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damienj10 · 05-07-2022, 03:09 PM

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3212913 Milestones 3 tpe

gaby · 05-07-2022, 04:42 PM

1. Trivia 3 TPE
tarte

2. Grab Bag Challenge Cup 4 TPE
a. Chicago to me is the better team on paper at every position, it would be stupid to bet against them in this matchup. Matt Smith is one of the best goalie in the league meanwhile Petrov is still a young unproven net minder. Atlanta defensive depth is quite good but Timonen is the best d-man in this series, advantage Chicago once again. Chicago has a near 2000 TPE forward on each line, the Falcons has a really weak 3rd line.
b. The obvious plan would be to go for more dump and chase to avoid turnovers but I don't think that would work with Atlanta with the players they have. A lot of talent upfront, but they are not really physical and prefer to play east-west. I think you have to tell the Falcons dmen to play safer, don't follow the rush and play conservative.
c. Of course discipline is gonna be huge. You don't want to lose the finals because you took too many pims. Atlanta is the younger team, they must avoid getting rattled or bait into penalties by such an experiences Syndicate squad. The Chicago crowd is an hostile one, you don't want to put Evgeny Petrov in a situation he allows multiple PP goals and get the crowd going.
d. We will see the same results again but it's not a knock against Atlanta. They have to use this strategy, their weak 3rd line will get exposed if they play too much. Atlanta made it this far because of their excellent top line play. You got to rely on them until the end but I don't think they will have enough juice to overcome Chicago 3 great lines.

3. Grab Bag Four Star Cup 4 TPE
a. Against some teams you can just leave some space to the d-men knowing they won't do much with the puck. It's obvious Quebec can't do that here. You got to have your wingers on them all game along and have your center and d-men pretty much playing 3 on 3 in the middle of the defensive zone. Newfoundland's forwards will have a lot of open space because of this but there's not perfect solution here.
b. If I'm Newfoundland I'm not too worried about it. No disrespect to these 3 forwards but this shooting percentage is just unsustainable. Just force them to have to make the pass by limiting their shooting options. The Berserkers is the much better team, even though these guys keep on being hot, just score more goals.
c. That's why I hate advanced stats so much, talk about overthinking things. You have Newfoundland who won the last 20 Four Star Cups in a row and we should now be worried now because their PDO is low? Watch them win these finals once again in 4. There's not enough luck in this virtual world for Quebec to win this.
d. I know Newfoundland's management has the best FHM knowledge by far in the entire league. They also are the team who put the most time and effort in reaching out rookies so year in and year out they end up with the best draft. These 2 things combine together and you're pretty much unbeatable. I get the frustration from the other teams, that goliath ain't getting slayed any time soon.

7. Milestones 3 TPE
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3212934

16. Home country 2 TPE
This is my 2nd player and I didn't want to make the same mistake and assigned myself to a team when creating my new player. When unassigned, a country can get you without wasting a transfer and you get to know who actually wants you. I had a good time with Russia but with pris and zach leaving the site I didn't have much interest going back there. 2 teams reached out as soon as I was eligible, Latvia and Switzerland. The choice wasn't easy but a stronger 55-59 group and a more proven management team made me select Switzerland. It turned out to be a great decision as my team just won silver and we're competitive year in and year out as a small nation.

***Vandy*** · 05-07-2022, 07:36 PM

Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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.

Valentine

Quote:7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. Just link your Milestone claim below this task for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

+2 TPE

Quote: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. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?
b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?
c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series?
d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?

A. I don't believe Chicago has been dominant for a long time, I would amend that to say they've been a dominant force not named the Hamilton Steelhawks for about 6 seasons. In any case, since they won the cup they proved their going to be a tough team to handle going forward.
B. Best way to do that is to play smart hockey. Try to be in a position to draw tripping penalties and make smart passes. Otherwise its just going to be a bad day. Case in point, Atlanta are not the champions and Chicago is. So obviously what they were doing was pretty effective.
C. More than likely but that's a hollow statement because discipline is a factor in every game for every team. In a league that doesn't use fourth liners, there's no chance of grinders or agitators to answer the bell or play a tough game so the only hope is you have a team adept at forcing the other team to draw penalties.
D. Chicago won the series with a balanced attack so obviously it worked. I realize that answering this late makes most of these questions moot but cmon obviously putting a targeted strategy against a balanced attack/defense is going to see the A/D team win every time. You focus on one thing and you leave open another.

Quote:3. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Four Star Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Newfoundland has gotten 25 points in 11 games from two of their top D, Rand al'Thor and Mikko Rashford. If you're Quebec's coach, how do you adjust to Newfoundland having guys on the blue line that are just as offensively dangerous as the wingers?
b. Quebec has three players shooting 20% or better in Bertrand, Utah, and Kidd. If you're the Newfoundland defense, how do you find a way to bottle up three forwards that can't seem to miss the back of the net?
c. Looking at each teams' PDO, we see that Quebec is riding a bit of a hot streak while Newfoundland has actually been a bit unlucky. Do you think this a is a good thing for either team? Is Newfoundland bound to find some luck, or are they going to get stuck in a rut? Is Quebec going to come back down to Earth, or did they get hot at the right time?
d. Newfoundland has appeared in all 4 of the last SMJHL finals and won 3 of them. Quebec, a consistently strong presence in the SMJHL, has a lot of playoff success behind them as well, having won several series since their last 4 Star in S58. How do you approach this series mentally on either side? If you're Newfoundland, are you worried your streak can't last forever? If you're Quebec, do you fear that you can't take down a goliath?

