MD9

Winner: Saskatoon Wild Number of games: 6 Total goals scored: 15 Who gets the Cup winning goal?: Bo Boeser Series leader in points: Gabriel McAllister Series leader in goals: Bo Boeser Series leader in assists: Gabriel McAllister

Scheel Goes Back to Basics VHL.com // J.S. Augusta With a handful of the Saskatoon Wild's top scorers currently struggling to light up the lamp in the playoffs, Jake Scheel has opted to go back to the basics to try and break out of his slump. Although Scheel made headlines earlier in the year when he opted to take a different approached to his training, his new training schedule has seen him simply taking to the ice early in the morning and completing basic passing drills alongside a couple willing teammates. Lacing passes in between cones, completing basic saucer passes tape to tape, and even trying a few more complicated passes through traffic, it's clear where his focus is: he feels that he has the conditioning to play in the playoffs, but he needs to get his head back in the game. If his passes aren't connecting, he just needs to regain focus and make himself make those passes. In between those simple passing drills, he's also started working on many of the same skating drills that the team's coach runs them through every practice. It's a simple formula, overall: put in extra time on the ice and hope that it translates to better performance in the game itself. It may not be a perfect strategy, but with the team already so deep in the playoffs, there's no time to consider a sudden, significant change to his game. He just has to make what he's doing work, whatever it takes... and hope that's enough.

Good luck with your next player! Manley is playing great for us now.

Wild Scorers Struggle: How Will It Affect Draft Stock? Carlo Capitulo being turned away yet again. Saskatoon is thanking their lucky stars that they signed Gabriel McAllister. With one series down, the Wild now face the league’s top regular season performer in the Las Vegas Aces – but the players that carried them through the season have been strangely quiet. While McAllister has been excellent with 12 points in the Wild’s 6 games, alongside Bo Boeser who has scored an impressive 8 goals and 3 assists in as many games, that’s unfortunately it as far as ‘impressive’ offensive performances go. Daring Do has notched 2 goals, but only 1 assist, while Capitulo – who led rookies in goals scored in the regular season – has been left entirely off of the scoresheet. Jake Scheel has only 2 assists after being one of the Wild’s top performers by the end of the season, and while the team’s defensive play has been solid across the board, none of the team’s top defensemen have contributed at a pace enough to make up for the lack of scoring by most of the forwards. The Wild will need to find their own answers to this problem, whether it means a few hard practices, a shake-up of the lines, or simply to continue relying on McAllister and Boeser. For the Wild’s rookies, however, some questions loom over the upcoming draft. With Scheel, Do, Capitulo, Clarke and Hamilton all entered in the draft, a poor post-season performance could in fact have career ramifications. Scheel and Do both came in late in the season, missing out on valuable opportunities to impress scouts and coaching staff alike at training camp, and so needed all the opportunities they could get in order to prove themselves as potential SHL-level players. While their performances during the regular season were extremely solid, this most recent slump puts a significant damper on their season story. Both players have started to show glimmers of improvement as they adjust to playoff hockey, with Scheel recording two points in a row and Do managing to notch a crucial game tying goal—but a slump at this part of the season begs scouts to question whether or not they’re really able to play under pressure. Capitulo is also slumping at exactly the wrong time. Having seen his own draft stock plummet despite his scoring prowess throughout the season, critics that claim he lacks the work ethic to succeed at the highest level will simply take his poor early playoff showing as proof of that. The easy passes aren’t coming, so he isn’t notching any points. Out of all the Wild rookies in mid-playoff struggles, Hamilton is perhaps the one whose struggles are the most forgivable. As a defenseman, he isn’t exactly expected to carry the offense, and so his good defensive play is enough to make up for any issues he’s had playing the point on the offense. However, with scorers such as Do and Capitulo slumping, and the team’s playmaker in Scheel not connecting his usual feeds, this may be a key moment for Hamilton to step up and show off his often-unseen offensive chops. The series against Las Vegas also offers an opportunity for the stalling forwards: a big series against the strongest team in the league could easily lead scouts to forgive and forget their poor first round. It's all a matter of speculation for now -- but one thing is certain. If this frosty period continues, Scheel and Do might well be looking down the barrel of a free-fall as the draft approaches.

