LGAHL Conference Finals Preview and Predictions Thread

LGAHL Conference Finals Preview & Predictions

Congrats to the teams who have made it this far and condolences to the great teams who fell in Round 2. With two (1) seed vs. (2) seed matchups this next week should be an exciting one as the season progresses towards it’s end. Big thanks to the writers who have gone above and beyond ever since we started doing these, we’ll see you next week when we break down the Calder Finals.
(Note: Team write ups/grades remain the same as last week unless updated by the writers as they see fit.)

Eastern Conference Finals

(1) Providence Bruins (60-19-3, 123 PTS) vs. (2) Norfolk Admirals (57-22-3 117 PTS)
Season Series: 2-0 Providence GF 4 GA 1​

Providence - Noobinator
When you finish the season as the top seeding the league, there’s going to be a lot of strengths and very few weaknesses. Providence’s season was for the most part very dominating, save for a couple weeks in the middle. Lead by experienced managers @xX Z3NO Xx and @Couture l 39 l, the Bruins put up staggering offensive numbers (3rd most goals for) while maintaining a ridiculously hard-to-play-against team defense (fewest goals allowed). These guys are serious Calder Cup contenders

Depth Grades
FWD: [B+; Down from an A in round 1]. This offense is talented and it all starts with their Centres. The top faceoff team in the league relies on starting each play with puck possession, which bodes well offensively and defensively. Can depth now be questioned?
DEF: [A; Down from an A+ in round 1]. @greg85w and @xxEVILMONKYxx are the clear cut pillars on this defense and they are downright nasty to play against. They anchored the best PK% in the league and don’t make many mistakes on the breakout. A relatively average offensive team potted 2.5 goals-per-game on them which is a rather big increase from the regular season...
G: [A]. Zeno and @l MrLundqvist l are a dynamic duo in net who have found themselves amongst the league’s top goalies all year. They’re the last line on the best defensive team in the league so as long as they’re even just average, they will get the job done. These guys

Players to Watch: FWD: @IG HangOver @x1DR DRO1X DEF: @Animal Mup

How they got here:
Round 1 vs. Manchester (4-2): The Bruins had one of the more favorable matchups on paper coming into the first round but took 6 games to get rid of the pesky Monarchs. A big reason for this was their inability to get a win out of the Monster-Welch-Dro line. They averaged 3.5 goals-per-game which is more than enough to get things done with Z3NO and Lundy behind them holding down the fort. Hopefully ECUs won’t be needed as often in round 2.

Round 2 vs. Bridgeport (4-1):
For the second time in these playoffs, Providence dropped game 1. They rebounded and won out the next 4 to advance proving that they are a strong group of players. They shutout Bridgeport is games 2 and 3 and then closed it out with a pair of 3-2 wins. But the Monster-Welch pairing has still yet to win a game in the playoffs. Lines 1 and 2 continue to be dominant and the solid goaltending is making it easy for the Bruins to get the 4 wins they need each series so far.

How they’ll advance to the Calder Cup Finals:
Goaltending isn’t going to be enough at this point. Providence needs to find a way to get their 3rd line winning, even if it means mixing things up. Until this point Providence’s top line has been better than the opponents, almost ensuring them 2 wins a series. That’s not the case any more. If all games have lines matched evenly, the Bruins top line isn’t guaranteed the wins and that means the other lines better be on their game. They will have to compete against a team I would consider better defensively so having a line that isn’t producing isn’t going to work for them. If the bruins are to advance to the Calder Cup Finals, they will need to get an early lead in the series and make sure every line is warmed up and ready come game time as I have no doubt that Norfolk will be ready for each game.

Norfolk - Arnooney
Norfolk is one of the deepest teams in the league, with three lines that can beat you on any given night. On top of that, they have solid d pairs and one of the best goalie tandems in the league, led by @NG Bhawk . Their success this season lied a lot on team defense as well as great goaltending. While they weren’t quite near the top of the league in goals scored, they only allowed 167 goals, 2nd to Providence. Goal scoring is not a problem for this team, as they rely on timely goal scoring and a lot of chemistry on their lines, many of these forwards have played together for a long time. Combining their chemistry, with their team defense, this is a team to look out for.

