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JNH · 09-13-2023, 10:55 PM

1. sdcore

(3 TPE)

3. What makes the Winnipeg Aurora so successful over the past four seasons is just how strong the core of their team is. They have a ton of absolutely elite superstar players on their roster and the on-ice product reflects that. It flows from a really strong drafting strategy going back over the past ten seasons as well as being aggressive in the trade market to upgrade and shore up any deficiencies that may have popped up. They also have a dedicated management team and leadership group that work to do everything possible to ensure that their team is winning. This attitude rubs off on the players and ensures that the players are loyal to the franchise - the minimal roster turnover means that they can focus their assets on trades that add value either to the youth on their team or to add even more top end talent. It's this formula that is a reason why you should not expect to see the Aurora slow down any time soon.

(3 TPE)

2b) It may be a rematch of the S70 finals, but there is a critical difference which is why I think the Aurora are going to win this series. In S70, the Wolfpack had jeffie. In S72, the Wolfpack no longer have jeffie. They're still a great team - but he was an x-factor both on and off the ice and I don't think New England is going to be able to overcome that loss in the finals.

2a) I'm going to continue with this theme because why stop now? It's the Aurora and what impresses me most is the drive that they showed up to this season with. Most teams would fold after the pain of losing three finals in a row - buy into a curse and search for greener less cursed pastures. But they stuck with it, got even better and showed up to the finals ready to make this year count.

(2 TPE)

damienj10 · 09-13-2023, 11:21 PM

Winnipeg is a cup finalist for an astonishing fourth year in a row! To make that happen in the current era of the SHL requires serious skill and deserves appreciation. What is it that makes this Aurora era so successful? What have been the most crucial factors in their Western dominance? What lessons should the rest of the league learn from their success?

Honestly are you trying to point out the fact that’s somethings not right there and they are probably got some cheat code within the league and are like. How did they do it? Good players luck and a little bit of cheating just kidding maybe? You never know for a sim engine that spits alotta random horse shit I have heavy and high doubts about 4 in a row but I digress it is possible even if the chances are lower than my balls when they dropped on a summer evening of 2011. Any way congrats on cracking the system by real world trading players to stay in Winnipeg I think you must have gave them actual money because why? Why would you stay in one place forever? Have you cracked the matrix I think you guys have cracked the matrix with that one scoop. Nice Winnipeg you bastards

The New England Wolfpack have two defensemen and seven forwards that went over a point per game in the regular season, and one in Ivan Lackasmus that lapped it with over two points per game. They haven't slowed down in the playoffs either, so they aren't just inflated by hot games against the tanks. What is it that makes the Wolfpack's offense so incredibly lethal? Can it be imitated, or only envied? Will it be enough to get them another cup with this core?

Because they have strong players and probably arm chair gms that sit there for 100 hours possibly test summing to get the best results percentage wise. They’ll run everything for TPE and that sweet sim engine glory. I remember the days where goalies were also able to be a possible outcome and factor in the league I miss those days. None the less the test sim mathematicians win in this league. All the tpe and best build are chosen for these mathematicians so that they can rule the sim league universe. Trust me I steal builds from these top teams all the time and it works out. Does that make me a cuck? Kinda but the New England wolf pack have good players and I want to score just as much as them so yea I cuck off their players builds whoever scored the highest. I just don’t care what do you want me to do? Not cuck off of them? Because too late too good of a team not to cuck off of. Sorry New England but your lethalness will turn me into a sim engine sniping god. I guess at the end of the day their success can only be envied and never imitated.

5ympathies · 09-13-2023, 11:41 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

clapper

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Cold Sweat and Frozen Tears (150 words min)

How many more kicks at the can will these teams have with their current cores? Winnipeg has been unbelievably dominant with four straight wins of the Western conference. The Wolfpack have been one of the best teams in the league for several seasons running as well. For how long are these two cores going to keep themselves in that top echelon? Which teams will be their biggest threats next season?