A. Newfoundland has a diamond or two in the rough with those guys on the blue line. If I am QCC I am putting my two way forwards on high alert for them and collapsing around the slot and point areas to keep them from getting open. Also pushing the defense up a bit to counter them wouldn't hurt either.
B. Same strategy QCC would probably use against Newfoundland's studs, collapse the box around the shooting zone, slot and points if possible. Their passers are going to try to find them all over the ice but if you can lock down the key shooting spots and play your defenders back to corral any rebounds you should be good.
C. Hot and Cold streaks can make or break you in the playoffs. When you're on a cold streak you'll do anything to break out of it which makes Newfoundland deadly in that aspect. Quebec, their gonna want to maintain the heat and turn it up on the Newfies so it makes them play harder. On this intangible ill give it to QCC, not because of bias but its easier to keep a hot streak up than it is to break out from a rut.
D. Same as the last question. If I am Quebec, I am turning up the heat because I know I can take down Newfoundland if I am playing my absolute heart out against a team in a rut. If I am Newfoundland, I am worried because this is the absolute worst time to go cold. If I am Quebec, mentally, I play my game. If I am Newfoundland, I get back in the game.

Quote:5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)
Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?

Probably coming in with the hottest of hot takes but I am picking the Four Star Cup all day long on this one. The Challenge Cup is a great trophy don't get me wrong but you can go out and find established players everywhere or anywhere from other teams to IAs. The Four Star Cup winning teams rely on newbies most times who are just trying to find their feet who might not have the best builds and making them fit amongst potential IAs, (dis)interested recreates and many others characters on the team itself. Players in the J who are amazing go up immediately which forces a rebuild also almost immediately so planning to craft a winner seasons in advance is not an option for the typical J GM. Windows close faster, players move up after four years and unlike the SHL teams who can do scouting of the J, the J GMs have limited scouting ability.

Snuffalupagus · 05-07-2022, 09:18 PM

1. Trivia +3 TPE (I hope)
CANOETOO

2. Written, +4 TPE
a) 50+ words

Code:
The Atlanta Inferno's emergence as a competitive and competent playoff team provides an unique challenge for the perennial post-seasoners, the Chicago Syndicate. However, Chicago's veteran defence should stimy any chances the up-and-comers have of hoisting the honourable Simulation Hockey League 4 Star Challenge Cup championship. Look at impressive statlines that Chicagos defensemen have held for several seasons - among the leagues leaders in CF/CA and FF/FA. Also, turns out they did win.

b) 50+ words

Code:
With the Chicago Syndicate players' penchants for puck-prying, it makes a difficult task for opposing offensive players to make any meaningful plays with the puck. One way to circumvent this stingy defense is to dump and chase the puck, attempting to get in behind the defensemen. Another strategy is to over pass the puck and try to catch the defense out of position. Just kidding, I have no clue what I'm talking about.

c) 50+ words

Code:
The Atlanta Falcons do not take a whole lot of penalties, especially when compared to the naughty nuns over in Chicago - all too true to character for the Syndicate. How can this play an advantage in the playoffs? It's simple - it's harder to play while on the penalty kill. Of course, you can argue that penalty kills can rest some of your top players and generate momentum for your home crowd, but I don't know what I'm talking about.

d) 50+ words

Code:
I feel this answer will be perhaps biased, since the finals have already happened and the champs have been crowned, but I believe that the Chicago Syndicate balanced line-up will outlast the sheltered minutes of the Atlanta Falcons. My best guess is the top lines of Atlanta will suffer severe negative outcomes from playing extended minutes, while the sheltered teammates will get sore legs on the bench, but I don't know what I'm talking about.

4. Written, +3 TPE

Code:
Welcome dear traveller, to my shop of scrolls - of ancient, dusty tomes originating from days before humas could even make legible marks. Surely I could interest you in the sordid tale of Samee. OR maybe you wish to hear the sultry delights and sultry exploits of Eggy. Ah, I see, you came into my shop for something even rarer - the origin story of the Challenge Cup. 

Take a seat on one of my cushions -- no, not that one, that's my son's bean bag chair that he needs for his back because of his psoriasis and a comorbidity of spinal bifida.

The 4 Star Challenge Cup came about when the 4 daddies of the Simulation Hockey League gathered together for lunch at IHOP one day. They each put a different pop flavour - Coke, Root Beer, Sprite, you name it - into a cup and challenge each other to drink it. Whoever was able to stomach the concotion earned the proud distinction of 4 Star Challenge Cup Champion. Eventually those daddies went on to play hockey and they brought the cup along.

THE END

5. Written, +3 TPE

Code:
In my humble opinion (which, I'll note, I'm all too happy to provide, because words are worth their weight in TPE) I believe that the harder championship title to win between the 4 Star Challenge Cup and the SMJHL Championship (whatever it's called) would be the SMJHL title. In a league where almost each player has around the same average TPE, it's a bigger challenge for general managers to have their team come out on top - especially consistently! 

Comparatively, in the SHL, the title seems like less of a challenge due to the dynasty teams continually winning the award. Texas, Hamilton, Buffalo, Chicaco, have been battling amongst the top teams for many, many season now. One could argue that with tighter competition there would be a far greater challenge to win a title in the SHL, but that would be a bad argument because then you'd be a dumb-dumb doo doo face and I don't wanna talk to you. 

Just kidding. I'm hitting that sexy ass word count.

