Raymond Bernard's Journal #4

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

Word Count: 563 words, claiming for week ending 8/4

 

#4

 

Monday, July 29th:

 

So we have just about reached the midway point of the season now, and let me tell you, things are really going well. There is an attitude in the locker room right now that with enough work, we can do anything. We are only two games back on the Reapers, and one up on Minnesota, so things are definitely up in the air right now, but if you took us to a seven game series against any team in the VHL I don’t think anyone would be shocked if we win the series. Now I’m not saying it’s guaranteed or anything crazy like that; hockey is a game with a whole lot of variance, and I’m not crazy. You know, I actually saw some article the other day, that said something like it would take a 52 game hockey series for the “better” team to have the same win likelihood that the “better” team has in a 7 game basketball series. So like, if your average 1-seed beats your average 8-seed in the NBA, say, 75% of the time across a 7 game series, it would take the equivalent teams in hockey 52 games to win 75% of the time too. Crazy right? Just goes to show, the better team doesn’t always win. 

 

It’s funny then, that in a game upon which so much relies on more or less chance, it is all decided in a high intensity playoff structure. Like Europen soccer, for example, separates their cup competitions from their league competitions. At the end of the season, the team that has the highest points - the “best” team across the whole season - wins the league. Clean, plain and simple. Then they also have the cup competitions, which work the same way playoffs do (though they sometimes have a brief group stage too). I think that model is a lot more fair overall, but if I’m being honest, as a goalie, the hockey model is a lot more attractive, if you really believe in yourself. ‘Cause as a goalie, if you carry the team through the postseason, you can just win the cup like that. I can’t wait for the opportunity to be honest, but I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t make me the slightest bit nervous. But it’s coming closer and closer, the postseason that is. I know we still have like 40 games left or so, but it felt like the season was just beginning only yesterday, so who knows, tomorrow might be the finals! Joking of course, there’s a long road ahead. 

 

Speaking of the road ahead, I’ll go over the next game really quik. We are taking on the San Diego Marlins. We have only played them once so far this season, and it was a fairly comfortable 5-1 win in one of the first few games of the season. So in theory, this should be another comfortable game, but you never know. The Marlins are right on the borderline of playoffs right now, so I’m sure that there is a lot of pressure in that locker room right now to make a play against one of the top teams in the league, and it’s been a long time since we’ve played them. I mean, we have improved a lot, but they could have too. Well, we’ll find out soon enough! Until next time.