TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Esa Anrikkanen is the player that has had to overcome the most adversity to get to where they are in the finals now. Esa Anrikkanen has been skilled enough to already win three Challenge Cups since he started his career in SEASON 18. Yes you read that right, this dude has been playing since season 18 and that has been the hurdle he’s had to overcome on his way to the S38 cup. Rumors are Esa Anrikkanen has said his 20th season in the league has been worse than the years he spent fighting in the trenches on the Western Front. Holy shit this guy is old! During this time there have been many situations that have made his journey to the season 38 finals difficult. First off, most of his friends are retired or dead. Esa has struggled to get in a groove with the rest of his teammates because he gets up at 3 AM and is home eating dinner by 2:30 PM, followed by bed at 3:30. His complicated schedule and low energy level have proved difficult to be a star on the ice, and his skills are regressing quickly! The second hardship Esa has recently faced was missing out on top prospect Tor Tuck. Rumor is Esa and Tor’s great great grandfather served together under Napoleon and Esa was hoping to take the boy under his wing. However, Esa has persisted and looks to make a run for his 4th championship.

<a href='index.php?showuser=1045' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Steelhead77</a>

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

The unsung hero of the Season 38 playoffs at this point has got to be the rookie, Roman Augustus. First, it’s important to note that Augustus’ team has returned to the Championship series following his call-up and he has played a big role bolstering their back end. A lot of the Calgary Dragon stars are in the spotlight, and it is hard to argue when there are guys like Randy Randleman tearing up the league. But Augustus has been asked to step up and play in the biggest games as a rookie and he has stepped up to the plate and answered the call. Going into the championships Augustus is second on the Dragons in shots blocked with 14. Perhaps more importantly are his assist statistics where Roman Augustus is sitting at 8, 4th best on the Dragons. Augustus’ selfless play has been a big part of why the Dragons are winning games and guys like Randleman are leading the league in playoff points with ten!

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TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

I’ve already talked about an unsung hero being a rookie so I do not see a scenario where I do not gush over how important Roman Augustus has been to the Calgary Dragons and his contributions to their run so far. We already talked about him having 14 blocked shots and 8 assists, on the top end for his team and great numbers for any defender in the league. These numbers are more impressive when you loog at the only other rookie in the league playing in the finals, where Evgeny Yakikov is sitting on the Rage with 0 minutes played. Augustus is averaging 21.92 minutes per game and I expect that trend to continue going into the finals. Roman is not a big hitter, with only 15 thus far in the playoffs, and I don’t expect that to change in the finals. However, the Dragons are going to need Augustus to keep blocking shots and getting the puck to shooters. If Augustus can help protect the net and make plays for scorers on the other end of the ice the Dragons can make a run for the cup and Augustus will cement his name among the league’s defenders. Augustus is currently 0/7 on his shots and I’m sure he’d love to sneak a goal in during this series too.

TASK SIX: You’re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

If I am the coach of the Calgary Dragons I would not go into the finals and make a bunch of roster tweaks to the rosters, lines, or strategies. My team is coming into the finals hot and as the favorite to take home the cup. I have clearly been doing something right and if it ain’t broke do not fix it. I do not know much about lines and strategies so I would stick to the crossing my fingers and hoping my good fortune continues for one more series. However, since I have to make a few changes for the sake of conversation there are a few things I would do to “increase my chances.” First, I would play Randy Randleman and Joe Kurczewski MORE minutes. Yes, I know some people are going to lose playing time, and other tears may be shed. But these two are currently sitting at +13 in the playoffs and they are unstoppable when on the ice together. I would give them more time. Second, once we were up 3-0 in the series I would play Esa Anrikkanen for an entire game. This would accomplish a few things: Sending a message to the enemy; it would be shameful for the Rage to see the old man putting the moves on them while on the ice in a walker. It would give Esa a glorious exit in what could very well be his last championship run, even if he died on the ice. P.S. – Dragons please make the second option a reality.