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(Graded) Deep Dive #2: Colorado Raptors after 50 games
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(This post was last modified: 03-06-2021, 12:05 PM by StamkosFan.)

If ever, there was feast or famine team, it’s the Season 58 Colorado Raptors. Currently ranked 4th in the West, Colorado is 24 points behind division leading Kelowna, but only 4 points behind Anchorage for runners up. The Raptors have roughly 20 games remaining in their regular season and perhaps poised for a Darkhorse playoff run.

If there’s been any consistency coming out of Colorado this season, it’s been their yin-then-yang performance. “Win a game, then lose a game…all [expletive] season long”, said one disgruntled fan after exiting the arena following Friday’s 4-1 loss to Newfoundland. The loss is Colorado’s 21st on the year and raises questions about the team’s ability to generate points as the playoffs approach.

There’s no doubting the offensive skill in Denver, but thus far, the team has yet to find the consistency required to keep pace with the more experienced top lines within the SMJHL. After his blazing start to the season, rookie Fedor Sotakov came back down to Earth in terms of his offensive production. After being elevated to the Raptors’ top line, Sotakov began to struggle to move the puck and find shooting lanes. Some have speculated the Raptors top line would be more productive with Sonata Diamante on the top line. Through 50 games, the Italian forward has compiled 25 points on 13 goals, 1 more goal and 3 points better than Sotakov.

Opposite of Sotakov has been Season 57 veteran left wing Jarmo Kekalainen. The Finnish puck-mover has struggled at times throughout the season, but few would argue his 24 points and 10 power play points are anything to frown at this season. Leon Schweingruber continues to center Colorado’s top line. Schweingruber has 19 points, but his 4.05% shot percentage proves there’s still some work to be done on his shot accuracy and decision-making.

A bright spot in Colorado has been behind the blue line where goalie Yanno Rosejac and defenseman Ren-Ekelemchi Shimizu-Okoli have been named to the Season 58 All-Star Team. Both have been outstanding in the majority Colorado’s low-scoring affairs and will be huge crowd favorites when the puck drops in Denver for the SMJHL’s best-of-the-best festivities.

The Raptors must be disappointed to only put two players into an All-Star Game played in their home arena, but there’s a lot of potential in the weeks ahead.

Optimism is high within the Raptors clubhouse as the team recently signed free agent winger Artemius Nystrom to a deal. Nystrom is very large Swedish forward that can hit and handle the puck. Colorado also inked Hail Bingus to a contract for the remainder of the season. Bingus is small, speedy forward from Ontario that figures to add some much-needed offensive depth as the Raptors look for solutions to late game woes.

Colorado has had their struggles but they’re far from being at the bottom of the league and have shown flashes of a roster that has the talent to make a run. It’s unlikely the Raptors can match the Season 55-56 talent in Kelowna or Quebec City this season, but it would be surprising to see this team make a semifinal run. Regardless, Season 59 offers a ton of promise as Colorado brings back most of their current roster. If the Raptors can hit on a couple more draft picks, watch out. 

Raptors

**582 words**

APPROVED +5 TPE @sota

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Finland  Raptors  pride




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