With the roster lock only 12 days away, the frenzied add / dropping has already begun. It all began with Justlo leaving MI for Blades. Usually you dont see players leaving the top team for one of the worst, so perhaps this trend will continue.
Trickdaddy and Fett both joined Twolves last night. I suppose everyone saw that comming. Fett is 'retired', and this isnt the MSHL, so we'll see how big of an impact trick will have on TW's playoff hopes. 5 game suspensions issued to both, leaving them with only 3 games of the regular season to play with on TW. Meaning, they might have fucked themselves out of the playoffs. If TW loses 1 or 2 more times before the roster lock, I wouldnt be surprised to see them jump to another team.
Bluegoku called it, perhaps he had insider information, but he hit it right on the nail.
So overall, how will these moves effect the standings?
Slashers loses Fett, who had already said he was retired, but they also lose Trick, who did play a lot of minutes at middy for them. SL has suffered from a lack of activity, but they are seriously turning into Blueliners, and could actually end up being stronger after the roster lock is final. Looking at the transactions page, it looks like Mailliw is poised to join SL. Now there are still a lot of 'ifs'. If flash, and sniper, and dori all become active, then SL will likely reclaim top spot in the East. Otherwise the East just got a whole lot worse.
Overall, I think any team hopping done within the next 2 weeks will of corse hurt the team that those people are leaving, but it wont help the team they joined, untill the final 2 weeks of the season, and by then it could be too late.
I wouldnt expect many more team switching this season, but you never know for sure what people will do.
Players comming off suspensions soon:
Slayer, Hockeybeau for MI and Buck Cat, and 9th for SPC.
MI will have use of 2 more highly touted weasels. Will this improve their offense? I dont know how much better their offense can be. I think they're really weak at goalie and d now, so expect the additions to only spread playing time. MI will eventually play a game again this season, it will be interesting to see if they are still the same old powerhouse. It's been a few weeks since their last game, and it was a close game against TW. They've lost Jlo since then, but, they play NS next. So expect a 10-0 blowout that could get their momentum back. LD will probably have over 40 points by the end of that game.
SPC's offense seems to have found itself the past couple of games, and with the addition of Bucky after the next game, they are in for a treat. Buck is a breakaway specialist that SPC really needs. He'll also be the only true warbird on the team. 9th will be the 'laggy euro' (he isnt even euro, but sure lags a storm up) that every team needs. The question still remains: Who will beat MI? SPC sure hopes they can pull it off, and with the extra firepower, they have a better shot at it.
So as new suspensions are handed out, old ones die soon, and the tides may soon turn.
The second half of the season is almost underway, next topic to Blog: The All-Star game!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Friday, November 26, 2004
RSHL TEAM RANKINGS
After 7 weeks of play, here is how the teams stack up. After MI, it's pretty much even all the way down to Ill. BS has new blood, but must survive 5 games before making use of him. CR is falling hard, in a conference that is tight (insert tight analogy here). Surprisingly, Revo is not sucking balls, and while you may think they are too high up on the chart, I felt people would rip into me if I put SPC any higher. Teams are so evenly matched this season, that a ranking is almost worthless. So I'll try and talk about which teams are moving in the right direction and teams that could struggle, and relate to upcomming games and previous results.
01: Money Inc
Money Inc only has shown signs of trouble against TW, other than that, they have blown by all competition. However, the struggle could mount, with the departure of the unbeaten and current #1 goalie in the league to Blades. Krys will replace Jlo in net for now, but MI will likely be fishing for another goalie. Teams could capitalize on this now unknown variable in the MI armor. We wont be able to tell for some time, as everyone seems to be postponing. MI's offense is the best in the league by far, with LD amassing 32 points in just 5 games, UKM is not far behind with 25 of his own. Will all their crazy antics pay off, or will goliath fall?
02: Slashers
Having lost to TW was a huge blow to SL's moral. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back and prove to be the dominant force in the East that many expected them to be. Their leading scorer is d$l with 10 pts, which pales in comparison to MI. Flash and Sniper on the same team, but they dont play. Dori doesnt play, fett is 'retiring' and so on and so forth. They have a 'candy' roster. They should be able to handle Phasers pretty quickly on sunday, but if PH proves to be a challenge, you should expect SL to slip steadily in the standings, they are a shoe in for the playoffs I still believe, but they will be playing playoff hockey all season long in the East.
03: Breakalution
Never an amazing team during the regular season. They have played some pretty weak teams, and have only won by 1 goal in each of them. They did beat Illum, and their only loses were to SL and CR (early in the season). CR was a lot better in October than they are now, so RV claims the third spot without much controversy. Gold, Cyris and Anno lead the team in scoring, and conjure memories of the old days, proving that HOF players can still play. Also note Golden Arm in net is a huge lift, and once again a throwback to the 'golden' age of HZ. Questions that need answering: Can BA keep it up? Once again, a team from the East will have to battle all season long to ensure a playoff spot.
04: South Park Cows
I really don't like touting my own team, so I'll just say a few things. DM in only 3 games is having a 'career' season, as he has 8 goals, and has providing an amazing spark. Bucky and 9th will come off suspensions for our game against RV, and our offense will be even better. Mace and I are the leading scorers for the team, and SPC is sitting pretty in 2nd place. The West I wouldnt say is weaker than the east, but SPC is pretty much a lock for the playoffs. But it's all about, who will beat MI?
05: Twolves
They gave MI a good 'scare'. And perhaps gave other teams more confidence for future endevours against the juggernaught. I dont think TW can keep winning, they will also have to battle for a playoff spot all season long, but they are the reason why the East is going to be red hot going into the playoffs, they have lit a fire under the entire conference, upsetting SL and sit in good playoff position as of today. Dyrus and Mael lead the team in scoring, and John could win the Oski award if he keeps playing like he's playing, with Jlo now serving a 6 game suspension for joining BS.It's highly likely they will make the playoffs.BA, Ill, CR and even SL are just so volital when it comes to winning, while TW is winning games it shouldnt and games it should.
06: Inner Puck
Some will say they saw it comming, others will say, IP is just warming up, but they've only beaten PH, BS, HMM and NS. So why are they above Ill, who beat them pretty handily? I dont know, I just realized it. Yet, I cant put Hmm above IP, and Hmm beat Ill recently, so I cant put Ill above Hmm. So in 2 weeks roughly, it will likely be easier to rank these middle teams. LW and Regi lead the team in scoring, and Cyborg may just be starting to heat up in goal. Inactivity might plague IP like it might do to SL. Rukus and Fett are in the same boat this season it seems, however I dont see Ruk on, so it seems he has really retired.
07: Hmm?
They pulled a fancy upset over Ill, which will really give them some momentum going into this 8th week. Hmm will be battling with BS for that last playoff spot, and these next 5 games are critical for Hmm, for if BS and Hmm are in a deadlock after 5, Hmm might not be able to match up with BS, and once again blow a playoff birth in the final weeks of a season. Hmm has only scored 12 goals this season, so they really need to figure that whole part of the game out, their d isnt shabby though. Even PH has more goals for (22) and NS isnt far behind with 9. Leafy is their leader on offense (8 pts), showing that all his talk does not back up his walk.
08: Illuminati
They currently find themselves on the outside, looking in. If they miss the playoffs, I will be shocked, as I think CR is playing like complete shit this season. Ill really showed weakness, letting Hmm beat them in OT, but It was flukey, and I cant imagine them missing the playoffs, they have too good a roster, and 7 will replace short next game, and their entire gameplay will change. Chrono, art and judge lead the team in scoring, and many questioned why Chrono was on the bench in OT, before art assisted leafy for the GWG. Anyways, Ill will likely beat out CR for a playoffs spot, but once again, teams in the East have to try harder this season to ensure a spot.
09: Creasers
Gutted, and than pulvarized. Vio as captain has proved fatal for the 2 time conference champ. While vio will get to play himself every period this season, his team will thus struggle more and more. There was a reason why CR benched him so much last season, and we get to see why this season. Amazingly enough, they could still make the playoffs, but I think their slide will continue, and with little talent left on the team, it will just become the viohog show. Vio leads the team in scoring, with 17, and is followed by.... scroll down that list a bit, and you'll see GK with 5. So it's pretty obvious teams will just shut vio down, and than blow by their non exitent defense. CR will have to prove their worth this season, and Nimzo is actually showing FMX up in net, so CR will contend for a playoff spot, but it's a matter if other teams crumble into smaller pieces than CR has.
10: Blades
Justlo. Their offense is far superior than Hmm's, but their defense/goaltending has been a smidge worse. So Justlo will obviously remidie that. Or will he? If jlo can bring BS to the playoffs, I think he'll earn a lot of respect, and win the Oski hands down. Ringwraith/Stepp isnt shabby in goal, and Sweetshot has emerged as an allstar middy. 21 goals were allowed to IP/MI, so they have the tools to beat the middle teir teams. I think they can beat Hmm as well, and they are in a tie with em, and their schedule looks a bit easier from here on out. If BS makes the playoffs, Weeze for Leadership award... AGAIN.
11: Phasers
Eatons isnt bad in net, he's pretty much the reason why PH doesnt suck complete balls like NS. PH plays like a real team, but they do have an annoying 3 man defense. Jwalking cant do all the scoring alone, esp when he's part of that massive crease sit for PH. Superdan is showing some shimmy shimmy as well, but he's Dan, and he isnt going to win games for PH, not without a teamate on offense. Jwalk for ROTY, Dan for that award I suck at spelling "preservierence".They could make the battle for the last spot in the west interesting, if they actualy win some of these close games that skoula thinks they won.
