Greg_Di

I know, Win or Lose best playoff performance by Eagles so far

Had so many bad playoff sims in Eagles career, about time something went right

Great game by everyone! wooo Riga!

After a disappointing post season last year, the Riga Reign have done the unexpected by sweeping both European teams to get into the finals. No one predicted that Riga would have swept both opponents and many around the league expected the Riga/Moscow series to be a long one. The Reign are expected to be underdogs against whoever the North American finalists will be but there might be some hope for Riga Fans. The Reign play a fast, up-tempo system plus a lot of great depth that has gotten them off to quick starts in this years post-season. In a what is sure to be a long series Riga have all their players healthy and rested, which could work to the Reigns advantage — especially if goalie Greg Eagles continues to top of his game. So far Eagles has been the best goalie in the post-season with a .931 save % and a 2.12 GAA “ I think I have been playing my best hockey of my career right now, the regular season was a roller coaster but I came to play in the post-season “ Eagles said during an interview at practice “ I want to be here and do my best for Riga. They deserve a cup and I will do my best to make sure that happens. All the guys here deserve it, we have been playing amazing hockey and we want something to show for that” When we spoke to the Riga coaches on the teams advantage heading into the finals they said “Well, I hope it is,” one of Riga’s coaches said during a conference call when asked if his team’s speed, fast pace of play, rest and depth could be an advantage. “I think not just guys rested, but excited, right? They haven’t been in the finals in a while, so the excitement, the rest and everything you hope will help you along the way. “I don’t think, honestly, it would matter who we play,” Eagles said when asked who he would prefer to play in the finals. “I think the biggest thing right now for me is to focus on the game in hand and focus on winning. It could be Calgary or NY. Either way I will be playing at the top my game” Eagles continued “our goal is to win the Cup, but in order to win the Cup you got to win the final series. It’s anybody’s game. It’s who’s playing the best hockey at the most important time of the year. The league is still awaiting the end of the North American conference finals to see who Riga will play. Both NY or Calgary will be tough opponents and many are thinking it will be a long series. “ We have had it pretty good so far, being able to wrap everything up in 4 games and then getting the rest we need “ Said Eagles “ But I know the finals will be a tough series. I don’t expect anything other then 7 game series. While we might be rested, the other team is going to be coming in with adrenaline. We will see which one will win out”

The Riga Reign swept both European challengers and they will be heading to the cup finals. This is an exciting moment for Riga and its players as they believe that this can finally be the year. They are currently awaiting the winner from the NY / CAL series to see who they will play in the finals. "It's great to be heading to the finals, the team was solid all season and played extra hard in the playoffs" Said Eagles " I don't think we were expecting to sweep both Davos and Moscow as they are both very strong teams, but we just played inspired hockey" When asked who he would rather face in the finals Eagles said " NY and CAL are both very good teams, if it was up to me I would prefer NY as I think we are better built to play them. Calgary was very good this season and they are a very strong team which would give us a little more trouble. No matter who we get though, I am confident that we will still win the series.

1. We swept Davos for the first time in Riga history, what gave us the edge? I think our great depth was key. The whole team was firing on all cylinders 2. Who do you think we will face next round, Helsinki or Moscow? Well it was Moscow and we sweeped them too 3. What do we need to do next round to ensure our spot in the finals? Since I am a little late to the presser...were already in the finals!!! Wooo Riga! 5. Who is our team MVP so far? I would have to say Hackett. He has been solid on the backend and also leading the team in points! 7. If we make it, what would be our ideal match-up in the finals? I would have to say NY. We would have a very solid chance. Calgary is really good and dominated all season so might be tougher. 8. You win one million dollars in a lottery, what's the first thing you purchase? I would go on a world trip

