tcookie

The Malmo Nighthawks got off to a hot start this season, sporting a 6-1-0 record through 7 games, but have suffered a recent lapse in play that leaves them in the middle of the pack in the VHL standings. The Nighthawks have lost 4 of 5 including allowing 1-10-1 Davos to claim their only win of the season, 3-2 in a shootout, earlier today.

Sophomore centre Phillip Rave, who has personally had a successful start to the season with 8 goals and 16 points in the first 12 games, didn't seem particularly fazed by the recent slip-up. He did acknowledge that they can't let it continue, though. "We had a cold spell at the start of last year, and a pretty up-and-down first half of the season... then we really got it going. So hey, it's early, I'm not going to read too much into this. But obviously, losing 4 out of 5, not something you ever like to see. So it's far from panic time, I still completely believe in this group of guys but yeah obviously we need to get this thing turned around. Need to start playing the right way."

Ten of the VHL's 16 teams are group within a 4-point gap (12 to 16 points) thus far, so that "middle of the pack" is pretty competitive right now, and every point counts. Positioning in the standings can be huge come playoff time, and the Nighthawks still have aspirations of a second-consecutive Victory Cup. We'll see if they can right the ship as they get back on the ice tomorrow for a rematch against Davos.

I think it would be completely fair to allow anyone to submit a makeup PT for one that's declined within something like 48 hours, rather than just ending the week on them.

Also, although I do completely agree with whoever declined your update, I don't quite understand why the "similar" one was ever allowed through either, so... totally valid complaint lol

During the S93 off-season, the Malmo Nighthawks made a trio of key acquisitions that should help extend the team's competitive window.

Two of those pickups will feature in their opening-night lineup, with Gregger McKeggegger jumping right into the lineup to replace Henry Eagles, now in Seattle due to salary cap constraints. Acquired in a three-way trade with Riga and Prague that saw a number of draft picks shuffled around, McKeggegger is a former first-round pick who has 96 points over the past two seasons with Riga. He's a 6'5, 205 pound forward who's main weakness is skating but is strong on the puck with a good shot, and he is terrific in his own end of the ice.

The Nighthawks also picked up Eric Queefson, who will fill the spot vacated by the departing Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish. The second overall pick in S89, Queefson put up 49 points in 72 games with LA last season. He is a talented two-way defensemen, but Malmo will be his fourth team in five VHL seasons. The Nighthawks are hoping this will be a more permanent place for him.

The third acquisition will have to wait a year to make his Malmo debut, but Jorgen Lovstrom is the likely goalie of the future in Malmo. With captain Ash Sparks on the back nine of his career, likely two seasons away from retirement, the Nighthawks have also been seeking the eventual heir to the throne between the pipes. Having spent a lot of draft capital on goalies over the past few seasons - beginning with Karl Herzlich in S89, who will finally make his VHL debut as Sparks' backup this year - then Shaunca in the third round of S91 and Olafur Gunnleifsson in the first round of S92, both of whom have stagnated in development - the club hopes to have finally locked down the position with the selection of Lovstrom 7th overall in the S93 draft. The S93 draft had three talented netminders, of whom Lovstrom was clearly the head of the class. Lovstrom was simply dominant in S92 in the VHLM, going 48-8-4 with a .918 SV% and capturing the Benoit Devereux, Mitch Higgins, and Skylar Rift Trophies as the VHLM's Top Goalie, MVP, and Playoff MVP.

Claim week 4/4

On 3/7/2024 at 6:52 AM, AJW said:

“The S66 Matt Bentz Trophy was shared between two players. One of the winners is Blake Laughton. Who is the other?”

VHL Portal shows one winner: https://vhlportal.com/hof/awards/history/31

 

This thread that Jacob found for me shows two: 

Don’t know how a first gen is supposed to find this one when I couldn’t even find it (I am not the sharpest though). Someone update portal please!
 

