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SportsGamers, It’s playoff time in the ECL season! Finally after the regular season, the real games are about to begin. I interviewed all the team captains to dig deeper into the preliminary round of the playoffs. I needed to shorten some of the answers to make it easier to read, thanks everyone who took time to answer! To allow teams to share screenshots on Twitter, I’ve added my own predictions (cold takes) for the series outcomes below. For future articles more random facts, opinions and questions that I have will be included, but for now the author ran out of time. Have a nice Playoff summer everyone who made it there! Luleå Hockey (1) – IK Oskarshamn (8) Luleå Hockey played a very good regular season with a 25-3-2 record and secured the first seed for the rest of the playoffs. The team is stacked with former Elite players and the brightest star among them, @Janski (Jansku23), did not disappoint this season either. He fell short of 100 points by six points. Also worth noting is the team's general GF/GP, which is 4.23, showcasing their potent offense. An intriguing aspect to highlight is the performance of goalkeeper @Janne Hietala (Hiatala_), who made 4 out of 7 breakaway saves. This fact is particularly interesting considering that not all breakaways are officially registered by EA. It raises the possibility that Luleå's defenders might occasionally prefer offensive plays, leading to breakaway opportunities for the opposition. IK Oskarshamn played a weaker regular season this season (1.13) according to the Points/Games estimate than last season (1.39). The departure of Nukutttaja/Nagyttaja/Hikoilija_ and its replacement in @Dehliiindidn't work out as one might have expected on paper at first. Team captain @Petter Wennerström emerged as the top scorer and spent the most time with the puck. Notably, @Discokryckan made a remarkable comeback on the ECL ice, boasting an impressive 82.93% save percentage in the regular season. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @Petter Wennerström: Luleå is a skilled team with good players in every position. They like to use their defenders in the offensive zone and get a lot of shots and deflections. @JaKurrii: We have played maybe couple of practise games against, and last time split the points in eSHL if I remember it correct. But they got to the playoffs so at least they are in decent form. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @Petter Wennerström: This season they haven’t had a lot of weakness so I can’t answer that right now, let’s see if we can find their weakness. @JaKurrii: I don't think we are not that much focussing on their game, we just try to play with our own strengths and with that I mean scoring a lot of goals. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @JaKurrii: We have to focus more to play like the whole 60 minutes, if we get for example great start to the game and get two or three goals lead, we got to finish the game and not let the opponent back in it. Besides that we just try to keep the same form from regular season and have fun on the ice. @Petter Wennerström: We want to get a good defensive and a lot of patience in our game plan. Get the puck going fast and do quick decisions in every situation. 4. How many games will the series take? @Petter Wennerström: 7 games. @JaKurrii: 5 games. @ripKeisari: Luleå in 4. @OGjahajaha: Luleå in 5. SIKA (1) - RCTIC (8) Sika had a consistent performance throughout the regular season. @Jondeezz and @Valluxet emerged as the team's top point-scorers. Despite @vSilenttio's lack of goals, their assist stats reflect their Elite experience. While examining the team's statistics, the only noteworthy aspect was a slightly low power play percentage of 13.33%. However, if the team can secure victories even without power play goals, then it's not a major concern. Personally, I've always viewed RCTIC as a team that excels in the playoffs rather than during the regular season. Even if they enter the playoffs with a low seed, they shouldn't be underestimated by any Pro team. The team's attackers have comparable points, and we're yet to witness @Limbe65's usual dominant performance. Will Limbe start carrying in the playoffs? We will see. This series also carries a rematch from the eHockey SM 2023 playoffs, where SIKA and RCTIC met earlier. Below are the questions for both teams. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @vSilenttio: Rctic is a gritty and experienced team, and SIKA wants to prove in this rematch that they are a better version of themselves than back then. @layout: Good team with experienced players. We have good memories playing against SIKA as we were able to eliminate them in FCL but they have made a few changes since then. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @vSilenttio: RCTIC's weakness is their need for good luck and dirty bounces. So, the theme is having more puck and being more active team. @layout: Left Defender. Seriously speaking we should probably focus more on our own game. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @vSilenttio: Need more consistency and balance as a team, also reduce unlucky moments. @layout: We were one of the least scoring teams in the regular season so it would not hurt to be a bit more efficient. Even though we did not concede that many goals, we still gave a lot of cheap goals to our opponents so lets try to minimize those. 