Grape

I do have some sympathy towards Achilles. Drinking problem is no joke. I also struggle with alcohol, both in the past and now, and it can really change how you conduct yourself for the worse. At the same time, there's a process to be done and while I'm all for seeing the good in people, you have to dedicate yourself to that process first to show that you've changed. It's clear that he has had some lasting negative impact on some members, and while I cannot speak to his character either in a positive or negative way, I hope he understands why this was done, and I hope you understand why this is the result.

Congrats to both. Loved what Jacob did with the Marlins, can't wait to see what he does in the VHL!

UPDATE Regicide has been achieved. THE KING HAS BEEN SLAIN

While congratulations are in order for @badcolethetitan for breaking Mexico City's round 2 curse (as a Caps fan, I am all too familiar with that), there is one last hurdle for them to surpass to finally reach the promise-land, and we will not go down without a fight. The Ottawa Lynx are not a team that should be taken lightly, and it's best nobody believes a victory is guaranteed. Sinking the Titanic Ottawa's journey to the finals starts with a duel against the Halifax 21st, led by @ShawnGlade. While finishing 7th, they were not a team to be taken lightly. With both defensemen maxed and a maxed goaltender, it could be wagered that this would be a strong, defensive battle, especially considering Ottawa and Halifax had the 1st and 2nd lowest goals against in the regular season, respectively. Game 1 did show some defensive prowess, but only for one team, with Ottawa beating out Halifax 4-1. Game 2 saw more offense, but the result being the same: a 4-3 win for Ottawa in overtime. Game 3? Repeat of Game 1: 4-1 win for Ottawa. Will we sweep? No. A strategy change for Halifax, focusing heavily on offense, allows them to squeak out a close overtime win against us in Game 4, with a score of 3-2. This could become something. In a sense, the 21st narrowly missed the iceberg destined to sink their ship, but as we know, the iceberg was bigger than it appeared. Despite the offensive strategy put in place, Ottawa blanks Halifax in Game 5 with a score of 2-0, winning the series, and sinking Halifax. The Deadliest Catch With Halifax out of the way, Ottawa looks to round 2. Their opponent? The defending champions, the San Diego Marlins, led by @jacobcarson877. This is a team that, when observing my statistics, I was very high on. Strong both defensively and offensively, they would prove to be a challenge for the Lynx. Game 1 yielded a 3-1 Ottawa victory, but Game 2 saw San Diego come on top in overtime, winning 3-2. Game 3 was another close one, with Ottawa winning 4-3. Game 4 goes into double-overtime and San Diego gets the win in a tight 1-0 game. Game 5 proved to be the most one-sided game in the series, with Ottawa topping the Marlins 6-2. That offense won't keep up, however, as San Diego will win Game 6 3-2 in overtime. Up to this point, Ottawa has only lost overtime games. If a game is finished in regulation, the Lynx have taken it, whereas in overtime, Ottawa has only won 1 of 5. In this Game 7, Ottawa must keep it to 3 periods, or else it could be all over. And in Game 7, Ottawa comes out on top with a final of 3-2, reeling in the Marlins and ensuring that there would be no repeat. King's Fall And here we are: The final round. Ottawa vs Mexico City. Both teams have a significantly different approach. As Ottawa prides itself on its staunch defense and stellar goaltending, Mexico City goes hard on offense, being the top scoring team in both the regular season and the playoffs, and having three of the top 4 top point getters this postseason. Will the offensive juggernaut of Mexico City be able to poach the Lynx, or will the defensive prowess of Ottawa stump Mexico City and dethrone the Kings? We'll just have to wait and see... 576 words

Uno mas claimo

Quite the poor stretch of games it appears

Claiming again

I never get the invite

Interjecting every 5 minutes or so in my league game "(insert team here) is doing okay I think" Freest PT of my life

