Matt_O

I think I can make my pick now F- Scott Greene @Mugiwara

1. For me personally, going third overall in the VHLM draft in S64 was pretty cool, but when General Zod fell out of the first round in the VHLM draft a couple seasons ago I wasn't very happy but looking back it was kinda funny and ended up working out since I played for Las Vegas, who I GMed for a while. I would say in general my most memorable moment was when Tate was picked first overall in S67 and the pick took so long to be put in because Nyko had to convince Quik that it was the actual pick and not just a joke 2. I didn't really pay much attention honestly, but this draft looks really deep which surprised me a little, even with 16 teams the later rounds have good players, which is pretty impressive. 3. Picking Askarov at 41 was a great pick TPE wise, but he's another goalie we just added to our deep goalie prospect pool, and Lafontaine isn't going anywhere I hope. Having a human backup is generally better than an AI because the AIs usually are bad, which would be a strength. 4. I probably wouldn't have picked a goalie and instead drafted a forward since Lahtinen was traded and Rice is also gone, as well as Gunnar from last year. 5. I haven't really, but I'm sure they are all great to talk too. 6. Just based on a quick look, I might have taken Daddy Derek, a forward, at 41. He is just a welfare guy but he's been consistent with earning so I feel like he would be a good player eventually and just be a steady earning player.

