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oknom · 09-29-2024, 09:39 PM

1. CW confirmation word: dunk
+3 TPE

8. I think the path to the finals starts earlier than just the playoffs, and the differences can be seen between the two conferences. Lets discuss the Western Conference first. At the top are three teams with 99 points or better: Texas Renegades, Los Angeles Panthers, and San Francisco Pride. I think you can fairly lump the rest of the conference into one of two categories. Either they made the playoffs and are hoping to upset multiple times all the way to the finales. Or they didn’t make the playoffs and are full on tank mode. So for the Panthers, whether their series went 4 games or 7 I think the bigger take away is that there was only ever two teams to consider a true threat in the whole conference. Texas COULD have lucked out if they beat Los Angeles and gotten to skip playing San Francisco altogether but alas it was not meant to be. Let’s also not forget the recent cup victories for Los Angeles and San Francisco, proving these two teams can go the distance.

Tampa on the other hand is in uncharted waters. Before this season, the Barracuda last won a playoff series back in S66! To find themselves with the #1 seed in the east and making the finals is an immense monkey off their back. The East had fairly stiff competition in seed 6 through 1. Tampa did hold a healthy points lead over Philadelphia for the top spot, but facing Philadelphia would be no cake walk.
WC: 253 +4 TPE

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+3 TPE

3+4+3 TPE = 8 TPE max allowed

trella · 09-29-2024, 09:41 PM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE
yas

2. Derek Martin is player with most points that plays in finals. Los Angeles has 3 other players that are also above or tied in points with Tampa’s Max Carnage. Does Los Angeles have advantage on scoring or does it just seem like it as they have also played 3 more games?

I think that while Derek Martin did clearly outscore any forward in the Tampa Bay Barracuda, The Los Angeles Panthers do not have a noticeably better offense than that of the Tampa Bay Barracuda. It says so in the prompt, the Panthers needed more games to make their way to the finals this year, meaning that Derek Martin and the rest of the Los Angeles Panthers had more opportunities to score points and boost their totals in comparison with the Barracuda. I think that the Los Angeles Panthers separate themselves from the Barracuda based on the strength of their blue line. The Barracuda’s three forward lines are deep enough to match up well against any team in the league, but the best of the best teams like the Panthers have more star power patrolling their back end. The Panthers have a more solid and deep blue line, which gives them the advantage over the Barracuda. I think it’s clear that the Barracuda’s offense is one of the best in the league boasting names such as Max Carnage, Johnny Wagner-Svensson, Benson Fiorentini, and Rikkert Biemans. With a good mix out young talents and veterans this forward group is not noticeably worse than that of the Panthers. 205 Words

3. Many of Tampa Bay’s defencemen, like Jølngüštrâädüvich DuBølk and John Brown have better defensive stats compared to Panthers defencemen. Do you think they can keep shutting down the offensive of Los Angeles or do you think that Los Angeles defencemen just appear worse because of the tougher opponents they have had to face?

Like I talked about in the last prompt, I do not believe that the Tampa Bay Barracuda actually have an advantage when it comes to comparing the two defensive cores of our finalist teams. Yes, the Barracuda have gotten some incredible play out of DuBolk this season, the Panthers d-core is still just as good if not as flashy. 59 Words

Thanks to @karey and @JSS for the sigs!

Former USA Fed Head, Carolina Kraken Co-GM, Tampa Bay Barracuda GM

Omij · 09-29-2024, 09:43 PM

1. Yogurt

ACapitalChicago · 09-29-2024, 09:44 PM

Trivia - Cap

S66 Damian Littleton

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Tsunny · 09-29-2024, 09:47 PM

CW Trivia: Siuuu

3 TPE

9/

If there is one team who is likely to break it's streak of not winning the cup then it's got to be Calgary Dragons. The team has been very clever in building their roster. They have aquirred many talented players who have been growing more ever since so if they can keep this up, there is a very good chance for them to win the cup in the near future.

