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ej27 · 03-03-2020, 07:08 PM

The playoffs are a super exciting time of the season. You know what makes them more exciting? Giving out a ton of TPE!

Here's how this will work: there are five tasks, each of which is worth up to 2 TPE for putting in a little effort, for a total of 10 possible TPE. You can complete them in any order and do as few or as many as you would like.

ONLY S52 SMJHL DRAFTEES (S53 SHL DRAFTEES) CAN EARN TPE FOR CW TASKS. If you signed after the trade deadline and will be entered intot he S53 SMJHL Draft, that's not you.

Task #1 - Create a fan giveaway item to be handed out at one of your team's playoff games (can be a rally towel, foam finger, bobble head, etc.)
Requirements: WRITTEN: Write a 100 word blurb about the item, including details on the game where the item will be given out. or GRAPHIC: Include a picture of the item and at least one SMJHL logo; must look like you at least kinda tried.

Task #2 - How would round 1 have gone down if the team matchups had been different? Which teams would be advancing to round 2? Would it have been more evenly matched? Less?
Requirements: At least 150 words

Task #3 - Write a magazine style article OR make a magazine cover featuring a player comparison from any series matchup. You can compare player stats, etc. or get creative and compare their pregame superstitions or whatever.
Written: 150 words
Graphic: Include team logos and player renders plus an article blurb or tagline for the graphic.

Task #4 - Either write an interview with your player about your team's playoff hopes (or if you're on an eliminated team, an interview about your team's season in review) or create a program cover for one of the games in any playoff series.
Requirements: Written - At least 150 words. Graphics - Logos of both teams in the matchup and at least one player render.

Task #5 - It's officially the offseason. Whether you just won the cup or didn't even make the playoffs, it's time to take a break and look toward the SHL draft. Tell us how you're spending your time.
Requirements: 100 words.

DEADLINE FOR ALL TASKS: 5 full days after the final PBP is complete. THIS POST WILL CLOSE FOR GRADING ON 3/12 @ 10AM EST

*roastpuff* · 03-03-2020, 08:07 PM

@ej27 do you mean S53 SHL draftees?

ej27 · 03-03-2020, 08:18 PM

03-03-2020, 08:07 PMroastpuff Wrote: @ej27 do you mean S53 SHL draftees?

whoops, sure do

**Lime** · 03-03-2020, 08:21 PM

TASK 1

TASK 2
Both first round matchups were pretty even. Both went 6 games. Halifax - Kelowna should have been a blowout on paper but the Raiders hung in there to give them 2 losses. Though I think Kelowna - Newfoundland and Halifax - Anchorage would have been closer series. Kelowna would have still made it through in my opinion. They fared much better in round 2, taking the (tied for) first place Kraken to 7 games. Meanwhile us Newfoundlanders took the week off against Detroit. I see the series going 6 or 7 though. It would definitely be a fun matchup to watch. For the other side, I do think Anchorage would have escaped the first round with this setup. I don't see Halifax winning a series against anybody this season really. I could see that series playing out 4-2 Anchorage or maybe even 4-1 if Halifax doesn't get lucky. Overall not a huge difference as I believe neither team would go on to leave round 2 either.

TASK 3
It takes a lot to make it to the SMJHL Finals, and that means a lot of goals. Let's take a look at the top lines of our two contenders to see who has the edge going into this heavyweight bout.

Anaheim

Ivan Maximus - C.T. Carragher - Leonid Kofix

This group has combined for 35 points in the playoffs so far - in just 10 games. That's 15 goals in 94 shots. Maximus and Carragher hold the 2nd and 3rd spots on the P/20 leaderboard.

St Louis

Trey Nets - Ruslan Zaporozhets - James Ronlain

Interestingly enough, the top line for the Scarecrows has been dormant. They've put up just 16 points in 12 games. At least 9 of those were goals. But on 102 shots. Far less efficient.

So it would seem that St Louis is a team effort, while Anaheim relies on the heavy hitters from its top line. This is much riskier for Anaheim, as if any of their major players get cold, their production will suffer severely. If the Scarecrows top line can return to regular season form, they should make short work of the Outlaws.