7. Milestones +3 TPE
Right hurrrrr

*lmao* · 05-08-2022, 12:13 AM

+16

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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 = please

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)

Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?

As someone who has won a Four Star Cup with the Newfoundland Berserkers, and more recently won a Challenge Cup with the Chicago Syndicate this season, I would have to say it is difficult to determine which one of the two is harder to win. I guess in terms of time, it takes a lot longer to rebuild a team in the SHL compared to the SMJHL, given the nature of the two leagues. Of course in a league where players can stay a maximum of four season, it will be easier to rebuild a team from the ground up. However, it still does require a serious amount of strategy in the SMJHL to get your team to the top. Some teams like Newfoundland definitely seem to have cracked the code to staying on top, given their success over the past many seasons. I would still say that the Challenge Cup is the ultimate goal and the most difficult.

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. Just link your Milestone claim below this task for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

+3 - Milestones Claim

Code:
15. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Hype (150 words min.)

Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC! Do you think the same teams will be on top this year, or are we due for some turnover? How are you feeling about your country’s chances this time? Any players that you think will light up the tournament?

To be honest, I really have no idea how to predict which way this season's IIHF tournament will go. It really feels like a dice roll to me on which teams get hot. Of course in the IIHF tournament, you are looking at the best players that each country has to offer, and it only takes a few of them to get hot and take over on the world stage. I would like to say that maybe my home country of Japan has a good chance of doing some damage, but I would not say that Japan is a favourite to win by any means. Though it can sometimes be good for a team to have that scrappy, underdog mentality to carry your team further than it would normally go. I would have to hope that we can harness and channel some of that energy into a good performance for Japan this season.

Code:
16. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)

Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I want to know how you decided where your player comes from!

I decided to make Japan my IIHF home country for a multitude of reasons. First of all, being a person of Asian descent myself, Asian people are rather unrepresented in the game of hockey, for various reasons. It is fun to see that a team like Japan who has never been a powerhouse in hockey, be such a powerful team in the SHL, and even being able to win the championship and take it all home. It also definitely helps that a lot of the people on my SMJHL and SHL teams have also decided to represent Japan, it is a great group of people we have there.

Code:
18. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Did anything stand out to you about this season’s final series?

I am happy to say in response to the procrastinator's topic that my SHL team - the Chicago Syndicate - ended up winning the Challenge Cup. And I would have to say I definitely believed we had a strong chance of winning before the playoffs started. We all knew in the locker room that the goal was nothing short of a challenge cup, and anything less would not be worth it. Thankfully, we finally managed to crack the code and even had a great series comeback from down 3-1, where I ended up scoring the game winner in game 7. That was definitely one of the highlights of my career.

Julio Tokolosh · 05-08-2022, 01:13 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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: rip eko

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. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?

b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?

c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series? 

d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?

A: My gut says Chicago Syndicate have the edge, but seeing Hotdog win would be a great personal highlight (and good for the site as well). Team glizzy has to pull out all of the stops. Watching Atlanta edge closer and closer to the finals has been very rewarding, Seeing Hotdog hone his postseason coaching skills. Hotdog forever.

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)

Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?

Challenge cup value has changed drastically in the past 10 seasons. As parity has dipped, the league has bifurcated (good word!) into haves and have nots. Players that have a challenge cup tend to have multiple. There are a handful of players and teams that have won just once, but the majority of the postseason accolades belong to a select few franchises. The four star cup has stayed just as unattainable (in my opinion) in the last 15 seasons. The “college” style of rotating youth and quick growth means that teams can’t entrench themselves in their rosters for prolonged success. Dynasties have become the league norm. As a player or user, a trophy case with multiple challenge cups will always be cool, but even cooler is challenge cups that are spread out over multiple careers (or maybe a 5 season gap between challenge cups). In conclusion, SHL GM’s need to be better at math and working the books, but SMJHL need to be able to work their soft skills of a college coach.

Code:
6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team 150 words min

You have to create the perfect SHL or SMJHL line for your player to be on. Who do you put on your line and why? Is it something about their style of play that compliments yours? Does it only include players from the present, or do you dip into the past to find an incredible D pair? Or are you just choosing your friends ‘cause they’d be fun to win the cup with?

I’d really like to suit up with my season 47 draftee dawgs. There are a few of us who all created on the same day, presumably clicking in from the same r/fantasyhockey post. Playing with them would be a career highlight, but that dream is quickly slipping away. Eko Van Otter (the DeFeNsEmAn) announced his retirement a few hours ago and Gunnar Soderberg is long out of the league. Corey Kennedy and Harry Carpet are still thriving and it would be great to share the ice with them. Theo Morgan and I had a blast together in season 52(?) before he joined the evil empire, but he’s another player that I really enjoy. Putting us all at our prime and on the same roster would be great for my trophy shelf and morale. If Hotdog had plucked us all during the s56 expansion, that would have been huge. Probably won’t happen, but this PT let’s me dream.

Code:
20. Written, 3 TPE, Ruthless Capitalist (150 words min.)

Someone that looks like the Monopoly guy just gave you two million dollars and a two year deadline to make the SHL a growing and profitable business. What do you do with that seed money to make this an online platform that facilitates you milking as much money as possible from the users? ALTERNATIVELY, if you don’t want to be malicious, what would you do with 2 million dollars to improve the site and make it the best sim league in the world?

