North American Conference after the First week!??!!?

[Gaikoku-hito 2,089]

Taking Stock of the Standing after the first week?

 

 

Being around the VHL as long or as short as I have depending on who you are that is actually reading; I have learned not to put too much weight into the first week of standings as they really won`t look like this at the end of the season or at least that is the way that I remember it. Either way I will look at the teams in the current standings and predict if they will maintain the current pace, faulter or improve over the remained of the season so that you may point back at this over the season and give me some good ribbing for being completely utterly wrong as I am most likely going to be.

 

 

North America

 

 

1^st        Los Angeles Stars                 9 – 2 – 1          19pts

Simple put they are the really deal here with a strong offense acquired during the off-season with Svatopluk Puk and Napoleon Dynamite arriving from New York giving the Stars ability to outscore majority of the problems that might face but add that to a really good defense and Art Vandelay in net and the Stars have the best defense in the league after the first week of play.

 

 

Prediction:   1^st North American Conference

No reason that LA Stars shouldn`t be the top team in the North American Conference by the end of second week either. They do have a tough schedule as they do face Vancouver Wolves three times next week and the Seattle Bears twice but based on the way they handled both teams so far this season. They should come out on the right end more often than not but maybe expect them to drop at least a few games next week. 

 

 

 

2^nd         D.C. Dragons                      8 – 3 – 1          17pts

This team really surprised me so far this season as they have the second-best offense in the league with their two offensive studs in Jason and Vincent Laroche-Gagnier leading the way with 20pts and 19pts but most shocking is the fact that defensive defenseman Ryuji Sakamoto is leading all defensemen in scoring. Early in the season they have simple been getting it done in the close games.

 

 

Prediction:     3^rd North American Conference

The Dragons should start to fall back in the conference but a weaker schedule should also keep them towards the top of the standings by the end of week two. With playing Calgary three times next week and New York propping up their overall standing but should they win important games against Toronto Legion and Prague they could even hang onto second in the North American Conference.

 

 

 

3^rd        Toronto Legion                   7 – 3 - 2           16pts

Toronto is playing tight hockey as majority of their games have been determined by only two goals with only three of the first twelve games having a larger gap. Luckily for Toronto they have been on the right end of the score more time than not. This team was projected to be a power house this season and so far, they are showing a bit of vulnerability.

Prediction:    2^nd North American Conference

While they are playing tight games they are still a very strong team and should continue winning more games than they lose add in a few games against weaker teams next week and two important games against DC Dragons that most likely will determine which of these two teams finish next week as the second best in the North American Conference.

 

 

 

4^th           Chicago Phoenix                6 – 5 – 1          13pts

Not sure how a rebuilding team has managed to sit fourth after the first week with a negative goal differential but it does help when your aging core of Scotty Sundin, Ivan Retoslav and Bo Johansson are all a point per game players at the point in the season. Add in timely goaltending from Karl Pedersen and you have a team that is playing a tough game. Can they maintain this tough brand of hockey through the season?

 

 

Predictions:    6^th  North American Conference

This prediction isn`t meant to disrespect this team but they are currently punching about their weight but with some current under-performing North American teams on the schedule next week and three games against the defending Champions HC Davos; they shouldn`t be in 4^th by the end of next week and should have a very tough week.

 

 

 

 

5^th     Calgary Wranglers             6 – 6 – 0          12pts

Another rebuilding team higher up in the standing than where I would have projected them and even more surprising considering the lack of offense that the team is producing but with the current second-best defense in the league means that they have at least been in every game this season so have been reward with 0.500 record after the first week. Not mention beating up on New York aiding inflating the number in your favor.

 

 

Prediction:       7^th North American Conference  

They will have a tough time next week with a much strong schedule so I am going to be bold to predict that a rebuilding team will fall back and likely be 7^th in North American Conference by the end of next week. They are rebuilding and they are looking ahead to the draft and they are expected be 7^th in the North by the end of the season.

 

 

 

 

6^th      Seattle Bears                      5 – 5 – 2          12pts

At this point of the season, I am not sure what to make of the Calgary Bears as they have been simple put all over the place. They cannot score at this point of the season with the worse offense in the league; other than New York; who blew them out in the second game of the season by score of 5-2. One would assume that a team expected to be fighting for the Conference title this season would turn things around but it is hard to predict this team’s outcome at the moment.

 

 

Prediction:       5^th North American Conference

 

A team with as much talent as the Bears have should improve but they have a tough schedule next week with LA Stars and HC Davos on the cards so I wouldn`t be surprised by the end of the week if Bears are still sitting in 6^th or maybe even 7^th in Conference if Calgary can steal a few games or points. Either way I expect this team to claw it way back up the standing and back into play-off contention.

 

 

 

 

7^th       Vancouver Wolves             5 – 6 – 1          11pts

Strong offense but questionable defense has led to the Wolves being just below 0.500 hockey after the first week. They simple cannot outscore their current problems so they need to make changes in their defensive game if they are going to improve their record and become a top team in the conference as everyone expect them to be. So far at this point of the season Vancouver has no answer for the La Stars, who has beaten them three-time accounting for 50% of the team’s current loses with the Seattle Bears continuing to play Vancouver tough as well giving them two of the other three loses.

 

 

Prediction:       4^th North American Conference

I am not confident on this prediction at all and that is simply down to the schedule that the Wolves have next week. Yup, they play the remainder of the regular season schedule against LA next week and since LA has shut-out Vancouver in two of the three games played so far and won every meeting. Vancouver could be facing a tough week again at the hands of the Stars. Fill in the rest of the schedule with Chicago and Vancouver is facing another week of likely 0.500 hockey. Will it be enough to jump them ahead of Seattle, Calgary and Chicago by the end of the week? That I am not sure but if they can beat LA than they could really move up in the standings.

 

 

 

 

8^th      New York Americans          1 – 10 – 1        3pts

Not even sure that I need to complete a write up here as this team would have a tough time playing in the VHLE. No Offense but not the worse defense yet!! This team is clearly looking forward to the end of the year and next season draft already after the first week. How they managed to be blow out the Bears in the second game of the season is more shocking than their current standings. To be fair they are being tough to play against with most games finish within a goal.

 

 

Prediction:      8^th North American Conference

This team will be interest to watch to see if they can upset any other teams in a run of a week or the season. Like I said It is tough to say anything positive around this team when they are clearly looking ahead to the end of the season already.

 

 

I was looking also to include the European Conference after the first week but I games have been played and I missed the boat. Which seems to be more norm than not these days. So, I am likely to change the format of these in the future if I do write any more. Similar to a power ranking rather than a breakdown of the past week and week ahead as I did here.

 

 

 

 

1547 words Three week claim Sept 3rd, 10th & 17th

Edited August 30, 2023 by Gaikoku-hito

[Gaikoku-hito 2,089]

Sept 10th claim

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Sept 17th claim