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The ECL Winter '22 Lite season has progressed to the playoff stage. You can expect the best games to be close at this stage full of drama, tough battles and hard hitting. Not to mention all the great goals and individual contributions of star players. As always, there is going to be some upsets and in fact we're very excited to see some underdogs eliminating major favorite teams. In this preview, we'll try to grasp a general view on each of the pairs and give prediction based on both teams performances thus far. FILADELPHIA ACADEMY vs RoKi Esports The best team in the regular season versus the last seeded team. FILADELPHIA ACADEMY has been dominating throughout the season with their stars and disciplined approach to their strategies. It can also be stated that they are coming into this series in great form with 9 wins out of their last 10 games. But - like it often goes - this is also a great opportunity for the underdog to perform some of their magic an pull the rug out from under FILADELPHIA's feet. Last year RoKi Esports did not redeem all their potential and they have a huge wall to climb in this series, in addition they aren't looking all that hot with 3-5-2 in their last 10 going into the playoffs. These teams played each other in the regular season, and back then FILADELPHIA ACADEMY won both clashes 4-1 and 2-1 OT. The 4-1 was closer in terms of the game events and in the 2-1 game FILADELPHIA ACADEMY dominated the whole game even though the decisive goal didn't come until in the OT periods. Similar luck and some massively disciplined defensive play is needed for RoKi Esports if they want to continue onwards from this series.  Prediction: 4-0 to FILADELPHIA Academy Golden Nights vs HC SHH Golden Nights has an impressive form with 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. After a tough season in Pro last season, they are having a nice bounce back and are now redeeming their huge potential. This team has players blessed with tremendous skill that are now playing using their own strengths, with great confidence. Playing against these players that have that surprising factor is never easy, which is why HC SHH has a very tough hill to climb in this one. With their significantly weaker record overall and worse form coming into this one, thay'll need to turn thing around immediately. They are better than their 10 game record 5-3-2, and have proven that by challenging the likes of group winner Prima eSports in the group stage. If they improve from their last games they have all the ingredients to cause an upset. Prediction: 4-1 to Golden Nights Prima eSports vs Ace Hockey In the mid-season report I highlighted Prima eSports to be playing a great season and the form has stayed great for them, with few mishaps along the way. Prima eSports also have a remarkable 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games, whereas Ace Hockey are coming into this one in a bit of poorer form. However, Ace Hockey had a very tough run to even qualify for the playoffs and have played under immense pressure already in the group stage, which could indicate a minor advantage for them in that department at least. That's basically all we can gice Ace Hockey, though, Prima looks to simply be the stronger team and is expected to bring all they've got going into the postseason, meaning they will be a tough train to stop. With a complete tight package of defensive strategy, Ace Hockey can hangi in there somehow and extend this a game or two, but I see Prima eSports advancing quite comfortably.  Prediction: 4-0 to Prima eSports Linköping HC vs Central Hockey Canucks Linköping HC have a great deal of experience and despite having a few hiccups in the group stage, they managed to course correct and win their group in the end, with great form coming into these playoffs. Central Hockey Canucks have managed to win six games in their last 10 and extend into overtime three times, which indicated their defensive strength and composure. They played close games against Golden Nights losing both 4-3 and 3-1. Although it is only two games, the two close games show that they are capable of challenging the top teams in Lite. A similar battle could be expected in this one against Linköping HC. The Swedes are the clear favorite here but I don't think this series will be over in four games. Bellizzi vs SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS Likely to be an even series. Although we're seeing a 2nd seed going up against a 7th seed, the base level and form difference isn't that massive between these two. Despite being a great team, Bellizzi have possibly inflated their record a bit by going on a very hot eight win streak mid-season, beating teams like Oulunsalon HT along the way. Whereas SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS similarly were a bit streaky and managed to go on a six win streak, beating the likes of Linköping HC. These teams have played some very close games over the course of the season and could end up doing the same in this head-to-head. Despite the difference in seeds, I expect this to be way tighter. Prediction: 4-3 to Bellizzi Mora IK vs It's a nice city Mora IK is the favorite in this series. But you should not let the placement in the standings affect the judgement of It's a nice city. They have beaten teams like Oulunsalon HT and were able to earn a point against FILADELPHIA Academy over the course of the regular season, so they are definitely able to challenge better teams in individual games, now they have to do it in a playoff series. For the part