LGAHL PSN Playoff Predictions (Reign vs Wild)

LGAHL PSN S20 Round 1 Playoff Predictions


I will start off by saying that I do not know everyone in the league but I will do my best to make sure to be as thorough as I can predicting video game playoff matchups. If you want to see your team previewed. Get your management to provide me with projected lines and I will do my best to get them posted before Sunday.


Western Conference

(#1 Seed) Vs (#8 seed)



Line 1 :

C: @CHUDDY_KEIG
Lw: @xX1_Stxtzle_8Xx
Rw: @Corcky1996
LD: @Rockgosu4
RD: @StillMaalik

I might be slightly biased having played lots with all of these guys but this line is going to be tough for anyone. Corcky had an MVP level season and lost out on the scoring title by two points after a forfeit on Sunday sealed his fate. He may have been the most dominant forward in the entire league this season after breaking the Reign single season point record. Stutzle on the other wing has also quietly put together a very solid season, putting up 82 pts in 24 games. Up the middle xChuddy took another step in development after a sensational rookie season in the AHL so this is a forward line that will be very, very tough to contain.


On defense Rock and Maalik complement eachother well. Maalik is Maalik. He talks too much about random shit mid game and has his defensive lapses but he is there to create offense and he does that fairly well. Rock is the polar opposite. Not a ton of offensive skill but enough of it to hang. Very good defensively; and quiet. It works.

Line 2:

C: @RapleSyrup15
LW: @KuttnKornerz
RW: @Maxlagloire
LD: @Sad Region
RD: @xDolphx-


I won't sit here and pump my own tires but I think Joe NHL has put together a decent season at center in S20 with 93 pts in 26 games. A lot of those points are assists (64) and are a product of having wingers who are fantastic goal scorers. KuttnKornerz may have been the steal of bidding at 1.25. An NHL caliber LW who was a goalie up until this season, his 96 pts speak for themselves. Maxlagloire has 37 and 41 goals in his last 2 seasons and plays his role very well with this line. Pure goal scorer.

Dolph manning the back end for this group adds a whole different element to creating offense. Arguably the best offensive defenseman in the AHL this season putting up a ridiculous 57 pts. He is paired with Regioon; an RAA coming over from Xbox. Not a big point scorer but he has had a pretty solid season next to Dolph.

Line 3:

C: @BilB0_II22II
LW: @eye2797
RW: @xRaymondx23
LD: @xBowlly-94
RD: @Snipshow-00

This line is a great example of why you spread the wealth in the playoffs. Bilbo with 20 wins on the season centers the third, AHL Journeyman and S1 Veteran, Eye adds some experience to the forward line and Raymond rounds out the forward group. Raymonds 72 pts make this line one of the better 3rds.

Speaking of spreading the wealth, Bowlly on this line makes it that much better, likely the best defenseman in a Reign jersey he is able to control the game very well with his two-way game. Snipshow is a new defenseman who transitioned from C this season. Another offense first RD paired with a strong defensive LD (Does anyone see the pattern here ?). They wont be a pushover by any means.

Goaltending:

@KinGDooGi stole the show this season for the Reign putting up an .816 sv pct and a 2.15 GAA. Doogi also broke the Ontario Reign single season wins record with 41. @sweetlou-1st has been no slouch in his own right, with an .814 and 2.31 to attach to his name. There's no wrong answer in net for the Reign





Line 1:

C: @OhMyCam
LW: @bluedevil631
RW @xLoachx
D: @Striznizz
D: @Karlssxn

OhMyCam runs this team and also headlines the top line for his Wild. He led his team in scoring this season with 80 pts (48 goals) and has been a big reason his team was able to secure a playoff spot. Bluedevil mans the left wing on line one and was able to pop 74 points this season, he has managed to get into the 90’s once in his AHL career and is an upper echelon player in the league. Loach hasn’t had a spectacular career in the “A” up until now but was able to put together a solid season this year; posting 18 wins and 62 points. A strong top forward line, no doubt.

Karlssxn and Striznizz man the points on line one for Iowa and have 18 and 15 wins respectively. Both are below a point per game on defense with Strizz only having 7 career goals (Yeah I see your goal count in the bio, my dude). Jokes aside these are two good veteran defenders who can hold their own.



