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NHLGamers, A bit over half of the regular season in ECL 10 Lite is now behind and we have a vision of teams and players that are going to be strong this season. It's also clear that the race for the playoff spots is going to be extremely tight in every group and every point is important from this point on. All of the teams want to finish as high as possible in their groups to have optimal seeding for the playoffs while mid-table teams are fighting to get above the playoff line before the regular season ends. For the teams that are finishing their season at the bottom of the table it’s going to be more of a learning process and gathering that important experience for the future. However, there are still many games left and time to improve for every team regardless their current position in the standings. We took a look at the midseason standings and stats and made a little summary of every group. Group 1 Current leaders SOPPAJENGI have been victorious in recent games against teams that they’ve been clear favorites to win against but they have also lost some important points against their main rivals, which could see them losing the top spot at the end of the regular season. The strongest candidates to overtake SOPPAJENGI are Hokurit, who were able to take 3 / 4 points against SOPPAJENGI when they squared off. Also one of the most positive surprises in this season so far has been Powerhouse hockey, who recently took 4/4 points from Hokurit and closed the gap between these two teams. In the predicted mid-table, Murohoki have taken some impressive victories but also suffered some devastating losses that could drop them out of the top 4 battle. They have played against all the top teams already and are now required to win the teams below them to secure a good position in the standings. Saucer Hockey took some vital points from Old Farts (4/4 points), Tic Tac Toes (2/4 points), and recently from Murohoki (4/4 points) which quickly turned them into the strongest playoff candidates in the mid-table. It is also expected that teams like Infamous and Empire will win the points to join the fight. Elamam Kiekko is currently heading towards another disappointing season but they have already played against most of the top teams in the group and they should be still able to gather enough points to challenge for a playoff spot at the end. Kuutamokiekko and Basic Instinct have to continue their good work in the defensive zone and take big wins from the rest of the games if they want to get to the playoffs. There could still be a glimpse of hope for KSE Teutons to challenge for a playoff spot if they manage to get the victories from the rest of their games. Rusty Bulls (who took two points from Powerhouse hockey last night) and CapeTown Kings needs to improve a lot if they want to rise from the bottom. Game is over for Team HulluPullo. @Nagyttaja, who joined Hokurit just before the season started has played key role for his team with league leading 44 goals in 20 games. SOPPAJENGI winger @Jondeezzis continuing from where he left off last season with an impressive 68 points (33+35) in 26 games. @Verve(Boychuk39) from Powerhouse hockey represents one of the most effective offensive defenders with 34 points (8+26) in 20 games and @Vamouxfrom Basic Instinct has currently the best save percentage in the group from active goaltenders ( 8 GP: 84,76 %) Key team stats Most points per game: Powerhouse hockey (1,7) Most goals per game: Hokurit (4,41) Least goals against per game: Saucer Hockey (2,05) Best power play: Powerhouse hockey (32,56 %) Best penalty kill: Powerhouse hockey (90,32 %) Group 2 Leader EBR eSports Official has been amazing in this season so far. In their games against 2nd placed The UnderRated they took 4 points (3-5 W, 1-0 OTW) and are heading to group winners if they continue to play the way they do right now. Right behind The UnderRated there are six teams that are only up to 4 points apart from each other. Ducktales BK with two games less played than the others could rise to challenge The UnderRated for 2nd place in the standings. The upcoming games between The UnderRated and Ducktales BK is going to be crucial for both teams and extremely tight because Ducktales BK have seen half of their games going to overtime this season. HUIPPUPASSI who won their group last time in ECL 9 Lite had a rough start for the season but now they are finding their form and are fighting with Suomen Sonnit and Poston Fruits for the best possible position for playoffs seeding. The games between Suomen Sonnit and Poston Fruits are going to be really important for both of these teams and could decide which team will challenge for the top 3 positions and who will fight for the playoff spots at the end of the season. TanssiiTuhtienKansa and Remparts de Tours Esport are just above the playoff line so there is no room for error for any of these teams especially when last season's playoffs sensations Carolus Icemen, Hopeless Hockey Team and Syndrome are desperate to get to the right side of playoff line as well. In the bottom half, HockeyProfessorn HC are closest to challenging the teams above for a playoff spot. They recently took an impressive 3/4 points from The UnderRated. IK Oskarshamn, AfroDunk, Slightly Below Average and Detroit Big Hinks need to change their course to winning ways to keep the playoff dream alive. For these teams it’s important to win all the points from other bottom teams or the gap to the top 8 teams will grow too big to catch. Last time in ECL 9 Lite, AfroDunk managed to get to the second round of the playoffs so they must be really disappointed in how the season is going so far and improvements are expected for the last half of the season. @Keuschemisch from EBR eSports Official has been the deadliest attacker of group 2 with 59 (22+37) points after 20 games. @viba2008 from HUIPPUPASSI is the point leading defender in the