VHLM Week Recap (Week Ending April 7th, Game 121-194)

[mmrs617 362]

I'd like to start a recap of the weekly games. I will give the standings as of the end of the week, and comment on anything I find notable.

 

Battle for Eastern Conference Supremacy - Ottawa Lynx vs. Halifax 21st

This was definitely a tight battle this week. Both teams came out with a 12-3-0 record. Due to the playoff seeding, Halifax 21st are forced into the third seed position, although they are 6 points ahead of Las Vegas. This is going to lead to a very interesting second half of the season. Ottawa and Halifax play each other 6 more times, and I'm expecting close games for each match up. When asked how they will ensure they come out on top, Halifax GM @LucyXpher said "Ottawa is a well built team and is solid at every position.  That said, I still like our forward depth and all of our players are making great progress. I think the key to the matchup will come down to the quality of our depth players and how much we can still build over the next few weeks."

 

Players to watch:

Jon Webber III @Webberj (HFX) - G - 18-7-1 in 27 games with 1 shutout

Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877 (OTT) - D - 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points in 39 games

 

Western Conference Logjam - Las Vegas Aces vs. Saskatoon Wild vs. Houston Bulls

The Las Vegas Aces sit on top of the Western Conference standings, but only three points separate them from the 3th place Saskatoon Wild. The record's of these top three teams, including the Houston Bulls, were all very similar this week, with Saskatoon coming ahead with a slight lead in point. Point production has also been steady.

Houston GM @AJW notes that "These are ... very talented teams. Las Vegas being known for their long franchise success and Saskatoon being an elite team this season makes it tough for us. Houston is definitely pushing for top of the conference and will experience some specific line changes if needed when playing Saskatoon and Las Vegas as the season continues."

It looks like the difference maker will end up being defense. Although they sit the lowest of the three teams, I would give Saskatoon the slight edge, as they have the lowest goals against. Saskatoon goaltender Austin Goulet III @Tuchy sits on top of the leaderboard for GAA. If he can keep it up, the Wild will surely move up the rankings. Saskatoon GM @Dadam30 expressed his desire to reach the top spot, but also says having "a super deep team come playoff time" is most important because "we have to go through that gauntlet that is the western conference."

 

Players to watch:

Cole Stermer @Bazeus (HOU) - RW - 20 goals and 27 assists for 47 points in 39 games.

Carson Tripp @Cartripp14 (SSK) - D - 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points in 39 games

 

A Winning Record - Mississauga Hounds

For the first time this season, the Hounds have found more consistent success. They ended the week 8-7-0, recording a shutout in 3 of the last 6 games. Mississauga GM @Nathan_8 praised the team, saying "I think we had a good performance this past week that will set a foundation for us to improve heading into the trade deadline." The Hounds are looking to continue this success going into a week where they face some of the top teams in the league multiple times each. 

 

Players to watch:

Shaunca @shaun1979 (MIS) - G - 16-18-5 in 39 games with 4 shutouts.

 

[LucyXpher 1,585]

Great article, I loved the research and effort you clearly put into this!!  It'll be a fun race to the playoffs across the league!

[AJW 2,199]

This is awesome! Questions were fun and I’ll definitely do another if you ask