TFHL Finals Preview

TFHL Finals Preview

Pain vs Young Guns

Two very powerful squads will face-off in this year's finals. The Pain have long been built solid and may very-well stand on the brink of their third championship - a feat no team has yet accomplished - and a claim to a Dynasty. The Young Guns on the other hand are somewhat the inverse: after going through a series of relatively unimpressive and unguided seasons, they managed to accrue a group of solid young players who have developed into a very dominant force. GM Kirk added the final touch after taking over the squad by picking-up one of the league's best goalies in Jose Theodore.

So far both teams have managed to proceed series by series, with the Pain having a difficult time in the previous two, leaving J.S. Giguere perhaps a little fatigued. The Guns who have been somewhat on cruise so far may be facing their first legitimate challenge, meaning one might think their performance thus far could be slightly skewed.

It should be a tight series, but I'm thinking it will come down to goaltending: Theodore is putting in an all-world performance, whereas Giguere is not looking impressive. The Pain might manage to claw their way to victory, like in their last two series, but I'm going to say the Young'ns take this in seven.

PR - Saints

Saints Fall in Seven to Walkerton Aces

After narrowly edging out their archrival Hurricanes in a seven game first round series; the Saints fall to the underdog Aces in seven in round two. After taking a 1-0 series lead, then a 2-1 lead after game 3; the Saints allowed two straight wins by the Aces putting the Saints’ backs to the wall. At home in Walkerton the Aces, however, couldn’t finish off the Saints who took Game 6 forcing a game 7 back in Saskatoon.

Game 7 – ‘Shootout at the SK Coral’ It was not so surprisingly that this series would be decided in an explosive offensive finish. After opening the scoring with two Saints goals, the fans were electric. However, the Aces over the twenty minutes would score five unanswered goals, two on the power play to take a 5-2 lead near the middle of the second period. Trading back and forth goals and fitting tooth-and-nail for a chance to play for the Eastern Title, the battle ended with the gritting Aces taking Game 7 and the series with a 7-5 epic victory. Perhaps fittingly, all four goalies played in this game; since goaltending was a clear question for both teams going into this series.

The Aces showed themselves to have stronger depth despite the Saints’ superior top-end scoring. Saints captain Chris Higgins, who has dominated the playoff scoring thus far, is eliminated from the Saints’ best playoff performance in franchise history. Higgins recorded 8 goals, 15 assists, a +5 in 14 games. Higgins: “I think this was an important step for our club. Our core players are quite young. As well, our young goalies have gained some invaluable experience. We all realize that this is just part of the ongoing process of developing the Saints into the elite club in the East.”

The Aces have brilliantly knocked off now perhaps the top two Eastern teams: the Brantford Bobcats and Saskatoon Saints. They set their sights on the Young Guns: a very similar gritty and well-rounded club. GM Young: “I believe the Aces will win the Eastern Championship this year and probably the TFHL Cup. Much of the playoffs has to do with streaks and the Aces have momentum on their side. I offer my congratulations to Dave Walter, a former TFHL Champion and respected GM of the league, on his success thus far. Good luck in the finals!”

Season Retrospective and Off-season Prognosis

GM Young, in his post-series press conference, made it clear that he is reasonably pleased with the Saints overall performance this entire season. For this reason, Young stated that he is “not likely to make any Geoffrey Young-like moves this offseason…but who knows, it’s a longer offseason!” Young stated that his core will not be moved, however, he has not ruled out a trade which would see a secondary scorer or d-man for some draft picks. “I need to reclaim my past emphasis on drafting and developing. I’ve had success with this in the past and that’s the cheapest way to improve for the long-term. We will also be turning our available finances toward landing a top-notch UFA this off-season to add some veteran stability.

Professor VS Primate

After Round 2, Tyler goes 3/4; and Bobo the monkey only 1/4. The two are tied at 50% going into Round 3 :).

Bobo's picks compared to Tylers:
Bobo picks Aces to win East
Bobo picks Fog Devils to win West

See the site for more details: http://tfhl.56a.org/predictions.htm

TFHL Conference Finals Playoff Preview

TFHL Conference Finals Playoff Preview

After having a little more success in the second round and gaining some ground on Coco, I must disclaim the following predictions: you're probably better off flipping a coin. In each series we have the typical TFHL playoff (mis-)match of underdog and powerhouse. If we were to learn from history money should be on the underdogs, but in this case the favourites may just be too powerful.

Young Guns (4) vs Walkerton Aces (8)

If the Aces, statistically the fifth worst team in the regular season, can now sit four wins from the TFHL finals and eight from the league championship - maybe every team should qualify for the playoffs and see what kind of competition we would have then? The Aces knocked off the hard-knock Saints in a tough battle. Currently the Aces are eeking by game by game - they just get enough goals and adequate enough goaltending to win four of seven games. However, one must give them credit - they are the king-killers right now.

I had the Guns through to the third round, now things get tricky. They are playing much as they did all season: good goaltending by Jose Theodore with adequate (but surpisingly poor) offence. Normally that should be enough to beat the opposition, but this is the TFHL playoffs...

Verdict: Young Guns in seven (probably).

Michigan Pain (2) vs Saint John Fog Devils(5)

Historically if the Pain get out of the first round, then they're pretty-well free and clear; yet also historically, a red-hot team from the West is something to fear. The Devils are getting solid goaltending from their tandem of Thibault and Dubnyk and decent scoring support. One might ask who will they go with in net this series? Thibault is looking hot enough to perhaps knock off a team, but Dubnyk is winning aswell. The Devils are something of an anomoly - usually a hot team has some statistical phenom, but like the Aces, the Devils are winning and looking pretty average. But then all you need is one more win than the other team.

I said in the last edition that whoever took the Blades-Pain series was probably the favourite to take the cup. Although somewhat of a no-brainer, I still stick by that: the Pain are a powerhouse and playing like one, in what may be their last real shot as a squad head and shoulders above the competition - they may have a couple more seasons in them, but this might be the last time they are this much in control of their destiny... a swan-song to their dynasty?

Verdict: Pain in six.

PR - Misconducts

Trade Rumors

According to sources close to the team, the Misconducts have acquiring a former Art Ross trophy winner. This player is said to still be alive in the playoffs. When asked if this was the trade that involved a first line player being shipped out of town, GM Maxwell respond with this " At this time I will neither confirm nor deny anything involving another teams players. Are we currently looking to improve our team ? Yes. Are we looking to upgrade our offense ? Yes. But you know what we are also looking to improve our defense and goaltending. " The only three players he would comment on were Robby Blaze, Andy Sackrison, and Carey Price. He stated that all three players have a very long future in Miami and he sees them as the nucleus for which he can build the team around.

