Riga's Playoff Hopes Are An Uphill Battle

[Renomitsu 934]

Riga, Latvia - The Reign's playoff hopes took a turn for the worse. Following games 3 and 4 of the European Conference Finals, Riga sits at an unenviable 1-3 series deficit against the Malmo Nighthawks. To this point, the series has run the gamut of outcomes, from overtime games to three-goal margins of victory, but needing to win three games consecutively against the leagues best regular-season team seems unlikely at best.

 

"Game 4's loss in some fans' minds was the dagger I think," remarked Apollo Hackett in a recent presser. "Obviously as a team we've got to be a bit more optimistic; the road ahead is definitely a steep incline, but there are still some tricks left in the bag."

 

For Riga, this season's playoffs were going to be a difficult road, with demons of seasons past coming to haunt them. A playoff curse against Davos, Malmo's incredible S68 rise and 1st-overall finish, and Helsinki's victory over Riga in the S67 Conference Finals all were substantial monkeys on Riga's back. The chances are slim, and a comeback against Malmo will need to happen one game at a time. The behemoths Ryan Sullivan Jr. and S61 player Matt Thompson are tremendous roadblocks for Riga, and with Thompson's efficiency this season some consider the championship to have one heavy, heavy favorite - especially provided the European Conference's dominance of the top of the standings.

[Gustav 6,407]