Yes, that question is terrible lol. I got it by looking up the four players that were options and picking the one that looked like their stats might actually be worth winning the Matt Bentz Trophy. I ended up being right, but obviously with the portal only showing one winner, it's extremely misleading, and guessing from stats who maybe should have won an award is also a terrible way to award TPE for trivia

Awesome article, really well-written

On 3/11/2024 at 8:21 AM, comrade cat said:

1. well I enjoy school and doing work while also being able to play some basketball with friends while also being productive
2. well my parents duh 
3. chris kreider now I'm a habs fan but also someone with a sense of thought and him injuring goalies around the 2010's era was horrible and dumb it's sad that the reason carey price can't play is because of his idiotic actions as well as a few other goalies playing against new york rangers

1. least favorite NHL team?
2. do you prefer hot drinks or cold drinks?
3. best movie you watched as a kid?

1) I really want to say Chicago but I'm having a hard time seeing myself cheer for Vegas over Chicago in a playoff series, so I guess that means it's actually Vegas. In any case, those are the bottom two by a mile.

2) Cold ones especially iced tea

3) Honestly barely watched movies as a kid, I didn't like committing that much time to sitting and only watching lol. Guess I watched most Disney movies around that time though so let's go with Lion King

---

1) Is Auston Matthews going to score 70 goals this season?

2) Which VHL player has the best shot at scoring 70 goals this season?

3)Team trip to Taco Bell, what are you ordering?

The Malmo Nighthawks will be saying goodbye to forward Henry Eagles after all, as the league's salary cap left them unable to offer Eagles an extension for the upcoming season. Eagles signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Bears to finish off his career. The Nighthawks have $3.5 million in remaining cap space, but Eagles' status in the league meant he would have been due a minimum of $4.5 million salary this year. As a result, the Nighthawks will have to hit the trade or free agent market to pick up a 6th forward to fill out their lineup for S93.

Coming over to Malmo in S90, Eagles spent three years with the team, posting 109 goals and 229 points in 216 games. Eagles was originally darfted 1st overall in S85 and immediately made the jump to the VHL with Vancouver, so this upcoming season will be his 9th VHL campaign.

"It was a privilege to get to play with and learn from someone with Eagles' talent and experience last year," said Malmo forward Phillip Rave. "Obviously any time you can play a nine-year career in the VHL, probably finish up better than a point-per-game for that career, you did something right and all of us young guys can learn a thing or two from someone like that. We will definitely miss him here, it's always hard to replace that level of player."

I've been to Halifax twice and love it there, and having been to Pier 21 myself, always thought that Halifax 21st was some of the best branding in the VHL. Though I can see how it's a weird name for anyone who doesn't get it, I think once you do, it's brilliant.

Congrats on the new GM role - I think as a pretty new member who picked things up very quickly yourself, you have a lot to offer new members who sign in the M. Best of luck!

Claim week 3/4

Despite a disappointing playoff run, the Malmo Nighthawks appear poised to more-or-less run it back next season after claiming the Victory Cup in S92. They did say goodbye to defenseman Jebediah Big ol Doinks in Amish, completing a pair of off-season trades that saw him head to New York and in return, defenseman Eric Queefson come in from Los Angeles.

The Nighthawks will be banking on improvement from young players like third-year pros Savaisk Tzesar and Ronald Johnson MacWallace III, as well as second-year Phillip Rave, while last season's leading scorer Viktor Jensen is seeking a breakout year after threatening to post 100 points last season. With minimal changes, the Nighthawks believe they can contend for a repeat Victory Cup win and a more successful playoff run this time around.

In the S93 draft, the Nighthawks spent their first round pick on a goalie once again, searching for their netminder of the future once Ash Sparks retires. They selected Jorgen Lovstrom, who went 48-8-4 with a .918 SV% for the Philadelphia Reapers last season. Lovstrom was the top goalie prospect available in the S93 draft. In the later rounds, the Nighthawks picked up forward prospects Ocean Codoller and Caleb Nowell, who both have shown some progression over the course of their S92 VHLM seasons and if that continues, both could play in the VHL in a couple of seasons.

10 hours ago, ace_five_ said:

 

1. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

2. Do you eat breakfast every morning?

3. What's your favourite cereal (and why is it Cinnamon Toast Crunch)?

 

 

1) Definitely a night owl.

2) Nope, pretty rarely. Trying to get better at not skipping it though.
3) It's probably Reese Puffs actually but Cinnamon Toast Crunch is awesome too.

1) What's your favourite VHL experience so far?

2) Do you have any career goals for your current VHL player?

3) What is your favourite sports team (any sport)?

Claim week 2/4

Honestly I don't think you necessarily need to re-roll even, just get that DF up as you earn more. You will definitely use all the areas you put points in at some point, except maybe PA.

