Storm sweep Europe; North Amercan foe will prove tougher

[scoop 3,447]

The Oslo Storm entered the playoffs as the third seed in Europe, tied with the Red Wolves at 67 points, ten behind the Royals. After picking up goaltender Niklaus Mikaelson around the time of the trade deadline, the Storm were expecting to be an improved team. However, during the remainder of the regular season, Mikaelson's performance was not game-changingly better than that of Lebron King Gonzalez.

 

Mikaelson's numbers have improved during the playoffs, and he is part of why Oslo has gone 8-0 thus far, securing their place in the finals against either the Saskatoon Wild or Ottawa Lynx (Saskatoon currently leads the series 3-1). Mikaelson isn't carrying the team, but he is doing good enough to allow them to win.

 

The first series was just about as close as the final standings, except instead of Moscow owning the tiebreaker, it was Oslo that broke the tie in every game. After a 6-5 regulation win in Game 1, the Storm won three overtime games against the Red Wolves. As close as the games were, Oslo outshot Moscow by an average of 16.5 shots per game.

 

The series with the Royals went much differently. The Storm took Game 1 by a score of 6-3 thanks in large part to a four-point night from waiver claim Alecs van der Merder. Games 2 (8-5) and 3 (6-2) belonged to Christoph Klose, who had three goals and three assists in both of these wins. Klose showed up again in the series winner with two goals and two assists in Oslo's 7-2 win. This game was Mikaelson's best of the playoffs thus far, as Bern actually outshot the Storm 42-40.

 

As good as Oslo looks right now, the finals will likely be a different story. All three of Europe's playoff teams finished behind North America's fourth place team, and at least 39 points behind any of North America's playoff teams. While it would take an upset to win the Founder's Cup, the Storm could possibly take this momentum into the finals and make it happen. Interestingly enough, if the  Wild can finish off the Lynx, it would mean both third place teams make the finals (like the Storm, the Wild were tied in points with the second place team). It would be the first time in the nine seasons since expansion that this happened, if it does.

[Doomsday 4,143]

Way to go Oslo, I'm proud of you guys!

[Will 4,662]

Way to go Oslo, I'm proud of you guys!

 

Oslo love <3

[Victor 11,020]

See Devise, lots of text and information, but presented in an interesting format.

[der meister 3,245]

I dig it. 16 points in three games. That's what next season will be like tbh

[AIM-11 134]

Feel the Steel!