diacope 2

This is part 2, if you would like to view the Western Conference version you can read it here
 
 
Glasser Division
 
Minnesota Storm
 
Rank: 1st
 
After taking one quick glance at Minnesota’s roster, I came to the conclusion: “Yep, this team looks terrifying”. The Storm will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It is clear that Minnesota is making a push to win it all this year after the recent trade with Yukon that brought Dickson, Harrison and John to the team. They have one thing most of the other contenders don’t with a capped goalie in Woody McPine, which I think will give them an edge. Minnesota is not lacking in any other areas of the game, either. Danny DeYeeto has been around the block a time or two in the VHLM, and is expected to rack up points for Minnesota. They have a second defense pairing that rivals the first pairing of many other teams. Saskatoon remains the Storm’s biggest threat, and I think it is going to be a Saskatoon vs Minnesota final. 
 
Mississauga Hounds
 
Rank: 3rd
 
The Hounds had a very good draft this offseason, and will be looking to make a playoff push this season. It is unlikely that they will win the division, as they share it with a scary Minnesota team, but they have an almost certain shot of making it as a wildcard. The draft saw Mississauaga pick up some important pieces for their squad, including forward Marshall James Frostbeard and goaltender Jacob Tonn. Jacob is expected to have a ton of impact as the starting tender, and Frostbeard is the team’s star forward. Overall Mississauga has a good amount of depth, which could be a wildcard against teams that are top heavy. I don’t think they’re better than Philly, but they’re a good enough team to rank 3rd.
 
Ottawa Lynx
 
Rank: 5th
 
After a successful cup run, which saw the Lynx take home the founder’s Cup, Ottawa’s roster has been gutted quite a lot. Adam Syreck and Big Chungus are the team’s main driving force, backed up by Defenz Mann. Goaltender Ajay Krishna is a gem for the Lynx, taken in the 5th round of the recent draft. However, Krishna is still relatively unproven and it is unknown how he will do after immediately being thrown into the starting role. Defenz Mann and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder are a steady force at defense, among the best in the conference. However, Ottawa also has a staggering lack of depth. The top line and defense pairing are elite, but they are essentially the entire team. These aspects force me to rank them 5th in a close contest with Halifax. However, the weakness of the bottom teams in the West makes it so the Lynx still have a very good shot of making the playoffs.
 
 
Theusch Division
 
Philadelphia Reapers
 
Rank: 2nd
 
Although they have been overshadowed by Minnesota and are not doing very well in the standings right now, the Reapers still have a very good roster provided everyone stays with the team. I’ve heard speculation that they may be looking to sell. While John Poremba is no Woody McPine, he is still a very good goaltender in his own right and will steal them a few wins here and there. Bob Helminen and Bud Knight also remain very good players, and can be expected to provide a lot of scoring for Philly. The defense is also excellent, consisting of names like Ziarie Anigbogu, Riley Knight Gee, and Spencer Elsby. In fact, Elsby is among the best defensemen in the league. While Philadelphia doesn’t have any glaring holes in their roster, they just don’t have the firepower of Minnesota and so I have to rank them 2nd.
 
Halifax 21st
 
Rank: 4th
 
The same problem that plagues the Ottawa Lynx this season is also bothering Halifax, which is a lack of depth. Forward Timothy Brown has been providing a lot of the offense, with help from the first pairing of Viktor Mjers and James Rose. The signing of centre Empty has alleviated some of the pressure off of Brown, but the question is will it be enough? Hex Valentine is a pretty good goaltender and keeps the 21st in a lot of games, but in the present I just don’t think Halifax has the required depth to contend with top teams just yet. Another major issue for Halifax has been the amount of penalties they give up, and star forward Timothy Brown is the main culprit for this. The 21st have three players in the top 10 for penalty minutes. Be expecting a 7th place finish, or even a repeat of last season and another 8th place berth. I’m ranking Halifax 4th in the conference. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but my reasoning was that while Ottawa has better forwards, Halifax has a better goaltender.
 
Miami Marauders
 
Rank: 6th
 
The newest expansion team in the VHLM hasn’t had the cinderella story of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but that is to be expected. The Golden Knights were the exception, not the rule, as many new expansion teams start at the very bottom. The Marauders are in the process of a bridge season, so to speak.They will not be very good this year but next season will be their year, due to all of the draft picks they have stockpiled. The strong points of the team this season are definitely defense and goaltending. Wolf Stansson and Kosmo Kramerev have been solid on the first pairing, while goaltender Bacon is the third best player on the team and has a sick name. Andre Lebastard is the main driving force on a pretty weak offense. Currently third last in the standings, I think Miami will finish last in the conference and so I must rank them 6th. Meanwhile, I also expect them to be the only team in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs due to the new playoff format.
 
