Well, we’ve made it to the big time now. Playoffs are beginning for the CBJ Summer Cup, and the top 16 teams from the regular season will look to take the crown and the $2000 prize. In the final days there was plenty of parity and a massive race for the final few spots in the playoffs, which made for some highly entertaining games. Some may be confused with how the playoff bracket is created, as it is not as simple as 1v16 and so on. To keep it brief, seeds 1-8 starting at the top, are able to pick their first round opponent. This can be used as a benefit for those who finished higher to pick a matchup they stack up well with, or they may simply think their mirror (1v16, 2v15, etc.) is not the best possible matchup for themselves. Please note that all of the ranks in parentheses are the rank of the remaining teams in the playoffs (1-16) NOT the entire CBJ Summer Cup team list. #1 The Underdogs vs #11 The Offseason The top dogs (no pun intended) of the CBJ Pepsi Summer Cup select The Offseason as their opponent. Offseason danced around the bubble teams for the majority of the event, until a perfect 8-0 week 4 skyrocketed them to an 11th seed. Offseason aren’t necessarily sudden newcomers to the scene, as they started with a T32 finish in Caps Gaming, before just missing the ESHL S13 open playoffs. They punched their ticket with a perfect 8-0 week 4 to scoop up the 11th seed. Underdogs of course, had a dominant regular season. They were constantly at least top 3 in the standings, and at the end finally made it to the top. They have a plethora of weapons at all positions, and have the skill and creativity to put up 5+ goals on you at any point. They never had an 0-2 series, and never had worse than a 6-2 week to claim the top spot for playoffs. The Underdogs: Record: 27-4-1 Goals For: 122 (3rd) Goals Against: 48 (2nd) Goal Differential: 74 (2nd) PP%: 33.9 (7th) PK%: 88.9 (2nd) TOA Difference: 62:10 (10th) Shot Difference: 148 (3rd) Faceoff %: 54.7 (3rd) Vs The Offseason: Record: 20-11-1 Goals For: 104 (7th) Goals Against: 88 (16th) Goal Differential: 16 (15th) PP%: 35.2 (5th) PK%: 83.9 (5th) TOA Difference: 31:14 (14th) Shot Difference: 21 (16th) Faceoff %: 51.3 (11th) Keys to the series: Underdogs will simply need to carry their dominance from the regular season to the playoffs. This is a well experienced lineup with a lot of chemistry and skill, so as long as they keep the mental vibes high throughout they will be more then fine. They finished top 5 in many statistical categories, and deservedly so. Offseason will look to use their week 4 hot streak as a morale injection and ride it high heading into the series. They can’t get intimidated by the top seed or they’ll find themselves out of it quickly. Staying out of the box and staying disciplined will help as well, as they had the second most penalties out of the final 16 with 114:00 in PIMS. #2 Vertigo vs #9 Prodigy Consistent powerhouse Vertigo comes up against newcomer to the top dogs in Prodigy. Vertigo has been a staple at the top of event leader boards for the latter half of the 2020 season, and look to continue the trend finishing second in regular season play. Not only did the team finish in the top of all major team stats, this could serve as the right mental reset for a team who has been atop the standings for every event they have played in. Prodigy is a newly formed team for this event, and came out with a bang, finishing top 10 in the standings. The team features two top versus players in Canadians and Geimer up front, with some experienced 6’s players around them. A solid roster who has definitely surprised some in a good way. Vertigo: Record: 25-5-2 Goals For: 103 (8th) Goals Against: 60 (7th) Goal Differential: 43 (7th) PP%: 20.5 (14th) PK%: 63.6 (16th) TOA Difference: 93:05 (5th) Shot Difference: 124 (9th) Faceoff %: 47.4 (15th) Vs Prodigy: Record: 21-10-1 Goals For: 101 (10th) Goals Against: 58 (6th) Goal Differential: 43 (7th) PP%: 27.6 (11th) PK%: 92.0 (1st) TOA Difference: 34:34 (13th) Shot Difference: 139 (5th) Faceoff %: 52.2 (9th) Keys to the Series: Vertigo will look to assert their experience