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If parity was the name of the game in the regular season, it surely seemed to be the case in the first round as well. Four game sevens and two six game series, only the group winners were able to fend off their competition without lengthy nights. Who's going through now? Let's take a look. Schedule Preview (1) Reality Check vs Sulkavan Sudet (14) Due to time constraints this preview couldn't be finished before these teams already settled the score: Reality Check advances with a clean 4-0 sweep. Reality Check hasn't lost a single game in these playoffs so far, sweeping both opponents. (2) Växjö Lakers vs Herlev Eagles (12) Växjö Lakers had a fairly dominant regular season, especially offensively. That seemed to continue right away in postseason play with a 9-3 win to open off the series against Geekz Energy eSports, but they were instantly brought back to earth with a 1-4 loss in game two. After having a day off and some time to regroup, they went on to win the following three games to clinch the series, though the margins were a lot smaller with two 1-0 games and a 4-3 overtime win. Herlev Eagles played in the same group as Växjö, and were also considered among its top teams ahead of the regular season. The start to their campaign wasn't an easy one, and they had to go down to the wire to clinch a postseason spot only on the last gameday. That wasn't in any way apparent when watching their first round series against Tohtorit though: the Eagles won the first three games in a row to gain a chance to complete the sweep. In the end they needed a few extra games to get it done, finally finishing it up in game six after what proved to be a controversial end to the series with some disconnect drama. As both teams played in Group 2, we (and the teams, obviously) already have some data on how they match up against each other. While Växjö won both games that time, 3-1 and 6-3, it was one of the first meetings of the season. A month has already passed since then, so there's definitely been time for improvements. Without in any way undermining their defense or especially the exceptional goaltenders, both of these teams live through their forwards. The trios of @vibholm10 - @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) - @keranee and @Kattenj - @dzouvi - @Birkedal96 of Herlev and Växjö, respectively, will be going head to head with chips on their shoulders. The material advantage goes to the latter, though in contrast Herlev's roster has been together for some time now. That accumulated chemistry could really help them when trying to shut down Växjö's offensive prowess. These teams possess a lot of skill, and the series will be decided by who can use it the best and who, in turn, is able to make their opponents' life a nightmare. While the seed difference may be quite substantial, Herlev Eagles aren't as big of an underdog as it would suggest. Växjö Lakers is still the clear favorite here though, let's not get that mixed up. Watch out for an upset, but don't hold up your hopes for it too high. Prediction: @Mikka: Växjö Lakers 4-2 @jahajaha93: Växjö Lakers 4-1 (3) HanaaHC vs Renascor (11) Written by @jahajaha93 HanaaHC came out swinging in the first round of playoffs both on and off the ice, stirring the pot a bit just in time for their first games against VISU Gaming to start. The3 long-time Pro dwellers went into the series with good spirits and high confidence, until VISU Gaming struck back in ways very characteristic to their game. Despite the setbacks, Hanaa stayed in control throughout the series and we saw them even dominate possession at times, but VISU kept themselves in the game, always posing a threat with their effective counter attacking and well executed passing plays. Now, HanaaHC is up against a new kind of challenge, one they seem to have fended off quite well as they are in a commanding 3-1 series lead after the first night of gaming. The Russian outfit Renascor is a bit of a surprise to be seen at this stage of the playoffs, but they've really grown over the course of the season and overcoming the very talented Sinister squad in the first round is a commendable effort by them. The team has really rallied around the excellent play of goalie @sumskoy26 (SumkaX) and is looking to continue on that path to beat HanaaHC too. Some similarities can be found in Hanaa and their previous opponent, mainly the high level of individual skill and tendency to hold on to the puck rather than shoot at times, but HanaaHC definitely has the experience card up their sleeve. The series currently stands at 3-1 in favor of HanaaHC. (9) RCTIC vs AHJO (10) Due to the amount of first round upsets, the fourth best seed remaining is *9th*! RCTIC finished 6th in Group 1 in the regular season and followed that up by nearly sweeping Be a Bro in the last round. The clean sweep didn't end up happening after their 3-0 series lead got reduced to 3-2, but they still got the job done in the end in six games. On the other hand AHJO didn't have as easy of a time, trailing 1-2 and 2-3 against Hokurit before extending the series to seven and clutching it home. RCTIC had some troubles at the star of the season, but they seem to have found their footing recently. While @Limbe65 carried a heavy scoring load in the regular season, fellow forwards @yrjoo and @Naikou88 have stepped up to match the production come playoff time. @MrNipsuli hasn't found the points yet, but defensive performances have been stellar as expected. An interesting note from the first round, MrNipsuli-'s unorthodox build: a 178cm tall puck moving defenseman is definitely shorter than what we typically see at this level. As noted, AHJO didn't exactly cruise through from the last round. They even resorted to some lineup shuffling after the first night of play, swapping @xHatsi to center and @Eeemill_ to right-winger for the last four games. Perhaps that's what eventually helped them over the hump, but we'll see if the positions get reshuffled yet again if they start off cold. The "Icy Boyz" reached the semifinals with this exact same 9th seed last season, and it seems likely to reoccur now as well. However, AHJO can definitely mount a challenge and even end up on top, as long as they keep on improving with their relatively fresh lineup having added @Wpaanane at the transfer deadline. This series could go any way without it being a huge surprise, and it will come down to who's done their homework better and can perform when it matters the most. For now RCTIC takes the edge on paper with their experience, though we also have to remember that AHJO (then named Dynastia) took number one seeded Reality Check all the way to a game seven in their series at this same stage last season, only revamping their left side of the ice since then. Just to reiterate one last time, this should be the tightest series in this round. Does experience prevail, or will a honeymoon phase power a slight upset? Let's go with the bold prediction for a change. Prediction: @Mikka: 2-4 AHJO @jahajaha93: 4-3 RCTIC This round is a bit longer than usual, but we'll have our final four clear soon enough. Good luck and have fun everyone, whether it's playing or cheering on your favorites! 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

