VSN Weekly Report - S70 Week 6

[Erik Summers 451]

 

Welcome to the sixth and final edition of VSN’s S70 Weekly recap (Games 372-432).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Recap

 

And just like that, the regular season is over. I’m eagerly anticipating my post/off-season hiatus, but first, let’s look at what happened in the final games of S70.

After the European Conference got off to a strong start, many European teams ended up sliding in the standings. This means that, despite having five more points than both Helsinki and Prague, New York will be sitting at home this postseason while those teams’ playoff dreams survive. Malmo narrowly missed the postseason by just four points despite having complete control of their own destiny after last week’s sims. While Helsinki also did not have a winning record, Prague is the only team with a negative goal differential to make it to the playoffs.

In the North American Conference, we saw a tight race that went down to the wire between D.C., New York, and Seattle. Going into the final day of sims, any one of these teams could miss the playoffs in the right scenario. However, it was the Americans who would miss out and boy would they do it in spectacular fashion, but we will see more about that later.

Both of the most recent expansion teams have made the playoffs for the first time this year but they are both darkhorse candidates to even make it through the first round. One of the most exciting questions yet to be answered is whether or not one of them will be able to bring enough magic to this postseason to make a deep run and maybe even contend for the cup.

3-Stars
First Star
Jet Jaguar (MOS) - 4 G, 9 A
Second Star
Joseph McWolf (NYA) - 4 G, 9 A 19 SB
Third Star
Mikko Aaltonen (DCD) - 5 G, 7 A
 
Playoff Seeding
 

European Conference

• Moscow Menace - The clear favourite to win the European Conference. Moscow has been a Menace to every team this season.
• Riga Reign - Except for one slump mid-season, Riga had a very strong year and have put themselves in position to be a real contender.
• Helsinki Titans - It was an up and down season for Helsinki, but they fared pretty well against their first-round opponent in the regular season.
• Prague Phantoms - Just beating out Malmo to reach their first playoff series, they are definitely the biggest dark horse this postseason.

 
North American Conference

• Vancouver Wolves - This team does not take their foot off the gas for anything. Even the best teams struggle to slow them down.
• Calgary Wranglers - What a roller-coaster the past season has been. Who would have guessed this team would be here?
• D.C. Dragons - An exciting first appearance in the postseason for D.C. Let’s see if they can do something with it.
• Seattle Bears -  The back to back champs are back at it again. Just eeking into the playoffs this year, can they overcome a tough first round?

Notable Games
 

Game 409

• The theme of our notable games this week is games that decided playoff races and we begin with the race in the European Conference. There has been a lot of negative talk about Prague making the playoffs despite stronger teams missing out. However, when it came time to decide things they took their fate into their own hands. Seven and a half minutes into this game, Malmo was up 3-0, but over the course of the next forty minutes, Prague fought back to earn two points secure their spot in the postseason.

 

Game 420

• Another example of an expansion team doing what it took to pave their own way to the playoffs, D.C. earned their spot the hard way. Momentum swung wildly back and forth during this game, but just when it looked like Helsinki might have the upper hand, Erik Summers was sent to the box for roughing. On the ensuing powerplay, Guy Lesieur scored the game winner that would send the Dragons to the playoffs.

 

Game 427

• Finally, we have an example of a team falling short. New York needed just one point to have a chance to make the postseason and two points would guarantee their spot. Instead, they got shut out, by a backup goalie, despite taking twenty-five shots. Jimmy Spyro is making his case as one of the most impressive future goalie prospects in the league. This was the biggest choke we’ve seen in the VHL in some time, perhaps the birth of a new meme? We shall see.

 

