Clankt

Oslo Storm Dissipates Well the Norwegian sensation has finally met its match. The Oslo storm fell in five games to the Ottawa Lynx in the VHLM Finals, unable to capitalize on the tremendous momentum gained from their systematic dismantling of the European Conference. Though the more senior members of the Oslo squad had a very productive final round, it wasn’t enough to stop the relentless pressure of the Ottawa offense. Overall, both teams gave their best performances of the postseason. With three close games played, the Storm landed one resounding blow to the Lynx before finally collapsing in game 5. The back and forth play of the series meant that even though Ottawa had taken a three games to none lead, anyone paying attention knew the series still hung in the balance. With the Storm raging to a 6-1 win in game four, all bets were off as to what direction the next game would take. Storm center, Til Baumann, was interviewed after the series loss about their only win, “Yeah, we had a real good showing there. Klose and Light were on fire. It seemed like Ottawa really had their brooms ready, and were relying on them to finish the game. We still had some fire in our guts, though. We didn’t want to go home without showing that we at least belonged in the finals.” Unfortunately, it would be the only mark that the Storm had to leave in the finals, exiting the series on a 5-3 loss the next game. Vladimir Komarov of the Oslo Storm defends the puck against Ottawa Lynx forward Thomas O'Malley Christoph Klose, points leader on the Storm this postseason, left a major mark as he exploded for 13 points in the final 5 games. Carrying the offensive load, he even had a five goal game in the first of the series, a 7-6 overtime loss. His performance will be held as one of the finest in Storm postseason history. Offensive defenseman, Lloyd Light, was a solid presence for the Storm all through the playoffs. Ending up with 7 goals and 24 assists, Light helped push his team to the finals. He was also a major reason the Storm’s powerplay was as lethal as it was, converting at an unbelievable 41.38%. Light put up a team best 12 points with the extra man, quarterbacking powerplay units featuring the likes of Alecs van der Merder, Vincenzo Valentini, and pure scorer Christoph Klose. Christoph Klose celebrating one of his many games of the finals Unfortunately, Light, Klose, and Baumann will all face a long offseason, wondering what more they could have done to come out victorious during the S39 playoffs. A few of the Oslo Storm players, including Baumann and android AIM-11, are eligible for the S40 VHLM Dispersal Draft in the next week. It will be interesting to see what GM Don Draper will do to retain as much talent as he can from the squad that surprised with its tremendous title try.

Thanks! Oslo articles are always fun to write . Besides, with our steamrolling, they practically write themselves.

StormWarning There has been a storm brewing in Europe during the VHLM playoffs. There was no way to forecast the complete and utter destruction originating from Oslo, Norway. But now there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the force heading to the North American Conference is one to be reckoned with. The Oslo Storm had entered this postseason in third place in the European Conference, tied with the Moscow Red Wolves and finishing ten points behind the Bern Royals. While the Storm managed to handily secure a playoff berth, there was still no doubt that the road ahead would be a tough one to face. Now, after winning eight straight games, the Oslo Storm have roared into the VHLM Finals. Round one saw a tough series sweep eked out against the Red Wolves, as all four wins were one-goal games and the final three being overtime decisions. The close games were no surprise, but the sweep was. The conference finals were a complete shock, though. Analysts had predicted a back-and-forth battle between two evenly matched teams. They were stumped at the Bern Royals’ performance. Another sweep, but this time in dominating fashion. The Storm outscored the Royals in four games by an average of 3.75 goals! They kept the Royals to a shot disadvantage of 71-26. The collapse had the Bern management shaking their heads in disbelief. “We had a whole round to train. I don’t know what happened,” the team’s General Manager told press after the final loss. The surging Storm are now looking to North America and their conference finals to see who will face them in the final round of the playoffs. The Wild lead the Lynx three games to one and are poised to close out the series tonight. Whoever takes the series victory will have to learn to not underestimate the once-written-off Oslo club. When asking the Oslo organization, answers point to general manager Don Draper as the root cause of the team’s postseason success. The players are surely performing on the ice, but it was Draper’s shrewd waiver acquisitions that provided Oslo with much needed depth heading towards the end of the regular season. With signings of centers Til Baumann and AIM-11, winger Arthur Grosberg, and goaltender Niklaus Mikaelson, Oslo received much needed reinforcements for the teams core of forwards Christophe Klose, and Alecs van der Merder, as well as top pair defensemen Lloyd Light and Vladamir Komarov. The wealth of talent on the Oslo roster, both new and old, has shown share the offensive and defensive load very well through the playoffs so far. Christophe Klose has surely locked up a playoff MVP trophy with his performance through the first two rounds alone. With 23 points in eight games, including two hat tricks and a two six point games, he leads the team and the league in scoring. Team captain Vladamir Komarov is second in hits in the league this postseason with 40, but that is only four behind the leaders who have both have a three game advantage on the Russian. The North American Conference has performed much better this season than its European counterpart. That observation will fall by the wayside come the finals, though, as the surging Oslo Storm have flown into contention to be the best team in the VHLM. The stage is set for an exciting final.