of Mora IK, they can move the puck and if they're able to keep up their tempo, they will outplay It's a nice city with relative ease. A good indication of their skill is the fact that they split points with Golden Nights earlier in the season. Prediction: 4-2 to Mora IK EHC Tatneft AK Bars vs Stone Age It could be stated that this one is a tough one to predict. Stone Age has achieved some promising results in their campaign for example beating FRÖLUNDA HC ACADEMY and Tadpole twice. In addition to that, the team is very experienced, their downside, however, is their history of folding under pressure, and they've had issues performing in the postseason before. EHC Tatneft AK Bars is still a minor favorite as they have managed to string together a very stable group stage performance and definitely don't lack individual skill. If they're able to play as a unit, this could be in the bank for them, but all the ingredients for Stone Age taking the win are there. Prediction: 4-2 to Stone Age Tadpole vs Toxicity Tadpole is the hottest team around coming into the playoffs with a clean 10-0-0 through their last ten games. In fact, their winning streak is now at 14 game, which shows how they have caught fire in the later half of the season. Toxicity has a 7-1-2 record in the last 10 games. They have beaten teams like Mora IK and Golden Nights during that 10 game span, which definitely indicates that they should be taken seriously, and that these games won't be a cakewalk for Tadpole. Tadpole are favorites but I can see Toxicity putting up a good fight. Prediction: 4-2 to Tadpole Valco vs Ultimatum Ultimatum has played and won against teams like The Last Line and Murohoki this season, with close games against group winners Linköping HC also to take account of. Valco, on the other hand are in a great run of form with a record of 8-1-1 in their last 10. They have beaten both Golden Nights and Mora IK once in the regular season and proven their skill that way. They also had an impressive six game winning streak in the end of the regular season. It's notable that out of 30 games, Valco have extended 12 games into overtime (9 wins and 3 lost). The amount of OT wins is a telling sign about the determination and good nerves in their team. That along with their great form earns them the favorite spot in this series, while Ultimatum is looking to spoil the party. Prediction: 4-2 to Valco    Hunters vs TTK These teams were in the same group in the regular season and shared points in some very close battles back then (3-2 to Hunters and 4-3 to TTK). Hunters have had many close games in general in the regular season with only four games in total extending the margin to over four goals. They are currently a strong team in good form, but are going up against a squad of very similar stature. Not much time has passed since these two clashed, so both teams have very recent knowledge of each other. Hunters have managed to string together better performances over an extended period of time, but TTK have surely gained confidence from challenging Hunters in their head-to-head. Prediction: 4-2 to Hunters Arkham Asylum vs Project X Both of these teams have played many close games in the regular season. Arkham Asylum has 10 OT games with 7 wins out of them. Project X ended the regular season with a close game against group winners Prima eSports, where despite a 4-1 loss, the possession and play was very closely matched, which proves their ability to stick up against more skilled squads. Arkham Asylum ended the regular season in four wins and are looking good going into the series. They've struggled with scoring throughout the season but seem to have overcome their issues. The experience they have should be of high importance in the playoffs. This series looks quite even and Game 7 won't be a miracle. Prediction: 4-3 to Project X   Powerhouse HC vs Baby Goons  Baby Goons started the regular season well with three wins including a 7-1 thrashing of Mora IK. They also won Golden Nights in the beginning of the season. By the end their flight has slumped a little bit, causing their record in the last 10 to stand at 5-5-0 but they are still a good team and capable of succeeding in the postseason. Powerhouse HC are minor favorites in this series and look like a team that is slowly getting stronger as they go. They've got a great foundation and are in good form right now, but in general the starting point to this series is a rather equal situation. Baby Goons have a history of causing upsets in the playoffs and have last season in fresh memory, so they could cause some waves early on. Prediction: 4-2 to Baby Goons Bastu vs EHC Biel Bienne eSports EHC Biel Bienne eSports are in great shape just before the playoffs: 5 wins out of their last 6 games and they've been able to gain some important points in big matchups throughout the season, putting them in decent position in the playoffs. Bastu has been a bit of an underperformer when looking at the roster, but some winning streaks that they've managed to go on throughout the season has put them around the middle of the pack in the postseason. I'd say that Bastu still has a lot in the tank and they could elevate their level by a few notches in the big games. EHC Biel Bienne could be able to pose a great challenge but Bastu most likely will advance to the next round. Prediction: 4-2 to Bastu   Kymmenelta Baariin vs Armada Hockey Kymmenelta Baariin had a strong start to the season with five consecutive wins including some big scoring outings early on. They also had a 9 win streak around the midway point of the season. Armada Hockey is an experienced squad that have beaten great teams in their history, and have had some runs of good form this season too. Armada Hockey have had better recent form but Kymmenelta Baariin had the better overall regular season. I wouldn't be surprised to see these two battle it out in a game 7. Kymmenelta Baariin will most likely elevate their level and it remains to be seen how Armada Hockey can maintain their recent form.   