Marketing! Internally, we get some back end developers to build out and automate the whole damn thing. Maybe its the team of volunteers that work tirelessly to improve this site as a hobby, but now they get paid for it. Doing some heavy advertising could really bring activity and users to the site. Once here, the users will be exposed to the advertising that we now allow on the site. Such a niche community of hockey nerds! Banner ads! Loading screen ads! Presenting sponsors on the sim! The value of the site will skyrocket, and HO will be viewed as a board/c suite. League get-togethers every 3 months (rotating cities, like the all star game). Downside: with the added attention, thunder domes would be under much higher scrutiny. The massive growth would also probably be poor for the sense of community that has been cultivated over the past 10 years.

Code:
21. Written / Graphic, 3 TPE, Epic Loot (150 words min.)

A hockey gear manufacturer has developed a substance called “Materia” that allows them to imbue hockey gear with incredibly powerful abilities. They’ve come to you to ask for your endorsement, and to help you design your own piece of magical hockey gear. What piece of gear do you design? What do you make it look like? Is it an unassuming piece of equipment that can fly under the radar, or do you go for some wild steampunk thing? What insane magical bonuses and benefits does it give you? ALTERNATIVELY for a graphic task, show me your player wearing the piece of gear you designed! Show how its power is benefiting them.

Despite choosing to be represented as a cow in a human centric league, i actually dont have a large appreciation for fantastical over the top appearances. I dont play video games as much any more, so this might be a reach, but kids spending fortunes on custom skins for their characters really doesnt make sense to me. The closest thing that i can think of would be playing a hockey video game and choosing the ugliest available jerseys for your team so that your opponent gets rattled and freaks out at those “hideous flying V sweaters” driving him or her further down the self-video game-harm cycle. That said, I’d have a little fun with it. Similar to how smelling salts are used on benches to wake players up and gets their adrenaline pumping, I would commission Materia to produce a super smelling salt that gives the sniffer a great strength, awareness, and agility boost.

Kylrad · 05-08-2022, 01:53 AM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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.
past

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. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?
I'd bet on Chicago to win just due to having more tpe, and I think more dominant stats in the regular season which is usually a pretty good indicator, but outside of that I wouldn't be shocked if Atlanta won as I think the new team is usually more motivated and hungry for their first win especially if you relate it in terms of testing, but the experience can help the veteran teams if they are still hungry.

b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?
In FHM i think this stat might actually be a bad thing since I think the weaker teams usually have more takeaways because they have the puck less often, but regardless the teams just need to play more smart and responsible to avoid have the puck taken from them so often, better, smarter zone exits and passes.

c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series?
I don't think these teams have any real rivalry towards each other but it's the finals and the playoffs so anything can happen but in general i expect both teams to be pretty disciplined with not many penalties as you don't want to give the opponent any powerplay opportunities as both are pretty deadly, maybe if this was a rivalry in the sim there would be more penalties.

d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?
I think the balanced attack is better and will win out in general, especially if the weakest links of the balanced attacks are as strong as the targeted approach, but it's not impossible for a targeted approach to work especially if they have much better top end talent, its how Chicago won their 1st cup vs a more balanced approach.

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)
Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?

I think the SHL cup is way cooler, prestigious and harder to win, but on the other hand I have multiple challenge cups and no four star cup so maybe that affects my opinion but I also think i've only played 4 total junior season on my 3 players combined over 10 years which is kind of amusing when you consider most players now play 4 seasons in juniors before even being called up. I think being a GM in both leagues has its difficulties and easy parts, I also think SMJHL gming now however is much different from SMJHL gming in the past. Now in general the majority of active players you draft probably do stay for all their eligible seasons in juniors so you can build around that and have a window of when the compete similar to the SHL in a way, while in the past with so few players in the league it was complete luck if your players would be called up or not and what you would have to work with.

6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team 150 words min
You have to create the perfect SHL or SMJHL line for your player to be on. Who do you put on your line and why? Is it something about their style of play that compliments yours? Does it only include players from the present, or do you dip into the past to find an incredible D pair? Or are you just choosing your friends ‘cause they’d be fun to win the cup with?

There's a lot of answers I could go for with this, the first easy one is the original all Smeb forward line with me, Kit Smeb and Parker Smeb, I think we only ever actually played a few times together in the SHL as a line before Parker made his transition to Defense and Kit's development stalled and rarely played on my line much after. The other answer is a line I did play on a bunch and a line that was together when we won the cup and that I had tons of success on with me, Martin Westbrook and Lallo Selman, all great players and around the same age building up tons of synergy together and getting to play with friends. The S46 and S47 draft classes were so stacked in general I could probably make 10 dream teams out of the players from those. I could also put all 3 of my players on a forward line together or come up with some cool combos of past players as there were a lot of players I looked up to when I first came into the league.

7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. Just link your Milestone claim below this task for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.
milestones

16. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)
Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I want to know how you decided where your player comes from!

