2a. I know the series is over but I’ve been mulling it over and I don’t think there was any way the Wolfpack could stop the juggernaut Panthers this season. However if things went any other way, the Wolfpack would need to improve their defensive skills. Keeping the Panthers to a goal or two would keep the team in the game enough to win.
2b. Lacksamus is great but the Panther’s defensive core is by far the best in the league. The average player on the LAP defensive squad has 1714 tpe, the next best team is 185 tpe away, with the wolfpack at 226 tpe away. The one place where the teams are evenly matched is in the goaltending. Though I would probably give the upperhand to Grzegorz.
2e. I’m 100% biased here but I think LA wins (they did). Looking at their performance at the end of the season into the playoffs, they are a sight to behold and a train that is nearly impossible to stop. They ended the season with a 13 game winning streak and through their first 14 games of the playoffs they matched playoff best records with 12-1-1 (they held the president trophy winers to overtime in that series’ loss.
13. So it at the end of it all, the panthers won the series in historic fashion ending things with a 4 - 0 sweep. This caps of an incredible 29-1-1 in their last 31 games (including regular season). Comparing their playoff performance to other ones in the past, this season’s playoffs were one of the most dominant of all time. The only other playoffs with a similar win percentage were in S5 where the West Kendall Platoon won the cup with an 8-1 record. However the panthers doubled this and are the first team in FHM history to only record 2 losses in the playoffs (one being an OT loss to the presidents trophy winners). As a LAP-head it was a blast seeing this historic performance and this is only the beginning.
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03-15-2024, 04:11 PM(This post was last modified: 03-23-2024, 09:59 PM by enigmatic. Edited 1 time in total.)
1. (3)
Verification Word
2. (3)
a)
Well judging by the results, no, they could not. When you only have to worry about one line, it's easier to defend but when the offense is spread across all your lines, you're not really giving the other team a chance. It's evident the Wolfpack's defense struggled during the playoffs and they couldn't contain the Panthers offense.
c)
Karsikko wasn't able to make the big saves when it counted and I can understand having to play with a defense that's not really helping you but at the end of the day you need to make big saves to make a difference. Brzeczyszczykiewicz was simply better during the playoffs when he needed to be and did enough for his team to win in 4.
d)
I'm thinking the panthers win because they're bigger? What are the teams like? Is it like 10 wolves vs 2 panthers? I feel like I'm missing crucial information to answer this question correctly. Even strength, I think the panthers go this. No animals were hurt while answering this question but some of my brain cells certainly fried because I'm not smurt.
13. (2)
It's always exciting when a team who hasn't won in a while gets another championship. I'm glad to see my former teammate Alexi Piastri win a championship with the team he wanted to go to and he also dominated in the playoffs for the Panthers. Ivan Lacksamus was miles ahead of everyone in the league for the Wolfpack but it unfortunately was not enough. It's always shitty to blame goaltending for losses but how the hell am I gonna write 100 words if I don't? It looks like the Wolfpack moved on because they were able to score a ton of goals because their goaltender did nothing to help them. There you go, 100 words, boom.
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.
spaghetti
Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Merely a setback! (150 words min.)
For more than 5 seasons conference finals have mostly been played between Edmonton and Winnipeg in west, yet this season they were both knocked out earlier. In the east Baltimore and Hamilton challenged Philadelphia and New England but ultimately we saw the same two teams in conference finals. Was season 75 merely a setback for Edmonton and Winnipeg or is the clock also ticking for New England and Philadelphia? Which teams you expect to see making it to finals during next few seasons?
It feels like both Edmonton and Winnipeg know that fresh blood has not only closed the gap but arguably surpassed them. Edmonton has already traded a decent chunk of its core (myself included), and Winnipeg has traded Matsmith Soderberg-Tremblay and could potentially move more (though I think Winnipeg is more of a retool than an all-out rebuild like Edmonton is pursuing, as they have a few actual prospects vs Edmonton who had none). So whether it was a setback or not, it doesn't really matter anymore as both teams have made their directions clear. For New England and Philadelphia, both have enough young talent that they should be fine especially as many recent Eastern rebuilds have struggled to bear fruit so far. Buffalo have been kings of retooling and they're always spooky, and Baltimore was strong this season and has been growing, but until someone derails this duopoly I don't see it breaking up.
Code:
13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Looks like [TEAM] won Season 75! Who won and why? What could the other team have done differently to change the result? What was your favorite part of the series?
