Late Seattle Surge Heading Into Playoffs

[Bojovnik 487]

Seattle, May 11, 2023 (SHAIBA.ru) – The Seattle Bears are the form team heading into the S88 VHL Playoffs. The side from Washington state have dropped just one of their last 10 games, and have just one regular season contest remaining before the start of the postseason.

 

“It looks like things have been clicking for us really well since the trade deadline. We’ve been playing our best hockey of the season at both ends of the ice and it’s been a really fun time to see the team come together at this super important time,” Yaroslav Bogatyrev said on Tuesday following a Bears victory over the Chicago Phoenix.

 

With this strong run of form, the Bears have secured top spot in the North American Conference. They are still in with a chance of winning the Victory Cup, although it will require the Prague Phantoms to drop at least one of their final three regular season games.

 

For Yaroslav Bogatyrev, S88 has been his true break out party. The Russian forward struggled throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons for consistent form. While many praised his game off the puck, the Nizhnii Tagil native could not consistently get his name on the scoresheet.

 

It looks like fortune has turned around for the promising young winger, as Bogatyrev shone throughout the regular season. He currently sits third in Seattle scoring, registering new career highs in goals (26), assists (50), and points (76). Last season, he only managed to register 44 points.

 

“I’ve been super happy with how things have gone this season. I think the team has put more responsibility in my hands, and that has brought some new confidence that has then gone on to make my play even better. It’s been fantastic to finally start making a contribution and repaying some of the trust that the team put in me when they drafted me so highly back in the S86 Draft. Of course, the team has got better throughout that time as well. I’ve spent most of the season with Chip [Stone] and either Vasile [Lamb] or Tavish [DeGroot]. All these guys are super skilled and experienced in the league. Having the opportunity to learn from them has been a real plus. I played earlier in the season with Randy [Bobandy] as well. That was a great experience as I know that we will be core pieces of the Bears for many seasons to come,” Bogatyrev stated.

 

Who the Bears will face in their Conference Semi-Final series remains to be seen, as they will end up facing the victors of the Wild card series, which at this stage looks to be one of the Los Angeles Stars or Vancouver Wolves. For Bogatyrev, any of the teams present a strong challenge and potentially a spanner in the works for the Bears.

 

“Both the Stars and the Wolves are good teams. We definitely had some difficulties with the Stars earlier in the season, and they’re a really strong team. The same can be said for Vancouver, as they have such a strong tradition in the playoffs. We just have to focus on our game and do what we know we can do,” he stated.

 

 

[AJW 2,147]

Happy to see Bog finding his legs now. Super excited for Seattle’s playoff fun this season