It was a rough end to the season for Eagles as he probably had one of his 2 worst games in his career to end the regular season. He is know focused on the playoffs and shrugged off the last 2 performances " Yeah they were bad performances but I was a little rusty coming in. The team gave Fomba some starts to end the season, He played great by the way, and I just had some game time rust to shake off. " Eagles said " Yes I could have played better but I can tell you right now you won't see those kind of performances in the playoffs...noway" Riga needs Eagles to be at 100% if they want to win the cup this season. Looking at Eagles regular season numbers this one not a season we expected of him as he struggled in the 2nd half of the season. " I think im just getting older and the 2nd half was a little bit of a struggle but playoffs is a different animal, you can expect me to be back at the top of my game"

1. Condor Adrienne is having an outstanding offensive season as a defenseman, why do you think that is? His put in some great training sessions and a passion for the game. His dedication is finally paying off. 2. A magical trade deadline has appeared and we can add any player we want to Riga, who do you bring aboard and why? I would have added Freeman, would have been a nice boost for the playoffs 4. Pengu is having a fantastic rookie season, what needs to happen for him to finish in first place for all rookies this season? Give the rookie some more ice time for the final few games as we have already clinched 5. What's the best midnight snack? Pizza....it's gotta be pizza. Can never go wrong with that! 6. What team is Riga's greatest challenge when it comes to the playoffs? I have been here only one season but I already know its Moscow! 9. What does Riga need to focus on in order to win the cup? We need to be consistent on both end of the ice and always go out there giving 110%

For Andris, Attending Riga games in the Latvian Country has become a yearly tradition Each game, during warmups Andris, hold a makeshift target up against the glass that Lincoln Tate will take aim at. As a season-ticket holder since the Riga were brought into the VHL, the tradition is Andris looks forward to before each game. The 70-year old grew to love hockey watching the Reign play. He only got into watching the game as he was gifted season tickets from his family. For Andris, it’s as much about having fun as it is about interacting with fans of all different ages. The popularity of the team in Latvia has grown season over season as Riga has lately been fielding a very consistent playoff team. This season the hype has grown even more as Riga sit atop the European standings and have a very legitimate chance of winning it all. Fans young and old have been flocking to see the team but also creating a home arena atmosphere that seems like a party. Everyone is having a good time, everyone is cheering on the team and it is much different then the more corporate feeling of the North American arenas where mostly the guests are more interested in conducting business and sitting in the lounges then actually watching the game and cheering on the team. Riga has always been known as a playoff team, sitting very close to breaking the VHL record for consecutive playoff appearances but the buzz this season seems to be different. The players are more dialed in, more focused on the ultimate prize. They have been working on different strategies and tactics to finally get them to the promised land. Mostly lead by veterans, the team knows what they need to do. “ It’s great to be on a team that is so focused on winning, I think for a lot of guys here this could be our last legitimate chance to win the cup and we are doing what we can to make that happen “ Said Eagles “ The fans have been helping as they have been showing great pride in this team. When I was traded here I didn’t think the fan support would match what we saw in Canada or the US. It’s almost on a whole different level here. The more you win, the more the fans get into the moment and want to support the team" The VHL was originally given backlash by putting a team in Latvia, many said a team here wouldn't survive and that the league would bleed money, but now they are laughing all the way to the bank. Games are consistently sold out, merchandise sales have been increasing 15% year over year and the sponsorships have been pouring in. “ When you create such a successful team, sponsorships will show up “ Said Riga’s marketing manager “ A lot of companies want their name in our arena because they can reach 18,000+ people 3x a week without much effort and then we put that money into making our home an outstanding arena to play in and an amazing atmosphere for our fans” We can’t wait to see what the Reign have in store for this years playoffs, every year the interactions and on ice visuals keep getting better and better….and if they happen to win it all expect to see one of the greatest celebrations to ever be constructed for a finals win.

1. Expansion's here! Which brand-spankin'-new team's branding is your favorite and why? Maybe I might be a little biased as my player is Polish but definitely the Warsaw logo. 2. Have you interacted with any of the new GMs before? Which one's the most underrated? I have interacted with all in some way shape or form. I think JeffD is most underrated, played with him in Vancouver and I think he will do well as a GM 3. Another huge trade sent HHH - Beaviss's own player - to DAVOS. Is Davos still a meme? I guess we will find out after the playoffs 4. Why are D.C. doing so much worse than projected this season? Hard to say, they have a pretty good team on paper but something just isn't clicking 5. Some people in Discord and on the forum say that certain players are 'chosen' by STHS. What are your thoughts on this? It could happen, I find STHS to be very RNG. One day you are playing like you're supposed and the other day you are scratching your head on how that could of happened 6. Have you ever met the team's zamboni driver? What are they like? I always see them as I like to be the first on the ice and last off, friendly guys with some great jokes!

