Davos Takes Wild Card

[CowboyinAmerica 2,840]

 

Davos, Switzerland -- The first round of the VHL playoffs is over. And in the European Conference, we have what may not be an upset by seeding, but certainly by perception of where these teams were seen entering the season.

 

HC Davos Dynamo recently took the series against the Warsaw Predators 3-1, marking both another disappointing playoff series loss for Warsaw and the culmination of a rebuilding process for Davos. Warsaw won the first game in the series and did out-shoot the Dynamo in three of the four contests, but a combination of strong goaltending and sharp play by Grimgor Ironhide plus youngsters such as Antonia Bucatini and rookie Felicia Hardy allowed for the series comeback.

 

"I told you before the series, you can't count us out," said Bucatini, who was the First Star in both Game 3 and Game 4. "We may be young, but that just means we're hungry. I'm glad the hard work we've put in all season is shining through."

 

Will it continue into the next round? That may be a daunting task. The first seeded Moscow Menace captured the Founder's Cup this season, and they are unsurprisingly the most common pick to win the title. That means Davos enters knowing they're underdogs - but that may not be a bad thing, to hear the players talk about it.

 

"We have zero pressure entering this series. Nobody expects us to win," Bucatini added. "So when the game's close, which team is going to get tight? It isn't gonna be us. So I just plan to go out there, play, and let the chips fall where they may."