Draft Rumors

The hot rumor going around town right now is that Kyle Turris is their apparent target with the four overall selection. The decision came down to either Turris or defenseman Karl Alzner. The feeling in the orginazation is that Turris come team up with last year's second overall selection Andy Sackrison to form a potent combo like Blackhawks youngsters Maxime Lacroix and Derek Brassard. Plus even though defense was their weakest aspect last year they fell they will be better in general because of growth in youngsters like Cam Barker, Robby Blaze, and Cody Wild plus improved play from Carey Price. There is also a wild rumor floating around that the Misconducts have already acquired two more first round picks for this upcoming draft, but you can take that for what it is worth. In order for them to get another first round pick they would have to move some of their young talent and trading young players further along in their develop for first rounders doesn't make a lot of sense for this team. And the veterans they have are worth nothing more than a late second or third round pick.

Blake To Retire

Rob Blake has apparently told management that he is not coming back next year. The reasoning he gave was that he wants to spend more time with his family while he is still realtively young and able to do things with his kids. The Misconducts and the city of Miami would like to wish Mr.Blake the best of luck in his life outside of hockey.

PR - Misconducts

Misconducts Finish Dead Last

After playing extremely well during the first couple months on the season, the Miami Misconducts fell apart. The reasons for the collapse are numerous including taking too many penalties, awful special teams play, and a sub par defense. GM Robert Maxwell stated at the end of the year press conference that measures will be taken this off season to rectify the problems and get the Misconducts back to playoffs after two straight seasons of being the worst or second worst team in the league, He has been criticized recently for having dealt this year's first round pick a couple of seasons ago for a player no longer on the team. However he was quick to point out that he also was able to acquire the fourth overall pick in this years draft which will land another good young player to go along with their nucleus of Andy Sackrison, Carey Price, Cody Wild, Robby Blaze, Jordan Staal, and Gilbert Brule. All six players figure to play a major role in how the Misconducts finish next year. Price stole a few games this year for the team, but he also cost them quite a few as well. Two key factors attributed to his poor play this season. One being the lack of a quality defense unit. The other was the lack of a proven veteran backup. Price seemed to play a lot better when Roberto Luongo was with the team last year and he seemed to miss him an awful lot this year. Mika Noronen did an adequate job filling in , but he wasn't able to play enough games to keep Price fresh. Sackrison and Staal scored most of the big goals for the team late in the year. They figure to see time together both of the top line and the top power play unit this season barring a big free agency signing. Those three players plan to be a big part of this team for years to come and will ultimately determine if the Misconducts will ever become an elite team in the TFHL.

Draft Prospects Wined and Dined

With the season now over for the Misconducts they have turned their attentions to the the draft. At their end of the year press conference GM Maxwell confirmed reports that the team had an additional four scouts and increasing their scouting budget by 5 million for the next year. It was considering a wise move by the franchise that holds over 20 draft picks with in the next three years. With that amount of picks they can basically pick and choose who the want to go after and try to get in the draft. Among the potential draftees they visited South Beach this week were LW James Van Riemsdyk, RW Patrick Kane, C Sam Gagner, C Kyle Turris, D Karl Alzner, and D Keaton Ellerby. Their most likely targets from this group would appear to be Alzner and Ellerby as the Misconducts ranked as one of the worst defensive teams in the league. The organization feels that Ellerby is pretty much a Zdeno Chara clone, a good solid two dman who takes up a lot of space. Alzner they feel can develop into a future captain. He has all the intangibles the team is looking for and they feel he can bring the right attitude to a defensive corps that was really lacking any personality last year. Two names who appear to be not on the teams radar right now are that of Russian Alexei Cherepanov and Angelo Esposito. The team believes that Esposito will no longer be there when they pick at number 4 and have decided to not bring him in for a work out. Cherepanov on the other hand, is not being looked at because the teams feels that they won't be able to get him over from Russia this next year. They have had a few conversations with Cherepanov's agent and he has expressed that he has no desire to play for Miami this season and will honor the last year of his contract in Russia if the Misconducts select him.

Trade Rumors

The Misconducts only made one small move at the trading deadline this year. They sent Ryan Whitney and Boris Valabik to the Wheat Kings for Byron Bitz and two third round picks. It was their least active trade deadline day in the history of the franchise. Veterans such as Andreas Karlsson, Brenden Morrow, Henrik Sedin, Ben Ulmer, Glen Murray, Richard Matvichuk, and Colin White all stayed put Leading to speculation that this off season could lead to a lot of trades by the Misconducts. Management has let it be known that only four or five players are untouchables at this point. Rumor has it they have already agreed in principal to deal that will see one of their first line players from last year traded. It has been confirmed yet who it or with what team the deal has been made, but it is believed to included a top ten draft pick coming back to the Misconducts. Apparently the Misconducts have contacted several teams drafting at the top of round one to see if their pick or picks were available. They are still believed to be looking for more draft picks with in the next four years.

PR - Fog Devils

GM and Coah Jon Osborne was stoped by reporters today just outside the teams
dressing room after practice.

Reporter 1: Coach anything to say after your underdog come from behind
series win.


Coach: All season long, and espicially durring the playoffs we have left
everything on the ice and allowed that to do all our talking. Don't expect
anything different from us for the remainder of our playoff run.

The coach enters the dressing room closing the door behind him

Primate versus Professor

Something must be up with this quarter Bobo is using or the 'damn dirty ape' is just that good. So the man and monkey are in complete disagreement on this one...who will win Round 2 of "Primate versus Professor"! See website for more details... http://tfhl.56a.org/predictions.htm

For Saints (3) versus Aces (8):
Tyler picked Saints...
Bobo picked the Away team Aces.

For Young Guns (4) versus Ignite (7):
Tyler picked Young Guns...
Bobo picked the Away team Ignite.

For Pain (2) versus Blades (8):
Tyler picked Pain...
Bobo picked the Away team Blades.

For Blackhawks (4) versus Fog Devils (5):
Tyler picked Blackhawks...
Bobo picked the Away team Fog Devils.

PR- Aces

Aces Flying High After Round 1 Win

For the second season in a row, the 8^th seed Aces have managed to upset the #1 seed Bobcats in round 1 of the TFHL playoffs. In an interview with team GM Dave Walter, he admitted that even he didn’t believe that his beloved Aces would get out of the first round. “To be honest, after a disappointing regular season we were shocked that we even made the playoffs!”