Eagles has had the OT curse this season as he has now lost in 7 overtimes. If he would have won these games he would have been sitting at the elusive 40 game wins for a goalie....but with the way things stand now he will not reach that mark, which he has only reached once in his career " It sucks, I thought I would of had all those OT wins but that's just the nature of the game" Said Eagles " You win some, you lose some...it's just how it goes. I started off really well in the season but as we went along things just took a turn for the worse. This has definitely not been one of my best season but we are still on course to finish first in the European conference and have a good chance of winning it all so I can't complain" Eagles has not been able to match his S70 performances and it seems to be weighing on his mind. Hopefully this does not affect his playoff game.

For the theme week I decided to write about Riga's GM Hedgehog @hedgehog337 Before being traded to Riga, I did not know much about Hedgehog or Riga to be honest. Now starting my second season here, I have started to see how the locker room is run and how Hedge runs his team. I can say I have been very impressed and I am glad to be playing in Riga. A warm welcome was definitely received when I joined by the GM and all Riga players. The locker room is always lively with discussions about games and the league. Players are never left in the dark on trades as Hedge likes to give updates on trade talks and who potentially could be involved. I think that is a great way to lead a team when you keep your players informed on potential moves and assets. You can see that Hedge likes to build great teams who are always in the discussion to win it all. Riga also is on the way to creating a new VHL record on most concurrent post-season appearances. He is not afraid to make big moves to help his team and we saw that last season when Eagles, Acyd and Phil were brought in to help the team on the playoff run. While the team did not achieve its goals of reaching the finals, this still showed Hedge is willing to do whatever it takes to make his team better. While Riga has been performing well this season, it will be up to Hedge to decide if he wants to add pieces to help the playoff run or keep the ship steady and go for it with what we have now. Another little tidbit I learned since being in the Riga LR is that Hedge loves to sleep but hey, that's what hedgehogs do! I was a little worried when I first arrived and the first few things I heard were SHHH Hedge is sleeping. Kind of caught me by surprise that a team GM would sleep so much but to be honest I believe that is what gives him the ability to consistently have a great team every season. Sleep helps the mind think better and I am sure in his sleep he is dreaming of the perfect line combinations, trades and strategies to make our team better. With Hedgehog's leadership Riga has been having a great season so far, sitting on top of the European standings by 9 points. It has also improved my game play. When a GM believes in his team and communicates with his team about what is happening, it makes the players want to play better and harder for the team. This has been seen all throughout the organization season in and season out. So far it has been a pleasure playing for Riga and Hedgehog. As I finish this article, once again the locker room is starting to echo the sounds of SHH Hedge is sleeping, and I must end this article as I do not want to wake the Hedge while he is coming up with our end of season and playoff strategies.

It was announced earlier today that the VHL would be expanding by 4 teams. One of those teams was awarded to Warsaw Poland. " It is great to hear that their finally will be a polish team, I have been trying to spread the game their as much as possible" Eagles Said " I would love to one day coach or manage Warsaw, maybe even play their in my final season....or maybe have one of my children play...would be a dream representing a polish team" It might be too late for Greg Eagles to play for Warsaw but with 3 sons who play hockey, maybe they will be able to live out their fathers dream. Poland has recently seen a surge in hockey popularity when Eagles won multiple awards in S70 from being the top goaltender in the league and with the Polish Capitol being awarded a team, this popularity is sure to keep on increasing. With the sport gaining in popularity you should see more polish players coming through the ranks.

