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.

I think that the answer is Richard C. Hocolate for the Calgary Dragons. He's spent so much of his career as a backup goaltender and has even won two Cups along the way. But this season is his Cup run. Hocolate plays only 6 games in a season for seven straight seasons. This season, his first as the undisputed starter for the Dragons, he posted respectable numbers. 21 wins, .908 sv%, 4 shutouts.

For the Rage I would say that Erik Lundqvist had the longest, hardest path to the Cup. The Swedish goaltender spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Panthers. He struggled along the way to do enough for his team to make the playoffs. The Panthers never made the playoffs with Lundqvist as the starter. He made a few playoffs runs as backup goalie with the Panthers, but never played any meaningful minutes and never walked away with a Cup win. Once again, Lundqvist finds himself as a sparingly used backup goaltender. But when he has been called upon by the Rage, he's been phenomenal.

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 for the Calgary Dragons thus far has got to be Connor O'Reilly. The aging veteran logged considerable top 4 minutes in the playoffs at 21.83 average minutes per game, with nearly 3 minutes of that each night being spent on the penalty kill. Despite such a defensive-heavy deployment, O'Reilly still managed to be an offensive factor in even strength situations. The Irishman chipped in 2 goals and 7 assists through 17 games as well as a +12 plus/minus rating. Every good team needs players like Connor O'Reilly who can anchor a 2nd pairing and truly solidify their depth.

For the Manhattan Rage, I'll say that Bennett Jones is the unsung hero. Following a mid-season trade from the Buffalo Stampede to the Manhattan Rage, Bennett Jones has been able to add some complementary scoring from the 3rd line. Despite playing a little more 13 minutes a night, Jones still managed to score 3 goals and add 5 assists in 20 games. Every Cup contending team needs consistent scoring from their bottom 6 forwards and Bennett Jones added that element to boost their strong group of top 6 forwards.


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.

Look for Dani Forsberg and Roman Augustus to make names for themselves on the Calgary Dragons. The 2nd year professional out of Sweden has produced a significant amount of offense along the way for Calgary with 15 points in 17 games. And he's producing all of this while only playing a hair over 18 minutes per night. Roman Augustus has stepped into the Dragons' top 4 and despite some struggles has done an admirable job for such a young player. He's been deployed with limited offensive opportunities and as a workhorse defensively.

Manhattan will have Brett Kennedy looking to make a name for himself in these playoffs. He's hoping to assert himself as a key piece of the Rage's top 6 and not just as a complimentary piece of it. Despite rarely shooting the puck this postseason, Kennedy still played well in a defensive role and as a playmaker. 60 hits and 53% faceoff wins are strong numbers from this young 2nd line center.


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'm Calgary, I swap Jagr and Izzy on the 2nd and 3rd lines respectively. Jagr might play a better defensive game, but his offensive abilities at this point in his career do not warrant top 6 ice time or time on the power play. I also understand why Calgary has loaded their powerplay units with forwards and only utilize Boychuk on the man advantage. But I think I would have a little more faith in Augustus and allow him to play on the powerplay ahead of Jagr.

If I'm Manhattan, I don't touch a thing. Getting great production out of the blueline, especially from recent acquisition Winston Windsor. The forwards are getting played big minutes but they're making out just fine. Goaltender Jason Aittokallio is playing lights out and is in a groove. Don't want to change anything up and potentially mess with what's working right now. Impressive job all around.