Playoff Preview:
It’s that time of year again in the Victory Hockey League, as all three leagues have finished the seventy-two game regular season and are about to enter the important season, the playoffs. In the VHLM, Halifax and Mexico will be outside looking in, in the VHLE, Oslo and Bratislava won’t be participating in the playoffs. While in the big leagues, Vancouver, New York, Seattle, Warsaw, Moscow and Prague will be taking a sabbatical from the VHL playoffs. We send our condolences to those tan based in those cities, especially Halifax and Mexico, who watched some of the worst hockey in VHLM history. In this weeks media spot we’ll take a look at some of the playoff teams around the league and what we expect from them as they enter the chase for the cup.
VHLM:
Saskatoon Wild:
Saskatoon comes into the VHLM playoffs as the number one seed in the Western Conference, after a VHLM best 56-11-5 record. Saskatoon was led offensive during the regular season by Season Ninety-One draftees Jacob Smith Jr and Alexandros Mograine. Smith Jr was second on the team with forty-three goals and first on the team with sixty-one assists and 102 points. Mograine was second on the team with sixty assists and ninety-eight points. With the great one two punch in Smith Jr and Mograine leading the way, Saskatoon was basically unstoppable most nights in the VHLM. Secondary scoring also helped lead Saskatoon to their first place finish in the regular season as a total of six players were at or above a point per game over the course of the regular season. Another Season Ninety-One draftee also played a big part of the great regular season Saskatoon experienced as Toronto Legion draftee goalie Toddly Bobbly played in all seventy- two games with the Wild, posting a .926 save percentage and a 1.76 goals against average, both of which were second best in the entire league. Now as Saskatoon enters the post-season everyone will be gunning for them as the number one seed, but we see Saskatoon as having the depth to bring home the Founders Cup this year, which would be the first time for the franchise since Season Eighty-Two.
Philadelphia Reapers:
Philadelphia is headed to the playoffs after a 101 point performance during the regular season. Philadelphia had the best offense during the regular season with 257 goals for, which was two ahead of the Wild. Philadelphia was lead by Caring Bear, who will take home the Ethan Osborne Trophy for the VHLM points leader, the Alexander Chershenko Trophy for the most goals in the VHLM and the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy for the most assists in the VhLM. With such an incredible offensive season, Bear wil also likely take home the Mitch Higgins Trophy for the league MVP when the VHLM awards are announced during the off-season. While the season by Bear was impressive in its own right, the Reapers also were led by Season Ninety-Two draftee Logan Ninefingers. Ninefingers was right being Bear in the goals(64), assists(88), and points(152) categories and in a normal VHLM season would have taken home those awards. As impressive as those two were during the regular season, what really caught our eye was the fact the Philadelphia had four players in the top ten list for points during the regular season. After those four players, the offensive production does drop off quite a bit with a gap of thirty-six points between fourth and fifth place points wise on the Reapers, but we believe that Philadelphia will be the biggest threat to the Wilds quest for the Founders Cup this season.
VHLE:
Vasteras Iron Eagles:
The precious VHL franchise that was resurrected when the VHLE was developed, had the best VHLE regular season with a 42-20-10 record in Season Ninety-One. Vasteras put up a second best 228 goals for this past season, but in our opinion it was the defense and goalkeeping that catapulted Vasteras to the number one seed this year, as they put up a league best 169 goals against. Vastness saw two goalies play for them this season, with Karl Herzlich leading the way, playing in sixty-one games this past regular season, posting a 35-18-8 record in this sixty-one games. Backup goaltender VHLE journeyman Olivier Gauthier saw action in thirteen games this season for the Iron Eagles, posting a 7-2-2 record. Herzlich and Gauthier were in the top five in both goals against average and save percentage in the league, with Gauthier even leading the league in save percentage with a 1.97 save percentage. Another eye popping stat for the Iron Eagles is the fact the team had six players in the top ten of plus minus, including the top four spots in the category. As Vasteras enters the post season as the top dog, one thing we see as a problem for them possibly in the postseason, is the fact the Iron Eagles list 10 games in overtime this season, something that shows the inability to win those close knit games. Vasteras will need to tighten up the ship and win those close games if they wish to take home the Renassianxe Cup for the first time since the inaugural VHLE season back in Season Eighty.
Cologne Express:
Another VHL franchise that was contracted, Cologne ended the regular season with more regular season wins than the Iron Eagles, but we’re still four points behind them in the standings due to the Iron Eagles points gained from overtime losses. Cologne played amazingly down the stretch winning their last five games in the regular season and nine of their last ten regular season games. Cologne is less by the top defenseman in points in the VHLE, Jordan Bennett, who led all VHLE defenseman in pints by one with seventy-two points in his seventy-two games played. Outside the top offensive defender in the league, the Express had two other players above a point per game, which were forwards Anthony Simmons(79 points) and Joshua Schwarzer(73 points). Cologne was another VHLE franchise that saw two goalies play games during the season, with Clark leading the way with sixty-four games played. Clark put up a 37-23-4 record to go along with a .919 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average. While back-up Devon Giguere saw action in ten games, putting together a 6-2 record with a .908 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average. Cologne has a bit of work ahead of them is they wish to take home the Renaissance Cup for the fourth time in the last five years.