The Rothschilds are paying STHS to make my rankings look bad

A good portion of the STHS attributes cannot actually be maxed. Even if you max out the stats, most of the attributes end up capping out short of a 99.9, which is by design. I don’t think you are supposed to exceed 100 in any attribute; however, there are a few exceptions, with one being exceptionally high. Out of all the attributes, there are three that exceed 100, whereas every other attribute caps out at either 93.46 or 99.4 (with a singular exception being Penalty Shot, which caps out at 87.52). The lowest of the over 100 attributes is passing, which caps out at 101.38. Not a useless attribute by any means, and having that type of super passing would definitely be beneficial to any team. The 2nd attribute is strength, capping out at 111.28. I’m not necessarily sure how useful strength is, but if you want to develop into a literal wall of adamantium, it surely is possible. Now, the highest attribute you can get, capping out at a ludicrous 140.98, arguably one of the most important attributes in STHS, leadership. That’s right: for the low low cost of 450 TPE, you can become the ultimate leader of men. In all honesty, it’s a bit odd that something that’s been deemed as useless like leadership exceeds something more important, like scoring for example, by almost 50 points. I guess some rebalancing of the attributes should be on the docket…

Here we are at the midseason mark. Teams have gone through a few rounds of inactive shedding and waiver pickups and the rosters have solidified somewhat. Not a lot of trades going on, which is a bit sad, but there hopefully should be some movement this week, it being trade deadline week, which should serve as some excitement for the next few days. But for now, let’s see where teams slot in, statistically speaking. 10. Saskatoon Wild (-2) [Standings Position: 10th] - Forward Ranking: 8th (Avg TPA: 90.67) -> 9th (Avg TPA: 86.25) - Defensemen Ranking: 10th (Avg TPA: 57) -> 9th (Avg TPA: 39) - Goaltender Ranking: T-1st (200 TPA) -> 10th (No Goalie) The wheels have completely fallen off of Saskatoon, as they are in freefall at this time. What I said about their team in the preseason stands true: while goaltending is a major factor for success, you still actually need a team around them. They never put a team together to surround their tender, and now have traded them away for picks. Looking at this team, they basically threw away their first round pick, taking a nearly max goalie instead of players that could play around them, and now they have to restart. The only positive for this team is the season’s already halfway done, so they’re closer to the end at least. 9. Las Vegas Aces (+1) [Standings Position: 8th] - Forward Ranking: 10th (Avg TPA: 59.2) -> 10th (Avg TPA: 92.5) - Defensemen Ranking: 8th (Avg TPA: 79) -> 10th (Avg TPA: 78) - Goaltender Ranking: T-10th (No Goalie) -> 8th (Avg TPA: 100) It was already understood that this would be an unsuccessful season for Las Vegas, and that has held true. They were, and are, destined to sit near the bottom of the league for the entirety of the season. At the very least, they’ve seen some respectable growth in their players and, so long as their players remain active, should have a more competitive group next season. As of now, however, they’ll be limping to the finish line. 8. Philadelphia Reapers (+1) [Standings Position: 9th] - Forward Ranking: 3rd (Avg TPA: 155.5) -> 4th (Avg TPA: 143.57) - Defensemen Ranking: 6th (Avg TPA: 80.5) -> 6th (Avg TPA: 124) - Goaltender Ranking: T-10th (No Goalie) -> 9th (Avg TPA: 90) Philadelphia has been struggling throughout this season and for good reason. They had a rather poor draft (no fault to the GM, as they were put into a poor situation) and just could not put together a competitive team. They’ve had a lot of turnover player wise so lines have been in a relative constant flux and they’ve suffered because of it. Not too much to say about this team really, as they’ll be relegated to the bottom half of the league for the rest of the season. 7. Mexico City Kings (-4) [Standings Position: 1st] - Forward Ranking: 4th (Avg TPA: 141.8) -> 7th (Avg TPA: 128.44) - Defensemen Ranking: 7th (Avg TPA: 70) -> 5th (Avg TPA: 126.5) - Goaltender Ranking: T-4th (137 TPA) -> 5th (Avg TPA: 137) This team continues to defy any statistical logic and remains one of the top teams in the league. I really cannot explain why or how they’re so good with any logic, as it seems it’s practically luck based. I’m not saying that I ever thought that they’d be a terrible team, but there are clearly better teams that are doing worse than them. I kind of just gave up trying to understand this team after they went on a 16 win streak to start off the season. They’ve cooled down a bit after that, and this team has the potential to fall off, hence why they’re ranked so low statistically, but I guess I’ll believe it when I see it. Big possibility that they’ll be exposed come the playoffs. 