Helsinki Ready For Playoffs

[McLovin 407]

As S69 of the VHL Regular Season comes to a close and the playoffs only a few days away, I figured I'd take this time to look at the Helsinki Titans and see what their team is looking like for the many challenges of the playoffs. Today, we'll just be looking at the regular season fared for Helsinki and their projection going into the playoffs.

 

Regular Season:

This regular season was a special one for multiple reasons to this Helsinki squad. First and most prominently, Alexander Pepper passed Astrid Moon in Helsinki's all-time wins for goalies this year. That on top of Alexander having also first place in games played and second in shutouts, it's safe to say he's cemented himself as an elite netminder for this team, so expect to see his jersey in the rafters at the conclusion of his career, and a strong showing at the VHL playoffs in a few days.

 

On top of that, the team itself played great, consistently being a top three team for a majority of the season. The continued elite play of players like Julian Borwinn & Kronos Bailey with a surprising amount of depth scoring has ensured Helsinki is a deep team, and has a legitimate chance at coming home with their second Continental Cup in four seasons. Aston Martin is one of these players that has had a surprising amount of success. Playing on the second line, he's been a hair over point per game and 30+ goal scorer this year. Having only been drafted three years ago with the likes of Ben Hafkey & Guillaume Fontenette only getting better, this team has a strong future with a solid mix of veteran and youth experience.

 

Playoffs:

The playoffs look to be a whole other beast however. Helsinki has been to the cup final a staggering 4 times in the last 5 years, yet have only won it once in that time span. It's obvious to say that these players want nothing more than to start on a fresh note with their Cup appearance streak ending last season. They want a history of success instead of this "close but no cigar" mentality that some of the veterans might be feeling after years of tormenting themselves over the loses. With multiple players announcing their retirements at the end of their contracts soon, it's truly now or never for these players.

 

The youth is ready to take over however, as we've seen glimpses of greatness from them like in Virgil Ligriv, or Ben Hafkey after the trade from Vancouver. Whether or not the youth does in fact take over, or the team's play is taken over by the veterans is yet to be seen, but one can hope to see a little bit of both when the puck drops. It is my genuine understanding though that this team is coming into the playoffs hungry, and they're ready to take on any challenge in hopes to start on a clean slate and engrave their names on the greatest trophy of all.

 

Players mentioned: @Sonnet, @Jubo07, @Quik, @Sullvino, @okochastar, @McLovin, @MMFLEX