and dominance on a relatively new roster. This team has the skill and the chemistry to beat any team on any given night, and will just need to stick to their own gameplan to win. Their special teams have been lacking, ranking towards the bottom in both PP% and PK%, so they will look to stay 5on5 as much as possible. Prodigy will need to keep the games as close as they can. If you let a team like Vertigo gain some confidence offensively and run away with a game, it will spiral out of control and blow up in your face. They are fairly solid at keeping the puck out of their net, so keeping games low scoring, tight games will allow Prodigy to potentially sneak away with 1 or 2 of the opening games before Vertigo even notice what’s happened. #3 vs #15 Ruthless #3 seeded comes up against #15 Ruthless in this first round matchup. started off extremely slow going 1-2-1 in the opening day, but rattled off a 17 game win streak to reenter playoff contention and eventually carried the momentum to a 3rd place finish. One of the longest tenured rosters, their new additions have helped this team rapidly climb back into contender status for any event they compete in. Ruthless is another newly formed team for the CBJ event, featuring lot’s of veterans of the scene. The team would alternate between high win weeks and some .500 weeks, although primarily playing against top competition and going .500 consistently is no small feat for teams looking to move up the ranks. With guys from teams like 6th Sense, Gladiators, and Phantoms to name a few, there is playoff pedigree and experience to make a deep playoff run. : Record: 24-6-2 Goals For: 106 (6th) Goals Against: 51 (3rd) Goal Differential: 55 (4th) PP%: 33.3 (8th) PK%: 88.4 (3rd) TOA Difference: 80:22 (6th) Shot Difference: 178 (2nd) Faceoff %: 54.6 (4th) Vs Ruthless: Record: 20-8-4 Goals For: 76 (16th) Goals Against: 67 (12th) Goal Differential: 9 (16th) PP%: 16.7 (16th) PK%: 73.3 (14th) TOA Difference: 68:09 (8th) Shot Difference: 139 (5th) Faceoff %: 51.1 (12th) Keys to the Series: will need to continue to follow whatever gameplan they have crafted in the past 3 months. They have been on a resurgent path in the past few events, and some could say they are inching closer to the dominance they had in the NHL 19 season. They rank top 10 in every statistical category, and need to ride their confidence and momentum throughout the playoffs. Ruthless will need to use their experience in the 6’s scene to elevate to the challenge. They are the perceived underdog here, but this team is by no means poorly skilled. Getting an early lead in both the game and the series will put on their heels and allow them to play their gameplan. #4 Chilltown vs #13 Unknown Talent Chilltown will go up against #13 ranked Unknown Talent. Chilltown was a last minute team creation, and it has paid off in dividends for them, going 23-7-2 in the regular season. The team finished regular season play red hot, going 14-2 in the final weeks heading into the playoffs, and will look to continue their streak there. Unknown Talent is a brand well known to the competitive 6’s scene, with placings in pretty much every recent event with varying rosters. The team finished with a 21-8-3 record, good enough for 13th place. Chilltown: Record: 23-7-2 Goals For: 100 (11th) Goals Against: 46 (1st) Goal Differential: 54 (5th) PP%: 36.2 (3rd) PK%: 81.3 (8th) TOA Difference: 69:30 (7th) Shot Difference: 125 (8th) Faceoff %: 53.9 (5th) Vs Unknown Talent: Record: 21-8-3 Goals For: 93 (14th) Goals Against: 66 (11th) Goal Differential: 27 (13th) PP%: 23.3 (13th) PK%: 79.4 (10th) TOA Difference: -28:13 (16th) Shot Difference: 34 (15th) Faceoff %: 51.6 (10th) Keys to the Series: Chilltown will need to use their momentum as fuel to their playoff run. Ending the regular season on a good note will certainly elevate the morale to a high level early on, and could be the difference maker if the team is on the back foot early. They also were the number 1 team defensively, only allowing 46 goals, so they will need to continue their strong defensive game to be successful. Unknown Talent can’t let their