With the S73 VHL Awards set to be awarded tomorrow night, it’s only appropriate to take a rundown of each award to see who might win each award. Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, award trackers, podcasts, and upcoming offseason coverage VSN Radio | Weekly Review | S74 Draft Coverage | Under 250 Mike Szatkowski Trophy This trophy goes to the player with the most points. This year, Sigard Gunnar’s otherworldly performance brought him to the top of the point list, with 119 points for the Los Angeles Stars. Hunter Hearst Helmsley finished second place with 113 for Warsaw, but it wasn’t enough to win the award. Kevin Brooks Trophy The Brooks Trophy goes to the player with the most goals, and Gunnar picks up another piece of hardware. Gunnar had a jaw-dropping 60 goals in S73, by far the most in the league. No other player was able to reach the 50 goal mark, as Brock Louth and Guy Lesieur both had the second-most goals with 46. Alexander Beketov Trophy The Beketov Trophy belongs to the assists leader in the VHL, and this year it’s none other than Lincoln Tate. Tate had the most assists in the league in S73 with an incredible 85 helpers. When Tate was drafted first overall in the S67 draft, many people thought it wasn’t a great pick, but he has proved the doubters very wrong. With multiple awards over the past few seasons, Tate adds to his collection with his second consecutive Beketov Trophy. Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy The top rookie each year earns the Stolzchweiger Trophy, and this year has some fierce competition. Last year no rookie eclipsed the 50 point marker, but this year's rookie class saw two players make it past 72 points, averaging over a point per game. Chicago saw two rookies headline their roster, with winger Adam Syreck having 73 points and fellow winger Squirrely Dan dropping 68 points. Second overall pick Tyler Walker had an impressive rookie campaign for Malmo, with 60 points and 172 blocked shots, but only four hits all year. London also saw numerous rookie sensations take the spotlight, with Jay Jones, James Rose, and The Terrible Trivium scoring 63,63, and 62 points respectively. James Rose especially was fantastic, putting up 63 points as a defenseman alongside 186 hits and 162 blocked shots. Despite all these very strong performances, Chris Hylands finished first among all rookies with 76 points this season. Hylands will be the likely favorite, but Syreck is likely his toughest competition. Syreck had only one less goal despite taking 100 less shots, and had more hits and blocked shots. However, Hylands was -1 on the year, while Syreck was -66 and his hit totals were undoubtedly inflated due to being on an expansion team. It’s a tough call to make, but Chris Hylands is the favorite heading into awards night. Nominees: Adam Syreck, Chris Hylands, James Rose Favorite: Chris Hylands Dustin Funk Trophy This trophy goes out to the player who showed the most improvement from the previous season, and every year there is usually a ton of competition for this award. Last year there were plenty of great candidates to choose from, and this year is no different. Top scorer Sigard Gunnar improved by 39 points this year, going from your typical all-star to a superstar in the blink of an eye. Jeff Downey also had a huge breakout season, with 106 points, surpassing his previous career high of 67, while also topping his hit and blocked shots career highs. Guy Lesieur of the Dragons a @lso had a big year, with 99 points, over 40 points higher than his previous career high. Wranglers defenseman General Zod also had a breakout year, going from 14 points to 66 while also having 100 more hits than the season prior. Despite all these names, it’s best to not overthink this award and go with the man who has been the favorite since the first week of S73; Ray Sheilds. After his pedestrian rookie season where he scored only 19 points, Sheilds burst onto the scene in S73. Sheilds was one of the top point scorers in the VHL after two weeks, and even though he didn’t keep up his pace, he still finished with 85 points, a whopping 66 point increase from his rookie year. Sheilds should be the favorite to earn the Funk. Nominees: Ray Sheilds, Jeff Downey, Guy Lesieur Favorite: Ray Sheilds Scott Boulet Trophy The Boulet is handed out to the forward that plays the best two-way game. Generally, the same handful of players are in contention for this award year after year, and this year seems to follow that trend. Phil Marleau led the league in hits with 373, and Chad Magnum finished second with 371, while Markus Nygren was third with 360 hits. All three of these players finished top ten in hits the season prior. Julius Freeman, last season's Boulet winner, had 260 hits and didn’t finish in the top ten for hits this year. Hits aren’t the only metric that are taken into account, as points also play a role, and plus minus can also be a small factor. Many people dislike using plus minus as a player stat because it doesn’t really tell the true story of how well a player plays, but it can be useful sometimes, and this is one of those situations. Nygren, Magnum and Marleau all have very similar hit totals and point totals, but Nygren has a plus 8, better than both Magnum and Marleau by 5 and 6 respectively. This isn’t a big enough margin to give Nygren the edge, but Nygren played for Los Angeles, an expansion team that finished in twelfth place in S73. Nygren even being a plus player is pretty incredible, and the fact that his line all finished as plus players could win over some voters. The Boulet is always a tough award to give out, but Nygren may have the slightest of edges headed into the awards show. Nominees: Chad Magnum, Phil Marleau, Markus Nygren Favorite: Markus Nygren Alexander Valiq Trophy The league's top offensive defenseman is awarded the Valiq Trophy. Despite Condor Adrienne and Luciano Valentine's efforts this season with a stunning 90 points, as well as teammates Hulk Hogan and Berocka Sundqvist putting up 93 points each, this award is centered around two players; Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate. Downey has had solid seasons leading up to S73, but this year he truly became a star on the blue line, with 74 assists and 32 goals for 106 points. Lincoln Tate won the Beketov Trophy with 85 assists, but he also put in 20 goals for 105 points. Only one point separates the two players, so we need to look a little