Season 12 Playoffs Round 1 Preview

Hi guys, so most of you haven't been around long enough to remember, but I used to do a ton of media. Anything you could really think of, I really enjoyed writing about. This is when I was first starting as a journalism major plus I lived for it so this was a perfect place to practice with a bunch of write ups. I completely ran out of gas when it comes to that kind of stuff, but I felt up to it for today at least, to bring some of that back.

Here's some of the stuff I used to do;

Draft Recap (2 season lookback)
https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums/index.php?threads/season-7-draft-breakdown-and-recap.277877/

Playoff Preview;
https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums...rn-conference-playoff-preview-round-1.267058/

Trade Breakdowns;
https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums...eakdowns-part-2-deadline-week-edition.266310/

Pre-Season Rankings;
https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums...-season-ranking-of-all-teams-in-tiers.263426/

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Anyway, that's some past reading fodder if you care to re-visit it. I can't give that level of depth anymore, it was way easier when I wasn't management myself, and I just dont have the heart for it anymore, so this will be a little shorter. Enough formalities though, here's a quick playoff preview.

I'm going to troll a little bit and roast some people here and there, along with some serious predictions too. Don't be mad online about it

S12 Playoff Matchups


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Western Conference

I feel like people always start with the east, so I'll give the West first for a change.

(P1) vs (WC2)

Arizona, formerly Florida of the past few seasons, returns to the playoffs with basically the same core they have every single season. They made a big trade at the deadline, picking up @nickyP1999 but really this feels like almost every other iteration of FLA the past few seasons. @Boughss has turned into a very solid center and @MrPurpleCrush is one of the more reliable RD's in the league. There's actually a lot I like about this team, and they have 2 lines that if matched right, could win out in a series.

@vKB-_- won the lottery this season to grab @Canadiens-27 1st overall, and then gave up 2 1sts to me to move up and take @Hughesy_71 as well in the early 1st. These 2 turned out to be massive additions to the perennial 1 line KB squad, along with @DeathClxwn in helping KB finally realize he needs more than 25 mil on his line to make a contending team. Their forward core is DEEP and their d core is very average looking to me but maybe it's good for the league now? Idk. Regardless I really like this team, and if KB can get his internet sorted for the playoffs I think they'll be a problem.

Prediction; I actually quite like both teams, and there's a chance Arizona's west line changes this series, but I think EDM just will overmatch the Yotes. EDM in 6



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(P2) vs (P3)

@radicalapex is one of my favorite people in LG, super nice and helped me for seasons with awards, also a perennial playoff owner that nobody talks about. I just really love the guy. Anyway, he brought back his S9 1st line that brought him to the cup finals last year, in @Tcx7 @JCoul @Wallywallabee. They're all kinda washed by now but all good guys and still pretty decent. On the back end, I can't believe I'm saying this in 2019 (Almost 2020), but they're led by @zdball who despite not playing a single club game in like 2 years, just posted arguably his best season of his career. They also have @AC_gee but after that things look pretty bleak to me. They've got the AHL heroes in @Pelley_ @Frauts and @BMillzy_ and I've heard through the grapevine that these three have been absolutely aids this season. Can't confirm or deny that personally, just what I've heard, but I know for a fact after seeing Pelley run around shirtless after winning an AHL playoff game last season, that they have the heart you need in the loffs. They've also got my old partner in crime @Flapjack8796 who has completely forgotten how to play NHL. At this point he'd probably be better off on the Barracuda, but I still love him. In net they're backstopped by the perennially underrated @Penguins2013. He was unquestionably a top 5 goalie on PSN last year and he hasn't skipped a beat this season either. This team has a lot of good dudes and some decent players and I think they could surprise some people.

@Ducksfanwaterloo made his long awaited jump to ownership this season, and proceeded to post a statline comparable to his season 3 Calgary Flames disaster. Idk how he managed to be so ass frankly, but he could still pop off for a 4 goal game in the series. They're led by the brothers @White_Knucklerz and @Professor_Merana and I have giant mancrushes on both of them, they're both sick and nice dudes, not to mention they always tweet pretty much exclusively at each other, which I find pretty funny. Another team that's kinda deep but also they look pretty meh on paper too. Honestly the more I look at it the more I think the west really sucked ass this season. Regardless this is still an interesting matchup and Seattle has 3 lines that could all win games.

