Nighthawks return to playoffs for first time since S87

[scoop 3,426]

In Season 87, the Malmo Nighthawks were one win away from a trip to the Continental Cup Finals, but they lost a Game 7 to the HC Davos Dynamo in the Conference Finals. That season's success was a bit of a standalone performance, as they had missed the playoffs in three of the prior four seasons and missed the playoffs in the three seasons following. This was the first time in franchise history that they missed the post-season in three consecutive years, but they have ended that streak in Season 91.

 

The Nighthawks have been one of the best teams this season. At 44-18-5, they have the third best record in all of the VHL. The additions they made this season have paid dividends, and the team showed particular improvement in goal scoring. This was an area they did surprisingly poor in last season, as they scored just 2.3 goals per game, which is up a full goal to 3.3 this season.

 

The only player who was on the team the last time they made the playoffs is Yaroslav Trunov. He was a rookie in Season 87, so his impact on the team was far less at the time than it is now. He rebounded from a 39 point season a year ago and is up over a point-per-game for the first time in his career.

[BOOM 8,745]

Congrats