Early on, Helsinki General Manager Jukka Tuominen called this season a “rebuilding year” for his club. And to be fair, some demolition work did take place. Only the when all the dust settled, all the other teams were left in ruins and it was the Jokerit who were the lone team left standing to hoist…
Quick Glance: Obviously, we have two powerhouses ready to do battle. The Finals pits the team that finished first overall in the regular season against the No. 3 team that was just 3 points behind them. They were also the top two scoring teams this season. The biggest bit of news before the first puck…
Quick Glance: Two strong teams have made it to the Southern Conference finals and for both, the first two rounds of the playoffs were a breeze. At first glance, it looks like we can expect a low-scoring series. Both teams seemed content to play careful hockey so far in the playoffs and they both ranked…
Quick Glance: Paris finished 10th in the regular season standings and has since become the league’s feel-good story after ousting Number 4 overall Minsk and then Number 2 overall Copenhagen. Next up, the team in between them both: Helsinki. Paris ultra-experienced players know the puck can move faster than they can so they stress passing…
The EURO League has just witnessed the birth of a longtime all-star defenseman. Thanks to the great season he had in his NHL debut with the New York Islanders, Matthew Schaefer earned a PO rating of 101 in the initial ratings just released by administrators. He is already an 82 OV rating and he could…
According to Websim’s Star Points formula, Connor McDavid of Helsinki had the best game of the season on March 10 (game time) in a 7-3 win over Paris. McDavid exploded for three goals, three assists, 8 shots and a +5 rating. His arms should have been shaking after that one because he also took an…
Quick Glance: Munich comes into this series with mythical god status for their nearly unblemished record over the last 30 games. The Red Bulls finished the regular season in the Top 5 in the four measurements of shots and goals (both for and against), which bolsters the claim that they really have a colossal machine…
Quick Glance: Bern was the only team that swept their first round series as they obliterated Bratislava. Lisbon was 4-2 against Prague. Bern and Lisbon are very close to each other, if you are judging by statistics they accumulated in the 82-game season and the first round of the playoffs. In the regular season, Bern…
Quick Glance: Belfast breezed through Round 1 and really haven’t had to shift into high gear for half a season, thanks to the huge lead they built in the English Channel Division. But it will suddenly get much harder for them in Round 2 against Connor McDavid and the #3 team in the league. Helsinki…
Quick Glance: Paris and Copenhagen both survived spirited series and in both cases, defense ruled. Paris kept Minsk under 5 goals in all 7 games of their series and the Tridents allowed an average of 2 goals per game in 6 against Edinburgh. These two teams only played each other three times during the regular…
