George Richmond - Start to Playoffs

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George Richmond - Start to Playoffs

 

 

Wildcard: Warsaw Predators vs. Moscow Menace

 

Heading into the wildcard matchup between the Warsaw Predators and Moscow Menace, most analysts and fans had Warsaw taking the series. The issue was that during the season, Moscow was unable to secure consistent victories against Warsaw, and this led to some doubt in multiple people's mind. However, Richmond knew that in his contract year, he better show up or he might not be apart of Moscow for the future. During the season, Richmond improved from last year, dropping 71 points this year in 72 games played, just under a point-per-game. However, this year, Richmond saw an increase in goals, going from 29 -> 35 this season, with only around 30 extra shots. Richmond was finally getting into his role of a sniper, being able to find the back of the net at will. Coming into the playoffs, there was not many expectations for Richmond, just have a good showing and don't mess up too much. However, he decided it was time to let his name be known, as in the 4 game series against Warsaw, which Moscow was able to take the 3-1 win, Richmond led the team in goals with 5. He currently leads the playoff in goals, tied with Jasper Davis who has an extra game played, both having 5 goals. We asked Richmond his thoughts on the wildcard series, to which he replied, "I feel like it's good to get a series win right off the bat. Something that I feel like teams struggle with heading into the playoffs is having to get into the playoff atmosphere, where the game is more physical, and there's less mistakes. However, having played already 4 games and moving on, that's a huge confidence boost and I feel like we've got a leg up on the first seed, the London United, at least for the first couple of games." 

Looking Ahead

 

Up next, the Moscow Menace have to take on the best team in the European Conference, the London United. London has had a fantastic season, dropping over 50 wins and having one of the best defensive teams in the league. This is mainly due to Merome Dilson who left Calgary, and now has a .928 with a 2.38 GAA. He's been on fire for London and he's looking to continue his hot streak in the playoffs. On top of that, they've got a stacked forward core, with Leonard Triller, Sjin, and Wann Kerr looking for one last ride before they retire. Having that extra motivation for the group is going to be huge, and it's going to be very hard for Moscow to overcome, but it can be done. Moscow has a very solid forward core as well, focusing more on depth than superstar upfront players. On top of that, they've got a superstar D man in Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage who can look to pull most of the weight defensively. It's going to be a crazy series, most likely going to go 6-7 games, as both these teams are very good on paper and it could go either way. If Richmond can get hot early, he might be the x-factor in this series, where he could help his team to the next round. Regardless, it will be a tough series and Moscow will have to come out with their A-game, otherwise it could be a very short series and also a very short season as well.