CowboyinAmerica

Day 9?!?!

New York -- This year's World Cup of Hockey is now behind us, and for Team Western Europe, it was a time of ups and downs. The team entered the competition hoping to punch above its weight and did finish third in the round robin phase with a solid - if unspectacular - 5-5 record. However, the team did fail to find the medal stand once again, ultimately falling to fourth place after losing both the semifinals and the bronze medal match. However, not all was a disappointment. Western Europe did win a crucial quarterfinal contest over rivals Eastern Europe, giving some continental bragging rights over the next two seasons. "Maybe it's not the World Cup we wanted, but I think there's a lot to be proud of with our play," said center Antonia Bucatini. "It's something to build on for the next edition." Indeed, there is reason to believe the future is bright for this Western Europe squad and medals may come in the near future. Of course, some part of that is the forward corps, including the Italian duo of Bucatini and Gianfranco del Rocco. But a big storyline this tourney was also the youth in goal - and Deadpanda will only likely improve from here to give Western Europe a top netminder. With that in mind, the prevailing sentiment for the continental team is hope. "We're still learning to play together I think, we'll get there. With so many players from different teams, it takes time to gel," Bucatini added. "But with big wins like the Eastern [Europe] one, I can see the building blocks for a real dynasty here."

Day 8!

1. I would say it’s officially time to get into the holiday spirit! How festive are you feeling? Took me a bit to get through the work week, but now I'm off and feeling good! Happy holidays! 2. Davos has brought back the legend Ahma and the next in the Jokinen line! How do you feel about Davos’ draft? Spectacular. I know it took a bit of capital to move up to select the latest Jokinen, but it's worth it for both a spectacular player and a spectacular member. 3. Of the cities in the VHL in both the NA and EU conferences, which one would you like to visit the most? I've actually been to a lot of them - all in NA minus Calgary, plus London. I've actually talked about visiting Prague sometime soon, I've heard it's a beautiful city. 4. What are your goals for the upcoming season? It's all about the title baby. We've gotten so close in recent years, I don't really care about the personal stats as long as it means wins. 5. What position do you believe is most fun to play as and build in the VHL? Most people will probably say forward, but I'll be honest that I don't mind goalie as much as others do. It's a centerpiece position with wins and losses on you, and I have no problem riding the wave. 6. What is one thing you enjoy the most about being a part of a sim league? I've always liked the game aspect of it all. That's why I like being in point task leagues in particular - you get out what you put in, and I like challenging myself that way.

7 swans a swimming

But did anybody ever wonder why you're gifting six geese a laying? That's a lot of care and upkeep for the recipient.

High five

Four for me

Transaction ID: 0M274582PY317580L CAD $20 Also donating for @Ahma

Hola

Never gonna let you down

Davos, Switzerland -- It was always meant to be a building process for Antonia Bucatini's time on HC Davos Dynamo, and such has it gone. Her rookie year, Davos saw some wins, but ultimately missed out on the playoffs by finishing sixth in the conference. Her second year, it was a first playoff appearance - and an upset over Moscow to boot, before losing in the European Conference finals. Then this year, it was another step - her first finals appearance after getting revenge against Riga and taking down Moscow once again. The Dynamo lost in the finals in 6 games to the Vancouver Wolves. But should the season still be considered a success? Bucatini certainly thinks so. "Maybe we're even a little ahead of schedule honestly, but I think we're clearly where we want to be," she explained. "We wanted to be a team that competes for titles. Well, I would say falling two wins short of the cup certainly qualifies as being a contender." However, it's one thing to get to the finals, it's another to maintain that momentum. Already Davos management has begun to take steps to get there - and plenty more will be said on pairing Gianfranco Del Rocco with Bucatini as we get closer to the season. But for now, it's a time of rest and relaxation for the players. Plus, maybe a little gazing ahead to the future. "I'm still in the first half of my career. I've got a lot of hockey to play," Bucatini said. "So yeah, it's nice to get some wins early. But I think there's going to be plenty of success ahead for this team and in my own career."