Prediction; San Jose will have to beat @White_Knucklerz at least once to win this series, and I just don't think they will be able to. Seattle in 6



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(C1) vs (WC1)

After 11 seasons on the same contract, @eastons17 finally stepped into a GM role, alongside @CJ l58l who I'm convinced gets high just to come into the shoutbox to tell people he got high. He's also gotten to be pretty good at the game by now, though. The Kings also have the 2 angriest kids in the entire league, in @BLong67- and @SilvaL15L. I think these guys just live perennially mad at the world, but Thoma is one of the more skilled RW's in the league, though his stats don't really show it, and Silva has turned himself into a pretty good G as well. I just know this little breakdown has these 2 fuming and that makes me laugh. They'll find this league is a lot more enjoyable when you stop taking everything so seriously. (I say this knowing that I asked for 3rds for the 1st time ever, last week, yeah yeah I know, I can't help it if my team sucks ass and can't win without help) Anyway, I think these guys underperformed in a pretty big way in the regular season, I had them competing with EDM for the division, but I guess that's what happens when you put your d core in the hands of the only man capable of going 0-3 in the stanley cup finals @Theos-_- aka . @Distraqted is the goat though. I like this team a lot honestly it will just be funny seeing them meltdown when things don't go their way.

Colorado looked like absolute garbage out of bidding, then @Gourr- got himself cap banned, @Labrat stepped in and helped turn the team into an actual cup contender. @Diamond l 4 l also freshly off of his sweetheart contract headed off to the other conference after last season's collapse in the 2nd round. He brought back his partner in crime @xTarasenko91 where they shit on everyone this season, playing in a whopping 0 away games combined. They have a formidable 3rd line that could actually steal a game, but the fate of these guys lie in the hands of @Labrat and @Jxsse-21, they need to win some big games on this run for COL to go all the way, and I think they both can definitely do it; (Season 4 New Jersey hello!) Also their d core is pretty ugly but they have arguably the best goalie in the league, in @lx JoneZ xl who can help cover up a lot of those flaws. These guys look like a massive boom or bust team, but I think they have enough to win it all too.

Prediction; COL will just be too much for LA, some of the LA guys will rage at me for my comments and try and roast me back, not realizing I don't actually give a shit. COL in 5.



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(C2) vs (C3)

This one is definitely my favorite 1st round matchup out west. I think both of these teams are really solid and both have enough to win it all.

Chicago's roster is largely similar from that of the roster that kinda, sorta went all the way last season*
@Vish x 91 was having another great season dragging around Full Melt but they hit an absolute brick wall the last few weeks, so they'll need to pick it back up and fast if CHI wants to make any noise this season. The addition of @Crafted-95 at the deadline was huge for them, he's very very good and makes them a lot better. Their forward core is quite deep, and their G's, while somewhat unknown are both solid. I do think one of them is going to completely cost them a game though.

St. Louis (formerly Colorado) saw their owner and longtime member, Nav (whatever his name on the site is now), quit mid-season, but not before trading for former Calder runner-up @GirouxSZN and having him step up to GM. The team is run by @Lehk- now and I like a lot about this team, they have good fwds, the former best G in the game in @KingKonz- and enough quality d men to get by. However they also have arguably the league's biggest cancer in @OhhCrosby87 and the biggest goof in the league in @realdemonX who will probably let in a goal while either arguing with crosby mid-game or raging about madden in some discord chat while a game is going on in front of him. In all seriousness though, these guys made a pretty great turnaround from being a bubble team/out of the playoffs majority of the season, to almost running the table in week 9 where they managed to squeak into the 2nd slot in their division. They're moving in the right direction headed into the playoffs and I think this series is a must watch.

Prediction; Like I just said, I think this is easily the best series in the west for round 1, as both teams have enough to make a deep run if they can get past this round. I think it'll go 7 where I see STL squeaking it out in OT Game 7. STL in 7



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Eastern Conference

(A1) vs (WC2)

Obviously this is my team's series, so I don't want to say too much either way, but I know the Tampa guys reading this didn't scroll all the way this far for me to not say anything about them, so I'll say a little bit at least.

Tampa was essentially on cruise control for the President's Trophy since about week 3 or 4, and nobody really even challenged them. It's one of the more dominant regular seasons we've seen since Season 7 (I think). They're loaded up with quality frenchies but if they have one weak spot, it's their d core. After Lafleur there isn't a single 'big name' but they've shown all season that that hasn't mattered. @DoubleZERO33 and Kamakaze make for arguably the best goaltending duo in the league this season, and they have an exceptionally deep forward core, led by (In my opinion) one of the best players in the league in @Goostaav. These guys are deep, balanced and very well rounded. They'll be a tough out for any team.

