S74 Championship Week! 1/21 DEADLINE

S74 Championship Week! 1/21 DEADLINE

Operation Ivy
Registered
Posting Freak

#43

01-10-2024, 10:50 PM (This post was last modified: 01-16-2024, 08:47 PM by Operation Ivy. Edited 1 time in total.)

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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.

Ivy

Code:
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. Two old faces are back in the ring, proving reports of the dynasty’s 

demise were greatly exaggerated! Pick either of our finalists, and tell 

me what about them impresses you the most!

b. Upsets were a theme this year - which of our finalists had the more difficult road to the promised land and why?

a. Here we are again...I am most impressed with the Winnipeg Aurora. This is a team that throughout the past several seasons, has been a force and consistently finds themselves in this spot. This season though, it felt like many thought they would take a step back with players aging and regressing. Clearly, they didn't let that affect them though as they are now right back in the finals. I am most impressed with their ability to win when it matters most, and that's why they are back here. (88 words)

b. I would say that New England's path was more difficult. They went through some really strong teams in Hamilton, Buffalo and New York. These are some top tier teams, and New England has been up for every task. Most impressive, in my opinion, was their 5 game series win over Buffalo in round 2. This was a really good Buffalo team, and one that I predicted to win the cup. (70 words)

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3. Written, 3 TPE, Haven’t I Seen This Before? (150 words min.)

Despite being the 8th and 10th ranked regular season teams in the 

league, our finalists from Winnipeg and New England represent two of the

 most dominant teams over the past several seasons. What do you think is

 the secret to their success? What can other teams learn from them? 

Which one is more likely to be back again next year?

The consistency from both of these teams is incredibly impressive. I think the secret to their success is ability to retain their home grown talent and top players. Clearly, both Winnipeg and New England are premier destinations for draft prospects and because of that, both franchises can take their time to develop their prospects and call them up when the time is right. I also think another key is how the amount of depth that these teams have had for many years. When one player starts regressing, another steps up and fills in as if nothing every changed. I think that other teams can learn from this and see that it's not just about the season at hand, but that sustained success requires developing talent and then making sure they have the opportunity to contribute and succeed when the time is right. These two teams are truly a gold standard of not only a successful one-season team, but also finding a way to ensure that success stays for multiple seasons following. (171 words)