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*CptSquall* · 03-13-2021, 03:27 PM

Ahoy there SHL, its CptSquall here win a Playoff Preview article on where each of the twelve teams stand in their quest for sim hockey's ultimate prize, the Challenge Cup.

For this comparative preview i have split the twelve teams into three broad categories, contenders, pretenders, and also-rans. Loosely they can be described as such: Contenders are the teams that have put everything or almost everything together for what makes a champion. Pretenders are those teams just below the true contenders. These teams are missing more than one of the five keys to going the distance and the difference in how things play out hinges on them exceeding expectations and playing as if they have all five. Finally the also-rans are those who lack pretty well all of these five statistical keys. However these categories and their thresholds that i have come up with are by no means set in stone. Any team that makes it in can go on an absolute heater and capture the cup as the playoffs are a new beast entirely. Now that i have given a basis as to why these categories are, let me explain the thresholds.

To be a true contender you need five massive things in my opinion. Four of these are obvious stats that real life hockey analysts and diehard hockey nerds recognize as being heavily important to a cup run. They are Goals for per game, Goals against per game, and special teams broken into the Power play and Penalty kill respectively. A true contender will more than likely be top five in three or four of these statistical categories or at least not too far away. The fifth one is the least important of the five as it serves as more of a window into how these teams stack up head to head. That is broadly the head to head record, which can be more deeply weighed as how these two stack up in the aforementioned four key stats, as well as the end results. Now that we have that all hammered in, lets set sail on this journey.

Contenders

Buffalo Stampede

Goals For/Game: 3.83 (4th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 2.03 (2nd in league)
PP%: 30.7% (1st in league)
PK%: 85.1% (2nd in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 26-16
Record vs Contender teams total: 6-8

The Buffalo Stampede are pretty well a complete package. Lead by Bobby Sharp and his 86 points as well as Monkey D. Luffy hitting 80 too, it is little surprise that i have them as a contender. Elizabeth Doyle is and elite goaltender and has been for the last few seasons with Sergei Potvinov and Chimkin Tendy both being more than serviceable backups. Nearly four goals for per game has them having no problems scoring which comes as no surprise. Their defense has always been more where the Stamps had succeeded and it is near league best. Special teams are both on point as this team plays real disciplined hockey and buries their chances on their most lethal power play. The addition of Dick Clapper no doubt boosted this dangerous roster as well. If i had to levy any criticism on them it would be for their struggles against the other contending teams. Buffalo is the only one on my list with a losing record against other contender tier teams and also has the weakest record against the rest of the playoff teams, contenders included. But that is more nitpicking than anything as they are a very scary team.

Hamilton Steelhawks

Goals For/Game: 3.95 (3rd in league)
Goals Against/Game: 2.56 (6th in league)
PP%: 26.2% (4th in league)
PK%: 68.6% (18th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 28-14
Record vs Contender teams total: 7-6

The Hamilton Steelhawks are not far removed from their last cup ring and, unsurprisingly loaded up this offseason. The likes of Elijah Jones and Mitchell van der Heijden Provided more jump in this high powered offence while Zlatan Ibrahimovic Jr. sliding over from main rival Buffalo added yet another stalwart defender to a team that is always a threat come playoff time. Last Year's Sergei Karpotsov Trophy winner Michael Scarn lead the team again with 81 points and is by and large a driving force in Steel town, Ontario. Their goals against are just a hair outside of the elite level and i'll get to why in a minute. The power play is also healthy as ever, scoring over a quarter of their chances. The Penalty Kill needs work, BADLY. Lets not kid ourselves here it is literally league worst at 68%. Given that their defense as a whole mitigates the lions share of chances against and the fact that this team rarely gets into penalty trouble should help a lot and, for me can be over looked when it comes to deciding weather or not they can hang with the other contenders. To that end their record against other playoff teams is better than Buffalo's and they are above .500 against the contenders as a whole which leaves me confident that this team is one we will likely see in May.

Texas Renegades

Goals For/Game: 4.29 (1st in league)
Goals Against/Game: 2.06 (3rd in league)
PP%: 24.1% (6th in league)
PK%: 86.9% (1st in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 33-9
Record vs Contender teams total: 3-3

Ah the Renegades, darlings of the league as your President's Trophy winners. Their 109 points have broken up the four year run of Great Lakes teams winning it, which provides new excitement about who our elite teams are. These guys are potent and deep on offence with Kaarlo Kekkonen leading the way with 75 points. Its an offence that is head and shoulders above the rest being the one of two teams to score over a 4 goal per game pace. Don't get blinded by that offence though, their defensive corps is sharp with Bjorn Leppanen anchoring her and the odds on John Mcbride Trophy favorite, White Goodman minding the net. Their Power Play is, surprisingly an area to work on i think. Its just outside of top five and feels like something they would work on, if just to keep their motivation up and momentum going. Nobody handles being a man down like Texas who could show Hamilton a thing or two about it. Like the rest, their record against other playoff teams should come as no surprise. They only went 3-3 against the other teams in this tier, but not seeing them all that often could be part of the reason. Honestly the Lone Star State should be the favorite to take the cup even if they just keep humming along like they are.

