PR - Blackhawks

The western 8th seed has knocked off one of the favorties for the TFHL 17 championship. In a suprisingly close series, the Hawks dropped the Renegades in six games. With four of the six games being decided by only one goal it is apparent that this series could have went either way. Coach Denis Savard though was quick to defend his troops in a press conference following the final victory.

"We were one of the elite teams all season. It wasn't til late in the season that a large losing slump knocked us down to the 8th spot. The goal all year was to make the playoffs. We might not have the talent that some of these other teams have but we have heart. All 21 of these guys have checked the egos at the door and are here to win. We can play with the best and have proved it".

The Hawks now move forward to face the 4th seeded Acheans. The division rivals met in the playoffs once before way back in TFHL 12. The Hawks snatched the 8th seed back then as well and upset the Acheans in first round play en route to their first finals appearance and a 7th game loss to the Hurricanes.

Rookie Lukas Krajicek and sophomore Colby Armstrong share the MVP duties for the first round with the Hawks. Krajicek has been outstanding in his own end and offensively as well chipping in 9 points while being promoted to the first line and quaterbacking the power play. Armstrong has picked up where he left off in the regular season by chipping in 5 goals in the opening series and has really found his grove playing alongside Derek Brassard and Anson Carter.

As round two starts today it should be interesting to see how the Hawks compete against the Acheans. If history repeats itself the Blackhawks could be on their way to another cinderella finish. Many factors will need to be considered and both teams have a great shot of the conference finals. Who will step up and be the next hero? Only time will tell.

The Blackhawk Reporter - Conference Semi Finals.

PR - Aces

Aces Upset Bobcats
By I.P. Freely, Guelph Mercury

Fans of the Guelph Aces took to the streets last night to celebrate their upset victory of the heavily favoured defending Cup champs, the Brantford Bobcats in round one of the TFHL playoffs. The Aces managed to stumble into the last playoff spot with a win on the final day of the season for the right to face the Eastern Conference champs in the first round. Despite the differences in regular season success, the Aces seemed to be up to the post-season challenge.

After dropping game 1 and a shaky game 2 win, the Aces benched goalie Barry Brust in favour of veteran netminder, Tomas Vokoun. Experience between the pipes proved to be the difference as the Aces went on to beat their Highway 24 rivals in 6.

"We expected an uphill battle", said captain Mike Modano, "but we were up for the challenge". Seeing contributions from all four lines, the Aces really did seem to come together. After a disappointing regular season, it was obvious they were on a mission to prove something in the post season.

"We feel a bit sorry for the Bobcats", said Alexandre Picard after his 3 point night, "...but it passes quickly".

Bring on round 2....

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS UPSET POWERHOUSE FLAMES

The Kings have emerged triumphant from a thrilling and close series with the Flames. The series was marked by alternating victories, with only one game having greater than a 2 goal differential.

"We went into this series thinking we could compete with the Flames, but believing they had the upper-hand," GM-Coach Tyler Young commented after Game Seven. "With all due respect to the Renegades and Bobcats, in our mind the Flames are the best team on paper in the league. But we hunkered down, worked hard, played a team game, and came out victorious."

The Kings had some solid performances from Matt Ellison and Nik Bergfors, along with Josh Hennessy and Dimitri Kazionov. But the hero of the series was Jimmy Howard, who continued his fine rookie campaign, stealing at least a couple games from the Flames while facing a lot of rubber.

During their 10 seasons the Wheaties have only advanced to the semi-finals once before. Coincidently, that last and only time (in TFHL14) they also met the Ice, who promply dispatched the Kings in five games.

PR - Ignite

Ignite Win Game #1

The Indianapolis Ignite head into the playoffs as the 4th seed in the East
and are looking to turn their recent 4 game losing skid into a few in the
win column. Facing the well-matched Hurricanes, their task will not be an
easy one and none of the Ignite players are taking their opponents lightly.
After game one of the series in which Indianapolis won 5-1, GM Adam Harrison
spoke with reporters. "These guys were 4th in regular season PP and second
overall with a man down. With our lousy play toward the end of the season I
gave the guys a real talking to and I think they all got the message- We
need to win!"