Honestly there's not a ton to break down about this series - it's really, really hard to write a retrospective on a sweep. And when I say sweep I mean a LOPSIDED sweep. The Wolfpack only led a game for about ten minutes in the first period of Game 3, a game that they would go on to lose by 3 in the most lopsided game of the series. This was just an absolute masterpiece by the Los Angeles Panthers who left absolutely no doubt who was winning this year's Challenge Cup. In Games 2 and 3 they outshot the Wolfpack by double digits and overall this final was kind of an anticlimax.
Remember kids: Parity is just a mediocrity enforcement mechanism.
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:
7. Graphic, 3 TPE, Think you can do better? Design a new logo for the Los Angeles Panthers or the New England Wolfpack.
3. Written, 3 TPE, Been there, Done that (150 words min.)
It has been 10 seasons since Panthers last won the cup and Yannick Svoboda is only player left from that team. While for the New England this is 4th finals appearance since S70 and multiple players have been there for all of them, including the two cup wins. Will that experience triumph over excitement or will it make them overconfident? Will the nerves of Panthers get better of them now when the stakes are the highest? Which team has the mental advantage over the other and how big of an impact you think it will have on the match up?
I think I’m going to have to give the advantage to the New England Wolfpack. The majority of their roster has been to the dance and they know what it’s going to take to pull off the victory. I don’t see Yannick Svoboda being able to effectively prepare his team for the level of experience that the New England Wolfpack possess. They’ve made the finals nearly every season since the turn of the decade, and that kind of experience is tough to overcome.
However, there is the chance that the Wolfpack may underestimate the Los Angeles Panthers. They’re backstopped by one of the best goalies in the league in Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz. And they also had a dominant offensive showing this season with Adam Prpich having a 64 goal, 130 point season. They’re also finalists for a reason. They won’t go down without a fight.
Still, having said that, I’ll have to give the advantage in the mental battle to the New England Wolfpack. At the end of the day, the finals are a much different beast.
4. Written, 3 TPE, Merely a setback! (150 words min.)
For more than 5 seasons conference finals have mostly been played between Edmonton and Winnipeg in west, yet this season they were both knocked out earlier. In the east Baltimore and Hamilton challenged Philadelphia and New England but ultimately we saw the same two teams in conference finals. Was season 75 merely a setback for Edmonton and Winnipeg or is the clock also ticking for New England and Philadelphia? Which teams you expect to see making it to finals during next few seasons?
It’s tough to tell what will occur in the off season. The Edmonton Blizzard, Winnipeg Aurora, Philadelphia Forge, and New England Wolfpack are all strong teams, and I would say they’re likely to continue to be strong for at least a couple more seasons. So long as they can keep drafting well, they should be able to replace any retiring players with some solid rookies. I’d say they’re all in great spots currently with the way their rosters are built. So long as none of their players decide to jump ship and sign somewhere else, I’d say they’re safe for now.
As for what teams I can see making finals soon, I’d have to place my money on the Texas Renegades, Atlanta Inferno, San Francisco Pride, and the Montreal Patriotes (don’t laugh) being top tier teams. They’re all in different stages of success. Texas had a great season this year and will look to continue to build. Atlanta will forever be a strong team, and San Francisco looks to be on the upswing. Now when it comes to Montreal, they are obviously very bad. But what happens when you’re really bad? That’s right, you get lots of high draft picks. They’ve managed to draft a really good crop of rookies so far. And once they’re all up on the big squad, they’re going to make waves.
5. Written, 3 TPE, And make it double (150 words min.)
SHL HO has noticed how well received the Ultimus Bowl half time show has been and you are now tasked to create a show for both intermissions during one of Challenge Cup Finals. What kind of performance it will be and how will you ensure that ice will get resurfaced while it is going on?
So when it comes to the sport of ice hockey, intermission performances tend to be lacking. Which is understandable considering all the ice. But you know what loves ice? That’s right, polar bears! You’ve seen bull fighting. But now it’s time for polar bear fighting. Release live polar bears onto the ice while the ice crew tries their hardest to avoid being mauled by the Coca Cola mascot. It’s a win-win. The fans get to see some real edge of the seat entertainment. And the ice crew gets some extra motivation to finish re-surfacing the ice! And if that’s not enough entertainment for you, just you wait! A lucky 10 fans would get the chance of a lifetime to experience the polar bears up close and personal! That’s right, 10 fans would be selected at random to join the fray and try to avoid the polar bears! Better practice that skating!