Holy crap Klose! 6 points?!

Baumann gon' unleash the beast on those royal asses. Think we might have to shift AIM-11 into high gear!

Can't forget the captain!

Yay Splorg!

Damn straight

Baumann turns the Red Wolves into pups The VHLM playoffs are officially underway and after two games, the Oslo Storm lead the Moscow Red Wolves two games to none. This is in no small part to Oslo’s talented core of centermen. Guy Lukovski, Alecs van der Merder, and Til Baumann seem to have torn the Red Wolve’s defense apart early in their European Conference Semi-Final matchup. Baumann especially seems to have found his stride this postseason. The young German has posted six points through two games, one goal and five helpers. This recent addition to the Oslo roster was brought in at the very end of the regular season to bolster the team’s strength at center. Baumann proved capable, if average over 23 games. He garnered 12 points, with his biggest attribute being his 58.39% faceoff win percentage. Yet, once the regular season ended, Baumann took flight. Baumann has exploded onto the scene, putting up league leading points so far this postseason. His faceoff percentage is second in the league so far, but that’s not to be underrated as it stands at a weighty 66.04%. Add in a few blocked shots and a plus 3 rating, and Til Baumann will be a marked man come draft day.

And the Storm rolls on!

Finishing the Fight Evaluating the Newest Rookies As the VHLM season winds down, the Oslo Storm and its rookies look forward to the playoffs. It is also an inevitable time for reflection as well. With only seven games left in the regular season, the Storm roster has four names on it with less than 25 games of experience. The newest trio of rookies, a German, a Latvian, and… an Android, have been a fairly productive squad for their new team. This should figure well for the Storm heading into the playoffs. Baumann scoring one of his two goals for the Storm during one of their recent games. The German, Til Baumann, has been with the team the longest. While his 16 games have seen him produce only five points, Baumann has been an effective player with and away from the puck. The lauded center has lived up to his reputation in the faceoff dot, winning 64.13% of his draws. This has only been helped since his move to the middle of the second line. His defensive abilities have also poked through as he has grabbed a couple of shot blocks and posted a plus 3 for his efforts. Unfortunately for the Storm, and Baumann’s ribs, his lack of physical play is also on display. Throwing only three hits while receiving 21 are sure to make for long session in the ice bath for Baumann. Overall, this free agency pickup seems to be a shrewd move by the Storm that should really bring some security and depth down the middle as Oslo marches towards the postseason. The next two claims on the list have a much smaller sample size to represent their play, but have shown some serious promise in each of their first three games for the Storm. Automated Ice Machine – 11 or AIM-11 for short, is an android converted from the components of an automatic ice dispenser by the Chinese Government for the sole purpose of playing ice hockey. What other intentions his creators had are unknown at this point, but what we do know is that three goals and one assist in three games shows that it is at least serious about playing some puck. Having thrown as many hits as he has taken and tallying one of the Storm’s seven shorthanded goals, AIM-11 will surely by an exciting unit to watch. Arthur Grosberg hails from Bauska, Latvia. The right wing has shown some superior playmaking ability, picking up three assists and a plus three rating in his first three games. Not a big shooter, and not many hits to his name, Grosberg has a small body of work to show for the rest of his game. If he continues to make the most of the minutes he is given, as he already has, we are sure to see a lot of interest in the newest member of the Storm.

Blades 3-2

Storm Royals Wild Lynx

HC Dynamo Wranglers Titans Iron Eagles

HC Dynamo 5-2