VHLM Spotlight

[Molholt 2,185]

VHLM Spotlight
WRITTEN BY CHRISTMAS
 
This article will cover various aspects of the VHLM.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Molholt

[Molholt 2,185]

You can post your articles here. Seems like you were using What We Learned in the VHLM Magazine, have any ideas to have something a little more specific to the VHLM?

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Welcome Xmas, you did a really good job with VHLM. Very unappreciated writer.  

[Christmas 138]

You can post your articles here. Seems like you were using What We Learned in the VHLM Magazine, have any ideas to have something a little more specific to the VHLM?

"Meanwhile, in the VHLM"

"VHLM Spotlight"

"Current VHLM Trends"

"VHLM Spotlight: *Insert Title Here*"

"Now in the VHLM: *Insert Title Here*"

 

Or I could do an homage to the VHLM Mag and just title it "On the Rise"

Edited November 14, 2015 by Christmas

[Christmas 138]

I'm seriously asking, though. I don't want to pick a title and it be a bad one.

Right now I'm thinking of "On the Rise", but if more VHLM writers get recruited for the VHL mag, I will feel like the title won't really fit.

[Molholt 2,185]

Really, any of them work. Do you want to do something specific or just general VHLM? Like, player spotlights? Teams? If it's something specific, I think VHLM Spotlight is best. If it's more general, then maybe Now in the VHLM is best. 

[Christmas 138]

Really, any of them work. Do you want to do something specific or just general VHLM? Like, player spotlights? Teams? If it's something specific, I think VHLM Spotlight is best. If it's more general, then maybe Now in the VHLM is best. 

I just figured I would be the VHLM guy and highlight whatever is worth writing about in the VHLM. Problem is more than half of my articles were about how the VHLM isn't entertaining because there are two good teams each season.

[Molholt 2,185]

VHLM Spotlight could also talk about ideas to improve the VHLM too.

[Christmas 138]

Yeah, I'm fine with whatever. The title is secondary for me just putting out an article that I will enjoy writing. "What we learned" gave me some flexibility so I just want a title that will give me some leeway with the subject material with regards to the VHLM.

 

"VHLM Spotlight" is probably the best title to go with for the time being. I will write an article tomorrow based around that.

[Molholt 2,185]

Yeah that's fine, especially given that we don't have multiple VHLM writers right now - you aren't restricted in content, regardless of title. 

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: The Importance of Depth

Depth can play an incredibly important role in the VHLM. While a team may have the high-powered talent to win them regular season games, that could all mean nothing if they don’t have a good set of players they can rely on to compete on a regular basis. That is what we are seeing play a factor in the early stages of the 46^th season of the VHL.

Let’s see a couple examples of how depth is helping teams win hockey games. The Ottawa Lynx are a great team right now, currently second in the VHLM and first in the North American Conference. Why? Well most will cite LeAndre St. Pierre as the reason why they are doing so well, and it is hard to argue. However, when you look at the guys playing alongside him, you get three other players who have 15+ points in 10 games, and three more players with at least 7 points on the season. The Lynx are getting some solid production from a number of players, and while St. Pierre is running the show, they are getting good production throughout.

The Royals are leading the league in points, and while they don’t have a superstar like St. Pierre, they are getting production from guys like Vincent Virtanen, Jayden Fasth, and Kol Mikaelson, who each have over 15 points so far. Then you have four more depth guys with 7+ points, and a few more guys just shy of that behind them. The team has a ton of threats offensively, as well as multiple players able to make things happen on the defensive end to facilitate the offensive game.

On the other hand, you have teams like the Oslo Storm, who are currently tied for last in the VHLM. There is not a single player with more than 15 points. Their leading point-getter is Evgeny Nezhmetdinov, who has 11 points. After that, they only have one other player with 7 points or more. The team has struggled to find offense, and it has led to only two wins on the season. The Storm don’t have a well-rounded team whatsoever, and it is showing in their season so far.

Yukon is in a bit of a different boat, as they have a couple pretty talented players. Lars Siktanc, Archie Wagner, and Ash Stevens all have 10 or more points on the year, Siktanc leading with his 14 points. However, what do they have after those three? A big goose-egg. They are really the only threats on the roster, allowing other teams to key in on them and let the other guys loose, as they are not as worried they are going to make them pay for it. They are tied with the Oslo Storm, but their situation is more dire in they are ripe for more trouble if a star player gets into a rut, which could very well happen.

There are a couple teams that somewhat argue against this logic, namely Bratislava and Moscow (though for completely opposite reasons). Bratislava is easy to counter as one of the Watchmen or Storm will be making the playoffs, so despite both teams having poor depth, one of them will be a playoff team when this is all said and done. That isn’t any kind of accomplishment. The Moscow Red Wolves are an interesting case, as they have arguably the best depth in the league, but have to settle for a. 600 winning percentage and 2^nd in the European Conference. The counter to that as of right now is their goaltending has not been what they were expecting, and with only 10 games played that depth should prove its mettle over the course of a whole season.