Line 2:

C: @xStLiLLUSi0N
Lw: @ImSooSorreh
RW: @Franklishh
D: @NinxtyFour
D: @rockshow84


STLIllusion centers this line and looks to be consistently a 50 point centerman in the CHL and AHL alike. He was able to muster 71 points this season; a career high and managed 14 wins to go along with it. Franklish was able to mirror his centermans point total; also putting up 71 and ImSoSorreh controls the left wing. At first glance it looks like Sorreh has had a lackluster season but when you dive a little deeper and realize he’s only played 16 games, his 10 wins and 51 pts hold up over that sample size at 3.19 PPG. Sorreh is the guy on this line and will need to produce if they want to make it past the first round.

After going 34-10-5 in the CHL as a left handed LD, Rockshow was drafted this season and almost immediately transitioned to RD. After week 7 he was dealt from Springfield to Iowa and has since gone 6-3 to finish off his season with 16 wins. With 2 goals and 14 assists across 26 games he’s been a well above average rookie defenseman. His partner Ninxtyfour is a career below .500 defenseman with a -57 Plus/Minus in the AHL but did manage to stay above that watermark this season and finished 2 points shy of a point per game as a d-man. Not a mark to hang your head about what-so-ever.

Line 3:
C: @RoutineClutch
Lw: @Suzuki2Caufield (#Imfly)
Rw: @Cross_X_Check
D: @SmithsterNS
D: @Chxlked

This one is a weird one. Routine up the gut here has had an AHL (and CHL) career that is nothing to write home about by any means but the guy led the AHL playoffs in scoring last season; albeit in a 6 game sample. Maybe he’s lucky? Maybe he’s (routine) clutch? I guess we will find out. Suzu on the left side has won a Calder in s16 with Hartford (Cup check, not a big deal) but has a reputation for getting a little carried away on the offense and not paying such close attention to defense. He’s a role player but he plays his role well in the right spot. He needs to score goals to be effective. Crosscheck is an Xbox veteran with nearly 400 career games in the Xbox NHL, but has struggled a bit to find his way on the PSN side. He was picked up in trade after week 5 and has only managed to win 3 of 14 games since the deal.

Chxlked and Smithster have also been struggling of late with 7 and 8 wins on the season respectively. Chxlked on the second season of a DP contract has not yet been able to put it together in the A after being drafted following a good showing in the C in S18. Smithster hasnt fared much better with a career 6-13-4 record on LD in the AHL. This line as a whole has been having all kinds of trouble getting into the win column lately.

@Hawkeye1403_ and @TickleMySackic man the pipes in Iowa. Hawkeye has put in more time in the crease this season and has slightly better numbers but Sakic has been around, bouncing between player and goalie in the AHL since S4. Not a bad goaltending duo and I won't speculate as to who the starter should be but we will give them a passing grade in net.


Summary:

Line 1 - Advantage
Line 2- Advantage
Line 3- Advantage
Goaltending: Advantage

Official Prediction:

in 5

While trying my best not to be biased I do still think Ontario is the heavy favorite here. Winning the presidents trophy was no fluke and the depth is far too much for Iowa to handle. One of their first two lines might be able to snag a game if they play well, maybe even two. However, having three lines that can dominate on any given night and two goalies well into the 800’s for sv pct gives the Reign the edge from top to bottom.



I will be individually previewing each matchup for every grouping that is willing to provide me with their projected lines. By all means I understand if you don't want to share this information. That is each managers own decision but I will only be previewing those matchups where both managers agree to share their lines.


Hoping you guys enjoyed the preview and if you want to see a preview of your own team you can have your management PM me a general idea of how the lines are set up and I will do my best to get as many as I can done before Sunday.

 

3 of my 7 goals have come this season so you better watch out I'm a scoring machine

 

amazing writeup, Raple. This is awesome.

 

@Striznizz is a pure goal scorer, trust me.

 

You skipped your 9 am nhl drop in games to write this didn’t you

 

You let your hot dogs overcook in the microwave replying to this thread, didn't you?

 

#imfly

 

This would have been amazing if you weren’t actually on the reign

 

Just happened to be the first matchup I had lines from both teams in. Did you want me to not post my own matchup? Or lie and say I think we are going to lose? What are you trying to get at sir?

 

@xStLiLLUSi0N looking foward to face you my old friend

 

Nah, but clearly you would be biased if it’s your own team. It’s a complement I’m just pointing out that despite the entitled bias to your own team, that this is a great write up that’s all.

 

Ontario in 4.