The Aces will need to get over their shock quickly however, as round 2 against the always dangerous Saints begins on Sunday. GM Walter commented that we shouldn’t expect too much tinkering with the lines for game 1. “We’re going with the same line combinations as we rolled with in games 6 & 7 against the Cats – why mess with a successful formula?”. The only question mark will be in net, and look for 19 year old Bryan Pitton to have a short leash. He will start game 1, but veteran Tomas Vokoun is waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces should Pitton falter. Last season it was Vokoun that relieved Barry Brust after some shaky starts to beat the Bobcats in their first playoff go around.

- Walkerton Times

PR - Saints

Saskatoon Saints Squeak by Archrival Hurricanes in Seven; and Prepare for Another Divisional Matchup with the Walkerton Aces

Game 5 in Saskatoon : After a win and lost for both clubs in their opening two home games, the series was tied 2-2 going back home to Saskatoon . Goaltender Tuuka Rask was given the nod for Game 5 and he provided the team with a solid performance at home giving the Saints a 6-2 victory. The key to Game 5 was the PP, in which the Saints finally lived up to their Regular Season reputation by scoring four straight goals, including the winner, with the man advantage. The Saints went 4 for 9 on the PP compared to the Hurricanes’ 0 for 4. Rask wasn’t challenged much in his winning playoff debut and ended up saving 14 of 16 shots.

Game 6 in Calgary : With a chance to win the series in six, the Saints went into Cowtown with an air of pride over their thrashing the night before. The Hurricanes answered back and showed their poise and talent under pressure. Brian Boucher, their go-to-guy since his masterful Game 4 win at home, played the game of his life. Boucher and the Canes completely shut down one of the best offenses in the league. For his stellar performance, Boucher received 1^st star after stopping all 25 of 25 shots for the first and only shutout throughout this first round of the playoffs. And adding injury to insult, the Hurricanes knocked out Saints’ superstar Ilja Kovalchuk (out for one week).

Game 7 in Saskatoon : A series of phenomenal goaltending and spectacular scoring came down to one last game on the prairies. This S. Saskatchewan River rivalry fittingly saw the opening scoring by Saints’ Captain Chris Higgins and the last goal unassisted by former Hurricane Matthew Lombardi. The Saints went on to take the game by a score of 5-2 with one goal on the PP; despite the Hurricanes out-skating and out-shooting the Saints 32-26. The story; Tuuka Rask who made 30 saves in order to advance the Saints to the Eastern semi-finals for the first time since TFHL 16 which saw them be swept by, of course, the Hurricanes.

Notes on the Series: Kudos must be given to the Hurricanes club, who fought tooth and nail in this series, and who for two of their three wins absolutely dominated the Saints. Goaltender Brian Boucher played two spectacular games, including one shutout and superstar Svitov boasted the ‘most goals’ title in this series with 5. Geoffrey Young commented on the Hurricanes club in the post game press conference: “Every time we play these guys, we get a little nervous. We have such a rich rivalry and I’ve always had great respect for the Hurricanes and their manager and owner Derek Major who has not only won a TFHL Championship, but consistently has been competitive in the regular season and the playoffs – a claim not many clubs can make in this league! In particular, long-time Cane Jason King was a warrior and a leader. And the future is bright with Svitov and a strong core of youngsters who will continue to dominate in our division the next seasons. Alexander Sundstrom in particular showed amazing potential along with former Saint Getzlaf. We look forward to seeing you next season in the playoffs!”

Eastern Semi-Finals Against Walter's Aces

All four remaining clubs in the East are from the Hunter Division. The third seed Saints and the eighth seed Aces now face off. The Aces just dispensed with the Eastern favourite Brantford Bobcats, a team Geoffrey Young expected to face in the second or third round: “I was certain that the Bobcats would be in the conference finals. I know how strong the Aces are and how last season they did the same thing in upsetting the Cats. We’re taking this club very seriously!”

Aces’ GM Dave Walter is a proven champion (with two cup rings). Furthermore, the Aces management and club have added incentive for embarrassing the Saints since the Kovalchuk RFA fiasco of this past off-season. The Saints and the Aces were in negotiations for a trade including Kovalchuk prior to Free Agency. But when a deal seemed unworkable, GM Young 10 million dollars on the RFA Kovalchuk. This got trade negotiations going again. The Saints-Aces seemed to have a deal work out, so the Saints withdrew their bid, made the deal, and the rest is history. Perhaps the hockey gods have paid the Saints back with some hubris, since Kovalchuk will be missing for at least the first two games of this series. This might give the Aces the edge they need to take a series lead by stealing a game or two in Saskatoon before heading back home.
Another young goalie battle: The Saints Rask (age 21) will be facing rookie Aces goaltender Bryon Pitton (Age 19). Neither goalie has much experience and leadership so many pundits are expecting an strong offensive series by both clubs: (Saints and Aces are tied for top for Team Scoring at 25 Goals For each, also Blades are at 25 GF).
GM Young: “I recognize the Aces have stronger depth, especially on defense. However, I think we have better top players at all positions: including Higgins, Lombardi, Bouchard, Kovalchuk for forwards; Baranka and Ballard on defense and Rask in net.” It is true Baranka has been huge on D (8 pts in 7 games with a +3); however, Ballard’s performance has been at the very least suspect with only 1 pt in 7 games and an abyssal -3. Look for shakeups in the lineup similar to Game 7 which saw Lombardi jump to the top line with Higgins for the first time all season. Young added, “we’re not the ‘favourites’ in this series, despite having home ice advantage. We play the same at home as on the road, and when you match the Aces up against the Saints, you see two very similar clubs with GM’s who know how to match lines and maximize scoring. Look for a six or seven game series with either team taking this one and perhaps the conference!”

Round 2 Predictions

Well now that I'm against a monkey, I might actually put some thought into this...

Eastern Conference

Saskatoon Saints (3) vs Walkerton Aces (8)

The Aces continued their play of the final 20 games and managed to upset a serious cup favourite in the Bobcats. The Aces are getting good showing from most of their players, which has helped off-set relatively poor golatending (although Pitton is winning). Tuuka Rask saved the Saints from the pit of fire with three quality games in net - if that continues, the Saints have to be the favourite here. They boast the best player, Chris Higgins, in the series and have a little more depth upfront (although both teams are somewhat similar in how they're built).

Verdict: Could this possibly be the Saints year?... Maybe the end is near? The Aces on the other hand have always been a suprisingly good playoff team (even back to the pre-Walter days of GM Jared Book's Rockets). It's going to be an interesting series; Saints in six.