Game one of the series looked even in the shots department with both teams
ripping off 28 shots a piece however the outcome was not so even. In the
first period the Ignite took a two goal lead when the power play unit found
some life and notched 2. The Hurricanes came back in the 2nd and scored a
PPG of their own only to allow 2 more PPGs in the third and an even strength
tally by Mark Parrish. "4 for 6 on the Powerplay is more like it", Parrish,
the often overlooked right winger said. "If the boys are clicking like that
then we should have a good chance to win some games this round. It's only
one game but it gets the ball rolling and I'll take it".

With only one game in the bag and a hungry Hurricane team looking to prove
their worth, the series should be a tight one. Look for a high scoring
affair when game two kicks off in Indy on Friday.


Adam Harrison
Indianapolis Ignite GM

PR - Young Guns

Playoff Round #1
Young Guns(7) vs Spirit(2)

TEAM COMPARISON
PP% PK% PIM/G GF/G GA/G SF/G SA/G
Spirit 16.5(7th) 86.4(4th) 15.7(10th) 3.55(2nd) 3.07(8th) 27.5(10th) 27.3(14th)

Young 11.5(24th) 79.1(24th) 19.2(18th) 3.30(7th) 3.51(23rd) 27.9(7th) 28.3(21st)

Guns

On paper this series appears to be quite the mismatch. Ranked in the top half of nearly ever major statistical category, the Spirit seem poised to roll the competition in the opening round of the TFHL playoffs... but don't tell that to the Young Guns. With leading scorer Nikolai Zherdev returning from injury and stud rear-guard Ivan Koltsov back from suspension, the Young Guns are getting a big lift going into the series."With some of our key guys out during the stretch, we struggled but we're in," said GM Jeremy Kirk, "getting these guys back will help to get us back to the level we were at during that winning streak." With Zherdev out recently acquired LW Ryan Smyth has chipped in lately and is currently on a 4 game goal scoring streak. Smyth has fit in well with this lineup and is enjoying his expanded role on the Young Guns. "It's nice to get a fresh start and playing with some many young guys, it takes me back to my early days."

With what should be an offensive showdown, goaltending could turn out to be the key in this series. Immediatley upon acquiring Theodore, the Young Guns leaned on their net minder all the way into the playoffs, and with that goal achieved, the team will once again rely on Theodore to get the job done. "Jose has given has everything we asked of him and more," said coach Bobby Hull at a press conference Wednesday. "We knew exactly what we were getting we we traded for him... this is only the beginning."

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Solve Spirit PK
In order to reach round 2, the Ottawa Young Guns will need to solve their PP woes and start converting with a man up. In the playoffs you need to capitalize on every opportunity.

2. Penalty Trouble = Playoff Exit
With one of the leagues' most potent Power Plays, the Ottawa Young Guns will really need to clamp down defensively with a man short, perhaps not taking penalties in general would be the best solution.

3. Get to Patrick Lalime early and often
Patrick Lalime in the playoffs... need I say more

PR - Wheat Kings

KINGS CLINCH PLAYOFFS

With their 4-3 victory over the Pontiacs yesterday and the Apocalypse's losses to the Marauders and Spirit, the Wheat Kings clinched a playoff seed for the fourth year in a row in the merciless confines of the Western Conference.

"Man, that was close!" exclaimed a relieved Tyler Young, "I thought we were done there... as well as we played since the deadline, the ApocalPublishypse were on a rampage - we had our eyes on the Raiders, never really thought to check behind us until the four horsemen were riding alongside."

At the deadline, the Kings made a couple deals to improve their scoring in order to push their way past the Raiders, who at the time were 3 points ahead. The Apocalypse were 5 points behind the Kings. The deals proved a good move for the Kings who finished the last 20 games playing solid .600 hockey. The Apocalypse though went on an .800 tear. Going into last night's game the Kings had a 1 point lead with the Apocalypse having a game in hand. Making matters worse, the Kings' leading scorer Steve Bernier was out with a hip flexor.

"I though about calling up Peter Mueller, Mike Frolik and Byron Bitz from the farm to give us some help," Mr. Young continued, "but then thought against. The Mini-Wheats are fighting for their life aswell, and it wouldn't do to have them miss and us. So I figured, what the heck, we got those guys at the deadline to make a difference, let them prove their worth now. I put Juice (Kristian Huselius), Steve Weiss and Matty Ellison on a line together, and as it turned out, they proved themselves."