Going based on depth and depth alone, there is currently a three-horse race for top contention status in Ottawa, Bern, and Moscow. Those teams have the most well-rounded team of the VHLM at this very point, and I will be very surprised if those three teams are not on the top of the leaderboard at the end of the season.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Players Succeeding Despite their Teams

 

A lot of times in the VHLM we talk about players who are helping their teams win. They are considered the next big thing going into the VHL, and the players who are part of the weaker franchises do not get any attention. However, this season we have a few players who are showing their worth despite playing on less than elite teams this season.

 

Lars Siktanc and Archie Wagner: Yukon Rush

Lars Siktanc and Archie Wagner are spending another season on the Rush, dealing with the poor play of their teammates with another bottom finish in the North American Conference. Last season they scored only 53 and 52 points in 72 games respectively, leading the team in scoring despite the total. This season they have come around in a big way, scoring 37 and 35 points respectively so far in 36 games played, again leading the team in scoring and showing a lot more flash despite the team remaining one of the worst teams in the league. The two are the main one-two punch on the Rush, and the big reason why fans continue to go to games. Wagner in particular has been a defensive juggernaut, with 108 blocked shots on the season, on his way to match his 200+ total from last year.

Super Cock: Oslo Storm

Oslo Storm has taken a step back since making the playoffs last season, currently on pace to finish last in the European Conference and only edge out Yukon in points. However they have had a bright spot in Super Cock, who has lived up to his name. Right now he leads the Oslo Storm in scoring with 38 points in 35 games, way over the next best player in Sam Weaver who has 29 points so far. He has played a ton of minutes in 27, and has scored 20 goals which is a lot for a player on a team that has been struggling to find offense during the season. Super Cock doesn’t look like the kind of guy who may be a big VHL talent, but he has been doing quite well for himself this season.

Sir William Covington III: Saskatoon Wild

Saskatoon is a far cry from the team they were last season, with a good number of their best players moving on to the VHL and other teams getting better. One player who has helped take over for the team is Sir William Covington III. The Wild have their playoff hopes alive because of his efforts at forward. He has scored 27 goals so far and has 57 points, leading the way offensively for the Wild. He has taken a very high number of difficult minutes for the team, playing over 100 minutes on the penalty kill.

Tom Lincoln: Bratislava Watchmen

The Watchmen as a whole have improved in a lot of ways, particularly with the offensive side of the game. One of the reasons is newcomer Tom Lincoln. Lincoln has been the big leader on the team both in the locker room and on the scoreboard, leading the way offensively with 54 points in 36 games. Like Covington, Lincoln also has 27 goals, but has been a much better defensive player so far on the season. He has also been dominant on the dot, winning 66.9% of the over 800 faceoffs he has taken.

John Sleeman: Bratislava Watchmen

The other player who has been part of the backbone for the Watchmen is defenseman John Sleeman. Sleeman has 50 points so far with the team, 45 shot blocks, and has a ton of points on the powerplay, a big quarterback for the team. He has also been a big penalty killer, tied for the team lead as of now.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Who is Watching the Watchmen?

Things have changed in the VHL, particularly in the European Conference. Last time we looked back the Oslo Storm were back of the pack and were only going to slightly edge out the Yukon Rush in points on the season. The Bratislava Watchmen looked like a team on the rise and were looking to make a splash in the postseason with how they were playing to start the year.

Now things have changed. After our previous article, the Oslo Storm have come back to life, passing the Watchmen and now sit in the final playoff spot in the European Conference. The Watchmen have fallen behind and are looking like they will be missing the playoffs once again. The team saw their hard work rewarded later with a completely surprising 11 game losing streak, a streak which soon saw Tom Lincoln moved to the Red Wolves for future picks. Lincoln was second on the team in scoring at the time of the trade, with 30 goals and 60 points in 40 games, acting as one of the only offensive threats the team had. Once he was moved there wasn’t much his teammates could do as they continued to slide and slide more, and the Watchmen decided they needed to continue making changes as their season continued to dwindle.

“Just hours into Felipe's tenure as GM of the Brampton Blades, he trades S47 1st round pick and Brampton's S48 2nd round pick for J. Sleeman and Burch of Bratislava,” said the General Manager of the Brampton Blades, which saw two great players leave the Watchmen for picks in order to help their draft stock in the upcoming offseason. John Sleeman in particular is probably the centerpiece of this trade, as before being moved had 64 points in 44 games. Michael Burch is no slouch, either, as he had 30 points in his 44 games.

There isn’t much you can say about how the season progressed last time we saw them. It is a completely disappointing turn, and the Watchmen have shown that you can’t always win with a one line team. The fans have been booing, the team has been losing (1-6 since their most recent trade), and the players have all but given up on the team at this point. Right now Alexander Davidson is the only guy putting up consistent numbers, and he isn’t even at a point per game. Bjorn Kobayashi has started to disappear from the team, missing practices and not showing up for media sessions.

Right now, nobody is watching the team. However, I would recommend you do watch, because right now they are failing at Yukon levels right now. While Yukon has won a two games in their last 34, you can at least watch the team and give them credit for putting out some effort. That team is just bad. What is happening out there is something you don’t see every season. Right now, this is a team that has completely given up on the season, despite having a couple of talented pieces who can win them games if they put in the effort. The management is aware of where they are and what they are doing for this season, and the players know that the coaching staff really doesn’t care if they win or lose, because with how the roster has been gutted they know that there isn’t much hope they have on being brought back. It is worse than ineptitude. It is complete abandonment. I will not be surprised if the fans follow the same route and stop filling the seats.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Playoff Matchups Set?