The passing thing is a valid reason, but... as much as people don't like PA as a stat and there are times where it can be unhelpful... there are also plenty of successful players that aren't just built to make a huge gap between SC and PA. It's the "best" build but no harm in not following it exactly. Triller has 200 points in the last 2 seasons with a passing forward. If you want to be perfectly optimal build yeah you'll probably cut the points you put in Passing, but don't feel like you need to do a re-roll to fix some huge mistake.

And of course obviously if you WANT to play a different style by all means go for that re-roll! All of this is basically just to say don't worry you didn't like, break your player to the point where you need to re-roll or you're screwed or anything lol

Glad to hear you're enjoying your time here!

welcome back!

While the S93 VHL Entry Draft was highly anticipated from the moment high-end prospects Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor and Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica declared their eligibility - and Jean-Pierre Devote @eagle_3450 and Forum Content @frescoelmo rounded out the top of the draft class nicely - it was a group that was originally pegged by many VHL scouts as lacking in depth.

It’s not so much that those scouts missed the mark, but the VHL made a mid-season play to expand their recruiting efforts and all of a sudden, there was a massive influx in talent in the VHLM and, accordingly, in the S93 draft class as well. Several of the new faces brought in have immediately made names for themselves, and a couple of them even threaten to shake up that top of the draft class - although the top two of Del Rocco / Bucatini in some order is essentially untouchable.

As a result, the S93 draft now looks like one of the deepest VHL draft classes in a very long time. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the new faces that have made their impact felt during their brief times in the league, and when some of these fast-rising prospects can look forward to hearing their names called on draft day.

Lucy Leitner - D - Houston Bulls @LucyXpher

The 5’8, 155 pound US-born defender stormed onto the VHL scene at the start of S93 and signed with Houston, where she would go on to rank 4th in the VHLM in defenseman scoring with 76 points in 72 games. That is surely impressive production for a VHLM rookie but it’s off the ice, with her work ethic, that Leitner has impressed most. She is a brilliant skater who moves the puck well and excels in her own end of the ice, though the offensive toolkit (passing and shooting) will need to develop to see the same production at the next level. Leitner has skyrocketed up draft boards and has massive upside - currently ranked 5th in the draft class, Leitner’s name will be in the minds of every GM who isn’t picking in the top-2, and if I were making the call, she would probably be the #3 pick.

Benjamin Abenduct - D - Houston Bulls @Schnee

The Bulls really scored themselves a pair of great young defensemen early in the year through the VHLM’s waiver process, with Abenduct close behind Leitner all year and actually outproducing her on the scoresheet. He finished the year with 23 goals, 81 points, 170 hits, and 100 blocks in 68 games. Although the stats don’t necessarily bear it out, Abenduct is a little more defense-minded than Leitner but doesn’t get around the ice as well and has a little bit less refined offensive game. He’s currently ranked 6th in the draft class and has his own case to jump Devote and Content on draft day, probably going right after Leitner especially if a team needs a defender.

Annie Oaks - RW - Las Vegas Aces @Noodle Enjoyer

Oaks signed with the Saskatoon Wild at the start of the VHLM season before being traded to the more competitive Las Vegas Aces at the deadline. Over the season, Oaks totalled 41 goals and 95 points, showcasing excellent vision and a powerful slapshot. Her shot is actually nearly pro-ready, but she does have a lot of work to do defensively before being able to contribute at the VHL level. Oaks is currently the ninth-ranked player in the draft class, the highest-rated forward coming from the increased recruiting efforts, and is a surefire first-round pick with a good chance to break into the top half of the round.

UghSike - LW - Miami Marauders @UghSike
UghSike has a lot of similarities to the aforementioned Oaks, having signed with the Wild at the start of the year before being shipped out at the trade deadline. UghSike found himself in Miami after the trade and was not as productive as Oaks during the season - he compiled 28 goals and 60 points. Compared to Oaks, UghSike has a slightly weaker shot (but still very good), is even less refined defensively, but is a better passer and skater. He will likely come off the board shortly after Oaks on draft day, somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Trimiskez Artav - RW - Houston Bulls @jake

Another member of the Houston Bulls, Artav brought it in a big way this season putting up 43 goals and 88 points in 72 games. He’s talented offensively and a little more well-rounded overall compared to the other forwards we’ve discussed so far. Unfortunately, over the last few weeks, there have been reports that Artav’s development has stalled and he’s been missing practice, which could definitely affect his draft stock. For the time being, Artav is still ranked 12th, but it seems likely he will fall into the second or third round based on these recent developments.