6. Miami Marauders (no change) [Standings Position: 4th] - Forward Ranking: 6th (Avg TPA: 134) -> 6th (Avg TPA: 134.57) - Defensemen Ranking: 9th (Avg TPA: 75.33) -> 8th (Avg TPA: 117.5) - Goaltender Ranking: T-1st (200 TPA) -> T-1st (Avg TPA: 200) To be completely honest, this team has gone under the radar for me throughout this season. They haven’t really made any moves, or done anything in general, that would draw notice to them. Simply put, this is a middle of the pack team playing and acting like a middle of the pack team., and I expect them to stay a middle of the pack team. 5. Halifax 21st (+2) [Standings Position: 7th] - Forward Ranking: 9th (Avg TPA: 96.4) -> 8th (Avg TPA: 110.33) - Defensemen Ranking: 4th (Avg TPA: 133.33) -> 4th (Avg TPA: 149.33) - Goaltender Ranking: 7th (52 TPA) -> T-1st (Avg TPA: 200) This team was in pretty bad shape for a good portion of the first half of the season. The best part of this team is their defense, whereas their forwards leave a bit to be desired. This team would be significantly lower if it wasn’t for the move to bring in Saskatoon’s goaltender. After that, while things haven’t necessarily been on the full upswing, they have gotten better and continue to slowly but surely trend upwards. If they want to truly compete, however, they’ll need to improve their forward core. 4. Mississauga Hounds (no change) [Standings Position: 3rd] - Forward Ranking: 1st (Avg TPA: 150.8) -> 1st (Avg TPA: 179.67) - Defensemen Ranking: 5th (Avg TPA: 92.5) -> 7th (Avg TPA: 100) - Goaltender Ranking: 6th (96 TPA) -> 7th (Avg TPA: 124) This is a team that will only go as far as their offense takes them. They know how to score goals and are able to do so with great efficiency. Where they struggle, however, is on the defensive side. Their goaltending and defense is a step behind top competing teams but they compensate for that with a high-octane offense. So long as the forwards keep scoring, this team should be fine. It’s when that goal-scoring dries up, that there will be a problem. 3. San Diego Marlins (+2) [Standings Position: 6th] - Forward Ranking: 7th (Avg TPA: 124) -> 5th (Avg TPA: 140.78) - Defensemen Ranking: 1st (Avg TPA: 151.8) -> 2nd (Avg TPA: 158.4) - Goaltender Ranking: 8th (43 TPA) -> 6th (Avg TPA: 126) This team has been subtly good this season, with a large quantity of players to assist in their pursuit for a repeat. They’ve had some of the more reliable growth and for that they’ve remained with one of the more full rosters, which makes it pretty hard to match up against them. This team looks like one that will continue to get better and rise in the standings. They’ve had a bit of a slow start, but with goaltending starting to take shape, they should be more competitive in the second half of the season 2. Houston Bulls (-1) [Standings Position: 5th] - Forward Ranking: 2nd (Avg TPA: 143.17) -> 2nd (Avg TPA: 160.38) - Defensemen Ranking: 2nd (Avg TPA: 161) -> 3rd (Avg TPA: 153) - Goaltender Ranking: T-4th (137 TPA) -> 4th (Avg TPA: 143) Houston sports a very strong roster and looks primed to be a top team for the second half of the season. They don’t necessarily have any glaring weaknesses, at least any that need to be addressed immediately. Growth will fill in the gaps and allow this team to maintain success 1. Ottawa Lynx (+1) [Standings Position: 2nd] - Forward Ranking: 5th (Avg TPA: 142.6) -> 3rd (Avg TPA: 150.17) - Defensemen Ranking: 3rd (Avg TPA: 134.67) -> 1st (Avg TPA: 197) - Goaltender Ranking: T-1st (200 TPA) -> T-1st (Avg TPA: 200) Ottawa continues to push forward this season in an attempt to solidify themselves as the top team in the league. An interesting thing to note about this team is that they are not winning through a strong offensive game, but through steady defense instead. While their GF is below average (not uncommon for many of us), their GA is top of the league, being the only one left in the double digits. So long as the goaltending and defense stay staunch, this team should have the capabilities to remain a top contender. Discussion There are really few clear cut teams positionally speaking, with Saskatoon and Vegas the only ones I can 100% say belong where I put them. There’s a really strange mix in regards to forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders within and between all the teams that makes it extremely difficult to accurately place them. Teams with top forward groups have below average defense groups and vice versa, which, on one hand, has made the parity in the league very high, but on the other, ranking these teams a significant challenge. Looking at the standings, the league is separated into 3 groups: - The top competitors, consisting of Mexico City, Ottawa, Mississauga, and Miami - The middling teams, consisting of Houston, San Diego, and Halifax - The bottom feeders, consisting of Las Vegas, Philadelphia. And Saskatoon But statistically, these teams are all jumbled around somewhat. Based on how it looks, this is shaping up to be a very interesting second half of the season, in which teams should become more solidified in their position. With nobody really creating a gap between themselves and the other teams (in terms of actually being a top team. Saskatoon is doing a great job “running away” with the 1st overall pick) I can see teams fighting for positioning all the way till the last game of the season. (1566 words)