opponents smother them with the puck. Being the only team in the final 16 with a negative Time on Attack Differential, it will pose as a glaring weakness if they can’t get any solid possession opportunities. With Chilltown’s prominent defensive play, they will have to match said performance with good defense as well to keep the games tight. #5 Entourage vs #10 One Nation Caps Gaming Showcase champions Entourage will go up against #10 ranked One Nation Entourage has been at the top of events for quite some time, and it is no surprise to see them 5th with a 24-6-2 record. They hovered outside the playoffs for a while after alot of OT wins and tight games with top teams. Before pulling away from the pack. The French squad One Nation came into the tournament with a revitalized roster and finished 10th in the regular season. They started and finished the season off strong, going 6-2 each week, with their only struggles coming in the middle weeks. Entourage: Record: 24-6-2 Goals For: 94 (13th) Goals Against: 65 (10th) Goal Differential: 29 (12th) PP%: 31.1 (9th) PK%: 81.1 (9th) TOA Difference: 22:03 (15th) Shot Difference: 113 (11th) Faceoff %: 52.4 (8th) Vs One Nation: Record: 20-9-3 Goals For: 115 (4th) Goals Against: 71 (13th) Goal Differential: 44 (6th) PP%: 35.0 (6th) PK%: 78.6 (11th) TOA Difference: 100:09 (3rd) Shot Difference: 137 (7th) Faceoff %: 50.2 (13th) Keys to the Series: Entourage can’t get impatient and demoralized during the series. This team has the skill and the pedigree to be considered contenders no matter the opponent, and the only true way they can feel completely beatable is if their mental game is thrown off. They have the ability to blow up teams or to play close, so they have no reason to get desperate if they drop a game in the best of 5 series. One Nation will look to use their high octane offense to their advantage. The team ranked 4th out of the top 16 for goals for, and 3rd in TOA Differential, so they like to be the ones with their finger on the game’s pulse. They’ll have to control the tempo and catch Entourage on the rush with some quick goals. #6 Flawless vs #12 Turning Point #6 Flawless will go up against #12 Turning Point in this first round matchup. The PSN team Flawless had a bumpy road during the season, with a disastrous 1 win week 2, before coming back with only 1 loss in the final 2 weeks to punch their ticket. Turning Point unfortunately caught the case of tough scheduling, as a hot start put them up against top 16 teams consistently. Whenever they played a non playoff team they found great success, but the occasional loss to a top 16 team dropped them down to #12 in the standings. Flawless: Record: 23-7-2 Goals For: 100 (11th) Goals Against: 64 (9th) Goal Differential: 36 (10th) PP%: 20.4 (15th) PK%: 82.1 (7th) TOA Difference: 60:07 (11th) Shot Difference: 49 (14th) Faceoff %: 46.3 (16th) Vs Turning Point: Record: 20-9-3 Goals For: 126 (2nd) Goals Against: 56 (5th) Goal Differential: 70 (3rd) PP%: 44.2 (2nd) PK%: 76.5 (12th) TOA Difference: 66:09 (9th) Shot Difference: 143 (4th) Faceoff %: 53.8 (6th) Keys to the Series: Flawless will need to use their momentum to their advantage. While Turning Point stumbled into the playoffs with 3 straight losses, including an 0-2 against Flawless themselves, Flawless cruised in with an 8 game winning streak. Even against weaker opponents, the ability to develop chemistry and find success can make or break a team going into such an environment as the playoffs. Turning Point need to eliminate the idea of being an underdog from their head. While they did finish below Flawless, they played much tougher competition throughout, and managed top 10 every stat except PK%. They should feel confident heading into the series, and will need to play their own gameplan and control the flow of the game. #7 Composure vs #14 Complex ESHL S12 winners Composure go up against #14 ranked Complex. Composure made some roster tinkering and haven’t looked back since, winning some smaller events, and came into the CBJ Summer Cup guns a blazing. A stumble towards the end of the season against some top teams is the only