S74 Championship Week! 1/21 DEADLINE

S74 Championship Week! 1/21 DEADLINE

yosh
SMJHL GM
cut back down to my knees, gotta get back, gotta get free, cut back to my knees, lean back now, lean back and breathe

#226

01-21-2024, 09:20 PM (This post was last modified: 01-21-2024, 09:23 PM by yosh. Edited 1 time in total.)

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?

c. Which of the finalists had the more impressive conference finals victory, and why?

d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?

a. What impresses me the most about the Winnipeg Aurora is just how consistent they have been. They have seen the rise and fall of other contenders and yet still remain very much a team in contention. Their core players that I recall should be hitting regression at this point, but even then they are still built like such a strong and reliable team.
B. I would make the case that New England did, simply because of them having Buffalo and Philadelphia in their road to the cup finals. Buffalo was a very strong team this season with a lot of their players putting out incredible offensive seasons, and the Forge have been a consistent force in the playoffs too if I’m not mistaken. All in all, that seems to combine for a recipe of challenge and disaster, but the Wolfpack have done well to stay in it.
C. Again, I would say the Wolfpack. Winnipeg took down the Pride in 5, and really did not seem to be in any real danger, even though the Pride were a team that had taken out a real powerhouse in the Edmonton Blizzard. It’s clear the Wolfpack had a tough battle, especially with the Forge taking them to six games. They handled it quite well, though.
D. Honestly, my money going into the finals would have been Winnipeg still, but at the same time, I totally understand why most would have gone with the Wolfpack. In the end, of course, we do know how the series ended, but it would not have been irrational at all to bet it on the western team just given how consistent they have been.

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Upset City (150 words min)

An impressive string of upsets took place this season, especially in the West with San Francisco’s Cinderella run. Which upset series impressed you most, why, and what in that series sticks out most in your memory? For the purposes of this task, any series won by the lower seed is an upset

I’m just going to stick with what works and talk about San Francisco’s upset of Edmonton. Everyone knew just how dominant Edmonton was heading into the playoffs. Top team in the entirety of the league, putting up an impressive 52 win season in 66 games. That is just a campaign to remember for sure. The Pride, as you may all know, was 14th out of 20th in the entire league, and by points percentage, was just a bit over .500. On paper, the Blizzard were supposed to take the Pride out in quick succession in what was likely going to be a short series. Instead, the Pride won the series in six games. They faced resistance from the Blizzard for sure, but it was a really gutsy and impressive showing from San Francisco to pull off the upset, even if it meant them having to take on Winnipeg in the end.