The three combined for 3 goals (five points) in the victory. Jimmy Howard also had perhaps one of his best outings in the most important game of his young career, turning aside 37 of 40 shots.

PR - Young Guns

Young Guns Streaky Play Continues

January 18, 2007

To call this team a streaky club would be an understatement. After reeling off 11 straight victories, and moving from 11th to 6th in the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Young Guns have hit a skid and lost 5 in a row. "We're losing games at the wrong time now," said coach Bobby Hull, "everything that could go wrong is right now." With the teams' leading scorer, Nikolai Zherdev out, every line must now focus on team defence which will take the pressure off Jose Theodore. Speciality teams has also been an area of concern lately for the club- the team is ranked dead last in both Power Play and Penalty Killing percentage. "When we were winning games we were putting the puck in the net with a man up and keeping the puck out when a man down, now it seems the exact opposite is happening," said exhausted team captain Adrian Aucoin after a two hour long "bag-skate" type practice. As the trade deadline came and went, the Young Guns addressed the lack of leadership issues in their lineup- the additions of Ryan Smyth and Radek Bonk (along with Shane Doan ealier in the season) will help to guide this young lineup and teach them the ways of winning. Assuming the Young Guns can lock down a playoff spot as the seasons' end draws near, they have to be considered a threat for the same reason they are being crticized right now- an 11 game win streak in the playoffs puts the team one win away from being a conference champion.

Ottawa Free Press

PR - Blackhawks

January 11, 2007 - FALL FROM GRACE -

As the Blackhawks enter the final stretch of the season they are yet again trapped in the middle of the pack of the unfriendly confines in the Western Conference.

Despite unpredictable success all season long, a recent winless streak has the Hawks currently wrapped up in a 3-way tie for 4th place in the west. The once explosive offense and stingy defense have been mediocre at best, which isn't good enough in this conference. Teams are starting to get really hot and the Hawks are quickly falling off the radar. Coach Savard credits his teams recent performance to complacency and lack of passion. "Our leaders aren't being our leaders and we're relying far too much on some of the youth which just isn't ready to carry a team on their backs".

He hopes the recent waiver acquistion of Sergei Zubov will help bolster the powerplay and add some leadership for the playoffs. This is Zubov's second stint with the Hawks and is excited to be back with the direction the team is going. "I have tough year but feel happiness to be back in Chicago! I want to help the team be good again and win many games. I will work my best to win at any cost".

Some bright spots for the Hawks are the solid play of some of the youngsters on the team. Last years first round pick Derek Brassard is leading all rookies in scoring and has solidified his spot as the #1 centre. The Hawks actually have 3 of the top 10 in rookie scoring. 1st line sniper Colby Armstrong was leading the league all year in goals until recently when Spezza took over. Spezza has played 6 more games though and Armstrong is only 2 back of the lead for the scoring title. He also leads the league in PP goals which should improve with the recent acquistion of Zubov.

The Hawks remain to be a team to watch in the playoffs. If they catch fire again and get back to their winning ways they will be a force in the post season. It should be interesting to see how the matchups shape up and who will play who but don't count out these young inexperienced Blackhawks yet. Their best hockey of the season might be yet to come!

The Blackhawk Reporter

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS PREPARE FOR FINAL STRETCH

With the deadline having come and gone, the Wheat Kings must now grit their teeth and hope for the best. Following the mega-deal with the Aces, the Kings made two small trades leading up to the deadline. The most significant of these saw the Kings trade their 1st rounder and disappointing prospect defenceman Cam Barker to the Misconduct for Stephen Weiss, Kristian Huselius, and the Bobcats 1st.

"To miss the playoffs is simply unacceptable to us," a rather irrate Mr. Young commented, "I don't care how competitive the conference is - it's always tough - this team must make the playoffs. We did that last deal out of some desperation, I admit. Sure Barker will play great for the Misconduct, inevitable All-Star and all that, we've gotten used to that... he played like s**t for us. If we make the playoffs, moving down a few picks will be a small price - if we still miss the playoffs, then we no longer have any consolation. Time to get Spartan about this: die or win."

While the team-defence has been relatively solid this season, the Kings have had troubles scoring.