For S97 Transaction ID: 4AX7724200750505V $1M Player Store Cash 5 TPE Uncapped Doubles Week

1. Coming off a heartbreaking Finals loss, we have a lot to reflect on. How did you feel about Davos’ S96? Even with the finals loss, I still consider it a success. We built on the previous season to get within two games of a title. But now we have to win it all. 2. How will your player spend their offseason? What's that? Gianfranco Del Rocco is coming to Davos? Well, now there's a lot of sightseeing and introductions to do, I'd imagine... 3. Did you sign up for this season’s Christmas-themed ProAm tourney? I didn't, but I typically don't participate in many ProAm tourneys as it is. The season's long, and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to take a break and check out for a bit. 4. There have been some talks between members about a potential updated demographics survey for the VHL (age, gender, country, etc.), would that be something you’d be interested in seeing in the near future? I'd be curious, especially the country part. I think I'm used to my online experience being very U.S.-centric, so I'd be curious to see how true that actually is in the VHL. 5. What would be the most important attribute you’d look for when scouting a player in the VHL? Activity, but that doesn't necessarily mean capping PTs every week. It could be locker room activity, consistent in checking the boards, auto-12s from another league. Just something to show they're engaged with the community. 7. Now that it’s that time of year, what is your favorite holiday tradition that you and your family participate in? We did our tree decorating, which is always a fun one for me. We get a live tree every year, but a small one - just enough to hang a few ornaments and enjoy the holiday season.

Claim 3

Davos record when we have more shots: 1-0 Davos record when we have fewer shots: 1-0 Davos record when shots are exactly tied: 0-2 Our way forward is obvious

1. MY FELLOW DAVIDS, we are back to the Continental Cup Finals! How do you feel about Davos’ performance this playoffs in one word? Gravy. It's all gravy from here. I think I'm still in the mindset of Davos as a still rebuilding team, so I wasn't expecting the finals. If we win it all, that's just all the better. 2. We ousted Moscow once again, do you believe in the Victory Cup curse? As a person who wrote an entire article about the Victory Cup curse - nah, not really. It's just that every team that makes the playoffs is really good, and it's somewhat of a crapshoot once you're there. 3. What was your player’s most impressive stat during this playoff run? I've had a few games where I'm invisible, but also a few clutch performances - including the Game 7 first star against Riga. I'm hoping the finals produce a few more. 4. The S97 draft is quickly approaching! What positional needs do you believe we have to address? Is Ahma a position? Really, we're still a pretty young team with talent across the board. I really don't think we need to address anything by position and are in a good spot to go best player available. 5. What is one piece of advice you would give to first gen members? Sim leagues are what you make them - but that also means not burning yourself out. If something's not making you happy, you don't have to do it! This is all for fun anyway, so make sure that stays first and foremost. 7. For the F1 fans, who do you think will secure the Constructor’s Championship: McLaren or Ferrari? I'd imagine it's going to be McLaren from the pure numbers. But the image of Sainz winning the race, clinching the Constructor's, and giving Ferrari a giant middle finger on the way out is a very fun one to me.

