few months back, that can probably earn us some money, too.
Figgy
IIHF Federation Head IIHF GM
Option 1
While it is true the stakes are higher in the playoffs and frankly some players do tend to ramp up their play during the playoffs, Dan won't lie, he tends to grip his stick a little tighter. The pressure especially on the back end players during the playoffs is immense. Every mistake made, made every errant pass, every missed assignment can lead to a goal, and with goals at a premium and no second chances, Dan stress about every play he makes. This season however, he has gone into the season and therefore the post season with a carefree attitude. This has lead to an increase in offensive play that he is hoping will continue on through a deep playoff run that ends with a championship. The Inferno and Johnston need to go into these playoffs planning on playing for 16 more wins. That is the end goal and that is where our mindset needs to be.
Tate
Registered Posting Freak
Blade Hunter deals with the pressure of losing in the playoffs like anyone else would- he doesn’t let it get to him too much. Sure, it sucks when you’re fighting all season and then you get knocked out, but Blade just takes it as part of the game. You can’t win them all, and he knows that. After a loss, Blade’s the kind of guy who’ll be upset for a bit, but he doesn’t let it hang over his head too long. He just moves on. Losing in the playoffs stings, but he channels that into training harder for next season. He’ll spend time in the gym, hit the ice, and work on what went wrong to be better next time. As for the downtime after playoffs, Blade likes to keep things chill. He might go golfing like a lot of the other guys do, but it’s more about relaxing and clearing his head than anything. Golfing’s just a fun way to blow off steam with the team, and it’s a tradition he’s happy to follow. If not golfing, he’ll probably just hang out, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the offseason while it lasts. Blade’s not the type to dwell on the loss. He just takes it in stride and focuses on the next opportunity to get better.
Eggcracker
All-Star Committee egg egg egg egg egg egg egg egg
Written Option 1:
THIS IS MY 1000th POST <3 During the playoffs, Effo takes his shenanigans of trolling the other team to the next level, peak trolling if you will. His antics usually make him public enemy number one for the opposing fans, but his teammates, coaches, and fans are all glad they have Effo playing for them and not against. One of the many top secret playoff reserved trolls is to wax his shiny bald head to a mirror's shine, and while sitting on the bench, Effo will have his helmet off and find the perfect spot to reflect the sunlight or arena spotlights directly into the opposing goalies eyes. There is no rule against players having their helmets off on the bench for maintenance purposes, so there is always a loose screw on his helmet (or in his mind) when Effo is on the bench. This move is usually doubly effective when playing against the St. Louis Scarecrows, as the arena made of straw usually ends up catching fire and the whole building gets burnt down, this has happened numerous times already, why they rebuild it every time with straw again is beyond anyone's logic. 190 words. Edmonton Blizzard Co-GM
Yukon Malamutes Hall of Fame
Granny Panpan Count: 258
Rich
Moderators S30, S31, S39 Challenge Cup Champion
Fileworker PT pass
Z0REM
Registered Posting Freak
Written Option 2: Every season, only 17 players of the 340 in the SHL get the honour of lifting the Challenge Cup and only another 17 of the 272 players in the SMJHL get the honour of lifting the Four Star cup. With the odds stacked against you, how does your player deal with the pressure of potentially losing in the playoffs? How does your player deal with defeat in playoffs? What does your player do with the free time after the woes of losing in playoffs? Does your team follow the tradition of golfing after the playoffs?
Seamus has won the cup 3 times. There is no longer any pressure about lifting the cup. In fact, 3 times in one career makes it feel like getting 4 should be possible. There are not many players that can say they have won 4 cups with the same team in this league and Seamus plans on going out there this post-season and doing everything possible to make that happen. While the wolfpack did not end in their coveted 9 or 10th place to come back and win a cup, I think that Seamus is ready to make another deep run. If for some reason that does not happen, Seamus is also no stranger to first round exits. His first few seasons in the league were ones of defeat after defeat. Once again, 3 cups heals a lot of woes around the potential of losing the fight for a 4th. Good luck other teams, you are going to need it.
Zerg
Player Progression Director Local Hive Mind
Grzegorz isn't the type to actively try for the spectacular save. San Franscisco sports radio has nicknamed him "the most boring goalie ever to play", and he wears that nickname with pride. His job is to stop the puck. He doesn't play the puck, pass it, shoot it, or contribute to his team's breakouts or offense in any direct way. He stops the puck. He smothers it like he's trying to murder it with a pillow. That's all he does and that's all he'll ever do. When the playoffs come, the only way he wants to wow the fans with his personal performance is by holding the opposing team's score at zero. The pressure in the payoffs is higher, but the way he deals with it is the same way he deals with it every night: get in the zone and stay there. Let the world fade. There is only Gzegorz and the puck, and that puck is not getting past him. When the final horn sounds, he can come up from the unreality he's submerged himself in and see what the scoreboard looks like. If it's zero, he did his job. If it's not, there was room for improvement. On to the next game.
CaptainCamel
Registered Posting Freak
Option 1:
Paul Bondage is definitely not one to showboat during games, especially during the importance of playoff games. He is still one of the youngest (the youngest?) player on the team and knows he still has a lot to learn in his sophomore year with the Atlanta Inferno. Yes, he will hit harder, skate faster, pass crisper, but at the end of the day, he is there on the ice to help his team win games. He knows that he's no Brent Burns or Sidney Crosby. He cannot pull of the flashy moves that will make the highlight reels for years. What he is there on the ice to do is to play defense, spread the puck around, and make sure his shift goes as smoothly as it possibly can go. His primary focus will be to feed the forwards and keep the puck in deep. When possible, take those point shots to try and create a rebound opportunity, but keeping it simple is the name of his game always, and especially during playoff time. WC: 175
kdr
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