12: Northstars
Well, they show up, and they play. They are the new Epik of the RSHL.They will easily lose RSHL status, and get replaced by the MSHL champ, which could be any number of teams, and we all hope it isnt Admirals. Vlfex, try winning with NS :)
01: Money Inc
Money Inc only has shown signs of trouble against TW, other than that, they have blown by all competition. However, the struggle could mount, with the departure of the unbeaten and current #1 goalie in the league to Blades. Krys will replace Jlo in net for now, but MI will likely be fishing for another goalie. Teams could capitalize on this now unknown variable in the MI armor. We wont be able to tell for some time, as everyone seems to be postponing. MI's offense is the best in the league by far, with LD amassing 32 points in just 5 games, UKM is not far behind with 25 of his own. Will all their crazy antics pay off, or will goliath fall?
02: Slashers
Having lost to TW was a huge blow to SL's moral. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back and prove to be the dominant force in the East that many expected them to be. Their leading scorer is d$l with 10 pts, which pales in comparison to MI. Flash and Sniper on the same team, but they dont play. Dori doesnt play, fett is 'retiring' and so on and so forth. They have a 'candy' roster. They should be able to handle Phasers pretty quickly on sunday, but if PH proves to be a challenge, you should expect SL to slip steadily in the standings, they are a shoe in for the playoffs I still believe, but they will be playing playoff hockey all season long in the East.
03: Breakalution
Never an amazing team during the regular season. They have played some pretty weak teams, and have only won by 1 goal in each of them. They did beat Illum, and their only loses were to SL and CR (early in the season). CR was a lot better in October than they are now, so RV claims the third spot without much controversy. Gold, Cyris and Anno lead the team in scoring, and conjure memories of the old days, proving that HOF players can still play. Also note Golden Arm in net is a huge lift, and once again a throwback to the 'golden' age of HZ. Questions that need answering: Can BA keep it up? Once again, a team from the East will have to battle all season long to ensure a playoff spot.
04: South Park Cows
I really don't like touting my own team, so I'll just say a few things. DM in only 3 games is having a 'career' season, as he has 8 goals, and has providing an amazing spark. Bucky and 9th will come off suspensions for our game against RV, and our offense will be even better. Mace and I are the leading scorers for the team, and SPC is sitting pretty in 2nd place. The West I wouldnt say is weaker than the east, but SPC is pretty much a lock for the playoffs. But it's all about, who will beat MI?
05: Twolves
They gave MI a good 'scare'. And perhaps gave other teams more confidence for future endevours against the juggernaught. I dont think TW can keep winning, they will also have to battle for a playoff spot all season long, but they are the reason why the East is going to be red hot going into the playoffs, they have lit a fire under the entire conference, upsetting SL and sit in good playoff position as of today. Dyrus and Mael lead the team in scoring, and John could win the Oski award if he keeps playing like he's playing, with Jlo now serving a 6 game suspension for joining BS.It's highly likely they will make the playoffs.BA, Ill, CR and even SL are just so volital when it comes to winning, while TW is winning games it shouldnt and games it should.
06: Inner Puck
Some will say they saw it comming, others will say, IP is just warming up, but they've only beaten PH, BS, HMM and NS. So why are they above Ill, who beat them pretty handily? I dont know, I just realized it. Yet, I cant put Hmm above IP, and Hmm beat Ill recently, so I cant put Ill above Hmm. So in 2 weeks roughly, it will likely be easier to rank these middle teams. LW and Regi lead the team in scoring, and Cyborg may just be starting to heat up in goal. Inactivity might plague IP like it might do to SL. Rukus and Fett are in the same boat this season it seems, however I dont see Ruk on, so it seems he has really retired.
07: Hmm?
They pulled a fancy upset over Ill, which will really give them some momentum going into this 8th week. Hmm will be battling with BS for that last playoff spot, and these next 5 games are critical for Hmm, for if BS and Hmm are in a deadlock after 5, Hmm might not be able to match up with BS, and once again blow a playoff birth in the final weeks of a season. Hmm has only scored 12 goals this season, so they really need to figure that whole part of the game out, their d isnt shabby though. Even PH has more goals for (22) and NS isnt far behind with 9. Leafy is their leader on offense (8 pts), showing that all his talk does not back up his walk.
08: Illuminati
They currently find themselves on the outside, looking in. If they miss the playoffs, I will be shocked, as I think CR is playing like complete shit this season. Ill really showed weakness, letting Hmm beat them in OT, but It was flukey, and I cant imagine them missing the playoffs, they have too good a roster, and 7 will replace short next game, and their entire gameplay will change. Chrono, art and judge lead the team in scoring, and many questioned why Chrono was on the bench in OT, before art assisted leafy for the GWG. Anyways, Ill will likely beat out CR for a playoffs spot, but once again, teams in the East have to try harder this season to ensure a spot.
09: Creasers
Gutted, and than pulvarized. Vio as captain has proved fatal for the 2 time conference champ. While vio will get to play himself every period this season, his team will thus struggle more and more. There was a reason why CR benched him so much last season, and we get to see why this season. Amazingly enough, they could still make the playoffs, but I think their slide will continue, and with little talent left on the team, it will just become the viohog show. Vio leads the team in scoring, with 17, and is followed by.... scroll down that list a bit, and you'll see GK with 5. So it's pretty obvious teams will just shut vio down, and than blow by their non exitent defense. CR will have to prove their worth this season, and Nimzo is actually showing FMX up in net, so CR will contend for a playoff spot, but it's a matter if other teams crumble into smaller pieces than CR has.
10: Blades
Justlo. Their offense is far superior than Hmm's, but their defense/goaltending has been a smidge worse. So Justlo will obviously remidie that. Or will he? If jlo can bring BS to the playoffs, I think he'll earn a lot of respect, and win the Oski hands down. Ringwraith/Stepp isnt shabby in goal, and Sweetshot has emerged as an allstar middy. 21 goals were allowed to IP/MI, so they have the tools to beat the middle teir teams. I think they can beat Hmm as well, and they are in a tie with em, and their schedule looks a bit easier from here on out. If BS makes the playoffs, Weeze for Leadership award... AGAIN.
11: Phasers
Eatons isnt bad in net, he's pretty much the reason why PH doesnt suck complete balls like NS. PH plays like a real team, but they do have an annoying 3 man defense. Jwalking cant do all the scoring alone, esp when he's part of that massive crease sit for PH. Superdan is showing some shimmy shimmy as well, but he's Dan, and he isnt going to win games for PH, not without a teamate on offense. Jwalk for ROTY, Dan for that award I suck at spelling "preservierence".They could make the battle for the last spot in the west interesting, if they actualy win some of these close games that skoula thinks they won.
12: Northstars
Well, they show up, and they play. They are the new Epik of the RSHL.They will easily lose RSHL status, and get replaced by the MSHL champ, which could be any number of teams, and we all hope it isnt Admirals. Vlfex, try winning with NS :)
Monday, September 13, 2004
Interview One: Buck Cat
The following contains my interview with RSHL player, Buck Cat. I have not taken the initiative to spell check, so, if he or I embarass ourselves, so be it.
Q- How long have you been playing SubSpace and Hockey Zone for?
Started in Season 2 -- played as "BUCKY-BLUES"
Q- What is your SubSpace and Hockey Zone history?
I've played a few zone's over my time in SS. When I first started playing in Dueling Arizona, I was on a squad called "Men In Black". Over time I started playing A Small WarZone with my cousin, storm cat. After a fall out with them I played TW and HZ alot. I started HZ in Season 2 and my most memorable moment was duringthe All-Star Events in Season 2 where SHAGGY 2 DOPE and myself made it to the finals. Everyone was chanting "Bucky!" and really made me enjoy HZ. I became a "BL Trainee" which was ran by the real Jman, and later joined Merdoc's orginal Blades. Let me tell you, that Blades team had some pretty good players looking back at it today, such RSHL Standouts like Kula Shaker, Scuzzy Sureshot, and buck cat (Comment by Cameo- Pfft.). Season 4 became a very intresting season for myself. Blades folded and Pikapoo from Blades formed "Slashers". So I joined that squad, and played on it for most of the season, untill I had a fallout with fellow member Sydor and decided to part ways with the team. I joined South Park Cows as "ab0rt" and played during the end of the season. This is when I started to shine a little bit. I was there bench warmer but when I got a shot, I capitalized on it huge, everytime I got on I scored, then got benched. After the season ended I parted ways with SPC because my friend Koho was starting a squad called "MoTo"
MoTo was another squad that Koho tried to develop after "E.N.G.L.E" failed, and we had some nice players. MoTo then turned into BlueLiners, as we voted to do that. One catch came up after the pre-season, and that was that BlueLiners wasn't allowed to be re-formed with Koho as a captain (long story, ask another time). So Koho deicded to break up BlueLiners, but I wanted to keep it, so I recrutied all the players from BlueLiners (except 1 or 2) and formed"-Icing-". As the captain, I used the name "etruscan" and we were accepted as an expansion team along with HeroPyschoDreamer's "Procetion" squad. We went on to win 1 game, vs Protection. I was a top 5 points man in the league, and scored somewhere near 95% of our teams goals.
Season 6 came around, and Koho had talked to the Board of Directors about bring back BlueLiners and how he could do it. It was decided that BlueLiners could reform under a couple stipulations.
Anyways, -Icing- became BlueLiners and Koho and myself ran it. We devloped a core of players that became into a force after we made the playoffs, and rolled over the other teams (South Park Cows -cupfavorites- and Power-Play). We won the cup, and in the offseason 4U2NV (aka I hate BlueLiners) decided to revoke our cup because Jalrix (achorn) was playing for us in the playoffs. So we lost the cup.
Season 7 was just a thing where we wanted to win the cup, and we failed in the first round vs Slashers due to our ego.
Season 8 was another disaapointment for BL and we lost in the playoffs again. I quit BL after a fallout with Koho and the rest ofthe team.
Season 9 I decided to sit out, and just take a break.