Toronto North Stars

Goals For/Game: 3.64 (5th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 2.41 (5th in league)
PP%: 22.7% (8th in league)
PK%: 81.2% (8th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 30-12
Record vs Contender teams total: 8-6

Back to Canada we go in the big TO. That's right the Toronto North Stars are a true contender baby. Now before we get TOO hyped up i should be honest. They are probably the team with the weakest contender case of these four. But they still have more of what i am looking for than the teams below them, making the choice an easy one. Their offence noses into the top 5 with Bobby Lane and his 78 leading that charge. But that is pretty high for a team that scores by committee. Their top pair of Adam Barron and Axel Meszaros can and usually do shut down any teams top guns. Harry Carpet also provides the insurance to keep the North Stars focused on scoring. The special teams are lagging behind a little bit and could both be worked on. This team also has a larger tendency than their peers to get themselves into penalty trouble. Still with those picking up, Toronto could rival Texas for how complete they are. They also faired second to only the Renes against playoff bound teams and sport the best winning % against the aforementioned three teams. Do not be surprised to see Star gang make a splash in their first FHM playoff run by going into the final four.

Pretenders

Next we have the pretenders. These are teams who may have some of those high end stats but at the end of the day would not likely last against the true contenders. Still, if things go well and they address their shortcomings, they might just shock us all. A nicer way of talking about these teams would be to call them Dark Horses.

Calgary Dragons

Goals For/Game: 3.62 (7th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 2.39 (4th in league)
PP%: 16.7% (14th in league)
PK%: 84.7% (4th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 23-19
Record vs Contender teams total: 2-10

Honestly, the Calgary Dragons are not THAT far away. A fistful more goals per game would have them at elite level scoring akin to or ahead of Toronto. Barry Batsbak and Esa Parmborg both lead the team with 79 points which begs me to ask how their depth scoring fared. Otis B. Driftwood has been an anchor for their defense for a long time now and that core is healthy. Kata Vilde has had a couple of down years by his standards but is only two seasons removed from his Mike Honcho Trophy winning season and can easily turn back the clock. The Dragons' scoring might go up if they didnt have such a dismal power play. It is more than likely the biggest thing holding them back from being a contender, especilly since their penalty kill is strong. Their record against other playoff teams is above .500 but not by much. What pushed me over the edge was just how bad the Dragons fared against Toronto, Hamilton, Buffalo, and Texas going 2-10 in their twelve games against those four. Things could turn around for these guys, but going into it, they are not my favorite.

Edmonton Blizzard

Goals For/Game: 4.05 (2nd in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.09 (8th in league)
PP%: 23.5% (7th in league)
PK%: 76.9% (12th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 23-19
Record vs Contender teams total: 6-6

If the Calgary Dragons need to work on the misfiring power play and goal scoring to get them deep, then their Northern Alberta rivals are polar opposites. The Edmonton Blizzard could give the Texas Renegades a run for their money in a shootout. Lead by Barrentt Blackwood's 78 points and sporting a roster with 4 70 point players, they are the other team scoring at 4 goals a game. But they need to keep that white hot offence because they also allow about 3 goals a game on average, which is not good enough. Their power play is unsurprisingly rather good but could be improved on. If they did they may just be able to keep pace or out score the Renes. The Blizz's penalty kill is kind of struggling and shoring that up would probably go some way to stemming the flow of pucks into their net. Speaking of the net, this is Peter Ramsey's first season as a starter after a rookie season that saw him play backup. He may still fare well here in post season action and is only getting better. They have an identical record against other playoff teams to Calgary but faired half decent against the likes of Texas, Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo.

Manhattan Rage

Goals For/Game: 3.29 (8th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.00 (7th in league)
PP%: 28.8% (2nd in league)
PK%: 76.2% (13th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 20-22
Record vs Contender teams total: 8-13

The Manhattan Rage won the Atlantic division and get a well deserved bye into the next round. They should be thankful. Their offence is pretty solid, Lead by Ola Wagstrom's 68 points but it does need to be better to keep up. They only had a single 30 goal man in Austin Roenick and he landed on that magic number. Their defense is, again, solid but could use improvement. Their power play is a massive bright spot in how deep they can go as it is one of the league's best. Their penalty kill is likely what is dragging down that offence and the wins they could get. Like with the Blizzard a better PK will go a long way to helping the tandem of Peter Larson and Name Redacted who split the net this year pretty evenly. Who they go with as their starter may come down to game 1 of round 2. A losing record against both playoff teams and Contenders alike is worrisome, particularly the later as the Rage are not likely to see any other teams aside from the six above that I have spoken about. But they can sort things out.

Also-Rans

Obviously this last category is for the rest of the teams involved. These teams range from needing more than one small fix to their game, all the way down to "My condolences for the ass whipping you are likely to receive". Mind you, ANY team can get it done with a combination of adaptability and a little bit of luck. After all the old saying goes, you've got to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good.