 
Overall Power Rankings
 
 
1st: Minnesota Storm - If I finished this power ranking last week like I was going to, I probably would have ranked them 2nd. However, after the recent trade and actually studying their roster, they look scary. 
 
2nd: Saskatoon Wild - The Wild have a weaker goalie than some of the other contenders, so that might be their downfall. However, goalie Gyrfalcon has been quick to improve so he may close the gap. 
 
3rd: Mexico City Kings - The Kings have been slightly overlooked, in my opinion. First overall pick Chris Hylands and goaltender Zamboni Driver will lead this team to a top playoff spot, and first in their division.
 
4th: Las Vegas Aces - The Aces have been kind of a dark horse so far, currently sitting at first in the league. It didn’t feel right ranking them any higher than 4th since I only ranked them 3rd in the division, but if they continue this pace they will be a top team.
 
5th: Philadelphia Reapers - The Reapers have been underachieving so far this season, and are currently tied for 5th. On the other hand, Bob Helminen is currently tied for first in points, and Bud Knight is also currently in the top 10.
 
6th: Mississauga Hounds - The Hounds are a significant improvement from last season where they missed the playoffs. Frostbeard and Tonn will probably be capped by playoffs, so they could manage an upset.
 
7th: Halifax 21st - The 21st are a playoff team, but they have a current lack of depth. The first pairing has been a bright spot, especially James Rose. Rose is currently 9th in scoring for defensemen.
 
8th: Ottawa Lynx - With their current roster, they also have a critical lack of depth. If goaltender Ajay Krishna is able to improve a lot over the course of the season, they may be able to finish higher.
 
9th: Miami Marauders - Despite being lower than the Rush in the standings, looking at their roster makes it clear that Miami is the better team. I believe Miami’s main thing to look forward to is the draft. They will dominate next season.
 
10th: Yukon Rush - Being able to ice a couple of lines without bots makes the Rush better than teams like Houston or San Diego. Goaltender Jean Pierre Camus is definitely the star, and could steal them a few games.
 
11th: San Diego Marlins - Like many of the bottom teams, San Diego has the draft to look forward to with an abundance of picks. The Marlins have Roadkill Steve and a better goaltender than Houston, which makes them a better team on paper.
 
12th: Houston Bulls - Houston is likely to finish last in my opinion, despite being 11th in the standings as of right now. The Bulls don’t have any big assets, though Patrik Laine looks like a possible gem from waivers.
 
Conclusion
 
This is shaping up to be an exciting season for the VHLM, with Las Vegas currently in the lead after 18 games. At the start of the year, I doubt many of us would have expected them to be in first at this point of the season (except for their own players of course) and I think that makes it more entertaining. Let us hope that this year brings us a more exciting finals series, instead of the sweep we had last year.
 
1534 words, using for weeks ending 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21

Minotaur stole that game

Imagine getting wrecked by Houston. Smh my head.

I’ll complain, definitely was Patty this year. When the rest of the team was out of a game or feeling like we didn’t have a chance, it was always Patty that sparked us. Either by scoring a big goal or giving us a Herb Brooks-esque speech. #PattyForMVP

Man's didn't even put himself. Smh mh my head ?. Minner's been a stud tho so can't complain.

Now that the first season of Dakota Lamb's career is officially in the books, I would just like to take this article to reflect on everything that happened and everyone I met along the way.
 
First of all, I want to talk about the franchise that took a chance on me, the Miami Marauders. Right off the bat, Miami had my heart, as they took me and a friend I knew prior to VHL (@osens). This eased the transition into a new group of people who I had never so much as said "hi" to before. As the season progressed, I met a lot of cool new people in that locker room, and while there are too many people to mention here, if you are reading this you know who you are. Special shoutout here to Miami management. You guys are awesome.
The "us vs. them" mentality we rallied around throughout the season is something so fun and what makes me happy to call myself a Marauder. We exceeded expectations in all meanings of the phrase, making the playoffs and pushing the 1st seed to 7 games. In both the social and on-ice aspects of my 1st season, I would call it a resounding success.
I wasn't sure at first if i would stick to VHL, as I thought it would be something I could only commit to as a side thing once in a while, however over the last month or 2 I have grown to love this place, always making time for it and being excited to strengthen both my writing and graphic skills on the side. Being a huge fan of hockey, especially in the world we are now in, i'm glad i'm here.
 
