Claimed: Minor League Madness S56 Part1

[jvd 50]

We're 28 games into the VHLM season and there has been some noticeable separation in the standing and on the scoring charts. So who's hot and who's not? Who is pushing for a championship and who is pushing for a lottery pick?

 

Teams on top:

Ottawa Lynx:

Ottawa has charged out of the gate with an impressive 9-2-1 start. With their high-flying offense led by defensemen Ho Lee Fook (5g-21a-26p) and Jon Snow (10g-14a-24p), this team can generate goals at will from the back end. In fact, their 4 top scorers are all defensemen, if we had to pick an area this team could improve in they would like to get more production out of their top forwards (relative to their defensemen). Still, there isn't much to not like about this team which leads the VHLM in point % (0.792), goals scored (51), and goal differential (+16)

Las Vegas Aces:

Nipping at the heals of the Lynx on the top of the standing are the Aces. After S55's Cinderella run to the finals, Las Vegas has picked up right where they left off with a 7-2-1 start. They are 4 points back of the Ottawa Lynx, but have two games in hand. Top centre Sergei Komarov is leading the attack with 12g-10a-22p through his first 10 games, good enough to be the highest scoring forward in the VHLM so far this year. Las Vagas' stingy defense, led by Casey Jones, is helping them win games too. They have been the hardest team to score against so far, surrendering just 32 goals. 

 

The Middlemen:

Saskatoon Wild:

A hair under .500 this season with a 5-6-1 record, the wild are off to a bit sluggish off the start, but have plenty of time to catch up. Right winger The Process and defenseman Keaton Louth have been doing the heaving lifting and managed to keep the Wild's goal differential in positive territory (+2), but they are going to need more than that to move up in the standings. A good place to start would be fixing their home record: At 1-4-0 they are worst in the VHLM in front of their own fans, that will need to improve if the Wild hope to challenge the top two teams.

Oslo Storm:

After a terrible start, Oslo is starting to get back on track (5-6-0), but the seem to be a half step behind the Wild. Though they are now getting points, they have scored fewer goals and surrendered more than Saskatoon, they do however, have a game in hand. Defenseman Nicodemus Raven has arguably been their best player, (you could make a case for steady defender Boner) leading the team in scoring and managing a +4 on a team with a net - differential. Centres Spicey and Launchpad McQuack are their top point-fetching forwards, but combine for an atrocious -16. Oslo needs to string a couple of wins together and have their forwards take car of business in their own end to get back into the race to the top.

 

The Basement Dweller:

Yukon Rush:

In a word: Yukon sucks so far this year. They have had a dumpster-fire of a start to the year and don't look to be turning it around anytime soon. With a staggaring -25 goal differential through just 11 games and a league worst 2 wins, things don't look good for the rush but there are a couple bright spots. Enter, Chase Keller: Chase is far and away leading the Rush (pun intended) putting more than 2 points per game and holding a respectable -1 differential. With Keller and defenseman Mats Johnsson now back with the team, there is a chance they make a come-back, but they have dug themselves a huge hole.

 

 

 

 

PS: I'm thinking of doing this a few times each season to keep tabs on the minors, what do you guys think? Would you like a synopsis like this posted  3 or so times per season?

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by jvd

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

I think this makes the like third power rankings in the VHLM but like this as it gives a little more detail.

[Gooningitup 1,290]

I fully expect once Higgins removes the illegal Proccess, playing that Yukon can sneak in an take the 4 seed. Sask sadly is only 3rd due to this error. 

[jvd 50]

2 hours ago, Gooningitup said:

I fully expect once Higgins removes the illegal Proccess, playing that Yukon can sneak in an take the 4 seed. Sask sadly is only 3rd due to this error. 

What's the deal with The Process?

[Spade18 1,305]

I liked this for the intended pun.

[STZ 5,360]

2 minutes ago, jvd said:

What's the deal with The Process?

 

He's playing in the VHL and VHLM due to error in the index. Should be fixed up by next sim, I'm assuming.

 

great write-up! this S57 Draft is deeeeep

[jvd 50]

Thanks @STZ!

[Gudnason 607]

Review: Nice write up and I hope you are enjoying your time with Beaviss in Ottawa so far. There is no lottery in the VHLM by the way  Interesting stat there that Vegas has the stingiest defense despite our lack of consistency in the net :/