5. 2 TPE
Even before this expansion bringing in 2 teams, I was very critical of the current playoffs system. It just makes the regular season meaningless when you allow all teams to participate in the post season. At least if you're not changing the format, remove the byes. My first 2 seasons we won the division so we have to wait a full week to play our first series. We've lost both times, so we got to play the exact same number of games as a last seed team. At least allow us to pound on them. It's already way too long to stay in juniors for almost a full year, at least make the season matter.


6. 3 TPE
First of all, there were quite a few surprising teams in the last IIHF good and bad. Switzerland finishing 2nd with the same record as the USA was unexpected. I don't think they will repeat that performance as a smaller nation but they have to be taken more seriously from now on. Canada had an absolute piss poor showing with an 3-8-1 record. I don't know what happened but the country has too many great players to not bounce back this season. Austria and Latvia should still struggle for this tournament and the next few ones. The USA is a favorite year in and year out finishing in the top 4 in the last 5 tourneys, they should compete for a medal once again. My dark horse for a gold medal is Finland. Their WJC team won 3x in a row not so long ago and most graduated to the main team. That young talent joining vets like Carpet, Fitted, Kekkonen, etc. could get them to the next level.


12. 4 TPE
A. Both teams deserve to be in the finals. On paper, they are both consider contenders. We haven't seen many upsets since the switch to FHM and this matchup is not an exception. Chicago was seen as the most talented western team. In the east, it was pretty much a toss up between Buffalo and Hamilton and only one team can make it.

B. I got to go with Buffalo here. I've been around for a while now and believe it or not but when I joined Buffalo was seen as a joke franchise. That's something not too many new users know but at one point around season 40 there was questions who was going to be better between Toronto and Buffalo. That just shows how low they were seen. Good on them to turn things around and since then being a dynasty.

C. Buffalo: I'm a big fan of wbf playing the bad/troll guy but some players on his team should learn how to do it as well as him. The all star team thingy with monky d luffy was just embarrassing. Chicago: Not a big fan of the logo or the name. Some shady moves from players graduating from Newfoundland is a bit sus.

D. With Buffalo being in the league for longer than Chicago, I'll expand on them. I believe their best all time player is defenseman Alexis Metzler. When Garbanzo was about to retire, Metzler took his spot as best d-man in the league. Users tried to emulate his build, that big turnaround in Buffalo I talked about is in large due to this man.


13. 2 TPE
I was a bit harsh on Buffalo goaltender Elizabeth Doyle in a previous task comparing her to Chris Osgood, an above average goalie playing behind a great squad making her look great. But she definitely deserves playoffs MVP after outplaying all her matchups to win it all. To come back after trailing 3-1 in the finals is something you don't see a lot and she's the biggest reason why. Besides Aron Hernadivic, nobody else on the Stampede really stood out, it was a team effort relying a lot on Doyle to win low scoring games. A playoffs .926 save percentage facing teams like Hamilton and Chicago is really impressive. This run prove Elizabeth is an elite goalie on her own and my take was an absolute dud.


15. 3 TPE
tarte


17. 2 TPE
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3085570