1500+ words, claiming in VHL and SBA for three weeks ending: 12/1 12/8 12/15

Does HC Davos Dynamo have a true rival? Before they came back to participate in the VHLE, I was one of the people loudly calling for Vasteras’s return. But it wasn’t just because there was a lot of VHL history there, or because of some personal connection to the franchise. (I had never played on Vasteras before the VHLE, in fact.) Instead, what I really wanted was something that I think the VHL has largely lacked in recent seasons: a villain. If you think about sports as a whole, a lot of the fun is the bad blood and rivalries. Think Leafs/Bruins. Yankees/Red Sox. Cowboys/Eagles. Heck, even short-term rivalries are fun - I’m definitely going to want to watch the first WNBA game between the Lynx and Liberty next season. While the VHL had its share of villainous teams in the early years, including Vasteras but also the Meute, Americans and Wranglers at varying times since I’ve been a part of the league, I don’t think there are too many rivalries recently that have naturally emerged. That’s why a recent press conference question from @kirbithan got me thinking: Who all would I even consider HC Davos’ primary rival? Is there anybody with any sort of bad blood, particularly in the European Conference where playoff matchups may have got contentious? That’s why I’ve decided to look at each other European team to see how often they’ve played Davos in the playoffs since the most recent VHL expansion in Season 73, including wild card matchups. And what I’ve found is - not really, a lot of the playoff battles are evenly spread out among most European teams. But there’s some potential there. Helsinki Titans Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 0-1 Series Played Against: S91 It surprised me a bit that the Dynamo and Titans have only faced off one time, but it makes sense that the two teams were often on opposite paths. The Titans were dominant in the mid-70s when the Dynamo were down. Then the teams switched for most of the 80s, with Davos a stronger squad the second half the decade. The Titans did have a few strong years in the late 80s, but now that Davos has rebuilt again, the Titans are once again retooling on their own. However, the one playoff series there is was a doozy: The Wild Card Titans took down the top seeded Dynamo en route to a miracle finals run in Season 91. If the two sides had played a few more times before the Titans rebuilt, that certainly could have been the start of something. London United Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 2-1 Series Played Against: S86, S88, S90 Part of the issue with fostering a true rivalry is that you need to see teams a few times in a row, having a point of direct comparison. However, between Season 73 and Season 95, Davos only once played a squad in the playoffs multiple seasons in a row. The closest they got was the series against London, where they played three times in five years, but always with a season in between meetings. Still, I wouldn’t really call London a rival for Davos, since the two teams were often separate in the standings - the first of those matchups was a wild card matchup, and the other two saw one seed Davos taking on Wild Card London. (But not without peril - in the one Davos loss, London did upset top seed Davos in S88 en route to their title.) Malmo Nighthawks Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 2-1 Series Played Against: S79, S85, S87 One could argue that the closest series Davos has had in the past 22 seasons occurred against Malmo. In Season 87, the first seeded Dynamo and the third seeded Nighthawks played a killer series in the European Conference finals, with both sides going back and forth trading games before Davos was able to pull off Game 7. One could certainly see that as the potential start of a rivalry - but alas, the Nighthawks would soon rebuild, the Dynamo would follow them a few seasons later, and the bracket has fallen such that in the past couple seasons they have not played again. (And given the age of Malmo’s squad, who knows if they will again before another rebuild.) Moscow Menace Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 3-1 Series Played Against: S84, S86, S88, S95 If you asked me the answer to this question at the end of Davos’ last run in S91, the answer would have probably been Moscow. The two sides faced off in some consequential matchups that served as a sign post for where Davos would need to be. Davos’ first playoff appearance after a rebuild ended in a quarterfinals sweep from Moscow in S84. Then, upsetting Moscow in S86 as a wild card team marked Davos as a true contender. Finally, taking down Moscow in a hard-fought 7 game series in S88 let people know that Davos was here to stay. The matchup took a back seat for a few seasons while Davos rebuilt, but last season’s Davos sweep (reminiscent of S86) could be enough to spark this contest up once again. To be sure, Davos is one game from potentially playing Moscow once again this season, and both teams are built to continue to make the playoffs for seasons to come. Prague Phantoms Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 1-3 Series Played Against: S80, S86, S89, S90 If you listen to Davos forever legend Ahma, this is probably the correct answer for Davos’ true rival. First of all, there is the fact that Davos had claim to being the VHL’s purple team first, with Prague being deemed as Fake Purple upon their entry to the league. But more pressing is those back-to-back European Conference finals matchups in S89 and S90, the only time Davos has faced a team in the finals back-to-back seasons. In S89, it was Davos getting the upper hand, taking down Prague in five games en route to a title. In S90, the Phantoms returned the favor, beating Davos in five games in capturing a title of their own. Recent seasons have seen the teams move in opposite directions though, with Prague still in the middle of a deep rebuild while Davos has become a contender once again. This would be a fun matchup to see have some life again, but for now, it’s dormant. Riga Reign Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 3-1 Series Played Against: S84, S87, S89, S95, (S96 TBD) Gun to my head, if you asked me who Davos’ biggest rival is right now, it’s Riga. That’s partially because of the back-to-back playoff matchups, which Riga won last season in the European Conference Finals, and Davos is currently up 3-2 this season as of the writing of this article. But these two teams have also been on largely parallel paths in their rebuilding cycles over the past 20 seasons, have a lot of familiarity between the team’s GMs in Alex and Lemorse, and as of this season, Riga is Davos’ most played playoff opponent in the past 23 seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more playoff matchups between these two in coming seasons as well, adding a bit more juice to a potential rivalry. Warsaw Predators Davos Playoff Series Record Against: 0-2 Series Played Against: S81, S85 An 0-2 record against Warsaw in the playoffs is a tough thing to look at, a record that I’m sure Davos fans aren’t happy about. But neither series was a particularly consequential matchup for either team, lessening the rivalry potential a bit. Season 81 saw the two sides face off in the wild card round, which Warsaw won, but they were promptly swept by top seeded Malmo a round later. In Season 85, top seeded Warsaw beat a wild card team in Davos in 5 games - but the Predators promptly got swept by Moscow in the conference finals, prematurely ending what they hoped would be a championship run. Especially since the two teams haven’t faced off in the playoffs in ten-plus seasons, there isn’t any juice for a rivalry here. Final Thoughts Taking a look at the figures as a whole, I’m not really sure the Dynamo have any sort of current rival. Even though the team made the playoffs a number of seasons between S84 and S91 in particular, they faced a number of different teams during that time, and very rarely any team twice in a row. Although the Davos/Prague battles in consecutive conference finals got very close to a rivalry, nothing was sustained long enough for me to consider any particular bad blood. But I will say, that has a chance to change quickly. Last season, Davos played Moscow and Riga in their two playoff matchups. This season, Davos is already playing Riga - and if they win one more game, they play Moscow once again. All three teams have the potential to be in the playoffs once again in the next couple of seasons as well. That’s the type of consistent matchups that start to formulate some bad blood - and we will see whether Davos does develop Riga, Moscow, or someone else as a true rival here in the near future.