Season 10 -- You know what happened, I was on DS then on BA then lost in the playoffs again. I did however win the Most Outstanding Player awards for my season long preformance in the points department.
Q- What position(s) do you play?
Foward only, I've netted a couple RSHL Games though.
Q- How do you see your team matching up this season? There's that whole looming cloud about the core of BA being inactive and having to rely on 'new' players and of course the argument about BA being too offensive and thereby lacking defensive play. It seems to come around every season, but, being a big part of their offense, what do you have to say?
Alot of people say the "core" of BA is inactive. In all reality our core is a bunch of retired people taking up space. If BA wanted,they can chop down the roster to the size of Illuminati and still be an active squad. People like qbawl are unable to attend our games, or play, but he still has a spot. One thing we did need was a goalie though, and instead of stealing a top tier player, we deicded to develop one. As far as defense goes though, we needed some work, and I recruited AFH Whiplash>> to join the ranks of BA. After all, he wants to win his first cup so bad, the want to win is the thing that makes people win.
Q- How are the rest of the teams shaping up? Any predictions? Anysleeper squads that'll rise up?
I think SPC is the sleep this season. If Creasers picks up a good goal scorer they'd be a top team again this season. I see Slashers, Inner Puck, Breakaway, Illum, and South Park Cows as the top 5. The 6spot will be South Park Cows, they have a great goalie, and a very underrated offense/midfield. Look for them to be the #1 suprise this season.
Q- What do you say about Thunder Wolves?
They'll have major shell shock when it comes to playing a real RSHL Team in a real season game. They have Sydor on there, who brings some RSHL knowledge, but I see them beating teams like NS, and Hmm, and also being able to beat a team like Blades or Creasers. They won't be the worst team in the league, but they have no shot at a playoff spot this season. I give them 4-5 wins.
Q- This whole Money Inc deal? They're players being banned, peoplecalling them the jocks, bullies, whatever of the zone?
I like alot of people on MI but they are just asking to get banned with the things they've been doing. They have a very good roster, but I dont see them playing serious enough to play hard.
Q- Any comments on Fett's vandetta against w0?
We see this all the time really. One person doesn't like another, so they argue. I have been in w0's shoes before and I know how it is to be the target of alot of things. I think eventually Fett will just get tired of targeting w0.
Q- If you don't care for w0, who would you like to see be running the zone?
I like w0, and I think someone like Xenocidal would be a good replacement for w0, but thats just because I like Xenocidal and his attempt to win another ROTY trophy.
Q- What would you be doing to improve the zone, if you had the chance?
I don't know, alot of things that I think should be done have been told to Sephiroso or w0 and they sometimes use the ideas. Maybe we should sell the zone like Metal Gear did on eBay and make 15,000 $.
And that's the conclusion. I realize that a simple question/answer series is a bit bland and I hope to change and revise the way this goes in order to create a more enjoyable draft. The next interview will be with Xeno.
Q- How long have you been playing SubSpace and Hockey Zone for?
Started in Season 2 -- played as "BUCKY-BLUES"
Q- What is your SubSpace and Hockey Zone history?
I've played a few zone's over my time in SS. When I first started playing in Dueling Arizona, I was on a squad called "Men In Black". Over time I started playing A Small WarZone with my cousin, storm cat. After a fall out with them I played TW and HZ alot. I started HZ in Season 2 and my most memorable moment was duringthe All-Star Events in Season 2 where SHAGGY 2 DOPE and myself made it to the finals. Everyone was chanting "Bucky!" and really made me enjoy HZ. I became a "BL Trainee" which was ran by the real Jman, and later joined Merdoc's orginal Blades. Let me tell you, that Blades team had some pretty good players looking back at it today, such RSHL Standouts like Kula Shaker, Scuzzy Sureshot, and buck cat (Comment by Cameo- Pfft.). Season 4 became a very intresting season for myself. Blades folded and Pikapoo from Blades formed "Slashers". So I joined that squad, and played on it for most of the season, untill I had a fallout with fellow member Sydor and decided to part ways with the team. I joined South Park Cows as "ab0rt" and played during the end of the season. This is when I started to shine a little bit. I was there bench warmer but when I got a shot, I capitalized on it huge, everytime I got on I scored, then got benched. After the season ended I parted ways with SPC because my friend Koho was starting a squad called "MoTo"
MoTo was another squad that Koho tried to develop after "E.N.G.L.E" failed, and we had some nice players. MoTo then turned into BlueLiners, as we voted to do that. One catch came up after the pre-season, and that was that BlueLiners wasn't allowed to be re-formed with Koho as a captain (long story, ask another time). So Koho deicded to break up BlueLiners, but I wanted to keep it, so I recrutied all the players from BlueLiners (except 1 or 2) and formed"-Icing-". As the captain, I used the name "etruscan" and we were accepted as an expansion team along with HeroPyschoDreamer's "Procetion" squad. We went on to win 1 game, vs Protection. I was a top 5 points man in the league, and scored somewhere near 95% of our teams goals.
Season 6 came around, and Koho had talked to the Board of Directors about bring back BlueLiners and how he could do it. It was decided that BlueLiners could reform under a couple stipulations.
Anyways, -Icing- became BlueLiners and Koho and myself ran it. We devloped a core of players that became into a force after we made the playoffs, and rolled over the other teams (South Park Cows -cupfavorites- and Power-Play). We won the cup, and in the offseason 4U2NV (aka I hate BlueLiners) decided to revoke our cup because Jalrix (achorn) was playing for us in the playoffs. So we lost the cup.
Season 7 was just a thing where we wanted to win the cup, and we failed in the first round vs Slashers due to our ego.
Season 8 was another disaapointment for BL and we lost in the playoffs again. I quit BL after a fallout with Koho and the rest ofthe team.
Season 9 I decided to sit out, and just take a break.
Season 10 -- You know what happened, I was on DS then on BA then lost in the playoffs again. I did however win the Most Outstanding Player awards for my season long preformance in the points department.
Q- What position(s) do you play?
Foward only, I've netted a couple RSHL Games though.
Q- How do you see your team matching up this season? There's that whole looming cloud about the core of BA being inactive and having to rely on 'new' players and of course the argument about BA being too offensive and thereby lacking defensive play. It seems to come around every season, but, being a big part of their offense, what do you have to say?
Alot of people say the "core" of BA is inactive. In all reality our core is a bunch of retired people taking up space. If BA wanted,they can chop down the roster to the size of Illuminati and still be an active squad. People like qbawl are unable to attend our games, or play, but he still has a spot. One thing we did need was a goalie though, and instead of stealing a top tier player, we deicded to develop one. As far as defense goes though, we needed some work, and I recruited AFH Whiplash>> to join the ranks of BA. After all, he wants to win his first cup so bad, the want to win is the thing that makes people win.
Q- How are the rest of the teams shaping up? Any predictions? Anysleeper squads that'll rise up?
I think SPC is the sleep this season. If Creasers picks up a good goal scorer they'd be a top team again this season. I see Slashers, Inner Puck, Breakaway, Illum, and South Park Cows as the top 5. The 6spot will be South Park Cows, they have a great goalie, and a very underrated offense/midfield. Look for them to be the #1 suprise this season.
Q- What do you say about Thunder Wolves?
They'll have major shell shock when it comes to playing a real RSHL Team in a real season game. They have Sydor on there, who brings some RSHL knowledge, but I see them beating teams like NS, and Hmm, and also being able to beat a team like Blades or Creasers. They won't be the worst team in the league, but they have no shot at a playoff spot this season. I give them 4-5 wins.
Q- This whole Money Inc deal? They're players being banned, peoplecalling them the jocks, bullies, whatever of the zone?
I like alot of people on MI but they are just asking to get banned with the things they've been doing. They have a very good roster, but I dont see them playing serious enough to play hard.
Q- Any comments on Fett's vandetta against w0?
We see this all the time really. One person doesn't like another, so they argue. I have been in w0's shoes before and I know how it is to be the target of alot of things. I think eventually Fett will just get tired of targeting w0.
Q- If you don't care for w0, who would you like to see be running the zone?
I like w0, and I think someone like Xenocidal would be a good replacement for w0, but thats just because I like Xenocidal and his attempt to win another ROTY trophy.
Q- What would you be doing to improve the zone, if you had the chance?
I don't know, alot of things that I think should be done have been told to Sephiroso or w0 and they sometimes use the ideas. Maybe we should sell the zone like Metal Gear did on eBay and make 15,000 $.
And that's the conclusion. I realize that a simple question/answer series is a bit bland and I hope to change and revise the way this goes in order to create a more enjoyable draft. The next interview will be with Xeno.
Monday, August 23, 2004
Northstars
Season 11
Team Profile
Northstars
Preview:
A short roster, not much depth, and not a lot of anything. NS will struggle all season, they will challenge some of the bottem tier teams, and could upset 1 of the top teams like BA or MI. HPD will once again play the role as Hero. Is he psycho for doing so, or just a dreamer?
Team Profile
Northstars
Preview:
A short roster, not much depth, and not a lot of anything. NS will struggle all season, they will challenge some of the bottem tier teams, and could upset 1 of the top teams like BA or MI. HPD will once again play the role as Hero. Is he psycho for doing so, or just a dreamer?
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Money Inc
Season 11
Team Profile
Money Inc.
With much of their firepower having been banned, and their goalie as well. The start of this comming season will be an uphill battle for MI. Depending on how much longer it's delayed, and how long the preseason is, it might not be a huge factor. MI will still likely make the playoffs, but once all those players do return (JustLo, Delphisto, Lawn Dwarf, UKillMe and if Im forgetting others, sorry) expect to see some rust.
