CowboyinAmerica 2,843 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Does hitting matter? 18 games into the VHL season, Seattle Bears winger Karsten Olsen has 100 hits. That’s not just a high number; it’s pure insanity. Riga Reign winger Brennan McQueen, who has worked extensively on his checking ability in practice, has 90 hits. Reigning Defenseman of the Year Conner Low has 85 hits. No other VHL player has more than 80. At this rate, Olsen would finish the season with 400 hits. That wouldn’t be a record, but it would be close — Tukka Reikkinen had 430 hits with the New York Americans in Season 32. 400 hits would place Olsen fifth on the all-time list, moving ahead of previous record holder Sam Pouza’s 376 hits in Season 32. However, the Bears still just sit fourth in the North American Conference. Olsen’s massive hit total hasn’t helped him too terribly much in the win-loss column, it seems. So we decided to ask: Is that normal? The Seattle Times went back through the seasons for each of the top four big hitters in VHL history. #1 Tukka Reikkinen – S32 – New York Americans Reikkinen finished Season 32 with 430 hits, which remains a VHL record. Of course, this was the season to be a big hitter, as David Smalling, Clark Marcellin, and Jarvis Baldwin all registered at least 350 hits, and all four players sit in the top 15 single-season hits list. The key for Reikkinen wasn’t only that he was talented defensively; he sat sixth in the goals and assists rankings as well for the season. Behind his offense, Daniel Braxton’s defense, and Benjamin Glover in goal, the Americans grabbed 102 points during the regular season. And even better? It was the year that New York finally broke the curse and defeated the Riga Reign in 7 games. #2 David Smalling – S27 – HC Davos Dynamo Unlike Reikkinen, who was at the end of his career, David Smalling was just entering the prime of his career when he put up 423 hits in Season 27. Always built to be a big hitter on the front lines, nobody could keep up with his production this season — only Jarppi Leppälä and his 362 came within 90 hits of Smalling. But to this year’s Karsten Olsen, Smalling didn’t excel on the offensive end, and not a single Davos player finished in the top eight of goals or assists. It showed in the final standings, as Davos finished with the third-worst record in the VHL. #3 Leeroy Jenkins – S26 – Helsinki Titans Jenkins was known for his team hopping and his championship winning ability, but some may not remember just how great of a hitter he became at the peak of his career. Although he would top 300 hits four times in his career, sis 414 hits in Season 26, his fourth season, was his tour de force. In addition to being the only player above 350 hits, he also led all players with an astonishing 152 points. However, it wasn’t enough to lift Helsinki past the eventual champions Vasteras, and his team fell in five games. #4 Nick Fisher – S28 – Helsinki Titans Just two seasons after Jenkins, the Titans featured another hitting machine, although Fisher was much less heralded than Jenkins. The only defenseman on this top list, he didn’t have the offensive prowess to come anywhere near Jenkins as well, somehow leading the team with only 71 points on the season. Much of Fisher’s high point total can be attributed to the fact that other teams spent an inordinate amount of time in the Helsinki zone, leading to plenty of hit chances for Fisher. And, as you might expect, Helsinki’s point total wasn’t that great either, and Helsinki finished with the second-worst record in the league. So what have we learned? A high hit total can certainly help, but it doesn’t mean very much unless it’s paired with a strong offensive game. Karsten Olsen may certainly go for the hits record, but unless he steps up his offensive game as well from its current depths, the Bears could be in trouble. v.2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgins 3,618 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 #1 Tukka Reikkinen – S32 – New York Americans Reikkinen finished Season 32 with 430 hits, which remains a VHL record. Of course, this was the season to be a big hitter, as David Smalling, Clark Marcellin, and Jarvis Baldwin all registered at least 350 hits, and all four players sit in the top 15 single-season hits list. The key for Reikkinen wasn’t only that he was talented defensively; he sat sixth in the goals and assists rankings as well for the season. Behind his offense, Daniel Braxton’s defense, and Benjamin Glover in goal, the Americans grabbed 102 points during the regular season. And even better? It was the year that New York finally broke the curse and defeated the Riga Reign in 7 games. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,843 Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 I like seeing how many people read these things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devise 4,475 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I like seeing how many people read these things So you made the mistake intentionally? Also yes, hits do matter. Although they could matter less if we actually add takeaways/giveaways to the sim. GET ON IT JARDY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgins 3,618 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I like seeing how many people read these things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,839 Posted March 20, 2014 Admin Share Posted March 20, 2014 Daniel Braxton: 4-time cup champion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,652 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Daniel Braxton: 4-time cup chump Fixed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar 283 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I like seeing how many people read these things Well funny you say that, the views number is higher because of twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar 283 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Also, I read this as "Does Hitler Matter?" I was confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Svoboda_3 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) Content: 2.75/3 676 words. There was an error information-wise here and I think the fact that you knew about it and had no desire to correct it was cause for a slight deduction. Otherwise, the Media Spot was fine and was based around a good topic. "It was the year that New York finally broke the curse and defeated the Riga Reign in 7 games." See Season 14.Grammar: 2/2 Pretty good otherwise. 18 games = Eighteen games (at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph, spell out the number) 400 hits = Four-hundred hits sis = his Appearance: 1/1 I like the logo bars.Overall: 5.75/6 Edited March 24, 2014 by Svoboda_3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomsday 4,120 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Content: 2.75/3 - Come on Warren, you of all people should know that when a journalist gets something wrong, they retract/correct it! Until you get a grade, you can edit the media spot all you want. Grammar: 2/2 - Solid as always. Appearance: 1/1 - Awww yiss. Overall: 5.75/6 - FINAL: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler 1,514 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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