2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Two new finalists mark the end of a dynasty in the west and the return of an old heavyweight in the east. Pick either of our finalists, and tell me what about them impresses you the most!
b. The Forge have won a cup with this core, while the Blizzard are sniffing this air for the first time in a while. Who would you rather be - the veteran team that's been here and won it before, or the hungry youngsters taking their first shot at glory?
c. The Blizzard upended a long-time nemesis in the Aurora to get here, while the Forge avenged several previous losses to the Wolfpack as well. Who had the more impressive victory to punch their ticket to the cup final, and why?
d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?
a. Edmonton looks fantastic. They are a team that has all the right pieces, especially in net with their star goalie Justin Time. Justin has a ton of TPE but as we know, TPE does not necessarily translate to success on the ice, however, in this case, it has with his high work ethic modeling the team towards success.
b. I would take the hungry youngsters to win. Their high work rate, TPE, and success in all areas give them the qualities necessary for success. I don’t know how the model runs and whether the sim takes experience into consideration, but if this was real life, I would be putting money on Edmonton to win. They also have such a nice logo, no bias.
c. The Blizzard taking down an absolute powerhouse in the Aurora is absolutely remarkable. It makes no sense to me that the Aurora would lose, but when you look at who the Forge had to get through to make the finals, with the team they had, there was no reason they should have beaten the Wolfpack. It was both an unprecedented and remarkable upset.
d. The team that I see winning has to be the Edmonton Blizzard. With a player named Evan Winter, playing a winter sport, on a team that is arguably the most wintery team, I can not look the other way. In fact, you can’t spell Winter without Win. There are no coincidences in sports, and that is why I believe the Blizzard are going to win the cup. + 4 TPE
Task 3:
Code:
3. Written, 3 TPE, Forged in Fire (150 words min.)
The Forge and the Patriotes both won cups in recent memory, but while the Patriotes called it a window and tore everything down to the boards, their expansion brothers in Philadelphia have found a way to get back to the dance. How did they do it? Can they keep it up? What should teams like Winnipeg and New England learn from them?
Lets face it, the SHL is all about luck. There are teams that don't deserve success finding it and teams who deserve success never seeing the mountain top. I am amazed that a powerhouse like the Aurora have only won 1 cup in the past few seasons with their squad, that being said, the success to reach the finals with the roster the Forge have accumulated is an example of how hockey works. You have to get "hot" at the right time and stay hot, something "forges" are known to do. If a team wants to copy this formula, a simple method that works is prayer. Pray, because that seems to be the only thing you can do. To get to the playoffs, is doable. Winnipeg and New England should forego the thought of rebuilding, instead, create an environment that is so well known and positive that it is a place people want to play. I think that utilizing free agency and the freedom of mobility is the best method for making a strong team stronger. It isn't about building through the draft, it should actually be about building through the open market.
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
greatness
Unlike their rivals, who have literally never been bad, the Blizzard were deep in the doldrums not too many seasons ago. Now that they've reached the mountaintop, how did they pull off such a strong rebuild? What can other teams currently facing hard times learn from their success?
The Blizzard have been a been on the cusp of making the Finals for the last 3 seasons with this year they finally overcame the roadblock that is Winnipeg. They've been a good team for awhile now and I believe that's because they've really trusted their core players. Benjamin Surkhi-Ze'ev, Justin Time, Luke Laraque, Eggward Elric, Emil Egil, Evan Winter and Louise St. Martin. Almost all of these players are home grown talent with St. Martin getting trade to Edmonton early in his career, with Winter and Eggward coming in through a blockbuster a couple of seasons ago. Speaking of development, rookie Alvin Wong has really come in and provided some depth and put up a staggering 66 point performance as a 3rd liner. Besides Wong the only other new comer was Defenseman Jonathon Hagan to bring in a veteran presence. All in all I think this year it just came down to the timing finally being right and they got over the hump against Winnipeg but they still have a very strong Philly team standing in their way.
b. The Forge have won a cup with this core, while the Blizzard are sniffing this air for the first time in a while. Who would you rather be - the veteran team that's been here and won it before, or the hungry youngsters taking their first shot at glory?