deeper to try to give someone the edge. Riga was much better than Vancouver this season, which could swing the odds towards Tate. However, Tate also had Guy Sasakamoose on the blue line, who had 88 points, while Downeys best defensive partner had only 68 points, which could give Downey an edge in some voters' eyes. Tate had 10 power play goals, while Downey had 18, which led the league. These two players are practically dead even. This is most likely the hardest award to pick a favorite on, but I think the power play production and lack of another high production defenseman gives Downey a very slight edge over Tate. Nominees: Jeff Downey, Lincoln Tate, Hulk Hogan Favorite: Jeff Downey Jake Wylde Trophy The Wylde Trophy is for the league's top defensive defenseman. Warsaw defenseman Alex Bridges led the league in blocked shots with 194, and also put up 259 hits in what was an incredible year for him. The only knock for Bridges is that he played for Warsaw, which put him in a situation where he could pad those stats, which could deter potential voters. Condor Adrienne of the Nighthawks also had a great year, with 273 hits and 171 blocked shots. He also played for a better team than Bridges, and since their stats are relatively close, the fact that Bridges played for a very weak team could really hurt his chances. Erik Killinger also could get some consideration, with 250 hits and 166 blocked shots in S73. You also have the incredible seasons of Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate. Downey had 149 hits and 138 blocked shots, while Tate had 250 hits and 130 blocked shots. This award is another tough one to give out, but it all depends on how the voters view Bridges' success; is it a result of his skill, or were his numbers heavily inflated from playing on a poor team? Nominees: Alex Bridges, Lincoln Tate, Condor Adrienne Favorite: Lincoln Tate Sterling Labatte Trophy The league's top overall defenseman takes home the Labatte, one of the most prestigious awards the league has to offer. Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate are obvious favorites due to their offensive productions, but there are plenty of other players who deserve some consideration. Hulk Hogan and Berocka Sundqvist both had 93 points this year while also putting up good defensive numbers. Condor Adrienne had 90 points as well as defensive stats that put him in the Wylde Trophy debate, and the same can be said for Alex Bridges. Despite all these great performances by defenseman, they are overshadowed by Downey and Tate. Downey may take home the Valiq, but Tate can also take home the Wylde. The difference between Tate and Downey’s offensive totals are very slim, but the difference in their defensive numbers are much greater, which is why Lincoln Tate may have the edge. Nominees: Alex Bridges, Lincoln Tate, Jeff Downey Favorite: Lincoln Tate Greg Clegane Trophy The Clegane goes to the goaltender with the lowest goals against average, which belongs to Jacques Lafontaine for the second consecutive year. His GAA of 2.46 just barely edged out Rayz Funk and A Red Guy. Aidan Shaw Trophy The Shaw Trophy is for the league's top goaltender. Jacques Lafontaine and Greg Eagles both had great seasons, but not good enough to earn serious consideration most likely. Lafontaine won the Clegane, but his .917 save percentage is too low to get votes, and while Eagles had a .920 save percentage and 2.54 GAA, it’s just a little behind the two frontrunners for the Shaw, which are Rayz Funk and A Red Guy. Funk has surprisingly never won the Shaw, but has put up some great seasons, and this year was one of his best. With a 2.48 GAA and a .921 GAA, as well as six shutouts, Funk was one of the top two goalies this year. The other goalie in question is the Americans netminder A Red Guy, who got a lot of votes for most outstanding player. He had a 2.51 GAA and a .928 save percentage in what was a career year for him. He also had eight shutouts, the most in the league in S73 and the most he’s had in a single season. A Red Guy likely has the edge over Funk but it certainly isn’t an easy decision. Nominees: Greg Eagles, Rayz Funk, A Red Guy Favorite: A Red Guy Daisuke Kanou Trophy The Kanou goes to the playoff MVP, and this year it couldn’t be an easier choice. Hats off to Scott Greene’s 22 points in 19 games, as well as Berocka Sundqvists 20 points, but Rayz Funk is without a doubt the Kanou winner this season. That brings his Kanou total to four, which is the record for most all time, beating out the one and only Daisuke Kanou, who won three in his career. Funk also broke the record for most playoff wins in a career this postseason, as he guided the Bears to a 3-1 comeback over the Wranglers in the conference finals before taking down the Titans in six. Funk’s .936 save percentage is nearly the best mark of his playoff career, while his goals against average of 2.04 is the second lowest through all of his postseason runs. The argument can be made that no player or goalie in VHL history raises their game more than Rayz Funk does in the playoffs. Perhaps in the future, this award will be named the Rayz Funk Trophy, although that is a bit unlikely. Funk should easily win his fourth Kanou of his career on awards night. Nominees: Rayz Funk, Berocka Sundqvist, Scott Greene Favorite: Rayz Funk Scotty Campbell Trophy Nicknamed after the league's greatest player, the Scotty Campbell Trophy goes out to the league's MVP. It is always difficult to pick favorites for this award. A Red Guy is the first player that jumps off the page, as his league best eight shutouts and .928 save percentage helped guide the Americans to 43 wins and fifth place in the league, despite not having a top 15 scorer this season. RJ Jubis for Calgary also can get some recognition with 99 points, which helped Calgary secure the second seed in the North American Conference. Perhaps Scott Greene gets some consideration as the top scorer on Seattle with 105 points this year with 75 assists. Lincoln Tate could also get some recognition for Riga, as their top scorer and one of the best defenseman in the league. Picking players as nominees for this award is really difficult, but I think the lack of a real stand out candidate really boosts A Red Guys chances. Nominees: Scott Greene, A Red Guy, Lincoln Tate Favorite: A Red Guy Thank you to those who read VSN’s S73 VHL Award Preview! Good luck to all players that are in the running for an award!