4. How many games will the series take? @vSilenttio: SIKA in 7 @layout: Most likely somewhere between four and seven games. @ripKeisari: SIKA in 6. @OGjahajaha: SIKA in 6. Deadly Phantoms (2) - Otukset (7) Deadly Phantoms had an impressive regular season performance that we haven't seen in a while. @ProfaneKiss and @xXPsykoSkillsXx were the driving forces behind the team's success, leading in internal points and propelling DPH to the playoffs with a favorable seed. Additionally, the team boasts two highly reliable goaltenders, @RPH_31 and @xEispiratx . It remains to be seen which goalie will start in the playoffs. Following my previous article, Otukset managed to find their rhythm and secure a spot in the playoffs. It's safe to say that my encouraging and hope-inspiring text played a part in their success. @Valee__, the team's shining star, emerged as the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, raising the questions of a potential entry into the Elite league :D. Also the return of @theMaddias provided a much-needed boost to the team, saving @juhkis96 from a potentially embarrassing situation. This pair of matches is one of the most interesting in my papers, because the Otukset can surprise almost any team in Pro with their experience. Deadly Phantoms' two-man duo, Profanekiss and PsykoSkills can be scouted, however the Central European servers will be a factor. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @ProfaneKiss: Not many matchups in normal games, they have elite experience but so do we. @juhkis96: DPH relies on profanekiss to score goals and win games for them. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @ProfaneKiss: Their bad faceoff percentage, also if it goes to G7 we will have Central Servers. @juhkis96: RD is their weakest player so we are probably going to abuse that and get easy zone entries there. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @ProfaneKiss: Since the ability bans we have found a good system that we can be confident in - now it is all about execution. @juhkis96: We will try to focus more on the social media game @ripKeisari: Otukset in 6. @OGjahajaha: Phantoms in 7. Golden Nights (2) – Project X (7) Golden Nights seems to be one of the most consistent teams in all of Pro if you follow the team's power points and TWP times. Notably, they excel in both powerplay (36.36%) and penalty kill (93.75%), showcasing their effectiveness in special teams situations. Additionally, @kkostiiii stands out with an impressive save percentage of 85.71%, ranking among the top three goaltenders in the league. These achievements suggest that the team's success is not mere coincidence but rather a result of a well-balanced synergy. Project X is an interesting team because every player has at least -10 plus/minus in statistics. @JesseL2002, who holds the puck the most, is the team's brightest star, who, at least in the eHockey SM 2023 tournament, did not have any obligations in terms of defense, but was on the opposite blue line for almost the entire game. I am waiting with interest to see if the TikTok star @Easygame20 (Torvelajr__) will be the team's first goalkeeper in the playoffs or if the responsibility will go to the experienced @Hullued. 1. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @Timez: Opponent’s weakness is their defensive play. Project: - 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @Timez: More patience in the offensive zone and we will score more goals. Project: - 4. How many games will the series take? @Timez: 4-1 for Golden Nights Project: - @ripKeisari: Golden Nights in 6. @OGjahajaha: Golden Nights in 6. Purification (3) – Pirati Chomutov Esports (6) Purification was a small surprise for the writer to see so high, but at the same time a positive surprise to see new successful teams in the Pro league. Perhaps the focus that will set off alarm bells is the team's final 10 games before the playoffs. They have gone with a record of 4-5-1. We'll see if Pro Rookie @LaxenHD can maintain his point production at the same level as in the regular season. On the other hand, @eBasstian may be just what Purification needs to turn this series around, as he is a true ECL veteran and has been playing since ECL 1 season. Pirati Chomutov Esports is a team whose offense consists of skilled players @Adri1_SCP, @Winci and @Kumbik. Their average goal rating per game is a staggering 3.8. But as we all know in the playoffs there are usually not a lot of goals, but the games are a tight one-goal trap games, so if I were the captain of the team, I would quickly pay attention to the high average of goals conceded, 3.03. Questions: 1. What do you know about your opponent? @Kumbik: Not much, they are from Sweden. @wickmanwOw: Pirati is an offensive powerhouse who scores a lot of goals and likes to turn the play fast. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @Kumbik: Their weakness could be our home games, because we are playing on central server. @wickmanwOw: Their fast paced turnovers suits us well and will probably give some high scoring games, hopefully in our favour. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @Kumbik: No changes, we will keep playing the same. @wickmanwOw: - 4. How many games will the series take? @Kumbik: It can be very close. But I dont have idea. I hope that we will win. (Prediction 4-3 for us) @wickmanwOw: probably a even series, but we take it in game 7 @ripKeisari: Purification in 7. @OGjahajaha: Pirati in 6. Polski Boys (3) – Prestige (6) (Written by @OGjahajaha) Polski have been one of the most vocal ECL Pro teams on Twitter, throwing shade at their opponents right and left. Now the time has come to deliver on their promises and back up all of their talk. Lots of their game goes through left winger @punt1la98, who we can expect to push with pace up the wing and look to force the puck to the netfront from the left post. It's a trademark that Polski have set to employ with a high percentage from a majority of their zone entries this season, and that is expected to continue. If Prestige can take away that weapon in an effective manner, they will force Polski to adapt in this series. Polski has two good options to choose from in net, and most likely it could come down to availability on that front. One of the teams that were thrown in the NOT-category in the season Preview was Prestige, but they have proven us wrong with an excellent group stage performance highlighted by stellar netminding by @karlsson_adam11 and an impressive rookie season effort by winger @Jmaisema. The rookie winger, who had previously flaunted some of his scoring ability in the Lite division, slotted nicely into the top 50 scorers in the Pro division and led his team along the way. Prestige has a very balanced forward core and lots of their play is cycled thorugh their defenders, so they'll have to be weary of the quick feet and aggressive sticks of Polski's forwards. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @vote_10: We know almost nothing about the opponent (except in the Hockey Ultimate Team), but we don't think it will hurt. Jmaisema has ragged against one of our players in HUT. @karlsson_adam11: We know they are a tough team but if we play our best hockey I think we can beat them. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @vote_10: We think the opponent's weaknesses are especially the defenders and inexperience. @karlsson_adam11: We have not seen them play so we have no idea we will just play our game and make the best out of it 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @vote_10: We need to improve the net front presence on the defensive side. Also, we could attack more from the left side. Our center could tie up less. @karlsson_adam11: We will just play our game and have focus. Predictions: @ripKeisari: Polski Boys in 4. @OGjahajaha: Polski Boys in 5. HV71 (4) – Gunners HC (5) HV71 is again one of those Pro teams where consistency can be seen in the statistics. @Demski_ and @Rubituss both have exactly 58 points and @Zupancic_King424 (Zuppe_29) has 53. Since my last post, Zuppe's assist percentage has increased significantly, so the improvement can be seen. According to my own experience, HV71's game often runs through Demski, and Demski doesn't give up the puck easily even to his own teammates. Coincidentally, he is also the winner of the internal TWP time. In addition to Demski, @Tiipponenii (Coffelainen) experience is represented in the net, who almost always plays calmly and can win games for HV with his own performance. Gunners HC moves the puck from player to player and the players have almost same amount of puck possession, resulting in a balanced time with puck distribution across the team. @OGjahajaha, @Tuulimylly91 and @Jobeyz represent the team's more experienced section and you can expect calmer solutions from them (if OGjahajaha finds the right stick soon), while the younger @Aarons and @Lotiseva are the skill packages in the team that play riskier and flashier. The team is built in an interesting way and the writer expects the series to be even. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @Aarons: We haven’t ever faced them in competitive games, but we know that they like to counter attack and have fast-paced style all around. @Rubituss: Well to be honest we dont know so much about them. But we know that they have experienced defenders that have played at a higher level before. Their forwards are pretty new names for us but they have proven themselves during their rookie season in PRO. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @Aarons: They’re biggest weakness is probably they’re team defense. We will try to take advantage of it and be efficient on our scoring chances. @Demski_: Their weakness might be that they dont have the same experience as us, we have been in PRO playoffs before and the last time we were, we gained promotion to elite. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @Aarons: As a team we will improve on our offense and try to be more efficient on the chances we get. We will also improve our already solid team defense. @Demski_: As a team we need to come together as we played during our winning streaks in the regular season, we cant cheat on the simple things and we cant underestimate these guys, by finishing 5th they belong in the playoffs even if they have inexperienced forwards. 