MAX TPE 16

The biggest surprise this season was most certainly Toronto’s regular season performance. While Toronto certainly has a strong roster and one of the best in the league to do it between the pipes with Carpet, they certainly were not expected to be a top 2 team in the East ahead of both Buffalo and Chicago. In fact, their finish just 5 points shy of the conference leading Steelhawks is an incredible testament to just how impressive a season it was for the North Stars. Bobby Land had a heck of a year and as previously mentioned Carpet’s strong play (2.38 GAA) and 3 shutouts was a key to the Toronto run this season. With more room to grow next season, it will be interesting to see if Toronto takes another step forward or if we again see dominance from the usual players in the East, Hamilton, Buffalo and Chicago. I am looking forward to the S59 North Stars.(158 Words)


It is always such a bummer not to make it to the finals, but in the end the leagues are both filled with really talented teams. It is no surprise that only two teams can come out of each conference. And while it is really easy to look at personal performance and try to understand how that could be improved to deep into the playoffs next season, the key is really just to be a part of an incredible team. While this season in Newfoundland we have grown a significant amount over last year, I’m super excited to see what the growth of the offseason is going to do for our already really young core. We have a large number of really promising players on first or second years in juniors who will immediately make the jump to their next cap. With an entire offseason of training camp ahead of us, I’m really excited to see how strong we come out of the gates next season. (166 words)

a. Hamilton finished 13 points above Buffalo in the standings this season. What is one thing that Buffalo can do to give themselves a leg up despite this?

One thing that Buffalo needs to focus on to give themselves a leg up in this series is their work in their own zone. As we all know, Hamilton has one of the most potent offenses in all of the SHL. They have the ability to play inside the dots and score the dirty goal. Buffalo needs to lean on its superior defense and goaltending. Doyle was arguably the best goaltender in all of the SHL this season. And leaning on her should allow the Stampede to steal a game or two. (92 words)

b. Hamilton was 3rd in the league in GF this season. Buffalo was 2nd in GA. This begs the age old question: what will win out, a great defense or a great offense? Why?

Usually, defense wins championships. And in hockey, goaltending can largely be the one thing that overcomes all odds. A great goaltender, like Doyle can completely overtake a series. But what Hamilton has for offensive firepower seems almost insurmountable this season. With Theo Morgan leading the charge and a dominating regular season and playoff run thus far, I’m taking the offensive juggernaut to win the series. (65 words)

c. Which of these two teams' brandings do you prefer? Take into account colors, logo, name, location, and anything else you consider relevant.

The Buffalo branding annihilates the Hamilton branding and, in my opinion, its not even close. The colorway is the perfect combination of flashy while also being flat enough to look good on a dark green jersey. The Hamilton logo is a bit frumpy and their color scheme is a little bit too classic for my taste. Plus Buffalo is a classic hockey town. And while I’m sure Hamilton has a rich hockey history, it’s certainly not the player at the professional level that Buffalo has been historically. (87 words)

d. It's all come down to this: game seven overtime. Which four players are you sending out to win the game for you. This is in a fantasy sense, so feel free to mix and match from both teams.

Game seven overtime is where you want your slickest skill players on the ice to make it happen. I’m sending out the top scorers for Hamilton and expecting them to finish things quickly. Up front, Michael Scarn will be at the dot. He will be flanked by Aaron Wilson on his right and Theo Morgan on his left. These three combined for more than 230 regular season points. On the backend, we’re going really lean and carrying only Michaud. Michaud also leads the Hamilton backend in points this season and will help end sudden death before Buffalo can even get their feet moving. (103 words)



https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3009099
+3

I have had the absolute pleasure of having two of the best GMs in juniors since returning to the site last season. Juke and Nhamlet are both so dedicated to creating a really great locker room atmosphere that it brings our team together and makes every day on the SHL more fun. In the past, I have not enjoyed my juniors experience at all, but spending time with these two guys has just reinforced how important our leadership at the junior level is. They both love hockey and bring a ton of passion about FHM and the Zerkers successful. And, they do that while balancing 15+ characters spamming the LR at any given time. These guys keep us honest with our updates each week but understand that we all are building players to achieve our own goals and really encourage us to drive our own experience. They somehow make all of our builds fit together cohesively and we get better every season. Both guys deserve every accolade they get and I'm glad to have gotten to know each of them since joining back up.