"We are only on track to 250 goals for this season, that to me is a failure. Our goals against is where we want it, but our offence has been a brutal disappointment. Our top guys should be at a point per game, which they're not. Our secondary scorers should be consistent, which they're not."

In order to give the team a late season boost, Mr. Young picked up a couple mid-range scorers in Huselius and Weiss. So far the results have been mixed.

"Huselius has played well with Matt Ellison, those two have some good chemistry," the GM commented, "but Weiss has been a total waste, if he doesn't get it together soon I might just start benching him."

The Wheat Kings currently sit tied with the Raiders for the 8th seed but are losing the tie breaker, which is goals for (despite having the better goal differential).

TFHL POWER RANKINGS - Trade Deadline Edition

TFHL Power Rankings - Trade Deadline Edition

Welcome to the TFHL Power Rankings - Trade Deadline Edition. There's been a lot of jockeying for position since the last rankings in October, but it seems, for the most part, the teams have held relatively steady. The Flames and the Sioux have been the biggest movers in this survey, proving that things don't always remain static in the world of FHL Sim hockey So, here we go:

* October Ranking Shown in Brackets

1 (4) – Renegades – Despite a recent 11 game loosing streak, we're still giving the Renegades the nod as the TFHL's best team this time around. Any team that can lose 11 in a row and still be in first place must be doing something right. We'll have to wait and see if the Renegades are the real deal in the final stretch - they definitely have the defense, whether or not they can get their goal scoring up is another question.

2 (3) – Spirit – In stark contrast to the Renegades, the Spirit are currently the league's second highest scoring team. They've managed a respectable goals against tally thus far as well, earning them this week's #2 spot on the Power Rankings. A Spirit/Renegades cup final could be fascinating - defense VS offense, however there are 22 other teams that will have something to say about that finals match up prediction.

3 (11) – Flames – An impressive goals total and an anemic goals against tally has allowed the Flames to shoot up 8 spots from our last survey. There's not much separating the top 5 teams in this ranking, and the Flames could easily end the season in first place should the Renegades continue to stumble.

4 (1) – Bobcats – The reigning TFHL champs have slid out of first place since the last ranking at the quarter season mark, but remain an impressive squad nonetheless. The GM was active at the trade deadline, managing to eek out some deals that should help to solidify their position as a team to beat heading toward the post season.

5 (2) – Blackhawks - The Blackhawks have been posting some solid scoring totals which has kept them hanging around the top of the Western Conference standings. There is a lot of competition in the middle of the Western Conference pack however, so they still have their work cut out for them if they hope to capture the #3 playoff seed.

6 (5) – Pain – One of the league's most consistent teams, the Pain hold their ground in the rankings, falling just one spot. They remain the league's highest scoring team, and their defensive numbers although not the class of the league, can certainly be considered above average. If J-S Giguere can stay healthy down the stretch, I don't think any team is safe having to be paired against this club in Round One.

7 (8) – Saints – With a healthy Chris Higgins all season, the Saints could just as easily be flirting with the lead in the East. They've climbed a modest 1 spot to 7th in this ranking, and should be contending for the cup once all is said and done. Scoring is no problem for the Saints, but if they can put forth an effort at their own end of the ice, look out.

8 (12) – Achaeans - Despite his skeptics, Milan Hnilicka has turned out to be the real deal between the pipes for the Achaeans. He better stay healthy though, cause there are a lot of low cards in the Achaean goalie deck otherwise. Look for the Achaeans to finish middle-of-the pack, but come playoffs, who knows?

9 (7) – Ice – Although they remain one of the league's best defensive teams, the Ice are at the same time one of the leagues poorest offensive threats. The Ice could be living dangerously, but as we mentioned in the quarter-season rankings, a good offense could very well be simply a great defense. They're dealing with some injury problems at the moment as well which certainly can't help matters.

10 (10) – Clubbers – I described the Clubbers in the last survey as 'the vanilla ice cream' of the TFHL – not going to surprise you, but you know what to expect every time. Well, things have changed a bit, and although they stand firm in the #10 spot, they are sporting a disturbing net goals against tally at current.