Young Guns (4) vs Indianapolis Ignite (7)

Although the Young Guns have continued to show a weakness for finishing, I still have them gold-ticketed to the Conference finals. Theodore did not disappoint in the first round and one might easily expect a similar showing in the second. The Ignite played up to the form they were at nearly all season (and likewise the Spirit), with a commanding five game series victory. M-A Fleury is perhaps having his coming out party: Jarome Iginla is dominant right now and is getting a lot of support (notice Kristian Huselius, a clutch performer for the Wheaties last season, is again showing his post-season might).

Verdict: This is going to be a difficult series to call - both teams could conceivably take it all in short measure. It will likely come down to who's the hotter goalie, and my money is on Jose: Young Guns in seven.

Western Conference

Michigan Pain (2) vs Saskatoon Blades (8)

David vs. Goliath II? Is this the second coming of the Wheat Kings - a Saskatoon based team knocking off the Flames in the first round and then going on to win it all? The Blades certainly have the goods and GM Merkir ought to be shaking in his boots right now. However, as surprising as the Blades' victory was, the absolute dessolation of the Achaeans was perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the first round - it wasn't that the Pain were not expected to win, it was that the Achaeans were expected to show up and play hockey: perhaps the Pain are for real this time?

Verdict: Was either team just lucky in the first round? Doesn't look like it, they both look like monsters... my money is that whichever team wins this series wins the cup. That being said, I'm going to go with the Pain in seven.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs Saint John Fog Devils(5)

Two teams who I sided against in the first round now meet in the second. As was somewhat expected, the dominant regular season showings of the Hawk youngsters did not follow through to the playoffs. However, what was unexpected was the continued showing of Jeremy Roenick and the renaissance of Nikolai Khabibulan. Once upon a time the Bulan wall was a playoff eliminating machine, and perhaps he has regained that form? The Fog Devils are similarly bouyed by the showing of a veteran and a hot goalie. In their case it's Devan Dubnyk and Mats Sundin. The Devils are following through on their late season surge and could spell trouble for the Hawks - and playing in New Brunswick , a land of the inverse, whether it be hills or tides, it is perhaps not inconceivable that as underdogs they are to be favourites?

Verdict: Safe money says that the Hawks tough it out; but never underestimate a hot team in the West: Fog Devils in seven (dare we suggest a Saints-Devils TFHL final?).

Tyler Young’s Record against the Bobo* the Monkey’s Predictions
(*Bobo’s choice was made in consultation with a coin toss. This idea is borrowed from TSN Sportscenter so I hope we don’t get sued J)

Round	Bobo’s Picks	Percentage	Tyler’s Picks	Percentage
Round 1: Quarter-Finals	4/8	50.0%	2/8	25.0%

To see all about this new feature of TFHL Playoff Predictions, please visit the site for all details:
http://tfhl.56a.org/predictions.htm

Sorry Tyler lol, but at least you got my series right :).
Geoffrey

PR - Flames

Well, there you have it. Typical Atlanta Flames. They come out gunning. Take the series 3-0 and now have given up 3 games in a row. The team is shocked. Besides the last game, they have outshot, outhit, kept the other teams shots down but have lost many 1 goal games. The post season does not look good for the Flames. They suffered a ton of injuries to key players near the end of the season and it appears it has propelled them into a cold streak at the worst possible time.

The next 24 hours are critical.

PR - Saints

Saints-Hurricanes Series a Dousy; head's back to Toon Town Tied at Two
[ackk, I had a nice PR and lost it because of Shaw :(. Oh well, this is the short re-written version which unfortunately lacks the intrical details and phenomenal penmanship of the last 'lost' one. Just imagine the lost PR to be everything you want out of a PR: It'll "make your wildest dreams come true." Oh, nvm, thats Pedro.]

Game one saw the Hurricanes start of the scoring. This would be the pattern for three of the next four games. The Saints rallied back and took game one 4-3 in Saskatoon. This is the first time in many playoff appearances that the Saints have taken Game 1!

Game two unphased by the dissapointing conclusion to Game 1, the Calgary Hurricanes came out flying and got the opening goal once again to silence the electric Purgatory Place in Saskatoon (aka the Barn). A late goal by the Hurricanes tied up the game and it headed into overtime. After Getzlaf ran Saint's goalie Cheverie, the Saints went on a powerplay. However, this meant little to Russian Superstar Svitov (and former Saskatoon Saint) who stole the puck at his own blue line, streaked down the ice and beat the still dazed Cheverie on a backhanded shot to the top corner. The Hurricane take Game 2.

Game three showed that as loud as it was in the Barn back home, the historic Hurricanes in Calgary would not be outdone. The Saints' Baranka, however, silenced the fans early in the 1st with a howitzer from the point assisted by Captain and Art Ross winner Higgins and Rocket Richard winner Bouchard. Fellow ruskie Svitov answered back along with Getzlaf midway through the period with two PP goals followed by one by King: it was 3-1 in Calgary and the fans flocked to the beer gardens at the Saddledome and cracked open the Big Rock. However, in a statement of sobriety (the likely sober) the Saints answered back with five straight goals to finish off the remaining 40 minutes. Sjostrom scored two and took Star #1 in Game 3.

Game four saw backup Boucher come in net for the Hurricanes. So much for being a backup; Boucher played the best goaltending game of either team in the series. The Hurricanes would win 3-1 but this was not a close contest despite the series thus far being a real war in the trenches. The series is now tied; it's a best of three headed back to Toon town.

Series Snyposis: Goaltending. This afternoon coach Joseph Ratzinger announced to the media that Saints' #1 goalie Tuuka Rask will start tonight and likely will play the rest of the series, win or lose. Rask: "I'm on the bench. I'm sitting the playoffs series of my lifetime, against our worst rivals, and I'm on the bench through no one's fault but my own. Coach Ratzy has given me the nod for tonight in Saskatoon. This will be my first playoff start and I expect to play the game of my life. I will not let my team down or the fans. Tonight we will take this series back!"
This series now features the 'backups who once were starters': Boucher vs Rask. Young: "Higgsy with pass, Bouchard and Lombardi will of course finish off with pretty goals. If this team is going to win, its not because more must be done by the Offense on Offense. We need defence and we need goaltending with confidence. We are putting our fate in Tuke's hands and I am more than confident in his ability. He may be young but that Finn, not before long, will be the #1 goalie in the league. Now it's time for him to start his prime and to deliver us a playoff series win!"

The series continues tonight in Saskatoon. It will be decided by the goaltenders and, hopefully, by the fans.

