It's A Race #2 (July 3-9)

[Smarch 3,194]

The Race For First- Part 2 of 2

 

Last week we released the first part of the look into the race for first in the VHL. In part one we looked into the North American Conference race between the Quebec Meute and New York Americans, giving our thought into who will come out the victor of the regular season race for first and get the bye that comes with first place. Today we’ll switch our focus to the European Conference and look into the battle that has been taking place between the Helsinki Titans and Stockholm Vikings this season.

 

European Conference:

 

Helsinki and Stockholm are once again going neck and neck for the top spot in the European Conference here in Season Fifty-Five. After winning the conference last season by twenty-six points, the Vikings would go on to horribly collapse in the post-season against the Titans. General Manager Chris Miller went to work on the Vikings roster shortly after the collapse in the post-season, hoping to avoid another catastrophe in Season Fifty-Five. Pending free-agent Tyson Kohler rejoined the team and the club was mostly set from that point forward with Miller banking on the existing roster to each up their game instead of looking for help outside the franchise. The only new face in the Vikings locker-room this season is Season Fifty-Three Second Round draft choice Luigi De Rossi, as he finally broke into the VHL this season with the big club. The Vikings are currently three points behind the Titans, with one more game played then the Titans, a gap they have closed thanks in large part due to their better overall play in the past ten games. The Vikings are once again led offensively by Kohler who has amassed twenty-five goals and twenty-nine assists in the team’s forty games this season. With the half-way point of the season just passed this past week, the Vikings will be looking to make the stretch run one to remember as they hope to overtake the Titans before the regular season closes.

 

The Helsinki Titans might have surprised many around the league with their Continental Cup win in Season Fifty-Four, but this time around they won’t be sneaking up on anybody. As we stated earlier the Titans currently hold a three point lead over Stockholm with a game in hand over the Swedish club, but the Titans aren’t ready to coast into the playoffs just yet. The Titans like the Vikings looked to improve their roster internally heading into Season Fifty-Five by moving future hall of fame defenseman Black Velvet to center while also bringing up defensive prospect Diego Jokinen from the VHLM. Now thirty-eight games into the season, the Titans are starting to really come together as a team, and look well poised to challenge for a second straight Continental Cup at the conclusion of Season Fifty-Five. The Titans are lead offensively by the three headed monster in Franchise Cornerstone, Theo Axelsson, and Velvet, as each one of those three are currently over fifty points on the season. Although the Titans are the second highest scoring team in the VHL, they also employ the VHLs best goaltender. Astrid Moon really took his poor performance in his rookie season two years ago in to playoffs to heart, something that has done wonders for his game. Moon currently leads the VHL in goals against average with a 1.22 and wins with his thirty-three wins in thirty-nine games. The Titans and their faithful fans hope that Moon will have another playoff for the ages in Season Fifty-Five, one that will help the Titans take home another championship.

 

With the two teams in the European Conference neck and neck in the race for first, it might be a shot in the dark to guess who will come out the victor in the rat race, but with our limited knowledge of the VHL, we believe it will be Helsinki this season who will take the regular season conference title and take home the much needed rest with the first round bye.

*For Snatch*

Edited June 28, 2017 by Smarch