Nathan Ecker - RW - Houston Bulls @Nathan_8

As you may have guessed, the Bulls were big beneficiaries of the VHL’s recruitment effort, and this is the fourth player they’ve placed on this list. Ecker is an extremely similar player to UghSike, with glaring defensive deficiencies in his game but excellent offensive talent, hands, and vision. With 25 goals and 48 points in 72 games, Ecker contributed to the Bulls’ offense from day one and has shown a steady commitment to improving. He is ranked 15th in the draft right now and will definitely be in the conversation for those GMs picking late in the first round.

Gul Dukat - D - Miami Marauders @MSouthworth

Dukat is an old-school defender, a stay-at-home, 6’3 200 pound behemoth with a mean streak and above average mobility, the kind of game that fans, scouts, and coaches all love. Dukat even showed some untapped offensive ability with Miami this season, putting up 18 goals and 65 points, even though that’s not necessarily their strong suit. With 163 hits, 72 PIM, and 123 blocks, it is that defensive element where Dukat truly shines. Ranked 16th in the class to date, Dukat is also the draft’s third-ranked defenseman behind Leitner and Abenduct, which means they should be a lock to be a first rounder.

Ondrej Vencko - G - Houston Bulls @Mutti

Vencko came to the VHLM as a talented but troubled young netminder, and had some much-publicized concerns about drug usage mar his early days in Houston. We may never find out exactly what went on, but it seems that whatever it was is firmly in the rearview mirror. Vencko quickly claimed the starting role in Houston and improved greatly as the year went on, finishing the season 27-18-3 with an .892 SV% before posting a .917 SV% in 12 playoff games. Vencko has excellent reflexes and rebound control, but struggles with lateral mobility and plays a little small in his net at times. There’s definite upside here though and he is the 3rd-ranked goaltender and 18th-ranked prospect in the draft overall. Vencko should go early in the second round and might sneak into the late-1st if there is a particularly goalie-needy team.

Tyler Lawson - C - Houston Bulls @Nyx

The Bulls are a veritable factory of brand-new talent! Interestingly, Lawson is the first player on this list that naturally plays centre and is the third-ranked centre in the draft class overall. Lawson has a similar profile to a lot of these players in that he’s got great offensive vision, a good slapshot, and some flaws in other areas of his game, particularly defensively. Joining the Bulls mid-season, Lawson scored at a point-per-game pace in the regular season (56 points in 56 games) but fell off in the playoffs with just 5 points in 12 games. He’s ranked #22 and probably didn’t do enough this season to jump into the first round, but he’s a high upside player who could really reward a team that takes the plunge in the high or mid-2nd.

Ray Stanton - D - San Diego Marlins @horoscope

Stanton, a 5’10 185 pound defenseman who’s a little more offensively-inclined than most of the others in this draft, really stepped into the league in a big way with the Saskatoon Wild mid-season. He put up 21 points, 61 hits, and 42 blocks in just 18 games before being traded to the San Diego Marlins. Unfortunately, his production tailed off in a more structured system in San Diego leaving some questions as to whether his production was a product of just playing on a bad team or truly being great. Stanton has made some good progression over his short time in the league so far and is projected in the middle of the second round (ranked #25).

Cody Toland - D - Houston Bulls @ctoland102

A gritty, 6’4 215 pound offensive defenseman, Toland likes to hit and isn’t afraid to mix it up, giving him a little bit of a different dimension compared to most of the other young defenders in this draft. The two main concerns with Toland at this stage in his career are that he’ll need to develop his defensive game to play a defensive position at the next level and, while his improvement has been consistent over the course of the season, he hasn’t taken the next step in his development like some of the other players in the class have. With 35 points, 213 hits, and 92 blocked shots for Houston this year, Toland definitely has a possible VHL career in his future, and I would expect him to be chosen somewhere in the late-2nd or early-3rd round.