TASK 4
"Even though we were 8th in the regular season standings, it was still disappointing for us to go out in the second round. It's just the culture around here. Everyone is always hyped and ready to win. When we got into the playoffs we put that 8 behind us and acted like we were number 1. When we beat Anchorage we were hungry for Detroit - there wasn't an ounce of fear going up against such a good team you know? Even down 3-0 we were still saying how glorious the reverse sweep would be. The old guys around here - Okabe, Ren, Dayudie. I'm gonna miss them, but they built a great culture around here. Its a shame they didn't get their cup but they built that culture that I think will be instrumental in the future and I know we're going to get it done sooner or later. We have so many great guys that will be in this team for seasons to come. Minamino coming out of nowhere in the draft and becoming a great player, Timonen having a breakout playoffs performance, and Andrei being Andrei. So I'd say for this season it was bittersweet. A tough send-off for the vets, but a glimpse at a bright future for Newfoundland."

TASK 5
I actually have to finish shooting Season 4 of Stranger Things. They put things on hold as long as they could so I could play hockey but they are getting really impatient. Other than that I've been spending time talking to SHL GMs and players, trying to see where I would fit best. I'd love to go first overall in the draft, but we all know that honor will belong to Jimmy Wagner. In the mean time I will continue to post pictures of myself to the graphics forum and possibly even update people with our findings regarding the Ancient SHL.

***Aephino*** · 03-04-2020, 04:16 PM

Task #1 - After the Scarecrows tied the series up 2-2 in St. Louis, the next game was a pivotal one back in Detroit. We really wanted to get the crowd into the game, as we needed that home ice advantage. So, we motioned to get those giant head cutouts of every player on our roster. Hours before the game, we passed them out for anyone who came early enough to the game. We must have given away hundreds! Sadly, those heads weren't enough and we ended up losing... fuck st louis. Either way, many of those same fans traveled to see game 6 and brought along their cutout heads! Despite our disappointed with the exit, the whole Falcons team was please with our fans, as they did everything they could to cheer us on to victory.

Task #2 - There were many crazy finishes to the regular season, as there was a three-way tie with teams on 61 points. However, a big story that wasn't talked about as much was St. Louis narrowly missing the bye-spot in 6th, as they finished with 57 points, same as 7th-placed Kelowna Knights. The Scarecrows got to sit around drinking on their couches while the Knights had a hard-fought 6 game victory over the Raiders and had to play the Kraken next. St. Louis escaped playing Carolina and instead had to chance to play Colorado, the lowest scorers of the whole league. Now, St. Louis are in the finals, after being so close to seeing a potential second-round exit by the Kraken. Another interesting matchup could have been Anchorage versus Detroit. The Armada lost in 6 to Newfoundland, who we ended up sweeping. Had we faced the Armada, who beat us a few times in the regular season, we might have struggled a little more than we did.

Task #3 -

Which Right Wing Will Be the Difference?

As we approach the start of the rivaled series between the Detroit Falcons and the St. Louis Scarecrows, there are a few key factors that could determine the outcome. One of which is the right wing matchup of Kaarlo Kekkonen, the league-wide points leader, and James Ronlain, the man putting the Scarecrows on his back.

During the regular season, Kaarlo Kekkonen netted 29 goals and 33 assists, becoming just the third player in the 450-cap era to reach 62 points. He was almost unstoppable out on the right wing this season. Over in St. Louis, James Ronlain reached 26 goals and 24 assists, ending up as 6th in the league in total points.

Both players are vitally needed to perform to secure their team's victory. However, more of the pressure is on Ronlain. The Falcons' next leaders in points are Labovitch, McMaster, and Nurmagomedov, who all have more points than the second highest points-getter for the Scarecrows. The fans should be excited as we could be seeing a matchup for the ages. Good luck to both teams, and we'll be on the lookout for Kekkonen and Ronlain!

Task #4 -

Interviewer: Edward, thanks for stopping after the game. How do you feel, now that your team has been eliminated after six games, in St Louis?

Edward Williams: ...We literally just lost. I obviously feel terrible. We left everything on the ice tonight, so there's not much to say. We worked so hard to come back from 3 goals down, but in the end our shots just weren't going in.

I: Would you blame yourself for this loss? You have struggled in these playoffs.

EW: Like I said, no one's to blame. But of course I feel the weight on my shoulders now. I'll admit that I beat my expectations and had an incredible year during the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal. It's more physical. The refs aren't calling everything. The older guys turn up while some of us rookies don't have the same experiences.

I: How do you feel overall about this run for your rookie year?

EW: You know, it was a great run. Sweeping Newfoundland in the second round was a huge deal, and we really gelled as a team. We truly believed we could win the Four Star Cup. Even after this loss, I know we'll still be like brothers. Even if some guys leave us for the SHL... we're a team and we're not going anywhere.

I: Thanks for your time, Edward. Any last words before the next season?

