Claimed:Yukon One Game Away

[Tyler 885]

Here We Are Again

 

One game away from glory for one team, and one game away from failure for another. That is the dilemma the two teams left alive in the VHLM playoffs are facing right now. The Turku Outlaws are one game away from failure, while the Yukon Rush are just one win away from immortality as the VHLM Champions. The series has been dominated for the most part by the Rush, with them shutting out the high powered Turku team 2-0 in game 1, taking game 2 4-1 and winning game 3, on the road in Finland by a 4-3 score. The MVP of the series thus far has obviously been goaltender Brock Waldron who has only allowed 4 goals in total while facing the VHLM's most explosive offense. 

 

The Yukon Rush have dominated the playoffs and are one game away from glory, again.

 

Thus far, the issue with the Outlaws has been the dissapearing act played by season 39 draftee and defnesive dynamo all year, Koji Yamazaki. The Japanese defender has gone from a dominant force to a player prone to turnovers and a player who is less confident in getting his booming slap shot to the net. With Yamzaki's struggles, the teams powerplay has faltered and has gone 1 for 11 in the three games, with their lone goal coming on a Kez Kincaid tip in the first period of game three. Yamazaki himself has taken much of the heat in stride, and believes he will be at his best in the fourth, and possibly final game of the Outlaw season. "I have been good all year, I don't know if it's just a bad timing thing, or if there's something going on with the way they play me, but all I can do is play as hard as I can in game four," said the young Japanese defenseman. Considered by many a dark horse to go first overall in the upcoming mega draft, Yamazaki's stock has no doubt taken a hit since the finals began and the Rush have shut him down.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, one player who's draft stock has likely gone up is Milos Denis. The Slovakian winger was known to not be a playoff performer in the Midget and Junior hockey ranks, but he has shown that will not be the case at the next level. Denis has been one of the Outlaws most consistent performer in the playoffs with 16 points in 10 games, including 8 goals. Denis struggled to find consistency in the regular season, but has improved his game a good deal in the playoffs and was a key player in the Outlaws defeating the powerful Red Wolves in the Semi Finals. Although it is unlikely the Slovakian player goes in the upper half of the first round, he has no doubt helped his draft stock and could go as early as fourth overall in the Season 39 Draft due to a strong showing in the post season.

 

You can count on one hand the amount of times the Outlaws have celebrated in the playoffs.

 

For Yukon, the series has very much been a continuation of the Brock Waldron show. The Quebec prospect has won all 7 of his playoff starts this year with an amazing .945 save percentage and a 1.26 goals against. He has been unbeatable in the playoffs and is looking to go out of the VHLM on top before heading to Eastern Canada. Brock has been the mvp of the playoffs so far and his ranking in the Meute system has no doubt been upgraded after such a historic playoff run. Some still question if he can make a legitimate jump to the next level, but with a playoff like this, he is looking more and more like a legit future VHL netminder. If he were to win game four and complete the sweep, he will have gone through the playoffs without  losing a single game, and that alone is remarkable. Add on to that that he would have shut down the high powered attack of Turku, and it becomes historic and one of the best performances in VHLM playoff history.

 

With such a wide open draft this year, the post season has changed the stock of many of the drafts top players, as well as already drafted prospects. With the Rush nearing their second straight Founders Cup it is becoming crunch time for the Outlaws, but with Brock Waldron not seeming even close to being able to be figured out in these playoffs, it is not likely to be comeback season for Turku. However as we all know with the VHLM, it isn't over, until it's over.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Tyler

[Molholt 2,185]

Content: 3/3 - Good article. Yukon is steamrolling everyone. Pretty impressive numbers for Waldron. 

Grammar: 2/2 - 

 

defnesive -> defensive

Appearance: 1/1 - Looks good to me.

Overall: 6/6

 

Final: 6

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