Playoff Primer: Toronto @ Seattle

[HenrikZoiderberg 469]

Playoff Primer: Toronto at Seattle

 

 

Welcome to the first primer article leading into this season's VHL playoffs. This season is off to an exciting start, with the plucky Seattle Bears taking on the legends of the Toronto Legion. It's a battle of the old versus the new, with the core of the Legion, an established crop of S63 players trying to hold onto glory taking on the up and coming Bears and their core of S67 sophomores. Can veteran experience defeat a slump? Can Romulous beat Ursine? We'll see!

 

The Teams:

 

 

Toronto had a perfectly balanced .500 season, finishing with 29 wins, 29 losses, and 14 overtime losses to finish the season with a respectable 72 points. Though they finished the season with a relatively average goal differential, they're a team based on high-skill defenders such as perrenial VHFL superstar Tzuyu @tfong and fightin' Irish Lando Baxter @Elhandon. Toronto seemed to be snakebit this year, with only two of their regular rostered players shooting over 10%. Toronto's motto this season was that the best Offense is a good Defense, and it seems they were able to turtle their way into the playoffs by outlasting their opponents, rather than outgunning them.

 

 

S68 was the first that The Bears came into their own. After an abysmal bottom feeding end to S67, an off-season training and diet regemen created to encourage player development allowed them to top their conference and come out fourth-overall, beating out less skilled teams like The Wolves by a wide margin. The Bears finished the season 43-24-5, only 3 wins back of the top seed in the entire league, and have set themselves up for a first-round home-ice @Advantage. If The Legion are an immovable object, The Bears are an unstoppable force, their top six all posting 50 point plus seasons, lead by captain Acyd Burn @Acydburn, who both lead the team in scoring and posted his first point-per-game season (though surely not his last).  The Bears aren't a one-trick pony though, and managed to post these offensive numbers while also tying for the second-lowest goals against in the league thanks to a heroic effort by their MVP goalie Ray Funkz @Rayzor_7. If this trend continues, The Legion will have to be cautious that their spears don't shatter against The Bears' defensive prowess.

 

The Story So Far:

 

 

Being division rivals, The Bears and The Legion have squared off eight times this season, with The Legion taking home three victories and five defeats. Among those wins; however, was a 5-0 sloughing of Seattle's finest. The Legion also hold the edge in experience and leadership. The result? This series could go either way, and if The Bears get too ahead of themselves, they could easily be found with pucks in their own net.  If Seattle takes Toronto seriously and shells the goalie with high-percentage chances, they should be able to come out on top, but a betting man looking to make a high-reward wager may be inclined to pick Toronto for this series. Crazier things have happened in this mixed up league we all play in.

 

Good luck to both teams, I'll be back in Round Two with further coverage.

 

529 Words

TPE for week ending October 27

[Banackock 8,220]

@HenrikZoiderberg

 

No one posted on your shit. Do you feel sexually, physically or mentally abused? If so, please direct all matters of concern and safety to our security minister, @HulkHogan

[HenrikZoiderberg 469]

4 minutes ago, Banackock said:

@HenrikZoiderberg

 

No one posted on your shit. Do you feel sexually, physically or mentally abused? If so, please direct all matters of concern and safety to our security minister, @HulkHogan

 

I'm just a little confused tbh.