Depth Grades:
FWD: [A-] Norfolk’s offense is built on chemistry and all three of their lines have it. This is where I think Norfolk separates themselves from other teams. Late season additions in @J Bidd and @hicksy999 allowed them to solidify their lines and switch some things up, including allowing @Jay Rulez someone to play with. Norfolk is not a team who will light you up every night, but they have enough goal scorers who can put the puck in the net at the right time. Combine that with their solid defensive play, Norfolk has some solid forwards.
DEF: [A] Norfolk has one of the best defensive corps in the league. Evidence of this is by how many goals they allow, which is 2nd best in the league, 1 behind Providence. Their biggest acquisitions on defense this season came in the form of random assignment, @ll Supernaut ll as well as trading for @F5 Penguin . There are a few notable names on the defense, and they all have seemed to bought into the defensive system. Norfolk specializes in not allowing very many shots. They have a whopping +441 shot differential, which is way ahead the rest of the league.
G: [A-] Norfolk boasts one of the best goaltending duos in the AHL. They would probably have better individual numbers if their team actually allowed them to see any shots though. Draft pick @Dawgz45 has played well in a backup role, and having @NG Bhawk to start the majority of the games is a great luxury to have.
Players to Watch: FWD: @PahkTheCah1387 DEF: @ll Supernaut ll G: @NG Bhawk


How they got here:
Round 1 vs. Hershey (4-1): Norfolk was capable of beating Hershey in 5 games, but in the games they won they only gave up 3 goals. While they did slip up a bit in the 1 loss they had giving up 7 goals. I wouldn’t expect too many more slip ups from them for the rest of the playoffs. Great defense and great goaltending got them into the second round and I would expect them to do it again. @NG Bhawk carried them this far, and has proven to be a legit starting goaltender. Expect this team to go even farther if he keeps up this level of play.

Round 2 vs. Springfield (4-1): Norfolk beat a good team in Springfield in only 5 games. Their only loss in the series was a 1-0 loss, and only gave up 7 goals in the entire series. Dawgz won 3 games against Springfield as well, so having him playing like that for the next series will be huge. The third line will need to continue to produce. They went 1-1 this series, and will need to keep playing well if they want to move onto the Calder Cup Finals.

How they’ll advance to the Calder Cup Finals: If Norfolk wants to move onto the Calder Cup Finals, they will need to keep playing great defense and goaltending, and score some timely goals against another great defensive team in Providence. Norfolk will need to play the matchups properly, as well as their third line will need to win some games. If Norfolk’s third line can steal a game or two this series will be completely different.

Writers’ Series Forecast:

Noobinator: This has been a low scoring season series so I expect the same at least from the bottom two lines. However we have Providence’s top line who is more of a cycling/forcing the pass line. Up against Norfolk’s top line which is a more skill style line which will try to move the puck in close and score some highlight reel goals. As I said earlier this is going to be up to Providence’s third line as the series in all likelihood will go to 6 or 7 games. If the series goes long I give the edge to Norfolk. However Providence has tried to execute the 5 game win in both series so far. Look for them to intentionally mismatch a game so they can get a win later on.

Arnooney: This will be a very interesting series to watch. Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners Providence vs Eastern East divisional winners Norfolk will be a defensive battle. Both teams were ranked #1 and #2 respectively in goals against this season. This series will be tight scoring, and the team who can score the most timely goals will win it. I think this series will come down to a battle of the 3rd lines, which 3rd line can win their games? I am going to give the edge to Norfolk in that regard, because Providence’s line can’t seem to win in the playoffs yet. This appears to be Providence’s most glaring weakness and they might need to mix up the lines if they want to win. Norfolk’s team chemistry and defensive concept will prevail, my prediction is Norfolk will win in 6 games.

Staff Predictions:
Arnooney: 4-2 Norfolk
Jay Rulez: N/A
MadeOfTwoFaces: 4-2 Providence
Noobinator: 4-3 Norfolk
Pahk: N/A
Riemersmaa: N/A
Sneaky: Norfolk 4-3
Zeno: N/A

Western Conference Finals

(1) Rochester Americans (57-19-6 120 PTS) vs. (2) Abbotsford Heat (54-22-6 114 PTS)
Season Series: 2-0 Abbotsford - GF 8 GA 6

​

Rochester - MadeOfTwoFaces
Rochester struggled a bit against Lake Erie, losing a lot of the offensive power that carried them through the season in games 4 and 5, but came out on top beating Lake Erie in 6 on the back of @SouPerSaiyans 11 points in 2 games and @Doc Status with 10. While the defense and goaltending let up, the offensive from Soupersaiyan and Doc hasn’t missed a beat and continues to ruin the night of goaltenders and defensemen alike.