Atlanta Inferno

Goals For/Game: 3.21 (9th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.41 (12th in league)
PP%: 20.4% (9th in league)
PK%: 79.7% (9th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 14-27
Record vs Contender teams total: 4-16

The Atlanta Inferno, where to start? Eko van Otter lead them with a 73 point performance as well as 31 goals. Guy Zheng also put in 31. Those 62 goals account for nearly 30% of the teams scoring so depth scoring will be a must, particularly when teams are going to look to shut down their opponents top guys. Power play time will be at a premium and this team will need goals. The defense seemed to have a tough time likely due to getting into the most penalty trouble in the league. With all those opportunities on the penalty kill it could be faring better. A theme down in this tier that should come as no surprise is these teams records against the other teams here in the post season. Atlanta did not fare so well against their counter parts, and even worse against the likes of Hamilton, Texas, Toronto, and Buffalo. For the Inferno to burn it down in the playoffs they will need some masterful coaching and a little more luck to go far.

Baltimore Platoon

Goals For/Game: 2.74 (11th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.65 (16th in league)
PP%: 16.6% (15th in league)
PK%: 75.7% (14th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 14-28
Record vs Contender teams total: 4-16

The Baltimore Platoon have been an under rated and under appreciated surprise this season. Karl Krashwagon came alive with his 71 points and league leading 42 goals. without a doubt he is a HUGE reason why the Toonza are even here. He is going to have to inspire some depth scoring and pray to whatever gods he was all season that his opponents cant stop him. They also need help defensively and badly at that Nate Emerson has been their go to guy there for a fare bit and is a real strong member. Luca Del Vecchio is a young but really strong goaltender who has played really well all season. If he elevates his game just a wee bit, and the defense tightens up, look for Baltimore to grind out some tough wins. Looking into special teams wouldn't hurt either They too get mired in penalty trouble at times and will need all the help they can get. They did pretty well just as bad as Atlanta did against playoff teams and the top 4 as a whole too.

Los Angeles Panthers

Goals For/Game: 3.00 (10th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.36 (10th in league)
PP%: 17.3% (12th in league)
PK%: 83.5% (5th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 14-28
Record vs Contender teams total: 1-11

The Los Angeles Panthers are probably the only other team in their division that does not need a rebuild, they have a solid core there. Scoring has been an issue for them as Jimmy Slothface lead the team with only 64 points. he cannot do it alone even though he is their sole 30 goal man too. Defensively again the are solid but need to tighten it up, especially 5on5 as the have one of the strongest penalty kills. Like most here, power play work will go some way to helping with goal scoring and they should get more chances due in no small part to being a team that stays out of the box at almost all costs. Against the other playoff teams they faired okay, maybe a little worse than Atlanta or Baltimore if for no other reason besides the fact that LAP did NOT enjoy the likes of the 4 contenders, managing 1 win in 12 shots and that one was a wild misnomer of a game.

San Francisco Pride

Goals For/Game: 2.39 (15th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.98 (17th in league)
PP%: 16.3% (16th in league)
PK%: 75.0% (15th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 10-32
Record vs Contender teams total: 1-11

The San Francisco Pride. How do dredge up positives about this team? No offence, but you guys only made it because NOLA needs a DEEP rebuild right now. But you are here which means its a whole new season. Henrik Lekberg Osterman lead this team with 66 points but only 25 goals. This team has many needs and goal scoring should be high priority. With young rookie Nicolae Antonescu in net anything is possible and the playoff experience that Geezus Kryyst can impart on the young Romanian will be amazing. Special teams could use a huge jump and would help make this whole experience easier. They did expectantly worse against their peers and as bad as LA against contenders. This is made worse because they are doomed to meet Toronto in round 1. I would say REALLY high end coaching is going to be needed in order to take this team anywhere in the playoffs. Best of luck San Fran.

Winnipeg Aurora

Goals For/Game: 2.58 (13th in league)
Goals Against/Game: 3.15 (9th in league)
PP%: 17.0% (13th in league)
PK%: 82.5% (7th in league)
Record vs other playoff teams total: 16-26
Record vs Contender teams total: 2-10

Last but not least we have the newly christened Winnipeg Aurora. Welcome to the playoffs Canada's winterland. This team will absolutely need more goals, 5on5, man advantage, hell if you can sneak some short handed that could be sweet. Depth scoring is probably the thing for them as Nick Brain had 30 goals and 57 points but nobody else broke 20 points. That goal support would help elevate the pressure put on the defense and goaltender Storm Chamberlain to preform other worldly. Also, as one of the most undisciplined teams, they will need to stop that sin bin parade to make it past Buffalo in round 1. They fared better against other playoff teams than their peers down here and even manage more wins than LAP and SFP against our top 4. Winnipeg could shock people if they put it all together.

So, that is my thoughts on where each of the 12 playoff teams sit heading into the S58 post season. If you liked this article, let me know below. If you didnt or just want to leave thoughts, drop them in a reply below. Anchors Away.