Claimed:Why Bratislava Won't Win the S36 Founder's Cup

[CowboyinAmerica 2,891]

Why Bratislava Won't Win the Founder's Cup

 

 

You would think that players would learn, but somehow, they never do.

 

Four seasons ago, this particular author made a bold prediction, one that has unfortunately been lost to the annals of history in the publication known as the “Old Board”: The heavily-favored Ottawa Ice Dogs would not win the Founder’s Cup in Season 32. It was a fool’s prediction, to be fair. The Ice Dogs held the first three picks of the draft, as well as seven of the first 11. They featured players who would go on to become VHL stars: Wesley Kellinger, Odin Tordahl, two Valiq brothers and others. They traded for goalie Mack Hudson before the season, who held more TPE than any other goalie.

 

Oh, and they ended up losing to the Evgeni Chekhov-led Brampton Blades in the North American Conference finals. That happened too.

 

This year, the Bratislava Watchmen are expected to run away with the VHLM, with everyone essentially appointing the crew as Founder’s Cup champions before the season ever starts. With Brookside, Slaughter, Fjorsstrom and others leading the way, how could they not?

 

Very easily, this author says. I believe the Watchmen will not be your S36 VHLM Champions, and one only needs to look to VHL examples in the past to figure out why.

 

A Good Goalie Goes a Long Way

 

 

Look at the recent VHLM champions, and you’ll find an obvious thread – solid, and active, goaltending. For S35 Ottawa, it was Mike Szatkowski Jr. In Yukon’s S34 run, it was Lennox Moher. S33: Eggly Bagelface. S32: A then-active David Poulin. S31: Skylar Rift. And you can just keep going down the list.

 

In recent years, this means that only a few teams have had a chance, because solid goaltending has been few and far between. In fact, Season 32 was the last time that we saw a preponderance of solid goalies throughout the VHLM, with Poulin, Hudson, Chekhov and Zach Fucale all active at the time. It was having to face those solid goalies that brought the Ice Dogs down.

 

This year, Bratislava will have to face the same type of opposing goalie pressure. Within the European Conference itself, Oslo’s Kimmo Salo and Bern’s Blaine Olynick look to have a substantial amount of TPE under their belts by the time the playoffs roll around. And over in Yukon, Santeri Heikelä will be holding down the North American Conference with his own budding talent. This year, it isn’t only future Wrangler Martin Brookside who will be holding down the goaltending fort.

 

Activity, Activity, Activity

 

 

In Season 32, the Ottawa Ice Dogs got a steal in Odin Tordahl at 11^th overall, who declared for the draft just minutes before it began (and consequently, after Oslo GM Mike Boss had already sent in his list for picks). However, they were undone when some of their other first round selections such as GIYGAS, Mattis Trumbauer and Jamie Shetler, did not show the post-draft potential that they once did. They simply couldn’t catch up to the high-TPE players already in the VHLM, which allowed Lucas Smith to shine in the playoffs.

 

Unless GM Vincent Wong is extraordinarily proactive with his own high-TPE picks, the Bratislava Watchmen may fall to the same fate. Fourth overall pick Phil Villeneuve claims to be around for the long-haul, but some insiders believe he may be burned out after previous player Phil Rafter. The same principle applies to his brother in crime David Januzaj. And while Kai Randal looks to be solid moving forward, the Watchmen hold little else in the way of up-and-coming talent that prevents against burn-out.

 

Randomness

 

 

Given an 82-game sample size, you know who the best players are going to be in the regular season. For example, take the S26 Vasteras Junior Eagles. The team went an absolutely insane 64-6-2 during the regular season, capitalizing on a slew of future Hall of Famers (Chershenko, Rafter, Smalling) and other players that would hit high TPE totals (Qin, Riopel, Byer, Incognito, Muller, Satan, Henchoz) to utterly destroy the rest of the league. The next-closest team, Brampton, finished 29 points behind. The third place team, Bern, finished 53 points behind.

 

However, anything can happen in a seven-game series. After storming through the first series against Bern 4-1, Vasteras seemed poised to win it all in an easy finals series against Brampton. After going up 2-1 in the series, they had to feel even better. But then things didn’t turn their way, and they lost two straight, and even after forcing Game 7, three Blades goals in the first 17 minutes helped put the presumed champs away.

 

The point is this: Anything can happen. While a preponderance of inactive teams may lead to some easy victories and a preponderance of strange multi-page complaining threads about various VHLM GMs, there’s a reason why they have to play the game in the end. And for S36 Bratislava, the walk to the championship may not be as easy as it seems. In fact, I’d bet on it.

[Seth 92]

Bratislava won't win, because I will simply not allow it! 

[Victor 10,947]

Still can't comprehend how Brampton managed to Waiver claim both Rybak and Labatte at the trade deadline.

I mean, we still should have won but had it played out any differently in the waiver thread Brampton wouldn't stand a chance.

[sterling 1,997]

lies

[701 309]

VASTERAS COMING FOR DAT ASS.

[STZ 5,360]

Even when we lose we win.. Doesn't make sense? just look at our last loss.

[Doomsday 4,130]

Content: 3/3 - If anything shifts the balance of power in the VHLM this season, it will be the recreates at the trade deadline. STZ boasts an extremely active locker room and those that aren't burnt out will remain active. I don't see a better goalie than Brookside showing up, though.

 

Grammar: 2/2 - Just one small thing...

 

Given an 82-game sample size = It's a 72-game season.

 

Appearance: 1/1 - Banana phone.

 

Overall: 6/6 - Ring ring ring ring...

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