The main reason I chose Japan for my IIHF country was there was no Korea when I created which is where all the Smeb's are originally from and coming into the league IIHF expansion was occurring with Japan being the newest addition to the league along with Switzerland, The idea of being on a new IIHF expansion team and leading it to success sounded appealing as well as it's close proximity to Korea is what led to me and the other Smeb's picking Japan for our IIHF country we also got to play with a variety of other players around the league who helped come together to make the new team a success which was nice.

mcpumpkin · 05-08-2022, 02:28 AM

2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag – 4 TPE
A: well Chicago has some pretty good food and despite the melodrama some pretty neat pizza too, and if theres anything that’s important to hockey its how good the pizza is in that town. The motivational boost that can come from it is the key to victory. However, atlanta seems like the meme dream in terms of locker rooms, and that is also a key to victory. So I’ll say whoever eats more pizza or makes more memes will win. (79 words)
B: Well you see being able to handle your stick is really important in hockey. Each other player on the ice has a stick, including the goalies if you didn’t know. Even coaches are known to arm themselves with a twig or two every now and then. I think if a team has to adjust to players having sticks and using them against them, yer not gonna do so great. It’s a little late for that. (75 words)
C: Discipline will either be a massive factor, or not one at all. That remains to be seen. And the only difference between these two teams is a swift elbow to the head. Even in my players first game this season he had more PIMs than necessary to add to atlantas to take the lead. (54 words)
D: I think the team that remainds more balanced with their ice time will win, meaning Chicago’s even keel of responsibilities will be evenly distributed throughout the team causing a maximum increase in literally every good hockey stat you could want. Have you ever had your entire boat crew stand right at the front of the boat? That floater’s gonna flip over no problem (63 words)

6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team (179 words)
If I had to create the perfect simulation hockey league line for my player to be on I would definitely have to place my created character on a line with some of the best, most talented, hot shot superstar players this league has ever seen. Because what else would you do in this scenario? Pick bad players? Pick your friends? All of them losers. I don’t even know their names. I go to the numbers place, I click the players, I sort by points, I get those guys. A little known hockey fact is that if you get put on a line with good players, you’re probably gonna do good too. Remember that time the sedins turned Anson Carter into a 30+ goal scorer for a year? Well I do, because I got to watch exactly what it would be like for my player to get a chance with anyone at the top of that list. And it’s pretty painful. Stuff like that is how vacation houses are purchased. Float on a line like that right to the BANK.

7 Milestones
1 tpe lol
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3213206

21. Epic Loot +3 tpe (159 words)
Well you see one day I was at practice doing my thing of practicing the important hockey tactics we employ on a daily basis – good dumps, quick shifts, being hard on the forecheck, getting all the lines banging. One day after a good round of practicing dumps there was this dude wanting to make some magic items or something, so I asked if I could have a stick that goes full doctor strange and multiples into like a hundred sticks, and shoots a hundred pucks at once. However, the stick caused problems when referees and the war room in TARANNA has to take 45 minutes frame tracking the “real” puck and if it made it in, and caused further problems when the hundreds of pucks would flood the ice. The stick was banned after the final straw of “does putting 100 goals in the net at once count as 100 goals” debate raged into its 7th week on sTSN.

22: Be nice – 2 tpe (112 words)
Ya know after seeing some of the disasters of dirty laundry being aired, certain GM’s and longtime players making continuous asshats of themselves on this website, and other stories of the bullshit from various discords and such, I can’t be happier that I’m in a normal, lovely lockerroom in philly. Some of yall really need to touch some grass pronto on what it means to exist as a civilized human on the internet. I didn’t think I’d rack up a team blacklist so fast, but here we are. The forge are number one in the good guys / 60 stat, and have some of the best pet pictures and farm fences around.

4 cup origins 3 tpe (198 words)
Well you see just like how good hockey players know how to get the puck in deep, have quick shifts, and get all lines banging at once, the challenge cup has a long history itself of getting put in deep, having quick shifts around the team, and has been banged once on each of its many shiny lines. Originally a stack of beer cans, the challenge cup was born from a dollar store visit looking to recreate the Stanley cup with tin foil, electrical tape and various plastic spoons. It was only a few years ago when the league finally splurged on a real cup after the great de-foiling of 2014, where it was revealed the cup had an inner layer of chocolate no one ever knew about. Despite being 24 years stale, then and current dynasty team (insert whatever team you fucks bitch about lately here) was winning then just as they are now, and were found guilty of eating the chocolate cup. League conspiracy theorists and haters still post long reddit rants about then commissioner Hary Guttman promising swift justice, however the actual punishment was never revealed, and everything pre-2020 kinda doesn’t exist anymore I guess.

+16 tpe

Z-Whiz · 05-08-2022, 02:30 AM

CW Pass

*Punk42AE* · 05-08-2022, 06:38 AM

PBE Affiliation +3

Milestones +3

Quote:4. Written, 3 TPE, Origin Story (150 words min.)

Everyone wants the Challenge cup… but how did it get here? Tell me the origin story of the Challenge Cup! Where did it come from? Who paid for it? Who forged it? What did it look like in Season 1 vs. now in Season 64? Has it changed a lot? Maybe it has been damaged?

The Challenge Cup was forged in a fire back in the mid 2020's that caused the old Stanley Cup to melt and take away all of the history of the NHL in one fell swoop as the world collapsed. When it was found a few hours later the metal hunk was basically in pancake form with just a little of the shiney metal showing. As the SHL league was being talked about to replace the NHL and bring fun back to Hockeyland one of the last players from the old world was able to get out his blacksmithing tools and bring the new Challenge Cup into existence. Henrick Zetterberg survived the worst of everything and was able to hammer the cup back into a "Cup shape" and give it the amazing touches we see today. Because of the fire that first melted the original cup it is now the strong thing known to man, and so over the 64 season no damage has come to the new cup, not that players haven't tried though. Zetterberg put all of his love of Hockey into the cup, and now it will live on forever no matter what else happens in the future.

Code:
200 Words +3

Quote:5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)

Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?

