Dispersal Draft Final: (3) Toronto vs (3) Los Angeles

[mikey287]

In this thread, please discuss the final matchup between: (3) Los Angeles (http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... 4#p2791842" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and (3) Toronto (http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... 4#p2791827" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

They will face off in a seven game series that will be voted on only by the league's managers (asst GMs included) via a private message to me.

Please state your cases particular to this series regarding matchups, advantages, disadvantages, etc. - obviously, if you typed up some regular season notes about your team, they would be applicable here, but if you want to state that how your team would matchup well against your opponent, that would be encouraged.

Previously:
Los Angeles defeated Seattle in 7: http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... =6&t=64505" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Los Angeles defeated St. Louis in 5: http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... =6&t=64530" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Toronto defeated Montreal in 7: http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... =6&t=64507" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Toronto defeated California in 7: http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... =6&t=64534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In two days' time (9/21), we'll have a vote to decide the series victor.

[Beveridge]

This is like LA vs Rangers - Mismatch City.

LA in 3.

[mikey287]

If you care to elaborate, I'm sure we would all like to hear about the mismatches. As it may help other voters evaluate the series...me, for instance.

[Beveridge]

Well, I would think Bergeron's line would make Malkin's line irrelevant. Bergeron would frustrate the hell out of Malkin and Staal with w/e defensive paring would be able to contain Nash.

From the other side, I would expect Zetterberg would get Marleau and company. Which leaves Toews/Backes vs the Koivu line. The 4th line for Toronto could be a wild card and steal a game, but when I look at forward matchups, LA can shut down any offensive threat Toronto can throw out while that line being equally capable of scoring on forwards that aren't great defensively.

I think LA's two way talent from the forwards is just so overwhelming in this series that there is a counter for every punch Toronto can throw.

[Staggy]

Mismatch City.

Definitely. Malkin versus those defensemen, my defense against the Kings' plodding forwards, this coud be a Los Angeles nightmare.

I'll get into some analysis over the weekend at some point, should be a fun one.

[MRandall25]

Need to know:

Are we including EVERYONE in the NHL 14 bracket, or just the teams that made the playoffs?

[Beveridge]

I vote everyone

[Avyran]

^ Everyone's good, I think.

[MRandall25]

Alright. I'll set that up later. Found a small problem with setting the actual bracket seedings up, but I think I can fix it with some tweaking. I split the teams into East and West, but it "reseeded" and combined both conferences.

[Avyran]

(Warning - Wall of text)

Instead of giving a "why LA will win" post, I'm instead going to give a very deep rundown of how I see the matchup. Even though I have a piece in this matchup, this is actually going to be my attempt at an objective or impartial viewing of the series. Lemme know if you agree/disagree with my thoughts.

Forwards

First Lines = Nichushkin/Malkin/Nash (TOR) vs. Palat/Toews/Backes (LA)
(Note - Toronto will always be on the left, LA on the right.)

The best offensive player is for Toronto, with Evgeni Malkin. Then, it's Toews and Backes, followed by Nash, & then Palat, with Nichushkin in the last spot. Toronto has the better player, but LA has the better line. Nash is basically a poor Backes who does not perform in the playoffs and is susceptible defensively (though he did play well these playoffs). While he has the frame, he does not use it effectively, and will not give as much room for Malkin as he should. Nichushkin is way out of his league, though Malkin will make him look really good.

Palat has played with Stamkos on the top line, and while he is also a little above his league (I think he's a great 2nd liner atm), he fits the Toews/Backes mentality. All 3 are Selke quality; only Malkin is for Toronto. However, my problem with LA's first line is no finisher: it is a meat & potatoes, muck'n'grind line. For Toronto, there's no proven finisher either.

Toews/Backes will absolutely slaughter Malkin in the faceoffs. Toews is a great faceoff taker, and Backes is no slouch either.

Give the credit/edge to LA's first line overall here, though Malkin makes Toronto's line a little better offensively. LA's line is clearly better defensively.

Second Lines = Perron/Zetterberg/Little vs. Marleau/Stepan/Kesler

This one is a much bigger judgment call. Zetterberg is the best player, I think. Then, though, I think Marleau/Stepan/Kesler/Little are all around the same league. Perron is the worst player in this strong group. Same as before: Toronto has the better player, LA the better line. Perron is very injury-prone and not tested in the playoffs: 2 goals in 19 playoff games. Zetterberg, meanwhile, is an absolute beast. Little is good, but has no playoff experience. My problem with this line is that it is two playmakers (Zetterberg/Little) with a very weak (for this league) finisher. It's also durable, but not tough.