The VHLM is getting closer to the end of the regular season, and even at this stage the position of some teams is uncertain. The Red Wolves have climbed back into the race for the European Conference bye, giving the Royals fits along the way. The Wild continue to keep a lead on the Rush for the last spot in the North American Conference, but wins have been hard to come by for the Wild, and the Rush are closing the gap game by game. What will the playoff matchups look like by the end of the season?

The North American Conference has its first two spots set. The Lynx will stay at the top of the mountain and have a first-round bye, and the Blades will have home ice advantage in the first round. However it is looking like the Rush and Wild may have a close finish to earn that final spot. Since we last looked at the two teams, the Yukon Rush have been desperate to earn wins, going on multiple losing streaks and only winning a couple of games between them. The Saskatoon Wild, however, have done even worse, coming off a terrible 12 game losing streak and being able to grab a win against the Oslo Storm to break it. With only a few games left, it is looking like a battle between the inept, with neither team looking like they want to get that last spot.

What will that mean for the playoffs? It is clear that whoever earns the third playoff spot is going to have a hell of a time in the first round. Brampton has a solid hockey team despite not finishing first in the conference, and Markus Muller is leading the way, threatening to earn a 50 goal season. Beyond that, there is Sleeman, Stockton, Deschamps, and Jackson who are all solid contributors. The Wild have Sir William Covington II and Stabby McFullO’Schmidt, but beyond that the team is really without any real talent, which could pose a problem. The Rush are even worse, with their only two contributors below a point per game, which will be a real interesting matchup if they are able to somehow grab that final playoff spot.

The European Conference isn’t so much about anyone looking to make the playoffs, as the three spots have already been decided. However The Royals and Red Wolves are currently fighting for that first-round bye, and at this point the Red Wolves are looking like they could take it. At the time of this article the Red Wolves are enjoying a 14 game winning streak, with all cylinders firing. The Royals have not been so lucky, playing below .500 hockey in that same time span. Some times it is all about getting hot at the right time, and the Red Wolves are doing exactly that.

As it stands, if the Red Wolves are able to grab that first round bye, the Oslo Storm may be able to find a way to upset their way to the second round. They haven’t been very impressive in their last few games, but have been able to string a few wins together every so often, giving them extra momentum that they could use on their first round opponent. If they grab some more momentum and the Royals continue to find troubles finding wins, there could be a very interesting matchup between the two teams. If it plays out as we expect, you could see an instant first round classic once the playoffs roll around.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: What to Expect from the Playoffs

 

It has finally arrived. The S46 playoffs are right around the corner and with all the games being played, we have our final matchups of the season. As we anticipated, Moscow kept their winning ways going through the end of the season, and were able to steal the top spot in the European Conference from the Bern Royals and earn that first round bye. This means the Royals will be facing off against the Storm in the first round. As for the North American Conference, none of the standings changed, with the Lynx taking the first round bye and the Blades facing off against the Wild in round one.

 

The North American Conference is shaping up to be an absolute bloodbath. The Blades finished the season with 90 points, a +46 goal differential, and a .625 winning percentage. The Saskatoon Wild are quite frankly just happy to be in the playoffs at all. They finished with 37 points, a -123 goal differential, and a .257 winning percentage. The teams are about as far apart as talent is concerned and Saskatoon is going to have to pull off some sort of magic for them to win this one. As far as individual players are concerned, Markus Muller remains a top-tier performer, and the one-two punch of Muller and Sleeman is going to be a sight to see. Don’t forget Hyvarinen also on defense, either. Surprisingly enough Saskatoon might have the better top-tier talent of the two, with Sir William Covington III and Stabby McFullO’Schmidt as their forward defensive combination. Looking at individual matchups, the Wild’s only chance to win this series will be for their two monster players to outperform the depth of the Blades. The odds of it actually happening? I think they are very slim. Even if they do make it past the first round, they will be absolutely torn apart by the Lynx, who have been firing on all cylinders for the entirety of the season.

 

The European Conference may be a little different. While there is a pretty decent gap between the Bern Royals and the Oslo Storm, the two teams haven’t exactly played all that differently in the late stages of the season. Both teams have 6 wins in their last 10, and the Royals have been in a bit of a tailspin with the Red Wolves unseating them for the top spot in the conference. Goal differential has a very large disparity with the Royals at +94 and the Storm at even. However this could be an advantage for the Storm as they have shown they are more capable of winning close games with their play. Bern has a similar team structure as Brampton, in they have a very solid group of depth players who can all chip in if need be. They finished with 11 players with 40+ points on the season, and while their leading scorer Skovgaard only had 88 points, they have 5 players with at least 50 points. The team has a lot of weapons offensively, and will be hard to contain all of them in any given game. The Storm also have a good set of depth players, with 8 of them in the 40+ point range. Their top-end talent is clearly superior, however, with Super Cock and Lucas Galeano leading the way in the charts. This one could go either way when simply looking at the individuals who make up the team. Do not be surprised for an upset here, even though you could argue it wouldn’t quite be an upset. Whichever team makes it out of the first round should prove to be a solid challenge for the Red Wolves. The Wolves have a lot of talent and have been on fire, though, so both teams will need to be on their A game in whatever second round matchup occurs.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Looking Back on the Playoffs

 

The S26 Playoffs have come and gone, and at the end the Ottawa Lynx of the North American Conference have come away with the title, beating the Moscow Red Wolves in a 6 game series. Teams have already started to look forward to the next season, however we haven’t gotten a chance to analyze what happened.