The SMJHL Four Star Cup is by far the hardest cup to win. When you have to rebuild and restock your team each and every offseason because or Callups, Age outs and Inactive Players it makes it a lot harder to have a dynasty to keep winning cups year after year...(unless you know)... In the SHL there is a lot more competition and you do have to sign more people, but luckily you have a lot more consistency in who is on your team year in and year out. Obviously with all of the cups lately this might seem off, but with the changes to bring more of the teams to even playing fields we will see how the next five seasons go. In the minors if you can keep bringing in great active players, and can get everyone on board and increasing towards the cap, you can keep winnings. But when you have that one draft where everyone disappears, you're in for a major reset.

Code:
166 Words +3

Quote:21. Written / Graphic, 3 TPE, Epic Loot (150 words min.)

A hockey gear manufacturer has developed a substance called “Materia” that allows them to imbue hockey gear with incredibly powerful abilities. They’ve come to you to ask for your endorsement, and to help you design your own piece of magical hockey gear. What piece of gear do you design? What do you make it look like? Is it an unassuming piece of equipment that can fly under the radar, or do you go for some wild steampunk thing? What insane magical bonuses and benefits does it give you? ALTERNATIVELY for a graphic task, show me your player wearing the piece of gear you designed! Show how its power is benefiting them.

JR Frankenstero is very proud to be supporting and helping creating the brand new Hockey Helmets by McGlover Industries that imbues Materia for the players to help with one of their skills. Being able to enhance that players mind to help them with the different skill will help those players excel and exceed expectations. As the roll out begins there will be a handful of different Materia's for the player, from a yellow pickpocket one, to blue ones for Strength, Speed and Agility. Some of the special green ones will be able to change how the puck moves and goes towards the goalie. When you buy a green one it it might have a lightning fast explosion, or look like a flaming puck coming in towards the net. The rarest ones right now are the Reds, which when used that one or two times a game will be able to make the player look completely different for a few seconds and pull off amazing moves. Right now they are in testing and will cost a pretty penny, but JR will be the first one wearing the new Bahamut Helmet, defenses beware.

Code:
192 Words +3

Quote:3. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Four Star Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
d. Newfoundland has appeared in all 4 of the last SMJHL finals and won 3 of them. Quebec, a consistently strong presence in the SMJHL, has a lot of playoff success behind them as well, having won several series since their last 4 Star in S58. How do you approach this series mentally on either side? If you're Newfoundland, are you worried your streak can't last forever? If you're Quebec, do you fear that you can't take down a goliath?

After watching the Raptors take two of the games from Newfoundland, Quebec knows that they have a chance to get it done and bring this series to 7 games and come home with the cup. It's going to be a back and forth matchup, but it can be done, to take down Goliath and hoist the cup. There might be some bad games where they just get romped, but winning a game here and there will help give them a shot. Put together the strong lines, hope that the defense does the bend not break method, and pretty soon Evok can be hoisting that cup!

Code:
105 Words +1

Thunfish · 05-08-2022, 07:58 AM

7. Milestones (1)

4. Legend has it that the Challenge Cup was created under rather obvious motivation - all leagues need at least a piece of silverware to celebrate their champions - but few have talked much about its nature and its composition, which is something I shall gladly abide by as I really need those bloody points. According to historians such as Mike Hawke and Lord Richard Croft, the Challenge Cup was built in Scunthorpe, England with a varied collection of silver pieces acquired from different parts of the globe, though it's likely the largest chunk of it either came from Argentina or Chile, given their price at the time was cheaper and the operation was technically done by a multi-national, which has since gone under. Disregarding some wild theories about the cup's origins being linked to ancient aliens, an old blood cult or even being one of the relics made into this world by the hands of the Black Adder, it's very likely that there's nothing uncommon about it. (3)

1. 900 (3)

5. Well, you can just look up the variety of champions for both if you're so inclined to ask about this sort of stuff. I feel like both can be very difficult in their own way but one's just harder to actively maintain some sort of domination over. The Four-Star Cup has a high rotation of champions, rarely does a team win the cup more than once in a row while the Challenge Cup is just overall harder to reach due to the group of teams that usually win it. So, really, it's a matter of opinion as to which one is tougher, though I reckon that anyone that's ever won both would probably just put the Challenge Cup over due to how it's the main trophy... while everyone who's won either one would probably just claim the other one is tougher. Given I only won a Four Star Cup myself, you can imagine what I'd say. (3)

6. Ah, well... to be honest with you, I ain't really one to think of dream lines. I mean, speaking as a guy that often brings more as a person than as a player, I feel like any line with two really good players and my guy would just be enough, really. I've never been very much into the league's history since I already don't look too much into the lore unless it's interestingly written or just a fun time to check stuff, no offence about it or anything but you gotta throw some character into a story or it won't be as fun to read.

I'm not saying I write well or anything but even at my attempts at writing, I like to make sure it has a load of uniqueness to it, make it special in its own way since there's a good chance he'll never pan out as this assisting machine or anything like that. (3)

3. a. Well, even if my experience in playing Franchise Hockey Manager isn't exactly all that massive, to begin with, I imagine I would throw my gameplan towards caution, make sure my entire team can defend or block shots so that they won't ever be caught off guard from a defender's attempts at scoring.

b. Easy, just place a heavy guy so that they can't get anything done. Make sure that your defensive lines are going for full contact at all times and try to slice 'em whenever you can so that there's no way in hell they'll be a nuisance throughout the series... That's how FHM works, right?

c. Speaking from experience, hot streaks don't quite carry over to the finals most of the time. I'm actually kinda tired myself of going through the playoffs with whatever team I'm leading only to see them drop to whatever's on the way and the fact it happens so often makes me think the whole streak thing might as well not exist in a decisive moment.