While most everyone in the league doesnt like MI, I will have to say they are a top 5 team. Yet without those 4 players, they are right in the middle of the pack. I dont expect Rage to lead this team offensively anymore. Not even for the first few weeks of the season in which their top guns are banned. It will be Supremacist who will get the job done this season. I think he will be a big surprise too. While he has been playing more often, I still dont think people will expect him to do as well as I think he's going to perform.
battlecity tom is in his Paul Coffeyish, final years, so dont expect anything but the fact he's been there and done that.
I have not seen tidal at all in HZ, and It's a shame too, he was really a good mid, and MI needs all the mid and d they can get.
I can't really give one project starting lineup, since their starters are almost all banned, so I will give two.
Offense: LD, UKM, Suprem
Mid / D: Superdan, Delphisto
Goalie: Justlo
Factor in the bannings:
O: Rage, Suprem, Fucklemoose?
M/D: Luna, Goku
Goalie: bct
I seriously dont know who would play where with the bans factored in. So sorry for my feeble attempt. MI just is not good without those players.
Lawn and UKM have both been to the Blackie Cup 2 years in a row. While LD scored most of CR's goals, and UKM played in most of BL's games while watching Mailliw and Sniper score BL's goals. Combined, expect UKM to watch LD score a lot more goals. Suprem now remains the only MI player that is active, and he has gotten rather good at using the new warbird, better then rage.
So MI's offense is going to be one of the best, but a lot of people are banned from it, so it will take time. If they can pull off some big victories early in the season, without the likes of their suspended teamies, then they will easily earn one of the top seeds. However, if they begin the season with a hard schedule, expect them to possibly miss the playoffs.
Superdan will get a lot of playing early in the season, and he might prove himself to be an above average player, though I might expect to see him in goal while jlo is banned.
Should Tidal return, and bct as well, assume they both play at a level near their prime, along with all the banned players on MI, I would easily say they will make the finals.
However, since MI is full of foul mouthed internet hockey jocks, they will likely screw themselves over. Much like last season, with the exception that they actually have a very talented roster this time around.
The problem is they need to shut up and play, and it seems like they are learning that, but I guess since they're all banned, it only seems that way.
So we'll see, has MI learned a lesson?
Team Profile
Money Inc.
With much of their firepower having been banned, and their goalie as well. The start of this comming season will be an uphill battle for MI. Depending on how much longer it's delayed, and how long the preseason is, it might not be a huge factor. MI will still likely make the playoffs, but once all those players do return (JustLo, Delphisto, Lawn Dwarf, UKillMe and if Im forgetting others, sorry) expect to see some rust.
While most everyone in the league doesnt like MI, I will have to say they are a top 5 team. Yet without those 4 players, they are right in the middle of the pack. I dont expect Rage to lead this team offensively anymore. Not even for the first few weeks of the season in which their top guns are banned. It will be Supremacist who will get the job done this season. I think he will be a big surprise too. While he has been playing more often, I still dont think people will expect him to do as well as I think he's going to perform.
battlecity tom is in his Paul Coffeyish, final years, so dont expect anything but the fact he's been there and done that.
I have not seen tidal at all in HZ, and It's a shame too, he was really a good mid, and MI needs all the mid and d they can get.
I can't really give one project starting lineup, since their starters are almost all banned, so I will give two.
Offense: LD, UKM, Suprem
Mid / D: Superdan, Delphisto
Goalie: Justlo
Factor in the bannings:
O: Rage, Suprem, Fucklemoose?
M/D: Luna, Goku
Goalie: bct
I seriously dont know who would play where with the bans factored in. So sorry for my feeble attempt. MI just is not good without those players.
Lawn and UKM have both been to the Blackie Cup 2 years in a row. While LD scored most of CR's goals, and UKM played in most of BL's games while watching Mailliw and Sniper score BL's goals. Combined, expect UKM to watch LD score a lot more goals. Suprem now remains the only MI player that is active, and he has gotten rather good at using the new warbird, better then rage.
So MI's offense is going to be one of the best, but a lot of people are banned from it, so it will take time. If they can pull off some big victories early in the season, without the likes of their suspended teamies, then they will easily earn one of the top seeds. However, if they begin the season with a hard schedule, expect them to possibly miss the playoffs.
Superdan will get a lot of playing early in the season, and he might prove himself to be an above average player, though I might expect to see him in goal while jlo is banned.
Should Tidal return, and bct as well, assume they both play at a level near their prime, along with all the banned players on MI, I would easily say they will make the finals.
However, since MI is full of foul mouthed internet hockey jocks, they will likely screw themselves over. Much like last season, with the exception that they actually have a very talented roster this time around.
The problem is they need to shut up and play, and it seems like they are learning that, but I guess since they're all banned, it only seems that way.
So we'll see, has MI learned a lesson?
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Inner Puck
Season 11
Team Profile
Inner Puck
The fan favorite to win the Blackie Cup this season. Explosive offense with Aqualicy, Rukus, Doobie, and darth. Not to mention an originale style of play. No cr sitting, and alot of offense comming from their mids like Dug and Lumi, not to forget Darth plays a two way game, but with wzl nerfed, his defensive game will not be as effective. The goal tending is questionable in Soxx, it's interesting that such a great team has a laggy euro in net. I really would like to just skip IP cause I could seriously ramble on for hours about each player on their team (minus Janus).
RuKuS has had a great career, he has lead many a great offense (season 6 SPC, MC, and now IP) yet he has no Cup, and no playoff success. Lets just call him Adam Oates playing for the Ottawa Senators. He also has that one big blemish in his career where he was banned for life. Yet, even without a Cup, I think rukus will make the HOF, though he'll likely have to have 2 more solid seasons to make up for his early career errors.
Team Profile
Inner Puck
The fan favorite to win the Blackie Cup this season. Explosive offense with Aqualicy, Rukus, Doobie, and darth. Not to mention an originale style of play. No cr sitting, and alot of offense comming from their mids like Dug and Lumi, not to forget Darth plays a two way game, but with wzl nerfed, his defensive game will not be as effective. The goal tending is questionable in Soxx, it's interesting that such a great team has a laggy euro in net. I really would like to just skip IP cause I could seriously ramble on for hours about each player on their team (minus Janus).
RuKuS has had a great career, he has lead many a great offense (season 6 SPC, MC, and now IP) yet he has no Cup, and no playoff success. Lets just call him Adam Oates playing for the Ottawa Senators. He also has that one big blemish in his career where he was banned for life. Yet, even without a Cup, I think rukus will make the HOF, though he'll likely have to have 2 more solid seasons to make up for his early career errors.
Aqualicy. Yes he's in league (again?) I am told he has said he isnt a rookie, and that he did play in league. Koho has always 'known' that Aqu was wolfkeeper, who played for BL. Im pretty sure Aqu is Elade from IHZ, and I had thought Wolfkeeper was Elade as well. Anyways, Aqu is a really good player, and even without him IP is solid all around, with him, they are like team Canada in this year's World Cup of Hockey.
Will Doobie play this season? His lag could be problems I am told. Im really unsure of his cituation, but aqu should replace doobie rather effectively, but having both would really be fucking annoying to try and stop, especially with rukus centering them.
Lets just skip to the starting lineup and I'll get back to the asskissing:
Offense> Aqu, Rukus, Doobie
Mid/D> Darth(Capt. Crunch) and luminate
Goalie> Soxx / Cyborg
On offense, you could easily rotate in; Indometh and Dug Fin and not have a drop in output. LW is said to be good, but I still think he has no talent, and has yet to prove himself as a having any skill. Regiments is much the same, they both make the dumbest mistakes, which IP masks easily by surrounding these two trashpals with the gods of hockey zone. So now that I got my personal vendetta across, lets discuss how on earth Regi won ROTY over Dug, and even Nana. Rukus and Co. You could insert Jumpers into this lineup and he would win ROTY. If you added Koroshi, you would then have to choose between the two, and I guess IP tried to have both Regi and Dug win, but somehow Regi won it. I guess dug was too cocky last season.
The amount of veterans on this team is only comparable to BA, and IP has the advantage of having vets that still care / still have skill. Boone is a good example, even tommydcat is an asset, as he could put special IP friendly code into the bots.
I really havnt seen Lumi around, so I assume this is why they got dragonwing0. Otherwise, I dont see why he joined this team. Cause while he is good, he will play less then he did on BL, not win a cup (rukus is cursed) and I really dont see the point of him being on IP if he doesnt play. Oh ya, tommy plays middy too, but I can understand him not caring about playing since he finds joy in coding (mmmm).
The only weakness IP might have is goal tending, and I suppose defense, but holy shit who cares if they dont have any defense at all. Goal tending is how IP will lose. Soxx will lagout, or just suck, and Cyborg will forget to show to games, and if he does show, when was the last time he played goalie? This weakness can only be taken advantage of by other solid defensive teams like: SPC/ILL/SL/MI/BA/HM. This is why SPC shocked IP last season, and it is why BL crushed IP en route to a twopeat.
So every team has their achillies. IP's wont matter much, but it will be the reason why they dont win the Cup, and the Curse will grow. Will IP recruit a solid goalie? Will they put all their hopes into Soxx? Will Lumi play goalie? Can Cyborg still do it, and actually, can Lumi? It wont matter untill the playoffs, they will dominate the regular season, lose 1 or 2 games and win their Conference. Note: they could lose more then 2 games if they are in the stacked conference. Aqu will lead the team offensive, but expect their starters to all put up massive numbers.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Illuminati
Season 11
Team Profile
Illuminati
With wolf at the helm, DS seems to have been reborn. Well, not exactly. But Mal and Chrono have joined this short, yet effective roster. Eco/Linix will always keep you in any game, and Illuminati's offense will be better then ever. Now with such a short roster, it is possible they could lose some games if 1 or 2 players dont show up. While the roster isnt volitile, if a player like judge were to leave, it would demote their overall ability exponentially.
It would be hard for anyone to leave this team though, for any other team they would join, they would likely not have as good an oportunity. Anyways, Illuminati has always had a short roster, and it has been a good formula for regular season success. The problem is the playoffs, they have yet to be a proven playoff producer.