I'll do it, trying to get the threepeat of vhfl this year

1. We dominated them all series, they were lucky to force a game 7 2. General Zod didn't win, he got some bad hands and had to fold most of them. Zod claims it was rigged. 3. Pretty generic but the Statue of Liberty. I live on Long Island so I've been to the city a bunch of times and the Statue of Liberty is the one tourist attraction that actually sticks out to me, especially if you get to go in the crown, which I want to do one day. 4. Moscow, Zod got to meet his idol Putin 5. For sure, it really isn't a doubt that he is HOF. 6. Zod isn't really a nap type of guy

Welcome to the fifth edition of Ringless. In this series we look at the best teams throughout VHL history to never win the cup. Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, podcasts, and scouting reports VSN Radio | Weekly Review | VSN Scouting | Under 250 | Talents Behind the Trophies Some teams have the talent to win it all, but simply can’t put it together for a strong playoff run. The S51 Calgary Wranglers fit that description, as they only would win a single game in the postseason, despite having one of the greatest regular seasons in league history. The seasons prior to S51, the Wranglers had been building a team slowly but surely through the draft. They drafted forward Travis Gowecny, defenseman Tobias Klingberg, and another forward in Ted Doughty, who they selected second overall in the S49 draft. While these three were not superstars, they were very reliable players that the Wranglers could depend on for the upcoming seasons. They also had goaltender Ariel Weinstein, who was a very strong goaltender for Calgary. He was drafted in S45 by the Quebec City Meute third overall, then played in Stockholm for a few seasons before finding his way to Calgary. He was a veteran goaltender that could help this young Wranglers team thrive. The team had some good young pieces, but didn’t have the big star just yet. In the S50 draft, the Wranglers selected Theo Axelsson second overall, a future Hall of Famer that would be instrumental in Calgary’s success. Future Hall of Famer Theo Axelsson was an important piece for the Wranglers throughout the early S50s S50 was a solid season for the Wranglers. Theo Axelsson had a strong rookie year with 58 points, but only three players on the team had more than 50 points. The highest-scoring player was defenseman Marquis Hyvarian, who was a veteran for the team, with 63 points. Despite these very low offensive totals, goaltender Weinstein put up incredible numbers, with a 2.05 GAA and a .929 save percentage. This also was a time where goaltending dominated the league, with the likes of the Clegane brothers, Hans Wingate, and Jakab Holik, three of which are in the Hall of Fame, and Holik has been on the ballot for many seasons. The Wranglers finished with a record of 33-29-10, far from elite but it got them into the playoffs as the third seed in the North American Conference. They were promptly swept by the Quebec City Meute, but it was a valuable experience for Calgary. They were on the right track, and a couple more solid pieces could make them a contender. Unfortunately for Calgary, they couldn’t pick up anyone in the draft, as S51 was one of the worst draft classes in history, with only twelve players being taken, not even enough to fill out two rounds. They had to resort to free agency. Building teams through free agency is risky. You usually have to overpay for players in free agency, and many people believe building a team through the draft and trades is a better way. The S51 Wranglers had a very different philosophy. In order to try to bring their roster a couple more solid players to really take a big step forward, they signed not one, not two, not three, but four elite players who would go on to receive votes to make it into the Hall of Fame, although only three of them would end up actually making it. Those players were Unassisted, Black Velvet, Tyson Kohler, and Aleksi Koponen. The Wranglers went from a decent up and coming team to the best team in the league in the blink of an eye. Anything short of a cup this year would be a failure. The regular season showed how incredible this team could be. They put up an astounding 132 points and 64 wins, one of the best seasons in VHL history. They had by far the best offense in the league, scoring 283 goals, nearly 40 more than the next best offensive team. The Wranglers' defense was also incredibly elite. Let's look at the best defensive season for every other team in their franchise history. The majority of the best seasons for each team defensively are around 115-130 goals against throughout that season, such as the Bears 128 goals against in S27, and the Titans 126 goals against in S33. The Meute had the best defensive season out of all of the other teams, allowing only 110 in S49. The Wranglers in S51 allowed only 96. Based on what I could find, that is the only time a team has ever allowed less than 100 goals against in a season. That’s barely more than one goal per game. The S51 Wranglers had statistically the greatest defense in VHL history. The strong defensive core they had certainly played a huge factor in allowing only 96 goals all year. Black Velvet's 98 assists were the most in the league, and his 121 points were the most any defenseman had that year. Tobias Klingberg also contributed with 56 points of his own, but this defense was all about Black Velvet, as well as goaltender Ariel Weinstein. His .932 save percentage, 1.35 GAA, and 16 shutouts were some of the highest totals in the league, and had the Greg Clegane trophy, which was given to the goalie with the lowest GAA, existed back in S51, Weinstein would have won the award. Weinstein's .932 save percentage is tied for tenth best all time, his 1.35 GAA is fourth best all time, and 16 shutouts is also tied for tenth most all time .The Wranglers' defense and goaltending was incredible, but the forwards deserve some love too. Ariel Weinsteins historic season helped the Wranglers win 64 games in S51 Aleksi Koponen led the team with 135 points and 60 goals, while Tyson Kohler had 122 points. Travis Gowecny had 71 points, complementing Koponen and Kohler on the first line and they formed a deadly lineup. On the second line, Unassisted had 106 points, including 54 goals, while Theo Axelsson had 65 points to support him. The team was noticeably top heavy, but they still were an incredible team. They were heavy favorites to win the cup in S51, and anything less than that would be disappointing. Since they finished first in the North American Conference, they received a bye, and would end up facing the Toronto Legion in the conference finals. The Legion had some elite talent themselves, with Zach Parechkin and Max Molholt leading the team, both of which are Hall of Famers. Goaltender Greg Clegane had a season arguably as good, if not better than Ariel Weinstein, with a .940 save percentage and a 1.50 GAA, which are the second and eighth best all time respectively. The series was likely to come down to the goaltender battle; could Weinstein outduel Greg Clegane? Game One was an intense matchup, as it was tied at one after regulation, and overtime was needed. Both goaltenders were playing incredibly, as was expected. After five minutes of overtime, Zach Parechkin scored to win the game for the Legion. Clegane’s .972 save percentage in game one helped the Legion pick up the win, as they were outshot by ten and outplayed for most of the game. The Wranglers had to win game two. In Game Two, Tyson Kohler scored only six seconds into the game, but the Legion tied the game up at one only a few minutes later. After that, the defense settled in and we went through the next two periods without any goals, still tied at one. Unassisted scored on the powerplay early in the third to give the Wranglers a 2-1 lead, and Weinstein shut down the Legion as Calgary would win Game Two and tie the series. Weinstein won the goaltending battle in Game Two, with 26 saves on 27 shots. Game three in Toronto was coming up next. Game Three was not how Calgary expected. Max Molholt’s goal just twelve seconds in seemingly set the tone for the remainder of the game, as the Legion would go on to win 4-0. Clegane stopped all 26 shots he faced, and the Legion easily won Game Three. Game Four was now a must-win for the Wranglers, as they wouldn’t want to go down 3-1. Unassisted and Molholt traded goals in the second period of Game Four, and it was tied at one heading to the third. The Wranglers could not score, most notably their top line. Unassisted was doing what he had to do, but Koponen, Kohler, and Black Velvet had been very disappointing thus far. About halfway through the third, the Legion scored to take the league. The goal scorer was Marquis Hyvarinen, who was the Wranglers' leading scorer just a year prior, but they let him leave as they pursued other marquee free agents. That goal would end up being the winner, and Toronto would take a 3-1 series lead. Weinstein bounced back from Game Three, but his efforts were still not enough to help the Wranglers win. You can’t blame the goalie when your team has four goals in four games. Game Five was do or die for the Wranglers. The home fans in Calgary had waited all season for a possible cup, but their hopes seemed to be crashing down. Greg Clegane was putting up some of the best performances ever against the Wranglers, and this elite offense failed to do much, but there was still hope. After all, the Legion’s offense hadn’t done great either. It was a scoreless first period in Game Five, but the Legion took the lead midway through the second to go up by one headed to the third. If the Wranglers didn’t score in the next 20 minutes, their 64 win season would have gone to waste. Midway through the third, the Legion go on a rush and score again, doubling their lead. Aleksi Koponen finally scored his first of the playoffs with a few minutes to go, but it was too late. The Legion would win Game Five 2-1, and win the series. Weinstein made 38 saves in Game Five, keeping the Wranglers in the game even though they were seriously outplayed. The Wranglers relied on elite scoring, but it disappeared when they needed it the most. Greg Clegane single-handedly won this series for the Legion. Greg Clegane's performance against Calgary was one of the greatest single series performances in VHL history In S52, they still won 50 games, but lost Unassisted during the offseason. They would lose in the semi-finals that year, and it all came crashing down after that. During the S52 offseason, they lost everyone, as Tyson Kohler, Black Velvet, Ariel Weinstein, Aleksi Koponen, and Theo Axelsson were no longer on the team by the time S53 began. The Wranglers' elite weapons were shut down against the Legion, and Greg Clegane’s performance may have been the greatest single series performance of all time. The S51 Wranglers were one of the best teams ever, but could only win one game when it mattered most.