To anyone I talked to over this past season, thank you for making this 1st-genner feel welcome and accepted, and I am excited for what the future brings for me in this league.
 
#dlamb1strounder
#GOMarauders

When many people recall the greatest game of hockey they’ve ever watched, they think of games like the Miracle on Ice, or the Canada 2010 Olympic Gold Medal Game. However, with me being the oddball that I am I prefer games like when the Canadiens lost to Columbus 10-0 that one time. Alternatively any time the Leafs play Boston in game 7. So it is with great pleasure that I recap my second favourite game of the VHLM regular season, this matchup between Miami and Houston.
 
Preview
 
This was a game that didn’t really matter a whole lot standings-wise. The Houston Bulls had a historically bad season, winning a mere 8 games. Miami on the other hand had a pretty firm grasp on the final wildcard spot, with Yukon and Halifax both tanking their seasons. It was expected by anyone with half a brain cell to be an easy win for Miami, but the result was not so simple.
 
 
First Period
 
If you take a quick look at the index and look at the shots category, you can immediately see this was a period that Miami completely dominated on paper. With the shots being 16-3 in the first in favour of Miami, your first thought should be “Wow, this is going to be a blowout”. Houston had other plans, however. At 6:40 in the first period Casey Scott scored on Miam’s goaltender Bacon, on what was only Houston’s second shot of the game to open the scoring. To add further insult to injury, Riley Knight Gee scored 39 seconds on Houston’s third shot of the game and last shot of the period, making the score 2-0. Miami had a dominant second half of the period allowing Houston no shots and restored the lead in similar fashion to Houston’s two quick goals. Kosmo Kramerev scored at 16:44, and Dakota Lamb scored a minute and two seconds later at 17:46.  
 
 
Second Period
 
You can expect that Miami’s coach was furious after the first half, kicking garbage cans, throwing water bottles, et cetera. You would expect that they would go out there and really stick it to the worst team in the league. However, in hilarious fashion Houston forward Wilhelm von Luxembourg won the opening faceoff back to Riley Knight Gee, who skated into Miami’s zone and scored 10 seconds into the period. At this point Miami’s goaltender had a save percentage of .250, which is just awful. It’s really a wonder that Bacon stayed in the game at this point. The rest of the period was largely uneventful. The period ended with the shots tied 5-5, and Houston leading 3-2 thanks to Gee’s second goal of the game.
 
 
Third Period
 
If Miami’s coach wasn’t completely livid after his team’s poor performance in the first, you can rest easy knowing he probably had a complete mental breakdown following the second. Miami really had to pull up their socks, and they did just that. Houston was completely shut down in the third, only managing a single shot. Miami’s offense on the other hand was running on all cylinders. Drew Minott, Houston’s goaltender, really had a workout facing a ton of shots throughout the period. It’s pretty likely that Miami had most of the possession of the puck as well, considering Houston only had one shot. Things were looking pretty good at this point for Miami, but they had just one problem. They were shooting on net like madmen, but none of their shots seemed to actually be going into the net. With time winding down and Houston still in the lead, the announcement came; “One minute remaining in the third period”. It was at this exact moment that Bacon was pulled from the net. They were hoping for a miracle. Miami only managed a single shot on net in that final minute, and it was a desperation shot by Rocket with 9 seconds remaining. It was a miracle that didn’t occur, although on the other side of the ice a miracle had happened for Houston. They won a game.
 
 

 
677 words, using for week ending July 5th

When many people recall the greatest game of hockey they’ve ever watched, they think of games like the Miracle on Ice, or the Canada 2010 Olympic Gold Medal Game. However, with me being the oddball that I am I prefer games like when the Canadiens lost to Columbus 10-0 that one time. Alternatively any time the Leafs play Boston in game 7. So it is with great pleasure that I recap my second favourite game of the VHLM regular season, this matchup between Miami and Houston.
 
Preview
 
This was a game that didn’t really matter a whole lot standings-wise. The Houston Bulls had a historically bad season, winning a mere 8 games. Miami on the other hand had a pretty firm grasp on the final wildcard spot, with Yukon and Halifax both tanking their seasons. It was expected by anyone with half a brain cell to be an easy win for Miami, but the result was not so simple.
 
