Could Team Lobster (aka the S74 Draft Class) beat the Montreal Patriotes in a best of 7?
Let’s establish the rules:
1. this will be uncapped and based on the rosters of both teams as of the beginning of the S74 Post Season.
2. it will be a best of Seven
3. Each Goalie must play at least 2 games.
4. Roster subs are allowed between games.
 
So what are the lines?
We will use the Montreal lines from last season which were as follows:
 
Line 1
Dick Clapper 465 TPE – Damien Hirano 1059 TPE – Andreas Kvalheim 413 TPE
Line 2
Guinness O’Bigbers 459 TPE – Wonada Jagrs 388 TPE – Anthony Simmons II 409 TPE
 Line 3
C Jobin 271 TPE –  Gravy Train 341 TPE – Godwin Lupercal 275 TPE

 Pairing 1
Buck Keithley 711 TPE – Jack Nishimori 570 TPE
 Pairing 2
Slip McScruff 399 TPE – Wilson 533 TPE
 Pairing 3
Goony Toons 413 TPE – Nino D. Giuseppe 414 TPE
 
Starter: Jackson Cannon
227 TPE
Backup: James Lao
157 TPE
 
Picking the roster and lines for Team Lobster is very hard considering the depth and small amount of TPE separating the players. In the end, we are going to go with just the highest TPE available give or take a few for better synergy.
 
Line 1
Shawn Pawn 559 TPE - Dag-Otto Björntjänst 562 TPE - Will Tomlander 554 TPE
 
This line is designed to shut down the top TPE players of the Patriotes.
 
Line 2
Langston Hardison-Laurent 549 TPE - Shadow Fenix 547 TPE - Celeste Desjardins 548 TPE
 
This line is made out of the top 3 scorers of the J. Alternatively, wings can be subbed down to spread the scoring capabilities.
 
Line 3
Squidwardo Tentacles 547 TPE– Roger Murdock 562 TPE – Marek Carda 543 TPE
 
This line is for depth scoring as the primary goal of the Lobsters will be to overwhelm Montreal.
 
Pairing 1
Johnny Patey V2 560 TPE- Simo Jääskeläinen 550 TPE
 
Shutdown defensive pairing
 
Pairing 2
Leo Roze 546 TPE - Peanut 547 TPE
 
Slightly more offensive pairing that is still lock down.
 
Pairing 3
Mikkel Enevoldsen 552 TPE– Bartholomew Chungus Gingersnap III 560 TPE
 
Great scoring duo for a creative attack.
 
Starter: Meo Vanbiesbrouck 496 TPE
Played well and has more TPE than his counterpart, Stun Gun.
 
Backup: Denebor Milasch 512 TPE
Slogged and cut their teeth in a very tough division, highest goalie TPE in class.
 
Hypothetical 4th line and pairing
There were already so many snubs in the Lobster team, but I wanted to make the rosters even player number wise to Montreal. So here are the 4th liners and pairing or the honorable mentions who could absolutely be subbed in to change up the lines during the series to get a new look.
 
Frøya and Sonja Solberg.
It’s amazing that we had a lobster roster that does include the Solbergs in the top 9 forwards, but as we know, either they are on the same line or they don’t play. Think of this as playing on hard mode. The Solbergs could absolutely be subbed in on the third line to increase the depth scoring of the Lobsters and overwhelm Montreal on offense.
 
Leonard Wood
Wood would bring the absolute dawg mentality that would be ideal for any team’s lineup. Wood could be subbed into the third line alongside the Solbergs for extra protection as well as a passing or scoring touch. Wood proved themselves as a beast during the Raptors’ playoff run last season.
 
Kaarlo Koivunen
A great locker room presence and a hard-working defender. Koivunen also could provide fantastic blue line passing for the speedy wings of the Lobster attackers.
 
Oranj Konhe
Member of the Raptors’ runner-up roster with a +29 and with a fantastic offensive read.
 
Stats Last Season:
MTL: 125 GF (1.89 average), 474 GA (7.18 average)
Lead Scorer: Damien Hirano (21 G, 27 A, 48 Pts)
Highest Plus/Minus: Zak Wilson (-77)

Lobsters:  273 GF (4.13 average), Vanbiesbrouck: 99 GA (3.02 average), Milasch: 156 GA (3.74 average)
Lead Scorer: Langston Hardison-Laurent (55 G, 40 A, 95 Pts)
Highest Plus/Minus: Leo Roze (+60)
 
Who would win?
Based on this brief line and roster analysis, I would have Team Lobster winning the Series 4-1.
The Lobster key to success revolves around the main weakness of MTL: the Goalies. The Goalies are the lowest TPE members of Montreal. Montreal would need to play through their top players that still out match the proposed shutdown lines of the lobsters.  The proposed lines 2, 3 and subbed in 4 would far outclass the lower TPE and aging lines of Montreal. I believe that the younger Lobsters would be able to skate circles around Montreal, especially the Montreal forwards. Damien Hirano would need to put in serious work at the top forward and the high TPE defenders would have to try and shutdown the Lobsters’ depth scoring. Easier said than done. Montreal is absolutely nothing to laugh at defensively against the Lobsters, but the Lobsters have the depth in every position that the Patriotes lack at this time. In fairness to the stats, Montreal has an average TPE of 441 which is of course higher than what Team Lobster faced last season in the J, but all of the Lobsters are being allowed to uncap and their average TPE of the starting 17 is 546 TPE.
So of course, I am giving the win to Team Lobster.


WC: 902