In Round 2 of the ECL '22 Spring Lite Playoffs, it's time for new success stories to be made and for old start to polish up and shine again! We've got several exciting matchups on tap, and here are some comments about them to follow. Structure & Prize Pool Schedule Well, my first round predictions were kind of hit and miss. Let’s discuss those a little bit later. First congratulations to all teams who managed to advance to the second round. Some first round games were tight, whereas other not so much. Especially all matchups that went to game seven. Those nervous moments end with great celebrations or big disappointments. Eventually always the best team continues. So let’s talk about my predictions. My first round predictions were a bit short, and let's see how they went: Arkham Asylum - Frölunda HC Academy Prediction: 4-1 to Arkham Asylum Result: 4-3 to Arkham Asylum Knowing Arkham pretty well I was convinced that they had recovered from last season’s disappointing first round exit and would come back stronger, but Frölunda showed that seed doesn’t matter and put up one hell of a fight. When the seventh game had 10 minutes of play time left, Frölunda were up 3-1 and this writer had cold and sweaty hands. Arkham’s experienced squad still showed why they are the top squad. They tied the game in regulation and an overtime winner from @Hj_projekti (Jorgeniii) sealed the deal. Tadpole - Pata Hellalla Prediction: 4-0 to Tadpole Result: 4-2 to Tadpole What a series Pata Hellalla managed to turn this into. Even though Tadpole controlled the games @L1ttle_Pony93 (Supermaaario) with the great defence from Pata made the series tighter. Despite the experienced squad the former Pro team still couldn’t find the path to the next round. @Janne Hietala (Hiatala_) held his ground and @ROUHEEE scored those big goals to put them through to the next round. Destiny - Timrå IK Prediction: 4-2 to Destiny Result: 4-1 to Destiny Almost. Tight games between two good teams. Destiny was in the drivers seat for the entire series. Timrå IK defended well and was able to shut down Destiny’s scoring chances. It seems biased that I always praise goalies but @Mesimaki really played well and gave every chance for his team to win. Destiny calmed their game in game five and that calmness gave them more time to look for opportunities to score. They also held their defensive ground well and minimized Timrå's chances. Spirit - Resurrection Prediction: 4-1 to Spirit Result: 4-0 to Spirit Almost got this, but no. Spirit showed no mercy. Well the first game ended in overtime and in terms of the result, was the closest. When looking at the stats though Spirit had the control. @Jiihooo86 almost could handle the little pressure I gave him on the first preview but you cannot win alone. Spirit, on the other hand, looked like a really solid team throughout the series. Only allowing three goals shows good team defence and a solid goalie. And @Toivonen_ continued his regular season Spirit into the playoffs. Synergy Hockey - Neptune Hockey Prediction: 4-0 to Synergy Hockey Result: 4-0 to Synergy Hockey I’m never wrong. More than once. Okay let’s take a look at the only series I predicted right. Synergy Hockey is full of old Pro and Elite players so this wasn’t really a surprise. Standard to expectations, and that's not to sayNeptune Hockey isn't also a great team. It's your first season in the Lite division and getting eliminated in the first round is no shame, ask the Arkham Asylum guys how that feels. Synergy Hockey’s experienced squad walked off to the next round as expected. Round 2 Now, let’s discuss about the next round. Some very interesting teams managed to move on. Teams like the Carolus Icemen are one of them. A Swedish based team with some British reinforcements, and at the same time the British National team is on a visit in Finland to play in the Ice Hockey World Championship. But now to the part that everyone has been waiting for. Round 2 predictions. I will go through every pair this time and add some comments if I feel it's needed. Remember to discuss, argue and prove me wrong. Arkham Asylum - Valco Prediction: 4-1 to Arkham Asylum Comment: Even though Valco came through in the first round, Arkham is an opponent on an entirely different level. Tadpole - Team NGU Prediction: 4-3 to Tadpole Comment: Server advantage, but NGU could still challenge Tadpole like Pata Helalla did in the past round. Destiny - Södertälje SK Prediction: 4-2 to Södertälje SK Comment: Destiny played very well against Timrå but Södertälje is definitely a step up in the level of opponent. This is going to be an interesting watch. Fast-paced hockey against tough defense first mentality. Project X - HC SHH Prediction: 4-1 to Project X Comment: Golden close quarters may not be enough in round two. Bastu - Linköping HC Prediction: 4-3 to ? Comment: This can go either way, but I'll predict it's in a game seven. Spirit - Hyperion Prediction: 4-1 to Spirit Comment: Do your magic @Toivonen_. IK Oskarshamn - Carolus Icemen Prediction: 4-0 to IK Oskarshamn Comment: Sorry Carolus, I kinda fancy you, but I don’t see you going through this stage. Free From Rodents - Synergy Hockey Prediction: 4-1 to Synergy Hockey Comment: No comment read above Bold assumptions. Go play. Socials Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm. Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @SportsGamerGG #ECL22Spring #NHL22 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi #MukanaWilhelm Instagram: When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @SportsGamerGG #ECL22Spring #NHL22 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi #MukanaWilhelm Note: It is very helpful and critical for us to succeed in getting our partners tagged, so they get the necessary mentions and interaction to validate their participation in the future. That being said, it is understandable that there may be circumstances due to your other partners where you are unable to tag competition etc. Your support is appreciated. As there are quite a few hashtags by now, especially from a Twitter perspective with limited characters, we recommend using at least #ECL22Spring in the text part of the tweet and leave the sponsor tags for the end. If you need to cut out tags, remove #esports and #NHL22. For Instagram this shouldn't be an issue.