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Mid Season Blues for the Green Team

 

So far in the season there have been very little real struggle for the Turku Outlaws of the VHLM's European Conference. However, the last week or so they have been found in a legitimate struggle and find themselves in 2nd place instead of their usual 1st place in the European Conference. They find themselves sitting three points back of the Moscow Red Wolves despite having made multiple roster moves to make themselves more competitive. Some are questioning if the roster moves made were positive moves, or lateral moves that in the end, will hurt the Outlaws in the long run.

 

Turku has, all year been an offensive powerhouse. Weak on defense and in net but their offensive power has been too much for most teams to handle. They hold a record of 27-14-2 for 56 points and have 211 goals for and 166 goals against. They lead the league in goals for, but are no where near their competitors in goals against. The Outlaws are an offensive powerhouse, and if you live by the offense, you die by the offense and with some interesting coaching decisions of late, chemistry has taken a back seat for the Outaws and their offense has struggled heavily. In their last thirteen games, Turku holds a record of 4 wins and 9 losses in those games with the team scoring much less than they had in previous games.

 

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Despite a winning record, the Outlaws are worried about their recent showings.

 

Of course over a long season it is natural that a team will struggle. No team can or will ever go 72-0 but the most disheartening thing about the Outlaws current struggles is that they made traded to improve their roster, yet have not seen as much improvement as one would expect. At best, Turku has remained stagnant since trading for Season 39 draftee Devin Sunberg and they certainly have not been much better. They recently lost 6-3 to their rivals in Moscow which has many wondering if they should have made a move for defensive help as opposed to an offensive dynamo like Sundberg being added to an already potent offensive lineup. 

 

One player who has yet to prove much on the significant potential he has is Milos Denis. The 18 year old Slovakian winger has 41 points in as many games, but playing on a line with Dexter Morgan (111 points) and Kez Kincaid (66 points), his 41 seems slightly disappointing in the long run, especially for a player with Denis offensive explosiveness. On a more positive note, defenseman Dimothenis Vlasis is likely still the top MVP candidate with 109 points in just 41 games. He is the teams leader on offense and on the blue line and brings the entire team together. The Cologne Season 38 draft choice is looking like not only a great VHLM player, but also a solid VHL player in the not so distant future. 

 

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The offense has, for the first time this season, seemed to have dried up and the results are not pretty.

 

Although this spot seems all doom and gloom for the Outlaws, the fact is they are still a top team in the league let alone their conference. The boys in green still have a good shot at winning the entire league this year, but issues with the team are starting to become apparent and may become more and more serious as the playoffs come close. The key issue is, as always, goaltending and with Magalhães Pergher looking very, very human of late, one has to wonder if the defensive and goalie short comings will be the end of the Outlaws. Everyone knows the playoffs are a tighter, more defensive and physical style of hockey with less power plays, and one has to wonder if the high flying Outlaws will meet their end with the tight checking style of playoff hockey. 

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Guest Svoboda_3

Content: 3/3

654 words. I feel somewhat guilty in fleecing Metis on that trade, but who knows how these things play out at the time. I think once the lines are attended to, it makes a world of a difference when you can strategically configure things. Great MS about the teams' recent struggles. I'm glad to see you punching out point tasks on a weekly basis.

Grammar: 2/2

Meh, one or two more and I would have taken .25 off, but no biggie here.

 

Mid Season = Mid-Season

struggle = struggles

no where = nowhere

Outaws = Outlaws

made traded = made trades

Sunberg = Sundberg

Denis = Denis'

teams = team's


Appearance: 1/1

Looked good to me.

Overall: 6/6

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