 

The North American Conference happened just about as we expected. The Saskatoon Wild were the weakest playoff team going in, and the first round showed it. The team scored a grand total of 5 goals in four games, three of them coming from Sir William Covington III. Goaltending was absolutely dreadful as well, as Dmitri Dadonov ended with a save percentage of .858 and a GAA of 3.27. Upon the demolishing of the Wild, the Lynx had their shot at the Blades, and while this series was closer, it was the dominant regular season team that came away with the series win. The Blades actually surprised the Lynx by taking it to them in their own building 4-1 in game 1. They almost took game 2, but the Lynx were able to hold on and win in a thrilling overtime victory. After that, the Lynx completely dominated play and outscored the Blades 11-3 in the final three games to take the series.

 

The European Conference had an interesting matchup in the first round. The Storm and Royals featured a wealth of talent up-front, and while the Royals were considered the better of the two, the Storm had plenty of weapons to make it an interesting series. The Storm took game one in a close matchup, but in games 2 and 3 were unable to compete as the Royals outscored them 8-3 in the two matchups. Oslo came back with another close game in game 4 to tie up the series, and it looked like they could steal game 5 and potentially win the series at home. However they were shut down in game 5, as Ryan Price shut them out to pull within one game of the conference finals, and took care of the Storm 3-1 in the last game. After that, it was between Moscow and Bern, which saw the Royals fight hard but fail to deliver in a 4-1 series loss. The backbreaker was game 4 and with a chance to tie the series, the Royals completely fell flat and were trounced 7-2 at home.

 

The finals came around, and it was the Ottawa Lynx and the Moscow Red Wolves for all the glory. Game one was well fought by both sides, both goalies needing to pull out the leather on many occasions. The Lynx managed to take a 3-1 lead midway in the second, but Moscow roared back to tie the game and force overtime. This one proved to be a classic, not ending till the second overtime as Kasey Morgan scored his first of the playoffs to take game one. Game two was another close matchup. Ottawa took a 3-0 after the first period, but the Red Wolves scored four straight to answer back, then both teams responding to make it 5-4 Moscow early in the third. However Ottawa tied the game up shortly after, and ended it in regulation with a late goal to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 was all Ottawa, scoring two early goals in the game, then adding two late goals in the 2^nd only 15 seconds apart, cruising to a 4-1 victory and a 3-0 series lead. Moscow had other plans in games 4 and 5, winning by a 3-1 score in game 4 and then shocking Ottawa in game 5 in triple overtime after failing to hold on to a 4 goal lead in the second period. Game 6 in Moscow proved to be another classic game, with the Red Wolves down 1-0 midway in the third period but able to tie the game to force a third overtime game in the series. Overtime would not last long, however, as Geoff Reid would score his first goal of the playoffs and seal the victory and Cup for the Lynx.

All in all, the VHLM was much better this season than seasons prior. Yes, the top team in the regular season once again did their work in the playoffs, but the action was much more intense this year, with much more parity and more interesting matchups this time around. It is very possible that we may be seeing a changing of how these playoffs play out, and we may see more upsets in the future. I am very excited for S47, and I hope you all are as well.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: S46 Versus S47 Regular Season Standings

 

The VHLM is typically a league in which we see teams rise themselves up, contend for one or two years, then fall right back into nothingness for a full rebuild. The Ottawa Lynx are starting to defy that idea this season, currently leading the league with 15 wins and 30 points. We all remember how well the Lynx did last season, dominating their way to the cup, and after that we expected with players heading on out the team would ship off the rest of their roster players and start back from scratch. They say no to that idea. The Lynx are as good as they were last season, with a comfortable lead on the Yukon Rush, and are expected to finish tops in the North American Conference once again. Will they be the surefire contender to win it all? That has yet to be decided, as the Oslo Storm and Bern Royals are both having great seasons behind Ottawa. However, they are in a good spot right now and should be expected to be a favorite going into the playoffs.

As for the rest of the North American Conference, the Blades failed to start their rebuild last season, knowing that they would not be able to handle the Lynx and their dominant season. They are now starting their rebuild this season, with 7 wins and last place in the North American Conference. The Yukon Rush have now taken the Blades place at second, and despite having two games in hand on the Rush cannot currently catch up to the Lynx. The Wild, for their part, are right where they were last season, and with two more games played than the Blades could see themselves on the outside looking in very shortly with only one point ahead of Brampton.

