VSN Presents: VHLM Playoffs Preview

[TopTiddee2 186]

 

@leandrofg

 Welcome VHLMers to this special edition of VHLM News. I'm your host, Chris Rock! Joining me today is a very special guest. The second writer for VHLM content on VSN, @McLovin!. We are bringing an update to how the VHLM season wrapped up and how we think the playoffs are going to go based on our very trustworthy predictions!

 

FINAL STANDINGS

x-Clinched Playoffs, y-Clinched Conference, z-Regular Season Champions

 

1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z

2nd. Houston Bulls (48-14-10) - y

3rd. San Diego Marlins (49-16-7) - x

4th. Mexico City Kings (39-27-6) - x

5th. Mississauga Hounds (36-26-10) - x

6th. Halifax 21st (32-37-3) - x

7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x

8th. Miami Marauders (26-36-10) - x

9th. Saskatoon Wild (26-42-4)

10th. Las Vegas Aces (25-43-4)

 

Not too much shift since my last post. We saw a dominant Reapers team clinch the Regular Season title, with Houston and San Diego fighting to clinch the West title. Las Vegas finished the season with the worst record (25-43-4), and will look to rebound promptly next season with a new squad.

 

PLAYOFF PREDICITIONS: 1ST ROUND

1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z vs 8th. Miami Marauders (26-36-10) - x

This will likely be nothing short of a curb stomping for Philly. The top end talent, elite goaltending, special teams ability. They outmatch Miami ten to one in any category and I'd be surprised if Miami gets a game out of this series. Very reminiscent of Las Vegas v Mexico City from last season.

 

A player I'd say to watch out for is Karl Herzlich. His shutdown ability is second to none in the M right now, and will likely be putting up high sv % and low GAA games, absolutely brickwalling Miami on this one. ~McLovin

 

2nd. Houston Bulls (48-14-10) - y vs 7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x

I fully expect Houston to run away with this series early. Their production and offensive firepower make them one of the biggest contenders for the Founder's Cup. While crazy things have happened before regarding upsets, I don't expect an upset to happen here. I say Houston takes this series in 4.

 

The player to watch in this series is HOU's G Devon Giguere, who was a top 5 goalie overall during the regular season. We'll see how he plays in what should be a quick series in favor of the Bulls. ~Chris Rock

 

3rd. San Diego Marlins (49-16-7) - x vs 6th. Halifax 21st (32-37-3) - x

This looks to be one of the closest matchups we've seen in a little while. These teams tied the season series 3-3, and are now facing off in the first round of the playoffs. While I think Halifax can make a sneaky attack and advance to the second round, I think SDM will take this one in 6 games.

 

The player to watch in this series is Brad Marchand, who was 2nd in the league in scoring this season. I think he will be the biggest factor when it comes down to the wire and SDM is in dire need of a goal ~Chris Rock

 

 

4th. Mexico City Kings (39-27-6) - x vs 5th. Mississauga Hounds (36-26-10) - x

This series is going to be extremely competitive, and I get the sense that Mississauga will pull ahead on this one. You look at the facts and they don't lie. Capped players in the top 6 forward core, a better goalie. Mexico has a chance will a better defensive core but it'll need to come out to carry the team against that lethal offense MIS carries with them. It's a series I very easily see going 6 or 7, and can go either which way. 

 

A player to watch from this series will be Conference Prince-de-Galles. His elite two-way game as a defenseman will likely play a large role in who wins this series, and should he be able to translate his regular season production into the post season, it will make the difference in the series and likely propel Mexico past Mississauga. ~McLovin

 

While it's pretty obvious where things are going in the first round for most of these series, it will be pretty entertaining to see where these head! We are looking forward to seeing all the drama unfold before us!. 

 

For VSN News, we're Chris Rock and McLovin.

(Round 2 and Finals Below)

claims:

TopTiddee: 1 week

 McLovin: 2 weeks

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Alex

[Grape 680]

Lmao

[McLovin 466]

ROUND 2:

1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z vs 4th. Mexico City Kings (39-27-6) - x

 

 

Continuing the VSN’s coverage of our Playoff Preview, our next matchup has the Philadelphia Reapers going up against the Mexico City Kings. At first glance, one would suspect that the Reapers would take swift care of the Kings and have an easy path to the Finals. Taking a closer look into the individual players and abilities they have to bring, it’s actually a much closer matchup than one would think.

 

Starting with Philly, their depth is second to none. Their entire roster is stacked top to bottom with role players, essential depth pieces and star power to give them a fighting chance to win any game they play, and likely do it too. A big reason why they found so much success in the regular season can likely be attributed to two main aspects, the center core and the goaltending. Having players in the center position able to play strong two-way games and carry a team’s ability to compete at both ends of the ice is crucial to winning games, and Philadelphia has mastered this mentality. With that said, it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t have an All-Star goalie in net, and Philadelphia has this too in Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007. Without him in goal, it’s not too crazy to think that the Reapers wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of contender they are now. With that in mind however, let’s assess the competition in Mexico City and how they can match the Reapers in a lot of what makes them a great team. 

 

While they don’t have the elite caliber goaltending or depth in numbers that the Reapers bolster, they make up for it in high end talent in the offensive and defensive cores. A staggeringly strong top 6 forward core and our previous player to watch candidate Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP, they have the star power to match, and even at times, out play the Reapers on those top lines. What the difference is however in deciding this series is whether the Kings high end players can keep up with the numbers and large variety of skills the Reapers will lash out at them with. If the likes of Carson Walker Jr @Cwalker, King Kisslinger @Kisslinger and others can pull that off however, this will be a very competitive series, one that the Kings have a remarkably strong chance of winning. 