There is no doubt in my mind, Illum will make the playoffs as 1st or 2nd seed, perhaps 3rd if they are placed in the stacked conference. They will easily have the best numbers defensively. You could compare them to the Devils, and say they are boring. Yet, I think they can play like the Devils that had Mogilny and lead the league offensively, and yet lost to those high spending Avs, to let Ray Bourque win a Cup. While Illum wont lead the league offensively, they will put up better numbers then they did last season, and last season they actually put up some good numbers. It's against the other top teams that they dont seem to win games. They keep it close, but they dont close it out.
While CR sitting has become passe, Illum will still be effective at it. It will be the bread and butter of their game plan. If teams focus too much on how well Ill plays team defense, they could forget the fact that Illum has more veterans on their roster, with oodles of skill, then they did last season. Malstryx and chrono are a huge addition, Mal is a proven team go to guy, with years of experience, Chrono has been an offensive threat in every season he's played in.
Lets also not forget, they have kept the same core of players since last season. It will help, since they allready know the game plan, and the chemistry will be there. Judge69 wont have to lead the offense, and that will improve his output, as well as those around him. While he put up MVP like numbers last season, it was mainly due to the fact he was the only player on their offense, along with artofwar.
Illum's starting line will be pretty easy to predict:
Offense> Judge, Chrono, Art
Mid + D> Mal and Economiser
Goalie: Cylor
This is the only way I would get to mention Cylor, but yes, Linix is still on Illum, and Linix will start in net, a no brainer. If he died though, I think Cylor would be his backup, and might start a game. Linix and his bot will put up Brodeurian numbers for yet another season, and questions of if Linix would be a solid goalie without his Bot will never be put to rest. I dont really think he cares though. Ive seen him play plenty without Eco, and he has done perfectly well. I dont even think Eco is all that great at defense. He just communicates well with Linix, and thus I believe he is the one benefiting from Linix, rather then vice versa.
Mal's transitional game is superb. He will be this team's MVP, I think I've mentioned that before. Chrono will really help Art be a better player, by taking pressure off art's young back. By adding more weapons, Illum can spread the puck around, and get more chances, play more of a control game, and this will make their defense even better, and their offense as well. I just think they hit a wall against teams like IP, SL and BA because while they have a really good team, I still dont think they have the depth. They have a great solid starting line, but once you have to put in the other players on their roster, the bar drops. Not to say their other players are bad, but if they want to go the distance; I see them using only the 6 players I mentioned above in every period of every playoff game.
They've got a short roster, and a great starting 6, so once people miss games, their status slips from powerhouse to just the house. They are better this season, but so are the teams that rank above them. So it wont be easy this season, and I expect them to do well, they just either need more depth, or really need to have their best 6 show to every important game, which as we know from past experience, doesnt happen to often with any team.
Team Profile
Illuminati
With wolf at the helm, DS seems to have been reborn. Well, not exactly. But Mal and Chrono have joined this short, yet effective roster. Eco/Linix will always keep you in any game, and Illuminati's offense will be better then ever. Now with such a short roster, it is possible they could lose some games if 1 or 2 players dont show up. While the roster isnt volitile, if a player like judge were to leave, it would demote their overall ability exponentially.
It would be hard for anyone to leave this team though, for any other team they would join, they would likely not have as good an oportunity. Anyways, Illuminati has always had a short roster, and it has been a good formula for regular season success. The problem is the playoffs, they have yet to be a proven playoff producer.
There is no doubt in my mind, Illum will make the playoffs as 1st or 2nd seed, perhaps 3rd if they are placed in the stacked conference. They will easily have the best numbers defensively. You could compare them to the Devils, and say they are boring. Yet, I think they can play like the Devils that had Mogilny and lead the league offensively, and yet lost to those high spending Avs, to let Ray Bourque win a Cup. While Illum wont lead the league offensively, they will put up better numbers then they did last season, and last season they actually put up some good numbers. It's against the other top teams that they dont seem to win games. They keep it close, but they dont close it out.
While CR sitting has become passe, Illum will still be effective at it. It will be the bread and butter of their game plan. If teams focus too much on how well Ill plays team defense, they could forget the fact that Illum has more veterans on their roster, with oodles of skill, then they did last season. Malstryx and chrono are a huge addition, Mal is a proven team go to guy, with years of experience, Chrono has been an offensive threat in every season he's played in.
Lets also not forget, they have kept the same core of players since last season. It will help, since they allready know the game plan, and the chemistry will be there. Judge69 wont have to lead the offense, and that will improve his output, as well as those around him. While he put up MVP like numbers last season, it was mainly due to the fact he was the only player on their offense, along with artofwar.
Illum's starting line will be pretty easy to predict:
Offense> Judge, Chrono, Art
Mid + D> Mal and Economiser
Goalie: Cylor
This is the only way I would get to mention Cylor, but yes, Linix is still on Illum, and Linix will start in net, a no brainer. If he died though, I think Cylor would be his backup, and might start a game. Linix and his bot will put up Brodeurian numbers for yet another season, and questions of if Linix would be a solid goalie without his Bot will never be put to rest. I dont really think he cares though. Ive seen him play plenty without Eco, and he has done perfectly well. I dont even think Eco is all that great at defense. He just communicates well with Linix, and thus I believe he is the one benefiting from Linix, rather then vice versa.
Mal's transitional game is superb. He will be this team's MVP, I think I've mentioned that before. Chrono will really help Art be a better player, by taking pressure off art's young back. By adding more weapons, Illum can spread the puck around, and get more chances, play more of a control game, and this will make their defense even better, and their offense as well. I just think they hit a wall against teams like IP, SL and BA because while they have a really good team, I still dont think they have the depth. They have a great solid starting line, but once you have to put in the other players on their roster, the bar drops. Not to say their other players are bad, but if they want to go the distance; I see them using only the 6 players I mentioned above in every period of every playoff game.
They've got a short roster, and a great starting 6, so once people miss games, their status slips from powerhouse to just the house. They are better this season, but so are the teams that rank above them. So it wont be easy this season, and I expect them to do well, they just either need more depth, or really need to have their best 6 show to every important game, which as we know from past experience, doesnt happen to often with any team.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Hmm?
RSHL Rosters
Season 11 Team Profile
Hmm?
Captain: KoRnholio! (C)
Alternates: Leafy (A) David Seaman #1 (A) mr.vodka (A)
Korn could easily win some sort of leadership award this season, if all goes as planned for Hmm. His team has come from nothing, built mainly from within. He and vodka have established themselves as quality two way players, with a defensive focus. Their roster still remains virtually unknown, with the exception of the recent signing of Jalrix and Pan, and lets not forget Antsy-HZ. Antsy has been a career benchwarmer, but his attitude has remained great, and when called upon to play, he is there to accept. I feel Ant could have a breakout season, which is long overdue.
Leafy is an average forward, with above average lag, and he has always done most of Hmm's scoring, with Jalrix, I think leafy will get a whole lot better, and now that Jalron is once again the star of a team, he will showcase his old dominance.
Let's not forget Achron (jal) captained the first team to ever win, and he took BL on his back in season 6, to win them a cup, and win him playoff MVP. One slight problem, jal was still denying he was Achron, and when he finally admitted it, BL's cup was revoeked, and he was suspended for a season. It took a lot of guts for Jal to do that, and he's a better player for having done so. I expect him to be back in old form, and I expect his right hand cookware to be right there with him. Im quite sure Calcium is pan, so look for his lag to really make Hmm's offensive attack a menace to play against.
Lets get to their starting line up;
Offense: Leafy, Jalrix, Pan
Mid/D: vodka, korn
Goalie: Frozen Flame
FF will be the best rookie goalie comming into the season. While MaximaSE will put up some good numbers as well, I think considering BA is in front of Max, while a less established team is in front of FF, FF's numbers will have more meaning. Plus I believe strongly in Hmm's mid/d set up, they have played well together for the past couple of seasons, the chemistry is there, they have great attitudes and they have a huge desire to win. So FF will have a lot of great protection in front of him, he wont have to bear the entire burden though, as David is a capable goalie, and I assume he's Hmm's backup tender.
Hmm could be really laggy on offense this season if we stick to SSCX. Brawler, Bitemark, pan, leaf, and jal, are all above the norm for lagging. I really think if pan got his lag under control, he would be a great player. Dont get me wrong, their lag wont win the game for them. It will help, but their defense is so solid, and their goaltending isnt weak, I think that they will win games due to not allowing many goals, rather then running up the score.
They can score though, and this is why they could easily be the 6th best team. I guess it's a matter of how bad they lag, if it's too much, they will have goals called back, if it's just right, their offense will be underestimated, and your team will be burned to a crisp, leaving you scratching your head, thinking "hmm?" how did we just lose to this team?
So while they dont have a star studded roster, they do have one in jal, and they have some really good middies in Korn and Vodka, a quality laggy, dangerous offense, solid goaltending, and a passion to win, along with chemistry and experience together as a team.
They will start off the season looking like overachievers, and being underrated, they will end the season having gained a lot of respect around the league, and some new RSHL stars will be born. They will make the playoffs in either conference; heck, they barely missed knocking out BA/SL last season, if not for their lack of experience down the stretch.
Season 11 Team Profile
Hmm?
Captain: KoRnholio! (C)
Alternates: Leafy (A) David Seaman #1 (A) mr.vodka (A)
Korn could easily win some sort of leadership award this season, if all goes as planned for Hmm. His team has come from nothing, built mainly from within. He and vodka have established themselves as quality two way players, with a defensive focus. Their roster still remains virtually unknown, with the exception of the recent signing of Jalrix and Pan, and lets not forget Antsy-HZ. Antsy has been a career benchwarmer, but his attitude has remained great, and when called upon to play, he is there to accept. I feel Ant could have a breakout season, which is long overdue.