For LA, it's actually a very sound line. Stepan is a good playmaker & grinder. Kesler is Selke-quality power forward. Marleau is a sniper with good speed. Kesler makes room for the other two. It works together well. All are battle-tested in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kesler is a better faceoff man than both Zetterberg & Little, though Zetterberg is pretty good.

For faceoffs, Kesler is superior to Zetterberg, though he's even or a little better than Marleau & much better than Stepan.

Again, edge to LA's 2nd line. Zetterberg is the best, but the overall weight (both offensively & defensively) is for LA.

Third Lines = Elias/Koivu/Callahan vs. Staal/Bergeron/Read

Two quality lines defensively. I think Koivu & Bergeron are on the same level, then Staal, then Callahan, then Elias, and finally Read. Koivu is a great faceoff guy, but unfortunately is outclassed by Bergeron (and probably even in FO skill with Staal). Toronto's line is very battle-tested, and even on the wrong side of prime age. I'm going to go on a limb & say Callahan has only a couple good years left - his style of play is going to beat up his body. However, for this year, he'd still be good. Elias is another of those players (like Marleau) that seems to play very good no matter his age. Unfortunately, like before, there is no real finisher on the line. Elias & Koivu are playmakers, and Callahan is just a bruiser.

The same can be said for LA's line. No finisher (Read scores, but is not a sniper in any sense). Like Toronto's team, it is a tested line, with all three players having good playoff experience. Staal is perfectly situated for the third line & has played wing before; again, note that LA is doing a 2-center per line, so Staal will be able to take advantage of his center prowess as well. Bergeron, meanwhile, is arguably the best defensive forward in the game. What is overlooked often is his offensive ability: 30 goals this year, a career high. Read, meanwhile, is a 20-goal scorer and also strong defensively. Unlike Toronto, there is no real set-up man either; this is a line set up to stop the opposing stars.

Offensively, Toronto's is better. Defensively, LA's is far better. Bergeron is one of the best faceoff takers in the league.

Fourth Lines = Hertl/Johansen/Shaw vs. Nielsen/Sobotka/Smith-Pelly or Hodgson

How is Johansen the 4th-line center for this? Individually, he is the best player, then Nielsen, then Hertl, then Sobotka, then Shaw & Smith-Pelly. If Hodgson plays, he is above the last group. In terms of pure skill, I think these two are more even. Both lines are also probably the least tested in playoffs. Hertl did not play very often for the Sharks, but he did perform - 5 points (2g/3a) in the seven games, despite only playing around 14 minutes a game. Johansen is a beast, but is still very young. Shaw is just a good energy body, haha. This is a very good line, altogether: Hertl scores, Johansen sets up, Shaw retrieves the puck.

LA's line, meanwhile, is.. weird. A smorgasbord. Nielsen is very underrated, both offensively & defensively. He has 30 assists in multiple years on a horrible team (and he often doesn't play with Tavares). Sobotka is a great defensive forward, with the best faceoff ability in the game. Smith-Pelly is a mucker, and has shown to perform well in the playoffs: 5 goals in 11 games. However, that was with Getzlaf & Perry, if I'm not mistaken. Nielsen & Sobotka are not Getzlaf & Perry. It's like the rest of the LA team: a muck & grind line.

I think Toronto's 4th line is better, though LA's players are individually better. Sobotka rivals Bergeron in faceoffs.

---

Overall, I think LA has the edge offensively. Toronto has the better stars, with Malkin & Zetterberg. However, LA's forwards are better overall, both offensively & defensively. Bergeron will shut down Malkin, most likely. Koivu will hinder Toews. Kesler, Staal, Bergeron, Toews, and Backes are all Selke-quality forwards. Only Koivu & Malkin are for Toronto, though Elias & Callahan are good defensively as well.

Toews/Backes, Kesler, Staal/Bergeron, & Sobotka will ensure that LA wins the huge majority of the faceoffs, meaning that possession will likely fall in their favor.