1. The General is always prepared for battle 2. I hope we can win the cup, and I definitely think we can. I would say anything short of the conference finals is very disappointing, although losing at any point is disappointing. 3. Riga. They were my prediction at the beginning of the year so I'm sticking with them 4. Islanders and Avalanche. I'm an islanders fan so I'm biased but they are looking really really good right now. 5. Lafontaine, goalies usually have to play great for a team to win a cup and they win the playoff MVP most of the time. 6. Yes, I am more than happy. Last year I had 14 points and 1 point in the playoffs, this year I have 60 assists and majorly improved in every stat. I could make a real case for most improved, although I doubt I win that.

Welcome to the fourth edition of Ringless. In this series we look at the best teams throughout VHL history to never win the cup. Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, podcasts, and scouting reports VSN Radio | Weekly Review | VSN Scouting | Under 250 | Talents Behind the Trophies Some teams have the talent to win it all, but can’t put together the pieces to do it. Someone could say that these teams are even cursed. If you want to talk about cursed teams, look no farther than the Vasteras IK. After their season 1 Continental Cup win, they didn’t win it all again until S26. They moved to Madrid for a few seasons before returning to Vasteras, and the whole team was an absolute mess until S26. Vasteras was very irrelevant but still got hate simply for existing. Everything about the team was a disaster, but once S26 rolled around, things changed in a hurry. That year was a special year for the Iron Eagles organization. Not just did they have the big league team end their curse and win it all, their minor league team Vasteras IK Jr., also known as the Baby Eagles, had serious championship ambitions. The S26 VHLM draft class was pretty hyped up, featuring numerous big name re-creates as well as some solid first gen players. Some of the biggest names were Satan (@Bushito), Phil Rafter (@Phil), Ying Qin (@tfong), Gunnar Rask (@Advantage), Alexander Chershenko (@Victor), and Marius Henchoz (@Frank). There are more high profile re-creates, but those are just the very high profile users from that draft class. If the Baby Eagles could pick up a few of these big names, they could put themselves in a great position to contend for a cup. The Baby Eagles GM, @Edgar, decided he wanted more than just a few of those big names. By the time the S26 VHLM draft was ready to start, the Baby Eagles had the first overall selection. And the second pick, and the third. It keeps going. In one of the most hyped up draft classes in VHL history at the time, the Baby Eagles had the first 16 picks of that year's draft. No other team made a pick until the third round. Keep in mind that these draft classes were no more than two rounds deep, and even though this draft class was extremely hyped up, they still got very low on talent come the third round. It was the Baby Eagles league, and everyone else was just playing in it. Vasteras GM @Edgar strikes a deal for the 11th overall pick with the Bern Royals GM on draft day. This was, without a doubt, the greatest team in VHLM history up until S69. Owning half of the first round in a draft would put you in a great spot to win, but Vasteras took that to another level. To truly understand the Baby Eagles dominant roster, we have to compare them to the rest of the league. During the regular season, the Baby Eagles dominated. They had a jaw dropping 64 wins, and their 130 point season was 29 more than the second placed Brampton Blades. They had 53 more points than the Bern Royals, who finished second in the European Conference that season. Defensively, this team was historically tough to score on. Vasteras had the lowest amount of goals against that season, with only 179 goals getting scored on them all season. That may seem like a high total, it’s nearly three goals against per game. However, this era of VHLM hockey had high scoring, so we have to look at how well the other teams did defensively to truly understand how good Vasteras was. How many goals against could the second best defensive team let up? 200? 225? 250? 275? Even 300? If you picked any of those numbers, you are wrong. Not a single other team in the league that year allowed less than 317 goals against. The Baby Eagles goaltender Satan also put up incredible stats, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against average. These may seem like average stats, but compared to the rest of the league, Satan ironically was the second coming of Jesus. The second highest save percentage was a pathetic .883, and no other goalie had a goals against average below 4.25. Satan would win the Sawchuk Trophy for best goaltender that year in what was most likely the least contested award in VHLM history. Vasteras goaltender Satan makes a stick save against the Royals in a regular season game. Satan's elite play helped the Baby Eagles win 64 games While the defensive and goaltending stats for the Baby Eagles were incredible, the individual player stats didn’t jump off the page. They only had one player finish in the top 10 in points, which was defenseman Nic Ropel. This is because the star players of other teams would have time on ice totals approaching thirty minutes, while Vasteras didn’t have anyone playing more than 25 minutes in a game because of how well rounded they were. Every line on Vasteras could have been any other team's best line. Come playoff time, they were the heavy favorite to win it all. In the European Conference Finals, the Baby Eagles would face the Bern Royals, who finished second in the European Conference that season. This was about as predictable of a series as you can get, as most people pronounced the Baby Eagles the winner of the series before a game was even played, and most believed it would be a quick and easy sweep. Game One was a back-and-forth contest that saw a third period comeback by the Royals to force overtime. In overtime, the Royals would shockingly win. Vasteras was supposed to sweep their way to the cup, but they had just lost their first playoff game. They responded with four straight wins to force their way into the finals. Things were going well despite the loss. Surely that loss was just a fluke. In the finals, the Baby Eagles would have to play the Blades, who finished second in the league. Their 101 points were nothing to look past, but the Baby Eagles were still far better. While one loss wouldn’t be completely shocking, anything more would be. If the Blades wanted to win, they would need Seth Plaut, the MVP of the league with 215 points, to really step up and lead the way. Plaut and superstar winger Aidan Richman would do exactly that in Game One, as the Blades stole a win from the Baby Eagles. Game Two was back to normal, as Vasteras bounced back and beat down on the Blades in that one, but Games Three and Four both went Brampton's way. The Baby Eagles longest losing streak that season was three games, and they had just lost two in a row in the finals. The greatest team in VHLM history, with the first 16 picks of that year's draft, were down 3-1 in the finals to a team that had one third round pick and one fourth round pick from that year's draft. This should have been an easy series. It clearly wasn’t. Despite Vasteras' dominance in Games Three and Four, they still couldn’t pick up a win. They had their backs against the wall heading back home for Game Five. Vasteras had all the momentum going against them. They couldn’t afford any slip ups, or else their season was over. A 4-1 win in game five was much needed, and another 4-1 win in Game Six forced a deciding Game Seven. Could Vasteras survive this scare and win it all? Or were the Blades about to shock everybody and pull off a stunner in Game Seven? Game Seven began in the worst way possible for Vasteras, as the Blades had a 3-1 lead after one period. A bad start got even worse as Brampton had a 5-2 lead heading into the third. Twenty minutes left in the season. Vasteras needed to give it everything they had, and they did. Two quick goals brought them to within one, but a dominant third period simply wasn’t enough to overcome their three goal deficit. It was over for the Baby Eagles. The Blades stunned everyone and won the Founder's Cup. The Blades stun the VHLM by defeating the star studded Baby Eagles in seven games and win the Founders Cup How did the greatest VHLM team of all time not win the cup? This is still a mystery, as a team with that skill should not have lost a series to anybody. Even though they won the cup in S27, the team was very different from the S26 team. The Vasteras Baby Eagles in S26 are the greatest minor league team to not win a championship. Before I finish, I wanted to thank @solas. His three part series about this team was extremely helpful as a research tool, and if you want to check out his articles on this team, click here.

After a weak rookie season with only 14 points, General Zod already has 34 points in 41 games this season, and is on pace for 60 points, four times as many points as he had his rookie year. His hit total is already 20 more than last year and is on pace for 227 hits and sits 24th in the league in that category. Zod also has 62 blocked shots, which is approaching his total of 73 that he had last season. Zod's improvement this season led him from being a good defensive player to a great one, while also being able to contribute on offense. General Zod is improving at an incredible rate and should at least be looked at for this years most improved award. That being said, the biggest obstacle for Zod to overcome in order to win the award is the fierce competition. Ray Shields is a frontrunner, as well as players like Guy Lesiur or Sigard Gunner, who are at the top of the point totals for the league. Can Zod keep up his pace, or even outplay his pace, in order to snag this award? Unfortunately it seems unlikely right now, but Zod has a solid case to be made for most improved. 209 words

1) I did, I was going to do my PTs today but I had to wait until now, it's okay though I have nothing to do. 2) I try to watch every game, but the round robin I haven't payed much attention too, and certain series I care about more than others. 3) I would name the bot Tommy Wiseau, after the creator of the best movie of all time "The Room" 4) All of them, making the playoffs without winning the cup is the same as missing the playoffs in the grand scheme of things. 5) His high level of play has gotten to his head and inflated it 6) I'd say a 7, we are doing well but not amazing. For me personally it's a 9 though, I'm doing better than I ever expected

