Slow Cooking with the Texas Renegades.

If there is one thing I hear around the league from time to time it’s about WHEN will the Renegades actually do something? This made me think, like what? What exactly were you looking for this team to do? Make some unexpected championship run? Challenge the top teams for the presidents trophy season after season?

The reality is that the Renegades need to be looked at like a delicious Prime Rib Roast. Now it’s important that when you try to cook such an expensive cut of meat you do what?

Do it right.

So why is there those whispers about when do they do their thing. It seems like people are currently running to the grocery store while hungry when talking about all this, and as we all know, if you are trying to stay true to your diets that’s the last thing you should be doing.

It’s like convincing yourself that eating half a package of hot dogs on bread (not even buns, like folded bread) with some hot sauce and no cheese cause you have no ketchup is just as good in comparison.

The one thing I have stated numerous times is the broken salary cap situation in this league and it’s sheer lack of money earning options (unless you want to visit the media slave mines and get paid peanuts for content – but here I am!). This is the biggest factor you need to take when looking about how you can construct a team that can both compete and stay at the top when paired with TPE earned over time.

TPE dictates salary, and minimums are the hottest of the hot for teams wanting to keep a competitive core together. So that is exactly what the Renegades are trying to balance in order to achieve this.

You don’t rush a Prime Rib Roast, NO NO NO, it’s something that thrives with the good ol saying LOW AND SLOW. If you crank the heat and rush the job without proper basting as well as priming/ soaking you end up with a tough outer layer and un even middle.

Now I am a big proponent of having Steak and Prime rib at Medium Rare. That point where the outside is crisped and middle still juicy and flavourful. This is the area that teams need to strive for. Having that strong outward appearance (veterans) while keeping that delicious inner layer to always look forward too (Rookies/ Prospects). This is where a team who wants to be good long term finds balance.

You draft well, and have some big pieces that can carry the team into the fray and toward success but the key is to get as many players on cheap deals as much as possible so that you can keep under the stupidly low cap. The sad part is due to this restriction, you can cook your prime rib (team) really well but you are left with $2 french fries as the side because you have to hope that the players can support themselves money wise because you are cheaping them constantly due to the cap space.

So patience is what I am trying to say here. Don’t expect Texas to be a quick side of Kraft Dinner, when you need to treat it like a slow and methodically planned Prime rib. This season might still end a bit short depending on the playoff match ups, but keep your eye on this team to just stick with what they have and letting it grow naturally, and don’t expect any big crazy trades anytime soon. Lets get this baby to medium rare shall we?

Sigs by sulovilen ,  Ragnar  ,  supertardis101 , Leviadan , High Stick King , Carpy & KaleSalad

— S 56 —  LEMO PIHL  —  FORWARD  —  ANC/TEX/TOR/PHI  —  RETIRED (PEAK 2057) —

SHL Texas Renegades (S59-64) - Challenge Cup Champions S59 & S62

SMJHL Anchorage Armada (S55-58) - Four-Star Cup Champions S57

Team Finland - WJC Gold S57 & S58 - IIHF Gold S62, S64 & S66

Name: Lemo Pihl
Birthplace: Tallinn, Estonia
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 200 lbs

Signed by Anchorage Armada as UDFA in S55 (Thank you, Acsolap & Apricot!)
Drafted to SHL in S56 entry draft 29th overall by Texas Renegades
--

CAREER STATS

SHL regular season - Texas Renegades:

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB
S59: 66, 7, 26, 33, +39, 18, 138, 48, 27

S60: 66, 10, 27, 37, +23, 4, 142, 44, 43

S61*: 66, 19, 26, 45, +22, 2, 173, 26, 47

*1st Hat-trick: S61 game 39 - 3+1 in 9-3 W vs NEW

S62: 66, 19, 28, 47, +23, 17, 202, 35, 50

S63: 66, 26, 38, 64, +39, 19, 268, 80, 47

S64: 66, 30, 46, 76, +30, 16, 267, 116, 29

*Traded to Toronto prior to S65*

SHL regular season - Toronto North Stars

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB

S65: 66, 24, 46, 70, +8, 16, 193, 116, 36

S66: 66, 27, 44, 71, -4, 32, 204, 111, 34

*Signed as free agent with Philadelphia Forge prior to S67*

SHL regular season - Philadelphia Forge

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB

S67: 66, 33, 33, 66, +8, 34, 224, 165, 30

S68: 66, 20, 44, 64, +12, 39, 226, 152, 23

SHL playoffs - Texas Renegades:

