Renaissance Cup contenders pull away from the pack

[Victor 11,009]

Halfway through the season, the VHLE standings have split into half between the contenders and pretenders. After a lot of parity to begin the season and unexpected wins by the teams expected to struggle, notably defending champions Bratislava, three teams have managed to separate themselves from the pack and are in a close race for the top.
 

Cologne, off the back of four straight finals, looked to be running away with the regular season again but a surge by Vasteras puts them just five points behind. Oslo sits just three points behind Vasteras.

 

These three teams are also home to the six highest-scoring players in the league this season and most of the league's top goaltenders, with the exception of Stockholm's Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen. It seems clear that, barring a huge upset, the Renaissance Cup will be heading to one of these three cities at the end of the season but what impact will winning the King's Cup have? Will it increase the pressure or will it help having an easier first-round matchup in the playoffs? Lots of storylines still to unfold in the E.