The Dark Horse Warsaw Predators

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The Dark Horse Warsaw Predators

 

The Warsaw Predators over the last 5 seasons have had a tumultuous history to put it plainly. From their recent struggles to field star talent that takes over games to their depth issues that plagued potential playoff runs, this seasons Predators are an incredible group of players capable of exceeding all expectations. While the season winds down and playoff brackets and matchups are confirmed, Warsaw is looking to compete for decent placement in the standings on the backs of a trendy second half push. The offense has been tearing up defenses and goalies alike with big showings from the top 3 players on the team. Maxim Anisimov, King Kisslinger @Kisslinger, and Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY are all on pace for over 100 point seasons, with Kisslinger being on pace for over 70 assists, and Anisimov for 50 goals. This level of multiple players being able to bring big numbers to the score sheet across multiple lines has proven to be a great benefit to the scoring prowess of Warsaw, as they have two of the leagues top five scorers on the same line. 

The biggest note, however, would be their stellar defense and absolute shutdown goaltending. As of writing this media spot, Warsaw holds the second lowest Goals Against in the VHL with 172, 8 off from the league lead. Long time Davos goaltender Lachlan Summers @kirbithan became a Predator in S92's offseason, in a trade that sent a considerable amount of assets to Davos in exchange for Summers and a handful of depth draft picks. The trade appears to have paid off tremendously for Warsaw as Summers is in the running for multiple awards, including MVP and Best Goalie. With a performance in the crease like that, it's no wonder Warsaw is seeing success reflect back upon them in the standings and propel them up into a dark horse candidate consideration. 

 

Warsaw has it's work cut out for it despite this. They still struggle to keep the depth from letting up, and even their top line can give up a few special team goals that end up burning a loss onto the stat sheet, usually in a single goal difference. While the games independently aren't the end of the world for the Predators, they affect their position in the standings overall and can determine whether Warsaw gets the teams they want out of the seeding or not. Having a potent first line is always a must for any contender, and having a goalie capable of stealing games is always a bonus, but there are still issues that might arise in the playoffs that halt the Predators dead in their tracks should they not be given the proper attention. For this reason, I am confident that Warsaw has what it takes to be the dark horse of the playoffs, and make a little Cinderella run for the Cup. The issues are simple in nature to amend, but would putting a band-aid on those problems create new ones that the Preds need to take on for a deeper run, like broken line chemistry or Summers running out of gas? Only time will tell!