Prediction: 4-3 to Kymmenelta Baariin Alliance HT vs Including Me Including Me has looked like they're finding their form just in time for the playoffs. Three consecutive wins at the end of the regular season and a last 10 game record 9-1-0 is comparable to some teams in much higher seeds. Alliance HT also sports a similar record 8-1-1. The Russian squad sports the more experienced roster, which could be an important factor for them in this one.  Prediction: 4-2 to Including Me The Last Line vs Spirit The Last Line is on an eight win streak just in time for the playoffs. The form of Spirit is quite the opposite. Spirit started the season with a nine win streak beating teams like Toxicity and Bastu. More recently close games against two best teams Golden Nights and Mora IK in their group are prove also what Spirit is capable of, which means you shouldn't look too much at their form from the last five games, as they've generally been against very good teams. I see The Last Line as a minor favorite, but the fact that Spirit has recent clashes against good teams could help them going into this one.  Prediction: 4-2 to The Last Line Players to watch Let's take a look at some players to keep an eye on. As always, a few will get their time in the spotlight, but there are a lot of others out there of similar talent! @Timotei97 - Bellizzi, 24GP, 47+64=111 The Bellizzi winger is having a great season for himself and was miles ahead of the competition in the regular season despite playing fewer games. Is a difference-maker on the ice every night. @xAaro89x - FILADELPHIA ACADEMY, 28 GP, 56+35=91 The talented winger is growing to be a great scorer and one to be on the lookout for in the higher leagues. 56 goals is enough for second in the regular season behind the experienced @itspardytime. @itspardytime - Valco, 30 GP, 58+32=90 The stats speak for themselves. Pardy is a pure goal scorer, but also draws a lot of penalties.  @Kusimaakari - Tadpole, 30GP, 37+43=80 A very experienced player proven at higher levels. Is a heart-and-soul player for Tadpole and can carry his team far if needed. @Awptim - Alliance HT, 30GP, 49+28=77 Also one of the more experienced players around, excels at scoring and is a very important piece on the wing for Alliance HT. @Philip Deemus - Prima eSports, 30 GP, 53+34=87 Has had a few seasons to mature and seems to have really benefited from his appearance in Pro with Lekstugan HC last season. A great scorer. @ReDMisTi - Arkham Asylum, 30 GP, 26+43=69 Perhaps the most important individual for his team in the division. Redmisti has experience from higher up and has managed to surround himself with talented players that need guidance, and mental strength to be able to take the next step. @Giinis - Bastu, 30 GP, 82,29 SV%, 1,7 GAA, 7 SO Could be the best goaltender of the regular season. Despite Bastu struggling a bit from time to time, the team has a lot of potential and Giinis could improve a great deal in the postseason.

Teams like Tohtorit and GIFU Hockey managed to exceed expectations over the hard-fought regular season, meanwhile perhaps the biggest upset was Elite Qualifier runner up VISU Gaming completely failing to make the playoffs. The competition is only starting to ramp up, so join us in taking a closer look at the playoffs! Structure & Prize Pool Schedule Broadcasts As you have grown accustomed to during the regular season, there will be at least one Pro broadcast per week on Tuesdays, with a 19.45 CET start time. You can access that and our other live content on the SportsGamer Twitch, where you can also find our up-to-date stream schedule. Preview (1) Reality Check - Hokurit (8) Reality Check had a powerful showing in the regular season, amassing 50 points en route to the Group 2 top spot. They had the best penalty kill (90.91%) in the whole Pro division, along with a 3rd best 36.17% powerplay. They have been plowing through the opposition quite steadily without dropping too many points, especially with Geekz Energy eSports being the only team outside the playoff picture that managed to beat them. Hokurit on the other hand have been more streaky: they started out hot off the gates with only three losses in their first 12 games, but fell soon after into a six game losing streak against tough opposition. They rebounded a bit in the end though, winning five of their last eight. Hokurit’s story of the season so far has been their left side of the ice, with LW @Jondeezz (30 GP, 29+22=51) and LD @MCH_98 (30 GP, 12+35=47) combining for a total of 98 points, more than twice what their right side amassed (45). The dynamic duo leads the team in almost every stat category, including Time with Puck (TwP) by a significant amount. Looking at the TwP stat for Reality Check, we can notice the same trend: the puck spends the most time with their LW @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) (30 GP, 35+32=67) and LD @jezbaru (30 GP, 4+30=34). Individual points within the team are more even by a lot though, which would suggest that Reality Check’s production is not as reliant on their leading puck possession players. The general opinion seems to be that deflections have been nerfed in the