Oliver Loo - RW - Miami Marauders @Peiffy

Loo is a well-rounded, two-way forward with a little less upside than many of the forwards we’ve covered so far, but has shown steady improvement throughout the year and plays a projectable game without many flaws. Because of his limited offensive upside, at least based on what we’ve seen so far, Loo is more of a project who will likely spend more time at the VHLM and VHLE levels. However, he’s a good skater and responsible defensively, two things that VHL teams love to see. Loo is another player who will probably be selected somewhere around the early-3rd round.

Billy Joel - D - San Diego Marlins @The goat of hockey

Joel is a similar player to Toland, except even bigger, but less refined defensively. Joel’s brand of defense is simply running guys over and while it’s effective at times and certainly fun to watch, he will need to develop that positioning and poke checking at some point in order to have a VHL career in the future. Joel is a real old school type player, a 6’5, 235 pound physical force who is very willing to drop the gloves. He’s also got a bomb of a shot when he wants to use it. He put up 20 points in 72 games with San Diego but, more importantly, 205 hits and 84 blocks with 106 PIM. The harder he practices, the quicker he will get better but for now it looks like whoever drafts Joel will have a long-term project on their hands, with probably VHL #4 defenseman type upside to him. He’s likely to go off the board in the early-3rd round.

Jack Dickins - RW - Houston Bulls @Mystery_boy98
A big, well-rounded winger, Dickins has shown some steady improvement over the season and the consistency to eventually play at the VHL level if he can maintain that for a few seasons, but he’s definitely a couple of seasons away, starting with what will likely be another VHLM season to continue his development. Dickins put up 20 points in 64 games with Houston this year and is in line for a bump up in role with whichever VHLM team drafts him next season. How the next season or so goes for him will be the big determinant in whether or not the VHL is in his future, but he’s surely worth a pick in the 3rd round to figure that out.

~2020 words for the next 4 weeks

Phillip Rave and the rest of the Malmo Nighthawks cleaned out their lockers early amidst harsh playoff disappointment this season, but from a personal standpoint, there were plenty of positives to take away from the season, even if Rave wasn’t feeling up to talking about them in the aftermath of their playoff elimination.

The rookie forward – a natural centre who spent the year on the wing to help ease his transition to the VHL – started the season with 18 points in his first 42 games, before putting up 23 points in the final 30 games to finish his rookie year with 41. Rave found the scoresheet with a pair of playoff tallies, too, both in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2 of the series.

His game as a whole came a long way over the course of the season, with noticeable improvements across the board, and Rave intends to spend the off-season working hard off the ice to improve his strength and skating. From putting up 13 points over an entire VHLE season in Cologne to a 41-point rookie campaign in the VHL, Rave clearly took massive strides in his development in S92. Some scouting agencies predict that Rave, originally picked 17th overall in the S91 draft, would rise into the top half of the first round in an S91 re-draft.

The Nighthawks are hoping to see this level of progression from Rave continue over the next few seasons of his career. Breakout seasons from their young, upcoming forwards like Rave, Savaisk Tzesar and Ronald Johnson MacWallace III could go a long way in turning this season’s disappointment into next season’s celebration.

Game Review: Houston vs. San Diego

It was a do-or-die situation for the San Diego Marlins in Game 6, but the Houston Bulls raised the stakes early when Charles Losfeld notched his first goal of the post-season just 1:49 into the game and put the Marlins on their heels. Though the Bulls controlled the play in the first period, however, the Marlins did manage to break through. Billy Joel scored their 1st of the playoffs shortly after a powerplay expired, then scored a second goal with 32 seconds left in the frame to send San Diego to the intermission on top 2-1. But Houston's Trimiskez Artav put the team on his back in the second period, tying the game just past the halfway point and then scoring a late 2nd-period goal of his own. His 3rd and 4th goals of the playoffs gave Houston a 3-2 lead coming home. The Marlins put on some pressure in the final period, doubling their shot total for the game as they put 11 pucks on Ondrej Vencko's net. Vencko, however, stood tall and denied all of them, redeeming himself after a tough first period. The Bulls hung on for a 3-2 win and take the series in 6 games.

The Malmo Nighthawks couldn't have scripted the regular season any better, as they mostly dominated wire-to-wire with barely a lull in play all season long. In the process, they set a franchise record in points and captured the Victory Cup with a record of 52-14-6.

