Claimed:NA Playoffs [6/6 FINAL]

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Season Forty North American VHL Playoffs

 

In about two weeks’ time, the Victory Hockey League will once again be entertaining sports fans around the world with some amazing playoff hockey. Six teams will enter the VHL playoffs and with those six teams already known heading into the final weeks of the season, all that is left for the playoff bound teams now is battling it out to see which two teams will get the automatic bye into the North American and European Conference championships. Currently the New York Americans and the Riga Reign have the upper hand in the race for first in their respective divisions, but today we’ll look at the road ahead for teams in the North American playoff race and what could happen at season’s end.

 

North American Conference: (Games Remaining)

 

 

New York: [seattle(3), Vasteras(2), Toronto(2), Quebec(3), Helsinki (1), Calgary(2)]

 

 

Quebec: [New York(3), Cologne(5), Davos(1), Toronto(2), Riga(2)]

 

 

Calgary: [New York(2), Seattle(1), Cologne(1), Davos(2), Toronto(1), Riga(3), Helsinki(2)]

 

North American Conference:

 

All three teams in the North American conference have finally mathematically clinched a playoff spot. With the way things are going right now it would seem to those who follow the VHL, that the New York Americans will once again take home their second straight Devon Marlow-Marta trophy. With 99 points in the fifty-nine games the Americans have played this season, the Americans have won their games this season with a mix of a high octane offense and stellar defensive game, led by last year’s playoff MVP Brick Wahl. The Americans will look to keep up their play heading into the playoffs.

 

That leaves us with the remaining two North American conference playoff teams. The Quebec Meute look to return to the playoffs after a short hiatus from post-season action. After a busy off-season by General Manager Frank Chadwick that saw the Meute become an instant contender almost overnight, the Meute seem to have a very aggressive cup or bust mandate. With a core of  Matt Bentley, Naomi Young, Lennox Moher, the team has enough championship caliber leadership on the roster to help them come playoff time. The Meute will have to make sure they keep focused on their semi-finals match-up against the Wranglers and not catch themselves looking forward to what should be an eventually conference finals match-up against New York.

 

The Calgary Wranglers will likely be the ones to lace up the skates against the Meute in the semi-finals. The Wranglers will for the second straight season enter the VHL semi-finals as the heavy underdog, especially with their pitiful record against the Meute so far this season. The Wranglers were another team that went out during the off-season to upgrade their roster in hopes of a surprise playoff run through the North American powerhouse teams. Thomas Landry and Godavari Yumalatopinto will lead the charge for the Wranglers as they look to upset the Meute in what will be a closer playoff series then many believe.

 

All three teams have a great roster for playoff hockey, but as well all know from your experiences in the VHL, anything can and will happen come playoff time.  

[frescoelmo 1,276]

Content: 3/3 - Good write-up identifying the three teams in the North America Conference that will make the playoffs, and where each team resides with only a few weeks left in the regular season.  Very concise, well-written and to the point.  Would have liked to see a bit more, but it got the point across.  ~520.

 

Grammar: 2/2 - Solid

of  Matt = of Matt (spacing)

 

Appearance: 1/1 - Would have liked to see a bit more, but this works.

 

6/6 Final

Edited November 9, 2014 by frescoelmo

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