1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max
Verification word: applepie


2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. Well we all know the President's Trophy is a curse heading into the playoffs, so Atlanta has that working against them. Seattle is a strong team in their own right, but they just don't have the firepower to compete with someone like the Inferno. Superstition aside, I think Atlanta walks home with the cup.

b. He has been on an absolute tear, and if Seattle ends up stealing this from Atlanta then I don't think there's any discussion about who the Playoff MVP should be. How do they solve him? Pepper him with shots, that's the only hope. Percentage works in your advantage here, and the more shots he sees then the more that will go in.

c. With the depth they have, Atlanta just needs to stay-the-course and let Seattle try to figure out how to counter the offensive attack. On the other hand, it seems like Seattle has relied pretty heavily on their goaltending to get them this far. The best chance to slow down the Inferno is to play the trap; neutralize the attack before it begins and force them to play a hard-nosed physical game, in hopes that it wears them down.

d. I simply don't see how this could be a good thing for Seattle; relying on special teams for success, especially in the playoffs, is simply a disaster. All it takes is for Atlanta to finally click on the powerplay and it seems like that would put the nail in the coffin. They are already capitalizing so much at even strength; even just a little bit of discipline by Inferno players, and you've neutralized 30% of all Seattle's goals.



7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
S66 Milestones - Claiming +3


8. Graphic, 3 TPE, Highlight Reel



15. Written, 3 TPE, IICAN See the Future (150 words min.)
While I do think some of the results from last season were an anomaly, we're also at sort of a transition time for a lot of the teams in the IIHF. I think Great Britain is sort of on a downfall, with the majority of their players growing older and not a whole lot of younger talent being brought into the system. Canada falling in the first round to Czechia was an absolute shocker, they're almost always guaranteed a spot on the podium so to see that was a massive an upset; although Czechia does have a solid team to build around. I would also keep an eye on Ireland; there's a lot of young high-end talent moving through, and although they're still young and have a way to go to their peak, they've already established themselves as a force in the IIHF community. Switzerland, in my opinion, will remain a pretty heavy force to be reckoned with for seasons to come.