Events of the Week
 

Fights

• Game 379 - Perry draws with Gritty
  • Prague has been in the middle of a tight playoff race and emotions were running high as they fell behind 3-0 late in this game against Moscow. These are exactly the makings for good fights and boy was Jacob Perry verses Gritty a good one. We had haymakers and solid connections, some pushing and shoving, and eventually a stalemate as two worn-out players got pulled apart by the linesmen.
• Game 384 - Marleau draws with Martin
  • Having some fight in you is a great thing when you are just a few points out of the playoffs. However, it would have been good if Malmo would have fought in more ways than dropping gloves in this game. Aston Martin may not have won his fight against Phil Marleau, but scoring the first goal and eventual game-winner was probably a nice consolation.
• Game 389 Slade beats up Lahtinen
  • For a team on the edge like Seattle, this was just a dumb play by Orion Slade. Tied 3-3 with ten minutes left in the game, even an OT loss at this point is a big deal, and Slade agrees to drop gloves with Mikko Lahtinen. Just fifteen seconds after the fight, Calgary scored the game winning goal and cemented their spot in second in the North American Conference.
• Game 394 - Jaguar beats up Bailey
  • The Moscow Menace have played the bully of the European Conference, both in the standings and on the ice. There is no better example of this than starting a fight with an opposing team’s veteran player when you are still within striking distance on the scoreboard. Jet Jaguar made his presence known with a convincing defeat of Kronos Bailey, but Moscow probably would have liked his continued presence on the ice more in their eventual 4-1 loss.
• Game 402 - BRAWL?
  • This is the saddest line brawl I’ve ever seen. Two teams eliminated from playoff contention decided to have a brawl with two seconds left on the clock. However, for some reason, only two players actually ended up dropping gloves, Brendan Plunkett and Nethila Dissanayake. Tony Bolonee, Chad Magnum, and Shawn Glade Jr. each picked up a penalty as well, but I think the refs just want to get everyone off the ice.
• Game 406 - Garcia beats up Okada
  • For one final time this season, the heavyweight championship belt has changed hands. Hiroshi Okada has fought a lot this season as there have been a lot of people looking to claim the title. However, I don’t think anyone was expecting Jerry Garcia to be the one to steal it away. Both of these teams were fighting for playoff positioning so it’s no surprise that things got chippy. Four of the five goals were scored on the power play in this one.
• Game 411 - Hafkey draws with Stava
  • After an explosive first period, this game slowed down majorly. I’m not saying Toronto didn’t want to win, but by the third, they were down 4-1 and didn’t really have any reason to try and hurt their odds of the first overall pick. Ben Hafkey and Edu Stava were happy to give us some excitement as we were waiting for the game to come to a close.
• Game 412 - Nolan draws with Lynch
  • This was one of the best games of the week. The first period was explosive with each team scoring three goals a piece and this fight came right in the middle of it all. Shortly after Berocka Sundqvist was called for hooking, tempers were still high and Jack Lynch gladly accepted an invitation from Owen Nolan. The fight was great, but it was certainly better for Seattle as they killed the penalty on Sundqvist and then scored shorthanded after a penalty on Odin Omdahl.
• Game 418 - Stark draws with Kastelic
  • I swear Ryan Kastelic and Apollo Hackett made a bet before this game to see who could get more penalty minutes without getting ejected. After getting his goal, Ryan started racking up his minutes and Ambrose Stark is always willing to throw down. The fight wasn’t very long, but the game winner was scored while they were sitting in the box, so I guess the overly physical style worked for Riga in this one.
• Game 424 - BRAWL!
  • Now, this is a real late-season line brawl. Two teams that would end up missing the playoffs, a blowout score, and haymakers for the highlight reels. New York decided that winning 4-0 wasn’t enough, so early in the third, they potted two more and Toronto responded exactly how you would expect. Literally every skater on the ice got a penalty, Walter Clements, Nethila Dissanayake, Jaxon Walker, Rusty Shackleford, Ryo Yamazuki II, Chad Magnum, Joseph McWolf, David OQuinn, Aron Nielsen, Bjorn Scoringsonn. The only downside was that the goalies didn’t get involved. I will mention that this is the third time this season that Joseph McWolf has tried to chop someone in half with his stick during a line brawl, an activity that has gone largely unpunished.
• Game 425 - Martin draws with Greene
  • It has been a long and violent season, and this is a fitting end to the fighting. Aston Martin drug Scott Greene to the ice away from the play and as each player got up, Martin dropped his gloves and started swinging. Aston was ejected and Seattle scored on the ensuing power play, but it was too little too late for the bears. Thankfully for them, New York would fall short against Vancouver and gift them the final playoff spot.