1. There have been a ton of trades recently, including ones involving Jet Jaguar, Julius Freeman, and Mat Tocco. What's your impression of how things ended up? Interesting trades and a lot of high TPE players being moved. Time will tell if the trades work out or not 2. Are Moscow and Vancouver calling it quits on this season with their trades? I think so, every team eventually needs to rebuild and both these times had great runs last couple seasons 3. Everyone figured New York would be in the North American Conference's driver's seat. Why are they struggling for top 8 right now? Could be Chemistry? Could be something is just not clicking with the lines...NY should be doing a lot better. 5. How do you normally keep in shape during the off-season? Continuous training, I never take any time off in the off-season. 6. Why do you think VHL careers only last 8 seasons? Does it age you faster than normal life does? I think it should be extended but I guess since the seasons are so quick, it tires out the players more 7. First we had hedgehogs, then Eagles, then SasakaMOOSE, and now we have a penguin on the VHL ice too. What animal is next? I am going to go with a bear? seems a logical choice

woo a team in Warsaw Great to hear about the expansion!

Greg Eagles has had a terrible last 3 games and has entered into a rough patch. We sat down with Eagles and talked to him about how goalies can bounce back from a bad game or even a bad stretch. All goalies have been there before. The puck has shrunk down to the size of a golf ball and found its way past you one too many times. Your legs feel heavy, your pads stick to the ice every time you try to get up, you left your glove hand at home and it seems like nothing is going your way. The classic signs of a Bad Game. Those thoughts mentioned above are what get goalies stuck in the Bad Game mentality. Always dwelling on past performances is never a good sign. Your goalie performance is usually linked to two factors: Preparedness and Mindset. So lets talk about preparedness. How have you prepared for the game? Were you messing around in the locker room with your team mates, or were you taking it seriously and focusing on the task at hand? You don’t want to waver in how you prepare for the games. Keep things consistent. If you are usually quiet and passive before a big game, and then all of a sudden decide you’re going to show up late and be the comedian before taking to the ice against the last-place team, chances are you’re going to get shelled. You need to stay consistent in all aspects of your game in order to play a consistent game. If you waver, your game will be like a roller coaster ride. Preparedness also takes into consideration your team training sessions. Are you taking it seriously and listening to your coaches? Or are you just messing around and not giving it your all. If you don’t give it your all in practice then you will not be ready to give it your all when it comes to game time. Now lets move on to the other huge factor and that is your mindset heading into the game. You have to be in a positive mindset heading into the game in order to avoid a bad game. Instead of saying to yourself things like, Don’t blow this or I’d better stop this breakaway, try injecting thoughts into your head like, I’ve got this! and This guy’s got nothing! Just changing your mindset can have huge impacts for your game. You already have the skills, don't get stuck in your head. It’s tough to change your train of thought mid game, especially one in which you are being lit up. Regardless of what has happened up to that point in the game, as soon as you start thinking positively the saves will come. And when you make the saves, start gaining more confidence to bounce back. That is the cycle you need to get stuck in. You can also influence the mindset of your team-mates. If you become negative and start saying negative things, this could affect the morale of all the players around you. Even if you are having a rough game, try to keep saying positive things to yourself and your team-mates around you.

Entering his 6th season in the VHL and close to retirement age, it doesn't seem like Eagles is showing any signs of aging. He is currently leading the league in Save % and GAA and up to now is having a better season then when he won the Clegane and Shaw Trophies in S70. In 25 games played so far, Eagles sits at a .929 save % and a 2.14 GAA. These are great numbers and Eagles is definitely hoping for another s70 repeat. " I worked hard in the off-season to make sure I am able to be competitive this season. That Regression thing that everyone was talking about happened this season, I felt it, I wasn't as quick or focused anymore but I made sure to put in the extra effort in the off-season to work on fighting the regression" Eagles said Whatever Eagles has done in the off-season seemed to have worked as he is playing some excellent hockey. We are hoping he can keep this up all season and lead Riga to a Cup final.