As for my own team, it's a similar story to a couple of my past teams, if I lose a game, we're in trouble. If I don't lose, we usually do ok. It will be interesting to see if @I2I-Way-Hockey can beat a 3rd line in the playoffs cause he sure couldn't when we needed him to in the regular season. Also @Johnkenne y01 is ready to make his full time NHL playoff debut, a couple seasons after absolutely dragging @TheNortoriousBIG and Chelly (w/e he changed his name to), to a calder. He's had an up and down rookie season but is capable of winning big games, he'd be about 10x better if he ever played club with actual NHL players but as it is, the fridge is still good enough to grind out some wins.

Prediction; If @ll GOHST ll goes god mode like he did last season we have a chance, if he plays like it's week 9 of the regular season again, we're fucked.



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(A2) vs (A3)

As I said CHI-STL was the best 1st round matchup in the west, this series, or my own, will be the most interesting one in the east. I think this is the best matchup in the whole league though, for round one.

MTL surprisingly didn't take off after their huge trade, picking up all of the frenchies that play the game non-stop, and rage almost as hard as thomalong when things don't go well for them. They're really good though, and the duo of @ImLxziee- and @F0G 19 have proven to be arguably the best in the league the last two seasons. Their only real slip up has been the series vs BUF last season, but outside of that they've been dominant for about 50 games the last two seasons. They have the depth, they have a solid d core, and they have 2 goalies that are just alright. They also have one of the biggest gamechangers on either console in @Class Act 27 who has proven many times over the years that he can win a game by himself. I'm excited to watch some of these games, I hope they stream with voices shared though so I can hear Max and Skillzy screaming on the mic in french.

Detroit, despite having a few of the very best players in the league, way outperformed my expectations personally. Initially after bidding, I saw them as basically a 4 man team, with @McLxvinn running the ship, my former partner in crime @P t P 10 holding down the back end on one line with @Desjy99 and @Troak 25 doing their things as well. I still think that on paper this just isn't a great roster, but to their credit, their 3rd line won a ton of games this season, and if they can steal a game here or there in the playoffs, they definitely have the top end talent that you need more than anything else, in the playoffs.

@AgedEmbryo @Le-TKeSS @NeeZ-l- @AngZ-x @Claeys and @RWB_Official have all proven to be at the very least serviceable NHL'ers this season. Knees we already knew that but the rest were major question marks. Tyler Hayward still sucks ass though. On defense I still have major questions about the core after Jayce and Matt, but they've held up so far. Mooner is one of the most hit or miss goalies ever, he's just as likely to post a 25 save shutout as he is to give up 4 goals on 6 shots. General is a really solid goalie but an absolute rage monster also, he's just a weird dude. The Wings have a few of my absolute favorite people in the league though, I love em.

Prediction; Like I said, I think this is going to be the best series of round 1, and both teams I think if you put them in the West would be favorites along with EDM to come out of there. It's a real shame they were just both sheep instead of wolves. I'll have to go MTL in 6 here, but I think DET wins if it goes game 7.



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(M1) vs (WC1)

New Jersey threw pretty hard against the Rangers this week to try and make sure they were aligned to play them in round 1. This is the opponent they wanted out of all 4 of the other Metro teams, and they got them. The Rags are a bit of a shell of their old selves, with a similar build to teams of Ranger past, just with lower end players on both forward, and defense in my opinion. I really like the frenchies on this team though, and @VEXEloQuence is probably the Vezina winner this season. Turns out 11 seasons between appearances in net made no difference to him at all. @zCluutchh__ is capable of winning a game by himself, with his 1 on 1 ability, coupled with his ability to get behind the defense, and @Wavy Nana has had an excellent season, transitioning to fwd on PSN for the first time. I think these guys are a bit underrated but I also think their 3rd line will have to win a game for them to win this series and I just don't know if I see that happening.

New Jersey has a ton of guys that I've been teammates with previously, on their roster, with @BKerslake8 @Bry2230 @CantTreadOnMe_ @ScooTz-10 and @EbonyFetishz all from our Season 9 cup champ Sabres team, along with @AAli x 21 and @Compost06 from my xbox team, and former Rochester Americans @j_sherminator and @SLOTTERx9. Also @HazeeHype was my teammate for 1 week in S9 before I sent his ass packing cause I knew we weren't winning a cup with him on the roster. I like their roster a lot and their west line is complete aids to try and play against. All good players on that line, just the connection is aids. They also have the FNP goat in @joestud18 who can singlehandedly destroy any line (that he plays on). If this team has any glaring weaknesses, it's a very sub-par 3rd line (Many playoff teams have that) and goaltending that could truly cost them. Drnasty is decent, not amazing, and @Fleury-_l29l aka westsidehockey, has gone from great on Calgary, to possibly the single worst goalie in the NHL, even worse than paddle down Seth. They'd be better off with him no showing and 2 Hazee's trying to fill the net instead, at this rate. Overall though this is a really solid team that has the potential to go deep.