The European Conference saw a more traditional transition between powerhouse teams. The Red Wolves were the best team in the European Conference, and were big cup contenders. They failed to reach the top, and now are in a rebuilding phase in S47. Funny enough, all the teams in the European Conference have moved up a spot, with the Red Wolves taking the bottom rung on the ladder as it currently stands. Bern is looking like the current favorite to finish tops in the league, with 13 wins and 27 points. However Oslo is right on their tail, with 11 wins and 24 points, as well as a better goal differential. Depending on what players improve over the season we may see some movement between teams in the standings.

Bratislava, unfortunately, is looking like they are going to be first-round fodder, as they are a sub-.500 team with 8 wins and 9 losses, but are holding on to that final playoff spot because of the ineptitude of the Red Wolves. Their roster is quite thin at the moment and with only two players actually making big contributions to the team there isn’t much they can do at the moment to rise up in the standings.

This season, all things considered, is starting to show a positive trend in the league. We are seeing a bit more parity between teams, and with the way the last few distribution drafts have ended up the VHLM appears to be making changes for the better. Hopefully that is something we will see 5-10 seasons from now as well, but currently it is a good start.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Award Dark Horses

 

The VHLM is getting towards the finale of the regular season, and there are a few favorites for each of the individual awards on the season. However, we would like to look at some of the players who may not be considered the odds on favorite, but are definite contenders to win despite their competition.

Mitch Higgings (MVP): Cian Mercer

Right now there are a few guys who are favorites to win it. You have Black Velvet with his 66 goals and 133 points so far, and Sir William Covington III who is considered the favorite from a few members of the media. But looking at the award, it should be directed towards those players who are really the most valuable in the league. Those two guys have a major supporting cast behind them. Cian Mercer on the other hand does not have the same kind of firepower on his team, with the leading forward scoring 85 points, a whopping 48 fewer points than Black Velvet. Mercer leads his team with 93 points and 85 assists, arguably the best passer in the entire league, and is possibly the major reason why the Lynx are second in the North American Conference.

Ryan Sullivan (Top Defenseman): Supa Hot Fire

I’m sure your first response to this selection is “But what about Cian Mercer? If he is the MVP, surely he should be considered the best defenseman!” I disagree with that assertion for one specific reason. The MVP does not necessarily mean the best at his position. This has been the subject of great debate in just about every single hockey league, whether the MVP should be awarded to a great player who helps a bad team in the playoffs or a player who is the best at their position and also is a big contributor in their team’s success. If I thought it was the latter then I think it would diminish the importance of the MVP. Just giving it to the best player is short-sighted. Supa Hot Fire has been a two-way monster out there, and in my opinion has shown the most as a defenseman so far this year. He may not be considered the favorite, but with 74 points, 133 blocked shots, and 197 hits, there aren’t many defenseman currently in the league who can challenge him on those statistics. Sure his -4 isn’t great, but he is also on a team with guys who are in the double digits in minus.

Matt Bentz (Top Two-Way Forward): Travis Willcox

This award is a hard one to judge, as it can really go to any player who is having a good season on both ends of the ice. Some will give it to lower point producers who get a lot of PK time, while others will give it to one of the best offensive contributors who has a habit of defensive plays. I believe WIllcox satisfies both of these roles, but will be under the radar because he is a -1 on the season. Want to know what he is -1? Look at his teammates. He has none. He has teammates who are in the 30s in the minus category, and still has 63 points, a gigantic 268 hits, and 89 shot blocks. As a forward. He doesn’t get a lot of looks in the media mainly because he is on Moscow and the team has been terrible lately, but Willcox’s defensive play has really been the only reason that Moscow has been able to do anything of late. I think he will be overlooked by the voters, but depending on how he does down the stretch he might be able to turn a few heads once they take a closer look at the stat sheet.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Unassisted Driving Scorekeepers/Writers Nuts

We are in the second round of the VHLM playoffs, and a potential future superstar is rising from the Yukon Rush in their quest for the cup. His name is Unassisted. You may think this is a joke, but that is literally his name. He is currently second among all players in playoff scoring this season, with over a 2 PPG average. However, there are some that are not impressed with the prolific scorer. Who can’t appreciate what he is doing in the league right now? Scorekeepers; that is who. These people work tirelessly to make sure that all the scores are accurate, and provide accurate information for beat writers and bloggers. However, with his name showing up exactly like any unassisted goal would show up, it is starting to confuse people. Was it actually an unassisted goal, or did Unassisted actually get an assist?

Because of the confusion, many are starting to petition for the record books to be analyzed further, as they say it is possible that he is being given phantom assists for his misleading name. Some are going even further as to say that Unassisted should change his name for the betterment of scorekeeping and its reputation. Are they right in thinking this, or are they out of their minds? Frankly, nobody should be faulting Unassisted for his name and its confusion. He did not name himself Unassisted, and despite being legally able to change his name is not under any specific obligation to do so. Unassisted is the name he was born with and identifies with, so I think it is obvious to most that he is going to fight tooth and nail to stick with it no matter what. However, one should also look at the other end of the spectrum. Unassisted can look very misleading when looking at the box score, especially when plenty of players in the VHLM score unassisted goals. Scorekeepers try their best to make sure everything is accurate, but they are not impervious to mistakes, and could have potentially provided him with some assists that he didn’t deserve. However, that is not necessarily true, either.