EW: Yeah, lets see. First, f*** St. Louis. And also, SKREEEEEEEEEEE

Task #5 - I'm definitely going back home to Manchester for a little while. It's been months since I've seen my family and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll probably take it easy and only workout 3 times a day. Maybe I'll even run 5k's every day instead of 10k's. But the big thing will be staying in touch with everyone. Even during the offseason, I think we will all enjoy chatting with each other every single day. I went into this season knowing Freddie, I knew Magnus a little bit... and now I've come out with so many friends. These guys are really like my second family. I know we're all gonna train hard, and come back ready as ever. This was supposed to be a rebuilding season and we knocked it out of the park. Can't wait for S53!

Blues · 03-04-2020, 05:21 PM

Task #1 - Create a fan giveaway item to be handed out at one of your team's playoff games (can be a rally towel, foam finger, bobble head, etc.)
Requirements: WRITTEN: Write a 100 word blurb about the item, including details on the game where the item will be given out. or GRAPHIC: Include a picture of the item and at least one SMJHL logo; must look like you at least kinda tried.

Ladies and gentlemen, make sure that you don't miss our game 6 matchup against the Carolina Kraken, as game 7 is Ant Antinen night! That's right, with your ticket to this game, you have earned yourself a collector's edition Anti Antinen themed model ant! The figurine is scaled to the size of a life sized ant and will be handed out at the gates to the first five hundred guests that make their way through the doors! Additionally, if Anti is able to net a goal for your Knights in this game 7, everyone in the building will be eligible to get their Ant Atinen GOLD PLATED at People's Jewelers the day after the game!

Task #2 - How would round 1 have gone down if the team matchups had been different? Which teams would be advancing to round 2? Would it have been more evenly matched? Less?
Requirements: At least 150 words

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had the Kelowna Knights been able to pull out one more point in the regular season to pull themselves into that 6 seed ahead fo the St. Louis Scarecrows. Although the teams were equal in points, the Knight had to go head-to-head with the Halifax Raiders for six games before taking the Carolina Kraken to seven. Had the roles of the Scarecrows and Knights been reversed, with Kelowna taking a week off and St. Louis having to play Halifax, I think the Knights might have been able to make a deeper run. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that a Knights team at full strength and energy would have put their opponents in a more compromising position than they did to the Kraken. Not to say that that wasn't a fantastic, evenly-matched series; I just believe that the Knights would've had a better shot at moving onto the semi-finals had they been able to surpass St. Louis in the standings.

Task #3 - Write a magazine style article OR make a magazine cover featuring a player comparison from any series matchup. You can compare player stats, etc. or get creative and compare their pregame superstitions or whatever.
Written: 150 words
Graphic: Include team logos and player renders plus an article blurb or tagline for the graphic.

Pre-Game: Does it matter?
Well folks, the Kelowna Knights have lost to the Carolina Kraken in seven games in their second round matchup. Everyone is now asking the question: how did this happen? Well, we here at SMJHL Mag were more than happy to do some investigative journalism for you guys and we found the root difference in our matchup: the pre-game routines. Let us delve deeper into this.

Kelowna star Ryan Shepard has a very strict pre-game routine that he follows to a tee. Shepard arrives at the rink exactly four hours and sixteen minutes before puck drop and parks in the same spot in the back of the parking lot every game. Could this be a reason for fatigue going through a seven game series? A very legitimate question that we can only ponder. After he arrives at the rink, he eats exactly 1.5 Chicken Parmesan stuffed chicken breasts made by Hampton House and sold at Costco. This heavy meal could have slowed him down throughout the series.

However, when we look at Kraken forward Michael Fitted, we see a very different routine. He shows up at the rink and combs his beautiful head of hair until approximately twenty minutes to puck drop. This routine is very relaxing for him and gets Fitted in a mindset where he can go out and play at a high level. While Shepard is weighed down by that long walk and chicken parmesan meal, Fitted is at peace with his appearance and in a headspace to kick some ass.

We firmly believe that the pre-game routines play a big part in this series, and YOU SHOULD TOO!

Task #4 - Either write an interview with your player about your team's playoff hopes (or if you're on an eliminated team, an interview about your team's season in review) or create a program cover for one of the games in any playoff series.
Requirements: Written - At least 150 words. Graphics - Logos of both teams in the matchup and at least one player render.