Prediction; @HazeeHype inevitably costs one of the games, and @ScooTz-10 goes emo and leaves the discord 6 times, one for each game in the series. Ultimately though @BKerslake8 clutches up and scores an absolute garbage goal to win it in game 6. NJD in 6



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(M2) vs (M3)

Columbus at the moment I think is the last team in the metro I would want to play, opening the playoffs. They have top end proven playoff winners, they have an upstart 3rd line that could steal a game, and they have a very deep d core. I think their G's are pretty weak but most teams have a big flaw here or there.

Of all the forwards on the roster, somehow @Domix28- led the team in scoring and wins, posting a huge season. The Italian Stallion moved up and down the lineup, playing all 3 forward positions and showed himself to be arguably the best utility player on the console. Don't let it get to your head though Luca you're still kinda ass, but kinda good too. Jay and Akon, if they play together have shown to be a duo capable of beating anyone in the league in any game, and that won't change here. If they play apart they'll both be expected to carry a line, which I think they also both can do. Whichever way they decide to go, no game will be a really easy win against them, I think they're very strong.


Washington features what turned out to be arguably the best line in the league this season, led by (maybe) future league MVP in @REAP 29 and (maybe) Norris winner @Danboni 16 (That name is terrible by the way). I played against them in week 9, and I think we completely gave the game away but I could definitely see how they did so well this season. Honestly if there is a pretender team in these playoffs, I think this is it. Washington picked up a lot of wins down the stretch by switching their 3rd line into forfeits and getting Reap's line extra games. Not to say they're a bad team or anything, but I think their 3rd is basically free wins, and their 2nd line isn't good enough to beat any top lines. I'd be happy to see them prove me completely wrong but nobody wants to read a preview/prediction where I just call everyone great and say everyone is the best. There's always pretenders, like the Rangers of past seasons, and I think if there is a team in the East to fly that flag this season, it's these guys. Prove me wrong

Prediction; Like I said, I think Columbus has the top end talent and I see Washington as the pretender of the east. Maybe it's just because of Reap's past playoff experiences, but I just have a hard time seeing Washington winning this one. CBJ in 5.

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That wraps it up for my 1st round predictions, I haven't done media in a long fucking time, and I can't promise that I'll follow this up for subsequent rounds, but I felt the fire for one night again at least.

Also I know I threw a few punches in this one but it's all playful, I don't hate anyone or think badly of any of you, just don't get your feelings hurt over it, use it to prove me wrong if you need some bulletin board material.

What are your thoughts for round 1? Where was I right, where was I way off? Did I hit anything right on the head? Enjoy!

JClaus

 

Solid write up Josh! Thanks for putting in the time.

 

Not to mention my 301 game shot streak dating back to S2 finally got snapped this season Hopefully things turn around for me in the playoffs


Great write-up @JClaus33!

 

I’m a nice guy this is unbelievable

 

@JClaus33 with all due respect, I think the Charlotte Checkers looks pretty good and its fair to say that they have a pretty good chance for the Calder. It would be a shame if , for any reason, you have to fuck them up.

With that being said, I'm wondering what kind of CHL inactive shitter you are about to call up to fill your empty spot at defense this time just to have the "right" to ECU your best AHL assets.
Same thing with @Fishhure who only played 13 games this season.

Solid write up btw

 

Quality write-up @JClaus33. Now everyone go follow me on the Twitter! https://twitter.com/jake_merana?lang=en

 

Can’t rate this winner cause i’m in the troll group or I would, first person to call me good too! Good luck everyone.

HAWKS

 

If 1 ff is a lot I guess good write up!

 

JClaus33 is the best and only media there LG need.

 

can someone tag ahl media so they can do something similar... so dead.
Great work Jclaus

 

Gave the game away lol???

 

Who is JClaus33 ?

 

No way u called me Calder runner up , I’m still mad

 

LOL

 

Great write up!

 

Hey he’s complimenting our management tactics. Don’t worry!

 

@Stxvio @ZeRo-I92I free wins boys

 

@JClaus33 you got handed by reap like you will this playoffs if you can make it out of the 1st round

 

Gave away the game but the only goal you can do is a clap play LMAO