Francis de Sales
The Saskatoon Journal
July 8, 2007

PR - Wheat Kings

FROM CHAMPS TO CHUMPS

In a season when absolutely everything went wrong, it figures that even when they wanted to lose the Kings won. The Wheat Kings finished off what amounted to a roller-coaster of a season Monday with a win against the Resevoir Dogs - which had they lost, would have allowed the Kings a higher draft pick.

"Yeesh," Coach-GM Tyler Young said after the game. "Let's just say that we're glad to get this year behind us, we'll forget it and move on."

After a play-off campaign during which the hockey-gods smiled on the Kings, TFHL18 turned out to be a season wrought with disaster after disaster.

"Maybe it was just things balancing out, we did use up a lot of good luck in that playoff run last year," Mr. Young said with a shrug. "Looking back, we can say that we played about two thirds of this year at .550, which is what I think this team is capable of, but there where three spurts when we were lucky to get a couple points in ten to fifteen games."

"If the season had been 88 games we might have snuck in like last year, but really, we shot ourselves in the foot but throwing away about 25 games this year, especially at the beginning and just before the trade deadline. But on the bright side, last time we missed the playoffs we won the President's Trophy the next season."

Forwards (B-):

The forwards were an improvement over last season, averaging nearly a third of a goal more per game. The emergence of Mike Frolik in his rookie year, the always dependable Josh Hennessy, an all-star worthy performance from Dmitri Kazionov, and Chuck Kobesew, who was possibly the team's best player after his acquisition from the Pontiacs, where reasons for joy in Saskatoon.

Steve Bernier started the season as a serious liability, but finished it as a powerhouse. Pat Dwyer was decent in his first year, showing good two-way instincts; Peter Mueller provided goals, but was somewhat disappointing as a third line checking center. Nik Bergfors did not quite live up to the expectations he set from last years' exceptional playoff performance, but he still had a respectable sophomore campaign and demonstrated a rare durability.

Overall the group was decent and shows promise to be a unit with above average offensive skills and solid defensive awareness; and with an average age of 21.6 they still have some room for development and will be together for many years to come. Look for the Kings to perhaps add a veteran in the off-season to round-out this group.

Defence (C+):

The Kings failure this year cannot be pegged on the defence. Although they had over .5 ga/g more this season than the previous, yet they allowed fewer shots against. The course of the season saw a significant overhaul of the corp, with only three defencemen from opening day remaining at the end. The addition of Jakubs Redlihs in an early season deal with the Ignite ultimately made perannial disappoinment Mark Stuart expendible. Redlihs had an excellent season, and proved a very capable two-way defenceman.

Anton Babchuck, Boris Valabik, and Ryan Whitney were all acquired from the Misconduct over the course of the season, and all proved to be excellent additions. Several products of the Kings system all had their first full season: John Adams was adequate, T.J. Young had a good season as a 19 year old, and John de Gray showed some promise for the future. Veteran Joel Kwiatkowski - and in their brief return stints as Kings, Sergei Zubov and Sandis Ozolinsh - were major disappointments and defensive liabilities.

The trade of Stuart threw the team into disarray, but after the addition of Whitney and Valabik things settled down and the Kings finished the season with a group of six defenceman, 23 and under, all capable of full-time TFHL duty and showing great promise. The back end though definitely needs at least one more mobile defenceman capable of putting up some points, the Kings had one of the worst offensive contributions from defence in the league.

Goaltending (F):

If anywhere, the wrath of the Wheat-watcher should fall squarely here. After an outstanding rookie campagin and an incredible playoff showing, the Kings thought they had their man in Jimmy Howard. Howard returned their confidence with a dismal showing wherein his save percentage dropped by twenty percent.

Making matters worse was the failure of two bonafied back-ups - Roberto Luongo and Kevin Weekes - to better Howards' showing, meaning that the Kings had a carousal of goalies this season (at one point both the starter and back-up went down injured) and an absolute liability in every game.

Look for the Kings to try to figure something out here. They cannot add the likes of a top end goalie without giving up a significant, and Free Agency doesn't hold much promise. But something needs to be done: Howard may rebound next year, but they cannot bet on it, or can they?

PR - Hurricanes

CALGARY HURRICANES ARE BACK FOR THEIR 12TH CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF APPEARANCE

The Calgary Hurricanes' GM Derek Major is in comfortable territory again
this year. This will be the teams 12th consecutive playoff appearance
and as it usually goes, its against divisional rivals, the Saints. "It
sure seems like we play them a heck of a lot doesn't it? I mean they
are a great team and we're looking forward to the challenge like every
year. We plan to built upon our success from last year and hopefully we
can move deep into the playoffs." said the Veteran GM.

The Hurricanes will be looking for a new hero in these playoffs. In the
past there's been a Markus Naslund, a Sean Burke, or a Chris Pronger.
This year it is all about the youngsters who will be led by the only guy
with TFHL cup experience Shawn Bates. "We have a great team I think. I
don't think we've ever had such depth to our team as we do now. Brian
Boucher took us to the finals last year and again this year we have him
as insurance for Ilya Brryzgalov. We have a heck of a goaltending
tandem back there. Bryzzy reminds me a lot of how Sean Burke played for
us several seasons ago." said Bates.

The Hurricanes are all healthy and they are ready for the big battle.
The team has continued to build through its youth movement without
sacrificing any post-season appearances. "Everyone pegged us to be in
re-building mode this year. We do have a lot of young guys but I like
the way the some of the top teams built themselves up. They don't go
out and trade players and make too many impulse changes. They focus on
development. We've done that and we're bearing the fruits of guys like
Alex Svitov, Jason King and Alex Sundstrom who have been with us since
we both drafted them. We have other younger guys on our pro roster like
Michael Grabner, Kenneth McArdle and Kim Johansson. This team has a
great blend of veteran and youngsters and its going to be exciting to
see their speed out there." said GM Major.

The Hurricanes will be kicking it off tomorrow in Saskatoon. Coach
Crawford has confirmed that Ilya Bryzgalov will get the nod as the
starter goaltender for the Hurricanes. Crawford confirmed his starting
line up for Game 1:

Alexander Svitov - Alexander Sundstrom - Jason King
Ryan Getzlaf - Shawn Bates - Maxim Afinogenov
Justin Williams - Martin Cibak - Kenneth McArdle
Extra Skaters: Michael Grabner, Kim Johansson

Wade Redden - Bryan Mccabe
Brian Campbell - Robert Schnabel
Brian Leetch - Derian Hatcher

SHAWN BATES IS THE ALKA SELTZER AWARD WINNER
A member of the Hurricanes received the seasonal Alka Seltzer award for
best plus/minus in the TFHL with a +39. Congratulations to Shawn Bates
in one of his best seasons as a Hurricane and leader of the 'Canes.