latest patch, even if that was not announced in the patch notes. It will be interesting to see how that affects Reality Check’s play, as their center @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) (30 GP, 30+25=55) likes to operate the netfront, especially on the powerplay. He finished top of the division with 42 deflections during the regular season, with the next closest tally being only 32. Hokurit have been rotating both of their goalies evenly, and with them having roughly equal stats it remains to be seen which one they will trust to carry them through. Reality Check have two goalies on their roster as well, but @FINSeRe (30 GP, 83.83 SV%, 1.43 GAA, 4 SO) has played every single one of their games thus far. He boasts the division’s second best save percentage, so definitely watch out for him. These teams faced each other last season in the Lite Quarterfinals, with Reality Check taking the edge with a 4-3 series score on their way to the title. Hokurit have only swapped @Oicteppotulppu for Jondeezz since then, meanwhile Reality Check has changed half of their lineup and gotten some sweet additions in those players. Hokurit got 24 out of their 37 points in the regular season against teams that failed to make the playoffs, so they still have a lot to prove against top competition. What better way to do that than to take down the #1 seed? Honestly though, they may very well take at least a game or two but winning the whole series does not seem too likely right now. Prediction: @Mikka: Reality Check 4-1 @Franky__2768: Reality Check 4-0 (2) GHETTO FIREBIRDS - Dynastia (7) Runner up in Group 2, the former Elite side embarks once again on a quest back to the top. Last season they were upset in the quarterfinals, as the #1 seed, by the now-Deadly Phantoms. Looking to build from that disappointment, they made some changes in their offense which propelled them to another nice regular season finish (22-5-3). Dynastia is another team that was clicking right away with only two losses in their first 12 games, and their season has been eerily similar to that of Hokurit: they fell into a seven game losing streak a bit after the midpoint, but bounced back to win five of their last six. @Pikkardz (Pikkarii) has been clicking with 30 GP, 29+30=59 points, 17 more than offensive partners @Majuri20 (Diktaattori62) (30 GP, 20+22=42) and @xHatsi (30 GP, 24+18=42), though he does have the worst passing percentage in the division (59.7%). Either way they need to find a way to work as a tight unit to be able to compete against the FIREBIRDS’ strong game identity. Similarly to Dynastia, and apparently countless other teams, GHETTO FIREBIRDS has been running a lot of their offense through LW @Jertsicc (30 GP, 33+33=66). Their play seems to revolve a bit more around that side, as all of their RWs and RD @jahajaha93 (30 GP, 4+20=24) had significantly lower TwP than the other players. Center @Santtu (santtu3333) has respectable stats as well, 30 GP, 21+31=52. They had some turmoil on the RW spot early on, though deadline-day addition @Jerax13 (20 GP, 22+9=31) has since put those question marks to rest. While Jertsicc and santtu3333 only hit around once per game, Jerax13 had 78 hits in 20 games to go along with the 244 hits their defensive pairing dealt out. Dynastia does not hit nearly as much, with @FakiiR1 (TheFakiiR1)’s 114 hits accounting for 42,6% of their team total. That seems to only be a difference in playing styles, as a difference cannot really be found between the teams’ amount of takeaways or interceptions. @Jeresti (30 GP, 85.11 SV%, 1.53 GAA, 9 SO) takes the goaltending battle over the less-experienced @Vamoux (24 GP, 76.92 SV%, 2.13 GAA, 2 SO) by quite a margin on paper, being the Pro division leader on most statistics this season and showing stellar play throughout the years. A lot of this matchup will be decided by the form of Dynastia. They could make this tight and even run away with it, if they can do what they did at the beginning of the season. Should they fail to do that though, they could even be facing a sweep. One of the more exciting matchups to look out for if both perform true to their level. Prediction: @Mikka: GHETTO FIREBIRDS 4-1 @Franky__2768: GHETTO FIREBIRDS 4-2 (3) Herlev Eagles - Deadly Phantoms (6) Finishing 3rd in Group 2, the mixed nationality roster repping the Danish hockey club Herlev Eagles delivered as they were expected to, perhaps even a bit better. It must feel good to have a strong regular season after missing postseason play the last time, but surely they will not be complacent with just that. Looking to march on to Elite, they face an extremely tough opponent immediately. Deadly Phantoms are a team with long traditions going back years and years, and it remains reflected in their play even if the roster sees some changes. They had an almost identical regular season as last summer, struggling during the first half before going on a tear towards the end. They went all the way to the finals that time, leaving them full of hunger after losing the series. They have won 12 of their last 14 games, ten of which were in a row, so there should definitely be some good momentum carrying over. Herlev on the other hand has fainted a bit, losing their last three games. RW @keranee (30 GP, 22+42=64) and C @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) (30 GP, 31+31=62) carry the Eagles up front points-wise, though LW @vibholm10 (Vibholm_10) is no slouch either (30 GP, 28+22=50). On the contrary to most other teams, they seem to run the game a lot more through the right side: RD @Dreamickie (30 GP, 6+19=25) has