Interviewer: So Rocco, how did you feel this season went for the Knights?
RB: Well, it was an interesting season for us. We did have a fairly stacked top line, with Shepard and Barbashev up top, but our depth pieces, including myself, just weren't at par with the rest of the SMJHL from a development standpoint. Going forward, I expect my fellow rookies and myself to take a more central role on the team, and I think that we have some pieces to make a run next year.
Interviewer: What was your favourite stat that came from this season?
RB: Well, I really liked to see that we had the best goal differential of any team in the SMJHL. Although we didn't make a run as deep as we would have liked, we were bale to play an exciting brand of hockey and keep the fans coming in every night. As a forward, playing on a team with a lot fo goals scored is always a super fun experience, and being able to see that quantified at the end of the season was really neat for me!

Task #5 - It's officially the offseason. Whether you just won the cup or didn't even make the playoffs, it's time to take a break and look toward the SHL draft. Tell us how you're spending your time.
Requirements: 100 words.

Ready to hit the road across Canada now that the season is officially over! Being from across the pond, I haven't really been able to see much of the country aside from road trips to places like Vancouver, Halifax, and Newfoundland. I would love to check out Toronto before I hit the SHL, as it is one of the largest cities in Canada. I would also like to see Montreal, as there used to be an SMJHL franchise there, and I'm still shocked as to why they left! Lastly, I would like to visit Edmonton to see an NHL game featuring Connor McDavid. This guy is a true speedster!

*roastpuff* · 03-04-2020, 05:25 PM

Task #1

At the first home playoff game of the season, all attendees will receive a squeezable plushy of Falco the Falcon, which emits a loud "SKREEEEEEEEE" when the hidden button is activated! Each seat will receive a plushy, and selected random plushies will also contain hidden tickets to meet the team during the next game! Make sure to wave your plushy, and to press the button to make noise during critical moments of the game! This loud "SKREEEEEEEEE" is able to strike fear into the heart of playoff opponents, soothe crying babies, and provide immense strength during times of need. The soft, plush covering can also be used to dry tears after tough losses, third-period collapses, and provides soothing comfort during long summer nights with no Four Star Cup.

Task #2

I don't think the team that gets matched up against Kelowna would have overcome the Knights - they are just too strong and balanced of a team compared to the bottom 3. Anchorage might have been the closest one in terms of a good matchup against them, and the series might have gone to 7. But the Knights' balanced offensive and defensive firepower would have gone through them in short order, besides the whole weird home/bad & away/good thing that they had going.

Halifax Raiders vs. Newfoundland Berserkers would have been an interesting battle of the Atlantic, and I think would have been an extremely close series to watch. I still think the Berserkers will pull out of the series with a win in 6 or 7 games, but the Raiders would have had a better chance at an upset if the Kayhall/Cheezy/Trevino line went hot, or if one of their goalies went on a tear. I don't think either team would have survived the 2nd round against their opponents but it would have been nice for the Raiders to show a little life.

Task #3

Battle of the Rookie Defensemen

Both Jukka Timonen (NFB) and Magnus Liljestrom (DET) are both first-year rookie defensemen who exploded in the playoffs compared to their regular season performance. They both contributed heavily to their teams' playoff success, but both fell short of the ultimate goal of the Four Star Cup after playing 10 games each in the post-season.

Timonen played a total of 10 games (6 against the Anchorage Armada, 4 against the Detroit Falcons) and was good for 4 goals and 3 assists and a +/- of -2, playing an average of 23 minutes a game on the Berserker top line paired with Disisde Dayudie. He was leaned on for all situations and did extremely well in his first year in the league given the relative expectations of the Berserkers corps overall. Unfortunately during the series with the Falcons Timonen was only able to contribute 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist), and was otherwise unable to carry his team to more victories.

Liljestrom also played a total of 10 games (4 against the Newfoundland Berserkers, 6 against the St. Louis Scarecrows) and scored 2 goals and 8 assists for a total of 10 points, making him a point-per-game player in the post-season. With a +/- of 5, Liljestrom seems to have done quite well on the ice playing an average of 20 minutes and 50 seconds on the Falcons' 2nd pairing with fellow rookie Jack Kanoff. Liljestrom had a 3-point game during his first playoff game against the Berserkers, earning 1st star honors, and contributed another 2 assists for a total of 5 points against the Berserkers. Liljestrom had another multi-point game - 4-point game and 1st star again - against the Scarecrows, but was shut down in the last two games and unable to prevent his team being eliminated by the St. Louis Scarecrows.

