Milestones (SMJHL)

WINGER
Goals -> 31 or more
Assists -> 45 or more
Points -> 70 or more
+/- -> +19 or higher
Penalty Minutes -> 20 or fewer
Shots on goal -> 194 or more
Hits -> 111 or more (115)
Takeaways -> 25 or more (34)
Shots Blocked -> 23 or more (46)
Fights Won -> 1 or more
Powerplay Points -> 21 or more

Total: 3 TPE from milestones


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. Manhattan comes into this series with a much more balanced attack than their previous playoff run carried by a scorching hot Lev Lebedev. This time around they have nearly seven players chugging along at a PPG clip. Is this a different beast than last season's Rage? Why or why not?

I would argue Manhattan not only has a more balanced attack, but a more balanced team overall. Compared to last season, Manhattan’s players have, on average, dipped slightly in offensive production with GF/60 in exchange for a more reliable GA/60, rounding out to a good high-scoring team with a more respectable defensive showing than last season.

b. Seattle returns to the finals with a roster that's very similar to last season's champions. So why would they lose this time around? This squad has proven they can do it, so what's changed? Do you think this team can do it again?

They absolutely could do it again. The main factor against them will be how much Manhattan has improved, and potentially overtaken them. While the league is coaxing its way towards a more balanced system with some parity, it is still relatively predictable to look at a playoff bracket and anticipate the higher seed will win, and Seattle once again are near the top of the league. Manhattan is more mercurial, and if they go on a tear at the right time they could definitely manage it, but the safe bet is on an Argonaut repeat.

c. The play of Max Manning for Seattle and Thomas Lind for Manhattan has been a key factor in their respective teams' playoff runs. Do you think they're both able to continue performing at the spectacular pace they have thus far, or do you think someone is able to figure out how to shut them down? Is that the key to this series?

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Unless the opposing team has a dedicated shutdown line that can match one of the strongest lines in the league right now, they aren’t going to slow down. Additionally unfortunate for Seattle’s opponents, they have enough great scoring depth that the shutdown line strategy isn’t really an option for the vast majority of teams, Manhattan included. With the roster they have, the Rage’s strategy going in should be to outrun and outgun the Argonauts, rather than try to dictate a slower pace.

d. With all that being said it's round two of SEA vs. MAN. Who wins this time? Regardless of any other stat in this series-- who do you think wins it and why? Last season Manhattan was the upstart without any experience, but here they are again to face the same behemoth Seattle team. Make your pick.

I expect a shorter series in favor of the Argonauts (after going back to my predictions with the benefit of hindsight, I see Manhattan took them to 7 games - closer than I thought it would be). It’s simply the stronger roster across the board, especially on defense and goaltending, and even probably on forward. Manhattan did a good job adding defensive pieces like an aging Rikard Bjerg to boost their play, but on paper they simply fall short in almost every TPE-total category, and unfortunately that’s a very good predictor of who comes out of most playoff series.



3. Written, 3 TPE, New Year New Me (150 words min.)
What is your player's New Years resolution? What aspect of their game do they want to work on in S69 to help them reach the finals next season? If they did make the finals this season, is it because of something they resolved to work on last season? If so, then what's next?

Ignacio Garza needs to work to better himself on his supposed strengths as a player. While he did hit the SMJHL milestones expected of a defensive forward (hits, takeaways, and shot blocks), I personally felt that his play was very offensively successful at the expense of defense (again, I did not get any of the SMJHL milestones for an offensive-minded winger… 70 points? Over a PPG for a milestone? Damn.) But I did surprise myself with 40 points, pretty good for a supposed defensive forward. However, my +/- was still not good, I didn’t excel in the shorthanded time that was given to me, and I had more giveaways than takeaways this season, and my advanced stats were lacking in many ways, implying my player was more of a defensive hindrance while on the ice than a net positive. All things I am hoping to improve upon for the next time around, now that Garza is past his sophomore year.


15. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Analysis (150 words min.)
Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC! Tell me about your team! Are they up and coming? Win now mode? Entering into a re-build phase? What are your expectations for your player? What teams are you watching out for this time around?

For any IIHF or World Juniors, it is always a safe bet that the two largest federations will be competing for a medal. Canada and the USA will be strong contenders for both tournaments as usual. Also currently stellar in the IIHF and WJC are the Finnish teams, who have benefitted from having the few Norwegian WJC players added to their teams recently. Speaking of which, the Norwegians have been performing very well at the top level for the last little while, but they simply have too small of a federation to field a full WJC team of their own. Down at the WJC level, the combined federation teams usually do well, with team British Isles always competitive and DACH being a powerhouse, they can’t be discounted. Looking at the IIHF, I think Ireland, Latvia, and some of the other smaller federations will suffer, as their current generations haven’t quite hit their competitive window like the Norwegians.


17. Written, 3 TPE, Neutral Turf (150 words min.)
We simply cannot play in a host country any more, it's too big of an advantage for the home team. You're going to have to find the ideal location to host these international tournaments, and it cannot be in any existing country! Where do you take this season's IIHF tournaments to ensure neutral territory? Bonus points for any fun and exciting extra effects this location might have on the game of hockey. 

As a great opportunity to grow the game, the SHL IIHF should start a touring tournament with the host country being the birthplace of a former SHL player that is not yet represented in the IIHF. This would give the IIHF the opportunity to showcase the world’s best to developing hockey countries like Denmark, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Australia, Romania, and Iceland. This would be a great chance to inspire future generations to apply for the SMJHL entry draft from places other than the existing IIHF nations.
If the SHL IIHF is determined to host the annual tournament in the same country every year, then I would suggest a place that was put on the international map by SHL players - the Land of Gumba. Already home to multiple former SHL players, the Land of Gumba has a small but passionate fanbase, where hockey is the #1 spectator-watched sport, and would bring in a great amount of viewership and tourism to the seldom-visited nation.



TOTAL TPE CLAIMED: 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 16 total TPE