Good win! finally got a point in the playoffs

RIP

So many shots

How was Perought not one of the three stars? Silly STHS.

I'm not actually from Maine.

A goaltending clinic of the worst kind

Special Teams at a Glance: VHLM VHL.com // J.S. Augusta Special teams are a critical component of any successful team. As the playoffs loom around the corner, we should first take time to reflect on the regular season itself. Although penalties tend to be called a little less come the playoffs proper, a bad penalty can cost a team dearly -- even cost them their championship hopes, depending on the timing. With that in mind, let's take a look at some special teams statistics: Best PP Units Las Vegas (26.56%, 81 goals in total) Ottawa (20.91%, 55 goals in total) Oslo (19.52%, 57 goals in total) Yukon (13.97%, 32 goals in total) Saskatoon (13.33%, 36 goals in total) Best PK Units Las Vegas (86.02%, 628 PIM) Ottawa (81.03%, 632 PIM) Oslo (80.57%, 485 PM) Yukon (79.29%, 683 PIM) Saskatoon (76.50%, 576 PIM) The first place team, Las Vegas, is predictably at the top of the league in terms of powerplays and penalty kills. What's a little stranger is that Saskatoon, the second place team, has the worst special teams in both regards -- by far, in terms of penalty kills. Ottawa is second only to Las Vegas in its special teams. The difference between Ottawa and Oslo and Yukon and Saskatoon in terms of powerplays is rather extreme. As the playoffs approach, it is clear that Las Vegas needs only to continue doing what it's been doing, while Saskatoon needs to take a look at the strategies it's been using for powerplays. Yukon isn't in too much trouble with its penalty kill despite being second last, but its powerplay is likewise rather anemic. Certainly, coaches will be looking to drill more effective play into their special teams one way or another as it becomes do-or-die in the postseason.

Wild Offense: A Look at Saskatoon Bo Boeser was a constant offensive threat and led the Wild by example. By now, everyone knows that Bo Boeser is a star offensive player. With 57 goals and 53 assists for 110 points, he stands at third in overall points, third in goals, and sixth in assists. He boasted the kind of star-power production night in and night out that in large part allowed Saskatoon to cruise to second place in the league, becoming the only team this season to play above .500 hockey with the exception of the Las Vegas. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to suggest that he was one of the key pieces on the team – perhaps their most valuable player, along with Apansson and Manley. Although the stat sheet won’t show it, Boeser’s production actually slowed down about a third of the way into the season, with mid-season acquisitions by the Wild allowing Boeser to relax and play a more complete, two-way game rather than acting as one of just two snipers for the team. Even so, a two-way Boeser is still an offensive powerhouse. Another key figure in the Wild’s offense was rookie Carlo Capitulo. Although not highly touted as a potential draftee due to the perception that he may be reaching his ceiling, Capitulo lit the league up with 36 goals and 37 assists for 73 points, being one of the highest scoring rookies and coming second only to Boeser in goals for the team. On the defensive side of things, Trazan Apansson notched 19 goals and 44 assists to provide the Wild with a solid defensive anchor that could move the puck. His shot also factored in, allowing the Wild one more tool in the offensive end. The Wild’s two most prominent offensive mid-season acquisitions were arguably Jake Scheel and Daring Do. Scheel, a two-way playmaking center offered someone reliable to take the draw, as well as decent passing IQ allowing him to notch 16 goals and 46 assists for 62 points, his assist totals behind only Boeser. Daring Do notched 24 goals and 37 assists for 61 points, coming third in goals on the team and fifth in overall points. These numbers were all the more impressive considering the two only played 55 games in the season. However, much has already been made about Scheel and Do. One final mid-season acquisition that needs to be looked at is Gabriel McAllister. Although far down the scoresheet with 21 points on the season, he played a mere 17 games. With 13 goals and 8 assists, McAllister played extremely well for the Wild. For reference, in a full 72 game season he would have been on pace for 88 points – 55 goals! That is, without any doubt, a star performance by a player who barely had a chance to play. As a team, the Wild game third in overall goals for behind the Lynx and the Aces – an impressive number considering how many of their offensive players didn’t even participate the whole season. Certainly, offense alone wasn’t enough to win them games and notch them the number two slot, but it certainly was a strength of theirs. They weren’t demolishing opponents and running up the score, but by the end of the season they boasted several players that were a threat to score, or at least to make a play. Les Clarke who hasn’t been mentioned yet notched 18 goals on the season, Emiya Shirou put up 32 assists, and even the departing Recreate God managed to register 20 assists. There were very few players on the team that didn’t factor in, in some form or fashion.