Defense

First Lines = Vlasic/Karlsson vs. Chara/E. Johnson

Karlsson is the best player, by far. Then Chara, then Vlasic, then Erik Johnson. I think I rate Johnson higher & Vlasic lower than Mikey does, so I think this is closer than others may. For Toronto, Vlasic is going to have to carry the defensive load: Karlsson is great, but is slightly liable defensively. Plus, he is not very playoff-tested. However, what Karlsson lacks defensively, he will make up in offensive prowess. My problem with the two is that they are undersized, with 6'1" Vlasic & 6'0" Karlsson. Will they be able to hold up to the LA pressure & physicality?

Chara is past his prime, but still a beast in the playoffs. He's got a heck of a shot and is very sound defensively. Johnson is finally starting to live up to his ridiculous hype. He is a decent enough puck mover and decent enough defensively as well. However, he is also not very tested in the playoffs. The problem with them is they are somewhat slow, making up for it in their size (6'7" & 6'4", respectively). However, I don't think Toronto has the speed to take advantage of this outside of Malkin. I would be curious to see Malkin match up with Bergeron & Chara; Crosby was always the one taking that hit.

I think Toronto's first line is better and provides more offensively. LA's line is better defensively.

Second Lines = Fowler/Faulk vs. Daley/M. Staal

Clear advantage to Toronto. Fowler/Faulk is a GREAT second-line duo. Fowler is Anaheim's #1 defender and a great puck-mover. Faulk is just a quality defender overall. However, he is not playoff-tested. Like the first line, this duo is smaller. 6'1" Fowler & 6'0" Faulk.

Daley and Faulk are even, IMO, though Faulk will be better ultimately. Daley is just a consistent player that gets little credit. He is playoff-tested, and actually was a +5 against Anaheim last year while playing against their top line. M. Staal, we all know. Big, physical, likes to cross-check heads. Daley is small (5'11"), but Toronto doesn't have the physicality to take advantage of it, in my opinion. Only Callahan would take advantage of it in the top 9.

Toronto's line is better altogether, though LA is still good.

Third Lines = Hjalmarsson/S. Jones vs. Lindholm (or J. Johnson)/Braun

Battle of the rookies! Seth Jones is going to be a beast. However, Lindholm was a big surprise for Anaheim last year. I'd say Braun & Hjalmarsson are even, then Jones, then Lindholm. Hjalmarsson is like Faulk & Daley: just a quality defenseman. Braun is the same, taking top minutes for San Jose. Jones & Lindholm were protected on their respective teams, though Lindholm did take a lot of top lines with Beauchemin (alongside the 1b pair of Fowler/Lovejoy).

I think it's a wash. Both have rookies that will be exposed. Both have underrated defensemen. If LA plays Jack Johnson, it may be a different story, but I rate Johnson MUCH higher than the rest of the board does, I think.

---

I think Toronto has the better defensive lineup. Karlsson is going to be a beast. Chara is past his prime. However, my worry is if the size of Toronto's defense will be exposed, whereas Toronto does not have the speed to expose the slowness of LA. Add to the fact that LA will win the faceoffs, and I question whether Toronto can sustain the initial pressure afterward.

Goaltending

Bernier/Holtby vs. Lehtonen/Smith

No offense meant to Toronto, but this is a CLEAR win for LA.

Bernier & Holtby are untested in the playoffs. Bernier is going to be good, and Holtby may be okay, but now? Not yet. No playoff experience for Bernier. Holtby actually performed decently... but come on, it's Holtby. However, LA's goaltending has question marks as well. Can Lehtonen or Smith perform in the playoffs? Lehtonen specifically did not perform very well against the Anaheim juggernaut: his only playoff experience (Atlanta sucked ). Nonetheless, he did perform okay for Finland in the Olympics when he played. Smith, meanwhile was an absolute beast in the playoffs several years ago (2011 = .958 save, 1.00 GAA / 2012 = .944 save, 1.99 GAA). He's not at that level now, though.

Despite this, I don't think anyone would argue Bernier/Holtby is better than Lehtonen/Smith.