Welcome to the third edition of Ringless. In this series we look at the best teams throughout VHL history to never win the cup. Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, award trackers, podcasts, and scouting reports VSN Radio | Weekly Review | Future Watch | Under 250 | S73 Season Preview There are many teams in VHL history that were elite but never won a cup. Sometimes it’s because a different team is just plain better, or a lot of bad luck. The Quebec City Meute of S49 and S50 are one of the clearest examples of teams being great, but another team just being better. The Meute were the biggest victim of the Legion’s threepeat from S48 to S50, despite having a star-studded team. How did the Meute win only one playoff series despite having five hall of famers on their roster? The S49 Meute were a few seasons in the making. After a solid run during the early S40s, they regressed and missed the playoffs three straight seasons from S46 to S48. In the S48 draft, the selected centre Unassisted second overall, and also added forward Tom Lincoln because of the GM rule. The draft wasn’t much help for the Meute in their rebuild, as they relied on trades in order to secure the big-name players, such as goalie Greg Clegane. They traded a first, a second and a young goaltender for Aleksi Koponen and Greg Clegane, both of which are now hall of famers. They also acquired defenseman Jeff Hamilton from the Bears at the deadline, completing their dangerous quintet of future hall of famers. Despite finishing low in the standings for three straight seasons, the draft wasn’t very valuable to the Meute. As teams such as the Titans and Bears began to rebuild, the Meute took advantage and acquired three future hall of famers in the process. These five players helped bring the Meute to the top of the league, with an eye-popping 60 wins. They won the Victory Cup and finished first place in one of the most stacked North American Conferences the league has ever seen, with second-placed Toronto having 59 wins and third-placed Calgary having 57 wins. Koponen had 132 points, Lincoln had 110, and Unassisted had 107, forming one of the deadliest lines in the league. Greg Clegane also had a .935 save percentage, and he would go on to win the Scotty Campbell and Aidan Shaw trophies. They headed to the playoffs with a first-round bye, and would eventually meet the Toronto Legion in the Conference Finals. . While Greg Clegane would eventually move on to the Legion, his time with the Meute was nothing short of spectacular. The Legion were coming off a Continental Cup win in S48, and had an elite team themselves. Zach Parechkin, Max Molholt, and Black Velvet led the team while Hans Wingate held it down in net. All four of those players would go on to become hall of famers, leading to a star-studded clash between the Legion and the Meute in the Conference Finals. The Meute were the only team left that could stop the Legion, since the European Conference was very down that year. With the pure firepower each team had on offense, as well as the elite goaltending on both sides, it looked like we were in for an instant classic. Game’s one and two were in Quebec, and the Meute needed to set the tone. In-game one, the Meute dominated the first two periods, doubling the Legions shot totals, but it was tied heading to the third. In the third period, the Meute collapsed, and ended up losing 3-1. Game two was a must-win for the Meute, since they couldn’t afford to lose both home games. The Legion scored twice in the first period, but the Meute would tie it at 2 and the game headed to overtime. The Meute, yet again, were dominating the Legion. When the game was over, the Meute had 50 shots compared to the Legions 29. Late in the first overtime, Kol Mikaelson, a rookie that had only 13 points during the regular season, would score to give Toronto the win. The assists on the goal went to bot defenseman. The sim gods hated the Meute, but it only would get worse. Game three was an absolute battle. The Legion had the lead four different times, but the Meute tied it up every time and the game headed to overtime tied at four. This was an absolute must-win for the Meute, but just ten seconds into overtime, forward Marcel Faux scored and the Legion won game three. The Meute had no life left in them. Game four came, and it looked like the writing was on the wall. However, the Meute showed signs of life and won 5-2. They dominated this game as well, and they should have had a 3-1 lead after this game. The Meute should have won this series, but they barely could win a game. In-game five, the Legion came to play and ended the series with a 2-1 win. The Meute won 60 games in the regular season, including a 27 game winning streak, and only got one postseason win to show for it. It was a rough series for the Meute, and the Legion would go on to win back to back championships. S50 had to be the year. The Meute suffer defeat on home ice at the hands of the Legion in game five The Meute returned what was practically the same team as S49, as all five core pieces returned in the hopes of a title run. They didn’t have the same success as they did the year prior, as they finished with only 52 wins this year, but it was still a strong season, and they finished in second place in the North American Conference, only behind the defending champion Toronto Legion. With a first-round matchup against the heavy underdog Wranglers, it looked like we were headed to a rematch in the Conference Finals. The series against the Wranglers went as expected. Despite three close games, the Meute absolutely dominated, having 40 or more shots on goal every game. The Meute would sweep the overmatched Wranglers to book a date with the Legion yet again. The Legion were looking for the first-ever three-peat, and the European Conference wasn’t very strong yet again. It was up to the Meute to stop the Legions run. For the second year in a row, the Meute and Legion were going to meet in the Conference Finals. The Meute had revenge in mind, while the Legion wanted to keep their winning ways. In-game one, the Legion opened up the scoring late in the first period as Black Velvet put one home. In the second, the Meute tied it up, as Tom Lincoln scored to tie it at one. The game remained tied as the horn sounded, and we were headed for overtime. The Legion had the momentum, badly outplaying the Meute in the third period, and used it to their advantage. The Legion scored five minutes into overtime and they would end up winning game one. Game two would be a huge game for both teams. No goals were scored in the first, but Unassisted scored in the second to give the Meute a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. Just a minute into the third, Legion forward Edwin Reencarnacion tied the game, before Marcel Faux, the overtime hero from last season's series, gave the Legion the lead with only a few minutes to go. The Legion would win game two, and take a 2-0 series lead heading to Quebec City. Game three was a must-win for the Meute, and if they lost, it would almost certainly put the nail in the coffin for their season yet again. They had a 2-0 lead heading to the third before Edwin Reencarnacion of the Legion cut the lead in half late in the period. The Meute would hold on and win game three and make the series 2-1. There was very strong goaltender play in all three games thus far, but game four was different. Tom Lincoln scored within the first minute of the game before Max Molholt tied it for the Legion heading to the second. Lincoln scored again in the second, but Molholt responded again to tie it at two. John Sleeman of the Meute scored back to back goals to give the Meute a 4-2 lead, but a Toronto power-play goal cut that lead in half heading to the third period. Max Molholt completed his hat trick in the third period to tie the game, and it headed to overtime tied four to four. It took sixteen minutes of overtime play to decide a winner in this crucial game four, but Marcel Faux scored the overtime winner for the Legion, tearing the hearts out of all the Quebec players and fans for the second straight year. The Legion would have a 3-1 series lead heading back to Toronto. Marcel Faux scores the overtime winner in game four Despite being down 3-1, all hope wasn’t lost for the Meute. It felt different than last season, even though they were in the same situation. Zach Parechkin scored for Toronto in the second period of game five to give the Legion a 1-0 lead heading into the third, but Tom Lincoln tied it up early in the third before a bot forward for Quebec come through in the clutch with the go-ahead goal with just two minutes to play. Greg Cleganes 30 saves on 31 shots was plenty to force a game six back in Quebec City, and the momentum swung back into the Meutes favour. Game six started strong for the Meute, as Jeff Hamilton scored to give them the lead in the first period. The Legion would tie it in the second, and it would remain scoreless through the rest of the game. We were headed to another overtime. Both goalies had been fantastic all series long. There was only one game that a team scored more than two goals during the series. Overtime began, and the nervous energy of the crowd in Quebec was obvious. This might be their final chance at a cup. A few minutes passed by before none other than Marcel Faux scored the series-winning overtime goal to send the Legion back to the finals. Faux scored three goals all series, and they all were in the biggest moments. The Meute had fallen short, yet again. The next season, they would end up trading everybody. They fell short of their goal, and now they needed to restart. Every dynasty has victims, certain teams that had the talent to win a cup but couldn’t beat the dynasty. The Meute had one of the greatest rosters in the league’s history but fell victim to perhaps the single greatest team in league history. The Meute should have won a ring, but the Legion stopped them in their tracks. The S49 and S50 Quebec City Meute are one of the best teams to never win a cup.