Should really unionize and force the league to hand out chill pills. They would help. Not to steal ideas from other leagues, but couldn't they just play their backup an extra time next season or something? Having it potentially affect the playoffs themselves would be kind of silly. And I wouldn't worry too much about putting an asterisk on anyone's records. People have long memories, so if people think there's an asterisk on it, they'll put it there in their own minds.

User Name: MD9 EASTERN CONFERENCE (A2) Ottawa vs (M2) Pittsburgh Winner: Ottawa # of Games: 6 WESTERN CONFERENCE (P1) Anaheim vs (W2) Nashville Winner: Nashville # of Games: 5

I don't think it should be allowed as a general rule, but it would make sense that if no eligible/acceptable members apply for the job, a VHL GM could step in on a temporary basis to pull double duty until they can hand it off to someone else. Or even to mentor someone who isn't exactly there yet until they can give over the keys entirely.

I would be interested to see how Ovechkin would do outside of Washington. Do you have any ideas as to where you would want to move him/for what?

Jake Scheel Forward Assists Points

Boeser with another 3? Good god, man.

Big game by Perought!

Boeser 2 gud

Scheel's Big Game VHL.com // J.S. Augusta After entering the league with unexpected hype, Jake Scheel went on a tear, scoring over a point per game in his early run. However, as pressure mounted, he entered into something of a dry spell, breaking what had been a lengthy point streak. With the bright lights beaming down on him, and the draft looming ever nearer, some wondered if the young American center simply couldn't take the pressure. With the Wild's 3-0 win against the Oslo Storm, Scheel seems to have silenced those critics. Although breaking out of his scoring slump with a couple points in earlier games, he tallied three points last night, with a plus three, playing nearly thirty minutes on the game. By the end, he was named the second star of the game, behind only Chet Manley who recorded a shut-out. Performances like this will be big for Scheel as draft-day looms closer. Alongside fellow mid-season signee, Daring Do, Scheel has emerged as an offensive threat for the Wild that they desperately needed earlier in the season. At the same time that breaking the scoring slump in such a resounding way will garner positive attention, he will need to put in some serious work to make sure these kinds of slumps don't occur often: as consistent as he's been, a two-way player like him needs to take that a step further. He'll never get by on flash alone. He needs to be contributing night in and night out to give his team the best chance to win whenever he's on the ice.