the team’s highest TwP, 136:53, meanwhile LD @oSandello (30 GP, 1+15=16) has the lowest: only 85:47. This is reflected in their points as well with Dreamickie clearly taking the edge. While Herlev gets most of their offense from forwards, Deadly Phantoms has two of the division’s top three scoring defensemen: @xXPsykoSkillsXx (30 GP, 6+44=50) and @Franky__2768 (30 GP, 5+39=44). The pairing does not score a lot of goals, but they clearly have the puck on their sticks the most and dish out some sweet assists. Both teams had the best FOW% in their respective groups, so stay on alert for the battle on the dot between DPH’s @Pathen-21- (30 GP, 28+24=52) and Herlev’s Suth98_. The edge goes to Suth98_’s 56.9% on paper, though Pathen-21-’s 54.8% is really good as well. Also, faceoffs are always a one-on-one mind game. Even though the clash between the pipes does not initially look as close as the faceoff one, @RPH_31 (30 GP, 74.75 SV%, 2.53 GAA, 3 SO) can still steal games for the Phantoms on his own. Granted, Herlev’s @TeikDaun (26 GP, 82.03%, 1.77, 7 SO) clearly has the edge on consistency at the moment. Deadly Phantoms loves to throw the puck to the net, which is reflected on their stats as well: only JYP Jyväskylä and Sulkavan Sudet had more shots on goal during the regular season, in addition to the the Germans’ center Pathen-21- having the 2nd most deflections by an individual player. As was previously mentioned, the latest patch could affect teams with a playstyle reliant on redirects and tip ins, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt. They have scored the most goals out of any team thus far though, and it must also be noted they have won five out of their six ECL games since the patch went live. The server aspect plays into this matchup as well, with Deadly Phantoms playing their home games on the Central server as opposed to the currently dominant Northern one. Herlev Eagles took three out of four possible points from the two higher-ping Central games they played during the regular season, so based on that minimal sample size it does not look like too big of a problem for them. If there is one series to watch in the first round, this is it. Prediction: @Mikka: Herlev Eagles 4-3 @Franky__2768 plays for Deadly Phantoms (4) Renascor - RCTIC (5) Renascor were a slight surprise last season, taking since promoted HV71 to a game seven in the quarterfinals before falling short. They are now back where they left off with some more shared experience, only replacing @Tiltsson with @ilyagolubev (tendeerly) (30 GP, 41+35) at the LW spot. They had a bit of an up and down regular season, taking full points from top teams like Reality Check and Herlev Eagles, but on the other hand also dropping way too many points to weaker teams. After last season’s letdown performance, RCTIC came into the season with the task of making it through the Pro Qualifier. They did just that, and then clawed their way to a decent #5 finish in Group 1. The last time they were in Pro playoffs was ECL 11, where they actually managed to upset a higher seed Inter Iceland in the first round. Time has passed since then though, and captain & RD @layout (JxLayout) (30 GP, 1+32=33) is the only one still left from the lineup that got swept by current Elite top team GOONS in the quarterfinals. Even though Renascor’s play has been streaky thus far, at least they have gotten their offense clicking at a high level. As expected, the Elite-experienced captain RW @Valluxet (30 GP, 40+40=80) leads the pack and even won the division’s scoring title. If the team has in the past perhaps been too reliant on Valluxet’s scoring, that does not seem to be the case anymore: tendeerly finished second in points, as well as assist machine @Virusactive (30 GP, 14+60=74) joint-third, making them the only team to have three players in the top ten in scoring, let alone top five. Even though TwP is distributed almost evenly between everyone in the Renascor squad, except RD @Serg1vratar (Nyabml4) (24 GP, 4+10=14), the goals appear to be mainly coming through the forward trio’s play with LD @Motov (zMotzz) (30 GP, 6+19=25) being under a point per game as well. RCTIC have a lot of experience on starting lineup with leading scorer RW @Naikou88 (30 GP, 37+26=63), C @yrjoo (30 GP, 22+25=47) and LD @Aze (AzeStiNe) (30 GP, 4+18=22) all being ECL 1 originals. JxLayout and LW @Limbe65 (30 GP, 31+26=57) are not exactly rookies either, so the Finns should have a good routine level and knowledge around what to do when the games get tight. They clearly build attacks from out back with AzeStiNe and JxLayout having the lion’s share of puck possession. Neither of the matchup’s projected goalies have eye-popping stats, 30 GP, 76.07 SV%, 2.23 GAA, 2 SO for Renascor’s @sumskoy26 (sumkaX) and 26 GP, 74.52 SV%, 2.54 GAA, 0 SO for RCTIC’s @Jjmakkeli (JussinSisko). Looking at the GA/GP and GF/GP stats, both teams seem to have had a bigger focus on offense while getting by with rather mediocre defending. Could high scoring matches be the name of the game, or will the focus switch more towards defending as it usually does in the playoffs? RCTIC’s offense is not at the level of Renascor, but they should be able to compete if they can tighten up a strong team defense and be clinical in counter attacks. Prediction: @Mikka: Renascor 4-2 @Franky__2768: Renascor 4-3 The rest of the matchup previews were written by @Franky__2768 (1) JYP Jyväskylä - GIFU Hockey (8) The former Elite division team JYP Jyväskylä is trying to fulfill their ambition to climb up again directly. They topped their group with an impressive 