group with 24 points (6+28) in 20 games and @Herra Manaatti (Ponmi) from Poston Fruits has the best save percentage ( 10 GP: 84,17 %) Key team stats Most points per game: EBR eSports Official (1,9) Most goals per game: EBR eSports Official (4,15) Least goals against per game: EBR eSports Official (1,95) Best power play: Suomen Sonnit (43,24 %) Best penalty kill: The UnderRated (93,02 %) Group 3 Sensational newcomers Piiraaka Osuus ja Nakki are currently leading the group but ECDC Memmingen eSports, who were previously known as WEREWOLVES HC are right behind them with less games played. Piiraka Osuus ja Nakki was able to beat ECDC Memmingen eSports in both games this season (3-2 W, 2-3 W) and maybe the biggest games for them are going to be the matchup against Storhamar IL Esport who also needs full points to challenge for the top position in the group. The fourth team in the top 4 currently are Nordic Nosebleed who have already improved from last season when they failed to get to the playoffs. All these four teams have started their season very well and are building a little gap to the mid-table teams. However, HV71 eSHL is still lingering with less games played and the team has found a good form with only two losses during the whole season. They are expected to join the fight for the top spot and especially their matches against ECDC Memmingen eSports and Storhamar IL Esport could decide who is going to win the group. Speedy Bros is currently the strongest team in the mid-table with less games played than the competition. However, they have had problems in the recent games that could see them falling behind especially when they are yet to face teams like HV71 eSHL and Piiraka Osuus ja Nakki. HC SKULL TOWN who surfaced for the first time in IS CUP where they did an outstanding job by getting to the playoffs, have had a quiet start to the season but are slowly finding good form. They were able to win their main rivals DEG eSports (1-2 W, 9-2 W) and changed their course from being playoffs candidates to being a serious challenger for top 4 spots. Around the playoff line we find Grenoble BDL Esports, Clowns On Ice and Nearbird Fighters who all have had fluctuant seasons. Also DICE Hockey, Illumination and Finnish Hockey Legends are still in the race for the playoffs so it's going to be an entertaining last half of the season for group 3 too. At the bottom of the table we see nTice Esports and Free From Rodents, who are still searching for their winning form but most likely will not make it to the playoff fight this year. Free From Rodents managed to win 2/4 points from HV71 eSHL in their recent game that could bring some confidence back. @Wowa_1995 (Waldinho_95) from ECDC Memmingen eSports is leading the points statistics of group 3 with 22+31=53 points in 20 games while @Toneee9 from ECDC Memmingen eSports is the point leading defender with an impressive 8+32=40 points in 20 games. HV71 eSHL keeper @IsakTuvesson (Akoniaia) has the best saving percentage ( 6 GP: 93,1 %) Key team stats Most points per game: HV71 eSHL (1,79) Most goals per game: Storhamar IL Esport (3,61) Least goals against per game: HV71 eSHL (1,21) Best power play: ECDC Memmingen eSports (39,53 %) Best penalty kill: HV71 eSHL (100 %) Group 4 Sack Brothers are the leaders in Group 4 with less games played than Horror Hockey. As predicted, Sack Brothers have been excellent in the offensive zone with most goals scored of the teams in the league. However Sack Brothers are still facing Horror Hockey and NOVA in the final half of the season. Right behind the top 2 are Angry Cats who took big wins against NOVA recently (1-2 W, 5-2 W). GENESIS, who are the only team that have been able to win Sack Brothers this season and Sjukstugan who also were able to win NOVA twice. It is really hard to predict which of these teams could win this tough group and especially those games where they are playing against one another every point is going to be extremely important. It seems that TeamEurope, Fysical, DIKTATUURI, Mustachios, Skelleftea AIK and ORIGINS will fight for the playoff spots in the packed mid-table. Most likely only two of these teams will continue to the playoffs and to get there they have to be able to steal some big points from the top 6 teams as well. TeamEurope did this by winning 3/4 points against Horror Hockey in their latest matches and are now leading the playoff race. At the bottom are Fat Burritos, YK-V Esports, Olympia and 5th Line Heroes. Playoffs are getting away from them but if some of these teams could get wins from the rest of the bottom group teams and steal some points from teams above, there could be a chance to fight for the playoff spot at the last rounds of the seasons. @luosttin from Sack Brothers is currently leading the race for the most points on the regular season with amazing 74 points in 20 games while his teammate @Kucherov86 is at the top of the defenders stats with 8+33=41 points in 20 games. SPB_AlexZver_22 from NOVA is leading the leagues defenders goals statistics with 13 goals in 24 games. @Giinis from Angry Cats has an outstanding save percentage ( 16 GP: 91,62 %) Key team stats Most points per game: Sack Brothers (1,95) Most goals per game: Angry Cats (5,25) Least goals against per game: GENESIS (1,73) Best power play: Angry Cats (39,22 %) Best penalty kill: Sjukstugan (96,77 %) As you can see from the table, the rest of the season is going to be a hard battle right to the end for most of the teams. Everyone who has played some ECL playoffs before knows that those series can be really different from regular season games and every team have a real chance to win their opponent and move forward to the next rounds. The margins are very small this season and it’s going to be really important to keep fighting to the last whistle. We are excited to see how the table will form at the end of the season and wish the best of luck for every team in the league going forward!

