Americans On The Move? [1/2]

[Exlaxchronicles 415]

            Americans On The Move
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Since the last time we checked the Americans were struggling offensively. Now 45 games into the season the club has upped its offensive production to a point where they now sit in fourth place, only five games out of the top spot being held by the HC Dynamo. And there's only one and two games each in the win department separating the Americans, Titans and Calgary apart from each other for the second spot in the league. It should be an exciting race to the Finnish line to see whom actually comes out on top.

 

Kiaskov, and Savard have all started to pick up their production to where they're both close to a point per game. Defenceman Colton Rayne has also picked up his play on the score sheet. Having these three turn their games around has helped securely bolster the clubs offensive out put to move them up in the standings.

 

GM Spade trading solid forward Daring Do for the highly productive Lavar Ball and long time team former mate of Kiaskov has helped upgrade the teams depth and scoring ability. This should give the club a solid one two punch on offense. Ball has been placed on the second line with Savard and Komarov making  for an intimidating line size wise. Ball would benefit his game even more if he laid the body more often on opposing players due to his huge frame. As it is, this is one of the biggest sized lines in the league.

 

The teams defence on the whole has improved as well. American goalie Ike Irkander currently sits third in GAA with a solid 1.87, just right behind Dynamo's Shawn Brodeur who has a 1.84 avg. But Irkander sports a higher PCT with 0.923 as compared to 0.921 for Brodeur, so this would rank Irkander second in the league behind Norris Stopko who's having an amazing season. He leads the pack with a 1.75 GAA and 0.931. Irkander still has that chance for best goalie come seasons end. It should be interesting to see who gets the hardware.

There's hope on the club that Chase Keller can bring home the league scoring title. Right now he sits eight out from the leader Jack Sheppard from Helsinki who has potted 37 markers this season. Keller definitely has a good chance if the Americans continue their stellar play as of late and carry it into the final games of the season.

 

Keller also leads the league in face off percentage with a 64.70%. Next in line is  the Wranglers Jasper Canmore with a respectable 63.19% followed by Keller's team mate Kiaskov who's only .03% behind Can more with 63.16%.

Looks like Keller has a lock on leading the VHL in face off wins.

 

With twenty seven games left in the season, it appears to be a crap shoot on which club can keep it together enough to gain hold of the first position in the standings. No team really sticks out as a runaway leader, so watch for the jostling of the top four teams right until the end of the season.

And there you have it folks a minor update on The Americans and league in general.

Word count: 538
 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Exlaxchronicles

[DollarAndADream 3,357]

Review:

Always like seeing Daring Do's name in articles still. I got him back from the dead to gain some TPE for me when he was in Toronto.

Solid article of those stats there. Good stuff.