11 (9) – Rednex – The Rednex could be a sleeper team this year. They're neither dismal nor spectacular, but seem to thrive on just being average. Brent Johnson has been ordinary this season, but a pleasant surprise has been rookie net minder Alexandre Vincent's 2.49 GAA serving in his backup roll. He may not have the experience or stamina to lead the Rednex to playoff glory, but he good be a nice option should the stalwart Johnson show any sign of falter.

12 (21) - Sioux – In the quarter-season rankings, I questioned how this team, with all their potential fire power could possibly be performing so badly. Apparently someone woke up the Sioux offense, because they've been on a tear since then, making the biggest leap of all teams in the rankings as they shoot up 9 spots to #12.

13 (6) – Raiders – The Raiders have fallen in the rankings and the standings since the quarter season report, but I'm not so sure they've changed that much - it just seems their luck may have run out. With the Wheat Kings and Blades showing some late season life, the Raiders could find themselves fighting for that final playoff birth in the West.

14 (17) – Young Guns (formerly the Patriots) – They are currently the leauge's hottest steam. Coming off a big 10 game win streak, the Young Guns have managed to muscle themselves into a playoff spot, maybe even warranting them a higher ranking at the moment than #14. Perhaps a new owner was just what the doctor ordered for this formerly sleepy hockey club, but will it translate into playoff success? We'll have to wait and see.

15 (16) – Hurricanes – The Canes continue to hold their own, and will be battling the Young Guns down the stretch for the 6th place playoff seed. Some help would be welcome on defense if they hope to contend. Like the Young Guns, we'll just have to wait and see how the final weeks of the season unfold.

16 (15) – Wheat Kings – I mused in the last rankings report that the Wheat Kings were a better team than the standings suggest. Sliding a spot to #16, now I'm not so sure. Perhaps the Wheat Kings belong in this position for the time being, but with some deadline trades completed, maybe, just maybe, some of the holes have been plugged in order to launch a playoff run.

17 (14) – Mauraders – It's been the Maurader's defensive play that they've relied on, but goal production remains a problem. They are tied for the league's lowest goal production with the lowly Reservoir Dogs, which can't be good with the surging Aces and Pontiacs nipping at their heals for that 8th Eastern playoff spot. The run up to the end of the season should prove interesting.

18 (22) – Aces – Some recent trades have positioned the Aces for a serious run to make the playoffs. The acquisition of Thomas Vokun and his impressive play has given this team a slight ray of hope. Adding veteran Mike Modano at the trade deadline to compliment this young roster should help fill the leadership void the Aces have been suffering all season. They've also attempted to plug some of their defensive holes by making deals for Artem Chubarov, Lance Ward and Mike Van Ryn.

19 (13) – Apocalypse – The Apocalypse have had some problems putting wins on the board, but they aren't as bad a team as the standing suggest. A few streaks of luck during the season could have this squad contending for a spot in the post season, but perhaps they'll have to be content this year with a good draft pick.

20 (20) – Blades – The Blades look to be about the mirror image of the Aces - can score some goals, but have trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. The Blades are in the tougher Western Conference however, and making the playoffs at this point of the season seems a remote possibility at best.

21 (19) – Pontiacs (formerly Colt 45) – The Pontiacs haven't had a great season by anyone's estimation, but taking advantage of the fact they are in the Eastern Conference, they are still in contention for a playoff spot. Whether they can pull off that feat or not is yet to be seen, but stranger things have happened.

22 (18) – Misconducts – The Misconducts were forced to deal with some key injuries this season, and never quite got it going. Rather than attempt to contend, the Misconducts were wisely active at the trade deadline, unloading some dead wood with expiring contracts for some prospects and draft picks. This team will be scary good in the seasons to come. And, being an Eastern team, they still strangely enough have an outside chance of the playoffs should they be able to go on a run.

23 (23) – Owls – There is a two word solution for the Owl's problems - de-fense! The Owls have the dubious distinction of being the worst defensive team in the league, and that problem has kept them down all season. As predicted last time around, the Owls will be dusting off the golf clubs early this year.

24 (24) – Reservoir Dogs (formerly the Canucks) – Despite a recent 7-2-1 run, the Reservoir Dogs are still stuck with the title of the TFHL's worst team. However there seems to be life breathed into this squad by it's new GM, and with a 1st rounder in their future, things should be much more optimistic next season.