NHLGamers, With the Pro season past the halfway point, it's time to take a look at the action that's been going on in our second highest division. The competition is fiercer than ever and as we're closing in on the playoffs, the stakes will only get higher. Let's get on with our midseason report: Top Teams Riven Johdolla has had a tremendous season so far. They were leading Group 1 and have successfully taken command of the top three positions in the point totals department. Also, their defenders are the leading players in the defenders point totals and +/- statistics. The success of young and hungry Riven Johdolla isn't a big surprise at all. The fact that they have several players leading the statistics of their positions isn´t a coincidence and has a significant connection to the overall performance of the team success like you may expect. In the last few days, Riven Johdolla has experienced some minor fluctuations in their positioning, but looks to be heading towards the playoffs with a high group stage finish. Team Frosty has also had a strong start in Group 1. In the games I have seen from them, their overall teamplay has been very well organized. Most of Team Frosty's games have seen very minimal scoring - both scored for and conceded. RPEAT Esports and Leksands IF recently made an incredible climb to the top positions in the standings after having the youngsters of Riven Johdolla lead the Group 1 earlier last week. In Group 2 Black Horse and HanaaHC are leading the pack - as they have been doing for a while now. HanaaHC I saw last week against Shooting Stars and the strong team spirit of Hanaa was apparent as the joy those guys play with was visible through their performances. Nordic Stars and ZSC Esports are also determined to fight for the leading positions in Group 2 as we are proceeding to the second half of the regular season. Playoff Battles Recently I saw the games of two teams battling for playoff positions: Exen esports (Group 1) and Shooting Stars (Group 2). Both were good in their games and still have chances in their near future, but utilizing their scoring opportunities must be way more clinical than before. Differences between the teams in contention of the last playoff spots are minimal in both groups, so none of the teams around those positions can afford to drop points. Another interesting team is Vaxjö Lakers, who are also battling for playoffs in Group 2, which is quite surprising after an exciting campaign in the eSHL. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo lost several key players recently, which has sent the team into something of a whirlwind. However, newly acquired goalie @JanneK. has been off to a hot start with the team and is a crucial component as they are battling for playoff position in Group 1. In the same group, Enigma is in pursuit of a place in the playoffs. Enigma should have been a title candidate but has surprisingly found that Pro competition wouldn't be a cakewalk for the skilled team. Notable players Some of the most notable players during the first half of the season has been without a doubt the attackers of Riven Johdolla, including @Vattu__, who has represented the white and blue for the last two seasons in the Lite Division. In Riven Johdolla, vattu_ seems to have found the right group of guys around him that have helped him to elevate his game to the next step. So far he has combined for nearly as many points as last season and there are still games left to go. There have been goalies in good form in several teams including Team Frosty, Exen Esports, Riven Johdolla, and Shooting Stars. We've seen many low scoring games and despite none of few goals - there have been opportunities to score a whole bunch. One of the key goalies has been @JanneK. from Kaupallinen Yhteistyo as mentioned earlier. He is a really important player as the team is battling for a their place in the postseason in Group 1. @Nieppii from Enigma has also showed his Elite-proven skill this season. He previously represented Symphony, but has recently moved to Enigma. The team is still battling for a playoff spot and Nieppii has been a key player in that push. In Group 2, Vaxjo Lakers LW @EDHOLMINHO has been in great form and is his teams leading scorer by a wide margin. In a somewhat underperforming team, he has been a glimpse of hope. Edholminho has maintained his level regardless of his teams performance. Matchups to watch going forward In the second half of the season, the battles for top seed will be interesting in both groups. In Group 1, Rpeat Esports and Leksands IF are scheduled to play each other on April 30th in a heated battle. On the same day there is a game between Kaupallinen Yhteistyö and Exen esports in which some important points in the battle for the last playoff spot are to be determined. we should see a low-scoring game with two teams showing a disciplined approach to the game, and on KY's side, we'll see one of the best goalies in the division. On the other hand, if we end up seeing either team in a desperate position, we might be in for a scoring explosion - you never know! In Group 2, Nordic Stars and Black Horse are scheduled for a battle on May 4th. That is a heated rivalry, which might be deciding someone's fate in the top 3 of the group. These teams are likely to make the postseason and therefore also have a chance to force their game on their opponents a bit more. That's going to be it for this snapshot into the action of the Pro season so far. What do you expect going forward? Let us know in the comments! As always, play hard - have fun!