 
First Period
 
If you take a quick look at the index and look at the shots category, you can immediately see this was a period that Miami completely dominated on paper. With the shots being 16-3 in the first in favour of Miami, your first thought should be “Wow, this is going to be a blowout”. Houston had other plans, however. At 6:40 in the first period Casey Scott scored on Miam’s goaltender Bacon, on what was only Houston’s second shot of the game to open the scoring. To add further insult to injury, Riley Knight Gee scored 39 seconds on Houston’s third shot of the game and last shot of the period, making the score 2-0. Miami had a dominant second half of the period allowing Houston no shots and restored the lead in similar fashion to Houston’s two quick goals. Kosmo Kramerev scored at 16:44, and Dakota Lamb scored a minute and two seconds later at 17:46.  
 
 
Second Period
 
You can expect that Miami’s coach was furious after the first half, kicking garbage cans, throwing water bottles, et cetera. You would expect that they would go out there and really stick it to the worst team in the league. However, in hilarious fashion Houston forward Wilhelm von Luxembourg won the opening faceoff back to Riley Knight Gee, who skated into Miami’s zone and scored 10 seconds into the period. At this point Miami’s goaltender had a save percentage of .250, which is just awful. It’s really a wonder that Bacon stayed in the game at this point. The rest of the period was largely uneventful. The period ended with the shots tied 5-5, and Houston leading 3-2 thanks to Gee’s second goal of the game.
 
 
Third Period
 
If Miami’s coach wasn’t completely livid after his team’s poor performance in the first, you can rest easy knowing he probably had a complete mental breakdown following the second. Miami really had to pull up their socks, and they did just that. Houston was completely shut down in the third, only managing a single shot. Miami’s offense on the other hand was running on all cylinders. Drew Minott, Houston’s goaltender, really had a workout facing a ton of shots throughout the period. It’s pretty likely that Miami had most of the possession of the puck as well, considering Houston only had one shot. Things were looking pretty good at this point for Miami, but they had just one problem. They were shooting on net like madmen, but none of their shots seemed to actually be going into the net. With time winding down and Houston still in the lead, the announcement came; “One minute remaining in the third period”. It was at this exact moment that Bacon was pulled from the net. They were hoping for a miracle. Miami only managed a single shot on net in that final minute, and it was a desperation shot by Rocket with 9 seconds remaining. It was a miracle that didn’t occur, although on the other side of the ice a miracle had happened for Houston. They won a game.
 
 

 
677 words, using for week ending July 5th

Not really, Davos should have been there ?

I was voted by someone? But seriously even if I wasn't in the ballot, great thanks for whoever did vote for me! HUGE honor to be even considered for this award.

Shoutout to those who nominated me. It has only been a month and a half but I love this community! 

- Ajay Krishna - 
G | 5th Round 63 pick 





It was draft day night, VHLM. Everyone eager to find themselves a new home among the pros. Every pick pulls out the energy in you. It summarizes your hard work you had put in throughout your life on the ice. Every athlete will be pleased to go in the first or second round, but that is always not possible. The draft is always a gamble, never know if they are gonna be a bust or a superstars or even a late round steal ?. Let me introduce you to a hard working athlete, the name is Krishna, Ajay Krishna. An Indo-american , grew up near Los Angeles, California. He had a nice work ethic, learnt from one of his favorite VHL Veteran player Jet Jaguar( @gorlab) and. One of the best C in the league, currently playing for HC Davos. He had a nice 1 week training with him before the draft. This would hence boost his draft reputation and stock. BUT no! He would wait all the way till the 5th round and was given a chance by  defending champions Ottawa Lynx. You could find his personal thought on this here .Even though he did not like it, that was what it was supposed to be. From the bright side he was given a chance to start for the team as a goaltender. Ottawa  Canada was where he was supposed to go now! Even though being far from home (India) he felt like it was his new home, thanks to coach @DoktorFunk and his goalie and assistant coach @DarkSpyro. He learned a lot from them, especially how to go about when it was time for VHL. They kept on calling him an steal of the draft. Even made an poster for him.

Poster made for Ajay when he was drafted by the staff members

Ottawa will be called his turning point, he had made friends with VHL player and  Canadian Timothy Brown and many others. He would potentially play with rebuilding Ottawa lynx a push them towards the playoffs,. He had an impressive career with 0.891 save % , which many provoked as one of the best  right now.  As of where he came from, no one knows. He kept his personal details very secretive. He does press conferences once per week, giving only 2 words answers. Overall Ajay is now entering the S73 VHL draft. He will be looking to go in the first round. He has been trying really hard to do so.
 
 

@Z16 That little black dot above your pfp always makes me think there is something on my screen ?