As someone who pays so so much attention to the current happenings of the league and knows all of the top contenders and the bottom feeders and totally just did not learn 30 seconds ago that Winnipeg has made it to the finals 4 times in a row I would have to say that I do not expect them to have their current core fall apart any time soon. As someone who went to the finals 3 times in a row with Hamilton many many seasons ago, that team kept their core stable and through savy trades and management added value pieces across the board to continue their success winning something like 5 challenge cups in 10 seasons, going to the finals almost every season that decade. Do I expect Winnipeg to reach the same success as Hamilton? Definitely not, with the end of test simming and increase of parity across the league. None the less, I do expect Winnipeg to continue to do well many seasons to come.

Code:
12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Looks like [TEAM] won Season 72! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

Big congrats to Winnipeg. First time they won the cup I believe. Always nice to win the first cup in your teams history, wish I could relate @hotdog Any way I digress. New England could have done so many things differently, it is honestly so hard to name each and every one of them. For starters they could have won more games than Winnipeg, alternatively they could have lost fewer games than Winnipeg. Both of those would have resulted in the New England Wolfpack of the Simulation Hockey League, a team that I was once top 10 in all time points for with the same player I currently have, winning the all elusive and famed Challenge Cup.

Thanks to JSS for the signature

***eddiesnothere*** · 09-13-2023, 11:47 PM

1. Trivia
1. 4
2. Olof Karasikko
3. Artom Zhumbayev

2. Grab Bag
1. I gotta be honest, I can't choose a favorite this time. On the one hand, Winnipeg needs a Cup more than any other team does at this point, having had so many chances fall just short. On the other hand, New England has been just as dominant, with Ivan Lacksamus proving just as deadly an opponent as anyone else in the league. It's truly a test of the league's juggernauts, and I couldn't really cheat and choose the better team this time.
2. It's all about defense and goaltending for Winnipeg, as it has always been for them. In S70, and pretty much every year since then, the troubles with keeping the play out of their zone, and keeping the puck out of their net have been the reason that they have not won a Challenge Cup. Their solid play in both departments should mean this year will be different.
3. The Forge's impressive defense made them the bigger test between the two teams, in my opinion. Philadelphia's game has been grinding offenses into the dirt with slow, methodical defensive play, and even their stars like Evil Allbran and Red Kirkby have had extremely great defensive seasons. There's nothing like seeing a great offense versus a great defense, at least if you're a sadist like me.

12. The Procrastinator Special!
This series was incredible, and it truly had it all. Twists and turns, offensive onslaughts, great goaltending. Overtime drama, and a liberal spritzing of blowouts. It was truly what we expected from this series, a brutal slog fest between two extremely dangerous offensive teams, with their defense and goaltenders hanging on for dear life. It was also truly a cathartic final, as the Aurora finally broke through after so many painful ascents to the mountain top, they finally have something to show for one of the most dominant stretches of SHL hockey. Congrats to you, the Winnipeg Aurora, on an incredible and successful season.

Runningman434 · 09-14-2023, 12:06 AM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max

verification word: aero

4. Written, 3 TPE, Pack Attack (150 words min.)

To start out by stating the obvious, the Wolfpack are just a talented squad. They have good players across the board which will definitely help spread out their points by making it challenging for teams to identify where the main threat is coming from. Key in on the uber talented Lackamus, and he can dish to scorers like Koivu or Truck. This problem is exacerbated when you consider how the Wolfpack have set up there D pairs. Putting the younger, more defensive minded Davis on the first line with superstar D-man Seamus O'Slapahan provides a nice balance. While Davies won't offer as much going forward, he can hold his own defensively and allow O'Slapahan to drive the offense with his elite passing. Similarly on the 2nd pairing, Sven Svechnikov plays the role of all-around defenseman, allowing Borje Samuelsson to wreak havoc in the offensive end. This ebb and flow helps maximize the talent the squad has, leading to their stellar point totals.