Task #4

JPP: Magnus, thank you for agreeing to talk to me so shortly after your playoff elimination in St. Louis. How is the team taking it?
ML: Well, the guys were pretty tough on themselves. Everyone was saying that it was their fault, that they didn't do enough to get the team the win. Our GM, Notorious Tig, made sure we all knew that we still had an amazing season for such a young team, and that we would be back in contention next year as challengers for the cup. For myself, I wish I did more in the last two games, especially on the elimination game where we were down 4-5.
JPP: That's great to hear, I'll be looking forward to another amazing season next year! Speaking of which, what about the rest of the season? Did you think you would be first in the league?
ML: No, definitely wasn't thinking we were going to be that high of a seed at all! This has been an amazing season where we outperformed expectations and we had a great time growing as a team. We are such a young team, with a young core, and this growth is so good to see. I am excited for the next season where we will have more players that have developed, and some experience dealing with the post-season games.
JPP: Thank you for your answers, Magnus, and good luck next season!
ML: Thanks!

Task #5

I'm going to fly back to Sweden to see my family for a couple of weeks before the SHL Draft, as I haven't seen them in a while. Definitely going to load up on my mother's home cooking, because it's really hard to find Swedish food in Detroit, and relax for a bit. I might try to go sailing, as I find it calming, and de-stress after that playoff run.

For preparing for the SHL draft, I still have to do the interested prospects threads, and continue the conversations that I had with some GMs that got put on hold during the post-season.

***Ace*** · 03-04-2020, 06:08 PM

TASK ONE -
Welcome to the playoffs in Carolina! If you come to Game 1 of Round 2 here at the Kraken game, the first 5000 fans to walk in receive a free ORANGE OUT t-shirt in an attempt to build even more of a home ice advantage. The shirts will be handed out at the turnstiles, so if you want to get a free shirt, get to the Spectrum Center early! Not everyone will be able to take one home with them.

These shirts are all orange with black trim, and feature the text “SEVENTH PLAYER” on the back with the number 7 firmly on the back of the shirt.

TASK TWO -
If Newfoundland went up against Halifax, it would’ve been a fun eastern Canadian matchup. I am not so sure the Berserkers would’ve advanced quite so easily. Not that they easily dispatched the Anchorage Armada, but they would have had one of the most fun fan centric matchups that the SMJHL could offer. Nothing like a solid rivalry series! I think it would’ve been even more evenly matched than the Newfoundland – Anchorage series. By the way, what an awful travel logistics for the first round of the playoffs for juniors hockey. All the way from Eastern Canada to Alaska. Yikes.

I would’ve also enjoyed seeing the Detroit Falcons go up against the St. Louis Scarecrows. That’s such a long tenured rivalry, it would’ve been a treat on the ice and on the forums.

TASK THREE –
Ivan Maximus – Anaheim Outlaws
CK = Checking: 40
FG = Fighting: 25
DI = Discipline: 62
SK = Skating: 75
ST = Strength: 65
EN = Endurance: 68
DU = Durability: 50 (do not add TPE here, injuries are turned off)
PH = Puck Handling: 73
FO = Face Offs: 73
PA = Passing: 81
SC = Scoring: 63
DF = Defense: 80
PS = Penalty Shot: 41

Tom Fiddler – Carolina Kraken
CK = Checking: 40
FG = Fighting: 25
DI = Discipline: 62
SK = Skating: 75
ST = Strength: 69
EN = Endurance: 60
DU = Durability: 50 (do not add TPE here, injuries are turned off)
PH = Puck Handling: 75
FO = Face Offs: 65
PA = Passing: 80
SC = Scoring: 70
DF = Defense: 82
PS = Penalty Shot: 40

These two guys are the top line centers for their respective teams. For their matchup in the Eastern Conference (or Southern Conference, haha) Finals, we’re going to dive in and take a look at the differences between the two.

The first glaring difference is Maximus’ endurance. He’s able to sustain his shifts longer than his Carolina counterpart, and this keeps the top Anaheim line out on the ice longer. He also has a significant gap between his scoring attribute and passing, which influences him to put the puck on goal far more often than Fiddler. His faceoffs are also superior, allowing the Outlaws to win possession of the puck more than they lose. Fiddler is a more well-balanced player, but these two noticeable differences allowed the Outlaws to easily close out the Kraken with a sweep.

TASK FOUR –
Interview

I’m here with Kraken goaltender Frans Eller. Frans, it’s equipment clean up day, your season is over. What were your thoughts on your season?

Yeah, hello. I think the season was a success for me. I made a lot of friends, adapted to the North American style of game, and we made it all the way to the East Finals. Obviously we would’ve loved to go deeper in the postseason and to have a chance at the Four Star Cup, but what can you do? We can only go home, spend some time with our families, perhaps golf a bit, and then get ready for next season.