I'd rather be the young and hungry team that has never been there before. Experience means a lot but having that chip on your shoulder is good thing to have. Plus the younger team sometimes lets it all hang loose and plays really aggressive which isn't a good idea all the time but can give you that extra boost. Plus I think teams that haven't won it before or haven't won it in a while generally will want the win more.
c. The Blizzard upended a long-time nemesis in the Aurora to get here, while the Forge avenged several previous losses to the Wolfpack as well. Who had the more impressive victory to punch their ticket to the cup final, and why.
Both teams have been extremely impressive this season but I'd go with Edmonton. Winnipeg have been the bullies of the West for quite a while now and the TPE gab between the two teams are much larger than Philly and New England are. To take out the defending Cup champions in 5 games is an incredible accomplishment.
Rest In Peace Dangel
1st SHL Goal - S52 Game 1 vs Tampa 3. New England Wolfpack , Jakub Bruchevski 1 (Eko Van Otter 1, Delver Fudgeson 2) at 8:10
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
eab
Code:
6. Graphic, 3 TPE, The Climax
Draw the final battle! You can show me the players going head-to-head, you can draw the mascots duking it out, or you can make any kind of hype poster of your choosing. It's the Forge vs the Blizzard, I want to see Fire and Ice! Go!
Draw a player on one of the cup finalists being sent to the penalty box, believing the call against them was unfair. Any depiction of opposing players should use the other cup finalist.
10.
I think this season France will continue to build towards its future medal winning core. I think generally we will see improvements in France’s performance as more players are called up. The biggest challenge France will face year to year will be maintaining quality call ups compared to the rest of the federations as the small number of users makes reloading the team significantly more difficult. This season the team is adding Furious Chicken and Oliver Castillon. Chicken is a good well-rounded defenseman and has been working on his shot over the offseason. Castillon is another well-rounded player joining the team, this time as a center. Last season, France barely missed out on a medal by losing to Sweden in the Bronze medal game. This season I expect France to be back to the Final 4 with the addition of these two amazing players and likely they will be coming home with a medal.
Thank you hewasajazzman, Slothfacekilla, Sulo, Frenchie, and Raymond for the sigs
Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
dope
3. Written, 3 TPE, Forged in Fire (150 words min.)
The Forge and the Patriotes both won cups in recent memory, but while the Patriotes called it a window and tore everything down to the boards, their expansion brothers in Philadelphia have found a way to get back to the dance. How did they do it? Can they keep it up? What should teams like Winnipeg and New England learn from them?
Here you have the perfect opportunity to compare the differences between a few different expansion teams. People may remember the expansion before this last one, the one that included the Seattle Argonauts and the Atlanta Inferno. Both of those teams have gone on to win at least one cup and multiple appearances. Here's the biggest thing to take into account. Drafting along the margins. Test Simming. And a healthy dose of toxicity. Without the specific combination of those three things, you'll never win a cup. If you don't draft along the margins and manage your draft picks well, you're never going to get good players. Shoot for 1OA everytime? That means you're mortgaging your long term possibilities. Test Simming? How can you win if you don't test sim? If you don't break the rules, just a little bit, then how are you going to stay competitive? Deflate Gate? Yeah, right. More like Inflate the Stats and win a cup. Toxicity? That's easy, have so much pride in your team and city that nobody wants to be near you, unless they are you. Don't hate us cuz you ain't us.
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12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 73! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?
Well well well, the 20+ season drought is over for the Edmonton Blizzard. They've gone through multiple rebuilds, multiple GMs and it finally happened. They won the cup. The city of Philadelphia is reeling right now. Lamp posts were climbed, cop cars were flipped, the liberty bell was held hostage. The only thing not hurt by them losing? The Rocky Balboa statue. The forge didn't lose because of a lack of support from the fans. They lost because their back up goalie wasn't good enough to provide the emotional support that their number 1 guy needed. If Base Pack had the support from his number 2, Scoochie, then who knows what would have happened? In the end, it's all about the guy who didn't play who made this team a loser in the finals.
Task 12 (150 words) (2 TPE):
What an exciting season capped by a nail biting Championship series. My favorite part has to be the back and forth nature, with the series coming down to the game 7 wire. Edmonton showed some true grit and determination to come out on top, especially after what must have been a demoralizing 2 loss stretch following their commanding series start. Clawing the win out in game 5s Overtime spectacular must have been an exhilarating feeling, only to come crashing down in the game 6 loss. Philadelphia really stayed in it down the stretch, a true credit to them in keeping the final game to within one score. Ricky Koivu in particuar must have felt the gravity of the moment, coming out swinging in the second period with 2 electric goals as well as the game tying goal in the 3rd. Unfortunately, Philadelphias other skaters just couldn't keep them in it.