5. Written, 3 TPE, Cold Sweat and Frozen Tears (150 words min)

Well, as I write this it's post Cup and Winnipeg has emerged victorious. I expect they'll be fighting for a similar spot next year. Their age will catch up with them a bit, but I expect they can still squeeze a bit more out of that core. I think the Wolfpack are probably in a fairly similar spot having some older players on the roster who will start to slow down. With that said they also have a pretty reasonable mix of young talent that they'll have to hope steps up to keep them competing. In that regard I give them the advantage over Winnipeg, as the latter have less prospects/youngsters to turn to in the few years. It will be a challenge for both GMs to try and keep the window open as long as possible. Further, over the next few seasons I expect Edmonton will be quite competitive. They have a solid roster as is, and are younger than the Aurora squad. They may not get the old guard this season, but I expect they'll get theirs sooner rather than later, despite the best efforts of the Pack and Aurora.

Muerto · 09-14-2023, 12:08 AM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

silly

2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. You can never take success for granted, but these are two of the league's heavy favorites coming into the cup finals. Pick either of our finalists, and tell me what about them impresses you the most!

Winnipeg's domination on home ice has to be one of the major talking points of the season. The faithful crowd at Northern Lights arena only had to witness one loss the entire season as the Aurora cruised to a 32-1 record at home. This carried on into the playoffs, I think maybe they lost 1 game at home in the playoffs, too, but either way they were practically unbeatable in Winnipeg so that is definitely something that stands out.

b. New England vs Winnipeg makes this a rematch of the S70 finals! What does Winnipeg have to do differently to take round two, two seasons later, in season seventy-two?

New England squeaked by Winnipeg in 7 games in S70, although that season I would have said the Aurora were the clear favorites. This season I feel Winnipeg is still probably the superior team overall but it's a lot closer. The Aurora will have to tighten up their defense and not let the high scorers on the Wolfpack dictate the play. They will also need contributions from throughout the lineup, the second and third lines need to carry their weight for sure.

c. The Aurora defeated the Blizzard in their conference final, and the Wolfpack sank the Forge. Who had the more impressive victory to punch their ticket to the cup final, and why?

While Winnipeg took Edmonton in just 5 games, I think New England's 7-game victory was actually more impressive. Philadelphia is a very good team, they won the Cup just a couple seasons ago and have been tops in their division for some time. That series really could have gone either way, the Forge came back from being down 3 games to 1 to force a seventh game but the Wolfpack battled hard and secured the victory.

3. Written, 3 TPE, Peggy's Back, Tell a Friend (150 words min.)
Winnipeg is a cup finalist for an astonishing fourth year in a row! To make that happen in the current era of the SHL requires serious skill and deserves appreciation. What is it that makes this Aurora era so successful? What have been the most crucial factors in their Western dominance? What lessons should the rest of the league learn from their success?

The story of this Aurora team is definitely the story of how a true rebuild takes patience. It also requires the ability to be bad for a few seasons, and the willingness to move players when they have top value regardless of any sentimental attachment. When the new regime took over, the team went on a complete tank, there were many good players/pieces on the roster but for whatever reason it didn't amount to a good team. But instead of being a mediocre team stumbling along season to season, the Aurora embraced the full tank and were really not very good for a few seasons. But it allowed the team to put together a strong core via intelligent drafting, who would grow together and all peak at similar time. Once that core became a contender, the next move was to start trading picks and regressing players for new players to come in already at a top value. Obviously it also requires some sacrifice on the players' behalf as well, and to buy into the program that the end result would be worth the pain. Winnipeg probably should have won the cup in at least one of the other seasons they made the finals, but just also seemed to fall to the insurgent East team of that year. So it is not a surprise that they won, more surprising that they only won once! So far!

*Festinator* · 09-14-2023, 12:26 AM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post

Wheeler

3. Written, 3 TPE, Peggy's Back, Tell a Friend (150 words min.)

Winnipeg is a cup finalist for an astonishing fourth year in a row! To make that happen in the current era of the SHL requires serious skill and deserves appreciation. What is it that makes this Aurora era so successful? What have been the most crucial factors in their Western dominance? What lessons should the rest of the league learn from their success?