The secret to the creation of a good rivalry is its spontaneity. Pre-planned “rivalries” will almost always fall flat, lacking that bite that naturally formed rivalries create. Think about during the NHL expansion to Seattle, where the media was really trying to push a Seattle-Vancouver rivalry before Seattle even drafted their team. Now, there really isn’t much talk between those teams. Proximity is not a reason to create a rivalry. The best rivalries are the ones formed by accident. The Trades Let’s go way back to the far-away time of Season 86. Upon taking the helm for the Ottawa Lynx, I was trying to use the hand dealt to me to craft a championship caliber team. The squad was chugging along, and we were snuggled up near the top of the league. Of course, smooth sailing doesn’t last forever, and Don Aven (@Novanod) one of the top players on the team, requested a trade to San Diego due to an existing relationship with the team’s GM. My hand was forced and a trade transpired, resulting in a respectable return for a top player. A swap of 1sts (Las Vegas ended up turning into the #1 overall) and an exchange of two lower TPE players for a maxed player. Yes the team got weaker, but things were still on course. However, there was a bit of an issue now. While it’s always nice to bring in more bodies, there was a significant need on defense. Teams strive for a balance of 6 forwards and 4 defensemen, and now, with a forward to spare, I looked to bolster the blue line, and I found a partner in Miami. A max defenseman coming into Ottawa, while two picks and a player to Miami. Now, these trades aren’t inherently that interesting, I mean, teams trade around players all the time. The uniqueness of these trades, however, come from two things. Firstly, there’s a common player involved in both trades. Keita Kourou (@woog) had quite the journey, going from San Diego, all the way up North and East to Ottawa, then back down South and East to Miami. A bit of a pain, sure, but that’s not the worst of it. The second factor that plays into this, is the amount of time between these trades. The first trade was posted on November 24th. The second was posted on November 26th. Poor Keita went through three teams in the span of two days. The worst part about it is that they didn’t even join the Ottawa LR until AFTER they were traded to Miami. Obviously, Keita was not too big of a fan of this transaction. The Rivalry Keita Kourou has not made it easy to forget about this, as they’ve made a handful of articles and mentions of Ottawa (along with San Diego) in pressers discussing their disdain for how all of this transpired, and has spoken out about how driven they are to see Ottawa fail, while wanting to play a part in that. As for their individual performance, they’ve strived in Miami, sitting at roughly a 1.6ppg pace this season, and helping Miami sit a 4th in the league as of now. Ottawa, on the other hand, has stayed in form, battling it out with Mexico City for 1st place. With Keita sitting at 200 TPA and guaranteed to graduate at the end of this season, they have one last chance to make Ottawa pay in the playoffs, assuming Miami matches up with them in the first place.

I wonder if @badcolethetitanis able to make a lineup that works with more than 1 defenseman

Bogatyrev simply just doesn't want to take the spotlight away from his teammates. What a true team player!