d. Eh, to tell you all the truth about being in a final and all, just take it like any other game. No, I mean, for real, look at it like any other match-up and you'll be fine. As surprising as it sounds, the laissez-faire approach might actually be beneficial since some people tend to mess up whenever they start to overthink this sort of stuff. The finals are just a fancy name for a bunch of games at the end of the season, hell to all that jazz. (4)

tommytightpants · 05-08-2022, 10:27 AM

1. Trivia (3) - applesauce

2. Written, Grab Bag, SHL (4) -
2.1 This might be some hometown Newfoundland bias -- hell, it IS hometown Newfoundland bias -- but I am going to have to stick with the old vets in Chicago and mr ham himself. They've got one of the most dominant attacks the league has seen in a long time, as well as a stifling defence that ran into a buzzsaw in Hamilton last year. This year, as the Steelhawks stumbled, it seemed finally time for the Sydnicate's time to shine. (78)
2.2 Truth be told, I don't know if there is a way you can adjust this late in the playoffs. It does seem that Chicago's got their sticks in all the right places, but I think Atlanta is planning to ride the same momentum that has taken them this far into the playoffs in the first place. I have a feeling they'll be the beneficiaries of some good luck this finals. (70)
2.3 I expect that if things don't go Chicago's way, the vets might get a bit chippy, while the new kids on the block are going to try and stick closely to the letter of the law so as to not draw the ire of the league, a la the most recent spats between the Habs and the Bruins. This might backfire on the new club however... a la the most recent spats between the Habs and the Bruins. (78)
2.4 Quite honestly, I think the more balanced attack will win out. We see this in other games of 5 on 5 all the time - when you rely too heavily on one or two players, instead of having multiple scoring threats across multiple lines and multiple schemes, you simply have less opportunity to score. We're all human and need rest sometimes - and when your star players are tired while theirs are less so, you're not gonna have a great time. (79)

3. Written, Grab Bag, SMJHL (4) -
3.1 Short answer - you don't. Long answer - you don't. It's an important part of the Newfoundland scheme that the GMs have specifically targeted players in the draft who are more willing to be two way players, with a specific leaning into one or two subsets, while molding a team around the skillsets of individuals. Their team is designed to be able to punish you on both ends for dedicating any more time than necessary to individual players. (76)
3.2 Newfoundland's defense needs to highlight exactly what they've done all season, and cut out passing lanes on the defensive side. Shooting 20% is an absurd statistic over the course of the playoffs, but they have the individual talent to contain their 1 on 1 matchups on defense as long as the puck cannot get moving easily. Big players such as Tommy Tightpants, Rand al'Thor, Alexander Mackenzie, and Valters Denisova can act as enforcers whenever they are on the ice, allowing help defense to come fast, hard, and through the attack. (90)
3.3 I think Newfoundland has played well enough even on their "cold" streak to warrant enough fear. If they manage to come out of a bit of a rut offensively and play up to their full potential -- AND the luck bounces back their way? We're going to be hanging another banner in Newfoundland soon, and crowning Ham as one of the best GMs in the history of the league. (68)
3.4 If I'm Newfoundland, I have no reason to worry. Looking at the history, we've been here before, with practically the same team, against opponents just as strong. We need to go out and execute our game and all will be fine. If I'm Quebec, I'm using anything I can to hype myself up for this matchup. Underdog mentality can carry a team incredibly far in terms of head to head matchups. (71)

7. Milestones (3) -
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3208983

18. Written, Procrastinators (2) -
Newfoundland won it all. And honestly, as one of the forwards on the team, I am incredibly glad that we could somehow pull this off again. I know we had a strong regular season, but that all goes out the window in the playoffs. After quite a competitive series in the semi finals, we were prepared mentally for the finals, knowing we had been there before. It also means that I can finally complete my promise to the locker room of Newfoundland, and get the logo tattoo'd on me with a few tally marks underneath for the cups this class of s62 won. I'm incredibly proud of all of the guys in the locker room, of my peers for the incredible amount of work they put in, and to the leaders and coaches of this team, Ham and Yosh. I know we're all now moving up, but I think that the team is in fantastic hands under patty and lime. Newfoundland will be an incredibly special place in my heart for a long long time, and I'm looking forward to making Winnipeg just as special. (182)

TOTAL TPE - 16

***Rankle*** · 05-08-2022, 10:30 AM

Milestones +1 TPE

PBE PT +3 TPE

Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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.

pee

Quote: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. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?
b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?
c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series?
d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?

a.) You know everyone loves an underdog story, the team reaching the finals for the first time and bringing it home. But that's not exactly how real life plays out a lot of the time. If I'm a betting man, I'd put my money on the veteran Chicago Syndicate to win the Challenge Cup.
b.) If you've got guys that are snatching the puck from you left and right, you need to make them pay for it. If they're gonna be picking your pocket then you need to play the body and punish them for having possession. The physical aspect of hockey is one of the most important and often underlooked.
c.) I think the discipline will play a huge role in this series. Powerplays in the playoffs are huge moments and huge opportunities to punish your opponent harshly for not being responsible. If you can capitalize on that punishment it can be incredibly demoralizing for your opponent and can propel you to victory in crucial moments.
d.) I think the balanced route is gonna be what's best. If you have 4 lines (3 in this case) that you can roll every single night then you know you have a solid team. Guys that can match up with anyone are invaluable and I think Chicago is really gonna display that in these finals.

