CowboyinAmerica

Dammit, this is what I got off Twitter to get AWAY from. Blue and black.

Yup, that'll do it.

Everybody has a bad game sometime Also, I now have two assists - both in games we lost. IT'S A SIGN.

Gladiators Royals Lynx Storm

3-2 Red Wolves

Yeah, I write too much. Whoops.

Only four goals? Amateur.

I always transpose the J and V, can never seem to get it right. Should be fixed.

Minot, N.D. -- Nine games into the season for the Minot Gladiators, much of the focus has been on winger Vogon Jeltz and defenseman Jack Ryan for their potent one-two punch. However, perhaps lost in the shuffle has been another important component to the team's hot 7-0-2 start: goaltender Hans Wingate. Following a season of uncertainty at the goaltender position, the team certainly seems happy to have Wingate. The fifth pick in this year's VHLM draft has posted solid numbers so far, sitting with a .929 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average, both second-best in the league. He also has one shutout, that coming against the Saskatoon Wild in a 6-0 victory. "I'm feeling good so far this season; we're doing some big things," Wingate said in a recent press conference. "Since I'm playing so well early, and since I continue to expect to grow, I think I might even have a shot at an individual award." In order to get to a Sawchuk Trophy though, Wingate will have to beat out the league's non-Jeltz MVP: Gunnar Skovsgard. The Red Wolves goaltender has put up incredible numbers through his first seven games, with a .938 save percentage and a 1.85 goals against average sitting best in the league. There are, however, reasons for Wingate to feel good. Despite Skovsgard's numbers, Moscow's relative lack of offense means the goalie is just 4-3 on the season. Also, Wingate will continue to grow as a player, while Skovsgard seems to remain stuck at 168 practice hours. Still, Wingate does not want to rest on his laurels, especially with strong goalies like Blake Campbell and Coca Cola on his heels. "I want to win this award; this is important for me," Wingate said. "And I plan to see it through to the end."

The Great VHLM Goal Scorers of History Vogon Jeltz, the first line right wing of the Minot Gladiators currently has 19 goals through 9 games. And that’s after a cold stretch of two straight games without a goal – five of his first seven games resulted in hat tricks, while the other two of those games saw Jeltz score two goals apiece. Now, it’s early in the season, and it makes no sense to get ahead of myself with prognostications. However, seeing as how I’m in the media, writing things that make no intrinsic sense is part of my job description. Plus, it’s so pretty to see these numbers: 2.11: The number of goals Jeltz is averaging per game 152: The number of goals he is projected to score this season at this current pace 44%: How many of Minot’s total goals have been scored by Jeltz 9: Jeltz’s goals lead over E’Twaun Delicious, who was taken three spots ahead of him in the draft 44.5: How many games it will take him to pass Mario De Rossi’s S41 league-leading 94 at this pace It’s safe to say that Jeltz may end up one of the most prolific goal scorers of all-time. However, what does that mean? We decided to take a look back at the three highest goal scorers in VHLM history to find out, as well as draw any comparisons that we can. #1. Evgeni Fyodorov – Ottawa Ice Dogs – 186 goals Some teams simply aren’t fair. The S21 Ottawa Ice Dogs finished the regular season with 129 points, 36 more than the next closest team in the standings. The team was solid up and down the lineup; fellow winger Keon Henderson finished with 129 assists on the season. However, nobody, and I mean nobody, could score like Fyodorov. At 186 goals, he finished just six shy of the entire Brampton Battalion team, a team that managed to win 21 games by itself. His goals were more than double third place Frank Ricard (I’ll explain second place shortly), and he bested teammate J.J. Stafford by 109 goals. The reason behind the surge? Fyodorov had talent with his 92 scoring, but it also had a lot to do with a particularly underwhelming class of VHLM goalies. Mattias Backland, from Fyodorov’s own Ottawa team, led all goalies with a .895 save percentage. The best goalie to play all 72 games that Fyodorov faced, Brampton’s Patrick Byrd, finished with a .894 save percentage and a 3.93 goals against average. That’s like shooting on an empty net. #2. Gunnar Axelson – Saskatoon Wild – 185 goals Close but no cigar, Axelson finishes just behind Fyodorov in the standings. Coming in three years later in Season 24, also benefitted from a much stronger supporting cast than Veltz has around him this season, with Saskatoon finishing with 129 points in the final regular season standings. Team goalie CAL G would later go on to the Hall of Fame, while two fools named Mike Molholt and Vladimir Boomchenko destroyed all comers in the assist category with 128 and 101, respectively. To me, Axelson’s season may be even more impressive than Fyodorov’s for one key reason: competition. While scoring seemed to be up across the VHLM when Fyodorov made his mark, Axelson’s 185 goals were a full 109 more (243 percent!) over second place Evgeni Galchenyuk. Axelson’s next best teammate, Milan Zarek, scored just 56 goals, showing that Axelson carried the team by himself. In addition, there was at least some modicum of goaltending – aside from his own team’s CAL G, Andreas LaFontaine also finished with a respectable .903 save percentage and a 3.17 goals against average. #3. Greg Adams – Oslo Screaming Seamen – 139 goals Are you future VHLM historians on a hunt to find the most underrated VHLM season of all-time? The place to look is in Season 21, that aforementioned land of milk, honey and no goaltending. Fyodorov finished not only with a record 186 goals, but a record 272 points as well. Second on the all-time points list and third on the all-time goals list? Well, that would be another Season 21 player: Oslo right wing Greg Adams, whose 139 goals and 250 total points places him upon the pantheon of all-time VHLM greats. Of course, it would if, you know, he had actually won an award for it. Fyodorov won the Sakic (MVP), the Dionne (most points), the Hull (most goals), and the Yzerman (two-way forward). Ottawa’s Keon Henderson beat him out by 18 assists for the Oates. And even the playoffs didn’t go his way, with Oslo being bounced in the first round by a Kolari (now Turku) team that tied them in the final regular season standings. Greg Adams got no respect, but he gets some now as the forgotten man with the third-most goals in VHLM history... unless, of course, Jeltz continues on his current pace of 152.