VHL:
HC Davis Dynamo:
Davos was the top team in the entire VHL this season, posting a 49-16-7 record, which was good enough for 105 points and the Victory Cup. Davos who won the Continental Cup last in Season Eighty-Nine, will be looking to ride one of the best defenders in the league to another VHL championship. The Dynamos number one goalie Lachlan Summers had an amazing season in the regular season, posting a 46-12-6 recons in the sixth-four games Summers saw action in. The forty-six wins was good enough for second in the league, only one behind Riga’s Henry Tucker Jr. Not only did the Dynamo have a great goalie backstopping them to wins this season, they also had the leagues Mike Szatkowski Trophy winner in Leandro Goncalves leading the way offensively. Goncalves lead the Dynamo and entire VHL in points with 112 in seventy-two games, fifty-five of which were goals, which also lead the Dynamo and VHL. The issue we’re see for the Dynamo as they head into the playoffs as the top seed, is the lack of secondary seconding during the regular season, as only three players including Goncalves were over a point per game. The team managed to put up 214 goals for, which was only good for seventh best in the league. If a VHL team can focus on shutting down Goncalves, the Dynamo might be unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs early.
Los Angeles Stars:
The Los Angeles Stars are back in the VHL payoffs, looking to reworded their r faithful fans with the first Continental Cup in the teams short VHL history. After being swept by Prague last year in the final, the Stars are looking to return again this season with a much different outcome. One of those players they will be leaning on to help them not only get back but also win the championship is Sunglasses Joyo. Joyo has an amazing regular season that saw him put up an amazing thirty-five goals and seventh-two assists in the Stars seventy-two games. While Joyo had an amazing season, the biggest takeaway from the Stars regular season was the fact they had three players on the roster with over 100 points, Todd Cooke(105 points) and Larry Abass Jr (101 points). With the amazing offensive output this season in Los Angeles, goaltender Art Vandelay flew under the radar, but Vandelay put together an amazing season in his own right. Vandelay saw action in sixty-three of the Stars game, posting a 43-15-7 record along with .928 save percentage and 2.41 goal against average. Vandelay also posted six shutouts during the regular season, which tied him for the league league in that category with Londons Jesse Teno. With a weaker North American Conference, we believe that the Stars will find themselves back in the Continental Cup finals again in Season Ninety-One and personally hope for the franchise to take home their first ever Continental Cup.
Riga Reign:
Riga heads to the playoffs as the second seed in the European Conference, after a 49 win, 105 point season. Riga had one of the better offenses this season, as they sat third in the league for goals for with 232. The Reigns offense was led by the one-two punch of AK92 Wit da Hooide and Babay Shrimp. Hoodie led the way offensively for Riga with 50 goals and forty-seven assists, while Shrimp put together a twenty-five goal sixty-six assist season. Upcoming retiree Sock Monkey was third on the Reign in points with eighty-two, but after that the offense falls off a bit with most other Riga players coming in under a poor per game. In net Riga had the Season Eighty-five, Eighth Overall draft pick Henry Tucker Jr leading the way with action in sixty-five games. Tucker Jr put up a very respectable 47-12-5 record, which was good enough for the league lead in wins for VHL goalies. Tucker Jr also managed to put up a .932 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average in his sixty-five games played. With a stronger European Conference this season, Riga will have a lot of work ahead of them if they wish to make a return trip to the Continental Cup finals for the first time since the franchise won it all back in Season Seventy-Two.
Toronto Legion:
The Legion will enter the playoffs as the second seed in the North American Conference. The Legion will enter the post-season as the best defensive team in the VHL as they allowed a league low 161 goals against, which is an eye popping 2.2 goals a game over a seventy-two game season. The Legion were led defensively by goaltender Joel Castle. Castle lead the way in the sixty-five games he appeared in posting a 42-21-1 record along with .938 save percentage and a 2.06 goals against average. Castles save percentage would be best in the league outside the leagues backups who are ahead of him but only played in nine games, while his goals against average was third best in the VHL. One issue that might arise in the VHL playoffs might be the lack of offense the Legion showed all season long, as the Legion are the only playoff team that doesn’t have a roster player over ninety points. The Legions offense was led by two center men in Max Atlas and Jimi Jaks, who respectively put up eighty-eight and eight-one points. The next closest scorer after that was defenseman Bobby Bob, who out up sixty-six points during the regular season. For the Legion to make it to the Continental Cup finals this season, the offense will have to dig deep and help out Castle.
2,037 Words
Weeks ending:
December 10th
December 17th
December 24th
December 31st
.png.ed69a7260a477fcf4feead7a0e4b7506.png)