reason this team dropped down all the way to 7th. The west coast team of Complex hovered on the bubble of a playoff spot for the majority of the season, before a strong week 4 vaulted them into the playoffs and the 14th seed, going 6-1 in the process. Composure: Record: 22-9-1 Goals For: 150 (1st) Goals Against: 63(8th) Goal Differential: 87 (1st) PP%: 48.4 (1st) PK%: 76.5 (12th) TOA Difference: 110:35 (1st) Shot Difference: 231 (1st) Faceoff %: 56.9 (1st) Vs Complex: Record: 20-9-3 Goals For: 102 (9th) Goals Against: 75 (15th) Goal Differential: 27 (13th) PP%: 30.0 (10th) PK%: 72.1 (15th) TOA Difference: 52:21 (12th) Shot Difference: 104 (12th) Faceoff %: 52.5 (7th) Keys to the Series: Composure will simply need to assert their dominance across the series. They finished first in 6 of the 8 stat categories shown out of the top 16, and certainly deserve the credit. They have no business feeling like a 7th seed, and will need to feel confident in how they’ve played throughout the event and keep playing their game. They are very difficult to out possession and to out play in the neutral zone. Complex are going to need to capitalize on their west coast connection when it is given to them. While it is frustrating and seems abusive at times, it is a unique trait only found in Complex, so utilizing it will be their x factor to any game. They have been inconsistent at times during the season, so staying on track and fending off the early onslaught and sneak in an early goal/game will lead to success for Complex. #8 6th Sense vs #16 Denial: ESHL S13 Champions 6th Sense will go up against 16th seeded Denial in the final first round matchup. 6th Sense continued their success from previous with 7-1 and 6-2 weeks in every week except for a tough 3 win week 3. Their core roster is the same as when they won the latest ESHL season, so they know how to make a deep playoff run and win it all in events like these. Denial is a recently created team with former players from Prophecy come together and finish 20-7-5 to grab the final playoff spot for the CBJ Summer Cup. They were up and down in the regular season, with solid weeks 1 and 3, but struggled in weeks 2 and 4. 6th Sense: Record: 22-7-3 Goals For: 90 (15th) Goals Against: 53 (4th) Goal Differential: 37 (9th) PP%: 25 (12th) PK%: 82.9 (6th) TOA Difference: 95:43 (4th) Shot Difference: 118 (10th) Faceoff %: 55.0 (2nd) Vs Denial: Record: 20-7-5 Goals For: 107 (5th) Goals Against: 71 (13th) Goal Differential: 36 (10th) PP%: 35.7 (4th) PK%: 87.5 (4th) TOA Difference: 102:13 (2nd) Shot Difference: 71 (13th) Faceoff %: 49.3 (14th) Keys to the Series: 6th Sense will look to utilize their chemistry to find the right openings. Both of these teams are very solid possession wise, so good team play will be the difference maker here. 6th Sense have done it before, and will lean on their experience and chemistry over a relatively new team to be the difference in the series. They were also a very good defensive team, so they will have to continue that trend in the playoffs, where games will be guaranteed to be tighter close games. They cannot underestimate Denial simply because they were the final playoff spot. Denial will be on the opposite side of the spectrum, with a newer offensive team, ranking in the top 5 in goals for. Their special teams have to be a key contributor to this stat, with a 4th best powerplay at 35.7 percent. This team is by no means a bottom team pushover, and it’s no surprise so many teams skipped picking them in favour of higher seeded teams. A second best TOA Difference means this team likes to control the puck and does it with good success, so it will be the battle of who makes the first mistake in the series. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That’ll do it from me for this playoff write up. There is a lot of top talent here, and some really solid squads to watch out for in future events. Lots of unique story lines to follow, and lots to prove for others. I appreciate everyone taking the time to read my content for the 6’s scene. Good luck to all the teams competing! I’ll see you around for Northern Arena.