I really appreciated my time with my partner in the net, Mike Hroch. He showed me the ropes and I learned a lot watching him during a lot of the games this season. I was excited to learn he was returning next season, and I think we’ll be splitting more games. I’m disappointed to see how many guys will be getting the call up to the SHL, so we have to also trust the front office to make the necessary moves to keep us contending.

TASK FIVE –
I’m golfing. Golfing as much as possible. Nothing is better than going out there in the outdoors, get some sunshine, and drink some beers. It helps me feel much more connected to nature and it still makes those competitive juices flow. In addition to hitting the links and hitting some balls, I’ll be working out very hard and prepping myself as much as possible for the upcoming season. I expect to improve my reaction time, strength and hand speed before S53 comes along and the regular season arrives. The SHL draft is coming, and I already know where I am going. New England. The Wolfpack. I figured it for a while now, but learning it was definitely happening was exciting. I can’t wait to get into the system.

jtam · 03-04-2020, 06:16 PM

Task #1
With the Outlaws on the verge of a sweep, the Outlaws are giving away wanted posters to the first 1000 attendees. Game #4 – Carolina Kraken vs Anaheim Outlaws
*See Attachment*

Task #2
Round 1 went as it would be expected, with the stronger two teams defeating their respective opponents. With 4 points separating the top 7 teams in the league, and the top 8 teams reaching round 2 of the playoffs, it was going to be a wild ride. It was hard to imagine Anchorage having a better go at Detroit in round 2, but Newfoundland could not muster much against Detroit. Perhaps Anchorage could have given Detroit more fight. The tightest series in round 2 belonged to Kelowna vs Carolina. One could say that this was to be expected, with barely any separation between the top 7 teams. Halifax would be in tough to replicate Kelowna’s performance, with the leagues worst goal differential. Carolina boasts the 3rd most potent offenses in the SMJHL, while Kelowna’s defense ranks last with the highest goals against. It came down to the wire, but Carolina got the game 7 victory, and thus all round 1 teams were eliminated in the Four Stars Cup.

Task #3
The Four Stars cup is upon us, with Anaheim facing off against St. Louis. Key to ANA’s success this playoffs has been the potent offensive firepower led by the stellar play of Ivan Maximus. With a sparkling statline of 4-10-14 coming into the finals, St. Louis will need to rely on star defender Flash Gordon to step up to stifle Maximus’ offence. Playing a steady 24 minutes a game against the star players, Gordon will need to rely on his sound positioning and impressive shot blocking prowess to ensure Maximus does not rack up points against St. Louis. Gordon, along with top pair defense partner Axel Meszaros will likely be hard matched against the offensive juggernaut of ANA’s first line. The matchup could very well rest in special teams, and where Gordon and the rest of the STL roster will need to find a way to slow down Maximus’ team leading 6 powerplay points.

Task #4
“Need to find another gear”
When we caught up with Rikard Hammarberg, ANA’s 5th round pick during the S52 SMJHL draft, the excitement of being in the finals does not seem to be phasing him much.
“I haven’t played to my abilities yet, and I know I need to find another gear. I haven’t been the best defensively and I need to play better to help ANA raise the 4 Stars Cup.” Said Hammarberg.
While the pressure of performing in the playoffs in their first year in the league is daunting to most, Rikard is laser focused on performing in a 4th line role. “Scoring my first playoff goal lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, but I need to be effective at both ends of the ice and lift that cup at the end of this series. I can’t wait. I don’t expect anything less. To celebrate with teammates is the greatest joy, nothing will compare.”
Task #5
Hammarberg hasn’t thought much about what he is going to do after the playoffs. “Hopefully I will be celebrating the win. I don’t know how celebrating works in the SMJHL, but I definitely will be taking it all in. Its been a long season, but I need to focus on next season. The draft his definitely on my mind, but all I can do is work on myself. I need to work on my overall game, I haven’t helped my team in the defensive zone, nor am I putting the puck in with regularity. I need to prove to coach that I deserve more ice time, and be ready for the rigors of the season next year. I can’t wait”

Attached Files Thumbnail(s)

MarlinManiac4 · 03-04-2020, 06:32 PM

Task #1 - Create a fan giveaway item to be handed out at one of your team's playoff games (can be a rally towel, foam finger, bobble head, etc.)
Requirements: WRITTEN: Write a 100 word blurb about the item, including details on the game where the item will be given out.

Come out early to cheer on your Colorado Raptors in game 1 of the 2nd round of the SMJHL playoffs against the St. Louis Scarecrows! It's a crucial game to take control of the series and the Raptors need YOUR support. Those who arrive early will have the opportunity to have pictures taken with Former Raptors legends and the most popular mascot in the SMJHL, Raptor Rex! The first 5000 fans to arrive also receive a signed "Future Stars" poster, featuring young emerging Raptors stars like Chris Cerullo, Hiroshi Ohira, Bradley Barkov, and Sven Svenson including their pictures and rookie stats. The future is now!