1. Once again, we face Riga! Do you believe that they’re our biggest rival in recent memory? Probably just because of the playoff matchups, though I view it more as a fun rivalry than a bad blood rivalry. Though if current standings hold and it's Moscow/Davos in the EU finals, that could be a bad blood rivalry. 2. What is your one bold prediction for these playoffs? In something that has never happened before, Moscow will make the finals but lose in 7 games. The curse isn't dead yet. 4. How did you do in VHFL if you participated? If you didn’t participate, will you sign up next season? Finished second! Which I'm happy with - I've won groups in the past, but my main goal is a consistent team that will definitely finish top 3 more than anything else. 6. How is your favorite NHL team doing thus far this season, if you have one? The Wild are doing much better than expected, honestly. Now we just get to hold our breath for Kaprizov's health. 7. Another pair of movies just debuted this past Friday! Have you watched/plan to watch Gladiator II or Wicked? I'll honestly see Wicked at some point, but it'll probably be an airplane movie. I have plenty of theater friends and enjoy it, but early screenings of people singing in the audience seems like my personal hell. 8. Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday season? Flying back out east for Thanksgiving tomorrow, then my East Coast family will be returning the favor and coming to the Midwest for Christmas. But it's nice to see everybody regardless, just need some chill time with family.

I think I win if Davos doesn't trade for Dubois. @Alex I'm blaming you.