70 words = 1 TPE

11/

Fortunately for some and unfortunately for others when there is no relegation and promotion in sight, a league can become stale quite easily. After all it is always the same teams. To avoid that we could introduce a European style relegation and promotion system where the 2 or 3 lowest rated teams by the amount of points they got throughout the season gets relegated to a lower division while the top 2 or 3 team in said lower division could come up and fight with the big dogs. That way we could always have some new faces around and each team would have something to play for. Regardless if they made it to the playoffs or not.

117 words = 2 TPE

13/

Given how Japan is the only nation from the Asian continent who plays in the IIHF, there is not a lot of representation for Asia. As such creating another team either from one or more country would be a great opportunity for more people to represent their own nations in the IIHF. And while we are at it, we could also create teams for countries from South America and Africa. After all they have little to no representation. Once again depending on how many players would be able to play from said regions it could be either a single country like Brasil for example or multiple countries.

107 words = 2 TPE

3+1+2+2 = 8 TPE

JNH · 09-29-2024, 09:49 PM

1. Trivia

Verification: huh

#3 - 100+ words

Tampa got a cakewalk through a weak East this year, so you'd definitely expect that their defenseman would have better metrics without controlling for strength of opponent. Los Angeles' road to the cup included going through the #2, 3 and 4 ranked teams in league - it's hard to hold up through that for three straight series and to expect them to come out of it with sterling stats... and yet they did. Sure, it doesn't quite match up to their opponent, but it's might impressive considering who they've had to play thus far. This isn't anything against Tampa, it's just a reality of the differing paths that they had to take to get here to their finals matchup.

#5 - 100+ words
I'd typically be more concerned if there was a team with longer names than LA, especially because LA has the longest named goalie to ever play the game of hockey. However, I'm not even sure that the players on Tampa Bay can read - I think that LA can take advantage of this fact because the more letters, the more it looks like gibberish to them and the less chance they have of knowing who the opponents they're supposed to be defending are. This'll cause chaos in the offensive zone and open up some lanes for the Panthers players. I don't anticipate this adding any level of difficulty for LA in the series.

#6 - 100+ words

The season was pretty good for Bergling and there's a lot to be pleased about. You hear from a lot of people that you're regressing and on the wrong side of your career, so to come out there and have a season that was actually a significant improvement over your past seasons is really heartening and makes you feel good about your chances going forward over the next few years. Some people can age better than others, so the goal is to keep working out over the offseason, putting in the work during the season and doing all the rights things - aging in a way that makes Bergling an effective player for years to come.

***Takk806*** · 09-29-2024, 10:08 PM

CW Pass

Repgnar · 09-29-2024, 10:30 PM

VERIFIED

Repgnar · 09-29-2024, 10:32 PM

CW Trivia

VERIFIED <- Word for verification

*Gordon Bombay* · 09-29-2024, 10:53 PM

1. allo

MattyJ · 09-29-2024, 10:57 PM

5.
In the finals, every little detail matters, and finding even the smallest edge can make a difference. While it might seem strange to focus on something like name length or single word names, teams can actually use this kind of quirky stat to their advantage. For Tampa Bay, having longer names could become part of their team identity. They could lean into it, making jokes in the locker room about how their big names match their big game energy. Little things like that can boost team chemistry and confidence, especially in high-pressure situations.

On the other side, the Panthers could playfully use this stat against them. For instance, they might say something like, "They’ve got longer names, but we’ve got longer endurance" turning it into a motivational tool. They could also simply make fun and poke at their very long names. It’s not about the stat itself but rather the mental games and fun team narratives that can emerge in a long, exciting series. These psychological aspects can sometimes have a surprising impact, especially when the margin for error is so small. It’s all about keeping the mood light, focused, and turning even the oddest details into a positive for your squad.

Now, which side do I think gains the bigger advantage? My name is MattyJ, short names rule, go Panthers!

221 words. 4 tpe.

6.
MattyJ had a solid season with the Vancouver Whalers. He really stepped up this year, proving himself as a key forward on the team. Last season he was a playoff merchant, but he stepped up in the regular season this year. His offensive production was more consistent than he had seen in his career, and while he may not have always been the top scorer, his playmaking ability shined through. He was a player his teammates could count on to create chances and play smart, especially in tight situations. What really stood out was how he handled pressure. When the stakes were high and the playoffs neared, MattyJ seemed to elevate his game to a higher level.