When many people recall the greatest game of hockey they’ve ever watched, they think of games like the Miracle on Ice, or the Canada 2010 Olympic Gold Medal Game. However, with me being the oddball that I am I prefer games like when the Canadiens lost to Columbus 10-0 that one time. Alternatively any time the Leafs play Boston in game 7. So it is with great pleasure that I recap my second favourite game of the VHLM regular season, this matchup between Miami and Houston.
 
Preview
 
This was a game that didn’t really matter a whole lot standings-wise. The Houston Bulls had a historically bad season, winning a mere 8 games. Miami on the other hand had a pretty firm grasp on the final wildcard spot, with Yukon and Halifax both tanking their seasons. It was expected by anyone with half a brain cell to be an easy win for Miami, but the result was not so simple.
 
 
First Period
 
If you take a quick look at the index and look at the shots category, you can immediately see this was a period that Miami completely dominated on paper. With the shots being 16-3 in the first in favour of Miami, your first thought should be “Wow, this is going to be a blowout”. Houston had other plans, however. At 6:40 in the first period Casey Scott scored on Miam’s goaltender Bacon, on what was only Houston’s second shot of the game to open the scoring. To add further insult to injury, Riley Knight Gee scored 39 seconds on Houston’s third shot of the game and last shot of the period, making the score 2-0. Miami had a dominant second half of the period allowing Houston no shots and restored the lead in similar fashion to Houston’s two quick goals. Kosmo Kramerev scored at 16:44, and Dakota Lamb scored a minute and two seconds later at 17:46.  
 
 
Second Period
 
You can expect that Miami’s coach was furious after the first half, kicking garbage cans, throwing water bottles, et cetera. You would expect that they would go out there and really stick it to the worst team in the league. However, in hilarious fashion Houston forward Wilhelm von Luxembourg won the opening faceoff back to Riley Knight Gee, who skated into Miami’s zone and scored 10 seconds into the period. At this point Miami’s goaltender had a save percentage of .250, which is just awful. It’s really a wonder that Bacon stayed in the game at this point. The rest of the period was largely uneventful. The period ended with the shots tied 5-5, and Houston leading 3-2 thanks to Gee’s second goal of the game.
 
 
Third Period
 
If Miami’s coach wasn’t completely livid after his team’s poor performance in the first, you can rest easy knowing he probably had a complete mental breakdown following the second. Miami really had to pull up their socks, and they did just that. Houston was completely shut down in the third, only managing a single shot. Miami’s offense on the other hand was running on all cylinders. Drew Minott, Houston’s goaltender, really had a workout facing a ton of shots throughout the period. It’s pretty likely that Miami had most of the possession of the puck as well, considering Houston only had one shot. Things were looking pretty good at this point for Miami, but they had just one problem. They were shooting on net like madmen, but none of their shots seemed to actually be going into the net. With time winding down and Houston still in the lead, the announcement came; “One minute remaining in the third period”. It was at this exact moment that Bacon was pulled from the net. They were hoping for a miracle. Miami only managed a single shot on net in that final minute, and it was a desperation shot by Rocket with 9 seconds remaining. It was a miracle that didn’t occur, although on the other side of the ice a miracle had happened for Houston. They won a game.
 
 

 
677 words, using for week ending July 5th

Good luck and have fun!
 
Obviously cheering for Canada so go get 'em @Hylands33 ??

I don't know time zones. I have no need to know when the hell cst is. EST is the only time zone that I am worried about. TBH all other time zones don't exist.

I don't know time zones. I have no need to know when the hell cst is. EST is the only time zone that I am worried about. TBH all other time zones don't exist.

Eoin Byrne From Cairlinn Ireland it's just a common fella.
Comming from a small village in the north of ireland, he had to learn to fight from a very young age.
but even then,he would never do it for himself,but to protect others,because he got told, that he shall not raise his fist against his enemies,but instead to protect his family,friends or other folk.
so,that way time passed and Eoin learned the game of Hockey,where he had a strange natural skill to block shots and had the chance to protect his new friends.
When he turned 16,his coaches suggested him to try his luck across the sea, he met some new coaches that came to him asking for him to join a team in a werid land called Miami! where they had a new team and needed someone with his.... skillset to help them win a playoff spot!
and so we did, i'm already a couple days in here. surrounded by new friends (that hopefully don't become rivals) and i'm able to play a great level of hockey on the Penalty Kill squad and with plenty of minutes already!
This lockeroom it's super active,everyone's doing something all day long! who would know?
from the General Manager, to his Assistant, to the Captain, or the other team members,everyone was so friendly towards me (and works hard as hell)
I only hope that if my story (and the draft) moves me elsewhere, people it's as friendly as here. never ever would like to move if that doesn't happens.
for cold I already have the cold and harsh climate of my homeland. the land where the last leprachauns still live and with their magic brings us luck.
I don't expect to be the best player ever. it would be stupid to want that,but to be the best teammate ever, so that way people will come to me and the cold will be no more.
speaking of cold... my biggest friend (and I hope she thinks of me as a rival as well) Emi rune, came from England to play in Saskatoon. so we will face eachother before it all ends. 
and who knows,maybe we will play for the same team in a future,not in the minors,but as two full grown players.
everyone should fear if we two end up on the same defensive line,for I trust her with my life,and so do she.
Great Britain could have a great defensive duo that way (think about it)
but that matters not,for now all that it does matter are the playoffs
we will face minesotta on the first round! and for what i've heard it could go either way!
it's a lot to manage, a lot to understand,learn and focus on.
But I know for fact that these guys can do it.
they can pull it off and I am going to be here to help them archieve it.

