TFHL15: Play-Off Preview - By Tyler Young

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Rednex vs. Hurricanes

The biggest question of course is the sustainability of the 'Canes. Like the Wheat Kings last year the Hurricanes this year benefited from an incomprehensible rocket ride to the President's Trophy and like the Kings they may not have the muscle to hold their ground. On paper there is not a lot of difference between the two teams and this series could be a tight one, however the Canes do have the advantage of a long history of making it through at least the first round and have the grit to make it through this series, so expect them to at least limp through to the next round. Canes in six.

Spirit vs. Owls

The Owls are a worthy team, composed of a fair degree of skill and depth, which is enough to get you second in the East. The Spirit, like the Rednex, were Eastern surprise bottom dwellers at the mid-point and managed to climb into the playoffs over the course of the second half. Early season predictions had the Spirit among the cream of the conference and their team is still the same unit as then, so Owls beware! The second half is the real indicator of the spirit of, well, umm, the Spirit. Spirit in five.

Bobcats vs. Aces

GM Glenn Merkir did some interesting maneouvres over the course of the season, attempting to position his team among at the top of the East. His roster is definately solid now, but the question which needs to be answered is whether this squad has enough time to develop into a team? The Aces sort of stumbled in the second half of the season after a solid first half. The team is overall quite decent, but doesn't really have the 'it' needed to take it to the next level and Barry Brust may need some time before he can sing baritone and take this team into the deep play-ifs. Cats in seven.

Clubbers vs Saints

The Saints are looking good, especially after a series of well-healed moves and fortunate developements. They have a young squadron and (finally) a more-than-less reliable goalie in Roberto Luongo. Luongo, however, has a history of playoffs flops, while on the other hand the Saints have a long history of playoff upsets. The Clubbers are a solid club lead by superstar Jarome Iginla, but are somewhat questionable in goal. This series will be an interesting competition between two very well built clubs - the Saints are young and looking to prove themselves, the Clubbers are a team in their prime and looking to cash-in on their current state, going to be fun to watch! Saints in seven.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Renegades vs Pain

The Renegades played a solid season of hockey and were one of the surprises of the year, no doubt earning respect around the league. Tommy Salo, once much maligned, finally had the type of season which more than one GM has hoped and expected to get from him, pulling the Renegades into the playoffs. That being said, it would be easy enough in this situation to say that they have done themselves well and should just pack-up and go home, but they will no doubt stick around and hope for a few lucky bounces: they face-off against the TFHL powerhouse Pain, a team built for playoff supremacy and with fourth-liners twenty-three GMs in this league should envy. Pain in five.

Blackhawks vs Flames

The Flame recouped from an aweful season last year and finally did well for themselves, rising to second by playing consistent six hundred hockey while the Kings and Ice fell with late season slumps. That being said, it may not have been much of a reward in the end, for their consistency they draw perenial playoff pests the Hawks, a team which could well snuff the Flames. On paper this series will be a battle of goalies, Khabibulan and Theodore, but in reality this series will be a fight between the heart of the scrappy Hawks and the skill of the languid Flames. Hawks in seven.

Raiders vs Ice

Well the Ice certainly surprised us this season, dealing away their secret to playoff success, Martin Biron, plus their prime sniper Simon Gagne to the Bobcats in return for some interesting variables, none of which though can currently fill those two players sizable gaps - a fact demonstrated by the last twenty or so games of the season. The Raiders on the other hand played a solid season, carried by the impressive Evgeny Nabokov. However, Nabo is already tired from a long season (refreshed he could take the Ice), but as he is and given the long history of the Ice managing to win despite the odds, this series should be carried by the Ice. Ice in six.

Achaeans vs Wheat Kings

The Kings had a tragic season worthy of Homer, while the Achaeans are in transition with some solid youth in position to take over from the veterans. This series is going to be all about perplexity: both of these teams are legitimate contenders, but also legitimate losers - it all depends on what team shows up, especially in the case of the Kings. If you want to get the true jist of this series just look in net: the Achaeans have Dan Cloutier, never overly capable, but back in the Achaean's day he was by no means an impediment to the power of the Achaean onslaught; at the mid-point of this season the Wheatie's tandem of Kevin Weekes and Ilja Bryzgalov were atop the league in every significant statistic, nary a puck squeezed its way past them, but then in the last forty games both Weekes and Bryzgalov were as easy as bribing a Liberal, and the Kings had no chance of victory with the two of them in net. Hence this series is a mystery and who really knows what will happen, b
ut the Achaeans are the more reliable pick. Achaeans in six.