This season of course had its ups and downs but overall it was a successful one that we certainly want to build on. A lot of the season stayed on track and really continued on a smooth path. There were some small hiccups with Twitter when you have a bad game and on the other side of the coin when you net that hat trick or have that big game the praise comes from everyone. I will say the craziest thing that happened to Raymond this season was on a road trip about midseason. We were are the road playing in Quebec and somehow my equipment never made it onto the plane. I had to play the entire first period using borrowed equipment from Quebec while they rushed my gear to the rink. I was able to manage for a period but I will tell you what, wearing all new equipment and trying to play an SMJHL game is tough, as it sure had an impact on that game.


This has been a question that I have gone back and forth on for as long as I have been in the league since S9. When I first started I always leaned all teams make it because there were only 6 teams I believe at that time anyway. With the number of teams now more then doubled I am even more confused than ever. I feel that having every team make it can help it but getting everyone involved in the post-season, but overall it really doesn't shorten the off-season for the lower tier teams. I could also lean towards just the top 8 make it with some sort of playoff for the lower 4 teams for first overall, or even the gold plan (for those familiar with it) to help decide the 1st overall.


A. It is really hard to say neither team doesn't deserve to be in the finals this season. Buffalo finished at the top of the league and Chicago finished fourth and only recorded eight fewer points than second-place Hamilton. Overall if you are finishing in the top 4 of the league you pretty much have given yourself a great shot at making the finals.

B. Overall both are excellent achievements, being a huge Red Wings fan in real life and have that 26 years playoff streak I just always lean towards the consistency of constantly being in the playoff and championship picture. The management that it takes to keep a team in a constant steak of having kick after kick at the can is just something that you have to marvel.

C. I guess since I was so pro Buffalo the last question I will pick on them here. It has and always upsets me that Buffalo somehow and without peer pressure (at least that I know of) has never found a way to properly incorporate the Buffalo Slug for the Buffalo Sabers of the early 2000s?

D. With such a long history, and all the years they have played in the SHL I think I easily have to point how much I enjoyed seeing Eduard Selich's career when he was in Buffalo. Selich was always able to find himself at the top of the league leaders and has set plenty of records for the Stampede.


As I look back on the series and on the playoffs as a total, I lean on one guy who truly made a huge difference in this series, and surprisingly enough this player ended up on the wrong side of the series. Martijn Westbroek had an incredible playoffs run and final series. Finishing the playoffs with a league-leading 30 points while his next closest teammate was 8th in total points and only carried 19 points in total. There are times when a player just throws his team on his back and this was certainly one of those moments where a player did just that.


CW TRIVIA LINK


Beer


+3

CENTER
Goals -> 15 or more (16)
Assists -> 33 or more (27)
Points -> 53 or more (43)
+/- -> +19 or higher (-2)
Penalty Minutes -> 18 or fewer (25)
Shots on goal -> 147 or more (126)
Hits -> 34 or more (118)
Takeaways -> 12 or more (12)
Shots Blocked -> 57 or more (60)
Fights Won -> 1 or more
Powerplay Points -> 12 or more (3)