 

Hat-Tricks

• Game 383 - Randoms
  • Randoms has been on a roll recently as he guns for the number one spot in goals scored. At this point in the season, Moscow’s place in first is pretty set and every team they face seems to be playing for their playoff dreams. For the first two periods, it seemed like New York might just want this game more, but Randoms showed us all that he can turn it on at will. In just over eleven minutes, Randoms became the first player this season to hit three hat-tricks. He even did it in style, scoring a shorthanded goal to finish it off.
• Game 396 - Condor Adrienne
  • Condor Adrienne has been mentioned a lot in these recaps for his physical play and multiple fights this season. However, it is extremely exciting to see this up-and-coming defenseman. Adrienne is becoming one of the leagues, foremost powerplay specialists, with all three of his goals on the night coming on the man advantage.
• Game 403 - Borris the Forest
  • Every goal was exciting in Borris the Forest’s hat-trick. His first goal opened the scoring in the opening second of the second period. His second came just six minutes later while the New York Americans were short handed. He finished it off just four seconds into the third with a shot from the blue line that Kriketers simply didn’t expect.
• Game 412 - Acyd Burn
  • Acyd Burn has had a slower season, almost completely changing his style of play. His shooting percentage and goal scoring went down while his hits, and subsequent penalty minutes, have gone way up. Seattle was fundamentally a different team this year though, so I don’t know if that falls entirely on Burn. Acyd showed that he still has that same spark with an amazing performance in an important game against New York.
• Game 416 - John Frostbeard
  • He got hot late this season, but that worked out perfectly for the Dragons as they made their push for their first ever postseason appearance. John Frostbeard becomes one of only two players this season to reach three hat-tricks. He and Ricky Johnson were perfectly in sync this game and racked up seven points between them, six of those coming in the second period alone.

 

Shutouts

• Game 382 - Helsinki vs D.C.
  • A good ‘ol fashion goal-tender duel. Kallis Kriketers and Alexander Pepper both looked unbeatable for the first half of the game. Finally, after a stint of sustained pressure, Benny Graves was finally able to break the stalemate. The Titans went right back to their defensive dominance after that but proved unable to sneak a tying goal past Kriteters.
• Game 384 - Riga vs Malmo
  • When you are fighting for a playoff spot, every point matters but Riga just had the Nighthawks number this time. Finn Davison has fallen behind in a number of categories, but having faced an ungodly number of shots this season, he still has a chance to have the best SV% in the league. This convincing performance contributed greatly to that.
• Game 404 - Riga vs Seattle
  • Another great performance from Finn Davison. We have seen a lot of shutouts this year that came on the back of defences holding teams to single-digit shot totals in every period. It seems like Davison’s shutouts never come that easy. He faced thirty-one shots in total and fourteen in the third period, to hold onto a lead that was only a single goal for over forty-five minutes of this game.
• Game 424 - Toronto vs New York
  • Are you familiar with the phrase, “What goes around comes around”? Yeah, this is the what goes around the part. New York ran up the score in a 6-0 blowout that resulted in some of the best violence we’ve seen all season. But A Red Guy deserves credit for the thirteen saves he made in this game as he locks up his spot in second for most shutouts this season.
• Game 427 - New York vs Vancouver
  • And here’s the comes around the part. New York needed one more point than Seattle or D.C. as each team went into their last game of the season. Instead, they got shut out by rookie phenom Jimmy Spyro. In his second shutout in just fourteen games this season, Spyro killed the Americans’ playoff dreams in the cruelest way possible.

Rookie Spotlight
Chad Magnum

Finishing fifth overall among rookies, Chad Magnum had a solid first season in the VHL. Toronto had a rough season, but this is exactly the type of player they need moving forward. Interestingly enough, Magnum had much the same experience in the VHLM playing for the Yukon Lynx. They were a struggling team that excelled at physical play but lacked offensive talent. Does that sound familiar, Legion fans?
 
Well, scoring might not be his speciality, but maybe Toronto should give him some opportunities to shoot the puck next season. Magnum posted an impressive 11.5% shooting percentage this season and a crazy 23.5% in the minors. Maybe this type of high-efficiency shooter is what we will see dominating the league in a couple of seasons.
 
But if taking shots isn’t what Chad does, then what is his speciality? Hitting people. Magnum lead the league in hits among rookies and was 10th overall with two hundred and fifty-one. He seems to be learning his physical style of play from his teammate, Rusty Shackleford, as he had over a hundred more hits this season than he did in the minors.
 

[McLovin 470]

It wouldn't be a VSN Weekly if Hafkey didn't make the events of the week with at least one fight