Depth Grades:
FWD: [A] After round 2 Rochester struggled a bit through games 4 and 5 on the offensive end, but the 2 games they decimated Lake Erie levels that out in my eyes. They struggled against the defense of Lake Erie but fought it out to win in 6 and really wasn’t the weakpoint. However, if Soup and Doc are the only forwards to show up again, they will lose this series very quickly.
DEF: [B+] Things on the defensive end stayed fairly the same against Lake Erie, allowing 65 shots against through 6 games but also getting blown away in game 4 and losing game 5. These guys really need to step it up with the absence of their offense if they want to make it past Abbotsford and their offense.
G: The goaltending really underperformed against Lake Erie. Keep in mind I’m going strictly off stats here, but they didn’t face a lot of shots (only about 10.1 shots a game) and let up an average 0f 3 goals per game. Unless the goaltending can start stealing games for Rochester they’re in for a bit of trouble if everyone keeps struggling.

Players to Watch: @SouPerSaiyan, @SRU Thamps, @KabukiTV

How they got here:
Round 1 vs. Milwaukee (4-0): Rochester dominated the Western Conference all season, earning them the number 1 seed in the West. They put up goals against everybody, in front of some good defense and goaltending behind them. They proved they’re a strong team by sweeping aside Milwaukee in round 1 as easy as pie. Everybody contributed in 6+ goal games, and they only let an average of 1 goal a game past them.

Round 2 vs. Lake Erie (4-2): The offense and goaltending really struggled against the Monsters, letting up 3 goals per game on average and getting destroyed in game 4. Nonetheless, the team got by on the back of Doc and Soup each with over 10 points.

How they’ll advance to The Calder Cup Finals: If Rochester wants any chance of making it past Abbotsford, they’re gonna need some help from everyone that isn’t Doc and Soup. The offense was lackluster in Round 2 besides the line of Doc and Soup, and that isn’t going to get you anywhere. The whole team is going to have to step up and play better if they want to make it to the Calder Finals, otherwise they’ll be joining the rest of us on the outside looking in waiting for EA to say EASHL is on the One.


Abbotsford - Sneaky
8-1 in the play-offs after round 2 the Heat currently have the best record and everything going their way. Defense is still the story in Abbotsford only letting in 15 Goals frustrating top lines from Iowa and Chicago.The test this time is bigger being the team who finished 1st place in the West the Rochester Americans. For the first time in the series Abbotsford are playing a team they came on top of in the season series winning the first game 2-1 and the second 6-5. There is no doubt that this will not be a 4 or 5 game series expect 6-7 games and tight ones.
Defense VS Offense let see who takes it.
Depth Grades:
FWD: [B+] - Look for recently sent down @CRONKZYYY to gather the troops and propel this group of forwards against Rochester. At times, they have no issues with putting the puck in their opponents’ net but they have showed some signs of weaknesses throughout the season .
DEF: [A] - There’s a reason this team finished with the third lowest GA in the league. Defense. Anchored by @Sloshy Boxers, @Kbsmith37, @MBell91, and @mr perfect 48 this team will make you work for your goals day in and day out.
G: [A-] - With the previously mentioned D core in front of you each game there’s usually not too many reasons to worry as a goalie. However, these goalies have showed their worth throughout the season and will be able to steal games for their team if need be.

Players to Watch: F:@CRONKZYYY D: @Sloshy Boxers G: @Elegant Mullet

How they got here:
Round 1 vs. Chicago (4-0):Abbotsford cruised through their first round matchup against the Chicago Wolves in a clean 4-0 sweep. This was a series that caused quite a bit of controversy around the league as former NHLers @CRONKZYYY and @Kapka13 were swapped with members of the team once Calgary was eliminated. These moves proved to be relatively irrelevant as these players only started in the fourth and final game of the series. Abbotsford used a smooth combination of a high-powered offense and a smothering D to make quick work of the opposing Wolves.

Round 2 vs. Iowa (4-1): To my surprise Iowa could not stand the Heat only winning 1 game in the series. Abbotsford brought their A game every night except game 3 where Iowa thought they had their defense figured out winning 6-2. Well, Abbotsford bounced back with a 4-2 win in game 4 and 1-0 in game 5 to finish off Iowa’s season. For the second series in a row the Heat got 2 shutout victories, their roots from the season did not change they are sticking to defense and it is working for them.

How they’ll advance to The Calder Cup Finals: After game 4 Rochester Vs Abbotsford will be split 2-2. Game 5 will be in Rochester and this is the game that will mean everything to both team this series. Whoever takes it goes on to win game 6 and move on to the conference final. Now how will the Heat advance? The Same way they have all season, stellar defense, reliable goaltending and they will need to have their forwards keep putting the puck in the back of the net.This has not been a problem thus far in the play-offs for them and I’m pretty sure it won’t be in this series. Abbotsford has already eliminated 2 highly offensive teams why not a 3rd?

