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1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Code: Notagain

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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. Seattle is back in the finals for the second time in a row. While last season was an unexpected run led by a miracle goalie performance-- this season's appearance comes at no surprise to those who watched their offseason closely. What roster changes do you think have put Seattle in this position again? Do you think it's enough for them to finish the job this time around?

b. Manhattan has charged from a ninth place regular season finish to an Eastern conference championship and a shot at the Challenge Cup. I don't think that it's out of line for me to say that not many saw this coming. How do you think they got to this point? Who's performing better than expected? Do you think they have enough gas to complete the Cinderella run?

c. At this point in the playoffs, Manhattan has played four more games than Seattle. With the schedule as tight as it is in the playoffs, do you think that extra hockey will affect them? Could it be a positive that MAN has been in a near constant routine of game days while SEA has seen a bit more rest? Or do you think that wear and tear will start to show on MAN if this series goes to 6 or 7 games?

d. In many ways this seems like a battle of who can stay hotter longer. Both teams have PDO ratings as high as 110 while barely having any players that dip below 100. Seattle and Manhattan are both on absolute heaters of strong goalies and high shooting percentages. What do you think is driving this, and who do you think can keep it going longer? Who comes out on top?

a. I think there is not so much a single change that you can point to than the brute force approach that they took. Just get as many good players as possible and overwhelm your opponents with pure quality. If a legendary playoff campaign like the one Lev Lebdev had for Manhattan isn't enough to stop you, then what is?

b. Lev Lebedev is the easy and obvious answer here and his impact and presence can't be overstated. We live in a new era of the SHL now with scoring opportunities that past players simply didn't have, but if you look at the pure numbers Lebedev might just have had the best postseason ever. Nobody in the history of the SHL has come close to his offensive output and to make things even more impressive, there is quite a big separation between him and his teams other top-players as well.

c. I think it's actually a positive for Manhattan. Nobody expected them to go very far before the beginning of the postseason but they have worked their way into a groove and now have all the momentum on their side. I think they are legitimately in a position right now where every game together makes them stronger. The only problem is that I think Seattle has some similar effects working for them as well. It took them a while to get going during the regular season but they have been getting better and better as the year went along, so every game and round in the playoffs could help them maximize their potential more.

d. I think there might actually have been a change in regards to the importance/relevance of PDO since the most recent engine and coaching changes. PDO used to be a number that denoted pure puck luck and not much else, but it has since evolved into a metric that might very well be able to tell you something about how a teams tactics work. We've seen multiple teams this season with consistently way above average PDOs not just for some players but basically their entire teams, to an extent where it can't just be randomness or luck but a sign of a tactical approach that is working.

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4. Written, 3 TPE, Tough to Swallow (150 words min.)
In your opinion, who was the best SHL or SMJHL team to NOT win the Challenge Cup / Four Star Cup? Who was on that team, and why do you think they deserved to win it all? What round did they lose in and how? Was it bad luck? A hot opposing goalie? Inexperience?

I think there are some close competitors for this questionable honors. The first one for me would be Atlanta who I have a very high opinion of despite not making it out of the second round. I think they are the franchise that has done the best job in recent years building a deep roster with quality throughout all lines and pairings, relying on an incredible density of quality over singular star players. But with regression catching up with some of their top guys it just didn't seem to be enough anymore this season, especially compared to a team like Seattle who took a similar approach but isn't as far into their competition cycle yet, so their recent acquisitions aren't regressing as much yet. The second team to name here would have to be Winnipeg who had a great regular season, being the only team finishing above 100 points on the year. They disposed of Edmonton and New Orleans in the playoffs in pretty dominant fashion just as you'd expect them to, but then ran into the eventual Champions out of Seattle in the Conference Finals and couldn't quite beat them. Being the highest quality match-up on paper of the off-season, I think there is not much shame in losing such a series 2-4.

Quote:5. Written, 3 TPE, Hotel Rooms (150 words min)
During the playoffs it’s not uncommon to have to spend several days on the road in the same city. Whether you’re in the playoffs or not, who does your player share a room with on the road? What do you get up to? Are you the type to drag around a PS5 everywhere you go, or are you the first to hit the bar after the game? Are you a night owl or an early riser?

I think it's important for players on a team to bond with one another but let's face it, we all spend so much time together in the regular season not just on road trips but also practicing, playing, eating, working out, doing media work and so on, that I think it's totally fine and actually very important to get some time for yourself in these kinds of situations as well. So my player likes to look for opportunities to spend some time alone when the situations allows it, going for walks through the city we are playing in late a night, retreating to the Spa area with a good book or to Hit the Sauna or checking out some of the local cuisine not as a slightly rowdy gang of athletes, but alone and undercover, if the situation allows it. That doesn't mean of course that he doesn't participate in any team activites, having dinner together is still the norm most evenings as is meeting up in one of the rooms to play some video games or watch a game together that is played by your possible next opponent.

Quote:7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

+3

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3282073

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18. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Congratulations, procrastinator! Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Did anything stand out to you about this season’s results? How do you feel about season two of FHM 8?

It was an interesting mix this season imho because it combined predictable results with a least a few small surprises, which still isn't great in terms of parity and excitement but still a step up from previous seasons. The way Manhattan made it to the finals and managed to be competitive there definitely was a surprise for me, whereas on the other hand Seattle winning was the most predictable result ever and the only real surprise there was the fact that it took them so long to get going in the regular season. Overall there were some small signs of encouragement I would say though and the playoffs were generally a bit closer and more exciting than in the past.