Time for Helsinki to hit the Panic Button? [1/2]

[Quik 4,113]

 

Is it time for Helsinki to hit the panic button?

 

Helsinki, FINLAND - The VHL's 68th season is well underway, with the league having played out 10% of its schedule already. With the introduction of two expansion teams, sharing just a single win between them through 16 combined games, it was to be expected that some surprises would arise as the season unfolded. Unsurprising is the parity between the 10 existing teams, as just 4 points separates 1st-Place (tie between Calgary and Vancouver) and 10th (currently a 5-way tie). What has been somewhat surprising is the start of the Helsinki Titans.

 

After a somewhat controversial off-season, that included the departure of future Hall of Famer Matt Thompson, and the acquisition of breakout candidate ACL TEAR, many had pegged the Titans to easily distance themselves from the competition, given the strength of their roster, top to bottom. Indeed, in a league that is rapidly moving towards deeper rosters, the Titans remain one of the few teams in the league still operating under the old roster construction of a 2-line team, squeezing every ounce of talent they can out of the current salary cap.

 

After 8 games, though, those predictions have not come to pass. The Titans currently sit in a 3-way tie in the European Conference, at 9 points, and have vastly under-performed expectations. The biggest culprit of their disappointing start, has been a woeful 5.81% shooting-percentage, 'good' for last in the league by a whopping 1.5%. In fact, their 3 biggest offensive stars, Julian Borwinn, Dan Wilinsky, and Kronos Bailey, have been unable to get out of neutral to start the season, with all 3 stuck at just a single goal on the season. Bailey sports the highest shooting percentage of the three, at a measly 2.50%, which, while alarming in the early going, should be cause for optimism for the Titans moving forward.

 

Indeed, while many fans may be starting to panic at the team's slow start, worried that they may finish the season as the disappointed European franchise - it was widely agreed during the off-season, when the new divisions were announced, that one of the European teams would lose out on a playoff spot they likely deserve - the fact that they are still in the thick of the standings while their stars work out their kinks is an extremely positive one. Hockey, as with all sports, finds a way to level out as the season plays out. All 3 of Borwinn, Wilinsky and Bailey are currently finding the net at a pace well below their career norms, so once they do find their stride, and given their resumes, all of them will, they will begin to carry the load that was expected of them. In fact, General Manager Matt Bailey, had this to say when asked about his team's poor start to the season:

 

"Yeah, it's unfortunate that they're having such a tough time finding the net, but these things happen. For Borwinn, Wiley and Kronos, they're all going through an incredible slump to start the season. The thing is, all three have proven they are stars in this league, and once they break out, I expect it to be in spectacular fashion. Borwinn is a Campbell winner for a reason. Wilinsky has been as consistent as they come. And my grandson, he's scored goals in this league, too. If I thought this was anything, but an aberration, I would be a bit more worried. But I know these guys. They've performed for us before, and nothing in their history suggests this will continue. A season is 72 games long, so we'll shelve this talk until 72 games have been played, but if they're not at, or near, the top of the league scoring table by the time everything is said and done, then that's a failure on myself and the coaching staff."

 

For ACL TEAR, Donations Double 2/2

[Jubo 1,839]

Reports say Borwinn's supply of (the now defunct) Jolt Juice has depleted. His favorite flavor "Cloudy with a chance of pain" was like his side-kick on the bench. Stay tuned as he becomes familiarized with an industry standard sports drink.

[Quik 4,113]

7 minutes ago, Jubo07 said:

Reports say Borwinn's supply of (the now defunct) Jolt Juice has depleted. His favorite flavor "Cloudy with a chance of pain" was like his side-kick on the bench. Stay tuned as he becomes familiarized with an industry standard sports drink.

 

Bailey's still got some Haterade left, if you want to share

[Renomitsu 930]

Review

No stylistic or grammar/spelling comments to speak of here. I personally might opt for a left align instead of a center align for aesthetics, but that's no knock against you. Any kinks the Titans might have had were clearly evened out over the next several games, but it's always nice to have a self-aware article that critically evaluates one's own team. Awesome work as always.