Writers Series Forecast:

MadeOfTwoFaces: This series will be decided by the Rochester roster, and if they decide to show up or not. This may be the most exciting series we’ve had all playoffs, or it will be a disappointment to everyone. Abbotsford has a chance to take advantage of the so far lackluster offense and goaltending, or they’ll have a chance to face a team that’s playing like they were playing all season long. Either way, this series can end in 5 games, or end in 7. It all depends on which Rochester shows up.

Sneaky: Like I already said this series will be decided in game 5. I know nothing is never over and blah blah blah whatever speech you wanna give me but if there is a split after game 4 whoever takes games 5 just rattled the other team and game 6 momentum will be with them. So unlike others I do not think this will be a 7 game Series. Game 7 top line vs top line would be exciting to watch though. I can’t pick a sure winner for this one so I am going to have to go with the team I wrote for. Abbotsford in 6 (Game 6 Shutout)

Staff Predictions:
Arnooney: Rochester 4-3
Jay Rulez: Rochester 4-3
MadeOfTwoFaces: Rochester 4-3
Noobinator: 4-2 Rochester
Pahk: Abbotsford 4-3
Riemersmaa: Rochester 4-3
Sneaky: Abbotsford 4-2
Zeno: Abbotsford 4-3

Four Questions with the Remaining GM’s - Pahk
Big thanks to the GM’s for making this possible.

​

Question 1: After a grueling summer season full of ups and downs do you feel the 4 remaining teams are the best the league has to offer or are there any teams you feel may have been more deserving of this spot but couldn’t catch the breaks needed?

Jay Rulez: “I think that the cream has definitely risen to the top and that the remaining four teams are indeed those who should take claim to being the best of the best. A couple teams were eliminated earlier than others may have thought but I believe that was for depth and availability reasons, both of which are integral to making a great team. The four remaining teams are being managed by veteran management teams and you can tell that they have all been playoff tested before by the line combinations and the line match-ups that they have produced. It's going to be a fun final 4 showdown between these powerhouses.”

Zeno: “I guess there isn't any other teams that should be here. The teams that are here now are here for a reason. They have all worked hard all season and have gotten to the point where they have the cup in sight. We cannot take away from those accomplishments by claiming that some other team should be here instead.”

Crass: “Yes”

Kbsmith: “Yes, I absolutely agree that these four teams belong here. Summer season does hinder availability but AHL player skill was even better this season. So the summer season shouldn't have an asterisk mark beside it.”



Question 2: When did you realize your team had the capability to go this far into the post-season? Was there a turning a point in the regular season? If so what was it? (Ed. Note yes this is more than one question but I’m a giver.)

Jay Rulez: “Norfolk had a couple turning points that I look back on. During the first two weeks of the season, we played around with some line match-ups and D combinations. We lost quality guys in @DEL ZOTTO X82X and @BESTkeptHUSHx35 who I thought would cripple our team after the 2nd week and things didn't look as promising. Nonetheless, in came @NotableMaple and @Dawgz45 and those guys have been lights out for us and utterly consistent. In week 8, we were trying to lock up the division and beat WBS' and Hershey's best lines on the same night to secure the division. We had a 2-4 week up to that point and risked falling farther in the playoff race whether it be in the division or conference so those two wins really propelled us into another state of mind (we are 19-4 since those games). The final big turning point came from the @hicksy999, @lMacArthur l16l, @lRyan l6l line in playoffs by winning the first two games vs Hershey and sending us into the Conference Finals by beating Springfield's top line. Those guys along with Maple, his ECU D partner and both of our goalies (shoutout to @NG Bhawk and Dawgz) are giving us some phenomenal performances so far.”

Zeno: “The turning point did not come this season. It really came last season, when I was able to convince @Couture l 39 l to join me in managing this team. Although it was the middle of the season he still agreed to do it. Since then we have not looked back and we have produced a great team both last season and this season. We are very happy with everybody on this team, and we know they have a real will to win that rivals even ours.”

Crass: “After week one. The turning point was when i was able to acquire Kabuki at the trade deadline, It gave us two solid goalies. The acquisition of Pensman66 was also key due to the fact that it solidified 3 D pairs.”

Kbsmith: “I realized it last season. We had a lot of contracted players and used all 3 resigns. We only needed a couple of players in bidding to continue our quest for the cup.”


Question 3: All four of you have proven your mettle and done a great job assembling your teams, but is there anything you wish you had done differently this season?

