Task 1: (3 TPE)

Verification: Strongo

Task 2: (4 TPE)

a. An LAP team that was disappointed in a S63 finals loss is back again to face a TBB team that has been hungry for their chance in the entire FHM era. Who are you taking as a winner and why?

Los Angeles, easily. Their run two seasons ago was no fluke, they just ran into a better team in the end. The fluke was last season and that woke them up. You saw what that loss led to in the regular season. Best team in the league and a relentless will to finally win. They dominated the regular season, dominated the playoffs so far, they have a destiny to fulfill. Tampa has had a great run, but they aren't ready to knock off a team like Los Angeles. Not in the run they're on. (94 words)

b. Tampa Bay’s top forwards have been absolute power houses on this run, totalling 102 points across their top 6. If you’re LA, how do you line-match against two lines that are on an absolute tear?

The Panthers biggest strength this post-season has been their depth. With all due respect, it's not LA that has to worry about the line-matching, it's Tampa. LA's top line hasn't scored like we're used to, but have shut down the opposition. Tampa needs to try and free up ice time for their forwards, but they're in tough against any of the 3 lines LA will send out. The Panthers have dominated each round on the backs of their depth. LA can play their top line against Tampa's best line and then just win the battle on every other line. The beauty of depth. (103 words)

c. L.A.’s D pair of Kierkegaard and Kahnwald are maintaining a shocking 2 more GF/60 than GA/60, despite playing more than 21 minutes a game including PK time. If you’re Tampa Bay how do you get around these two? Hope to outlast them in endurance, or look to more depth scoring?

If you're Tampa, you'd better capitalize when those two are not on the ice. The double K's have completely dominated play when on the ice. They're setting up goals and stopping them on the defensive end. On the road, Tampa won't be able to get their top line to avoid this pair, but at home they need to make sure they get their top forwards on the ice when the K's are on the bench. You aren't scoring on them, so stay away. (83 words)

d. TBB’s roster has racked up many more shot blocks (294) than LAP has (188). Do you see this as a good thing? Is this an iron willed team that’s willing to lay down their bodies to get the job done, or do you think it paints a picture of a team that can’t maintain possession and has to find another way to keep the puck out. Maybe a bit of both?

It's not a good thing in any way for Tampa. For one, more shot blocks means you don't have the puck nearly as much as your opponent. Second, why would you want your players blocking so many shots and risking serious injury? Sure, it's brave and admirable, but in the end it's not something you want your players needing to do. Tampa needs to hold the puck longer and save their skaters from blocking shot after shot. (77 words)

Task 4: (3 TPE)

I'm well aware of the superstition going around the SHL. If your team wins the Conference Championship, do not touch the trophy! It's not the trophy you want to win, don't tempt the hockey gods and jinx your team! It's crazy to me how much this superstition took off in the hockey world, but don't count me in as one of the players who believe in it.

The whole idea that if you touch the Conference Championship trophy you'll jinx yourself from touching the Challenge Cup is bogus. Touching the cup was never about only touching the main one, it was about not touching the cup when you haven't won it yet. That you need to go through the battles and earn it on the ice before you can touch it. This has nothing to do with the Conference Championship. You battled for that trophy, that's your ticket to play for the biggest trophy in hockey. Take it and carry it into battle. Use it as your motivator to climb the final section of the mountain. If it feels like good to touch the Conference Championship, imagine the feeling of hoisting the Challenge Cup.

Touch that cup, you've earned it. Just don't settle.

(203 words)

Task 5: (3 TPE)

You know the name, but many of you don't know anything behind the name. One moment, and this one name, saved the SHL from near disaster, even a possible extinction.

Anton Razov was one of the biggest names in the creation of the SHL. The creator and GM of one of the first franchises in SHL history, the Wisconsin Monarchs, and then a figure head in the SHL Head Office. The thing about Anton was he wasn't here for a long time, but rather a good time. He spent the first few seasons with the SHL before he went away and never really heard from again. That is, except for one cold night.

Razov had been gone for a while at this point, but the SHL was humming along. There was this member of the league who quickly became a valued member. He did a lot for the league and was trusted among the higher ups. However, something turned in his final days. It all came to a head one night, when this member had enough of what he deemed to be disrespect, and went for the admin CP. Once he got in, he removed all permissions from the SHL Head Office and locked the league. No one could access the admin CP and get control of the league back. We were completely stuck. That is, except for one little thing that this person missed. He left a Head Office member with access to the CP. This member was inactive, hadn't been seen or heard from in ages. Why would you bother?

Well, the locked out, active, admins tried a last gasp effort to save the league. They reached out to one, Anton Razov, to see if they could contact him. Out of the night sky, like an angel, Anton responded to one of the admins, got word of what happened and stepped into action. He logged back into the site, accessed the CP, banned the member who caused the drama, and restored access for the rest of the SHL Head Office. Once he did, he went away as fast and as quietly as before, never to be heard from again.

We decided to commemorate this heroic act by naming the Playoff MVP after Anton Razov, for being the most valuable member when it mattered the most. God Speed Anton, wherever you are!

(393 words)

Task 7: (3 TPE)

S65 Milestones