Coaching

Maclean(OTT)/McLellan(SJ)/Johnston(PIT) vs. Julien(BOS)/Richards(CBJ)

Again, no offense to Toronto, but LA is the superior coached team without a doubt. Julien has proven to be great at the chess-like matchups of the playoffs. Todd Richards outcoached Bylsma in the playoffs and almost caused the upset of the decade by getting a truly inferior Columbus to fight toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh (bleh ). Maclean is okay, but has never gotten far in the playoffs. McLellan is a playoff choker, though whether it is his fault or his team, one can't really tell. Johnston is untested in the NHL.

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There's my breakdown of the two teams. I'll get into specific strategies for LA later this weekend if anyone wants it. Hopefully this spurs a bit of discussion, or at least helps people think though the matchup.

[Staggy]

I’d like to first extend a congrats to Los Angeles for winning the Foster Hewitt conference. That is no easy feat and you should do some celebrating tonight. I apologize if the following criticism is laid on a little heavy, but I’ve got a Cup to try to win.

Anyways looking over the roster you just can’t ignore their ridiculous amount of two way forwards. Chara anchors a decent, but relatively unthreatening defense. Lehtonen is of course lacking in experience but he’s a very good one to have between the pipes here, I think I even voted him one of the 3 stars in both of LA’s series so far.

While I expect the series to be low scoring, I do question where LA’s goals are going to come from. That first line will be a very good two way force and Backes is going to leave some bruises. But realistically speaking it may be the worst line Toews has played on in 5 years. The Toews hype train has gotten a little too out of control this summer so I'm here to pump the brakes on it. He’s a top 7 or 8 center in the league but not Captain Clutch as many paint him to be. He’s been above .9 PPG in the playoffs once in his career (a phenomenal 29 points in 22 games in 2010). He’s only been above .8 playoff PPG one other time in his career. Add in that he only has 29 goals in 94 games, and I’m curious to see if his performance will further suffer when he’s not surrounded by a super team (well he is…but he’s going against other super teams too!).

I don’t know if I’m huge fans of Kesler and Staal on the wings. And having a center that never takes a faceoff (and a couple more that are constantly shifting) seems okay in theory, but may be chaotic in practice. Now your group of forwards definitely have the smarts to pull it off but it seems like a hassle for minimum payoff.

Okay time for the matchup game! Since we’re both 3 seeds I’m not totally sure who has home ice but game plan number one will be Zetterberg on Toews. All the time. Zetterberg ate Toews’ lunch in their 2013 playoff series and hopefully we see a repeat of that. Vlasic is probably my defender most capable of handling the pressure when Backes is bearing down on him on the forecheck so him and Karlsson are tasked with this line as well.

Geno will hopefully be seeing a lot of Stepan’s line. Stepan isn’t bad in the defensive zone but he’s a much easier matchup than Toews or Bergeron so hopefully my top line can exploit them. I’m going to need Geno gliding around in God Mode to win the series. While his numbers haven’t been quite to that level the past few years in the playoffs, I think he’s still been quite impressive and the best Penguin during that time. I’d like to see Fowler and Faulk matched up with this unit as well. Marleau is probably the fastest of the slow Kings lineup so he can race those two to the puck. I think my speed on defense is going to be another key if I’m to win the series. The Kings have a lot of bruisers that will punish my smaller defenders on the forecheck. On the plus side, those bruisers are relatively plodding. With all my defenders possessing above average to elite skating, hopefully we can get to the dump ins and start the transition before we’re plastered into the boards.

Bergeron and Koivu look like they will be seeing a lot of each other and hopefully those two lines can grind each other into oblivion. One of the things that make up for not having pure goal scorers on a couple of my lines are that there will almost always be great offensive talent on my blue line. When there are 4 or 5 offensive threats, players like Bergeron become less effective because shutting down one player isn’t going choke out all the offense (I’m looking at you 2013 Pens).

Once again a lot of the burden is going to be on Karlsson’s shoulders as he’s such a unique player. Who do you dedicate to shutting down the best offensive defensemen in 20 years? He’s going to be the key to unlocking odd man breaks with either his speed or vision, and also the release valve whenever LA inevitably bottles things up in their zone. Whenever Malkin or Hank or whoever is getting trapped by Chara/Bergeron etc., they can kick it out and let Karlsson do his thing. The goal here is to force LA to pick their poison, and gamble that whoever they focus less on exposes the hole in the defense. So yeah, Karlsson will not be playing less than 25 minutes a game and will likely be up around 30.