Jay Rulez: “I am one who abides by the butterfly effect so I am going to say no. We are here because of everything that's happened before us and the experiences that we've encountered have shaped our identity of the present day.”

Zeno: “I have only managed for two seasons (including this one) so for the most part I have had some learning experiences, and I have looked back and thought "I wish I would have done things differently." Do I wish I would have made better decisions? No, not at all, but perhaps I should have done some things differently. The team we have here is great at all aspects of the game and I couldn't ask for a better group of guys.”


Crass: “No.”

Kbsmith: “I wish I could have picked a different owner. Kulikov was the worst thing that happened to the CGY organization or any organization. I could of had a 100% increase in player skill if I wasn't forced to bid on AHL players to send to Kulikovs disaster. Draft picks could have doubled. I had to constantly trade all my great TC players to send CGY players. I also spent every single week keeping CGY a float.”

Question 4: In closing can you guys give me a quick breakdown of what your team will need to do to be successful in the Conference Championships? On the flipside what would need to go wrong for your team not to advance?

Jay Rulez: “We will need to continue playing strong two-way hockey to limit Providence's time and space. They are built very similar to us so it's going to be interesting to see how Zeno wants to match us if he does at all. I think that we will need to score some big goals and get some timely saves so if those don't happen, it's going to be tough to take out Providence. They're a team who thrives in transition so limiting turnovers and chances will be crucial but on the flip side, we will need to make good on ours. It's war time in the East and it's going to be fun!”

Zeno: “Norfolk will be hard team, and there is no denying that. We are going to have to come out of the gates playing the best that we possibly can, and if @l MrLundqvist l gets going we can be a great team. If we can then we have a chance to move on to the next round. I really don't want to think about losing at this point after everything we have been through as a team, but if have an availability problem that will be the biggest killer to us.”

Crass: “Keep playing like we have been. We won't lose.”

Kbsmith: “Our forwards need to be on point. We have All star D and will only be hurt if our forwards can't find the back of the net.”

 

Thank You!

We really needed a new thread!

@Mt Willard @An Angry Hadji @pensman66 @SRU Thamps @KabukiTV, Don't worry about the "Not showing up" comment you've been playing phenomenal. We may not light up the scoreboard however we are 13-0-1 in our last 14 games. Keep it up. @mIst3r Master will continue to play well and that line will be the deciding factor in this series.

 

Need a new thread like big rig needs a new game to play for the next few weeks. AMIRITE?!!!

 

Abbotsford in 5, rumor is Willard got a new wig to hide his hairline and with the new found confidence he might steal a game.
Providence in 6, Bealer 12.

 

You have been removed from DAD duties, effective immediately

 

KB you guys are only all-stars because we back check

 

Maybe we will end up just like the pens did, that would be something. Good luck to the heat. I feel as though the thread could've used more SouP and Doc mentions

 

Zeno: “The turning point did not come this season. It really came last season, when I was able to convince @Couture l 39 l to join me in managing this team. Although it was the middle of the season he still agreed to do it.

 

@CRONKZYYY and the Abbotsford Heat in 5 maybe 6

 

[MENTION=6672]Heimbecker[/MENTION]

 

Whats up with you nerds searching for my FB lmao
#Nolifes
P.S Hows the Golf course nub

 

there he goes with that "golfing" "chirp", do us all a favour and shut up

 

Didn't you just lose to [MENTION=7265]Wonger257[/MENTION] ?
Why are you even typing on these forums kid

 

Haha that's all you have? No wonder you always say golfing this golfing that, you can't think of anything else. Didn't you lose to Abbotsford? Why are you even typing on these forums kid

 

Wonger > Sloshy > Crass

Wonger is the GOAT now

 

Ya i did lose to a ABB line up that didn't have you in it by one goal you got me there
But what you weren't counting on is where i beat you 5-2 when you were in the lineup kid
http://www.leaguegaming.com/forums/...age=game&gameid=82536&leagueid=38&seasonid=18
just in case you didn't believe me
Now stop typing in the forums you nub

 

This aint versus buddy , that does not mean shit to no one. It's 6's anything can happen and most players get carried around by studs

 

Glad regular season matters so much in playoffs...

 

Not taking anything away from that game or trying to start anything with you Willard, but I know you are aware that Live Jordan is 100% the reason that was a loss.

 

When i beat him 2 of the people in my lineup ended up in the CHL and the others were just average. It looks like you couldn't find people to carry you and you were a AGM Frenchy
I might get carried but im not Management so i don't chose the line that i play with. Whats your excuse?