Leafy is an average forward, with above average lag, and he has always done most of Hmm's scoring, with Jalrix, I think leafy will get a whole lot better, and now that Jalron is once again the star of a team, he will showcase his old dominance.
Let's not forget Achron (jal) captained the first team to ever win, and he took BL on his back in season 6, to win them a cup, and win him playoff MVP. One slight problem, jal was still denying he was Achron, and when he finally admitted it, BL's cup was revoeked, and he was suspended for a season. It took a lot of guts for Jal to do that, and he's a better player for having done so. I expect him to be back in old form, and I expect his right hand cookware to be right there with him. Im quite sure Calcium is pan, so look for his lag to really make Hmm's offensive attack a menace to play against.
Lets get to their starting line up;
Offense: Leafy, Jalrix, Pan
Mid/D: vodka, korn
Goalie: Frozen Flame
FF will be the best rookie goalie comming into the season. While MaximaSE will put up some good numbers as well, I think considering BA is in front of Max, while a less established team is in front of FF, FF's numbers will have more meaning. Plus I believe strongly in Hmm's mid/d set up, they have played well together for the past couple of seasons, the chemistry is there, they have great attitudes and they have a huge desire to win. So FF will have a lot of great protection in front of him, he wont have to bear the entire burden though, as David is a capable goalie, and I assume he's Hmm's backup tender.
Hmm could be really laggy on offense this season if we stick to SSCX. Brawler, Bitemark, pan, leaf, and jal, are all above the norm for lagging. I really think if pan got his lag under control, he would be a great player. Dont get me wrong, their lag wont win the game for them. It will help, but their defense is so solid, and their goaltending isnt weak, I think that they will win games due to not allowing many goals, rather then running up the score.
They can score though, and this is why they could easily be the 6th best team. I guess it's a matter of how bad they lag, if it's too much, they will have goals called back, if it's just right, their offense will be underestimated, and your team will be burned to a crisp, leaving you scratching your head, thinking "hmm?" how did we just lose to this team?
So while they dont have a star studded roster, they do have one in jal, and they have some really good middies in Korn and Vodka, a quality laggy, dangerous offense, solid goaltending, and a passion to win, along with chemistry and experience together as a team.
They will start off the season looking like overachievers, and being underrated, they will end the season having gained a lot of respect around the league, and some new RSHL stars will be born. They will make the playoffs in either conference; heck, they barely missed knocking out BA/SL last season, if not for their lack of experience down the stretch.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Creasers
RSHL Rosters
Season 11 Team Profile
Creasers
Captain: c-wolf (C)
Alternates: FMX (A) violence (A)
Preview:
Lawn Dwarf left CR at the end of season 9, and BLA was banned for life. The future did not look bright, and any new player who joined CR was quickly labled as BLA. While CR will once again feature a nice group of laggy forwards, it will sorely miss their true leader; Lawn Dwarf. As we all know, LD rejoined CR in season 10, having left BL. BL went on to beat CR in the finals, once again. Creasers would have never beaten SL in the first round without LD, and same goes for the semis against BA.
So season 11 will begin with LD having left CR once again, and it is highly likely he wont return. Not known for their defense, they will focus on possesion once again. The only difference being, they will score even less. They have few weapons, which means they will be even easier to shut down. BananaSquadron69 will lead the way, which isnt really a good sign. He's a great support player, and could have won ROTY last season; if he had Rukus hyping him up and lobbying for him like he did to Regiments. Alas, he did not win anything, but his attitude has been pretty solid, and he remains a humble player. Vio did well last season, but was constantly benched due to his piss poor attitude. This goes to show that the (A) next to his name stands for Ass()istant. The other offense on CR will come from, Slayer X and if v1640 is really unretired, he will be a huge asset to the team.
Im starting to ramble a bit, so lets get on with the likely starters.
Creasers current projected starting line up>
Offense: Banana, Slayer, Vio
Mid/D: Cwolf + Mr. Vegas or AO
Goalie: FMX
I really am not sure of their lineup. Mostly because they dont have a single proven defenseman on their team. BCT wasnt really defense, so having lost him doesnt really mean much. Maybe someone is aliased on that roster and they could be better then I currently suspect, but they hardly use defense, and thus no one on their team will bother to play it. AO could play defense I suppose, but I did say proven, didnt I?
Cwolf is reguarded as a very good middy, but I think the lack of a supporting cast will really be too much for him to bear. I see CR struggling out of the gate, and perhaps having some really entertaining games, where they will provide most of the entertainment, and I'm not talking about them scoring goals. I guess I'm really giving it to CR hard, but looking over the roster, and their recent withdrawal from the scrimleague leaves me to believe they are in over their heads.
I fully expect them to gut their farm team, and use a lot of their talent for their gain. If they do this, they will likely fair better then expected. At the very least, they will call up d$l.
While FMX isnt a bad goalie, he isnt very reliable, and with the lack of any defense, and less scoring this season from his team, it is very likely CR will change their entire scheme for the comming regular season. They just wont be able to keep up on the score board if they dont realize their weaknesess. FMX is in for a nightmare season.
Best case scenario, vigilanty, v16, cwolf, nana, vio and FMX all are active, showing to every game, and none lag out, thus giving CR a solid competative line. Yet things always come up, and Vigi hasnt been on for some time now (did he retire?) and lag will be a factor with SSCX as our server. I know they do have a lot of potentialy great players, I really shouldnt write them off so easily. Yet there is no star, Cwolf doesnt have the ability to carry them on his back, he doesnt have scoring flaire. Nana could break out as that player, but he, along with most of their roster, are still considerd rookies. 9th having won a Cup with BA in season 1, is still a rookie in many people's minds. None of them have proven ability yet.
So this will be a season for Creasers to prove themselves. A season where they will rise to the occation, or crumble in dispair. With the conferences not outlined yet, it is hard to say if CR can make the playoffs or not. One conference will have 3 of the uberteams in it, while the other will only have 2 (The uberteams being: IP/SL/BA/MI/IL). Only 4 teams from each conference will make it, and should CR be in the conference holding 3 of those teams, they will likely miss out. However, if they land in the other, their chances are greatly increased.
I'm sure I'll be hearing it from Vio and some other CRer about how uber their team will be, but when you lose to a team, where you have more then 6 players show, and they have only 4 people show (initially 3 for 1 period) you seriously need to learn something about yourselves. Yes it was only scrimleague, but that's on a level above a scrim, and a step below preseason.
HOW DO YOU LOSE 6 v 3 (4) ?
I'm not basing this team profile on that one scrimleague game, but instead looking over the CR roster, looking at how theyve played together over the offseason, and having seen the players individually. That scrimleague game, and their having left the scrimleague, are just markers, road signs, leading down the path that Darkslayers and Misconduct have travled more then once before.
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Breakaway
RSHL Rosters
Season 11 Team Profile
Breakaway
Captain: Gold (C)
Alternates: MD (A) w0 (A)
Well, BA has been actively recruiting the past week or so, and they have tried to shore up their weaknesses. AFH Whiplash>> and IGGY- being the two newest recruits. One a veteran defenseman, the other a solid backup goalie, and good utility/depth player with some Cup experience to go with the over 10 other experienced vets.
BA definitely has a solid roster now, and they have established themselves as a top 5 team. Now if they get shaft, they will be back in contention as a Cup favorite. What a difference a few players make. It really isn't 1 player that makes a difference, but when combined with the mass of depth that BA has, Shaft will give them that defensive presence they desperately need.
So while my quick rundown of teams had BA's D/M/G all being very weak, they made some quick repairs, and theres no way they cant make the playoffs now.
We could make this BA profile a history lesson, and just go through the amazing RSHL careers of players like Anno Domini, Gold, cOnFuSeS, Cyris, and my favorite breakaway artist, dai along with the Breakaway finisher, buck cat. Of course I have to mention w0 too, since he is sysop, and then there is Sephiroso, whose greatest game ever came when he goalied for Epik in season 7, and helped EP to upset BL in Epik's only legitimate win of it's entirety. Other then that, Seph is just there cause he's LC and where would BA be without having the LC on its team?
Anyways, with all these great vets, which 6 do you choose to start? It's pretty simple since many of them have lost their way, and only a few (dozen) actually have kept their game up. OK, I lied, it isnt easy.
Breakaway current projected starting line up>
Offense: Buck, Gold, and: w0, conf, cyris, hb, anno, dai and Xeno.
Mid/D: AFH + qbawl
Goalie: MaximaSE
Gold is really their team leader, he always has been. He's much like Darth(Capt Crunch), a two way forward, very aware, and consistent. While he doesn't put up big numbers on offense, he is the reason why BA isn't dead. Buck cat will be a shot of adrenaline to the BA lineup, a spunky wb forward who is pesky off the puck in the defensive end, and never die attitude. BA usually lacks focus during the regular season, and buck is the type of player willing to bring that focus every game. Conf is much the same as Gold, cept conf really goes unnoticed. BA's offense is better then last year by far. Idividually that is, they arnt going to win against the big teams if they try and fastbreak all game long, they will need to pull it out and showcase a plan. The settings changes have made scoring easier, but that means they other team can score on you just as easily. Breakaways are still few and far between, so having w0 crash head on into the goalie wont score too many goals this season (despite the chopped CRs).
So, it will be interesting to see if BA can keep up with the new style of game that will be played this season with the settings changes. They have yet to look good in any scrim, so many questions still remain. Their defense and goalie situation is still unproven, much the same way one would question any new goalie entering any league.
One thing is for sure, they're a top 5 team, but that only means they can drop the bottom 7 teams, it's all about the 4 teams equal, if not better then them.
