Week 1 VHLM Recap by Chris Rock

[TopTiddee2 186]

Hello VHLers! For Fox 39 News, I'm Chris Rock.

 

For the past week, VHL teams have been battling out to get an early step in the standings. While the week isn't over and teams can move all over the standings after I publish this edition of the VHLM Rankings, it certainly seems like some teams are already getting a head start on their projections as we grudge along to the playoffs. These are my opinions, please no one get butthurt :).

 

1ST PLACE OVR: Philadelphia Reapers (9-0-1)

Philadelphia is off to a very hot start as they have begun the season at 9 wins, 0 losses, and 1 OT loss. With a league leading +17 in the goal differential column, the Reapers are the team to beat heading out of week 1. LeBen Aky leads the way in league points with 23 in 10 games. His 2.3 PPG is strong enough to make a case towards an MVP resume come the season end. Tyler Swift is right behind his teammate in points, with 19 in the young season. G Karl Herzlich is making a case for a successful season with a 0.925% SV % and a 1.95 GAA, good for 2nd and 1st in the league respectfully. I expect Philly to be a shoe-in for the championship at the end of the season, and will control the league for weeks to come.

 

2ND PLACE OVR: Houston Bulls (8-1-1)

Houston is also starting off strong start to the new VHLM season as they have begun with 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. They are easy contenders for the top of the league and seem to be one of the only teams to dethrone Philly. Bulls player Grunkle Stan-dingyouup is leading the team in points with 15 in 10 games. He is a top contender to take point leader by the end of the season if Houston can perform well. G Devon Giguere is 2nd overall in goalie stats behind PHI G Herzlich with a 0.906% SV % and a 2.16 GAA, which is impressive to start off with. Houston is also one of those championship contenders at the end of the year and has a decent chance of dethroning the Reapers come playoff time. 

 

3RD PLACE OVR: Mexico City Kings (6-2-1)

Mexico City is off to a pretty decent start with 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 OT loss. The Kings are lead by Carson Walker Jr, who currently has 13 points in 9 games. Jose Avocado is 3rd overall goalie in the league with a 0.91% SV % and a 2.29 GAA, quite impressive so far. They may need to lean on him to continue to produce to keep the team in the hunt for cup contenders. Mexico City is my dark horse candidate to upset everyone come playoff time, but will need to keep improving and stay on course to keep up with my projection to make it far in the season.

 

4TH PLACE OVR: San Diego Marlins (5-4-1)

The last time I made these posts, SD was a team on the decline and were the bottom feeders in terms of the standings. Now that I am writing these, it seems like SD has turned things around and is an alright team, capable of being something greater.  Baby Moo Moo leads the team in points with 15 in 10 games, and the goaltending is controlled by Clark, who has started with a .901 SV % and a 2.73 GAA. It seems like Clark hasn't had the hottest start, but has plenty of time to develop and make a name for himself come playoff time. The Marlins have had a safe start to the year but need to turn small things around if they want to compete for the Founder's Cup this season.

 

5TH PLACE OVR: Mississauga Hounds (4-3-3) 

The Hounds are starting off the year just barely above .500, with 4 wins, 3 losses, and 3 OT losses. A few seasons ago Mississauga had no wins and were the laughing stock of the league, free points if you will. Similar to San Diego, they have turned themselves around and are a playoff team once again. The current point leader for the Hounds is Robert Boldy with 10 games played and 15 points. The goaltending leader is Pierre-luc Dutil, who has a 0.895% SV % and a 3.11 GAA. Dutil has had a rough start and could be a possible reason as to why the team has started in the middle of the road. If they can add a few helpful pieces and allow Dutil to develop then there's a good chance Mississauga can become cup contenders. 

