03-16-2024, 12:31 PM(This post was last modified: 03-16-2024, 12:31 PM by Jorec. Edited 1 time in total.)
Trivia:
Verification word: Cup
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. During the Conference Finals Panthers had no players who had multi goal game, yet they beat the Texas in 5 games. Can New England shut down a team with such depth, how could they do it?
In an ideal world, they would have had the same commitment to group scoring and team defence that the Panthers have. There really is no other sustainable way to deal with the kind of wave after wave of offence that the Panthers use to win games. You might get by with a hot goalie but that should be a bonus, not what you’re relying on.
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b. On New England side Ivan Lacksamus is back on MVP form, scoring 15 goals and 38 points in 19 games, including the 15 points scored in Conference Finals. Should Los Angeles try to find a way to stop him or hope that their stars kick in the next gear to meet the challenge head on?
Absolutely, he’s only one man and most of the Wolfpacks offence runs through him. If you’re able to shut him down, either through putting your top line out there and making sure has a hard time, or sending out the agitator/checks to frustrate him, you’re gonna win that series. Even better if you could lure him into a fight or two and just straight up take him out of the game.
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c. Olof Karsikko, who has won the Razov and the Challenge Cup with both teams, while already past his peak comes into finals with higher save percentage than Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz who on the other hand has lower goal against average. Which team in your opinion has advantage on net and how much of an impact you think it will have on the series?
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d. So, a pack of wolves fighting some panthers. Where the fight happens? How it goes? Which side wins? Were animals hurt while answering this prompt?
Pound for pound, Panthers are gonna rip through wolves. Wolves are half the weight of a Panther, they don’t have nearly as many options for murdering their opponent and they aren’t nearly as agile. You get a tree near them? They just hop up and jump down whenever the wolves get a bit too confident. Of course, no animals are hurt with this prompt!
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e. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?
I can see the future and that future has Panthers winning it all in a sweep! Alexi Piastri continues being absolutely destructive. Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz will continue to be the best goalie in the league and the rest of the team just continues being awesome, both contributing to the scoring while being rock solid on defence.
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13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 75! 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 Los Angeles Panthers won! They ran roughshod over their opponents and then swept the Wolfpack in the finals. It was a group effort from the Panthers the entire way. They did have Alexi Piastri, who went PPG in the play-offs scoring goals like an absolute fiend but it was far from a one man show. With every line contributing. When you’ve got that kind of depth in scoring and then the full on defensive commitment by the entire team, you’re gonna be absolutely unstoppable. What could the Wolfpack of done to stop it? They would need to commit to a more team based approach instead of relying so heavily on their top scorers. Once the Panthers had Lacksamus handled, it was game over for them.
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Andren Akerson (Present)
Adrik Baranov (S55 to S70)
Rurik Razin (S32 to S44)
Roy Razin (S17 to S32) (HOF/Rage HOF)
Audun Wissink (S5 to S15)
03-16-2024, 01:01 PM(This post was last modified: 03-16-2024, 01:48 PM by RomanesEuntDomus. Edited 3 times in total.)
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.
Verify
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. During the Conference Finals Panthers had no players who had multi goal game, yet they beat the Texas in 5 games. Can New England shut down a team with such depth, how could they do it?
b. On New England side Ivan Lacksamus is back on MVP form, scoring 15 goals and 38 points in 19 games, including the 15 points scored in Conference Finals. Should Los Angeles try to find a way to stop him or hope that their stars kick in the next gear to meet the challenge head on?
c. Olof Karsikko, who has won the Razov and the Challenge Cup with both teams, while already past his peak comes into finals with higher save percentage than Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz who on the other hand has lower goal against average. Which team in your opinion has advantage on net and how much of an impact you think it will have on the series?
d. So, a pack of wolves fighting some panthers. Where the fight happens? How it goes? Which side wins? Were animals hurt while answering this prompt?
e. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?
a. If there is on characteristic that is almost impossible to beat in a team, it's the one that LA showed in the Conference Finals. To have such depth and consistency is almost impossible to counter unless your goalie runs crazy hot - and that doesn't even take into account the fact that the Panther also had the best scorer of the regular season in their team, so this guy hasn't even run hot yet...
b. Having Ivan Lacksamus back in the crazy form that he is in right now is of course a huge asset for the Wolfpack, but I don't think this well be enough on its own. Shutting down a superstar player in a series is easier thant shutting down the multi-threat that is the LA offense, be it through rock solid defensive play of the occasional dirty little play or relentless checks and hits to wear him down physically.
c. This is such a crazy matchup, I love that we get to see it in the finals. Karsikko is well on his way to becoming a true SHL legend and one of the best players in his position of this era at the very least. Meanwhile, Grzegorz has been nothing than spectactular since coming into the league with the Panthers, he has been good pretty much from day one and is one of the reasons this team got out of their rebuild and back into contention so fast.
Quote:4. Written, 3 TPE, Merely a setback! (150 words min.)