Another advantage I need to capitalize on is the 4th line. In a league like this, I view Johansen on the 4th line as pretty much the equivalent to Staal on the 3rd for the Pens, specifically the ’09 finals. He is going to be the best forward on the ice more often than not and he’ll need to take advantage of the mismatch for us to win. I’m comfortable with Hjalmarsson and Jones out there against either of the bottom two lines, LA doesn’t have quite the offensive threats that can just overwhelm Jones.

My boss is probably going to start to wonder why I haven’t done anything yet this morning so I’m going to wrap this up. It’s an interesting matchup with 2 vastly different teams. I’m looking forward to seeing other’s opinions on how this series would turn out.

[Avyran]

Nice post. I'm busy today, so just a couple things for strategy & what-not...

The plan is to have Geno covered by Bergeron's line. The Stepan/Toews line will just deal with whoever; Palat & Backes are threats enough that I am not overly worried about Zetterberg shadowing Toews. LA's coach, Julien, is much better at matchups than Maclean, and I'd expect him to win the coaching battle throughout the series.

Staal & Kesler scored 30+ while on wing. When Kesler joined the Sedins in 10-11, he had 40 goals. Haha, I had to double & triple check to make sure I wasn't just going EA-NHL style with my drafting, but they all can legitimately play wing. I'm not sure how well the faceoff practices will work in reality, but on paper, it should be really good. Backes has already had this occur much of last year with Steen, so I'm guessing it worked pretty well.

The goal of LA's 4th line is supplement. Sobotka is the PK specialist, and Nielsen can play well on the power play + step into any role in the top 9. I'd likely switch out Smith-Pelly for either Schenn or Hodgson, just to provide more special teams support. It'd be a pretty constant 3-line rotation, with Sobotka coming out for key faceoffs when Bergeron/Toews are not available, and Nielsen/Hodgson/Schenn/Smith-Pelly filling in for players when they are tired from whatever. I'd imagine Sobotka & Nielsen would get around 10 minutes a game, and the 12th forward much less. All of the top 9 forwards can handle 20 minutes a game.

I do agree with staggy ultimately, though: the key of the matchup is whether Toronto's stars (Malkin, Zetterberg, Karlsson) can overcome the team strength of the Kings. It'd be a really fun series to watch. With the playoffs becoming much more clutch & grab, unfortunately, I think the advantage lies with the team that can play more physical & structured defense: something that my team is perfectly prepared for, with the coaching (Julien & Richards) to orchestrate it. I especially think Malkin would grow flustered as the series wore on & take silly penalties as he can be prone to do, giving my power play a chance to make them pay. I actually think, if it really happened, I'd be rooting for Toronto, as they have the more up-tempo & offense-focused style. I just don't think in today's NHL, it would happen.

[MRandall25]

Results?

[mikey287]

I've been trying to find time during work to comment on this. In the meantime, I haven't gotten enough votes. So, please get your votes if you haven't already. This is the last series, then you can all go about your lives. Thanks.

[mikey287]

Game 1 of the Final Series started out very patiently, both teams cautiously feeling each other out. A scoreless period that involved a lot of tight checking and neutral zone play. The staggering amount of center depth on each side shining through. Finally late in the second period, David Backes stabs one through a mass of humanity. With eight players between the hashmarks, one might suggest it's an NCAA-looking goal. No surprise the Minnesota State kid and the North Dakota product combine to make it happen in the swamp.

The teams remained cautious and when they weren't, they forced to be by the masterful job of the centers. It harkened back to the six-on-six days back on the Coast...pucks lifted to get clear, a near-simulation of the rover controlling the play offensively and defensively...little used Ryan Johansen was able to make a diving play to set up Tomas Hertl for a marker that tied the score midway through the third. Only to have it matched a moment later when Patrick Marleau broke free and exercised maybe the fastest rush of the lot. The low shot beat Bernier against the grain and ended up winning it for Los Angeles.

Game 2 was also a tense chess match to start. Erik Karlsson - determined to break the monotony - was put down on numerous occasions by Ondrej Palat and veteran Jordan Staal, both were diligent on the impressive Swede. Patrice Bergeron robbed Evgeni Malkin of the puck on a solo rush and with help from Erik Johnson, who joined the rush, claimed the game's inaugural goal. The score would hold steady for a while as the tight checking had frustrated the flashy offensemen.

