Quote: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.

verification word: tervia

(+3 TPE)

Quote:10. Written, 50 to 200+ words. The Unexpected
Toronto ended up making it into the playoffs by one point while Atlanta had the best regular season since S71 Winnipeg. Yet in the playoffs Atlanta ended up losing the second round, while Toronto made it to the conference finals. Does regular season success matter in the long run if the team fumbles in the playoffs? Should teams give much importance to the regular season or focus all of their energy to playoffs once their team has secured a spot? Should the league in general regard the regular season results more highly?

Yes, I think regular season success does matter. At least to a point: in the end, we partake in this hobby because we like seeing how well our players do, and a large amount of time is spent simming the regular season. So to devalue that would be silly.

However, the point is to win games, and the greatest point of all is to win the Challenge Cup. It’s possible to value both regular season and playoffs, which I think is actually something the league does well. There are awards for regular season performance and playoff performance. Stats are kept for both periods of a season, and even users with players on non-playoff teams can gain some gratification from seeing their players improve over time or cement their legacy in regression.

(131 words, +2 TPE)

Quote:14. Written, 50 to 200+ words.- The Procrastinator Special!
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 80 Challenge Cup! So who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

The San Francisco Pride won the Challenge Cup, again. The other team, the Tampa Bay Barracuda, could have taken a 3-1 stranglehold in game 4. That game was a low-scoring affair, with just three goals in total, two of them being scored in regulation time. The Barracuda tied it up 1-1 in the third period and were one shot away for five minutes of OT before the Pride’s Robin Nyckel put one past Tibuk Soonika, Tampa’s 6’9” goaltender.

My favourite part of the series was the fact that both teams deserved to be there. I speak from experience when I say the Tampa Bay Barracuda fought tooth and nail to get by Atlanta in the conference finals, and San Francisco’s bona fides are obvious. As fun as it is to have Cinderella runs, it’s OK for there to be seasons where the best performing teams face off. I think the two teams that made the finals had a chance to win the Cup, but only one could in the end and I’m not surprised that it’s San Francisco.

(178 words, +3 TPE)