 
502 words 2555 characters  

@Esso2264 here's the regular version

Welcome to the final edition of VSN’s S72 Weekly recap (Games 371-432).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more!
 
Ringless | Under 250 | VSN Australia | Talents Behind The Trophies

Recap
 
At last, we have reached the end of another season and there was a lot of excitement this week. Scoring seems to be returning to the league as hat-tricks once again outnumber shutouts and there is no greater evidence of this than the fact that we have a hundred-point player for the first time in four seasons. Congratulations to Condor Adrienne on that accomplishment. One thing that was very clear this week was the importance of having a strong goalie, even in these high-scoring matches. Goalers like Jacques Lafontaine, Raymond Bernard, Samuel Ross, and Michael Johnson all came in clutch when their teams needed it most this week. It will be interesting to see what effect spreading the talent around the league more has on the trend toward higher scores as we expand to sixteen teams next season. With so many teams already looking to retool in the coming season, it will be interesting to see which ones are forced into a multi-season rebuild as the talent pool becomes smaller. But this is a recap, not a prediction, so let’s get back to it.
 
There were several tight playoff races this week and several teams showed us that these playoffs could truly be anyone’s game. The Riga Reign and HC Davos Dynamo both entered the playoffs on a bit of a rough week, so their first-round matchup might be more exciting than your typical one-seed vs. four-seed competition. Meanwhile, teams like the Helsinki Titans and New York Americans entered the playoffs strong but both find themselves matched up against teams who boasted much higher goal differentials in the regular season. Even the Toronto Legion encouraged us to be on the lookout for upsets as they beat the best team in the league, the Calgary Wranglers, just to make it into the postseason; calling into question just how their first-round meeting would go. As we enter the playoffs, there is always a sense that anything can happen, but that feeling seems especially pronounced for some reason this season. Regardless, I am pumped to get to see some exciting games in the last instance of the eight-team playoff format.

3-Stars
 
First Star
Jet Jaguar (DAV) - 10 G, 10 A, 57.03 FO%
Second Star
Hulk Hogan (SEA) - 3 G, 12 A, 20 SB
Third Star
Samuel Ross (DAV) - .915 SV%, 2.64 GAA, 1 SO
 
Power Rankings
 
European Conference
 
The final power rankings of the season are here and the European Conference had an epic 3 team battle to the finish. The top of the conference was wrapped up with Riga taking the top spot, a spot which they held for a good portion of the season after their somewhat slow start. Helsinki climbed back up into 2nd place, winning their division and secured the critical home-ice advantage for their playoff series with Moscow. Now here’s where things get interesting. The last 2 playoff spots had 3 teams fighting it out, right up until the last games of the season. Moscow, who are in 3rd place almost solely thanks to the remarkable season of Raymond Bernard, seem to have risen from the dead and claimed their spot in the postseason. Holding the last spot, in somewhat of a surprise, we see HC Davos who started out the season extremely hot, but stumbled their way through the meat of the games and eventually found their game again as the season ended. The blockbuster acquisitions of Jet Jaguar and Hunter Hearst Helmsley seem to have taken time to adjust to the team, but who knows what could happen if both stars heat up come playoff time. Devastatingly, the Prague Phantoms will miss out on the playoffs this year, and the gap was just too much to overcome on the final day. They hold on to 5th spot in the rankings and will be looking ahead to next season where they will hope to improve on this one. Finally in the last spot are the Malmo Nighthawks. The game plan was to tank this season, and they did just that, ending the season with the worst record in the league and earning highest odds for the upcoming Season 73 Draft Lottery.
 