Cam Fowler was able to motor up the ice with a sloppy change going on and beat Lehtonen with a tricky shot, but ultimately, one he should have had. Matt Read hacked Rick Nash's stick in two and then exacted revenge himself with a one-time offering that nearly decapitated the big Finnish netminder. LA would take to the power play in desperate need of a spark and they got one. Derek Stepan feathered a soft pass that landed flat for Zdeno Chara to hammer. He put it off the far post and home to tie the game.

With just 100 seconds left in regulation time, Val Nichushkin was overcome by David Backes and his chip play found the supporting Jonathan Toews who had his initial shot stopped, but Ondrej Palat found the rebound and scored. Young Palat put the Kings up for good and Jordan Staal entered an empty netter onto the scoresheet to clinch it.

The Leafs would turn it around in games 3 and 4. Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson were finally game to come up for air and took Trevor Daley and Marc Staal to school, picked them up, and then put them to bed without supper. Mikko Koivu had a heavy hand and proved lucky on more than one occasion. A long shot glanced off his glove as he was heading to the blue territory and Kari Lehtonen was miffed by the tip. Toronto took the games handily, but the scores were not extravagant...

Los Angeles silenced the doubters and the momentum of the Maple Leaf in game 5. A weary and battle-scarred Zdeno Chara forwarded a liberation pass to Derek Stepan early on that sparked the regal ones to victory. Jonathan Bernier survived a barrage, including a five-alarm save that left ten of thousands mouths agape staring at the replay trying to calculate if their own body was capable of such wild gesticulation. But it was not enough, as Kari Lehtonen was also competent in his field. Andrew Shaw cancelled Frans Nielsen's season with a freight train of a hit that left Shaw sequestered for five minutes late in the second frame. The Kings used the advantage once, though they were allotted many tries.

With a comfortable lead, the Kings were able to stymy and kibosh the Leafs, who were left flustered and befuddled by the turn of events.

Game 6 was almost a repeat of game 1, except it lasted long into the night. Shots were at a premium and the nets were protected like an endangered species. The redoubtable Chara was the principle enforcer against potential crimes. The Leafs had trouble matching the strength down-low, as Vlasic and Hjalmarsson - nicknamed Hammer for simplicity, not for his hits or shot - are a little easier to move in deep. In any event, the game held scoreless and nearly eventless for the better part of the allotted time.

In the first overtime, Bryan Little hacked one out of the air that glanced the crossbar, which drew some half-raised arms about the building. In the second overtime, Evgeni Malkin galloped free but was thwarted by the butt-end of Kari Lehtonen's twig. Early in the third overtime, a winner was proclaimed. Chara put a heavy low shot slightly wide of the target and who else would tip it home but the captain of the club, Jonathan Toews. The puck slid five hole through a dejected Jonathan Bernier to allow the team that selected him in the first round years ago to capture the silver chalice on his watch. The golden goal was Toews from Chara and Backes at 3:07 of the 6th period.

LA 2-1
LA 4-2
Tor 4-2
Tor 3-0
LA 4-1
LA 1-0 (3 OT)

Kings win in 6

Three Stars: Jonathan Toews, Mikko Koivu, David Backes

Conn Smythe: Jonathan Toews

Congratulations to Los Angeles and thank you all for your participation, hope it helped pass the time.

[pcm]

Thanks for doing this mikey.

As the only team built for the playoffs that actually made the playoffs, LA cake-walked through the cake-eaters. Congrats.

[count2infinity]

I demand a recount.

[Staggy]

Yeah thanks a lot to everyone who participated, especially mikey for doing all the work, it kept the last month interesting on here and made it much easier to not venture into Pens Related.

I would have voted LA in this series as well, likely in 6 with Bergeron, Kesler and Karlsson the 3 stars.

[meow]

I demand a recount.

[Avyran]

Yeah thanks a lot to everyone who participated, especially mikey for doing all the work, it kept the last month interesting on here and made it much easier to not venture into Pens Related.

I second this. Thanks, Mikey, for the enjoyable write-ups. Also, thanks everyone for voting for LA.

Toronto was actually the one team in the other group that I did not want to face; I could not match up with them like I could most of the other teams. (Felt the same way with Iceland.) Glad my good group of forwards lugged along my slow defensemen.