1. It's tough to not be able to score goals, but at least we put on some good pressure and there were good things that happened that game, despite losing. 2. I would go with me, myself, and I. The General can't rely on others for help because of his unusually huge size. 3. My first player Matthew Materazo would be up for the job. 4. Medium rare for sure, with chicken noodle soup . 5. Jubis is a bit of a character, so I wouldn't say this is completely out of the ordinary. 6. We just cant score. Zod has actually been contributing, but unfortunately the team is struggling

Seems like it's time for me to get to work

When I was 13 I went to Las Vegas and it was pretty great, I want to go again when I'm older because I wasn't able to do much of the real Vegas stuff when I went.

1. It was rough, but luckily it's only my rookie season and we still have plenty more chances to win it all. 2. Congrats to an amazing career for Smitty, and hopefully bush is doing well, he hasn't been around for a while. 3. It's always tough to leave after being with a team for a while, but you will come to terms with it after a little bit. Even though you couldn't win a cup for the Wranglers, you helped us field a great team. 4. Considering we lost Gunnar, this is a good move to try to replace him. 5. Warsaw, since they just signed HHH. I didn't look at the draft results though. 6. We picked up Kramerev, which is a great selection. He will be apart of the Wranglers for a while.

Im in, I'll manage a group as well if needed

F2 F7 F8 D2 D3 G3 I think I put all of my VHFL luck into this one season, can't wait to finish in last next year

Zod's rookie year was not nearly as good as I was hoping, and my expectations weren't even very high. His 14 points during the regular season were pretty bad, but I wasn't super disappointed because I didn't expect much. I don't expect much next year either, but hopefully in my third season I'll be able to start scoring. The biggest disappointment with Zod is his playoff performance. He had two points in nineteen games. That is horrible. 33 hits and 22 blocked shots is okay, but two points was pretty embarassing. On the positive side of things though, Zod played great on the penalty kill. We took so many penalties especially against New York but Zod was pretty important when it came to killing them off. Unfortunately the Wranglers lost in the finals, but I'm okay with it, after all it's only my rookie year and we are a decently young team. We will be back better next year and maybe Zod will actually be able to do something on offense.

