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mattebleu · 04-22-2025, 12:47 AM

Hello everyone, the marvelous and squeaky-clean Swiffer Sweeper is here! With the regular season beginning, I’d love to take a gander at my team’s 5 on 5 lines. We were stellar last season (in the postseason) and are looking to continue our success this regular season. At a first glance, the deeper lines have dramatically improved, but let’s dive deeper and see if that’s actually the case.

1st Line
LW: Z. Peters
RW: C.H. Valentine-Okoli
C: B. McGillicuddy
LD: C. Bim
RD. J. Bon

Comparing this line to the previous season… Not much has changed. This is the exact same line we heavily relied on last season. Without these players, it’s highly unlikely St. Louis even reaches the 22 wins they achieved; we absolutely banked on this line to keep us in every game we played.

On the offense end, McGillicuddy and Peter have been absolute wrecking balls. Last season, you could probably count how many goals lines 2 and 3 scored on your fingers and toes, and these two players are the reasons why. With 848 TPE spent between them, there will be goals, breakaways, and powerful checks every time these two are skating together.

Good luck scoring against this line’s defense too. J. Bon was a premiere defensive player last season. Bon and Bim both played on this same line last season. Now, Bim has more TPE than they did before, with Bon at the 425 TPE cap. These two will block shots, force takeaways, and create offensive opportunities for the team.

Everything about this line runs through the center. Boogan McGillicuddy is the heart and soul of St. Louis. As a monster on offense, he’s able to break away, creative shot opportunities, and keep the puck away from the opposing team. On defense, he’ll cause chaos for the wingers and centers, making it difficult to pass the blue line and even harder to score. Did I mean he’s a fantastic faceoff center too? Like I said, good luck against McGillicuddy.

The high TPE in this line is great; however, there’s an even better mechanic at play – chemistry. These five players built chemistry with each other last season and will continue to lay bricks for the present and future. Knowing how your teammates play make a good line great, and that’s exactly what’s happening with these players. This will be a scary line to face for every team.

2nd Line
LW: S. Sweeper
RW: D. Glover
C: T. Jokinen
LD: W. Rus
RD: P. Missthenet

Oh boy, if it isn’t the 2nd line, featuring none other than Swiffer Sweeper (and his much better teammates). Last season, this line set an impressive stat line: they had one of the worst plus/minus ratings in the entire league. You might think that’s impressive for a 2nd line, but this line was primarily built with rookies. There wasn’t much St. Louis had to work with, so a bunch of 200 TPE scrubs was their answer. Well, now those scrubs are looking to make a huge impact for the Scarecrows.

The offense wingers consist of Sweeper and Glover. With a year under their belt, Glover is over 300 TPE, while Sweeper is at the 350 cap. Both these wingers are built as decent two-way forwards, attacking on the offensive and defensive sides of the rink. Teams will have to keep these players under lock and key, but if they focus on them too much, they’ll just pass the puck to their open center.

Jokinen recently went 1.2 in the SHL draft for his activity and skills on the ice. This mastermind center is excellent in every situation, even if his plus/minus from last season says otherwise. As last season progressed, Jokinen continued to improve every game. He’s a fantastic passer, wins plenty of faceoffs, and blocks shots when needed. The 2nd line runs through Jokinen. If teams manage to get past him, they’ll have to battle with a decent defensive line too.

Last season, Wal Rus was the backup goalie for the Scarecrows. While this blubbery body did well in the net, they moved to the defense to assist a 2nd line that gave up way too many goals last season. As another sophomore Scarecrow, Wal Rus is also at the 350 TPE cap, making for an excellent defender. Rus is paired with Missthenet, who is also admirable. While not at the sophomore cap, Missthenet continues the trend of 300+ TPE players on this line.

Remember how I mentioned the 1st line built chemistry together last season? St. Louis has the exact same situation with this line as well. Everyone except Wal Rus suffered played together in S82 on the 2nd line. The same players, maximum chemistry, and about an extra 600 TPE between them from their first rookie game. Yeah, this line is scary behind that dangerous 1st line.

3rd Line
LW: M. Knight
RW: J. FourFour III
C: S. Corin
LD: R. Raamat
RD: E. Sosa

The youth, I love the youth (and so does the rest of St. Louis)! Last season, the Scarecrows were one of the youngest teams in the league; two of their lines consisted of rookies and IAs. With a solid S83 draft, St. Louis has removed the IAs from their team and is full of active players, including some highly active rookies.

Knight and FourFour make for a great pairing. FourFour is a proven recreate while Knight is a highly active true rookie. Early on, both players are built to score as many goals as possible. There’s not much defensive prowess here, but with 200ish TPE, there’s only so many stats you can focus on. These young wings will match up well against other 3rd lines in the league.

Coming into the season, Corin was expecting to be a wing; however, Corin’s build highly resembles a center instead. It’s a funny situation, because Knight is a center but plays more like a wing. Cornin is a strong passer, which bodes well for the full-shooting wings on their sides. Cornin is solid on defense too, but don’t expect them to win too many faceoffs early in the season.

Sosa is another member of that massive sophomore Scarecrow class. They’re at the 350 TPE maximum, giving some much needed help to an offense focused line. Rookie defenseman Raamat is a solid shooter from the blue line and a powerful disruptor too. Already at 227 going into the first week of sims, Raamat will be a punishing defender for seasons to come.

Goalies
Starter: Jarvinen
Backup: Drewski

There is absolutely no way St. Louis would’ve made it to the final four teams last postseason without Jarvinen in the net. You want to talk about an outstanding performance, Jarvinen had a new award named after them for how successful they were during that miracle run. If they continue that success this season… I can’t even imagine the goal differential St. Louis could possibly have.

Drewski will pair well behind Jarvinen. As the backup, Drewski will have additional time to hone their skills and become a brick wall just like the starter. The Scarecrow net will be in good hands this season.

Swiffer’s St. Louis Prediction

Last season, scoring was low and defense was mediocre at best. The lines took a season to improve, and boy oh boy did they improve. Just about the entire S82 draft class is still around and active, with most of them at the current 350 TPE max. You combine that with a premiere 1st line and go-getting rookies, this team is going to do well during the regular season.

We went 22-41-3 in season 81. This time around, I truly believe St. Louis can win at least 38 games. I understand the entire league is getting better at the same time, but you can’t stop the Scarecrow smooches forever. We showed what we’re capable of during the postseason, and we’re only getting stronger from here on out. These lines are going to be troublesome for seasons to come.

[1333 words]

***cake307*** · 04-22-2025, 01:03 AM

Bring The Fear!

***Toaster*** · 04-22-2025, 06:54 AM

The St Louis Seven (along with s83 rookies) shall bring the scary back to the scarecrows!

Ronniewalker · 04-22-2025, 07:28 AM

Go Crows!

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