Super Cup Review/Playoff Preview [Final 6/6]

[CowboyinAmerica 2,889]

 

Cowboy's Super Cup Review/Playoff Preview

 

We’re through group play of the Super Cup, and already we’ve seen some interesting trends emerge. The teams that targeted lower-TPE activity – Cowboy and Streetlight – are mired at the bottom of the standings, while Stamkos, Ahma and Dollar have all been fighting it out for the top spot. We’ve seen some unheralded players (hello, Rathod) make some noise, while some others (where are you Slaughter?) haven’t been heard from as much as one would expect.

 

As we head into the quarterfinal stage, with Dollar playing Streetlight and Paramorise playing Cowboy, here are a few of the awards so far, as well as things to look out for in the knockout round.

 

MVP – Jody 3 Moons, Better Call Boychuk

 

Regularly stuck on a team with stars such as Tom Slaughter, XXX, and lately Lord Karnage, Jody 3 Moons hasn’t had the opportunity to bust out in a big way. However, as the star of Dollar’s Super Cup squad, this has changed in a big way. It’s not just that 3 Moons is tied for second in goals (8), tied for third in assists (9), and tied for the league lead in points (17) – it’s the efficiency by which he has obtained those numbers. 3 Moons’s 1.42 points per 20 minutes far outpaces his closest competitors; the only other player close is Joseph Roy III, who has a lesser sample size to draw upon. Especially considering the play of fellow Stockholm first liner Lord Karnage (who I have second for MVP currently), teams should already fear the Vikings next season.

 

Other Considerations: Lord Karnage, Brock Waldron, Bismarck Koenig

 

Top Rookie – Simon Valmount, Saimaan Surffarit

 

By and large, this has been a veteran’s tournament – no player from the Season 44 draft class or younger has averaged more than 0.6 points per game. That’s part of what make Valmount’s performance more impressive, however. The GM player currently sits tied for the lead of all rookies with 6 points, with only Draper’s Aleksi Koponen equaling him. Valmount’s 3 goals, meanwhile, only trails Max Molholt’s 4. Perhaps more impressive, though, is that he’s accomplishing these feats while fighting fellow young wingers such as McJustice and Delicious for playing time. I believe that his team’s winning ways helps him take the trophy.

 

Other Considerations: Max Molholt, Aleksi Koponen, Edwin Reencarnacion

 

Top Defenseman – Jerrick Poole, Saimaan Surffarit

 

I want to give this award to King Czar III with every fiber of my being, and I think I could make a reasonable case for it. However, I also believe that the voters will look at activity as a component of voting, in which case Poole is the clear choice. In Poole’s corner is that he leads all defenseman in points (11) and assists (10), and he tops his closest competitor, Mason Richardson, in both shots blocked and hits by a small amount. There’s an argument that can be made with Prince Gigga-Bijou’s 29 shots blocked and 5 plus-minus, but I believe Poole wins out.

 

Other Considerations: King Czar III, Mason Richardson, Prince Gigga-Bijou

 

Top Goalie – Brock Waldron, Stamkos

 

This is the point where I eat a little crow: I did not see the logic behind taking Waldron in the first round whatsoever. However, to this point, he has proven me wrong in a big way. His .939 save percentage and 2.10 GAA aren’t just better than his fellow goalies, they’re not in the same stratosphere. Add those figures on to the fact that Waldron has earned a 5-2-1 record despite facing the most shots of any goalie in the tournament, and there should be real MVP buzz around Waldron, not just as Top Goalie.

 

Other Considerations: Callum Sinclair

 

Predictions

 

To this point, it has actually been a relatively even tournament. Despite the large disparity in win totals, there isn’t a single team that has a goal differential of more than Stamkos’s +9, while Streetlight’s -15 actually isn’t that poor for a team that has just 2 points in 10 games. I truly think that anything can happen in these playoffs, and the victor could easily come from the third or fourth qualifying spots.

 

With that in mind, here are my predictions, with the caveat that I’m probably wrong:

 

Quarterfinals

 

(3) Dollar def. (6) Streetlight

(5) Cowboy def. (4) Paramorise

 

Semifinals

 

(1) Stamkos def. (5) Cowboy

(3) Dollar def. (2) Ahma

 

Finals

 

At what point does the talent of Mikaelson overtake the experience of Waldron? I believe that it happens here. Behind a big game from breakout star Jody 3 Moons, Dollar’s Better Call Boychuk squad is my pick to win it all.

 

[Kendrick 4,741]

 

 

However, I also believe that the voters will look at activity as a component of voting, in which case Poole is the clear choice.

You sure about that?

[CowboyinAmerica 2,889]

You sure about that?

 

If it means giving King Czar III an award? I'd sure hope so.

[Kendrick 4,741]

If it means giving King Czar III an award? I'd sure hope so.

I was just stating that Poole hasn't updated in almost 2 months, hardly active.

[CowboyinAmerica 2,889]

I was just stating that Poole hasn't updated in almost 2 months, hardly active.

 

Eh, I view him as semi-active/active enough. Was around at the trade deadline and I believe playoffs at least, on the boards even if not updating his player.

[Ahma 1,428]

Damn straight I'm the Top Rookie! Arrogant focks predicting Reencarnacion for Top Rookie..... you know nothing Reenacarnacion fan boys.

 

Sorry YEAH! i mean nothing against you

Edited September 3, 2015 by Ahma

[Kendrick 4,741]

Eh, I view him as semi-active/active enough. Was around at the trade deadline and I believe playoffs at least, on the boards even if not updating his player.

In my mind if a player isn't actively updating his player, he really is inactive in the eyes of voting. May not be regarding contracts and the board, but if a guy is not doing anything to his player he really isn't putting in an effort to him.

[Higgins 3,618]

Not so fast, the most important games are still to play

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

In my mind if a player isn't actively updating his player, he really is inactive in the eyes of voting. May not be regarding contracts and the board, but if a guy is not doing anything to his player he really isn't putting in an effort to him.

I update my player once every 2 months am i inactive

[Kendrick 4,741]

I update my player once every 2 months am i inactive

In a way you are doing nothing to upgrade him sure. There are two aspects. Yes guys comment and things on the board but if they don't touch their player you can't really expect voting to favour them for "being active/putting in effort".

[Phil 5,119]

Great Article! 

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

The way I saw it was there was a big difference in goalies from the first 2 goalies. they have 740+ tpe as the 3rd goalie came in at 450+. there were plenty of forwards with 900+ tpe so i knew i would get one of them which i did in Lord Karnage. So great article. btw eat crow

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Awesome article. Flattering that you pick my team to win it all, but nothing is certain. Anyone can win at this point I think, but I believe it's very true that Mikaelson will be key if I am to win. I hope that 3 Moons can continue to perform and hopefully Cote can burst out in the elimination games.

[Hybrid1486 577]

What now, biznitch?

[Tylar 219]

Content: 3/3 - I'm pretty sure Stamkos lost, so theres goes that prediction, haha.Waldron was pretty amazing for the most part in the round robin, although it looks like his team ended up losing. I did not really follow the Super Cup as much but this is a good article to educate me on what happened

Grammar: 2/2 - I didn't see anything. 

Appearance: 1/1 - Nice, colors

Overall: 6/6