North American Conference
 
A bit of a different story over in the North American conference, as all the playoff spots were pretty much accounted for heading into the final games of the season. Front runners all season long, the Calgary Wranglers finished hot and held an 8 point lead over Seattle as the season came to a close. They are the only team to break 100 points this year. Seattle came close to bursting through the 100 point marker, but fell just short and finished 2nd on 97 points. The race between these powerhouse teams was a joy to behold all season long, and Calgary slowly pulled away with their insane consistency. The gap between Seattle and New York is quite sizable, at 13 points, but the Americans have earned a playoff berth as well as a matchup against the Bears in what is sure to be a thrilling contest. Taking the last playoff spot, and in 4th place, we have the Toronto Legion, who really stumbled to the finish line. A 4-6-0 record in the last 10 games was barely enough to edge out the Vancouver Wolves who ended up finishing just 1 point out of the playoffs, even after trading away most of their star players. The Wolves accepted their fate as outsiders pretty early in the season, but they were nearly gifted a playoff spot in what turned out to be a somewhat weaker North American conference. The D.C. Dragons will be pretty upset with how the season went, not many people had them down as bottom feeders, but owning their own 1st round pick which is a lottery pick after this disastrous season, has to be seen as a success and they will be looking to pick up a piece to add to their core in the upcoming draft.

Notable Games
 
Game 411 - Malmo Nighthawks vs. HC Davos Dynamo
This week was a lot more of a nail-biter for the Dynamo than I’m sure they would have liked. First, they were passed by the Moscow Menace, then they quickly for the Phantoms right at their heels. However, HC Davos entered this game with the ability to nearly cement their place in the postseason. They stepped up to that challenge. The Rogue Davis to Jet Jaguar connection was strong as Davis assisted Jaguar on the first three Dynamo goals. In that span, they gave up one goal to the Nighthawks but that would be the only one. They went on to score two more before the final buzzer, but the last fifteen minutes of this game were mostly just keep-away. This was a game Davos was expected to win, and they did, but it was far more important than it seemed. With a loss in the match, the Dynamo would have put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. Instead, they got Riga in the first round, may God have mercy on their souls.
 
Game 425 - Riga Reign vs. Seattle Bears
For the Riga Reign, their road to the playoffs, though more secure, was a bit bumpier this week. Despite entering the week looking to have secured the first seed with a nine-point lead over the Helsinki Titans, by the time it was all said and done, that lead had dwindled to just four points. Despite Guy Sasakamoose having one of his best games of the season, and certainly his best period, the Seattle Bears matched them goal for goal, even taking a lead for eight seconds in the second period. As we neared the final minute of play, it looked like Riga might have finally secured the win, but with just sixty-two seconds left Seattle tied it again. Overtime was not enough to settle this one, so it was off to the shootout to find a winner. Ambrose Stark scored immediately for the Bears but that was matched in the second round by Codrick Past. It was Scott Greene in the third who would finally give the Bears another lead, one that would end the game.
 
Game 429 - Calgary Wranglers vs. Toronto Legion
Lastly, we have the story of another team just trying to hang on. After a shockingly strong start from the Toronto Legion, they slowly crept back down the standings as the season stretched on. At the other end of that spectrum, the Vancouver Wolves started slower than expected but stayed in close competition for a playoff spot throughout the early weeks. However, in a move that made very little sense before we all knew about the coming expansion, the Wolves management decided to liquidate many of the teams best assets and seemingly forgo all hope of a playoff run. But as the season wound down, these two teams found themselves closer and closer in the standings. That led the Legion to enter one of the toughest games of their season in a must-win position. It did not look good as the Calgary Wranglers scored first with a goal early in the first, but Toronto retained their composure. In the second period, they answered with two of their own and that would be it for the scoring. The Legion had won and with that, they would finally return to the postseason.

Events of the Week 

Fights
 
Game 379 - Lahtinen beats up Gutzwiler
I’m sure you are familiar with the saying, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Well, I can’t think of a better example of that than this smackdown. Certainly, Toronto came into this game with a plan to play a physical game and throw the Wranglers off their grove. That started just twenty-one seconds in the game and a fight broke out between Mikko Lahtinen and Gabriel Gutzwiler. However, just as Gabriel lost the fight convincingly, so too did the Legion come up short in this match.
Game 388 - McDagg vs. Laughton
There weren’t a lot of fights this week so I chose this opportunity to highlight a reformed man. Back when I was writing recaps of every single fight in the league, I wrote Blake Laughton’s name more than any other, and, while he certainly gets in a scrap now and again, I have noticed a drastic decline in his thuggish behaviour. Perhaps, he was a little out of practice, as Kristopher McDagg wiped the ice with him in this fight.
 
