The Season For One Goal Games

[Devise 4,475]

We are 45 games into the 37th season of the VHL. Since S34 the league has been experiencing the positive effects of strong recruitment, good new member retention, positive benefits of new ideas such as Welfare and VHLM changes. This has lead to more and more members who create VHL capable players. As it finally caught up with the league, parity among the majority of the teams in the VHL started to rise. It was at an all time high in S36 when we saw playoff races determined, Victory Cup winners determined all in the final few days of the sim. 

 

Season 37 looks to take the league parity to an all time high. In 45 games, there have 20 games only decided by a single goal. That is 44% of the games played. So it is nearing half of the games played thus far in the season being one goal games. Every single team in the VHL except for one has participated in a one goal game. Every single VHL team except for one has at least 5 points in only 9 games played. The only real stinker this season appears to be the Helsinki Titans. While the Wranglers are also in the second year of a rebuild and their only wins come against the Titan team. 

 

If you break it down by team by team the Seattle Bears despite their successful off season have the most one goal games in the league. All of them. They have played 9 game and every single game has been decided by one goal. The official team breakdown is as follows.

 

Seattle Bears - 9

Quebec City Meute - 7

Davos Dynamo - 5

Toronto Legion - 4

Riga Reign - 4

Vasteras Iron Eagles - 4

New York Americans - 3

Cologne Express - 3

Calgary Wranglers - 1

Helsinki Titans - 0

 

That is an alarming number of one goal games for every single team not named Calgary or Helsinki. Every single team has at least 30 percent of their games played be decided by a single goal. Considering scheduling differences, and some teams having played Helsinki and Calgary you can expect this stat to continue at a very high rate. If there is one thing Season 37 is showing, it is that the top 8 teams in this league are all very close together in terms of rosters. While some certainly have edges over the others, games that come against teams other than Helsinki/Calgary are going to be close affairs, and one slip up in a key game or a key stretch of the season could cost a team that appears to be a contender a playoff spot entirely. Watch out VHL, Season 37 looks to be the most competitive yet.

 

 

 

TL;DR tons of one goal games this season. 44% of all games exactly. Crazy how this is happening despite all the trades but it appears as if league parity continues to redefine a new high as the seasons go on. Not many free wins for teams this season.