The Race to the Bottom

[CowboyinAmerica 2,709]

 

Davos, Switzerland -- Naturally, a lot of the focus in the VHL through one-third of the season is at the top of the standings, with teams like D.C., Toronto, Moscow, Malmo and London all in the mix for the top record. But at the same time, there's an important arms race happening at the bottom of the standings - except these arms are perhaps less nuclear warheads and more squirt guns.

 

Yes, I'm talking about L.A. vs. Davos, the race to the bottom for the top odds in the lottery. The Stars won their second game of the season, then have promptly lost 24 straight games to still sit with 2 points. The Dynamo, meanwhile, have managed to double up the Stars - a whopping 4 points, with 3 of those funny enough coming against top teams in Malmo and Toronto.

 

But there remains one big key to this slap fight that hasn't yet occurred: the head-to-head games. In fact, Davos and L.A. will not face each other until Game 327, at which point they'll face each other 4 times between Games 327-455 (roughly between halfway and 75% through the season).

 

So what can you expect out of those games? It won't be the most exciting hockey for the neutral, to be fair. But to Davos prospect Antonia Bucatini, who will be joining this Davos team next season, there's still some positives that can come from a strong showing.

 

"Look, I'm not naïve. I get the whole tanking deal. But we're still competitors at the end of the day," Bucatini said. "I've been through training camp with Walker, with MacAvoy. I know it's not fun to lose, and when they have a chance to prove themselves, I think they're going to take it."

 

And if that means lessened lottery odds with Davos wins? Bucatini isn't as concerned about that. "We're talking a 5% difference here, maybe one slot lower. I'll be getting a good teammate regardless of where we sit in the draft, I think. And who knows? Maybe second is the slot to be - the VHL gods respond in mysterious ways sometimes."