Quote:3. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Four Star Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Newfoundland has gotten 25 points in 11 games from two of their top D, Rand al'Thor and Mikko Rashford. If you're Quebec's coach, how do you adjust to Newfoundland having guys on the blue line that are just as offensively dangerous as the wingers?
b. Quebec has three players shooting 20% or better in Bertrand, Utah, and Kidd. If you're the Newfoundland defense, how do you find a way to bottle up three forwards that can't seem to miss the back of the net?
c. Looking at each teams' PDO, we see that Quebec is riding a bit of a hot streak while Newfoundland has actually been a bit unlucky. Do you think this a is a good thing for either team? Is Newfoundland bound to find some luck, or are they going to get stuck in a rut? Is Quebec going to come back down to Earth, or did they get hot at the right time?
d. Newfoundland has appeared in all 4 of the last SMJHL finals and won 3 of them. Quebec, a consistently strong presence in the SMJHL, has a lot of playoff success behind them as well, having won several series since their last 4 Star in S58. How do you approach this series mentally on either side? If you're Newfoundland, are you worried your streak can't last forever? If you're Quebec, do you fear that you can't take down a goliath?

a.) Adjusting to guys that can play really well from the blue line offensively is always going to be tough. However when you have that much offense as a defenseman you really cant be as great on defense. If I'm the Quebec coach I'm going to try to capitalize on that with odd man rushes and stretch pass plays.
b.) If guys are shooting that well, it means one of two things. Either they are getting extremely lucky, or you're playing piss poor defense. Take away the passing lane, block some shots, make it more difficult for the puck to even reach the net. Return to the fundamentals and stop trying to get cute on defense.
c.) Playoffs are all about getting hot at the right time. We've seen time and time again underdog teams going on a tear and upsetting the favorites. Some things will probably return to the mean but as they say in statistics, there is no law of averages, and you might just get upset in a game like this.

Quote:18. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Congratulations, procrastinator! Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Did anything stand out to you about this season’s final series?

Well, I just now learned about the result of these playoffs just about 10 seconds ago. And about 10 minutes ago I predicted that Chicago, the veterans would win it because they have a balanced lineup that can roll all of their lines all game long. Just being able to have guys that can match up with anyone is extremely valuable and I said that was going to be the deciding factor. So I'll say that I'm now an expert hockey analyst since I was able to perfectly predict the final outcome given just a small amount of information and I'll be hearing out offers from teams on coaching positions.

Chomp Chomp Water Dog Barracuda

Scarecrow Noises Scarecrows

*Zoone16* · 05-08-2022, 11:59 AM

Code:
Code:

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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: sbinalla

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. Just link your Milestone claim below this task for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

+3 TPE from Milestones

raymond3000 · 05-08-2022, 01:54 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 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.

charity

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. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?

b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?

c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series? 

d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?

a. Experienced, veteran teams have been proven to triumph against young up and coming teams in the SHL time and time again, which is why the established old guard of Hamilton, Buffalo, Chicago and Texas are the only teams to have won cups recently by defeating the new guard of Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles and others. This season has seen a large transition within the balance of power in the league, but Chicago is still the top team in the SHL and will have the clear advantage in the finals.
b. Atlanta will need to manage the puck better, especially in the neutral zone, to avoid turning the puck over to a Chicago Syndicate team which is adept at clogging up the lane and forcing mistakes. For the Inferno, that starts with their defenseman, who will need to either ensure their passes are crisp or on the stick of their forwards or skate the puck safely up the ice themselves.
c. I do not think that discipline will play a large role in these Challenge Cup Finals. For one, neither team has any enforcers are other players known for their undisciplined play. In fact, I would be surprised if any of the players in these finals had aggression attributes more than the minimum, which is a common occurrence leaguewide.
d. The teams that can afford to run a balanced attack are those with the greater depth with top talent up and down their lineup. Chicago is an example of this, as they have no liabilities throughout their roster. Atlanta is not quite in the same situation, as they tend to rely more upon their top end players, especially their top line and top defense pair, which are among the best in the league. However, Chicago's stars are no slouches either, and they should hold the advantage.

Code:
6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team 150 words min

You have to create the perfect SHL or SMJHL line for your player to be on. Who do you put on your line and why? Is it something about their style of play that compliments yours? Does it only include players from the present, or do you dip into the past to find an incredible D pair? Or are you just choosing your friends ‘cause they’d be fun to win the cup with?

My dream lineup would consist of Raymond Lindsay, Kristian Eriksson, and Andreas Kvalheim, all players which I have created. The first two players are Hall of Famers, and Andreas seems bound to join them whenever he decides to hang up the skates. All three, especially Kvalheim, are great two way players, and they would be a nightmare to play against with their combination of speed, physicality and skill. Kvalheim would be the playmaker of this trio, feeding passes to Eriksson, who is one of the league's all time great scorers. Lindsay doesn't quite match up to the other two in accolades, but he would act as the glue guy on this line and do all the dirty work to create space for his linemates. They are all Challenge Cup winners as well, so they all know what it takes to elevate their game during the pressure situations to win hockey games during the playoffs.

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. Just link your Milestone claim below this task for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

+3 TPE

Code:
19. Graphic, 3 TPE - The Procrastinator Special!

Congratulations, graphic loving procrastinator! Much like the written word loving procrastinator, you too have a special task just for you! Create a post-series splash screen detailing the outcome of the series, or highlighting the player that you think should be playoff MVP. Include at least 3 stats no matter which way you go with it!

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