4. How many games will the series take? @Aarons: The series will take 5 games. @Demski_: @ripKeisari: HV in 5. @OGjahajaha: Plays for Gunners HC Renascor (4) - Be a Bro (5) (Written by @OGjahajaha) Russian outfit Renascor were intent on making the Playoffs in their fourth consecutive Pro season, and while they have been a mainstay in the postseason action, success has managed to avoid this team. Centerman @Virusactive has developed into a bona fide top Pro player and plays a massive part in the success of his team as lots of their passing play cycles through him. Defenseman @Motov is very skilled with the puck and likes to show it - sometimes a bit too much for his own good. Renascor needs to play better as a unit in order to find success against Be a Bro. It is noteworthy that Renascor are one of the more aggressive teams in the Pro division and could put their opposing defenders under some pressure. After a difficult start to their season, Be a Bro were able to regroup and eventually settle their players in the right spots on their roster. They are still far off from the form we've seen this team in at their best, and we're doubtful this roster even has that in them, but they aren't to be discounted despite of that. @Pursuitti is a massive asset for Be a Bro, not only as their top scorer, but also as a player with extensive experience of disappointment and success in the Pro Playoffs, and now also a taste of the Elite postseason. @MCH_98 is their breakout man and will shoulder much of the responsibility to kickstart their rush and counter attacking play. 1. What do you know about your opponent? @Serg1vratar: we count them as strong and rough opponents, they have very good skilled and matured players who can turn game on their side @MCH_98: Renascor has always been in the playoffs even if their lineup has seen changes almost every season so we are expecting a tough series. 2. What is the opponent’s weakness that you try to take advantage of? @Serg1vratar: We Will try to win to outscore them pretty much @MCH_98: Fire_cats88 inexperience could be a factor the longer this series goes. 3. As a team how will you improve your game for the playoffs? @Serg1vratar: In worst case scenario we will turn in our secret weapon. @MCH_98: Regular season was our preseason as our lineup changed on the transfer deadline. So we hope to improve on all aspects of our game. 4. How many games will the series take? @Serg1vratar: Renascor in 6. @MCH_98: Bros in 6. @ripKeisari: Bros in 5. @OGjahajaha: Be a Bro advances in 6.

SportsGamers, A full 30 games have been completed by all the teams in the European Top 16 and at this point we've narrowed the pack down to the eight best teams, who'll go head-to-head in the Quarterfinals. Some exciting turns of events right at the end of the regular season saw Frölunda HC taking the top seed and Redhawks Esport sneak into the Playoffs as the #8 seed. It's definitely been a regular season to remember, and we expect nothing less from the Playoffs! We reached out to Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen for some brief comments about the regular season in general: "The top three set themselves apart as expected, but in general it feels like the top eight in the Elite division is tougher than that of previous seasons, although I believe all series have clear favorites, no one will be in for an easy series in these Playoffs. Some excellent teams like Heimo, Nordic Stars and Roots were left in no-man's land and I think any of those teams could've put up a good fight in the Quarterfinals." (1)  Frölunda HC vs (8)  Redhawks Esport TOP SCORER (Regular season) Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala 30 GP, 28+35=63 vs Tim @Timasy Hess 28 GP, 23+26=49 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen 18 GP, 15 W, 83,13 SV%, 1.5 GAA, 2 SO vs Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström 18 GP, 7 W, 82,63 SV%, 2.28 GAA, 0 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-3-3 vs 13-10-7 Frölunda HC are on a great run, recent eHSM Champions and now the #1 seed in the ECL - They look like they are really enjoying themselves on the ice. The current form (8-1-1) Frölunda is in is unmatched throughout the division and the eye test really matches the stats in this case. While the experienced squad might not bolster the most overpowered offense around, they are so defensively sound that they'll be a tough team to beat in a best-of-seven series. Great defensive play all around and excellent goaltending from duo Casper @ICappeI Lundgren & Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen is their greatest asset moving forward.  Malmö Redhawks made the Playoffs against all expectations and odds. Almost all #ECL23Prediction submissions placed this team outside of the Playoff picture, but that didn't put the Redhawks down. Their ability to clinch points in almost all of their regular season matchups came in very clutch towards the end of their campaign, and a fun notion is that in fact Redhawks only came away with zero points in one matchup throughout the season. They also won both games against hREDS, which is a testament of their danger from an underdog position. Captain Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt noted on Twitter that going into the Playoffs as the #8 seed is never easy, but Redhawks are playing with house money at this point.