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Deep Dive #2 - Maine Timber
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Mtstreaks04Registered Senior Member
In part 1 of this Deep Dive series we looked at then Northern Conference leader Yukon. For this deep dive we will switch our sights to the southern leader the Maine Timber
Top Forwards Anna Skovgaard (S76) Doug Weight (S77) This offense is just stacked but I believe what truly sets them apart is their strength up the middle, and they have that in spades. Skovgaard and Weight both anchor the 1st and 2nd lines for the timber and are the type of players that not only lead by example but can elevate the play of both wingers. Skovgaard is second on team in points centering the 1st line and currently getting 2:14 PP time as well, the only knock against Skovgaard is his relatively poor play with the man advantage only accruing 8 assists. Weight is currently leading the team in points from the 2nd line while playing a ton on both special teams. Speaking of PP Weight is currently executing at an insane level with 20 of his 49 points coming a man up. He is a jack of all trades and currently is putting on a clinic on how to play the center position effectively. Top Defensemen Deth Klaw (S76) Jacppo Nummilavin (S77) If forward depth is Maine’s biggest strength their defensive depth isn’t far behind. Deth Klaw and Jacppo Nummilavin are the anchors on the top 2 D pairings with Deth Klaw on the top pairing. Offensive numbers aren’t flashy but Nummilavin is leading the D with goals and points with 9 and 24 respectively. Deth Klaw isn’t far behind with 21 points but what really sets them apart is their responsibility in their own zone. Deth Klaw leading the D with an insane +30 rating and Nummilavin at +16. This D will continue to give opposing offenses fits throughout the remainder of the season. Goalies Kris (S78) Zsigmund Popovics (S79) Coming into the season many pundits marked goaltending as a weak point in this vaunted Maine team. Their goalies quickly put that narrative to bed early in the season. Kris wihle a younger goalie has not had any problem adjusting to the increased expectations responding with a sparkling 16-1-2 record with a 2.73 GAA and .904 Save percentage. Popovics has also been respectable in a backup role. In 6 less games played has a 9-2-1 record which is impressive in spot duty. Top Prospects Anthony Louchard (34th overall) Lucas Snyder (40th overall) Despite not having any 1st or 2nd round picks Maine may have hit it big in the later rounds and the returns are already promising. They were able to pick up a forward and D that not only can contribute now, but also look to become players to build a team around. Louchard has 30 points in 31 games an impressive pace for anyone, let alone a rookie. Snyder has also been a happy revelation for the Timber, the rookie D man has 22 points and is a plus 21 so far on the year. While playing with incredible talent around them may have elevated stats a bit their current performance is still more than even the GM could have hoped for. Current Outlook The Timber are one of the favorites to hoist the cup, I don’t think there is much sense in arguing that. Anything short of that has to be considered a failure from the view of management but there may be a few teams looking to play spoiler. Their weak point is still goaltending and a few untimely and shaky starts could mean Maine going home much earlier than planned. I think that likelihood is low but wouldn’t be shocked if it happens. 3 year outlook The next two years are their big window. They are graduating 5 top players after this season and another 5 the year after. It’s yet to be seen if their prospect depth can compete with some of these franchises who have hoarded picks in recent years. Management should have a plan for the loss of 10 top contributors in 2 years but time will tell. They have 2 S78 players a lock for the SHL and while their S79 class is showing promise it is too early to tell if they will become franchise players for the Timber. Editors Note: It sure would be a shame if the Timber succumbed to the same fate as the Yukon Malamutes after the last Deep Dive was published. They went from undefeated in regulation to 12-16-4 and slipped from 1st to 5th in the North (748 words) ![[Image: QPFI01y.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/QPFI01y.jpeg)
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