Hat-Tricks
 
Game 379 - Kris Rice
Kris Rice opened the scoring, scored in the middle of the game, and closed the scoring to complete his hat-trick. With assists from Charlie Paddywagon, who also had a three-point game, on each of his first two, Rice quickly put the game out of the Legion’s grasp. With his final kill-shot in the first half of the third period, Kris finished his first hat-trick of the week.
Game 396 - Kris Rice
That’s right, I said, “of the week.” Just a couple games later, Kris Rice was back at it again. This time it was the Helsinki Titans that felt his wrath, but the Calgary Wranglers spread the points around with four separate players racking up three tallies on the point sheet. Rice and the Wranglers had an explosive first period where he scored two of their four goals. They went silent for the second before scoring again just seconds into the third. Just a short while later, Kris completed his second hat-trick with the final goal of the game.
Game 400 - Jerry Garcia
In the middle of what looked to be a crazy comeback story in the making, Jerry Garcia found himself on the unfortunate end of a losing hat-trick. Despite scoring the first three goals of the game, with Jet Jaguar contributing primary assists on all of them, the Phantoms clawed their way back to eventually take the day. For a brief moment, it looked like they might be able to knock the Dynamo out of that final playoff spot.
Game 411 - Jet Jaguar
After their loss to the Phantoms, HC Davos had to work hard to hold onto the final playoff spot in the European Conference. The veteran Jet Jaguar took that to heart. Scoring the Dynamo’s first three goals of the game, all on assists from Roque Davis, it was just his second that ended up being the game-winner. But late in the third, Jaguar made a statement, finishing his first hat-trick of the season.
Game 413 - Mat Tocco
The Vancouver Wolves were another team in the hunt for a playoff spot this week, and Mat Tocco brought us a little bit of that old magic for which he is known. Ending the night with four points, he netted two of his own in the second period and completed the hat-trick in the middle of the third. Although I am sure he would have liked a shot at the postseason, this has to be a satisfying way to close out the season.
 
Shutouts
 
Game 401 - Vancouver vs. Toronto
There were just two shutouts this week and this one had a lot of significance in the final standings. Toronto finished just one point ahead of the Vancouver Wolves, so they ought to be crediting Jaxx Hextall and his amazing performance in this game with saving their season. Hextall stopped all thirty shots he faced to hold on to just a 2-0 victory and send the Legion to the postseason. 
Game 432 - New York vs. HC Davos
In the very last game of the season, HC Davos entered knowing they had fended off the Phantoms at their heels, but that didn’t mean they had nothing to prove. All season, I have heard about how great a contender the Dynamo could be if they made a play for a goalie. Samuel Ross wants to put that thinking to bed. There is nothing better than entering the postseason with a goalie on a hot streak and a twenty-eight save shutout is a great way for Ross to start one.

Rookie Spotlight
Joakim Bruden

A huge thanks to @Zetterberg for this great graphic.
 
Joakim Bruden played 3 seasons in the minors, all for the Ottawa Lynx. He enjoyed a stellar career there, managing to win an amazing 121 of 152 total regular-season games. On top of that, an incredible 2.53 GAA in the minors over those 3 seasons is quite the achievement as well. He made the playoffs in each season and improved every time as well. It took them 3 tries, but they eventually won the big prize in Season 71, only losing twice throughout the entire playoffs on the back of some wonderful performances by Bruden. 
 
This season, he made the jump to the big leagues and showed to the world that he is a young goalie to keep an eye on. There were only a handful of rookie goalies this season, but Joakim stood out from the rest by leading most of the stat categories. In 15 games, he had a remarkable .914 save percentage and 2.70 goals-against average, both of which put him in first place among rookies. He picked up 5 wins, to 7 losses, which is a very respectable record for a rookie and he will be looking to build on this very successful rookie campaign.
 
I think it’s only a matter of time before Joakim will take over as the #1 in Davos. He has shown he has the fight, passion, and most of all, skill to compete in this league. His mechanics are solid and he has a great foundation to build upon. Going forward, he will likely need to work on the more physical aspect of his game, like size and agility before he can break into that group of elite goaltenders. As long as Joakim keeps improving at this rapid pace, we have quite the prospect on our hands here and I am quite excited to see how his career develops.
 
 

? AWESOME.   






 

Nice article Patrik. Some of these players have been pretty overlooked. ?