#3 Prestige Worldwide
Record: 9-4-1 19 points
Goals For: 76
Goals Against: 54
Goals Per Game: 5.43
Goals Against Per Game: 3.86
#5 Red Army
Record: 9-5-0 18 points
Goals For: 64
Goals Against: 57
Goals Per Game: 4.57
Goals Against Per Game: 4.07
Season Series: 1-1
Prestige Worldwide 5, Red Army 1
Red Army 7, Prestige Worldwide 5
Playoff Stats:
Prestige Worldwide: 2-0
#3 Prestige Worldwide 4, #6 Cryptic Stench 1
#3 Prestige Worldwide 6, #2 Easton Fections 2
Goals For: 10
Goals Against: 3
Goals Per Game: 5
Goals Against Per Game: 1.50
Red Army: 2-0
#5 Red Army 6, #4 Puck Ewes 4
#5 Red Army 8, #1 Trailside 4
Goals For: 14
Goals Against: 8
Goals Per Game: 7
Goals Against Per Game: 4
Why Prestige Worldwide Wins Game 1:
On paper, they are the better team. They have more goal scorers, a stout defense, and that physical edge to their game that can wear down the Soviets. They also play a puck-possession game, which can exploit the Comrades' tendency to chase and over-commit. Sean Hanley in net is a formidable foe, and he has shut down the Soviet attack in the past. All of that, coupled with the chance of the Comrades having a letdown following their win over Trailside, could give PW the early lead in the series.
Why the Red Army Wins Game 1:
The Comrades continue their magic carpet ride, and keep up their high-octane style of hockey. Mike D'Ignazio and Mark Hendricks generate chances, and those two (along with Captain Steve Hand and Pat King) bury chances when they get them. Ryan Odell continues his strong defensive game and chips in with a goal to push his streak to nine, while Jason white continues to be a point-shot generating machine, leading to rebounds for the aforementioned forwards. The Soviets will be aided by the return of Jamie Simek (arguably the Soviet's best stay-at-home defenseman) and Tony Horton (who though coming back from an injury, should provide some speed against a fast opponent).
The 3 x-Factors:
1: Special Teams: The Soviets special teams play during the regular season was atrocious. In postseason play, it's delightful (100% PK, 66.67% PP). PW boasts potent power play themselves and with a strong blue line as is, their penalty kill is stingy in its own right. The team which wins the special teams battle may win the game.
2: Unsung Heroes: There is no shortage of star power in this series. Each team boasts three or four guys that can single-handedly take over a game. Unfortunately, for fans of flashy, dangle-filled hockey, this series isn't going to support that. It's going to be a physical series with a lot of work in the corners, and often times it is the lesser-known guys who come to the forefront. Expect the so called "grinders" and "second-liners" to factor in.
3: Defense: These are the two best defensive teams in the league. They forecheck, backcheck, and block shots. Defense is all about effort and commitment, the more committed team to team defense, is going to head into the weekend with a chance to close the deal on Sunday.
BOLD PREDICTION:
It's everyone's favorite section of the blog, "Bold Prediction". For the record, our last prediction back in November was the closest we have ever come. Let's build off of that now... with this...
Red Army 5 - Prestige Worldwide 3
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