So what is the solution? One group has gone to say that there should be a more dedicated batch of scorekeepers following whatever team Unassisted plays for, that way they are 100% accurate in where they provide assists and to whom. Unassisted deserves to play with the name he was born with, and should not be forced into changing his name for anyone. If the VHL and VHLM are unable to provide the funds for more scorekeepers (with how much money the two leagues make I don’t see how they couldn’t afford it), then Unassisted should have a symbol or letter next to his name in order for it to be completely clear whether it is the player with an assist or if a goal is actually unassisted. Unassisted* or P. Unassisted both work as preliminary ideas.

As a writer, I have not yet had to worry so much about Unassisted’s name hurting my abilities to write, and from my own perspective the league should trust in their scorekeepers to do their job and allow Unassisted to keep the name he was born with. As far as scorekeepers getting upset about Unassisted confusing them? Maybe they should focus more on doing well at their job, and not crying about a player who has a confusing name. With all of the crazy names that have gone through both the VHLM and the VHL, a name like Unassisted shouldn’t really surprise anyone, should it?

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Saul Hackett vs. David Hamilton

We are currently in the most entertaining part of the season, and the most important. The VHLM finals are underway between the Ottawa Lynx and the Bratislava Watchmen. Most, however, are calling it the bout between heavyweights Saul Hackett (BRT) and David Hamilton (OTT), as the two future stars are their respective teams’ leaders in points. The one question that is to be asked midway through the finals, is if this matchup is as exciting as it was billed to be?

Saul Hackett is playing like he wants to be the MVP of a Founders Cup winning team. Game one was quiet for him, though he was able to initialize a shorthanded goal by Vincent Adultman to start a three goal period for the Watchmen and a 3-2 victory. Game two saw him crank it up a notch. With the team trailing to start the second period, Hackett opened up the scoring for Bratislava early, then added another on the powerplay less than 8 minutes later to put the Watchmen up 3-2 after two periods. He would then create the primary assist on the insurance marker in the third to put his team up 2-0 in the series with a 4-2 win. He continued to find a way onto the scoresheet in game 3 with an assist in the first period for a 4-2 win and a suffocating 3-0 series lead. Through the first three games, Hackett has two goals and three assists for five points in 3 games so far. While not the only contributor in their finals bout, he is certainly pulling his weight.

David Hamilton, on the other hand, is not doing what he needs to right now. Games one and two saw him with zero points, two losses, and a combined -3 in those games. With the team trailing in the series, Hamilton knew he needed to figure his game out. However he didn’t get ready in time as the Watchmen pulled ahead with a 3-0 goal lead going into the third. He would finally get on the scoresheet with two goals, both on the powerplay, but he failed to bring up his game to help the team win, and is now in a serious predicament for the Lynx as it stands.

As far as head to head matchups are concerned, there is really no question who is currently ahead on the scorecard between these two. Saul Hackett has had more takedowns, more solid punches, and more tenacity in these first three games between the two players. He is playing like an MVP player should play. David Hamilton has been out of his element for the entire series, and outside of one period where he scored his only two points of the series, he has looked completely outclassed in every facet of the game. With the way the series is going, we may see a quick TKO by Saul Hackett on David Hamilton, which could be a real shame considering what we all came to see going into these finals.

Can David Hamilton pull up his bootstraps and make a series out of this? It is looking concerning right now, as the team is down 3-0 and has no room for mistakes against a powerhouse of a Watchmen franchise. However, note that he did finally show his worth in the third period of game 3, and it is very possible he could bring his A game from here till the end of the series, whenever it is. Hamilton has shown flashes where he has stolen games for his team before (see last round if you don’t believe me), but the Bratislava Watchment not only have one of the best depth teams in the VHLM, they also have a player who has come to play since game one in Saul Hackett. With the Lynx just about out of playoff contention, we are going to hope that game 4 at the very least is an entertaining bout between Mr. Hackett and Mr. Hamilton.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: The Comeback that Almost Was

The VHLM had a finals bout for the ages. What started out as a slam dunk short series for the Bratislava Watchmen turned into the potential for one of the best comebacks in VHLM history. Those of you who read last week’s article know that the superstars of the Watchmen were dominating every single aspect of the game against those of Ottawa. At that point all we wanted was for some entertaining hockey while the Watchmen eventually beat the Lynx. However, we got both entertainment and an actual series.

Game 3 did not start the way many expected. The Lynx pushed the pedal to the metal and scored an early goal to take the lead. They would hold the Watchmen to only 6 shots and score another midway in the first to take a 2-0 lead. Then it was time for Atticus Von Braxton IV to steal the show. The second period had Ottawa score an early goal to go up 3-0, and the Watchmen went on the offensive. They peppered Von Braxton IV with 25 total shots in the second frame, but he was perfection and stopped them all. After holding them off in the second he remained stellar and Ottawa’s defense held up to secure the win 3-0 in favor of the Lynx. We saw life out of Ottawa. 3-1 Bratislava.