In stark contrast, they couldn't have scripted the post-season any worse. Sure, they played the 4th-seeded London United close in pretty much every game, with two OT losses and a third game decided by one goal plus an empty netter, but this was a team that won 52 regular season games. Their playoff run lasted exactly four, swept aside by London, with their league-best offense mustering just 9 goals in the series. To give full credit where it's due, London netminder Jesse Teno has been on absurd tear so far this post-season, sporting a 7-1 record and .946 SV%. That mark was .939 for the series against Malmo, as the Nighthawks peppered the London net with 146 shots. They simply couldn't solve Teno.

They also couldn't stop Leonard Triller, who has back-to-back 4-game series with 9 points each for the United. Triller is running away with the playoff scoring race so far, and Malmo, despite playing stingy defense all year, also had no answer for him or his line. It was simply a tale of two seasons for the Nighthawks, who couldn't get anything going after such a dominant regular season.

"Yeah, it hurts for sure," says Malmo rookie Phillip Rave. "Obviously we didn't expect to be out in four games. This team is better than that... I don't know what happened out there these four games, we just didn't bring our best and they made the plays when they needed to. It stings. It's not what you play for, it obviously takes something out of all that regular season success we had. You know what, we're a pretty young team overall and it's a learning experience for us and we'll be back. But it sucks right now, yeah. It's not fun."

Claim week 4/4

perfect 

wrong title

With 6 games left on the schedule for S92, the Malmo Nighthawks have clinched the Victory Cup for the VHL's best record. At 49-12-5 for 103 points, they now sit 13 points clear of the Calgary Wranglers and Los Angeles Stars and 15 points ahead of the Helsinki Titans and Moscow Menace. 18 games into the season, the Nighthawks were 10-6-2, but since then, they have gone 39-6-3, taking 81 of a possible 96 points (.844 points percentage).

The Nighthawks offence, once floundering, has exploded in the season's second half. They now lead the league in goals for with 230. Viktor Jensen has rocketed up the scoring charts to sit 8th in the league with 86 points in 66 games, and the Nighthawks boast two of the league's top-5 scoring defensemen in Jacob Stone (81 points) and Reese McFleury (71 points).

Defensively, the Nighthawks have been strong all year, and have the league's best defense by a fairly wide margin thus far with just 153 goals against. Ash Sparks, goaltender and team captain, leads the league in wins (44) and is second in GAA (2.27) and shutouts (5) while also being within a couple points of the league leaders in save percentage.

Of course, at the end of the day, you play to win the Continental Cup, not the Victory Cup. It will be up to the Nighthawks to stay focused and carry this strong form into the post-season when everything turns up another notch in a few days. But so far, everything has gone just how the Nighthawks drew it up.
 

Claim week 3/4

The last few weeks have seen the Malmo Nighthawks and Moscow Menace start to pull away from the pack in what was once a tightly-contested European Conference, with the two teams now sitting first and second in the entire league.

The Nighthawks, at one point led by their defense and goaltending while their offense struggled, rocketed to the top of the EU once their offensive issues resolved, embarking on a phenomenal 32-game run in which they went 26-4-2. While holding a firm grasp on the European Conference lead, their ascent to the top of the VHL standings was a little slower due to strong play from Los Angeles and Calgary, but they eventually voertook the NA leaders. With 20 games to go, Malmo sports a 37-10-5 record, five points clear of second place.

Meanwhile, the Moscow Menace began an incredible surge of their own. Moscow was expected to be in contention for a playoff spot at the start of the year, but probably not as high up the standings as they currently are especially in a conference where Helsinki, Prague, and London all boasted very formidable rosters too. But at around the same time the Nighthawks got going, so too did the Menace, who had at one point won 15 in a row (and, incredibly, only managed to pick up one point on Malmo during that time frame as they had gone 14-0-1 over the same stretch). Though their streak would end in a shootout loss to Seattle, they bounced right back by defeating LA and have picked up points in 17 in a row. That puts them at 35-13-4, sporting the same record as Calgary, tied for second in the VHL.

There's a 10-point cap between Moscow and third-place Helsinki, and with a 22-point gap between them and Warsaw, both Malmo and Moscow have essentially assured themselves a playoff berth already. If the two teams continue playing at their current level, they seem destined to meet each other later on in the playoffs with much higher stakes.