For those who haven’t been paying attention to the VHLM, Mexico City went on a ludicrous 16-0 start to the season. They’ve slowed down slightly, now sitting at 20-4-0, with Mississauga a point behind them, with a record of 18-3-3. We’ve all seen superteams in the VHLM before, so what makes these two teams different from those juggernauts in the past? Well, that’s a pretty simple question to answer. Mexico City and Mississauga are not superteams, Mexico City especially. The Forwards One could make the case that, at least on the forwards side of things, Mississauga does constitute as a superteam, being statistically the highest rated in the league; but for Mexico City, they’re nowhere near the top. As it can be seen, Mexico City is 6th in the league in terms of forward strength, below average statistically, yet they lead the league in goals for. Perhaps the answer lies with the defensive groups? The Defensemen The saying goes “The best offense is a good defense”, and the best way to have a good defense is to have good defensemen. Let’s see how Mexico City’s and Mississauga’s defense groups stack up with the rest of the league. Look at that: Mississauga and Mexico City both have below average defense groups, being 6th and 7th respectively. Alright, so the answer for Mississauga at least is that they’re simply going all offense, no defense, and winning games like that, right? Well, not necessarily. Mississauga is actually 2nd in goals against, with 66, only behind Ottawa. And guess who’s 3rd. That’s right, it’s Mexico City, sitting with 68 goals against. So what’s the answer? Why are these two teams, Mexico City especially, doing so well compared to the other teams? Well, let’s take a bit of a deeper dive. The Lineups I think it would be best to visualize the lineup through the lens of TPA. Let’s observe Mexico City’s lineup in their most recent game: 66 - 200 - 200 200 - 104 - 85 200 - 200 - 84 200 - 72 - 85 And on defense: 140 - 0 0 - 0 140 - 0 0 - 0 Alright, so their forward lines are organized in a way to have a balanced approach, which keeps all lines scoring, but what about on defense? They’re running 3 bots, yet have a top 3 goals against? Well, while those defensive bots get plenty of ice time, this team is still able to play sound defense and put up a lot of goals in the process. Let’s take a look at Mississauga’s lineup now: 192 - 125 - 199 195 - 155 - 195 192 - 125 - 199 195 - 155 - 195 And defensively: 200 - 0 200 - 0 200 - 0 200 - 0 So, again, forward lines take a bit of a more balanced approach (although with most players way up there in TPA, stacking the top line and being balanced would look nearly the same). On defense though, only 1 bot is getting a good chunk of ice time, opposed to 3. We can try to find reason by looking at the strategies of both teams. Mexico City runs a 0-1-4 (0 physical, 1 defense, 4 offense), while Mississauga runs the 0-2-3. Mexico City’s strategy prioritizes offense to make up for their weakness on the blue line, whereas Mississauga goes a more balanced approach, making them lean more on their one defenseman and bot pair. So, both teams go with different strategies, yet have somewhat similar team composition, so why are these teams succeeding? Simon The simplest answer is, Simon does what Simon wants. The reality of the league is that practically nobody, not even the GMs that claim that they do, know how STHS works. If lines that should be working aren’t working, you throw logic out the window and put everything in a blender, and huzzah, your team is suddenly playing super well. Last season in the VHLM, I saw defensemen as highly valuable. Teams who had top tier defenses, even when paired with lackluster forward groups, were way more dominant than the inverse. This season, it seems that defensemen aren’t necessarily a significant need, and that balanced forward lines are the way to win, for now. While we may never know the perfect strategy for STHS, I can safely say that it will be different every single season. (710 words)

claiming for the final time for week 1/30 - 2/5

get out of here!

I will say, way back to when I first joined nearly 4 years ago, nobody ever told me how to do point tasks. I was moreorless just a welfare player and the GMs I had just kind of accepted that that was how it would always be. Eventually I found out how to actually do point tasks and here I am now. While it is true that some GMs fall short on educating new and returning members alike in regards to claiming, it isn't super difficult to figure out how to do them. The forum is laid out somewhat decently enough to find where they are and there's guides pinned on all of them.