Trivia:
ATL
+3 TPE
12. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
The Edmonton Blizzard won the challenge cup because of their ability to grit out wins. They simply wanted it more! In one and two goal games, Edmonton was 3-1 in the finals, including a clutch OT win in game five. They simply finished games stronger, including netting the cup winning goal with just over two minutes left in game seven. Their most impressive performance was scoring five goals in the third period of game one to erase a 5-3 deficit in order to take the first game of the series. Philly fought hard, but Edmonton has earned the entire SHL's respect for how well they performed in crunch time this season.
2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Two new finalists mark the end of a dynasty in the west and the return of an old heavyweight in the east. Pick either of our finalists, and tell me what about them impresses you the most!
The most impressive thing about Edmonton is how quickly they've rebuilt from being a laughing stock to becoming a serious contender for seasons to come. I don't follow SHL that closely, but it felt like Eddy was near the bottom for quite a few seasons, and now here they are, cup champions. (52 Words)
b. The Forge have won a cup with this core, while the Blizzard are sniffing this air for the first time in a while. Who would you rather be - the veteran team that's been here and won it before, or the hungry youngsters taking their first shot at glory?
It is always easier to be the veteran in situations like this. Experience and Poise tends to trump enthusiasm and youth. Philly is familiar with this stage and won't let the bright lights of the stage get to them. Edmonton could capture this energy and use it to propel themselves to glory, but my money is always on the team that's been there before. (64 words)
c. The Blizzard upended a long-time nemesis in the Aurora to get here, while the Forge avenged several previous losses to the Wolfpack as well. Who had the more impressive victory to punch their ticket to the cup final, and why?
I would say Edmonton's domination of Winnipeg is the more impressive of the two. To go out and hand one of your rivals a 4-1 series drubbing will always raise eyebrows. Winnipeg was never even close to winning the series, Edmonton's average margin of victory was over two goals per game! Complete domination from start to finish. (57 Words)
11-16-2023, 11:53 AM(This post was last modified: 11-16-2023, 12:09 PM by BarnabasCollins. Edited 2 times in total.)
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1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
Verification FuckHamilton
Code:
10. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Analysis (150 words min.)
How do you think the IIHF federation you play for will do this season? Will you be better than last seasons? Why or why not?
I think team USA will be better this coming tournament. The reason for that is just simple time. This team won the WJC just a couple seasons back so there is a good young nucleus to this team. As they age up, gain more TPE and play together there is no reason the US shouldn't become a serious contender in a season or two. We went from 12th 3 seasons ago to 4th then dropped to 7th last season. I fully expect with another season of TPE under our belts we can bounce back into a top 3 team this season. And with the right bounces and a bit of luck I wouldn't be surprised at all if we didn't earn a medal in this seasons tourney. I think our chemistry is developing quite nicely. 8 of our guys are between 1000 and 1200 TPE so as this group ages that should provide a very formidible core that certainly bodes very well for the future of team USA.
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11. Written, 3 TPE, Teammates is Teammates (150 words min.)
Do you have any IIHF teammates that play your own SHL team? Do you feel your chemsitry from the SHL carries over to the IIHF? Does your GM play you together, or not? Should they?
Dusty Rhodes has 2 teammates on team USA in Atticus Hale and Hugh Manius. Not sure whether the GM plays us together but there should be a bit of chemistry between the three lads. Atticus is the wily veteran, Rhodes coming into his prime and Manius a young defender starting to hit his stride is a good mix of teammates. This I think would provide a great opportunity for the GM to put together a group thats used to playing together with a little something for every situation they might face on the ice. Atticus certainly provides a ton of offense and is perfect for his teammates to feed the puck too. Rhodes provides a huge physical presence on the ice that can set the tone for an entire team. Manius can help cover up for Rhodes aggressiveness as he's seen it plenty during the season and he has the young wheels to make it over and provide cover for Rhodes. So all in all the Spectres provide a bit of everything for team USA.