23-5-2 campaign - they have a strong offense (3.2 GF/GP) and strong defense (1.77 GA/GP) with good special team numbers (29.27% PP, 73.17% PK). In the offense JYP lost @Joukki, but replaced him with who? Well, @Buantso (puantso). I do not know if you can even call that a “replacement”, he can be considered one of the scene’s best players. The former Elite champion delivered with 30 GP, 29+38=67 points (8th in scoring), while center @tbnantti is their finisher (30 GP, 35+30=65, 10 GWGs) which is quite atypical. Captain @indi969 contributed offensively as well (30 GP, 21+36=57 points), but JYP’s clear strong side is on the left: Well known @vSilenttio (vee_SILE) (30 GP, 5+37=42) had another strong season and is the engine in this team. He scores as well and finished 4th with his 42 points, while dishing out nearly 1 000 passes over 30 games. His counterpart @Sakkem (Sakkem95) (26 GP, 6+18=24) backs him up pretty good and even had three more takeaways in four less games, but he also has an awesome 84.7% passing percentage as well. @Kaz_zu, their addition in net, played pretty good as well - 19 wins with five shutouts in 26 games. His 77.78% save percentage might not look THAT good, but I guess that is the curse of being the goalie of a top team: facing high percentage shots more likely than anything else. GIFU Hockey gained their Pro Ticket via the qualifier, and they are pretty happy to qualify straight for the playoffs especially after starting the season with four losses. What comes now is a bonus for the team. GIFU’s defenders @N44TTI_16 (Naatti__) (30 GP, 2+24=26) and @OzziX35 (30 GP, 1+12=13) are driving the plays while the left side from Naatti__ and LW @Sluibaaja_88 (30 GP, 22+28=50) seems to be the dominating one. Nevertheless it is @krospi (krosspi) on the right wing who finishes the plays and got himself a nice 35+20=55 points in 30 games. Captain @seegasormi (30 GP, 14+26=40) contributes besides his points in the defense as well, as he has 30 blocked shots. Goalie @Baranizer’s season so far has been decent: winning 14 of his 24 starts with a 77.08% save percentage and even a shutout, posting a 2.42 GAA. This series is probably one of the clearest ones, as GIFU is the only playoff team with a negative goal differential. They might be able to steal a game or two if they can keep the scores close, but JYP is probably too strong both defensively and offensively. Prediction: @Franky__2768: JYP Jyväskylä 4-0 @Mikka: JYP Jyväskylä 4-0 (2) HanaaHC - noRex Gaming (7) HanaaHC, the runner-up from Group 1, hopes to make a deeper playoff run than last season. Back then they fell short in six games to the eventual Pro champion Djurgården Hockey in the quarterfinals. The Finns revamped their defensive core with @ripKeisari (30 GP, 6+24=30) and @kongi- (30 GP, 3+23=26) joining, and got them a new offensive idea in LW @xLeikku (30 GP, 33+36=69) who directly fulfilled all of their hopes by finishing 6th in the division in points. ripKeisari’s and kongi-’s TwP indicates that they have had an immediate impact as well. They both also finished in the top three in pass attempts and passes completed. Captain @Hazard-laser (30 GP, 29+28=57) on the other wing still has a high scoring value (9 GWGs), while @Mikka (Mikkaah) (30 GP, 19+32=51) can dish out some apples. HanaaHC’s special teams should scare every playoff team out there – while they scored on 32.08% of their PP chances, they also have a 86.84% PK while xLeikku even scored 4 shorthanded goals, most in the division. After a slow start with a 3-3-0 record after six games, they found their footing with a seven game winning streak and they never took their foot off the pedal. @jg697000 (Gresu__) in net had a decent regular season as well, as he recorded 19 wins in 24 games with a 82.05 SV%, 1.75GAA and five shutouts. HanaaHC has a rock solid defense (1.83 GAA) while not playing that physical (190 hits), and one of the better offenses with 90 goals in 30 games. On the other side is noRex Gaming, the ECL 12 Lite runner-up whose goal was to stay in the Pro division – that goal has been achieved, with some playoff sprinkles added in. They lost their two top scoring forwards and replaced them with two Swedes, @Tiltsson (30 GP, 32+21=53) and @Melguss (26 GP, 22+19=41). They knew pretty quickly in the offseason that this offensive combination could click and it did. Well, except for the start of the season when they went 4-8-0 in the first 12 games. @DiMatteo70 (10 GP, 65.98 SV%, 3.3 GAA, 1 SO) started in net over @Fightlocke3 but was not able to replace him, going 3-7-0 in the process. At the same time @Nagneigel (10 GP, 0+6=6) had a tough time doing the same thing with @Paddyy1903’s RD spot. After Paddyy1903 (20 GP, 2+15=17) and Fightlocke3 (20 GP, 83.59 SV%, 1.6 GAA, 5 SO) rejoined the squad, the team went on to one of the most impressive regular season comebacks in quite a while: a 14-2-2 record to turn around the season while beating or splitting against Renascor, GHETTO FIREBIRDS, Stargazing and Herlev Eagles. Assistant Captain and RW @Keuschemisch is their go-to-guy - topscorer with 22+38=60 points and 130 minutes TwP in 30 games, while Tiltsson does the finishing (32 goals, 8 GWGs). While Paddyy1903 and Keuschemisch are their dominant duo on the right side, @GERxVillain should not be forgotten either. He is a physical defensive partner, while still doing his job on the first pass and contributing to the offensive side with nearly a point per game. The special T-rex teams are well rounded – 28.57% PP and 77.08% PK – but sometimes they find themselves in penalty trouble (97 PIM). The big question