For more than 5 seasons conference finals have mostly been played between Edmonton and Winnipeg in west, yet this season they were both knocked out earlier. In the east Baltimore and Hamilton challenged Philadelphia and New England but ultimately we saw the same two teams in conference finals. Was season 75 merely a setback for Edmonton and Winnipeg or is the clock also ticking for New England and Philadelphia? Which teams you expect to see making it to finals during next few seasons?
i think we are indeed seeing the dawn of a new era here. For Winnipeg it hasn't really been a secret that their window is closing and that they have decided to accept that fate and go into a little rebuild or at least a litte re-tool to work on their next dynasty. Their team is already on the older side with not a lot of players that you would consider to be in their "prime" years but still good, so I would expect the Aurora to turn these players into some good trade assets sooner rather than later to try and use and bring in fresh talent. Edmonton is a couple of seasons behind Winnipeg in that regard and has been a really strong team for the last couple of seasons, but they are also creeping closer not necessarily to their window closing completely, but towards a point where they might need an infusion of fresh blood to keep the behemoth moving. I could see Edmonton and LA battling it out in the West in the immediate future while other teams gear up for a run whereas in the East, I can see Philly and New England keeping this up a little bit longer.
5. Written, 3 TPE, And make it double (150 words min.) - +3 TPE
SHL HO has noticed how well received the Ultimus Bowl half time show has been and you are now tasked to create a show for both intermissions during one of Challenge Cup Finals. What kind of performance it will be and how will you ensure that ice will get resurfaced while it is going on?
One of the first major suggestions I would make would actually be only somewhat related to the halftime show itself. It's a well known fact that the halftime/intermission shows are created more for the spectacle of television and so you lose a lot of engagement with the crowd who use this time to get up and get snacks or drinks. I propose that prior to the intermissions, you get baseball style roaming snack vendors to go up and down the rows, ensuring that spectators don't need to get up during the intermission.
As for the intermission itself, the only way to ensure that it will fit into the appropriate time slot while still keeping the ice properly surfaced is to finally put my ultimate plan into motion: a Zamboni themed dramatic musical about Santa needing to make it home in time to watch his favorite team play, featuring local children's theater members as the Reindeer pulling Santas "sleigh", which will be the Zamboni dressed up for the part. The show will take place over 2 acts, one for each intermission.
13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.) - +2 TPE
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 75! 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 Panthers have come away as Cup Champions, and really, did anyone expect otherwise? A truly dominant team from start to finish, the Panthers posted an incredible regular season performance, being slightly edged out only by eventual Playoff opponent Edmonton. When Edmonton finally came calling, however, their performance was best described as "cold" and they were sent packing with a single win in the 5 game series. Not only did LA send home Edmonton with a single win, they only gave up 2 games across the entirety of the playoff run. Very few teams in league history can boast such an accomplishment, especially when you consider their performance in the Finals being a clean sweep to get to the cup.
Code:
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.
dope
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3. Written, 3 TPE, Been there, Done that (150 words min.)
It has been 10 seasons since Panthers last won the cup and Yannick Svoboda is only player left from that team. While for the New England this is 4th finals appearance since S70 and multiple players have been there for all of them, including the two cup wins. Will that experience triumph over excitement or will it make them overconfident? Will the nerves of Panthers get better of them now when the stakes are the highest? Which team has the mental advantage over the other and how big of an impact you think it will have on the match up?
The Los Angeles Panthers are setting themselves up for the biggest mental challenge of their careers. You have a team that is mentally, physically, and emotionally at the top of their game. You can throw anything at New England right now and they will battle it, and battle it hard. However, it's not just the reputation of the players, the coaches, the fans, it's due to one singular player who has carried them through everything they've been through int he past 5 seasons. That player is Olof Karsikko. Olof Karsikko, or know as Ollie to fans, maybe, has been the one leading the Wolfpack his entire career. He is the alpha wolf, he is the one who they all turn to when shit gets tough. Why? Because he gets belted with pucks all day long, and stays hot, and stands on his head when the rest of the team is on their skates. That's just next level goal tending right there. Someday when the league is long gone and all the teams have been obliterated because of nuclear war, he will be the one statue outside the NEW stadium that still stands.
6. Written, 2 TPE, Maybe next season (100 words min)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?
There is only one answer for this question, and it's the Philadelphia Forge. Take a look at their season. They went 45-17-4 for 94 points, won 25 home games, 20 away, had a +137 goal differential, scored more goals than anyone else in the league. The only reason they didn't get into the finals is because NEW, and specifically Olof Karsikko, thwarted them in the eastern conference finals. Edmonton didn't get in? Boohoo. The forge were only 2 ROW behind them. The Western Conference is also a joke. The west doesn't have to play against the perennial favoties of BAP, NEW, BUF, ATL every year. They get a few free wins against teams like Minny, Calgary and Seattle. DOn't get me wrong, the East all won free games against MTL, but everyone does. So what I'm trying to say is, PHilly deserved the finals appearance again and it's a FHM shame they didnt' make it.