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SlashACM · 10-29-2019, 11:32 AM

SHL Legacy Tournament Day 1 Preview:

(1350 words, ready for grading)

Index- https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=100791

Game 1- Cyclones vs Eagles

Cyclones 0-0-0

Eagles 0-0-0

A great opening matchup of two teams stacked with superstars. The Eagles are trying to prove that you can get better with age, while the Cyclones just want to prove their draft class(es) are currently the best the SHL have to offer. The Eagles are trotting out a first line of Cuddles-Izzy-Bennett which should be able to do some damage if they click. The Cyclones have Marius-Smyth-Lokitonov who you know are going to find the back of the net at some point. On defense for the Eagles we have Bitties and Odegard, two entrenched top pairing defensemen in the SHL, and for the Cylones we have McIntyre and Grease, who have torn up the league in recent years. In net for the Eagles we have the last remaining goaltender from before s37: Marmeladov guarding the net and trying to prove old goalies can get it down. For the Cyclones we have 2 time champion Tommy Tuck riding his prime and showcasing his goaltending prowess. This is a matchup for the ages and it could go any way. I’ll give the edge to the Cyclones though.

Players to watch:

Eagles: Louie Garrett

Garrett is starting this tournament on the third line, but with powerplay and penalty kill time he is getting a lot of chances to impress coaches with his play and move into the top 6. A bad game from him and we could see a change in the special teams for the Eagles.

Cyclones: Tommy Tuck

Tuck has been an enigma for the past decade in the SHL. GOTY caliber seasons, cup wins, and sometimes downright terrible seasons. S49 saw Tuck have a below average season and squeak into the playoffs only to go God mode and trot to his second cup win in 5 years. If Tuck is on tonight, it will be hard for the Cyclones to get on the scoreboard.

Game 2- Fury vs Greyhounds

Fury 0-0-0

Greyhounds 0-0-0

The Fury are hoping for an easy game here but the Greyhounds are prepared to put up a fight. While most of the s47 squad are only in their second SHL season, or perhaps their first, they have a lot of talent among them and definitely cannot be counted out tonight. The Fury are contending for best class in the league by great performances across the board, including amazing seasons by players like Mauldin and Willaims. I’ll give them the edge for this one. The Fury are icing a first line of Thomason, Passamus, and Manius, which is a line with all the tools for succeeding in this tournament. Silky passes, wicked snipes and thunderous hits, expect these three to do it all on the ice and send the opposing defense scrambling. The Greyhounds have Van Otter, Parmbourg, and Tokolosh who are in for a tough task of keeping up with the Fury line 1. On defense for the Fury we have Kirkby and Murphy, who have 94 pts between them in s50. Across from them we have Ford and Kennedy, who had great offensive years as well and want to prove it wasn’t a fluke. In net for the Fury we have Aleister Cain, who somehow grew from 5’9 to 6’6 during s50 using experimental hormones. The Greyhounds have Harry Carpet, who backstopped his team to a playoff spot for the first time in his young SHL career. If the Fury can play their game and keep the Greyhounds on the run, this should be an easy win for them.

Players to watch:

Greyhounds- Aaron Wilson

Wilson had a stellar year for the Steelhawks and has great expectations in this tournament, being featured on both the powerplay and the penalty kill. He is a very skilled player and I have no doubts he will give it his all against a tough Fury team.

Fury- Max Mauldin

On the other side of things, Mauldin has been absolutely killing it with the Panthers lately and finds himself entrenched on the line 1 powerplay and PK. If he has a good game tonight, the 1st and 2nd line centers will be on a short leash as Maulding will look to move up the ranks on the 5on5 lines as well.

Game 3- Sharks vs Covenant

Sharks 0-0-0

Covenant 0-0-0

If you like scoring, I would tune into this game as the Sharks are salivating at the thought of schooling a young team such as the s50 covenant. Full of junior players, they are full of all-stars but only by SMJHL standards, and they face a harsh reality as they match up against a team with some of the top players in the SHL. The Sharks will open with Lagerfield, Ralchankinov and Czerkawski while the Covenant will start the young Osterman, Atreides and Lane. The first line defense for the Sharks will be MacIntyre and Schieck. They are looking to have an easy night full of forced turnovers as they face Ren and Wang for the Covenant. In net we have long-time Dragon star Kata Vilde squaring up against Ian Venables from the Armada. If you like to root for underdogs then throw on your Hernadivic jersey because these guys need to play smart and skilled hockey to win against the likes of the Sharks.

Players to watch:

Covenant- Daniel Bischoff

Bischoff may find himself as the 4c to start tonight but the coach will be making a lot of changes on the fly and a good night from him could see him moving up before the game is over.

Sharks- Kristaps Ball

Ball shows just how deep this team is, being used as a third pairing D for 5on5 lines but being a powerplay and penalty kill specialist for the Sharks. Ball has every opportunity to showcase his skills for the crowd and coaches and wants to prove 3rd pairing minutes are not enough for the stud defenseman.

Game 4- Astros vs Young Guns

Young guns 0-0-0

Astros 0-0-0

This one should be interesting as a majority of the players in this matchup are juniors players. None of the Young Guns are even on SHL teams at this point, and only a select few of the Astros have cracked an SHL lineup. Starting for the Astros are Connolly, Kandinsky, and Rush. Kandinsky had a record shattering season with the North Stars and is looking to show he wasn’t carried by Lokitonov and even with SMJHL linemates he can still score points night after night. For the Young Guns we have Kekkonen, Villeneuve, and Wachter, who all come from different teams but have the same goal, show off for the scouts as their SHL draft looms. On the back end for the Astros we have Odelein and Cleary, who have both found themselves in the SHL and will use this experience against their young opponents. On the other side we have Owens and Ibrahimovic for the Young Guns. In net we have Spector for the Astros and Doyle for the Young Guns. These two have faced each other all season in the SMJHL and will look to continue the rivalry here in the tournament. With talent like Kandinsky and Odelein I have to give the edge to the Astros, but crazy things happen in hockey and we could see an upset here tonight.

Players to watch:

Young Guns- Mitchell van der Heijden

Van der Heijden had an impressive rookie season on the Armada, racking up 14 goals and 14 assists to total 28 pts. Being a first year player is never easy in the SMJHL, but if anyone can take charge and mount some offense against the Astros tonight it’s Mitch.

Astros- Piotr Horvat

While Kandinsky is the star of this team, Horvat is an underrated member that I think could have a great game tonight. Doomed to tank with the Renegades, Horvat has a fresh start in this tourney and will look to prove the stats don’t reflect what he’s capable of.

Thanks for tuning in and I will be posting a recap with the simmed games soon!

Day 1 Review- https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=100811

Day 2 Preview- https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=100812

Day 2 Review- https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=100813