Task One: Colour Commentary

"Welcome one and all to the Challenge Cup Finals. I know none of us wanted to see this come down to Minnesota and Calgary, talk about a boring end to the season, but I think we can all agree that the hopes of the league rest squarely upon the shoulders of the Minnesota Chiefs. I hear that Robert Andersson was a good guy."

The players begin to hit the ice.

"There we see the Chiefs coming out first... There's Sebastian Strange, a man I've never heard of but apparently he's pretty good. There's Garbanzo now, trailing dust behind him... if anyone ever belonged in a museum, it was that guy. Oh! And look, there's Logan! It's a wonder he can skate with his foot lodged so far up his own mouth. Oh well. At least he didn't end up in prison or something... and there come the Dragons. There's Adam Kaiser, good guy, you know... Randy Randleman, heard of him before... Mike Izzy and his entire entourage, and then there's Joe Kurc-- Kurcewick--"

...

"That Scarecrows guy. Whatever, let's get ready for some boring hockey."


Task Two: Unsung Hero

If any man deserves to be called the unsung hero of the playoffs, it's Terrance Nova. Although he doesn't have the same spectacular point production of players like Strange or Lundberg for the Chiefs, he's got something particularly impressive -- a plus seven, making him the team leader in that regard. On top of that +7 statistic, he's managed six goals, putting him tied for most on the team. Even better, two of those goals were game winners. This isn't to say that Nova deserves the MVP nod over the top scorers: by all accounts, there have been some seriously solid performances in this year's playoffs. But it's hard to deny that Nova has provided an irreplaceable spark for the Chiefs.

It's also worth noting that Nova has also been a rare example of a player who's had a consistent, physical edge to him without racking up many penalty minutes in the playoffs. At 30 hits, he's third one the team behind Jonathan Lundberg and Fedor Shirobokov, but he's kept his PIMs to just 6. Responsible, physical play is a rarity in the SHL, and the Chiefs have to be happy with that.


TASK FOUR: Unscramble the names of these four players who will be competing in the Challenge Cup Finals. Send the answers to me by forum PM. You will not get credit for posting the answers in this thread. Please make the subject of the message “CW Word Scramble." [Grading: 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer]


Task Six: Goaltender Battle

The goaltender battle this year isn't as close as it might otherwise have been, but that's no slight on the loser of this particular exchange. Both men have been excellent, but one has been just that much better. Olli O'Koivu has had an excellent playoffs, notching a 0.914 save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average, with 5 losses across the playoffs. Those are the kind of statistics that any goaltender would be happy to see read back to him at the end of a tournament, especially the save percentage. However, that isn't enough to place him ahead of this year's victor in that regard, Richard C. Hocolate. With a 0.928 save percentage, a 2.40 goals against average, and just 3 losses registered, Hocolate isn't just the winner of the goalie battle: he's the single best choice for the MVP of the playoffs.

Looking into the team statistics only makes Hocolate's achievement greater: Calgary only had 355 shots for, compared to 403 shots against. They had to scrap and claw, constantly being outshot, with Hocolate being the one to bail them out night in and night out. By contrast, Minnesota played a high-octane offensive game with 429 shots for and 383 shots against. They scored more, but let in more goals -- but as a result, O'Koivu could stand to let in an occasional soft goal.

In all, two great performances, with one just going that much farther.


TASK NINE: Trivia! Send the answers to me by forum PM. You will not get credit for posting the answers in this thread. Please make the subject of the message “CW Trivia.” [Grading: 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 for each correct answer.]