Sure, I'll give up 5 regulation goals to the Blades and 4 to the Storm. Who cares? Ryan and Jeltz got me.

I wish I could like this more than once, although I'm taking the opposite tack and hoping they win as a giant middle finger to everyone else. Anyway, I voted for Quebec. I obviously haven't been here long, but still some residual anger of players flooding to them around Season 35 or 36 or so when that was supposed to be Seattle's time.

You do not stop Jogon Veltz. You can only hope to contain him. Saskatoon did not contain him.

Downsides: I really, really suck in shootouts, apparently. Upsides: An assist! Woooooo!

To the top of the conference we go!

Hey! I resemble that remark.

Aww. That shake up would have been fun.

Yeah something's causing me a redirect loop, probably the chat. It's an asshole.

Overview: 5/5 - Absolutely excellent, possibly my favorite PT I've read so far in my two weeks of being a grader. The story flowed well, it was always interesting, and it provided an excellent back story that you can build upon. Plus, considering I work often with lawyers in my day job, I think I'm a sucker for this story in particular. Grammar: 3/3 - Just two small things in the entire article, and even these are nitpicking. prosecutor". = period inside the quotation mark Harvard school of law = Harvard School of Law (whole thing is the official title) Presentation: 1/1 - I do like the Phoenix Wright games. Over 1000 Words? 1/1 Overall: 10/10

0/8 not a rookie what the hell man I mean... Overview: 2/2 - Man, this should count as two points. Lots of information here, great run-down of his career so far. Pros & Cons: 3/3 - Had 3 of each, and they all had depth as well. Solid reasoning behind each of the choices also. Great job. Grammar: 2/2 - Only a few small things actually incorrect, although the lack of commas in compound sentences made me flinch a little as well. natural compliment = natural complement (unless his speed was saying his goal scoring looked sexy or something) if your protecting = if you're protecting Presentation: 1/1 - Sure. I like pretty pictures. Overall: 8/8

Content: 3/3 - Stretching a bit for stuff to write about? Either way, thought it was well-written, so you get the full points by me. Grammar: 2/2 - A few minor things outside of what Dollar put the fall", = always comma inside quotation mark t's what = it's what seperates = separates Presentation: .75/1 - I'm going to agree here. Was some formatting, but would like to see at least a header image. Total: 5.75/6 Final: 6/6

You rock, thank you!

I wouldn't mind. I do need a Wingate sig.

Content: 3/3 - Was the standard Q&A, but I enjoyed it. I feel like Quebec gets lost in the shuffle sometimes while New York gets the accolades, but I'm excited to see whether you guys can step up and take it this season. Grammar: 2/2 - Didn't notice anything here, wouldn't expect anything less from a grader. Presentation: 1/1 - Got it here. Total: 6/6