is: can noRex keep their brilliant form and turn the regular season hype into a deep playoff run? Or does the more experienced HanaaHC cool their heads immediately in the first round? Prediction: @Franky__2768: HanaaHC 4-2 @Mikka plays for HanaaHC (3) Tohtorit - Sulkavan Sudet (6) Tohtorit’s way to the top is quite impressive – after gaining a chance for the ECL ‘22: Winter Pro Qualification due to their semifinal performance in the ECL 12 Core division, they had a nearly perfect record there (18 Games, 15 Wins, 3 OTL). After a “slow” start with a 6-3-1 record in the first ten games the squad around @Ojala16 stood its ground and won nearly all of their remaining games to finish the regular season with a 22-6-2 record. The captain at left wing led the internal scoring race with 30 GP, 28+46=74 points, which makes him a top 3 scorer in the division. RW @Wpaanane was directly behind him with 30 GP, 39+34=73 points (3rd highest goal scorer, 5th highest point total). Between those two high danger weapons, @Ristimaki12 (Ristimaeki) stands a little bit behind in the point department with 30 GP, 22+31=53, but still has quite a portion of their game winning goals (6). On the defensive side @Kkarkass (30 GP, 8+17=25) is the more physical one (88 to 36 hits), while @johtaja_lebi (28 GP, 5+23=28) is crucial for their passing game. What stands out the most is that Tohtorit do not have any dominant go-to-guy, they all have around the same puck possession time so you cannot focus on only one player, you have to neutralize the whole team to be able to beat them. Tohtorit had a pretty impressive offensive output and achieved the third highest goal total (103) all around the league while not disregarding their defense (53 GAA) doing that. Their special teams (PP: 34.15%, PK: 77.27%) can give them an advantage in tight battles. @Stammer70 in net has had himself a season as well: 22 GP, 79,13 SV%, 1.77 GAA, 7 SO and 58 shutout periods, he is definitely one of those guys you can rely on. Sulkavan Sudet had nearly the same record as last season: while finishing second last time, they “only” got to the 6th place in Group 2 this time. Their season was embossed with ups and downs, no real winning or losing streak was going on. Both RW @jjokke19 (28 GP, 24+30=54) and C @Oxdoggi (30 GP, 19+35=54) had team-leading 54 points, while jjokke19 wins the goal-tie-breaker (24G, 7 GWG). The biggest question for Sulkavan Sudet will be: where does @Koppipelaaja (jamoyy) (28 GP, 14+29=43) play? He played 20 games as LD, but mainly switched to LW after the deadline day acquisition of @Prom99 (Svetsjenko) (10 GP, 6+11=17). @Luokkala_ (18 GP, 18+15=33) was their LW at the start of the season, while @Kemppane_ (4 GP, 6+2=8) played the position in the last few games. @Pirkkalope (30 GP, 4+22=26) is the other incisive defensive player who loves to throw some bodies around (111 hits). Sudet’s lineup rotation does not stop between the pipes either: a total of three goalies laced up their skates this season: @Jaakkomusta won five out of his 14 games with a 72.9 SV%, 3 GAA, 0 SO statline, while @eissi83 put up the more impressive numbers in ten games (8 W, 80.46 SV%, 1.7 GAA, 2 SO). @TheSpeedo also played 6 games before transferring to Arkham Asylum. Will the rotation stop in the playoffs or will Sudet change throughout the series to gain advantages for special matchups? That will be exciting to see! In general the wolves can put some numbers on the scoreboard (3.03 GF/GP) but concede a little bit much as well (2.4 GA/GP). They do also shoot quite a lot (406 shots, 2nd most in the league) while their special teams are not that effective (PP: 21.31%, PK: 75.56%). Which philosophy comes out on top? Steady line up vs rotation? Prediction: @Franky__2768: Tohtorit 4-1 @Mikka: Tohtorit 4-1 (4) Sinister - Stargazing (5) Sinister improved from last season, where they fell two points short of the postseason. In this campaign they managed to gain home-ice advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs with a 19-7-4 record. They are known for their well-controlled game and outstanding defense, which has actually been one of the league's best (only 47 GA). They had quite a good start with ten wins in their first 12 games, followed by a small losing streak (3L, 2 OTL) and ending the season with a little bit of ups and downs. RW @JerePaloranta (Harlowi-) leads the team with 30+16=46 points in 28 games (they had two WO wins), while LW @OsquuG and C @topikeranen finished with 20+24=44 and 11+24=35 points respectively in their 28 games. Their faceoff percentage of 42.56% can be quite alarming, and they tend to get themselves into penalty trouble (92 PIM), which could be a disadvantage with a 69.57 PK%. SInister clearly has the “weakest” offense among both groups' top four teams, with 78 GF, and their PP is not that strong either (22,73%). As stated in the beginning, Sinister’s strength is the defense anyways: @Thewix93 (thewix_1) (28 GP, 6+17=23) is the architect for the team's success, while @PuukAesi (rransu) had a strong season between the pipes: 17-7-4 record in 28 GP, with a 82.46 SV%, 1.68 GAA and division-leading 9 SO (tied with Jeresti). On the other side, Stargazing is a “new” team which had an impressive start for their new mix of players, finishing 5th in Group 2. Captain and RW @xColeslaww (koleslaav_) leads the team with 30 GP, 26+23=49 points, and LW @Flopper71 (Flopperii_) is right behind with 30 GP, 23+24=47 points. The biggest factor in their game might be @Bobiraataja (nikhaa27) (30 GP, 7+31=38) on the right defensive side though. In general, Stargazing’s defense draws