Task #2 - How would round 1 have gone down if the team matchups had been different? Which teams would be advancing to round 2? Would it have been more evenly matched? Less?
Requirements: At least 150 words

Both first round series were fairly close already, but I think that a potential Newfoundland-Halifax series would have been extremely evenly matched as well. In this scenario, I would pick Newfoundland to be the slightest of favorites. On the flip side, we see a rematch of last years SMJHL championship between the Armada and the Knights. I think while Kelowna would have the edge on paper against Anchorage, I think Anchorage manages to at least take the series to 7 and I would even have been tempted to pick them to advance, since I believe Anchorage matchesup quite well with Kelowna. If those new results had happened, it would have led to a couple interesting 2nd round matchups, such as Anchorage vs. Detroit, and Newfoundland vs. Carolina. I think Both teams that advanced in the real playoffs(Detroit, Carolina) would have still been clear favorites, I would have been interested to see a young Detroit team face-off against a battle tested Anchorage squad who made a championship the year before.

Task #3 - Write a magazine style article OR make a magazine cover featuring a player comparison from any series matchup. You can compare player stats, etc. or get creative and compare their pregame superstitions or whatever.
Written: 150 words

Keeping pucks out of the net is key to having playoff success, so lets take a look at the goalie matchup between the Colorado raptors and the St. Louis Scarecrows ahead of their highly anticipated 2nd round matchup

Colorado

Samat Beibitzhanov

Regular Season: GP:41|W:22|L:13|OTL:5|Save%: .892|GAA:2.83

St. Louis

Elizabeth Doyle

Regular Season: GP:41|W:23|L:13|OTL:4|Save%: .888|GAA:2.84

Looking at their performance during the regular season, we can see that both goalies have performed relatively similar to each other. Botha have been fairly consistent anchors for their team, posting a GAA of 2.83 and 2.84. Each have also posted Save percentages that rank in the upper half of the league. Each one is gonna have to bring their "A" game in order to backstop their respective teams to victory this week. Colorado is a team that especially relies on its defense to win games, which means that Beibitzhanov is going to once again play a huge role in keeping the Scarecrows off the scoreboard.

Task #4 - Either write an interview with your player about your team's playoff hopes (or if you're on an eliminated team, an interview about your team's season in review) or create a program cover for one of the games in any playoff series.
Requirements: Written - At least 150 words.

SI: We're sitting down today with Colorado rookie Bradley Barkov to talk about his first season in the books. What is your biggest takeaway Bradley?

BB: Well I think what struck me immediately was how the level of competition was so much higher then what I regularly played against before. The speed of the game took me a while to get used to. I had to work on upping all my skills to catch up

SI: Well you certainly started to turn it on later in the season and you really showed up big during the playoffs. What did you do differently?

BB: When I was younger, I used to do extra skating and drills at my local ice rink to work on my skills. About halfway through the year, I'd finally got my bearings and started to return to my old habits that got me this far. I even got a couple of other rookies like Svenson and Huuveri to join me every few late night practice sessions. It really helped our chemistry and allowed us to stay sharp and get better.

SI: Well congrats on a good start to your career! I know we are all expecting great things to come.

BB: With this team, you can count on it.

Task #5 - It's officially the offseason. Whether you just won the cup or didn't even make the playoffs, it's time to take a break and look toward the SHL draft. Tell us how you're spending your time.
Requirements: 100 words.

I'm taking a relaxed schedule. I take 1 or 2 personal practice sessions a week and the rest of the time im doing things I like. I've actually really gotten into American baseball during this first off-season. people say the sport isn't fast paced enough, like hockey. But I like the 1v1 match-up with the pitchers. each player trying to calculate what pitch is coming and what pitch the hitter is expecting and react appropriately. It kind of reminds me of the same process that come with playing defense and a forward is coming at me with the puck. I only have moments to calculate what he is gonna do with the pick and what is the best way to contain him. I haven't actually picked a team yet, but I have attended a few Rockies games since they are the local team. Besides that I have spent some time back home in Finland to visit family and now im heading back in the next few days to prepare to play for the Finnish national team in the IIHF. Im really excited about being called up.

*leviadan* · 03-05-2020, 01:23 AM

Task 1:

Task 2:

I think that swapping the teams in round one would have likely made the matchups more even, but that's the rub of a top vs. bottom seed playoffs style, right? The team with the better regular season performance gets a bit of an advantage in their matchups. As it stands, both teams that were expected to win did.