Season 11 Team Profile
Breakaway
Captain: Gold (C)
Alternates: MD (A) w0 (A)
Well, BA has been actively recruiting the past week or so, and they have tried to shore up their weaknesses. AFH Whiplash>> and IGGY- being the two newest recruits. One a veteran defenseman, the other a solid backup goalie, and good utility/depth player with some Cup experience to go with the over 10 other experienced vets.
BA definitely has a solid roster now, and they have established themselves as a top 5 team. Now if they get shaft, they will be back in contention as a Cup favorite. What a difference a few players make. It really isn't 1 player that makes a difference, but when combined with the mass of depth that BA has, Shaft will give them that defensive presence they desperately need.
So while my quick rundown of teams had BA's D/M/G all being very weak, they made some quick repairs, and theres no way they cant make the playoffs now.
We could make this BA profile a history lesson, and just go through the amazing RSHL careers of players like Anno Domini, Gold, cOnFuSeS, Cyris, and my favorite breakaway artist, dai along with the Breakaway finisher, buck cat. Of course I have to mention w0 too, since he is sysop, and then there is Sephiroso, whose greatest game ever came when he goalied for Epik in season 7, and helped EP to upset BL in Epik's only legitimate win of it's entirety. Other then that, Seph is just there cause he's LC and where would BA be without having the LC on its team?
Anyways, with all these great vets, which 6 do you choose to start? It's pretty simple since many of them have lost their way, and only a few (dozen) actually have kept their game up. OK, I lied, it isnt easy.
Breakaway current projected starting line up>
Offense: Buck, Gold, and: w0, conf, cyris, hb, anno, dai and Xeno.
Mid/D: AFH + qbawl
Goalie: MaximaSE
Gold is really their team leader, he always has been. He's much like Darth(Capt Crunch), a two way forward, very aware, and consistent. While he doesn't put up big numbers on offense, he is the reason why BA isn't dead. Buck cat will be a shot of adrenaline to the BA lineup, a spunky wb forward who is pesky off the puck in the defensive end, and never die attitude. BA usually lacks focus during the regular season, and buck is the type of player willing to bring that focus every game. Conf is much the same as Gold, cept conf really goes unnoticed. BA's offense is better then last year by far. Idividually that is, they arnt going to win against the big teams if they try and fastbreak all game long, they will need to pull it out and showcase a plan. The settings changes have made scoring easier, but that means they other team can score on you just as easily. Breakaways are still few and far between, so having w0 crash head on into the goalie wont score too many goals this season (despite the chopped CRs).
So, it will be interesting to see if BA can keep up with the new style of game that will be played this season with the settings changes. They have yet to look good in any scrim, so many questions still remain. Their defense and goalie situation is still unproven, much the same way one would question any new goalie entering any league.
One thing is for sure, they're a top 5 team, but that only means they can drop the bottom 7 teams, it's all about the 4 teams equal, if not better then them.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Blades
RSHL Rosters
Season 11 Team Profile
Blades
Captain: Weeze (C)
Alternates: Harvester of Sorrow (A) HeavyD (A)
A return to the basics for Blades. Weeze is in his 3rd stint as Blades captain, and will be his 3rd season in the league. AFH recently left the squad to go to Breakaway, so that's just one less vet on the team. They will have a good lineup nevertheless. Sweetshot decided to stay with the team this season, after he showed a lot of poise in last season's playoff games against Breakaway. He almost single handedly held the defense together as BS took game 2 from BA. HeavyD is still one of the top levis in the league, and the combination will give BS a good defensive preasence in front of Ringwraith. Ring will look to establish himself as a premier goalie this season, and his desire to win is intoxicating, but he remains realistic. Blades will struggle with offense this season. They have many unproven weapens, Poser could be really good, puker will make his rookie debut, then there is their lagass Twista.
Heart. That is what this team will need to make the playoffs. They can never give up, or they will repeat their season 9 performance. Which really isnt a bad thing, since they had fun. There are only 4 really good teams this season, and that means it's really anyones game to grab those last 4 spots. The addition of 1 player could tip the balance for a number of teams.
I think IP/SL/MI will really roll over the other competition, with BA being the 4th good team, they just never seem to win games they should in the regular season. That leaves almost every other team being capable of making the playoffs. It is a very balanced league, minus the Superpowers.
Blades current projected starting line up>
Offense: Poserwannabe, Weeze, RedGoku
Mid/D: Sweetshot and HeavyD
Goalie: Ringwraith
Weeze will be the playmaking center brand of player this season. puker is going to be their weasle, and will have a decent rookie season, and could really break out, but with Aqualicy being a rookie, there is no chance puker will win the award over the RSHL's own Ichiro. Poser, if he can show to every game will really have the season he always should have had. Sweetshot and HVD might play a 2 mid type system, which will help BS' offense out, and seems to be the direction a lot of teams are going in. Which is good news to those "OMG A CR SITTER, LAME" folks.
Doink is going to also make his rookie debut, after having a quality season on Fusions last year. He has a lot of potential, and will come off the bench and earn a lot of playing time as the season wears thin. He's a middy with little offensive upside, but with HVD usually not making every game, he will be a good compliment to Sweetshot, who has offensive touch. The duo could prove very effective.
You really need to watch out for RedGoku though. Twista may lag like a mofo, and you'd think he'd be one to watch, but RedGoku will be the BS' offensive star this season in Warbird. He will have a career season for sure. He's not a complete player yet, and he's still got a lot to work on, but he knows how to score.
Blades has a solid lineup, with some decent depth. They all have the potential of being a playoff contender, but only time will tell. The conferences have yet to be decided upon, the playoff structure could change, rules could be created, etc, theres a lot of work left to do before the next season begins. BS has worked hard though, this entire offseason, and they have shown they will not crash and burn next season. I think they will struggle at times, and pull through. I will say now that they have a shot at the playoffs, despite the fact they have no stars at all on their team. I think one or two will emerge by seasons end.
Season 11 Team Profile
Blades
Captain: Weeze (C)
Alternates: Harvester of Sorrow (A) HeavyD (A)
A return to the basics for Blades. Weeze is in his 3rd stint as Blades captain, and will be his 3rd season in the league. AFH recently left the squad to go to Breakaway, so that's just one less vet on the team. They will have a good lineup nevertheless. Sweetshot decided to stay with the team this season, after he showed a lot of poise in last season's playoff games against Breakaway. He almost single handedly held the defense together as BS took game 2 from BA. HeavyD is still one of the top levis in the league, and the combination will give BS a good defensive preasence in front of Ringwraith. Ring will look to establish himself as a premier goalie this season, and his desire to win is intoxicating, but he remains realistic. Blades will struggle with offense this season. They have many unproven weapens, Poser could be really good, puker will make his rookie debut, then there is their lagass Twista.
Heart. That is what this team will need to make the playoffs. They can never give up, or they will repeat their season 9 performance. Which really isnt a bad thing, since they had fun. There are only 4 really good teams this season, and that means it's really anyones game to grab those last 4 spots. The addition of 1 player could tip the balance for a number of teams.
I think IP/SL/MI will really roll over the other competition, with BA being the 4th good team, they just never seem to win games they should in the regular season. That leaves almost every other team being capable of making the playoffs. It is a very balanced league, minus the Superpowers.
Blades current projected starting line up>
Offense: Poserwannabe, Weeze, RedGoku
Mid/D: Sweetshot and HeavyD
Goalie: Ringwraith
Weeze will be the playmaking center brand of player this season. puker is going to be their weasle, and will have a decent rookie season, and could really break out, but with Aqualicy being a rookie, there is no chance puker will win the award over the RSHL's own Ichiro. Poser, if he can show to every game will really have the season he always should have had. Sweetshot and HVD might play a 2 mid type system, which will help BS' offense out, and seems to be the direction a lot of teams are going in. Which is good news to those "OMG A CR SITTER, LAME" folks.
Doink is going to also make his rookie debut, after having a quality season on Fusions last year. He has a lot of potential, and will come off the bench and earn a lot of playing time as the season wears thin. He's a middy with little offensive upside, but with HVD usually not making every game, he will be a good compliment to Sweetshot, who has offensive touch. The duo could prove very effective.
You really need to watch out for RedGoku though. Twista may lag like a mofo, and you'd think he'd be one to watch, but RedGoku will be the BS' offensive star this season in Warbird. He will have a career season for sure. He's not a complete player yet, and he's still got a lot to work on, but he knows how to score.
Blades has a solid lineup, with some decent depth. They all have the potential of being a playoff contender, but only time will tell. The conferences have yet to be decided upon, the playoff structure could change, rules could be created, etc, theres a lot of work left to do before the next season begins. BS has worked hard though, this entire offseason, and they have shown they will not crash and burn next season. I think they will struggle at times, and pull through. I will say now that they have a shot at the playoffs, despite the fact they have no stars at all on their team. I think one or two will emerge by seasons end.
RSHL SEASON 11 OVERVIEW
12 Teams: Blades, Breakaway, Creasers, Hmm?, Illuminati, Inner Puck, Money Inc, Northstars, Slashers, South Park Cows, Thunder Wolves. 1 MSHL team will move up. I predict it will be Phasers.
Conferences are still undecided, but here is a predicted conference setup:
East: SL/BA/MI/TW/HM/NS
West: IP/IL/CR/SPC/BS/PH
The Rundown:
Blades: They lost Brethal and I, but they keep a solid core. Their offensive output will likely dwindle. They will have to battle the entire season to have a playoff chance, and they will go through tough times, and question themselves. Poser will lead the offense, along with Weeze, and puker. Their defense should be solid with HVD, AFH, Sweetshot and some other depth. I predict Dyrus and Arc (scoreboard) will join BS, and that should give them more chemistry and a better shot. Watch for Poser, Weeze and Sweetshot to have very good seasons. Ring and HVD will likely be solid enough to bring them into the playoffs.