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB
S59**: 16, 4, 4, 8, +12, 0, 27, 17, 9

** S59 Challenge Cup Champion **

S60: 9, 1, 2, 3, 0, 14, 31, 6, 4

S61: 19, 3, 9, 12, +6, 2, 39, 22, 19

S62**: 24, 3, 4, 7, +8, 2, 54, 19, 15

** S62 Challenge Cup Champion **

S63: 9, 2, 1, 3, -3, 2, 43, 17, 9

S64: 13, 9, 6, 15, +2, 4, 71, 22, 13

SHL playoffs - Toronto North Stars:
GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB
S65: 6, 4, 1, 5, -3, 0, 22, 8, 3

S66: 10, 4, 4, 8, -4, 4, 45, 16, 2

SHL playoffs - Philadelphia Forge:

GP / G / A / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB

S67: 7, 0, 4, 4, -3, 2, 22, 16, 1

S68: 5, 0, 3, 3, 0, 4, 12, 15, 2

SMJHL regular season - Anchorage Armada:

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB

S55: 46, 1, 5, 6, -11, 4, 33, 41, 27

S56: 50, 7, 15, 22, +2, 6, 95, 56, 18

S57: 66, 11, 28, 39, +39, 14, 130, 89, 69

S58: 66, 14, 16, 30, +9, 8, 134, 83, 69

SMJHL playoffs - Anchorage Armada:

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB

S55: 7, 0, 1, 1, -5, 2, 7, 6, 5

S56: 16, 1, 5, 6, +3, 0, 24, 17, 4

S57****: 16, 2, 6, 8, +6, 0, 27, 17, 16.

**** S57 Four-Star Cup Champion ****

S58: 21, 6, 8, 14, +6, 6, 42, 27, 24

WJC - Team Finland:

GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB
S56: 13, 4, 4, 8, +4, 6, 27, 19, 4
S57*: 15, 4, 8, 12, +9, 4, 28, 16, 11

S58*: 15, 3, 10, 14, +13, 4, 31, 19, 7
* S57 & 58 WJC Gold Medalist

IIHF - Team Finland:
GP / G / A / P / +/- / PIM / S / H / SB
S57: 12, 0, 0, 0, -5, 6, 10, 15, 9

S58: 12, 1, 1, 2, -4, 0, 17, 13, 7

S59: 12, 2, 2, 4, +1, 0, 8, 13, 1

S60: 13, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0, 16, 8, 3

S61: 14, 0, 2, 2, -1, 6, 5, 4, 7

S62*: 15, 0, 0, 0, -5, 2, 15, 6, 4

*S62 IIHF Gold Medalist*

S63: 13, 2, 2, 4, -2, 4, 27, 10, 3

S64*: 15, 0, 8, 8, -4, 0, 43, 19, 4

*S64 IIHF Gold Medalist*

S65: 13, 6, 7, 13, +7, 6, 47, 20, 8

S66*: 15, 9, 4, 13, +8, 4, 26, 22, 5

*S66 IIHF Gold Medalist*

S67: 15, 3, 9, 12, +3, 4, 49, 32, 7

S68: 15, 5, 5, 10, +2, 10, 20, 29, 13

  S69 Challenge Cup Champion - Philadelphia Forge  

  S59 & S62 Challenge Cup Champion - Texas Renegades    

   S57 Four Star Cup Champion - Anchorage Armada   

   S57 & S58 WJC / S62, S64 & S66 IIHF Gold Medalist - Team Finland    

      

After 69 shots on net with still no SHL goals to show for it, even the opposition started to feel so sorry for Lemo, that they decided to help him out :D

- Bad pass by Jack Klompus, he gave it right to Lemo Pihl.

- Lemo Pihl rips it to the net...

- Lemo Pihl will find the empty net, that should do it!

TEX @ MAN, S59 game 31