RomanesEuntDomus 442 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 A Look Back At The Express' Season Part III / Part II / Part I Mason Richardson Rookie sensation #2 this season for the Express was Mason Richardson, whose first season was arguably just as impressive Thomas O’Malley’s, albeit a little less talked about. Even though he had one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in the last two decades, being 2nd was kind of the theme this season for Mason Richardson. He was selected 2nd Overall – behind Thomas O’Malley, finished 2nd in rookie scoring – behind Thomas O’Malley and came in second in the Stolzschweiger voting – behind O’Malley. What makes his accomplishments maybe even more impressive than O’Malley’s though is that Richardson is a defenseman, not a forward. His 98 points, including 30 goals, +58 rating and 137 shots blocked are all amazing statistics not just for a rookie, but for a defenseman in general and Richardson snagged up a very deserving nomination for the top defenseman award. Going into his sophomore season he should be the clear cut #1 defenseman for the Express, anchoring a very deep defensive corps of Andrey Zadorov, Ron World Peace and Nicolas Caprivi. Leo Tesla Leo Tesla was the third rookie on the Express this season and even though he didn’t nearly play as prominent of a role as O’Malley or Richardson, he still had a very solid campaign. Tesla put up 40 points in his first year in the league, 22 of them goals and trumped fellow depth players such as Kez Kincaid and Jakob Linholm both in production and defensive responsibility. With some roster-moves this off-season, Tesla could move up to the first line in Season 41so while other rookies will have a tough time to follow up on their great first-year performances, Tesla could actually be a player to have a breakout year next season. Dimothenis Vlasis After winning the Stolzschweiger Trophy for top rookie in Season 39, Dimothenis Vlasis was not able to repeat that kind of performance in Season 40. They young defenseman experienced a classic sophomore slump that saw him drop to just 30 points after getting 70 the year before. His defensive numbers also took a hit and he generally wasn’t relied on as much this year as he was in his rookie season. Sadly he will not get a chance to redeem himself in Cologne in Season 41, as the Express traded him to the New York Americans in the off-season where he is expected to play a bit of a bigger role again. Ron World Peace A quiet, reliable and hard hitting presence at the blue line, this is what Ron World Peace is for the Express franchise. As a local kid the German defenseman is a fan favorite not just because of his regional ties, but also because of his unselfish, team-first play. He racked up more than 200 Hits and 120 Assists for the second season in a row and also added 20 goals and 59 points to his resume in S40. As someone who is already signed with the franchise for the rest of his career, don’t expect World Peace to leave any time soon, but instead be a backbone of this team for years to come. Andrey Zadorov In many ways Andrey Zadorov’s game resembles that of Ron World Peace, he is a hard-hitting, reliable and often underrated defenseman as well who can also rack up quite a few points in the offensive zone. As a player who was just acquired last off-season, he isn’t as popular with the fans yet as the local product but his performances have been just as good, if not better. Big Z combined 200+ points and 120+ shot blocks with 77 points and he was one of the offensive dynamos for the Express last season, especially on the powerplay. He collected a total of 64 assists and 30 of his 77 points came on the power, including nine goals. As a veteran player who is already in his prime, Zadorov might not have quite as much potential for the future as some of his defensive counterparts but he is also a player unlikely to drop off as he adds a lot of experience to this team, including the experience of winning a cup with the New York Americans the season before he was traded to the Express. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwfulHomesick 148 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Long live World Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pxzero 65 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Content: 3/3 Yet another great overview. The Express are looking to shape up nicely Grammar: 2/2 A few missing commas, but really it added up to nothing. I stopped writing them out, but here are a few. defenseman in general, and Richardson snagged up - missing a comma. Joining independent clauses he Express this season and, even though he - missing comma 22 of them goals, and trumped - missing comma Appearance: 1/1 Great pictures, nice formatting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler 1,514 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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