BUT if we rearranged to have Newfoundland play Kelowna, I definitely think Kelowna comes out on top. They're a fantastic team that landed just one point out of the bye round. They had a great showing in round two, almost taking down the number two seeded Kraken, so I can't imagine them having too much trouble with the Beserkers in a hypothetical round one. The Berserkers were coming into the playoffs hot on a four game win streak, but I'm not convinced that would be enough.

The gap between Anchorage and Halifax is even greater, so I can't see this one being particularly close either. Halifax just had a tough year overall without much going their way. I expect a big bounce back from them in S53, but I have to call a spade a spade-- I don't think they had much of a shot this go around. If they had anything going for them, it's that Anchorage has a home record of 7-15-3 which is significantly worse than their away record. Since Anchorage would have the home-ice advantage, that could have actually hurt them against Halifax that was a serviceable road team at 10-11-4.

Task 3:

Hockey fans around the world know that today marks the beginning of the SMJHL semi-finals! In a matchup we've all been waiting for, two of the most heated rivals in the league will go head-to-head: the Detroit Falcons, and the St. Louis Scarecrows. When you look at the standings, the Falcons certainly appear to be the favourite, but let's dig a little deeper! We're going to take a quick look at the top scorers on each team to see who has the edge in star power!

Falcons

Kaarlo Kekkonen - 50 GP / 29 G / 33 A / 62 P / +19 / 58 H
Scarecrows

James Ronlain - 50 GP / 26 G / 24 A / 50 P / +13 / 41 H

It's tough to argue that Kekkonen doesn't have the edge here over Ronlain. In pure counting stats, Kekkonen is the guy to beat. If Ronlain has anything on Kekkonen it's his special teams work. He scores more power play goals, and has far more minutes on the penalty kill than Kekkonen. Special teams have been a strength for St. Louis and a weakness for Detroit, so if Ronlain can help lead his team in this category, they have a good shot at making some noise in this one.

Task 4:

Larry King: So, Burlok. Against all odds, you and the Falcons have been eliminated. Now I'm a busy man so I'm going to give you around 150 words to tell me what's going through your head right now.

Burlok Sulfurgold: Well... honestly Larry I'm deeply disappointed, but there's also a lot of hope there.

LK: Hope? Tell me more.

BS: For sure! Well we're a young team as you know and... well if we rewind the clock to the beginning of the season, we had no expectations. We were just loaded with rookies-- tons of guys that had never seen a professional game before, myself included, and nobody thought we would do much of anything! Maybe we could wreak a bit of havoc in the first round, earn ourselves a bye if we got particularly lucky... but what we got was so much more. A Laurifer Trophy? A semi-finals appearance? Like I said at the top I'm feeling disappointed, but hell if you had told me that on day one of the season, I'd be over the moon. I think a lot of the guys would be.

LK: But there's still that sadness, I understand. Do you have any final words for your teammates back in the room?

BS: I'm immensely proud of everyone's work. I know we're all hurting now, but enjoy the amazing ride we went on and the things we achieved. Then, let's start looking forward to the future. We're going to have a few more amazing runs with this group.

LK: Thank you, Burlok.

BS: No no Larry, thank you.

Task 5:

Since Burlok had his ass handed to him on a silver platter in six games, he has once again returned to his home in Germany. He's continued with his usual workout regimen, but has also used his contract money to have video review sessions with SHL coaches and experts on a bi-weekly basis. He hasn't been hit with a bill yet, but he imagines it's going to be pretty damn expensive.

Internet is slow out in the middle of no-where, so he gets more bang for his buck as the coaches have to repeat themselves several times in order to be sure the message has gotten through without interruption. He also gets incredibly detailed break downs of every single play, frame-by-frame, because it takes so long to load. Similarly, not many SHL teams have contacted Burlok about the upcoming draft. He assumes that this is because of the poor internet, and not because of his poor point totals through the regular season and playoffs. Surely the messages are coming, they're just taking a long time to get through.

But beyond hockey, Burlok is just trying to relax and be happy. He's back home with his family, he has a lot to be proud of, and his focus is on enjoying everything as it comes. If he worries too much about the draft, or the roster, or the season to come-- he won't notice the feeling of the German farm soil under his nude ass, or the crunch of a raw potato in his mouth, or the warmth of his eight brothers attacking him. Burlok's lesson for the off season, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

[Image: pin1_1.gif?ex=661a1734&is=6607a234&hm=b8...1bf5caed8&]

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