Wild on the Road: Saskatoon vs Ottawa Preview The Wild will be relying on strong play from Chet Manley to carry them through their road trip. After coming off a big win at home against the Oslo Storm, the Saskatoon Wild now enter a brief two-game road trip as the VHLM enters its home stretch. First, the Wild will face off against the Ottawa Lynx, before going all the way to Oslo to face the storm. Having defeated both of these teams in their last engagements, this will prove a stiff challenge for the wild as they will be facing teams eager to claim revenge. This article will examine the first of these match-ups, against the rival Lynx. Saskatoon Wild at Ottawa Lynx For the most part, the Lynx have had the Wild's number this season, winning eleven of their fifteen games. Despite boasting one of the more offensive teams in the league, though certainly still paling compared to the dominant Aces, the Wild have not been able to score with their usual flair when matching up against the Lynx. Credit for this has to go largely to the Lynx' ability to play a two way game, built off of strong defensive play from Jon Snow, Nicodemus Raven, and JourneyMan. Ottawa's goaltending, despite struggling at times this season, has usually given their team a strong chance to win. Last game, the Wild were powered over the Lynx by a stand-out performance by netminder Chet Manley who made 44 saves on 47 shots, as well as by a hat-trick by Bo Boeser. Even so, the margin was narrow and with the Lynx outshooting the Wild by ten shots in total, it appears clear that the game could easily have gone to the Lynx. With that in mind, here are some match-ups to look for tonight: Chet Manley vs. Eddie King Although it isn't certain that King will start, given the events of last game, it would not be surprising to see the same goaltending battle repeated. King played respectfully, but Manley absolutely stood on his head. For that reason, expect a big game by King as he looks to knock his rival down a peg or two - while Manley looks to prove that he can handle the pressure of back-to-back big games. A goaltending battle like this should be all the more interesting given the narrow timespan between this and their last match-ups. Bo Boeser vs. Luigi De Rossi It was Boeser's hat-trick that kickstarted the Wild's historically lackluster offense in opposition to the Lynx. As the Wild's top scorer, Boeser has an incredible 51 goals and 45 assists in just 61 games. Although his pace slowed somewhat with the additions of Jake Scheel and Daring Do, allowing the Wild's offense to diversify, he has remained their most consistent and deadly threat in the opposition zone. De Rossi, in turn, has been the Lynx' most threatening player - not far behind Boeser in production, with 48 goals and 43 assists in 58 games. A prolific shooter, De Rossi has played a very similar role to Boeser as the team's main, star scorer, lifting them to victories in games where the rest of the offense was just lagging behind. Jon Snow vs Trazan Apansson The final match-up we're going to look at is between the team's two number one defencemen. Trazan Apansson plays a hard-hitting, but two-way style that has led him to tally 52 points on 61 games, along with 152 hits and 125 shots blocked. Playing nearly thirty minutes a game, Apansson has been the anchor for the team in their own zone, while showing himself more than capable of playing on offense as well. He is similar, in fact, to Jon Snow who tallied 56 points (22 goals!) in 60 games, along with 153 hits and 86 shots blocked. Both teams rely heavily on their number one defensemen to play a hard-nosed, physical style while chipping in offensively. Although Apansson plays harder defense in deep, blocking shots, Snow is more than capable of doing the same - even if he is perhaps more notable for his laser shot. Verdict Looking at these two teams, it's difficult to see why the Lynx have had the Wild's number so consistently. It's not that the Wild are a far and away better team than the Lynx -- rather, the teams are extremely similar up and down their lineups. They both rely on two-way defense, high octane offense, two-way centers to back up their second and fourth lines, along with physical and stay-at-home players deeper in their line-up to keep the score even while their top scorers get a much-needed rest. The Lynx will be looking to Eddie King and Luigi De Rossi to match, and 'show up' the performances of Chet Manley and Bo Boeser in the last game. Meanwhile, the Wild will be hoping to repeat their success in denying high-quality opportunities (and hoping that Manley can continue to deny those that they do surrender), while Clarke, Capitulo and Scheel will all aim to continue their momentum from their last multi-point game against Oslo into this one, so that Boeser doesn't have to do all the work. At this point, a prediction is difficult: on paper, the two teams are matched. In reality, Ottawa has had Saskatoon's number. Both teams have a lot to prove: Saskatoon, that their team is all the stronger after their recent additions, and Ottawa, that their last defeat was little more than a fluke built on the back of a hot goaltender. Either way, this will certainly be an interesting one to watch.

Ya.