Breakaway: They could be good. Their weakness is defense and goal tending. Maxima will be the heart of this team, and they will only go as far as him. If they put too much burden on him, they could miss the playoffs. BA lacks a defensive system, and it will be evident next season. They've got a lot of talented players, but this BA squad has gotten lucky, and if they're in it just for fun this season, they will likely have a lackluster season. Watch for Maxima to put up a lot of saves, and good numbers. Bucky will likely lead the offensive output. w0 wont be their MVP this season.
Creasers: Interesting roster for the coming season. Cwolf will have a nightmare season, if he plays. CR lacks goaltending for yet another season, they also lack offense and defense. Banana will be their star forward, and I predict he will get recruited off of CR, or he will just leave and join a team on the rise that could use that one player to put them on a higher level. I dont see CR making the playoffs, and I expect them to plunder their farm after they lose Nana. Slayer will likely lead their offensive attack, and FMX will be their sieve in net.
Hmm?: They've got a lot of ability. They will have a solid defensive game, and FF will likely do well in net. It will be up to their offense. They have a volatile forward: Leafy, that will likely lead their offensive unit. But beyond that, they are rather weak. Korn and vodka will have good seasons once again, and Hmm could make the playoffs, but if they dont find a way to score, they're in for a hard-fought season. Expect a lot of close games against Hmm.
Illuminati: Goaltending, defense and a lot of it. Illuminati will beat on the weak teams, and they will battle against the top tier teams. They will give IP a run for their money. But Ill lacks depth, and their offense might call in sick to some key games. They will not be easy to beat. Malstryx gives this team a huge lift. Judge not captaining also helps his game. This season, their offense wont be all judge, and that will help them out. Mal will be their team MVP, and could earn the league MVP award, if not for Linix/Eco.
Inner Puck: The need to win for Rukus has never been greater. This is the best team he's captained, and almost as good as the season 6 SPC team. Aqualicy will win ROTY, Rukus will put up a lot of offensive numbers, as will Doobie (if he plays). The team will start out a lot like they did last season, with 5 guys in the top 10 in scoring. Will the curse of Rukus Maker be broken? If IP loses to SPC again, that might raise questions once again. IP is likely the favorite to win, but Rukus' playoff disappointments may continue to pile. IP just might go unbeaten this season.
Money Inc: MI finally gets some veteran talent on their team, and it will force Rage to finally win to go with all that talking. It's hard to put your finger on how well they will do. UKM and LD played on BL last season, and that didnt prove too be effective. Suprem will have his best season to date. Tidal will be the defensively aware spider. But MI will likely have a weak defensive system, and it will put a lot of pressure on Jlo. MI's offense will win them a lot of games, and they have the talent to go deep into the playoffs, it's just a question of being able to win close games, something MI has never done.
Northstars: Not much as changed from last season. They will lack offensive talent for this season, but their defense will once again be solid. They are 2 offensive players away from being a serious playoff team. HPD is a great goalie, but NS really lacks offense. It will be interesting to see how they do in the new settings, and maybe they'll be able to win close games like they did last season. They are defiantly a solid team defensively, but offense is very much needed by the Stars.
Slashers: Last season, SL started out with piss poor goaltending, or in some cases, had Fett goalie. Their offense struggled as well, but they still managed to be one of the best defensive teams. Expect the same to be true for this season, but with a lot more offensive firepower. A near monopoly on Middies, and Sniper's growing legacy. SL will be the favorite to win the Cup this season, and could go unbeaten. Sniper will lead the offense, but shutting him down wont stop SL. Expectations are high, so any signs of slowing down will raise questions, but who will stop them?
South Park Cows: SPC has improved greatly coming into this season. Their offensive ability has been upgraded, and their defense is better then it was last season as well. Mace will lead their offense, and put up glossy numbers. Ice will have a stellar season as well, and Alastria will never die. SPC will challenge any team, and they wont roll over to any of the big boys. They will easily make the playoffs, it's just a question of if SPC's own curse can be snapped. Alastria is actually the Ray Bourque of HZ, while Rukus is the Adam Oates.
Thunder Wolves: They wont suck completely, but this isnt the MSHL anymore, and they dont have as good a team as they did when they won the *cough* LW cup. They will play through the entire season, and Apac will win the award that goes to the Captain who kept his sanity while losing every game 10-0.
Phasers: When Phasers is put into the RSHL, they will actually be better then TW. They will also likely dilute the MSHL, as with 12 RSHL teams, some of the better talent in the MSHL is going to get sucked up. CR will likely absorb Creased, and the MSHL could dwindle, but I still feel it's a fine league to have around for people to learn, and really just for developing goalies.
Conferences are still undecided, but here is a predicted conference setup:
East: SL/BA/MI/TW/HM/NS
West: IP/IL/CR/SPC/BS/PH
The Rundown:
Blades: They lost Brethal and I, but they keep a solid core. Their offensive output will likely dwindle. They will have to battle the entire season to have a playoff chance, and they will go through tough times, and question themselves. Poser will lead the offense, along with Weeze, and puker. Their defense should be solid with HVD, AFH, Sweetshot and some other depth. I predict Dyrus and Arc (scoreboard) will join BS, and that should give them more chemistry and a better shot. Watch for Poser, Weeze and Sweetshot to have very good seasons. Ring and HVD will likely be solid enough to bring them into the playoffs.
Breakaway: They could be good. Their weakness is defense and goal tending. Maxima will be the heart of this team, and they will only go as far as him. If they put too much burden on him, they could miss the playoffs. BA lacks a defensive system, and it will be evident next season. They've got a lot of talented players, but this BA squad has gotten lucky, and if they're in it just for fun this season, they will likely have a lackluster season. Watch for Maxima to put up a lot of saves, and good numbers. Bucky will likely lead the offensive output. w0 wont be their MVP this season.
Creasers: Interesting roster for the coming season. Cwolf will have a nightmare season, if he plays. CR lacks goaltending for yet another season, they also lack offense and defense. Banana will be their star forward, and I predict he will get recruited off of CR, or he will just leave and join a team on the rise that could use that one player to put them on a higher level. I dont see CR making the playoffs, and I expect them to plunder their farm after they lose Nana. Slayer will likely lead their offensive attack, and FMX will be their sieve in net.
Hmm?: They've got a lot of ability. They will have a solid defensive game, and FF will likely do well in net. It will be up to their offense. They have a volatile forward: Leafy, that will likely lead their offensive unit. But beyond that, they are rather weak. Korn and vodka will have good seasons once again, and Hmm could make the playoffs, but if they dont find a way to score, they're in for a hard-fought season. Expect a lot of close games against Hmm.
Illuminati: Goaltending, defense and a lot of it. Illuminati will beat on the weak teams, and they will battle against the top tier teams. They will give IP a run for their money. But Ill lacks depth, and their offense might call in sick to some key games. They will not be easy to beat. Malstryx gives this team a huge lift. Judge not captaining also helps his game. This season, their offense wont be all judge, and that will help them out. Mal will be their team MVP, and could earn the league MVP award, if not for Linix/Eco.
Inner Puck: The need to win for Rukus has never been greater. This is the best team he's captained, and almost as good as the season 6 SPC team. Aqualicy will win ROTY, Rukus will put up a lot of offensive numbers, as will Doobie (if he plays). The team will start out a lot like they did last season, with 5 guys in the top 10 in scoring. Will the curse of Rukus Maker be broken? If IP loses to SPC again, that might raise questions once again. IP is likely the favorite to win, but Rukus' playoff disappointments may continue to pile. IP just might go unbeaten this season.
Money Inc: MI finally gets some veteran talent on their team, and it will force Rage to finally win to go with all that talking. It's hard to put your finger on how well they will do. UKM and LD played on BL last season, and that didnt prove too be effective. Suprem will have his best season to date. Tidal will be the defensively aware spider. But MI will likely have a weak defensive system, and it will put a lot of pressure on Jlo. MI's offense will win them a lot of games, and they have the talent to go deep into the playoffs, it's just a question of being able to win close games, something MI has never done.
Northstars: Not much as changed from last season. They will lack offensive talent for this season, but their defense will once again be solid. They are 2 offensive players away from being a serious playoff team. HPD is a great goalie, but NS really lacks offense. It will be interesting to see how they do in the new settings, and maybe they'll be able to win close games like they did last season. They are defiantly a solid team defensively, but offense is very much needed by the Stars.
Slashers: Last season, SL started out with piss poor goaltending, or in some cases, had Fett goalie. Their offense struggled as well, but they still managed to be one of the best defensive teams. Expect the same to be true for this season, but with a lot more offensive firepower. A near monopoly on Middies, and Sniper's growing legacy. SL will be the favorite to win the Cup this season, and could go unbeaten. Sniper will lead the offense, but shutting him down wont stop SL. Expectations are high, so any signs of slowing down will raise questions, but who will stop them?
South Park Cows: SPC has improved greatly coming into this season. Their offensive ability has been upgraded, and their defense is better then it was last season as well. Mace will lead their offense, and put up glossy numbers. Ice will have a stellar season as well, and Alastria will never die. SPC will challenge any team, and they wont roll over to any of the big boys. They will easily make the playoffs, it's just a question of if SPC's own curse can be snapped. Alastria is actually the Ray Bourque of HZ, while Rukus is the Adam Oates.
Thunder Wolves: They wont suck completely, but this isnt the MSHL anymore, and they dont have as good a team as they did when they won the *cough* LW cup. They will play through the entire season, and Apac will win the award that goes to the Captain who kept his sanity while losing every game 10-0.
Phasers: When Phasers is put into the RSHL, they will actually be better then TW. They will also likely dilute the MSHL, as with 12 RSHL teams, some of the better talent in the MSHL is going to get sucked up. CR will likely absorb Creased, and the MSHL could dwindle, but I still feel it's a fine league to have around for people to learn, and really just for developing goalies.
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