Calgary Sun 2007

TFHL Power Rankings - End of Season Report

TFHL Power Rankings - End of Season Report

Welcome to the TFHL Power Rankings - End of season report. The rankings haven't been updated since the end of last season (due to the laziness of the report's author), but what better time to re-examine the TFHL's movers-and-shakers than right now, interspersed with some playoff musings. So, here we go...

* Previous ranking from last season shown in brackets

1 (6) – Pain – Consistently one of the leagues best teams, the Pain claim the top spot in this most recent survey. Despite finishing 2nd in the West, they boast the league's most potent offense which is complimented by one of the league's best defenses. They are completely healthy going into the post season, and could very well be the team to beat for the cup.

2 (3) – Flames – The Flames have always been one of the best defensive teams in the league, and this season has been no exception. Goalie Barry Brust has finally seemed to find his stride after being a disappointment with the Aces last season - mind you he didn't have much help in front of him back then. If he can stay healthy and perform up to his talent level in the playoffs, the Flames will be right there with the Pain battling it out for the Western Conference title.

3 (9) – Ice – The Ice are built for defense, and have arguably been the best defensive team in the TFHL for several seasons running. Scoring however has always been a bit of a concern for this squad, although when you're able to hold your opponents to roughly 2.5 goals per game, you don't need to generate that much offense to keep yourself in the win column.

4 (4) – Bobcats – Talk about consistency - the Bobcats remain in 4th spot - the same position they held a season ago. Although the Eastern Conference seems on paper to be weaker than the West, capturing the Eastern title has to count for something. The Bobcats do seem to be the team to beat in the East, but let's not forget that the same was true last season when they were handed a round one defeat by the lowly Aces - the same team they will have to meet again in round one this season. Can history repeat itself? Probably not, but the author of this ranking certainly hopes it will! :)

5 (2) – Spirit – Going on a 7-1-2 run to end the season, the Spirit are no doubt one of the league's hottest team heading into the post-season. If they can keep up this momentum and avoid injury, this could be..... I won't jinx it by making the prediction. ;)

6 (14) – Young Guns – Speaking of hot teams, how about an 8-0-2 record to round out the season? The streak earns them the 6th spot in the rankings, but scoring looks to be a concern for the Guns. Much like the Ice however, the Guns are the East's best defensive team, and if they can continue to keep the puck out of their own net, a hand full of well timed goals may be all they need.

7 (7) – Saints – The Saints have some offensive threats that make most teams in the league shiver. Higgins, Lombardi, Arnott, Kovalchuk - shall I continue the list? If the league's 'canonized crew' can hone up on their defensive skills, the East could be theirs for the taking. The Saints hold steady at #7.

8 (5) – Blackhawks - Finishing the season strong (6-2-2) earns the Blackhawks the 8th slot. Hanging around in the middle of the pack of the Western Conference is an accomplishment, and they could very well make some noise in the playoffs given their ability to put the puck in the net.

9 (12) - Sioux – Another team earning their top-10 ranking with recent success are the Sioux. Ending the season with a 6-3-1 record shows some degree of perseverance. Whether or not playoff success is in the cards however remains to be seen.

10 (17) – Mauraders – They finished the season with a wimper, but nonetheless capture the final spot in the coveted top 10 of the league's elite. A relatively well-balanced squad with some potential, and some definite improvement over last season, the Mauraders seem to be a team on the rise.

11 (15) – Hurricanes – The Canes have what could be considered the most balanced offensive/defensive team in the leauge. While most teams seem to be one or the other, the Hurricanes boast an anemic GAA while maintaining a respectable level of GF. The Cane's have never been a team to be taken lightly, and that respect is certainly still in tact.

12 (?? sorry, forgotten the former team name, and thus previous ranking) - Fog Devils - This is the most 50/50 team in the league - talk about balance! 35 wins to 36 loss; 235 GF, 235 GA; finished the season 5-5-0. If symmetry means anything, The Fog Devils are in good shape if geometry is your thing!

13 (?? sorry, forgotten the former team name) - Ignite - finishing below .500 is never a good indicator, but this squad has some pretty good scoring potential. The weakness is on defense however, which could use some work in order to launch this team into the elite level of the leauge.

14 (20) – Blades – The Blades are definitely an improved bunch over last season, and possibly one of the TFHL's rising stars. There's a lot of youth wearing the Blades jersey right now, and have nothing but upside potential going forward. It might be an uphill climb for this year's playoffs, but with a decent draft position this off season and perhaps some key free agent signings, the Blades could be a big threat for many seasons to come.

15 (8) – Achaeans - Quality defensive play has been lacking for the Achaeans this season, leading to their somewhat disappointing finish. They have clinched a playoff spot in the West however, so if the goalies can step up as they have in the past, anything could happen.

16 (16) – Wheat Kings – You have to feel somewhat sorry for the Wheat Kings and their fall from grace - The Cup champions of just one season ago are left hanging up their skates early this season, finishing out of a playoff spot in the West. Obviously a disappointing season, but if there is a bright spot to be found, they maintain their #16 ranking of one year ago.

17 (13) – Raiders – Also on the outside looking in at the playoffs are the Raiders. Expect some moves by the Raider's veteran GM in the off-season to get the Raider's back on track.

18 (24) – Reservoir Dogs – Despite finishing out of a playoff spot again this season, the Dogs have managed to shake their 'worst team' label from last season. This franchise seems to be making a comeback under the leadership of a new GM, and fans of this team have to be happy with the performance. If this team can find some scoring in the off season, next year could see them making a run for a playoff spot.

19 (18) – Aces – For the second season in a row, the Aces have managed to stumble back assward into the playoffs on the final day of the season. Spending the entire season in the basement due to a terrible defensive effort, this is indeed surprising. In spite of the atrocious GA tally this season however, the Aces can be offensively potent. If Vokoun can step up in net as he did in last year's playoffs, an upset in the rematch against the Bobcats - although unlikely - isn't out of the question.

20 (21) – Pontiacs – The Pontiacs missed the playoffs by a whisker, but that doesn't say much when we're discussing the East. There is some optimism though - although they are in the process of rebuilding under new GM leadership, they are indeed rebuilding, and may make some noise next season.

21 (11) – Rednex – The Rednex slipped quite a bit this year following some high profile trades including their long time captain, Todd Bertuzzi. They have gotten younger however, and can only get better. A surprise performance from rookie netminder Alexandre Vincent should be cause for great hope in Redneck land.