up the game (141 and 124 minutes Time with Puck). nikhaa27 is joint-third in team-scoring and 6th among defensemen in the division, while both he and LD @James (Jamechkin) (30 GP, 7+23=30) contributed 7 goals each. In net for Stargazing @Nisse142 (I-Nisse-I) (16 GP, 76.32 SV%, 2.25 GAA, 0 SO) and @Pirtsa89 (Pirtsa-) (12 GP, 78.41 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 5 SO) shared playing time. Will they continue that in the playoffs, or will they choose a starting netminder? Special teams are in general a big factor, and they need to get better (19.05% PP) in the first round to beat their opponent who leans towards drawing some penalties. Furthermore Stargazing need to shake off their sloppy finish of the regular season (5-5-0 record) that they had after a pretty promising start. Prediction: @Franky__2768: Sinister 4-3 @Mikka: 2-4 Stargazing That wraps it up for now. Good luck in the first round everyone, and remember to tune in tomorrow for our Pro broadcast at 19.45 CET. Drop your flaming hot takes and predictions in the comments as well, if you have any! PS: We would love for you to follow our social channels, as they are an integral part of the ECL season. Discord Instagram Facebook Twitch Twitter

This is a post written directly by Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg and reflects his own thoughts. If you're interested in writing a Captain's Log, please contact @jahajaha93 for more information. You can also let us know who you'd like to hear from in the comments section. As the captain for Djurgården Hockey it's for sure a real pleasure to look back a couple of years and to think about our whole journey from the start. Almost two years ago, I got the honor to take over the C in Djurgården. A shattered team, a terrible collaboration, with results lower than they should be and with frustration and fights among many players in the community. Confidence was at rock bottom, players had come and gone and everyone was pulling in different directions. We had an incredible amount of work in front of us, in terms of the game play, with the mental aspects on and off the ice, to build a team with the same ambitions but also with Djurgården Hockey as an organization. The first thing I did was explain to all the players that we would build something long-term, we would stick together and we would accept each other for the individuals we are. I also made it clear that even if I would be the captain on paper, all players in the team will be involved in decision-making and would get their opinions heard. We would work in the same direction no matter how long it would take. After a stormy season in ECL 10 Pro, where we finished in 11th place, it was now time to course correct and do the right thing. It was not an easy road to go but we looked forward to ECL 11 Pro. We made some adjustments in the roster and decided to go with a lineup that we would use as much as possible. We had lost Tobias @svetidaje Karlsson to SSK Esport but took in Janne @jahajaha93 Tarvonen as a replacement. We felt that Janne, who had experience from Elite, was just the player who could give us tips to develop even more. The season ended with us going all the way to the quarterfinals of the ECL Pro. Somewhere there, we felt that we had something really good going on, and now it was the relationship with Djurgården Hockey that felt important to address. After a fantastic meeting at their office in Stockholm, it was clear that both we as players and Djurgården as an organization had the same ambitions and a clear plan for how we would proceed and with that we decided to go all in. Since ECL 12 was played in the middle of the summer, our motivation and objectives were a bit unclear at the start, but after the meeting with Djurgården we set things straight and decided that we would go for the ECL 12 Pro Title no matter what. Since Janne early made it clear that he would be signing with Conquer Gaming after ECL 11, we needed a new right defender, and what option could be better than to take back @svetidaje, being a Stockholm native and with Djurgården as the club in his heart. He was up for it and as a huge bonus we managed to acquire Philip @Strumpan87 Ström at the same time and the roster was complete. A few months later we were the winners of ECL12 Pro and the Elite spot was secured. A couple of months after that, we had also won bronze in the SCL. Now as we're underway with our first Elite campaign, we understand it's a massive challenge and while we aim to go as far as possible, it is important that we get comfortable with the level of play and do everything in our power to retain our divisional spot. In the long run, of course we want to become an established top team and in this way gain an increased interest in the sport in Sweden, and to get more people to follow us. Players who haven't played at this level should know that ECL Elite is a special league. Every point is extremely important and every match feels like a playoff match. At this point of the season it can be stated that our start has been a struggle, but we're a team that will keep fighting no matter how difficult the task ahead of us appears. I am incredibly happy with all our players. Each and everyone has grown a lot both as players but also as individuals. We are a team that stick together and have strong bonds, and I can only hope that this journey continues for a long long time. We are excited to see how the season ends, wish all teams good luck and thank NHLGamer who make this possible for all of us! Sincerely, Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg