Eldredman

Top Two-Way Forward Award "Matt Bentz Trophy"
 
 
As a forward, scoring goals and racking up points is what gets a lot of players noticed and adorned. However,  truly special players have the ability to get it done on both sides of the ice and play a full 200-foot game. Getting back on defense, finishing hits, sacrificing your body to block a shot. All these things go towards being a great two-way forward. The Matt Benz Trophy goes to the player who does just that, the best two-way forward. Let’s see who made the cut!
 
 
As a journeyman VHLM’er, @Grapes-Tophat_Clan- has been a mainstay in Minnesota for the past three seasons after previously playing his rookie year in Philadelphia. Grapes enjoyed a breakout season this year. He put up 43 goals, 47 assists for 90 points, which is a 40 point improvement over his efforts in the previous season. He broke the 300 shot plateau, and even managed to dish out 229 hits! He was a true swiss-army knife, making the Storm a tough matchup on any given night. Like many other of our award winners, he will be off to Moscow next season to see if he can crack the Kings’ roster. But for now he is our runner-up for the Matt Bentz Trophy! Congrats Grapes.
 
 
Our winner this year is truly a jack-of-all-trades for his club. @Eldredman just finished his sophomore campaign with the Marlins, and he has already established himself as one of the best all-around players in the league. He had 25 goals, 44 assists and finished with 69 points (obligatory niceeeeee). He put 256 shots on net to boot. He wasn’t afraid to drop the mitts either when needed as he racked up 166 PIMs this year. He threw out 310 hits which makes me sore just thinking about it!  And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also AGM for the Marlins, and though this wasn’t part of the vote process, it’s truly impressive how he provides value to the Marlins organization in so many different ways both on and off the ice. Next season he will be off to the Big Apple to play for the New York Americans! Best of luck and congrats Aldwin Craig!
 
  
Next up - Regular Season  MVP - Mitch Higgins Trophy!

Team USA 1 - Team World 9..........

Team USA 1 - Team World 9..........

Team USA 1 - Team World 9..........

Team USA 1 - Team World 9..........

Good Afternoon Everyone! It is the end of Season 77 and with that makes the moment I can start to max earn again!
 
The Marlins had a great season in S77 and a remarkable moment during the playoffs. We as a team were not projected to go far in the season and ended up exceeding many people’s expectations. That includes my own. As the AGM of the San Diego Marlins, I could not be happier with the team and the success we had this season! Going from last place last season to sixth this season was amazing!
 
As we move forward into the off-season and the draft, there are many reasons to get excited. The draft is expected to be rather small in comparison to past draft seasons. But even though the draft class is small, new stars will shine! What’s not to get excited about that?
 
You can expect the Marlins to grab a couple gems this draft for sure! We may be a young management team here in San Diego, but we will make our mark here in the VHLM. I strive to be the best AGM I can be and to make Aldwin Craig the best that he can be.
 
I want to give a final thank you to our team for a great season!
 
@KC15 @Mistxh J @LuluSalesAway @Gwdjohnson @Jericho @zDREADz @BigHunky @Yemnac @Lochlan Chisholm @Bigb33 @Edustava @NerdyCowz @nhlbeastmode_7777 @Howie McMeeker @Hendrix Cobberson@qripll 
 
Claiming 234 words May 16, 2021

Good Afternoon Everyone! It is the end of Season 77 and with that makes the moment I can start to max earn again!
 
The Marlins had a great season in S77 and a remarkable moment during the playoffs. We as a team were not projected to go far in the season and ended up exceeding many people’s expectations. That includes my own. As the AGM of the San Diego Marlins, I could not be happier with the team and the success we had this season! Going from last place last season to sixth this season was amazing!
 
As we move forward into the off-season and the draft, there are many reasons to get excited. The draft is expected to be rather small in comparison to past draft seasons. But even though the draft class is small, new stars will shine! What’s not to get excited about that?
 
You can expect the Marlins to grab a couple gems this draft for sure! We may be a young management team here in San Diego, but we will make our mark here in the VHLM. I strive to be the best AGM I can be and to make Aldwin Craig the best that he can be.
 
I want to give a final thank you to our team for a great season!
 
@KC15 @Mistxh J @LuluSalesAway @Gwdjohnson @Jericho @zDREADz @BigHunky @Yemnac @Lochlan Chisholm @Bigb33 @Edustava @NerdyCowz @nhlbeastmode_7777 @Howie McMeeker @Hendrix Cobberson@qripll 
 
Claiming 234 words May 16, 2021

Glad to the on team USA with you. I enjoyed reading your update. The breakdown of your players stats and objectives are great. Your format could us a small update though. Overall 7.5/10

Good Afternoon Everyone! It is the end of Season 77 and with that makes the moment I can start to max earn again!
 
The Marlins had a great season in S77 and a remarkable moment during the playoffs. We as a team were not projected to go far in the season and ended up exceeding many people’s expectations. That includes my own. As the AGM of the San Diego Marlins, I could not be happier with the team and the success we had this season! Going from last place last season to sixth this season was amazing!
 
As we move forward into the off-season and the draft, there are many reasons to get excited. The draft is expected to be rather small in comparison to past draft seasons. But even though the draft class is small, new stars will shine! What’s not to get excited about that?
 
You can expect the Marlins to grab a couple gems this draft for sure! We may be a young management team here in San Diego, but we will make our mark here in the VHLM. I strive to be the best AGM I can be and to make Aldwin Craig the best that he can be.
 
I want to give a final thank you to our team for a great season!
 
@KC15 @Mistxh J @LuluSalesAway @Gwdjohnson @Jericho @zDREADz @BigHunky @Yemnac @Lochlan Chisholm @Bigb33 @Edustava @NerdyCowz @nhlbeastmode_7777 @Howie McMeeker @Hendrix Cobberson@qripll 
 
Claiming 234 words May 16, 2021

so with the playoffs done and the season over i now shift my focus to the WJC to win gold for the U.S.A and I for one am looking forward to it as i play with my old teammate from San Diego @Eldredman Craig and my teammate from Halifax @Tbeez99 Glass. As I look forward to the WJC i will fight to get us the gold this year but with all that known we return back to my weekly creed update and news as always I give you updates on my stats in TPE and what my current goals assist and everything else and also give you my goals for either the season or week as always I look forward to telling you also I've just been promoted to my team in D.C. as i set sail from halifax to D.C. cant wait to play with them next season. wish me luck and lets get into it
 
now with every week I give you my TPE stats and I'm currently at 267 tpa with my current stats being
CK=40  FG=40 DI=50 SK=70 ST=40 PH=70 FO=62 PA=70 SC=85 DF=77 PS=55 EX=40 LD=42
With this being said lets move on to my playoff stats and they are as follows
GP=12 G=2 A=4 P=6 +/-=-2 SHT=31 PIM=0 HIT=7 SB=2 GW=0 PPG=0 SHG=0
Now with this we move on to my goals and they are as followed
1. get scoring to 90
2.get defense to 80
3. win gold in WJC
4.get creed rant out if no vht this week
5.probley upgrade faceoffs
6.probley upgrade puck handling
7.probley upgrade skating
8.get interviews
9.get a agm/gm job for a team (to be done at some point)
 
with all this this has been your weekly creed news/update and as i say every week if you want to interview me ill be glad to take any interview just dm me on the vhl discord or on here but with this in the words of truman from the movie the truman show and if I don't see you good afternoon, good evening, and good night

This is my last conference as Marlin. 
Thank you San Diego! 
 
1. I am going to take a break to devote myself in video editing, also Stanley Cup is beginning so playoff hype 🔥
2. Ye, I have some chances to be drafted a really good team that can help in developing
3.I am happy to be a part of this battle 
It was my first playoff experience and it's absolutely amazing
4. The entire 1st round is my fav moment
It was the first time when I saw that my player can really play hockey lmao
5. Big Mac
6. Probably I will visit my brother in St. Petersburg. Only time will show
 
Huge respect all Marlins ❤

Preamble to a Draft
 
Now that the VHL Entry Draft has been announced for Thursday evening at 8:00 pm Eastern US, it seems a good time for me to reflect on where Luc Tessier, Centre for the San Diego Marlins, might be playing next season as it is virtually certain that he will exceed the 250 VHLM cap prior to opening day. He is at 248 TPE now with 10 capped TPE yet to claim for the week. I am not really the type of user to let 9 TPE slide (not to mention any uncapped that may present themselves) just to have my player in the juniors one more year – even though I LOVED my time in San Diego and I wish @thadthrasher @Eldredman and my teammates much success in S78.
 
I am only going to consider the first 6 draft slots. It is very possible that Tessier will fall lower than 6, but this number is being chosen for two reasons. 1) That is the number of rounds that are governed by the draft lottery which means if one of these teams actually does select Tessier, they have in some way “won” the right to do so. 2) Perhaps a more fun reason, is that my previous player, Guy Lesieur, went number 6 and so there is a kind of “doesn’t matter at all, but isn’t that a fun little connection” vibe going on.
 
So, let’s get to it!
 
Number 1 – Calgary Wranglers
 
I would be absolutely over-the-moon thrilled to be drafted here by the Wranglers! I mean, who wouldn’t love to go 1OA? I’ve played in six different leagues (PBE, VHL, SHL, GOMHL, ISFL, and EFL) for the past 2 plus real life years and I’ve never gone 1OA. I’ve had a 3rd, a 4th, and a 6th, but never a 1st. We all know it doesn’t really matter. Your career isn’t going to be affected at all by where you were drafted. But hey, we’re still human and 1st is 1st after all.
 
Calgary is also very attractive to me, as from my end, @Ricer13 and I have had great scouting conversations, and it looks like a good fit for where Calgary and Tessier are both at in terms of development. Also in terms of how Tessier might fit in as a centreman long term. And who doesn’t want to play for a western Canadian team, eh?
 
But …. Tallinder, the Calgary AGM, is in this draft and it seems very unlikely the Wranglers will pass on the opportunity to get such a top flight player and their AGM.
 
Number 2 and 3 – Moscow Menace
 
Again, a thrill to go this high if it were to happen. And I had an opportunity to briefly fill the AGM role in Moscow before events in the PBE made me realize I wanted to save my management time and energy for that league – at least for the foreseeable future. It might be that an opportunity to return to the ranks of minors GMs doesn’t materialize for many seasons and that would make me reconsider VHL management.
 
Anyway, my time in the Moscow LR showed me two things. 1) @Spartan is an excellent GM that is just great to be around and it would be a real honor to be able to play for him. 2) There is a fabulous group of potential teammates in that LR and anyone would have a great time hanging out with these guys.
However, taking a look at the current roster, there seems to be a very strong core of elite users at the centre position. Most are already double Tessier’s TPE and there is no sign of anything but top flight earning from here on out. This may mean Moscow looks elsewhere to fill other positional needs.
 
Number 4 – London United
 
My first player, Lesieur, was drafted by Riga, but quickly traded to DC moments later during the draft. I loved the thought of going to an expansion team at the time. The management team making that trade? @Enorama and @McWolf. Yep, McWolf was AGM then and now GM in London with an opportunity to draft my second player. Actually, it would be the second time I was drafted by London as McWolf picked up Lesieur in the expansion draft that formed United and about 30 games later I was traded back to DC. Best move for both London and Lesieur. Jury is out for DC. Lol
 
Having played for McWolf in both DC and London, I can say without hesitation that I would consider this a premier landing spot. Excellent GM, great guy to hang with in the LR. I’d play for or alongside his player any time. And being drafted #4 still beats Lesieur’s mark by 2 slots! Lol
 
But again, looking at the current roster, I’m not sure this is the best fit based on positional needs. London looks much stronger on the forward side than on the blueline so … But hey, playing in jolly old England where most of my ancestors immigrated from would be lovely if it did happen.
 
Number 5 – HC Davos Dynamo
 
Another exciting prospect. I had some good scouting conversations with @GustavMattias and it feels like we’d get along famously. Plus I recognize some great potential teammates.
 
This seems like one of the better organizational fits as well. Davos is not super top heavy at centre and I could probably earn my way into a first or second line role as soon as I could anywhere else and that is certainly a goal of mine. In general, the team seems to be on the young side and in a rebuild and it’s a great feeling to be able to grow with the team and get better at the same time that the rest of the team around you is developing. Been there done that with DC and it was a blast!
 
Davos will have a lot of options at pick 5, but there seems to be a real possibility for Davos to be the team Tessier hits the ice with as S78 opens in the next week or so.
 
Number 6 – Calgary Wranglers
 
Ah, it all begins and ends with Calgary. Not much more to be said here except the increased likelihood of going to Calgary at number 6 instead of number 1. Tallinder will likely be off the board and that opens up options for Calgary on their second pick in the first round. If not chosen by Davos, Calgary seems another likely landing spot for Tessier.
 
Conclusion
 
First thought – this all could be a load of hooey! Tessier could easily fall to 7, 16 or the second round.
 
Second thought – there really is no bad place for Tessier to be drafted among the top 6 picks.
 
Third thought – there is really no possible way to know ahead of time what will happen. Every GM has their own thought process for how best to build their team
 
I’ll just have to be patient and tune in on Thursday night to see what will be.
 
So, let’s all say it together – DRAFT HYPE!!!
 
1189 words - claiming weeks ending 5/16 and 5/23  

I get the sad reaction @thadthrasher.  You have created one of the best sim experiences I've ever had there in San Diego.  I thank you for it, but I'm just going to use that great experience as a springboard to my next VHL career.  Thank you, brother.

1. How did you do during our Play-off run?
- 5 points in 7 games isn't too bad, but -5 is disappointing. We were so close
2. Have you been following the Play-offs after our upset?
- No I did not 😕 I was busy and also don't wanna watch non San Diego hockey lmao.
3. Did you get to listen to our teams newest episode of Inside the Fish Tank?
- Nop, I'm not a podcast man.
4. What are your plans during this upcoming off-season?
- See where I get drafted to basically 👀 looking forward to seeing where I go.
5. What was your reaction to Juice getting pied in the face?
- Lol I watched the video, was a very entertaining watch. Juice is a funny guy.
6. Now that our season and dieting is over, what is your diet looking like this first week?
- Whatever it is, it sure won't be healthy

1. How did you do during our Play-off run?
Don't want to be "that guy", but I killed it.  Almost tops in points in the first round.  But with the Marlins not advancing, doesn't matter.
2. Have you been following the Play-offs after our upset?
Nope.  I am a Marlin player - not a VHL fan.  I'll leave that to the guys and gals at home.
3. Did you get to listen to our teams newest episode of Inside the Fish Tank?
Nope.  I always forget and then get busy with other things.
4. What are your plans during this upcoming off-season?
Just chill at little back home in France.  Connect with friends and family.
5. What was your reaction to @Juice getting pied in the face?
Loved it!  Very funny!  Also impressed the rival GM made good on his deal with Thad.
6. Now that our season and dieting is over, what is your diet looking like this first week?
I don't understand.  Dieting?  France has over 300 varieties of cheese and some world-reknown wine.  I plan on enjoying both among other delicacies.

hey @Eldredman! We don't know each others but you talked about a sig with Doug Glatt as your render in your podcast, so here it is!
 

Dear Fellow Americans and all WJC Fans
 
It is my honor to be the GM of such a great team and country, although the past hasn't been kind to us it is my ultimate goal to get the best out of Team USA this year and give us a shot at GOLD.
@thadthrasher and myself are proud to announce the Team USA squad for this season WJC!
 
Without further ado, your S77 USA WJC squad!!!
 
 
 
Everyone please join the WJC discord with this link: https://discord.gg/YVKrmYAU
 
Please DM me or tag me once you join so I can assign your roles to Team USA and we can talk about all the fun details!
 
THANK YOU!
 
 
 

It's been a goal of mine since I joined and has been great for the weekish that i've been an agm!

Although Yukon put up a solid effort in a rebuilding season, the first official war versus San Diego in S77 was a decisive lost.
 
Thus, as many have seen, I had to get smacked in the face with a pie.
 

Please find here the end result of said video.
 
Now what I will say is a few things.
 
First and foremost, yes there was quite the mess to clean-up, so much so that we ended up using all the paper towel in my entire apartment and it ended up with me having to jump into the shower with all my clothes to get the damp, warm, and sticky whipped cream off me and my clothes.
 
Second, did you know whipped cream burns your eyes? And for at least an hour if not more it will continue to burn your eyes? I didn't know, and I wish I didn't know.
 
Lastly, this isn't the final war between the Rush and the Marlins. If anything, this is the dawn of the eternal war between these two teams and General Managers. Whether it's here or in the VHL one day, we will always battle, and next time I will be victorious.
 
The ball is now in @thadthrasher's court. The winner decides the next bet by the start of the next season, and I patiently await what you decide.
 
(225 words)

Straight fire as always! I enjoyed reading this entire article like always.

The first round of the VHLM Playoffs have finally wound down and we had some high-level drama in the late stages of the Quarter-Finals. The fact that no series ended in a sweep really is a testament to the current state of the league and how much parity there is between the teams. While some teams performed as expected, other teams certainly went above and beyond and showed they belong in the postseason. The top seed and perennial favourite Mississauga Hounds faced off against the eighth seed Houston Bulls in a true David versus Goliath type series. Meanwhile the top team in the West was the Saskatoon Wild, and they squared off against their conference rivals, the Las Vegas Aces. The third seeded Miami Marauders drew the sixth seeded up-and-coming San Diego Marlins team that seemed poised and eager to prove themselves. Finally the Minnesota Storm would clash with the Halifax 21st in an all-East matchup to round out the first round. Without further ado, let's dive into it and see how it all went down!
 
 

(1) Mississauga Hounds vs (8) Houston Bulls
MIS wins in 5
 
The reigning  Prime Minister's Cup champs began their title hunt in a quarter-final matchup with the Houston Bulls. The series began in a raucous arena packed full of Hounds fans excited to see their team make another run at the Founder's Cup. Just a minute into the first game of the series the fans were sent into a frenzy as @jpach Johnny Pacheco would open the scoring. Before the period was over though the Bulls had answered with a tally of their own and the teams went into the first intermission tied. The rest of the game was a dogfight, back and forth the entire way. Many say this game was one of the most exciting of the series. Going into the third period the Hounds were down one, until the Bulls top line center @Senjo1706 Bradley Senjo potted a pair of goals to put the game out of reach and silence the crowd. When the buzzer sounded it was a 5-3 shocker that nobody saw coming. 
 
However, in the face of adversity the Hounds did not back down. In Game 2, they came out confident and made the necessary adjustments. @Spartakiller2 Guy Lambert opened the scoring halfway through the first and Hounds never looked back. They peppered Houston netminder @enigmatic Aike van Giersbergen with 48 shots in Game 2, and despite his best efforts, the Hounds came away with a very clean 4-2 win. With that the series would shift to Texas for two games south of the border. Despite the change in scenery, the results would remain the same as the story really started to become the Hounds' shut down defense. In Game 3 the Bulls were only able to muster 18 shots on goaltender @Lspinelli Luke Spinelli. Despite that, the game still was relatively close, but unfortunately for Houston fans the game ended by a score of 4-3 for the Hounds. In Game 4 things went from bad to worse as again, Houston was held to just 19 shots on goal. On top of that, Mississauga's lethal offense was beginning to click and they erupted for six goals. Leading the way were wingers @Pythonic Gaspar Yakrevsky and @Vat Gustislav Nasherov who tallied two goals apiece. With a stranglehold on the series, the scene shifted back to the GTA for Game 5. The theme of smothering defense continued in this contest where for the third consecutive game Houston was held to under 20 shots, and with their playoff lives on the line they only would come up with 16 shots on net. Just like in Game 3, Game 5 would end with Mississauga doubling up Houston 4-2 and thus elminating them in five games. Houston did well to make the playoffs, but it was known that it would take a Herculean effort to knock of the best team in the league. They will regroup and look to the offseason while Mississauga would enjoy a couple extra days rest and prepare for the semi-finals.
 
 

(2) Saskatoon Wild vs (7) Las Vegas Aces
LVA wins in 5
 
In a clash between two Western Conference rivals, the Sasky Bois drew the Las Vegas Aces first their first round opponents. The Wild enjoyed a very successful regular season campaign that saw them claim top spot in the West with an impressive 50 win season.  Fans of the franchise were getting flashbacks of their Season 68 and 69 glory days when the team was at it's all time best. Sadly though, the fan's optimism was quickly snuffed out when this series got underway.  The SaskTel Centre was rocking for Game 1 but just a minute and a half into the game, the Aces would open the scoring on a power play marker by @Giles Rigel Giles Sweeney. The American winger took cross-seam pass and blasted a one-timer top shelf from the half-boards to give  Las Vegas the lead. Two minutes later rookie sensation @Seabass The Seabasstard would even things up. The scoring kept coming though as the Aces would add two more power play goals back-to-back. When the dust cleared, the Aces came out of the first period with a 3-2 lead. They sealed the deal in the second period with yet another power play marker, giving them 4 power play goals total in the game. It was a balanced attack with 5 different players scoring goals, and what was even more impressive was the fact they held the Wild to just 14 shots the entire game! 
 
Game 2 the Wild came out with much more purpose and determination. In a high-scoring affair, young guns @Zakary Delisle and @124715 Duncan Montana both buried two goals each as Saskatoon managed to pull out a 6-4 victory. The Wild were happy to at least salvage a split during their home games 1-1 before heading to the Sin City for the next two tilts. In series shifted to Vegas for a pair of games in the desert. Game 3 would go down as the best game in the series, and perhaps one of the most memorable games of the entire VHLM playoffs. Going into the third period, the Wild trailed 2-1. After trading goals, and less than five minutes to play in regulation, Duncan Montana buried a wrist shot under the glove of @Erik Morgan Karlsson and tied the game. In overtime though Karlsson redeemed himself as the Wild would pour 11 shots on net but none would get by the keeper. The first overtime would solve nothing, so we were off to a second extra frame. Less than halfway through the second overtime, defenseman @TXC Tanky would take a high-sticking minor. And in what is undoubtedly the key trend of this series, the Aces capitalized on their power play opportunity.  The Aces maintained a relentless cycle and eventually d-man @Jakefufu hammered a seeing-eye slapshot from the point that the screened goaltender @BrutalBoost Andrew Bowman had no chance on. 
 
To me, Game 3 was the game that really decided the fate of this series. Losing in double overtime is a draining, demoralizing feeling and sometimes you can't bounce back from those kinds of games. Game 4 saw Vegas really assert their offensive will. Going into the playoffs, it was widely known that the Aces lacked some offensive punch. They went out and got one of the most prolific scorers our league has seen in recent memory by trading for @glass Kjell Nilsson. Game 4 saw that trade pay dividends as Nilsson connected on four scoring plays, posting a goal and three assists. Vegas scored two more goals on the man advantage this game, and with the 6-4 victory, they took a stranglehold on the series going back to Saskatoon. Back on Canadian soil, the Wild fed off their home crowd in Game 5, and for half the game they actually enjoyed the lead. But yet again, undisciplined penalties spelt their doom as Las Vegas would score all three of their tallies on the man advantage and take the game 3-2, thus eliminating the Wild from the playoffs. Saskatoon was a truculent and scrappy team to play against night in and night out, but perhaps in the end, that was what cost them the series as they had no answer for the blazing hot Aces power play. For the Wild management team it's back to the drawing board, while the Aces will look to double down in the Semi-Finals and keep their playoff dreams alive.
 

(3) Miami Marauders vs (6) San Diego Marlins
MIA wins in 7
 
Heading into the playoffs, the San Diego Marlins were the team nobody wanted to be matched up with in the first round. They ended the season red hot and they were finally enjoying some of the fruits of their labour as many of their young developing talent were starting to see results, and the top end players that were already developed were making a serious impact. While the Marauders were clicking at the right time and surging up the standings in the finals weeks of the season, the Marauders were in sort of a tough spot. They were basically locked in at number two in the Eastern Conference. They weren't going to overtake the Hounds for first, and they also had quite a cushion beneath them so they weren't likely to fall either. This is a dangerous place to be as it can be very easy to grow complacent when there is nothing to play for. 
 
The series opened in Miami for two games, the Marlins came flying out of the gates. In the opening frame of Game 1, center @KC15 Luc Tessier potted two quick goals and got the Marlins a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.  Miami would tie it up in the second, and despite both teams getting solid chances, the third period remained scoreless so it was off to overtime. Late in the frame, blueliner @Sportsboy57 took an undisciplined double minor for slashing.  On the man advantage, left winger @Lochlan Chisholm banged in a rebound in tight and won the game for the Marlins. Game 2 was a much different story as Miami came back much more focused and determined. The game started off as a back and forth affair. Tessier sniped his third goal of the series to open the scoring but @LilHCorny Trevor Wallace answered with his second to evaporate the San Diego lead. And that would be the last lead they had as Miami went on to score four more unanswered goals including a natural hat trick by journeyman center @Mashy Noah Mashford. The emphatic 5-1 victory helped regain morale for Miami as the series shifted to San Diego. 
 
After an off-day, the series shifted back to #MarlinsTerritory for Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately for the Marlins faithful, the Marauders had different plans as they promptly crashed the party with four unanswered goals in the first period, including two from @CptSquall Napoleon Dynamite. The capacity crowd was stunned as the skaters head off the ice after the first frame. However, despite digging themselves a massive hole, the Marlins never quit. After Russian forward @qripll Bogdan Trunov scored a pair to cut the deficit in half,  Luc Tessier notched a power play marker with just under eight minutes to play. Unfortunately it was too little, too late for San Diego as they fell 4-3, but the attempted comeback certainly did lift spirits going into Game 4. In a game that saw more swings then your neighborhood playground, the Marlins came out swinging in Game 4 and took a high scoring affair by a score of 6-4. The hero in Game 4 for the Marlins had to be @Mistxh J Nicky Mariani who exploded for two goals and two assists. With the series split two games apiece, it was back to Miami for Game 5.
 
The scene may have changed for Game 5, but the result did not as it was the Marauders coming out on the right side of a 6-4 win. Mashford got the ball rolling for Miami in the first period with goals six and seven of his playoffs. Carrying a 3-1 lead into the second, the Marauders never looked back. @MrShark Declan Wolf also added two goals of his own, including what would be the game winner and we would be remiss if we didn't mention Bonaparte finding his aforementioned teammates on most of these plays, as he earned himself a big four assist game. It was back to San Diego for a pivotal Game 6. With their backs up against the ropes, the Marlins came out swinging.  One of the teams main leaders, @Eldredman Aldwin Craig, came out flying to start the game and incredibly scored two goals within the first two minutes of the game! The fans were in a full blown frenzy as some faith had been restored in Marlins Territory.  San Diego added to their lead in the second with two more unanswered goals and from there on it was academic as they took the game by a score of 4-2. That set the stage for a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Miami. Game 7 was a back and forth affair, just as the whole series had been up to this point. The tension was palpable and this one went down to the wire. After the lead flip-flopped seven times, the game winner came in the dying minutes of the second period when none other than Noah Mashford buried his eigth goal of the series to put the Marauders up 4-3.  The third period saw the Marlins pour it on with everything they had. They outshot Miami 15-8, alas it was not enough. Goaltender @ClapbombsRus stood his ground and with that, the Marlins were off to the semi-finals, albeit by the skin of their teeth. This series was an absolute thriller and the Marlins should hold their heads high. They have a bright future ahead of them and will surely be a force next season.
 