22 (23) – Owls – Although the Owls are still languishing in the bottom of the standings, they have improved over last season. Last year they were by far the worst defensive team in the league. Although still not spectacular, they have shown much improvement in their ability to keep the goal judge from pressing that red light button at their end of the ice. And the really good news? The Owls will be picking 1-2 in the entry draft.

23 (1) – Renegades – Wow! What a difference a season makes, going from 1st to 23rd in the rankings. It's difficult to pinpoint any one reason for the free fall, but it's safe to say that much work will be needed in the off season. What does this show? In the TFHL, success isn't always predictable.

24 (22) – Misconducts – The Misconducts are the ones honoured this season with the dubious distinction of being the league's worst defensive team with 281 goals against. To add insult to injury, the Misconducts have also traded away their 1st round pick, which also officially lands them in the last spot of this ranking.

PR - Saints

Saskatoon Saints Prepare for Battle with Familiar Foe

At the TFHL 18 Draft the Calgary Hurricanes and Saskatoon Saints made a blockbuster trade which saw the longest serving Saint Iljy Bryzgalov (Saint since TFHL 12) and young star Ryan Getzlaf (acquired from Sioux the previous season) depart to their archrival Calgary Hurricanes. Joining the team was veteran super Star Markus Naslund and young sniper Matthew Lombardi. The primary incentive for both sides were Naslund and Getzlaf; with Bryzgalov and Lombardi being somewhat 'throw-ins' last minute to get a deal done. Strangely enough, Bryzgalov has been playing incredible for the Hurricanes and has just completed his best season yet; and Lombardi just won the Art Ross Trophy for most Regular Season pts (sharing the trophy with his teammate Christopher Higgins with 90 pts each). Lombardi's linemate Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Rocket Richard winner, developed an immediate chemistry along with veteran Jason Arnott. Interestingly enough, the Saint's second line often was the stronger offensive line upshowing the top line of Higgins, Sjostrom and Kovalchuk.

The Saints-Hurricanes split the season series this year and are only separated by 4 pts in the standings - playing in an incredibly competive Hunter Division. All six Hunter Division teams made the playoffs this year showing it to probably be the toughest division in the TFHL.

What has changed in Saskatoon?
The Saints have never had playoff sucess, and on the contrary, the Hurricanes have been consistently competitive: the last two seasons they were barely edged out and both times, Bobcats and Wheat Kings, they lost to the team which went on to win the cup. This might just be Bryzgalov's year with the Hurricanes, who are clearly a contender in the East. Not much has changed on the Saints - some players - but mostly still an offensive club with problems on D and in net. But with rookie Marc Cheverie's ability to win, a streak may give them a Wheat Kings-like run.
TFHL18 playoff Newcommers to Saints: Ilja Kovalchuk (Ace), Marc Cheverie (drafted), Matthew Lombardi (Hurricanes), Jani Rita (Pontiacs), Patrice Bergeron (Pontiacs), Ivan Baranka (Pontiacs), Jesse Boulerice (Pontiacs), Eric Hunter (Pontiacs), Tom Kostopolous (Ice), Radim Vrbata (Pain) and some other minor acquisitions signed in UFA or from released players list.
*If the Saints change their playoff fortunes at last, it will be a result of Lombardi (W), Kovalchuk (W), and most importantly, Baranka (D).
'The Departed': Naslund (Marauders), Gonchar (Bobcats), Bryzgalov (Hurricanes), Getzlaf (Hurricanes), Kobasew (W), Biega (D), Williams (D), and many others.

The Perrenial 'Goaltending Question'
It's no secret that the Saints have never been solid in net. Almost every season the Saints' #1 raises some questions and a brilliant backup usually gets the go ahead before the 3rd game of the playoffs. Geoffrey Young has settled the rumours by announcing today that young rookie Marc Cheverie will start Game 1 in Saskatoon against the Hurricanes: "He's earned this start, and Tukka's first concern is for the club. Both Rask and Cheverie are very young goals (21 and 18 respectively) and I'm certain that the two of them will share the load this playoffs. We'll see how Marc does this first game and then Game 2 will be a 'gameday' decision." Bryzgalov will undoubtedly be starting for the Hurricanes tomorrow afternoon in Saskatoon which should present him with added incentive. The Saints and Bryzgalov did not part on the best terms: "Those bastards placed last year's horrible playoff performance entirely on me. The management is incompitent! Young is never patient with any of the young guys...as long as he's at the helm you'll never see the Saints do anything but trade and bitch when ex-Saints make it big," said Bryzgalov earlier this morning. Young's response, "the guy never got himself in shape...was always fatigued and let us down when it mattered. We're not bitter, we traded a playoff flopper for an Art Ross winner. A goalie isn't what makes a team, Ilja didn't understand that. He plays for his own stats, not the teams. And I'm sure the Hurricanes will enjoy their extra time on the links on his account!"

For Young, this playoffs is the test of his plan for the franchise: "If we have another 'early exit', I might be looking at changing how I put together the team for next year. Perhaps, offense isn't the best emphasis and maybe I need to focus more on D and G than I have been. Oh well, time will tell; but I am confident we can knock off Calgary and having the home-ice advantage, I hope we can pull away with two wins here in Saskatoon."

Western Conference Playoff Preveiw

Calgary Flames (1) vs Saskatoon Blades (8)

After acquiring goaltender Barry Brust in the off-season, the Flames have been scarey good all year. They boast one of the best all-around rosters in the game, with elite players at every position and substantial depth. The Blades on the other hand have two of the best in the league with Scotty Hartnell and Jason Spezza, a good defence, and questionable goaltending. That being said, the Blades are not without hope. Last season the Flames were upset by the seventh seed Wheat Kings, who went on to win it all. The Flames are vulnerible in the playoffs and have suffered several upsets - the playoffs simply mean that you only need to get one more win out of seven games than your opponent and in the ultra-competitive West, where the 12th place team won the conference the previous year and the 10th place squad won the TFHL Championship, to win won more game out of seven is never impossible - someone will likely take down the Flames, eventually, but who will it be? Contestant #1: the Saskatoon Blades...

Verdict: The Flames are the team to beat, but not since TFHL12 has the President's Trophy winner gone on to win the championship. There is just too much of that glorified parity in the TFHL, most especially in the West (last season the lower seed won 5 of the 7 playoff series in the West through to the conference finals). The Blades have a good squad and have chance to take the series, but the safe money is seeing the Flames get through at least one round. Flames in five.