Game five was similar to game 4. The Lynx had their backs against the wall once again and put up two goals, this time late in the first period to go up 2-0. The second period was once again all Bratislava, as they put 10 shots on Von Braxton IV who was again incredible. 100 straight minutes without allowing a goal to one of the most potent offenses in the VHLM. The third period had more back and forth, but Bratislava was finally able to put one through and cut the lead in half. However Ottawa stood tall and hung on for a 2-1 victory in game 5. Things were getting interesting in these finals. 3-2 Bratislava.

Game 6, back in Ottawa. The Watchmen were ready to play in this first period, and on the first shift of the game Alexander Davidson took the lead for them in an effort to win the elusive fourth game. The first period would end with the 1-0 score. Ottawa pushed back in the second, with a powerplay goal within five minutes of the second period, tying the game and giving Ottawa their life back. The second ended with only one goal scored, knotting the two teams up 1-1. The third period tilted in Ottawa’s direction when their leader David Hamilton got on the board midway through the third period, putting them ahead 2-1. They shut down Bratislava and held on to another 2-1 victory, heading back to Bratislava. It was now anyone’s series, with the Founder’s Cup on the line. 3-3 series tie.

 

Game 7. The put up or shut up moment for the two clubs. The first period was an evenly contested affair, and did not see any scoring until late in the first period. Mikhail Gribov would score his third of the playoffs and put the Watchmen up 1-0. Ottawa would be unable to equalize and they would be down a goal going into the second. As we saw from the majority of this series, Lynx goaltender Atticus Von Braxton stole the show and kept his team alive, facing 19 shots in the second period. Shutting the door, the second period ended just as the first did, with the Watchmen ahead 1-0. The final period of regulation play approached, and Bratislava did what they did all playoffs: shut it down. Saul Hackett would score his fourth of the playoffs to put them up 2-0, and they would press Ottawa for the rest of the game, not allowing them any space and after four agonizing games secure that final victory for the cup. Ottawa showed a great deal of will in the second half of the series, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.

Looking back, this is a series that will be talked about for some time. While it did not end the way that many had hoped, with an underdog fighting from the bottom to reach the top through insurmountable odds, it gave us an incredible storyline. It showed us Atticus Von Braxton, the goaltender who almost beat a team by himself. It reminded us that no matter how good your team may be, that anyone can get blindsided. And with everything that we saw, it gave us hope that we may yet see another incredible series like this again.

The S47 VHLM playoffs are over, but we are already chomping at the bit for more.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Dadonov A Brick Wall in Oslo

The VHLM saw a lot of trades prior to the S48 draft, however virtually no players were moved out from rebuilding teams. The only one to get shipped out was the one and only Dmitri Dadonov, former goaltender for the Yukon Rush.

Dadonov spent S47 as an interesting project. In S47 he finished with 50 wins, however was 6^th in save percentage, towards the bottom of the list in terms of starters. Yukon used his play as an opportunity to flip him for two draft picks, one in S49 (1^st) and one in S50 (2^nd). Dadonov came into Oslo with a lot of promise, and so far is proving Oslo they made the right choice trading for him. So far he is way ahead of the pack in save percentage, and currently has an .800% winning percentage on the year. While the team is a step behind the Watchmen in terms of the standings, they are looking like a contending team with him between the pipes. However, how much did Dadonov actually improve from the previous season? What exactly changed in Oslo that made Dadonov improve such a great deal? There are two major reasons.

Team Structure

The Yukon Rush were a very solid defensive team, and all in all dominated every single defensive category during S47. This led to a very low number of shots against, 20 per game. While most goalies would say “Wow I would love to play in front of a defense that is so stingy,” this leads to the caveat that any goal he would allow would be a much greater hindrance to his save percentage. He allows 3 goals in a game where the team allows 25 shots, his save percentage is .880. The Oslo Storm are a much more offensively talented team, and their structure involves a very high-tempo, high-risk strategy. This has led to a very high number of shots against. Based on the previous example, a goaltender facing 30 shots a game will have their save percentage lessened less if they allow a goal. This is a statistic that we have seen from a number of high-profile goaltenders on top-defensive teams. Very rarely have we seen them with top save percentages due to the fact they do not see as many low-percentage shots. While they allow fewer goals and their goals against averages are typically lower, they fall victim to this save percentage hole. Notice how Dadonov has a higher GAA with Oslo but a higher save percentage as well.

Jump in Progression

You see this happen all the time with players of this age. They have spurts of improvement in both physical ability and innate skill on the ice, and Dadonov is showing it right now. He is stronger, faster, and also reads the play much better. While the VHLM does not have the same speed that the VHL does, it is a much faster game than any AAA program or junior program in the game. Dadonov in his first year did not yet have the understanding of the speed of not only the players but the puck as well, and his reaction to the play unfolding was a step behind what it currently is now. As a goaltender your play is all about muscle memory and positioning, and when you are behind on either of the two your game will suffer as a result. You try too much on trying to make desperation saves when you are out of position, and your ability to react to a shot is weakened even if you are in position. This leads to more goals and more scoring chances for the other team even when a good defense in front of you lowers the number of high-quality scoring chances that you face.

It will be interesting to see how Dadonov plays when he finally reaches the VHL, as the team structure in front of him and his ability to handle the speed of the VHL could be major factors in how he does during his rookie season. We are still early into S48, so it will also be interesting following Dadonov’s numbers through the rest of the season. Can he maintain his current save percentage? Will Oslo continue to be one of the worst teams in terms of shots against?