And if that’s still not enough for you, afterwards we’ll have a performance by Nickelback, or something idk.
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 code - KeK
+3 TPE
Code:
Code:
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. During the Conference Finals Panthers had no players who had multi goal game, yet they beat the Texas in 5 games.
Can New England shut down a team with such depth, how could they do it?
b. On New England side Ivan Lacksamus is back on MVP form, scoring 15 goals and 38 points in 19 games, including the 15 points scored in Conference Finals.
Should Los Angeles try to find a way to stop him or hope that their stars kick in the next gear to meet the challenge head on?
e. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?
A. Depth is incredibly important for a team to have success in the playoffs. Of course you could sill win the cup with a stud 30+ point producer, but with only that player scoring goals, it is nearly impossible to win especially if the player can't find the momentum that they originally had. In the Panthers case, even if the New England Wolfpacks can shut down their star players, these depth players will still find a way to score unless New England can have incredibly good defense which is in the realm of possibilities. (93 words) +1TPE
B. In my opinion, if the Panthers can shut down Ivan Lacksamus, it's game over for New England. Even though I respect him to the most, I don't think he can carry his team on his back to victory with his offense alone, the defense and goaltending has to lock in to win. (52 words) +1 TPE
E. I think the depth with the addition of the better goaltending and defense that the Panthers have will be enough to win the cup against the New England Wolfpacks. If they shut down Lacksamus, its a victory, if not I still think its going to be a Panthers victory possibly going to 7 but that's it.
(56words) +1 TPE
+ 3 TPE | 6 TPE in total Code:
Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Maybe next season (100 words min)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?
In my opinion, Winnipeg and Edmonton both had a chance of making the finals. Maybe the Aurora has cooled down a little from their streak of dominance but I don't think Edmonton is there not just yet. I think only because the Blizzard were in the same conference as the Panthers, they didn't make it to the finals. In addition, the other conference had a much weaker group of teams to face against which could have made the process easier for the Blizzard The Panthers are just in another level defeating the only team that got ahead of them in the regular season. The Blizzard won the president's trophy with 44 wins and 99 points. . (138 words) +3TPE
Quote: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.
Fresh
Quote:7. Graphic, 3 TPE, Think you can do better?
Design a new logo for the Los Angeles Panthers or the New England Wolfpack.
Quote:9. Graphic, 3 TPE, Face of the Franchise
Your player strikes a sponsorship deal with a local producer of something. Create an add showing the product with your player or their face on it.
a. I am going to be bias, but I don’t think New England can do it. The team has been on an absolute heater, and there’s not much opponents have been able to do. The Panthers have gotten contributions from everyone in the lineup that matching up against us has been a nightmare. No matter who tried, the Panthers have come out on top.
b. I think you have to be aware of your opponents’ top players. Lacksamus is an incredible player, and he is definitely someone you need to try and contain. However, whether or not the Panthers can contain him is a different story. When players are playing as good as he is, it’s almost like you’ll have more success containing his surroundings than the player himself.
c. I’ll have to give it to my goalie Grzegorz. This guy has been maturing so quickly, and he has been getting better every season, and now in this run we saw the true power he possesses and how he can steal games for this team. We gave him a lot of support and the offense was clicking, but when things were tough and in moments where we were struggling in our own end, he bailed us out. Lots of respect for Karsikko, but give me Grzegorz every day.
d. Dogs vs cats, this is a very interesting debate and one that can be had for a long time. Both are incredibly strong and great hunters. Assuming no terrain advantage, I think it would be incredibly even. Panthers are bigger, but wolves possess more endurance. While both incredible hunters, I may have to side with the panther simply because of the size. Most of the other attributes are equal, so I’ll take the bigger predator.
Task 13 – 2 TPE
Well, it’s strange to write about since I’m on the team, but the Panthers won! This team has been on an absolute tear in the playoffs and to end the season, I don’t think there was any team that was going to stop us. New England is a great team, but the Panthers went 16-1-1 in the playoffs, but also went 29-1-1 (including playoffs) in our last 31 games. Not sure how we were going to be stopped when we were just clicking the way we were. Of course my favorite part of the series was being able to lift the Challenge Cup with my teammates. Getting to lift that trophy and take a lap with it was surreal, and I hope there’s more of that in the future.
Kaliyevl34l
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