1. Who's the most underrated player in the league right now? I would say Spyro, great goalie and great locker room presence 2. Who's the most overrated in the league right now? HHH, Love him but with that amount of TPE he should be putting up way more points 3. Do you think Riga needs a big shakeup? Nope, Since the line shakeup we have been playing really well. 4. What do you attribute the recent offensive slump to? Probably line combinations, since the line shakeup we have been putting up goals which has been nice 5. If you weren't a VHL player what a normal job would you work? Definitely a pro soccer player 6. What's your player going to do when they're retired? Relax and then maybe get into scouting or coaching for hockey

As has been tradition since Eagles started in the league, we are sitting down with him once again at the seasons start to discuss all things hockey and about Eagles. R: Welcome again Greg, the fans really appreciate you doing this every year E: No problem, I love doing this and it's great to hear it has taken off among the fans R: How has life been treating you in Riga since the trade? E: It has been great actually, I got acclimated really quick and just this off-season I bought a house here. R: Does this mean you see yourself seeing out the rest of your career here? E: I would like to but my contract only runs for this season and the next. Its possible to sign for an 8th and final season but I will have to see how I feel and what the team needs are. Most teams don't really want an old goalie in his last year but we will see. R: I am sure all the Riga fans would like to have you back for an 8th season but now lets focus on this season...How has your start been? E: Well it started off very well, I was playing some good hockey but over the last couple of games it hasn't been so good. I have let in some sloppy goals which has affected my rankings and our overall team play. I have to work more on my speed and agility as with age these are the things that start to slow down. R: Are you doing anything to get back on track? E: I have been having extra practice sessions to shake some of this rust off and to snap out of this cold streak. I want to be one of the top goalies this season, just like I was in S70, and that is going to take some extra practice R: Last season you only had 1 shutout compared to 9 the season before, can you explain why that may have happened? E: Well, I think it comes down to adjusting to a new team and playing in a different conference. I think now that I am settled and have a season under my belt here, that you will see more shutouts from me. R: How do you rate your chances this year on winning it all? E: We have a great shot as we are just as good as any other team out there. We just have to get more consistent and that is something the whole team is working on. We also just brought in a 4th D which will help the team in the long run. Playing with 3 was really not giving our top guys any breaks which led to some defensive breakdowns R: And last question which comes from a fan, they wanted to know what are you 3 favorite foods? E: Well, I follow the 3 P philosophy in favorite foods and that is Pizza, Poutine and Perogies. Those are my all time 3 fav foods that if I could, I would eat 24/7 R: Thank you for your time Greg, we wish you and Riga all the best this season E: Thanks and cya again next season!

It's been 20 games into the season and so far it looks like Riga is in a similar roller coaster pattern like last season. Win one, lose one, win one, lose one and it keeps on following this path. So far to start the season Riga has not found its consistency. With the standings being as close as they are, Riga is going to need to figure out how to play consistently. When the offense is hot, it seems like the defense and goal-tending get cold. When the Defense and Goalie get hot, it seems like the forwards go on a cold streak. The Reigns Goal For and Goals against are exactly the same at 50 each, which shows the inconsistency. Management has scheduled extra practices for the next couple weeks so that the team can all be on the same page. If the team continues to play like it has, it might mean the playoff streak might end and that is something all the players want to avoid. " Riga has this great playoff streak going, I believe if we make it this season it will be 11 seasons in a row and all the players are working hard to achieve this goal " Said Eagles " We just have to shake off some of this early season rust and get back to playing good, solid hockey"

@Bushito Just received email from Yahoo saying " Hi, Due to the public health threat of COVID-19, the remaining NHL regular season games have been canceled. The NHL has announced the season will continue with a 24-team playoff format. As a result, the Yahoo Fantasy Hockey season has ended. We will apply the current standings as final. Please see the NHL 2019-20 End of Season FAQ for more information, including Pro League and Cash League details. Thanks for playing Yahoo Fantasy Hockey. We can’t wait for the 2020-21 season! See you then. -Your friends at Yahoo Fantasy" Are we doing TPE payouts based on these standings?