Michigan Pain (2) vs Ayton Achaeans (7)

As far as goal differential the Pain were alot better than the Flames this year, with 20 more goals for than the second best team. Like the Flames, the Pain boast elite players at every position and quality depth, augmented notably by the off-season acquisistion of Chris Pronger. They are however relatively old and have only a couple more years left with a substantial advantage over the rest of the teams in the West. The Achaeans are probably the most consistently successful playoff performers in the conference, and after a season where they seriously underperformed, they were able to struggle their way into a playoff seed in the final days of the regular season. They have a decent group of defencemen and forwards lead by Greg Campbell, but are very weak in net with Milan Hnilicka playing the role of a pylon.

Verdict: A difficult series to call, with strengths and faults on both sides. The Achaeans with their strong history of playoff wins (and the Pains' recent one of playoff losses) and the Magic Man Gregory Campbell could very well take this series without even resorting to a wooden horse. Achaeans in six.

Saskatoon Ice (3) vs Saint John Fog Devils(6)

The Ice were consistently in the top of the conference all season after preseason prognostication to the contrary, and unlike another Saskatoon based team which flirted with success for a time, the Ice never had any significant collapses or issues throughout the season, and even improved somewhat in the final stages. The Fog Devils on the other hand, after a mid-season relocation (and re-appellation) were able to muster the forces and climb to the top of the maligned of the West. The Ice are no secret: stingy, stingy, goal, stingy... they also play brutal (and by that I mean violent) hockey and win most of the time, especially in the playoffs. The Fog Devils (nee Apocalypse) have never had much success in the playoffs (although a sixth place finish might be a franchise best), and boast a roster that implies nothing to the contrary will occur this year again.

Verdict: Ice in four.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs Saskatchewan Sioux (5)

The Sioux were looking like the Underachievers of the Year for much of the season until GM John MacDonald pulled off a series of cagey moves which re-invented the squad and propelled them into the playoffs. The Blackhawks meanwhile fluctuated some, but great seasons from their cohort of talented forwards solidified their place in the West. Last year the Sioux were in the fifth seed and failed to upset the Achaeans, whereas the Hawks in eighth cast down the first seeded Renegades. This series should be tight and comes down to the Sioux's defence against the top 4 Hawks' forwards: if Armstrong, Brassard, Lacroix, and Roenick can continue their magic, then the Hawks should will take it; otherwise the Sioux have enough offence and depth at all positions to wear-down their opposition.

Verdict: Sioux in six.

Easter Conference Playoff Preveiw

Brantford Bobcats (1) vs Walkerton Aces (8)

During the previous off-season the Bobcats seemed to go deal for deal with the Western powerhouses, the Flames and Pain, as those teams loaded up their rosters, meaning that 'Cats Glenn Merkir thinks his team belongs among the elite of the league. To be sure, they put in a solid season and remained consistently (something to marvel at in the TFHL) at the top of the East. The Aces managed to slip into the playoffs by a hair after lounging in the league basement for all but the final 20 games - in fact, they still reside in the dark depths of the TFHL with a .423 win percentage, it's just the bar for the East ended up being rather low.

An interesting side note to this series: the Cats and Aces were parties in a significant deal about halfway through the season, a deal which turned out to be decidedly in the Aces favour and likely the reason for their marking the post-season.

In net the Bobcats have a clear edge with one of the few consistently good goalies in the league, Mathieu Biron, but Thomas Vokoun also has been a respectable playoff performer. The Aces are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, whereas the Bobcats do a passable job. Sergei Gonchar rediscovered his mojo somewhere along the 403 after a poor season with the Saints, whereas the Aces' best defenseman is a former Bobcat, Nick Shultz. As for offence, there's not a lot of difference there. Each team has their elite performers (Bertuzzi and Demitra to Samsonov), their disappointments (Gaborik to Gagne), and their supporting cast types.

Verdict: The Bobcats should be able to knock-off the Aces in five or six thanks to Biron.

Guelph Spirit (2) vs Indianapolis Ignite (7)

The Spirit managed to saunter to the top of the conference just as the Ignite fell down from those lofty heights. Thirty games ago these two could have met in a series, but with home-ice advantage switched. The Spirit boast one of the deeper squads in the league on both defence and offence. Meanwhile, although the Ignite can ice a respectable pair of scoring lines anchored by the best player in this series, Jarome Iginla, their defence may be hard pressed against the Spirit's four line assault. In goal the squads have a pair of very similar net minders in Tommy Salo and M-A Fleury.

Verdict: This series will ultimately be decided by the capricious fate of the net. Which goalie will be hot? Or perhaps more likely, which goalie will just not get his act together fast enough? A slow start and a couple poor showings by either Fleury or Salo, and their team will meet an ill doom. Safe money is on Spirit in six, but an Ignite upset in seven is not unforeseeable.

Saskatoon Saints (3) vs Calgary Hurricanes (5)

The two long time rivals will face each other again after a year respite in what used to be a staple of the TFHL off-season. In the olden days, when the Hurricanes were in their heyday, the Saints were able to upset, or at least threaten an upset. Now the roles are somewhat reversed.

At the beginning of the year after an off-season of manoeuvres and mega-deals, it looked like the Saints were going to ice an offensive juggernaught; by game 20 the Saints were exactly the same team they have been for five seasons - offensively above average and defensively horrible, with some unlucky bastard in net. Although rookie Marc Cheverie somewhat stabilized the latter position, the Saints must be wondering if their fate will again be the same as all those same ol' squads. The 'Canes on the other hand made it to the championship final last season and came within a goal of winning it all. They subsequently dealt Markus Naslund - the player who almost single-handedly got them to the finals - but are still substantially the same team that won the East last year.

Verdict: It's way too easy to expect an upset here, so easy in fact that I'm going to do it the hard way and say that the Saints take the series in six.

Young Guns (4) vs Marauders (5)

The Marauders, like the Ignite, had a bit of a fall from grace, whereas the Young Guns after a dismal first half have been smoking hot to climb into a home ice position. Despite their ample stable of cowboys, the Young Guns are the most impotent if any playoff squad with only 226 goals for. That stat alone tells you that Jose Theodore is running a one man show here. The Marauders likewise owe a lot of their credit for their respectable season to their goalie, Martin Brodeur. The Marauders got better than expected performances from many players, and it would be remarkable if they continue in the playoffs. However, they do have a wildcard in Markus Naslund, who put in a Conn Smythe worthy performance last season.

Verdict: The Young Guns made it to the Conference final last season on the strength of Jose Theodore's goaltending, and it is not in the least inconceivable that they will do better than that this year. Young Guns in five.