(4) Minnesota Storm vs (5) Halifax 21st
HFX wins in 6
 
Finally, we have the classic 4vs5 matchup, which is traditionally the hardest one to prognosticate. This one was no exception as both teams were evenly matched throughout the season and only one point separated them in the standings at the end of the season. While Minnesota opted to stand pat and develop the talent they drafted at the start of the season, Halifax was fairly aggressive on the trade market, making numerous deals throughout the season to help fortify their team for the postseason. The series kicked off in Minneapolis, but sadly the Storm stumbled out the gate early and lost their home ice advantage. Halifax would lay a 5-1 shellacking on Minnesota in Game 1. After a goal in the first, the 21st followed it up with an four goal barrage in the second to go up 5-0. Though the Storm got one back, it was not nearly enough. Leading the charge in Game 1 was @GlowyGoat Baldur Poulsen and @Jake Sumner The Great, both of whom had 3 point nights. It should be noted both these players were brought in from aforementioned trades that manager @rory made throughout the season. From first glance, it seemed as though they trades were paying off.
 
Game 2 was a much closer affair, yet it was a similar result as the 21st would take a 2-0 stranglehold on the series. Poulsen maintained their hot hand and notched their third of the series as Halifax would win the game 3-2.  Riding a wave of momentum, the Boat Gang headed back home looking to sweep the series in four games. The momentum train kept on chugging along in Game 3 as Halifax would win 4-3. Poulsen opened the scoring in the first with their fourth goal in three games. Minnesota did manage to Storm back with two goals of their own in the second to tie the game. With less than a minute left in the second period, defenseman @KingMortie Big Mortie blasted a one-timer from the point to score a power play marker. This would end up being the game winner. Though it was a 4-3 win, the 21st really did dominate this game from start to finish. They doubled the Storm in shots 40-20 and looked in control the whole way through.
 
Game 4 Halifax had a chance to break out the brooms and win on home ice. This game was exciting all the way through. The Great would open the scoring for Halifax but the lead didn't last for long. Winger @Kyle01 Sean Ramirez would score two for the Storm in short succession, but Halifax simply would not go down. After clawing back, the 21st carried a 3-2 lead into the third frame. @tylerwest Tyler Steel padded their lead further with his second marker of the series to make it 4-2. Minnesota would get one back on the power play, cutting their deficit back down to one goal. With their backs up against the wall, winger @Gaudette Caleb Gaudette took a pass off the rush and tied the game with a hard wrister over the glove of Halifax netminder Johnathan Bustard. The period ended at a stalemate, so we went to overtime.  Just seven minutes into OT, it was none other than Gaudette coming up clutch yet again. He burred his second of the game and sent the series back to Minnesota for Game 5. The Storm would live to fight another day.
 
The series shifted back to Minnesota for a crucial game 5. This one was a low scoring affair all the way through. Credit to both goaltenders, especially Storm tender @Flames1Fan Dexter Vaughn who would make 39 saves on 40 shots to lead his team to a 2-1 overtime win. The teams traded goals in the second and the third period remained scoreless. Young rookie phenom @Patrik Tallinder Nils Tallinder scored his first career playoff goal 8 minutes and 26 seconds into OT.  For the second straight game, Minnesota refused to die and pulled off overtime magic. It was back to Nova Scotia for Game 6. The magic finally ran out when things came back out East. In another low-scoring game, Halifax really tightened up their defensive game, only allowing 19 shots on goal all game. All the scoring came in the opening period. The game winner ended up on the stick of veteran winger @MikkoKoskinensMistress Kikko Moskinen when he slipped one five-hold on Dexter Vaughan.  Down the stretch the 21st deployed the 2-1-2 neutral zone trap to perfection and the Storm were unable to respond. It's a tough loss for Minnesota but they did well to force the series to six games. Meanwhile the boys and girls in Halifax all went out for donairs after their big Game 6 victory at a local shop in Nova Scotia. 
 
What a fantastic first round we had this season! Even the 1 vs 8 matchup had a bit of intrigue to it, and the rest of the matchups were equally as fun to watch! With all the series decided, the semi-finals are as follows.  The first semi-finals features an all-Canadian matchup with the powerhouse Mississauga Hounds taking on the Halfifax 21st. Meanwhile south of the border, the high scoring Las Vegas Aces will look to go all in on their playoff hopes when they face the Miami Marauders! If the first round was any indication, we are in for some great hockey down the stretch here in the VHLM. Until next time, thanks for reading and take care!
 
 

I don't think I've ever been happier to see a win!