Making it to 4 finals in a row is definitely extremely impressive, especially in this era of the shl. About 15 seasons ago I think we seemed to have the same 3-4 teams in the finals every year, but since then we haven't really seen that as much. I think what is almost as astonishing as the Aurora making it to their 4th final in a row is the fact that they lost each of the previous 3. I think this goes to show the element of luck that is necessary in order to win it all. Obviously they have been an extremely strong team in the past few seasons, always finishing in the top 3, but they just didnt have that luck in the finals that their opponents seemed to always have. I'd say in each one of those finals they were the favourites but never came out on top. The most crucial factor has to be 2-3 really good drafting seasons and keeping all those players active throughout their careers, so when they all hit their prime around the same time, your team is a powerhouse.

12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Looks like [TEAM] won Season 72! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

Looks like Winnipeg finally defeated their demons and were able to win it all! 4th times the charm as they had been to the finals the 3 previous years and were just not able to get it done, but this season has been different and they were able to get across the finish lines. I think New England really needed to shore up all around as many of the games were not too close. They got shut out a couple times and always let in a minimum of 3 goals, which is not a recipe for success in the playoffs. But I think maybe there is not much else they could have done. I believe it was destiny for Winnipeg to win this one. You can't reach the finals so many times and not win at all, and I think as they go into regression they'll be glad they were not cursed to go their entire cup window without being able to snag 1 championship, especially after all their regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs success.

***micool132*** · 09-14-2023, 12:42 AM

Code:
Code:

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

tocaps

Code:
3. Written, 3 TPE, Peggy's Back, Tell a Friend (150 words min.)

Winnipeg is a cup finalist for an astonishing fourth year in a row! To make that happen in the current era of the SHL requires serious skill and deserves appreciation. What is it that makes this Aurora era so successful? What have been the most crucial factors in their Western dominance? What lessons should the rest of the league learn from their success?

When you look at the Aurora and their standing for the last 6 seasons, you have to acknowledge that this team has been years in the making and only now starting to harvest the fruit of their labor. They went thru a classic rebuild by trading away all valuable assets and drafting solid core players that owuld remain active. They added every season a notable veteran player to pursue the cup, but have not been succesful so far, thanks to the parity in the league. You would think such a dominant team TPE wise and standings wise would have been a lock for the cup but thats just not how it goes and this proves it. On one hand, its a good thing, on the other hand, I was starting to feel that if such a good team couldn't grab the ultimate prize, is it really parity or full randomness? Now that they have won a cup (i know im doing this late!), we can rest assure that hard work will pay off and their success was well deserved. (243 words)

PBE affiliate:

Link to my PT for PBE

*jeffie43* · 09-14-2023, 01:22 AM

PBE Affiliate

+ 3

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Done

+ 3

12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 72! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

It looks like the Winnipeg Aurora finally beat their inner demons and managed to win it all this season! After a heated rematch of the S70 finals the Aurora finally managed to push it over the edge and win it all in the Challenge Cup. Unfortunately the Aurora put up a master class in which they peppered the Wolfpack goalie, Olof Karsikko with shots all series. He never had the opportunity to put up the stats he had in S70 where he put up absurd numbers and took home playoff MVP alongside the Challenge Cup thank to his efforts.The Wolfpack also failed to put up shots against Winnipeg and really struggled offensively.

+ 2

Nour is pretty hot ngl

Nhamlet · 09-14-2023, 01:35 AM

1.
tea

2a.
I think one neat aspect is how both teams include managers who have been part of the SHL for incredibly significant periods of time. As many new users have come and gone over the years, some individuals like Ace and Luke have continued to build their legacy on the site. To see the two going head to head with some newerish members as their co's is a neat thing and makes me wonder how many times the two of them have faced off against each other in this sort of fashion on opposing teams.

3.
A large foundation of what allowed Winnipeg to get to where they are was their all-in approach for the S62 draft. One of the last great drafts in terms of both quality and quantity that the SHL has seen in a while. So many of their core pieces and members of the locker room including their current co-GM are part of that draft and allowed them to focus solely on building towards making a team who isn't just contending but rather with the goal of winning a cup and perhaps multiple cups. There are a lot of rebuild attempts by various teams and GMs in both simulation and real sports but while many people like to talk about the min-max elements to make the most of value, Winnipeg has certainly taken that aspect to heart and follow through on it consistently. Another edge includes their salary cap management in bringing cost controlled top talent at the cost of future picks.