Davos, Switzerland -- Following a long season of VHL play, we're to the final 10% of the season. And after all of those games, the differences between Malmo, Riga and Davos... are about the same as they were at the beginning of the season. Malmo currently sits in second in the European Conference with 95 points in 65 games played. Riga and Davos have played 66 games a piece, and sit just 1 and 2 points behind Malmo, respectively, in the standings. That means it's going to be a very tight competition in the remaining games to see who can finish in second and third - and crucially, avoid the Wild Card matchup between the fourth and fifth best teams. Two of Davos' remaining games are against Malmo themselves, crucial matchups of which Davos would like to win both. But captain Antonia Bucatini isn't looking past the other games against D.C., Toronto and Chicago, noting that every point matters. "We don't have any wiggle room any more. Every game is a must win," Bucatini said. "Messing around is how you end up out of the playoffs, we know that from last season. So we need to get in that playoff mindset now." Some analysts have said that missing the Wild Card isn't as crucial this year, given that Warsaw sits in fifth at just 54 points. Especially after trading Syko at goalie at the trade deadline, whoever finishes in fourth will be a heavy favorite. But to hear Bucatini tell it, the Dynamo aren't taking any potential Wild Card opponent into account. "I've seen too much weird stuff happen in the VHL playoffs - hell, even our sweep against Moscow last season. There's no reason to chance it," Bucatini added. "The only guaranteed way to advance from the Wild Card is to not have to play in it. And that's what we intend to do."

1. We’re in the final stretch of the regular season! Where do you think we’ll finish in the EU? O YE OF LITTLE FAITH WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE CONFERENCE BY AVERAGING FOUR POINTS PER WIN DOWN THE STRETCH. BOOK IT. (Real answer: Third. I don't think Malmo and Riga both stay that hot.) 2. Who should be considered our “Most Improved Player” this season? I'm really happy to see Johnny Tsunami turn it on this season. I know his rookie year was frustrating, but he's a huge part of this team moving forward. 3. Are there any stats you’d like to see in the portal or index that haven’t already been covered? I would love to see some sort of turnover stats, whether turnovers given up or turnovers forced. I think it'd be a great boon to Wylde Trophy cases. 4. Are you a part of any other sim leagues besides the VHL? Just the SBA right now. Which I enjoy - answer pending how my second seeded Rampage do in the playoffs this week. 5. What does your player do in their free time? Would you believe me that Bucatini is big into cooking? Yes? Well, the Italian heritage sure shines through naturally, some amazing tasting pasta. 6. In your opinion, what is the most important part in making sure a sim league survives and thrives? I'm not sure it's the biggest, but flexibility from both members and management. When things devolve into fights and people stop having fun, that's when a league can slowly die.

1. Were there any TDL moves that surprised you? I suppose the Warsaw/Vancouver deal, considering Vancouver didn't actually have anything to trade. Realistically though, the Toronto/Malmo trade would have been huge if allowed to go through, a lot of moving parts there. 2. Thoughts on our new acquisition Joseph Dubois? Glad to welcome him on board! We've got the deepest squad in the league, and I hope it means something. 3. What is your favorite VHLM team and why? I've got some love for Saskatoon, having won a title and some awards there in the past. Plus as somebody living in Minnesota, I have to root for a team called the Wild. 4. What would you like to see from your player in the second half of S96? Just some more consistency. It seems like the Davos offense has some absolute stunner games, then will follow that up with 1 goal against a bottom team. Not playing down to rebuilding competition would be great. 5. How is your experience in the VHL now versus when you were a first gen? If you are still a first gen, what have you learned thus far since joining? I mean it's a whole different league from the '30s, but it seems like people now are taking a more active role in retention and answering questions. Which is great - I'd love to see the league thrive. 7. Favorite ice cream flavor? It's weird - I don't really like bananas alone, but I love banana flavor in things. So give me a banana split ice cream and I'm happy.