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Bogdan Podarok Shoots and Scores a lot

The VHLM is a little over halfway through the season, and players are starting to pull away and prove their dominance in certain aspects of the game. One of those players is Bogdan Podarok of the Bratislava Watchmen. Not only is he running away with the scoring lead this year, but he has shown an aspect of his game that has been greatly appreciated by the Watchmen as they push for that first round bye: goal scoring. Bogdan Podarok has been all over the offensive zone this season, swopping in and taking shots from every location. He has averaged nearly 8 shots a game, well ahead of any other challenger, and at least 100 more shots than all but one other player in the league. That is just incredible, no matter what league you are playing in. That means you are always on the puck, always looking to get open, and always able to make something happen if you do get the puck on your stick. That is a sign of great offensive instincts, something that is very hard to teach when you get to this level. Not something that will be easy to replicate in the VHL, but for a player as young as he is, that is a hell of a start.

This has paid dividends for the youngster, as he currently leads the league in goals with 31. The next highest goal scorers are tied with 24, and at this point do not appear to be challenging him for the goal scoring title this year. While not the pace that will be breaking any goal scoring records (at this current pace he would finish tied for third among goal scorers from S47), he has shown yet again that his game continues to progress through his seasons in the VHLM. Currently he is only 9 goals shy of his season high last year of 40. As far as shots are concerned, he is very close to passing his season high total of 346 shots going through the halfway point of the season. That is a pretty incredible feat, and Seattle is already licking their chops waiting for this scorer to come to the VHL and prove his worth going forward.

Podarok is starting to prove that he deserved to be picked in the top-5 of the S48 VHL entry draft. While he has not trained as hard as some players in his draft class, he has focused on the right tools to improve, which is why he is dominating at such a level in the VHLM. He is also looking like he has improved the most among all those players who were sent back down to the VHLM, and with a future scoring title and goal scoring title in sight, Podarok only needs to focus on one thing after that to complete his journey in the VHLM. He is going to want another taste at that Founders Cup. With players like Saul Hackett falling short of expectations and Vincent Adultman moving on, Podarok will have to try and win that cup as the centerpiece of the team, something he did not have to worry about last season. With his goal scoring touch and his tenacity in the zone, it is going to be very hard for teams to stop him as he tries to go two in a row.

[Christmas 138]

VHLM Spotlight: Young Stars Game Canceled in Potential Conspiracy

The VHLM has had some issues with bringing up their young stars the right way and transitioning them to the VHL. There have been expansions with a great deal of protest, contraction with those same protesters saying “I told you so”, and inconsistencies with management from the General Managers and those who run the league. We see another chapter in this ongoing saga of VHLM problems, with the cancellation of the young-stars game.

A week ago, we saw a number of young future VHL stars selected to participate in the Young Stars game, including players like David Hamilton, Sven Wolf, Dmitri Dadonov, among other big young names. However with a great deal of concern for the lack of scheduling brought along speculation that the game would not happen. This morning there was confirmation that the Young Stars game would indeed not be happening, which saw many of those following the VHLM to be very upset. All this work and the announcement of the kids who were looking forward to being a part of this event and now nothing? Headlines from across the country speculated as to why it might be, and the more this unfolds the more it seems like there was a conspiracy with a couple of higher ups to make sure the Young Stars game did not happen. They center around a VHLM General Manager and the Commissioner of the League.

Yesterday evening there was discussion between a number of parties who were looking to get media access for the event, and the supposed host, the Yukon Rush, were unresponsive. According to emails between the media and Yukon Rush General Manager Daniel, there did not seem to be any indication that Yukon even wanted to host the event. They had done no marketing for it, no preparation, nothing. This caught the media by surprise and when they began asking more questions Daniel became incredibly aggressive. The exchange was ended with Daniel’s last statement that “Nobody cares about the event, stop being a bitch.” This is not a doctored quote. This came straight from a General Managers mouth.

The email was then forwarded to Commissioner Higgins, which is understandable considering members of the media should be allowed some protection from abusive comments like the one Daniel gave. Higgins appeared to be completely aloof about the situation, and put the blame on the simmer and scheduler. He even went as far as to include Daniel in the email, which in turned created a three-way exchange where the unnamed media member was ganged up on. Also the nature of the back and forth between Daniel and Higgins appeared to indicate that there was a conspiracy to keep the Young Stars game from being played. This is something that bears repeating: A VHLM General Manager and Commissioner appeared to have conspired to stop the Young Stars game from happening. This is all we can confirm at the moment, however with deposits and donations that were being thrown around by the media and other advertisers, there is a lot of money that is currently unaccounted for. This means that if there is a conspiracy to stop this game, the main goal was to cash in behind closed doors and bamboozle the great fans and players that help make the VHLM great. We do not know if there are more VHLM GMs involved in this, but it is very likely that there are considering every VHLM team had a player that was going to this game. Whoever is involved, this is a terribly unprofessional way to handle a hockey league, and as each day goes by this writer is concerned that these young players may be having their careers sabotaged by businessmen who would rather make money behind closed doors and back out on promises than actually work to make these players better.