 

Our player to watch for this series will be Carson Walker Jr. The team has relied on him to produce in the regular season, and his high level of production will be put to the test against a stacked Reapers team. If he can turn it on and carry the Kings through this series, he has a seriously good chance at winning Playoff MVP for this series alone.

My prediction for this series has the Reapers besting the Kings in 7. I believe the Kings will give the Reapers a run for their money, but the star power and depth from Philadelphia will edge them out in the end. This was a very close series to call, so keep your eyes open on either of these teams having what it takes to move onto the Finals.

 

-Marcus Svedberg @McLovin, VSN

 

 

 

3rd. San Diego Marlins (49-16-7) - x vs 7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x

 

In what many believe to be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, the Ottawa Lynx upset the #2 seed Houston Bulls in 5 games. I’m for sure shocked at the fact that as strong as Houston was, they were bested by one of the bottom feeders of the league. C Bruise Banner @ctotsled the way in scoring for the Lynx with 1 goal and 6 assists, while G Ryan Artyomov @Enoramarecorded a .938 SV% and a 1.75 GAA, which definitely helps a team move onto the next round of the playoffs. Soon, however, we’re gonna see the Lynx get tested against a strong San Diego team, however, if they can beat the #2 seed, then they can definitely beat the #3 seed. 

 

San Diego beat Halifax pretty quickly, even though it seemed like this series would be much closer. Leading the way in scoring was C Sjin @Sjin with 3 goals and 6 assists in the 5 game series. G Clark @cl4rkhad what was likely the best showing playoffs wise out of all goaltenders, posting a .941% SV% and a 1.6 GAA. If the Marlins can continue to produce at these high of numbers, then they should have no problem moving onto the next round. They do, however, have to now face a red hot Ottawa team that just beat the team seeded 1 slot higher than them, so the Lynx can’t be taken lightly.

 

Ok ok, I know I didn’t make the best predictions in the 1st round. But this is a fresh start. And why not make this fresh start fun? I’m taking Ottawa in 7. That’s right, the Cinderella story continues. I think that the production team-wide is going to push the Lynx over the top, sending them to the finals where they’ll look to win their 2nd Founder’s Cup in 3 seasons.

 

-Chris Rock @TopTiddee2, VSN

 

 

FOUNDERS CUP FINALS

 

1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z vs 7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x

 

The S89 Founders Cup Final, predicted by VSN writers Marcus Svedberg & Chris Rock will be the Philadelphia Reapers against the Ottawa Lynx! This matchup is fascinating, for a multitude of reasons. The most prominent being the fact that it will be a true test of whether offense or defense wins championships. Let’s analyze these teams a bit, and see what we mean by this.

 

Starting with Philadelphia, what else is left to be said about them? They had a 55 win season, they’re in the Final, they’re here to win it. Bolstered by one of the most stacked rosters the VHLM has seen, it’d be surprising to say the least if they didn’t make it to this point, and in convincing fashion as well. Offense, defense, goaltending, special teams, all of it. They’re elite top to bottom, and they’ve earned their spot in the Final. Looking a bit deeper into the team as well and it's truly not even a debate. Four players over a point-per-game, with another three nearly at a PPG, it's impossible to ignore that this offense is STACKED. Two of the aforementioned players are also defensemen, so take that as you will. When you got a goalie also casually dropping a 54 win season for good measure, you've get a recipe for success. All-in-all, nobody should be surprised at the Reapers appearing here. A question now would simply be can they maintain the pressure they’ve put on the league all season and finally cap it off with a Founder’s Cup Championship? Personally, I think they have the potential to, but they have one more obstacle to push past before they can reach the summit of the playoff mountain, that being the Ottawa Lynx.

 

The Ottawa Lynx have made it here for one reason, and that’s their elite defense and goaltending. Bolstered by the play of Ryan Artyomov, they’re here on a mission to win their second Cup in 3 seasons, and have what it takes to put a stop to the dominance of the Reapers so far in S89. With three of their four rostered defenseman at max skill acceptable by the VHLM’s ruleset, and the aforementioned goaltending, it quite honestly can’t get better than what they have, and they’re going to be put to the test against a proven to be lethal threat that the Reapers will inevitably throw at them. If the defense can convert opportunities in their zone into scoring chances on the other end of the ice, I see them keeping the Reapers on their toes all series long. 1-2 goal games will be the story of the Final here, and it’s anybody’s guess as to what will happen. With that in mind, let’s predict the future with a player to look out for, and who will win the S89 Founders Cup!

 

I think without question our player to watch will be Ryan Artyomov. He will be what makes or breaks a dynasty in the making for the Lynx, and the series lies on his and the defenses shoulders, to put a stop to the Titan of the East. If he can pull it off however, I see another strong case being made for playoff MVP in Artyomov, depending on how this series plays out. All being said, let’s get into the S89 Founders Cup Champions prediction!

 

Spoiler

VSN predicts for the S89 Playoffs that the Reaper Empire under Emperor Pifferfish and Darth jfaly will reign supreme and take home the Founders Cup in 5 games! There’s simply no stopping this freight train of a team, many tried and many failed and unless a miracle happens, it will stay that way. The Cinderella Story of the Lynx had to come to an end eventually, and it happened in the form of a blowout. The depth of the Reapers is something no other team in the league can match, and having that many players to begin with is already a huge advantage, but when you factor in all their skills and abilities to make this well oiled machine run, it’s hard to predict it’ll go any other way than a complete overwhelming of the Lynx.

 

-Marcus Svedberg, VSN

 

Thank you for reading this VSN Playoff Preview for S89! We’ve been Marcus Svedberg and Chris Rock, wishing you all a happy playoffs!

Edited July 28, 2023 by McLovin
Philly edit