Western Conference Focus: Houston Bulls

[Mason 81]

 

Western Conference Focus: Houston Bulls

 

With not much time remaining in the VHLM regular season, it's inevitable that the attention of the league in general turns to what lies ahead in this season's playoffs. Both conferences are looking strong, but it's probably fair to say that the west currently has more intriguing matchups to offer, with there being 4 teams sporting good records as we move toward the 60 game mark. Houston, San Diego, Las Vegas and Saskatoon have all been able to give good accounts of themselves so far, and I for one am quite interested to look at the threat that each of these teams could potentially pose when we move onto the postseason. But currently, one team stands above them all, and the Houston Bulls look scary for all opponents at this stage. With that in mind, I'm going to give a run down of the team that is sat at the top of the Western Conference, give my opinion on what the stats say they've done well and how far I think they could go when it's all on the line. 

 

The Bulls are the clear leaders in the west, sporting a 42-10-1 record at the time of writing, and having a clear hold on the top seed in the conference. They've been lead by some strong performances from a wide range of players, including defenseman Riley Knight Gee who has put up an incredible 112 points to lead the entire team in scoring. This heroic contribution has definitely been a big factor in why the Bulls have done so well, with Gee currently scoring more than 26 points more than the team's most successful forward. I'm personally not sure how long this pace can last, and it'll be interesting to see the level of performance that Gee is able to deliver in the playoffs, but even so, the supporting cast around them certainly suggests that they have the depth to win with, even if Riley ends up being slightly off their game. Gee's MVP level season has certainly been important, but 8 players at a point per game pace is certainly nothing to sniff at. 

 

I'm also interested to see whether the play of goaltender Drew Minott is able to be enough during the postseason. Minott has been what you'd call "good enough" during the regular season, racking up a ton of wins but lacking behind when it comes to save percentage, sitting at 10th in the league, and with a goals against average that really isn't that impressive considering the level of support he has around him. I'm a firm believer that you go as far in the playoffs as your goalie lets you, so seeing what Minott is able to do for his team will be really interesting.

 

The Bulls are a team primed for success this season, and they have a very strong chance of going all the way. It's going to be interesting seeing what they're able to do once the regular season wraps up, and how far that high level of talent is able to take them. 

 

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