 

6TH PLACE OVR: Ottawa Lynx (4-3-3)

Ottawa currently sits 6th in the league standings, with a similar outcome so far to Mississauga in terms of record and goal differential. The current point leader for the Lynx is Harry Callahan, who currently has 15 points in 10 games. The net minder for Ottawa is mainly controlled by Ryan Artyomov, who is posting a .917% SV % as well as a 2.94 GAA. It seems like the main issue for Ottawa is on the defensive side of things, as the GAA for their top goaltender is quite contradictory to his above average save %. One can hope that Ottawa has the capabilities to keep themselves in the playoffs despite starting out low.

 

7TH  PLACE OVR: Las Vegas Aces (5-5-0)

Once the powerhouse of the league, LV has found themselves near the bottom of the standings, sitting at .500 to begin the year. While of course there is plenty of time to change around the landscape of the team and become sure playoff contenders, they are needing to find help on the defensive side of things, as they are now without lifelong VHLMer Juan Ceson. Leading the way in points is ShaunYoungca with 12 points in 10 games. The goaltender that currently leads the Aces is Jeffrey Blake, who has put up a league leading .928% SV % and a GAA of 2.29. There is no excuse for the Aces when it comes to a lowly defense and a middle of the road offense as they boast one of the top goaltenders in the league. If they can pick up a piece or two to help them defensively then they should be in the middle of the pack when the playoffs roll around. 

 

8TH PLACE OVR: Saskatoon Wild (3-5-2)

Saskatoon is currently at the playoff cutoff line in the standings, as they come in with an abysmal 3-5-2 start. Similar to the Aces, the Wild cannot seem to keep the puck out of the net, as they boast a league worst -9 goal differential. Leading the way in points is Jorji Costova, who has scored 9 points in 10 games. Their top net minder, Joseph Reed, has put up a .908% SV % and a 2.83 GAA thus far. While it seems like Saskatoon is just trying to figure things out, they might need to do it quickly or they miss out on the playoffs. Improve the goal differential by a few and they should be able to sneak into the playoffs at a lower seed. 

 

9TH PLACE OVR: Miami Marauders (2-5-2)

If you've read my power rankings before, you know how much I despise Miami and their constant lackluster performances. They sit just outside the playoffs with a 2-5-2 record, which is not the start I'm sure they were hoping for. Rightfully so, they lack inexperienced players and are winger and D hungry when it comes to the makeup of their roster. Leading the way in scoring for the Marauders is Joakim Norden with 11 points in 9 games played. Their goaltender, Gage Barclay, has put up a 0.922% SV % and a 2.97 GAA in his only 2 appearances. Miami desperately needs to either move their picks for players now or continue to stock up picks and prospects to being an early rebuild.

 

10TH PLACE OVR: Halifax 21st (3-7-0)

Halifax has had a rough start to their season, as they sit at the bottom of the league at 3-7-0. It's quite surprising to say the least considering they have a somewhat deep roster with a good amount of experience. May be time to shift the lines a little bit or to begin making moves to make them more competitive or to begin an early rebuilding process. Leading the 21st in scoring is Mikko Borisyuk with 11 points in 10 games. Goaltender Boolie Buchholz has so far produced a 0.911% SV% and a 2.9 GAA, surprisingly well despite the current consequences. Halifax needs to figure out the kinks on their team and straighten them out as soon as possible before it's too late.

 

While I understand that we're only a few days into the season, some teams have obvious needs to fix if they want to go far in the season and the playoffs. Remember, it's not how you start but how you finish. Good luck over the next few weeks, VHLM teams!

 

~1515 words :), claim for week ending 6/25.

[Pifferfish 512]

@TopTiddee2 tbf to Mississauga, they have only lost to Philly and Houston so far... 2 of their losses against those teams have been in OT and they've beaten every other opponent outside of them. Everyone is sleeping on this team but they have the by far hardest starting schedule in the league.

[McLovin 466]

bro the aces woes rn are a curse at this point, i'm convinced this team is just hexed

[TopTiddee2 186]

claim for week ending 7/2

[TopTiddee2 186]

claim for week ending 7/9