*bibleman19* · 09-14-2023, 01:45 AM

CW trivia up to 3: Blackjack

4 TPE grab bag

A) I think the most impressive thing about the two teams is how solid the depth on the winnipeg aurora is. It is insane to me that the lowest point scoter on the team in terms of forwards still walked away with a respectable fifty points in sixty six games. Even with all that depth they still finished with the 4th highest scorer in the league.

B) i think this time around for winnipeg to win they mainly need to really hunker down defensively to take over. During the season both teams allowed a similar amount of goals against, however new England had more goals scored. If winnipeg wishes to win this season they need to slow down the best offense in the league which is no easy task.

C) I think the aurora beating the blizzard is a much more impressive conference final victory. This is because the blizzard were the sligthy better regular season team, as well as featuring the third seventh and nineth highest scorer in the league whereas the forge only had the tenth highest scorer on their roster

D) I think the winnipeg aurora end up winning it this season. This is because I like rooting for the underdog, the Wolfpack had a better regular season, and they won the match up in season seventy but now I'm hoping that the aurora take it home just to even up the score between the two teams.

Cold sweat 3 TPE

When teams are on these runs it's hard to believe they're ever going to end, but like with all insane sports runs father time stays undefeated. It's easy to say these teams will continue their run of dominance because we know they are with recency bias, but I think each squad only has around 2-3 seasons left as a true top tier contender and will instead be a dark horse party crasher afterwards. In the case of winnipeg gunarsson had his best season in season 70 and his point totals will likely continue to drop afterwards. In terms of them keeping the keeping the contender status going longer I think new England has a better chance of doing that than winnipeg. They had the best regular season record despite a bit of a down season from Olaf karassiko. I think if Rebecca Montagne can come back with a really impressive season the aurora can jam their window open a couple more years but I'm not sure how likely that is

jsteele14 · 09-14-2023, 01:48 AM

CW Trivia:
dun did it

Task 2:
B. What Winnipeg needs to do is just continuing playing their game. Do not try and alter there game to go against the team they are facing. There is a reason why this team has made it to the point they are now. They need to continue to play like they have been all season and take it to this point of winning. No need to do anything flashy to try and prove something.

D. I will have to be honest here, I know not a lot of people like to see when a team repeats, but I am going to go with the Wolfpack here. They are previous champions and have made it all the way back. What will stop them winning it again? I feel like their offense will be too overwhelming for the Aurora to handle. This will be a close game, but I do see the Wolfpack winning by one, maybe two goals at most.

Task 4:
The Wolfpack are quite a force to be reckoned with. A team that is standing out like this is quite a feat and will be quite hard to replicate. Best way, in my eyes of a team to try and do the same as the Wolfpack here is to get a group of players that are around the same age, same regression, complimentary builds, and players that just really mesh well together. Honestly it is one of those things you see in the league and are quite astounded by just by the pure dominance of the team. What every single general manager dreams of putting together for a team and seeing it come to fruition is even more so of an accomplishment. I do think it is possible to replicate though. Like I listed above, there are quite a few amount of things that need to go well and all at once, but it sure is an incredible thing to see.
161 Words

Bubba Tree · 09-14-2023, 02:58 AM

PBE Affiliate +3 TPE

CW Trivia: ayo

12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Looks like [TEAM] won Season 72! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?

It looks like the St. Louis Scarecrows have won the SMJHL finals against the Maine Timber who had been back to the finals 3 times. I really don't think there is anything the TImbers could do to pull it off. They just can't really seem to get it together as hard as they try to. My Favorite part of the series was probably the series going to game 7, It's always exciting to watch and never build up for both teams when it really comes down to the final game. Especially since both teams kept winning one and then losing one. Congrats to the Scarecrows though to beat Maines really dominat team they sure did earn that win and was not given a free one.

Should be 8 tpe total

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