Looking ahead to next season, there's a lot that I am excited about. Moving up to the SHL and joining the Edmonton Blizzard is a big step, but I think MattyJ is ready for it. The competition will be tougher, but so will his game. The TPE jump he is making will be among the best joining the ranks. I expect him to continue growing, especially in his offensive role. He’s shown he can be a playmaker, and with some more experience, he could become a key part of Edmonton’s attack. Next season should be about adjusting to the SHL's faster pace and proving he can handle a bigger role on a bigger stage.

231 words. 4 tpe.

***mer*** · 09-29-2024, 10:59 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.

froggie

skyrrhawk · 09-29-2024, 11:18 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.

verification word: skip

6. How was the season for you player? What you expect from next one?

The season wasn't quite what I hoped it would be, nor did it end in the result that it seemed we might end up with given the results of the first couple dozen or so games. And that's frustrating, since I come into every season hoping for the best possible result- maybe that's just setting myself up for failure, but expecting failure is a dull and obnoxious way to live life.
That's not to say it was a bad season, on the personal level- it really wasn't anywhere close to being a Bad Season, it just didn't live up to expectations.
This next season should be better- we have a lot of players hitting milestone TPE marks, improving on their skills and builds and team chemistry. If we can figure out the issues we had last season and improve the frankly pretty mediocre home-away splits, I think we have a real chance at at least making it into playoffs this coming season, even if that does still feel like a bit of a pipe dream given how my last two seasons have gone and what that experience has been like. But, realistically, improvement is pretty strictly linear here, and I am well aware of that.

[205 words, 4 tpe]

Code:
10. Written, 50 to 200+ words. Took Me By Surprise

Pick a one SHL or SMJHL team, that isn’t your own, that did not play as you would have expected at the beginning of the season. Did they do better or worse than you expected? Why you think your expectations were off, can you find an explanation for their performance? Does this change how you view them going into next season?

Honestly, the Chicago Syndicate's results came in way below what I expected. Now, of course, maybe my high expectations for them were based in social bias because they're a good buddy's team, but they also had a rather good season in S77 and so I was surprised that they didn't live up to that same point in S78. S78 was actually their worst season in quite a while, and I'm not sure why- it would be easy to blame goaltending, but that's obviously not the issue. Despite all this, I do think they'll bounce back in the coming season, though, and we'll have a few good bouts in our quests for greatness.

[112 words, 2 tpe]

[6 written tpe + trivia = 8 tpe total]

Spartan · 09-29-2024, 11:27 PM

1. Trivia - 3 TPE
Gatorade

2. Prompt - 165 words - 3 TPE
I'm generally not the most worried about point differentials per player from a team to team comparison perspective in the playoffs, because as acknowledged, teams will inevitably play a varied amount of games due to series lengths and all that. Los Angeles with 4 players more than Tampa's highest scoring player isn't absurd, but to worry about advantages in scoring is a bit tough to consider with a relatively small difference. I'm not sure how many more games Los Angeles played compared to Tampa Bay, but only 4 players above Max Carnage doesn't scream a huge advantage. Oh it's three, I can't read the prompt. Depends on how many more points it was, but I think Tampa should be able to hang, offensively at least. Dunno about what it looks like between the pipes and on defense to make any advantage really count. I really should go figure out who won the cup before I make such generic statements in one way or the other.

3. Prompt - 118 words - 2 TPE
I think that quality of opponent definitely matters, but opponent quality somewhat goes out of the window when we discuss the playoffs. Anything can really happen then, and while there are favorites, a top defenseman pairing should be able to handle any opponent to really be a top defensive pairing in the league. While I don't necessarily think that DuBolk and Brown should be outright crowned the best defensive partnership in the playoffs, I think that their strength could help mitigate the Los Angeles scoring threat as discussed in the previous prompt. Only time can tell how that will work in the finals, and I'm sure the better unit will make their impact to determine the series win.

***blix900*** · 09-29-2024, 11:36 PM

CW Pass

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