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
Verification Word: Miz
2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Two new finalists mark the end of a dynasty in the west and the return of an old heavyweight in the east. Pick either of our finalists, and tell me what about them impresses you the most!
b. The Forge have won a cup with this core, while the Blizzard are sniffing this air for the first time in a while. Who would you rather be - the veteran team that's been here and won it before, or the hungry youngsters taking their first shot at glory?
c. The Blizzard upended a long-time nemesis in the Aurora to get here, while the Forge avenged several previous losses to the Wolfpack as well. Who had the more impressive victory to punch their ticket to the cup final, and why?
d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?
A. I have to give that one to Edmonton. When I arrived in the league, it was S67, and Edmonton was at the bottom of the standing. This is just a clean rebuilding, using draft with little to no mistakes made to arrive at this point. Now they have a chance to finish it in beauty. ( 55 words)
B. In a personal choice, I would love to be with the youngsters. Start from the bottom and rise to the top after a few seasons with the same core must be an amazing experience, and if you win with that group, it would be a sweet one, but never underestimate the veterans, they know what it take to win. (59 words)
C. Again, I have to give it to Edmonton. Even if the Wolfpack were the best team this season, Winnipeg was a powerhouse for so long, they always finded a way to make the final. They only needed 5 games to shove Aurora out of this playoff, and now are ready for their biggest challenge. (54 words)
D. This time, Im gonna go with the veterans team; Philedelphia. Even if I love a bunch of youngster bringing the heat, I will always choose the veterans in a final, because they know what it taste to win, and I also think that Philedphia offense will be too much to handle for Justin Time. But so far, I have a very bad record for playoff prediction, so maybe Edmonton will win. (73 words)
5. Written, 3 TPE, No Time for Caution (150 words min)
Pick the finalist you think is going to win, and describe what that team needs to do to overcome their opponent and take home the cup. The Forge had the stronger offense in the playoffs, while the Blizzard had the stronger defense. Will those trends hold? Will Justin Time carry Edmtonton to victory?
Defense wins championships. How do I know? I am a defenseman, obviously. You may point out that I have never won a championship, which I will promptly ignore by just talking over you about the importance of a good defensive core to a team. Because I need that sentiment to be as widely believed as possible if I want to have literally any hope of a lengthy, successful career in this league. Defense wins championships - it literally must be true. For that reason, I have to pick the Blizzard to win off the back of their stronger defense. I do not even want to think about the consequences of being wrong here. Some people take a "chicks dig the long ball" approach to hockey and want all this scoring and fancy passing and weird goals, but I'm telling you there is nothing more satisfying in all the world than a team that play really good, fundamental defense and stifles their opponent. Edmonton's shell is too tough to crack. (168 words)
TASK 3: FORGED IN FIRE (6/8)
The Philadelphia Forge have found their way back into the finals through no accident. Though they have only made the finals twice, this season and in S69, they have been a consistent playoff force, in a sense. They have made the playoffs incredibly consistently in their team's history, but have struggled to get past the first round until that S69 run. Since then, they have advanced to the conference finals on a consistent basis and have now once again made the finals, losing this time in game 7 to Edmonton. The Forge accomplished this through smart asset management, good drafting, and good salary cap management. They have through some smart trades been able to move up for some players in drafts while also regaining the picks that they lose in those trade-ups through moving their older players they can no longer afford to roster. They also are on the cutting edge of tactical decisions in-game, usually one of the first to find new things, and that helps them immensely as well. (171)
TASK 12: PROCRASTINATOR SPECIAL (8/8)
The Edmonton Blizzard defeated the Philadelphia Forge 4-3 in the S73 SHL Finals. As a member of the Philadelphia Forge, this is a most unfortunate outcome, however it cannot be said that it's undeserved. The two squads went back and forth between matches, no squad ever winning a home game and essentially rendering home ice advantage useless. The deciding game was undoubtedly the game that went to overtime. Edmonton went up 1-0 early, only to fall behind 2-1, then go ahead 3-2, and Philadelphia evened it up at 3 all just before the end of the game. In overtime, Edmonton was able to take advantage of a 3rd penalty in the period by Philly and slap a shot home, taking game 6 and eventually the cup. (126)
(PHI): 66 GP | 39 G | 52 A | 91 P | +42 | 277sog | 14.08sh% | 19 ppp | 71 hits | 64 blks | 65 pim
GP | 98 G | 204 A | 302 P | +213 | 958 sog | 10.23 sh% | 44 ppp | 491 hits | 493 blks | 215 PIM
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