1. We're about a half dozen games in. What's your impression of the season so far? So far so good, were tied for first in Europe so we are off to a good start 2. Some players made a position switch over the off-season. How successful will Jerry Garcia be now that he's a LW for Davos? He is off to a hot start with 15 points in 10 games. Looks like it was the right choice for him 3. What chronically under performing player will finally have their time to shine this season? I think our old friend Acyd Burn will have a great season this year, his due to breakout 6. Why does STHS always spit out really weird results at the start of each season? STHS is just weird like that, very RNG with no real logic behind it. 7. If the league had jersey/equipment sponsors, which product/company would you want your player to be sponsored by most? Adidas, while I know they are not big into hockey but they are my favorite brand for soccer equipment. 8. I think I've figured it out! Hedge has found a way to clone himself, and he has his clones alternate doing his work while they are at home while he sleeps in his office! What do you think of that? I think that's brilliant, he can run the team 24/7 without losing a beat

Eagles joined Riga last season about 1/4 through the season. This year will be his first official full season in Riga and he is excited and ready to go. While he has not started a game yet, with Fomba getting the first couple starts, Eagles has played a relief role in 2 games. Coming in to Help Fomba after a 2 rough starts. " Fomba has been scheduled to get the first few starts and it was great to see him play so well in his first 2 games, the next 2 games didn't go so well but he shouldn't feel too bad about it. It happens and you just have to bounce back to the next game " Eagles Said " I am not sure when im going to start my first game yet but I am looking forward to it. I have been training all season and I feel the best that I have since I joined the league" Riga currently sit 4th in Europe but the season has just gotten started. A lot of the players are still shaking off some off-season rust and will get into full swing of things very shortly.

We start this season off with another 40+ win goalie prediction. Last season we made the following predicitions S40 Prediction Last season we went 1 for 3 in our predictions. The big highlight out of those predictions is that Rayz @Rayzor_7 finally got his elusive 40 win season which was followed up by another championship. It was a long time coming for Rayz who has never reached this win total in his amazing career. The other 2 in the predictions, Eagles and Johnson @fonziGG, struggled in the win column in S40 only attaining 33 and 29 wins respectively. The one big surprise from last season was Jacques Lafontaine @SlapshotDragon winning 40 games in just his second season. It was a very impressive feat and many are wondering if this was just a fluke or if he is the real deal. We are thinking this is the real deal! Now lets get to our 3 S41 predictions Jacques Lafontaine: The surprise goalies of last year, who put up 40 wins, is off to another hot start. He has started the season 4-1-1 as he looks to show the league that last season was not just a fluke. If Calgary can stay hot expect Jacques to put up some great numbers this season. This 3rd year goaltender, if he keeps up his training and great play, will definitely be in the running for some awards at the end of the season as well as joining the 40+ win club in back to back seasons. There has not been a goalie to win back to back 40 wins in quite some time, so we will definitely be keeping an eye out on Jacques. Jimmy Spyro: @DarkSpyro Spyro finally has his chance to shine. After playing backup to Eagles and Davison the past 3 seasons, Spyro is finally the starter. This is a well deserved promotion for Jimmy as he has been very patient and showing that he has what it takes to be a starter in this league. With the Wolves still being a strong team, we believe that Spyro will reach the 40 win mark in his first season as a starter. He is off to a pretty good start, starting the season 3-2. We will see if Jimmy can handle the pressures of being a starting goalie in a big market in Vancouver. We have every faith that he will and be among the top goalies at the end of the season. Greg Eagles This last prediction was tough, looking over the goalies this year and last, it was tough to come up with another goalie to hit the 40 win mark. Some of the top goalies over the last few seasons are getting older and regressing, while some of the other up and coming goalies might need some extra time to be good enough to hit the 40 win mark. For the last pick I decided to go with Eagles as he has a lot to prove in Riga. Being acquired last season, his stats weren't the best but he did help lead Riga to the playoffs. This season he has trained extra hard in order to bring Riga back to the championship and to have another 40+ win season before he eventually hangs up his gear. It's sure to be another exciting season for goalies and we will be back next year to see how our predictions work out!