The S72 Season was a great one, which ended with the Riga Reign winning the Continental Cup. Now that the season is over, it’s time to hand out some awards. Let’s take a look at how each award race could pan out. Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, award trackers, podcasts, and upcoming offseason coverage VSN Radio | Weekly Review | S73 Draft Coverage | Under 250 | Expansion Draft Coverage Mike Szatkowski Trophy This award goes to the player during the regular season who had the most points in the league. This award has already been decided, and Condor Adrienne’s dominant season earns its first of likely many awards. He had 100 points and was the only player to finish in the triple digits. Jet Jaguar came close with 97 but ultimately fell short of Adrienne. Alexander Beketov Trophy With 70 assists this year, Lincoln Tate and Berocka Sundqvist will share the Alexander Beketov Trophy for most assists. This is the second year in a row that the Beketov Trophy was shared, but just the fifth time in VHL history. Kevin Brooks Trophy Julius Freeman’s 45 goals were enough to win him his second consecutive Brooks Trophy and third overall to his career. If Freeman has a big year in his final season, he will give himself a good shot at making it into the Hall of Fame. Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy The VHL Rookie of the Year race this year was rather tame and lacked any high point scorers. No one cracked 50 points, but SS Hornet, the 1st overall pick of the S72 draft, came the closest with 47. On the surface, it seems like he would be the favourite, but there definitely is a debate to be made. Pengu is another good candidate, as he had 43 points, just four fewer than Hornet. Zyrok12 is another player that could get some attention, as his 37 points for a rookie defenseman is pretty solid. He also had 75 hits and 122 blocked shots, pretty solid defensive numbers for a rookie. Other players such as Vladimir Shaposhnikov and Gary Neal could enter the discussion, but it seems like this year’s race is only about points. Nominees: Pengu, Zyrok12, SS Hornet Favourite: SS Hornet Dustin Funk Trophy The Dustin Funk Trophy goes to the player that is most improved from the previous season. The number of good candidates from this year is extraordinary. Condor Adrienne, the league's point leader, scored in the 50s for points in the previous couple seasons, before exploding with 100 points this year. He also increased his blocked shots total by 70, which led the league. Mikko Lahtinen also makes a strong case, as his point-scoring went from 29 to 84, and Lahtinen went from 13 goals in his first two seasons to 41 this year. Lewis Dawson of the Nighthawks makes a very strong case as well, as he went from 32 points to 93. He also nearly doubled his hit total from the previous year, from 46 to 88. You also have RJ Jubis and Berocka Sundqvist, who both went from having point totals in the 50s to the 90s this year, with 93 and 92 points respectively. This season put up many great candidates for the Funk, and it’s a shame only one of them will be able to win. It's very difficult to pick a favourite. Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Mikko Lahtinen, Lewis Dawson Favourite: Mikko Lahtinen Scott Boulet Trophy The Boulet Trophy goes to the best two way forward, and the most important stats for this award are blocked shots and hits. The league leader in hits this season was Phil Marleau, with 404. He had 75 more hits than second-place Keven Foreskin, who also is worth taking a look at for the Boulet. Other players that also had high hit totals to complement their high point totals, such as Julius Freeman and Jet Jaguar, who ranked fifth and tenth in the league for hits respectively. Every year this is a pretty tightly contested award, and this year isn’t much different. Nominees: Phil Marleau, Keven Foreskin, Julius Freeman Favourite: Phil Marleau Alexander Valiq Trophy This award goes to the best offensive defenseman. This year, many defensemen put up very high point totals. Last year, the top defenseman had 73 points. This year, the top five defensemen all had 73 or more points, including an incredible 100 points from Condor Adrienne. Berocka Sundqvists 92 points and Lincoln Tates 86 points would be enough to be the favourite for this award in most other years, but unfortunately for them Adrienne’s 100 points this year makes it very unlikely for either Sundqvist or Tate to win the Valiq. Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Berocka Sundqvist, Lincoln Tate Favourite: Condor Adrienne Jake Wylde Trophy The Wylde goes to the best defensive defenseman in the league, but unfortunately, great defence is a hard thing to grasp with just numbers. For any defenseman that hoped they could win an award over Condor Adrienne, this is the award that they would have to do it with. Unfortunately for them, Adrienne is one of, if not the top contender for this award as well. His 188 blocked shots are 30 more than second place, and he also finished second in hits for a defenseman, just one behind Lance Flowers. Flowers had 255 hits and 154 blocked shots. His 154 blocked shots are only one behind second place, and his 255 hits are the most out of all defenseman. Cinnamon Block is also a contender for this award, with 222 hits and 154 blocked shots. If voter fatigue comes into play, Lance Flowers or Cinnamon Block can take this award, but Adrienne is still the likely favourite. Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Lance Flowers, Cinnamon Block Favourite: Condor Adrienne Sterling Labatte Trophy This trophy goes to the leagues top defenseman, and it’s pretty obvious who this trophy will go too. Berocka Sundqvist and Lincoln Tate had great seasons, but Condor Adrienne was simply too good this year. He is the clear favourite to win this award. Nominees: Lincoln Tate, Condor Adrienne, Berocka Sundqvist Favourite: Condor Adrienne Greg Clegane Trophy This is another statistical award, and it goes to the goalie with the lowest GAA. The league lowest GAA belongs to Clayton Park, but he doesn’t fit the requirements for games played, as he has only played nine and it’s required to play at least 20. That means Jacques Lafontaine will win the Clegane, as his 2.31 GAA was the best in the league out of goalies that played 20+ games. Aidan Shaw Trophy This award goes to the league’s top goaltender. Jacques Lafontaine is probably the favourite, as he has the lowest GAA and was tied for the highest save percentage out of all starting goalies, as well as the most wins. However, Raymond Bernard of the Menace could give Lafontaine a run for his money, as his .924 save percentage was the same as Lafontaines, and his 2.47 GAA wasn’t far behind Lafontaine either. He also led the league in shutouts with four. Michael Johnson also can make a case, as his .922 save percentage was just barely behind both Lafontaine and Bernard. He also had a GAA of 2.55, which was third amongst starters. These three were the top three goaltenders this year, and it’s tough to pick a favourite. Nominees: Raymond Bernard, Michael Johnson, Jacques Lafontaine Favourite: Jacques Lafontaine Daisuke Kanou Trophy The Riga Reign won the Continental Cup in dominating fashion this year, going 12-1 in the playoffs. While the contributions of Lincoln Tate, Apollo Hackett, and Kyl Oferson played a big part in their success, no player was more important to the Reign than goaltender Greg Eagles. His .936 save percentage and 2.03 GAA were instrumental in taking down the Victory Cup-winning Wranglers. Calgary averaged 3.4 goals per game during the regular seasons, but only 2 goals per game in the finals. Greg Eagles will most likely continue the streak of goalies winning the Kanou with his stellar postseason run. Nominees: Apollo Hackett, Lincoln Tate, Greg Eagles Favourite: Greg Eagles Scotty Campbell Trophy The final award on our list goes to the league's most valuable player. This year we saw some really big names traded midseason, which is a huge damper on their chances to win the Campbell. The most notable player to be traded was Jet Jaguar. His 97 points were very impressive, but being traded to Davos midseason seriously hurt his chances at the Campbell. Condor Adrienne is definitely worth looking at simply because of his point production. The biggest drawback is that Malmo finished in the last place, which could pretty much destroy his case for MVP. Julius Freeman of the Americans has a good case, with 87 points. The only problem is that his teammate Owen Nolan had 82 points, not far behind Freeman. Regardless, Freeman’s elite two-way game and high point total, as well as New Yorks success, could be enough to get him some serious consideration. Scott Greene of Seattle could also get a look, with 93 points, although his two-way game took a huge drop off. Seattle also has plenty of other players with similar point totals which hurts his chances. RJ Jubis or Jacques Lafontaine of the Wranglers could be in the conversation too, as Jubis had 93 points and led his team, while LaFontaine led the league in GAA and save percentage, the two most important goaltending stats. Lincoln Tate of the Reign also deserves a shot, as his 86 points lead the team and he remains one of the leagues top defenseman. It is a really tough award to pick a favourite for. If the voters are willing to turn a blind eye to Malmo’s team success, then Adrienne will most likely win this award. But if they do pay attention to team success, then this award is clouded with uncertainty. Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Julius Freeman, Lincoln Tate Favourite: Julius Freeman Thank you for tuning in for the S72 Awards Preview. Good luck to all those that are in the running!

The week is about to end in 10 minutes and I need to write an article for two TPE. Recently I have been less motivated to do things, which is a bit concerning but I think in the end it will be fine. I keep forgetting to do trivia so now I have to write articles, luckily they don't do the uncapped TPE anymore so me missing out on trivia doesn't really matter as long as I write an article. Last week I didn't write an article, so I missed out on two precious TPE. General Zod is garbage, it's embarassing. In the VHLM he was a beast, but now he is horrible. He has 0 points throughout the playoffs. That is pathetic. All I can do is keep earning TPE to make him an elite defensive monster, but that doesn't lead to me putting up points. It doesn't really matter because the point of Zod wasn't to get points anyways, but i think my really solid VHLM season made my expectations for Zod too high. I never expected him to be able to get a lot of points, but since he did in the VHLM, I was hoping for something better in the VHL, and I was mistaken. It's okay though, eventually I'll get my stats high enough and eventually upgrade scoring to 70 and I'll be fine. 230 words

1. I was pretty confident, we are the better team and we are elite at home. 2. So many different players have been good for us, it's hard to pick one. I can guarantee it's not Zod though, he sucks with his zero points. 3. It's huge, game five is a big momentum swinging home so it's important that we pick up that win. 4. I think we can beat them. It is a little concerning with how well they have been playing though, they have been unstoppable it seems. 5. It's the red out calgary crowd, it throws off the opponents. 7. I live on Long Island so I can tell you that no matter what hotel you choose you will only be a short taxi ride away from anything cool that you want to see.

1. Yeah, but the victory cup means nothing unless you win it all. 2. I am a little surprised, especially after we won the first two games pretty handily. 3. 4-2 Calgary 4. Our defense in games three and four was atrocious. We need to be better on the back end to win the series. 5. Zod always has a playoff beard, and a sexy mustache to go along with it. 6. Wake up at 6, go for a morning run. Take a shower and a dump. And then after that it's all business, especially when it comes to mentally preparing for the game

Week 2 claim