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Frölunda will win the series in 4-5 games, but I don't think Redhawks will let them off the hook easy." (2)  Tunnel Vision vs (7)  JYP Jyväskylä TOP SCORER (Regular season) Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 30 GP, 44+34=78 vs Santeri @indi969 Pendolin 30 GP, 23+26=49 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 26 GP, 22 W, 87,5 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 8 SO vs Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt 30 GP, 15 W, 80,11 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 3 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-4-2 vs 15-12-3 Tunnel Vision have set themselves apart as an exceptional offensive squad ever since signing winger superstar Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen ahead of last season. They didn't quite reach last season's numbers, but were in a class of their own regardless. In addition to that, the outstanding goaltending performance we've seen by Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen has got us thinking Tunnel Vision is going to be a tough team to crack once again. Tunnel Vision dropped their last games of the season against Mayhems and lost the #1 seed as a result of that. The team seemingly still hasn't found a surefire solution to their somewhat unexplained fluctuations in form, but their base level should surely be enough to make it through to the next round. After an excellent ECL '22 Winter season and no roster changes made, we were expecting JYP to perhaps even sneak their way into the top 4, but some early season struggles and problems with consistency caused them to drop down into 7th place. Regardless of that, this squad has proven their ability to challenge top teams before, but Tunnel Vision definitely had their number this season with 3-0 and 5-3 wins. Both teams are quite similar in the sense that their defensemen carry the puck a lot and like to jump in on the offense. JYP could be in trouble if they end up on the penalty kill, with a poor 66,67% on that front in the regular season. Don't count JYP out, though, but Tunnel Vision's class and quality might end up being too much in their current form.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "I think this should be a tough series, but if we're able to play our best game, we should get it done in 5-6 games." (3)  hREDS vs (6)  Leksands IF TOP SCORER (Regular season) Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen 30 GP, 39+22=61 vs Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern (I-Kaudo-I) 28 GP, 30+30=60 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 24 GP, 16 W, 78,71 SV%, 2.21 GAA, 2 SO vs Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen 30 GP, 15 W, 80,45 SV%, 2.6 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 20-7-3 vs 15-9-6 hREDS were very far from the usual dominant form we're used to seeing from that team and at the end, they fell behind from the top two by a surprisingly wide margin. They had a few very rare off-nights and have struggled to some extent to really shut down that own end in their usual way. It'll be interesting to see hREDS sport a rather young talent in Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen in net these Playoffs. He has proven himself with IQUE already back in ECL '22 Winter and with Tunnel Vision in the 2022 eHockey SM, but hasn't quite been able to rock with the top goalies in the division this season in that low- to mid-eighties SV% category. One thing hREDS have excelled at this season is their powerplay, which has clicked at a 39,39% success rate in the regular season. Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen has been excellent on the man advantage with five tucks to his name, and leads the league with 37 deflections, so keep an eye on his net-front presence. Leksands IF is another kind of surprise, a rookie team that I personally expected to struggle in the Elite division due to the better level of defense, but they did just the opposite. Leksands IF thrived throughout the season and in fact were one of the highest scoring squads in the division. Especially Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern made a strong case for himself as rookie of the season with an impressive 60 points - good for 6th place throughout the league. Expect Leksand to throw their trademark speed up the wings at hREDS, which could end up working in the counter-attack style of play they'll have to employ against a possession team like the former European Champions.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Leksands were a team that caught me by surprise and this is going to be an interesting series to follow. The first few games will set the tone and I think that the series could be over quick if hREDS are able to find their game early on, but Leksand have a genuine chance to upset." (4)  Mayhems vs (5)  Färjestad BK TOP SCORER (Regular season) Teemu @temppanen Karvonen 30 GP, 22+23=45 vs Adam @dzouvi Mensik 30 GP, 18+27=45 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen 30 GP, 17 W, 81,82 SV%, 2.27 GAA, 2 SO vs Johan @McSavid Rundqvist 16 GP, 7 W, 82,23 SV%, 2.19 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 17-9-4 vs 16-9-5 Both of these teams have been on sensational runs as of late. Mayhems are the second hottest team in the league with 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, only behind #1 seed Frölunda HC. This rookie team almost disbanded mere days before the season and still found a way to upset the entire division and push down several established teams. Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen is one of the biggest stars of this team and is definitely a solid backstopper for somewhat of an underdog team looking to make a cinderella story of their rookie season in Elite. Another very welcome factor has been the emergence of Teemu @temppanen Karvonen as a top tier player on the 1v1 side, and he has translated that success well to the 6v6 ice. Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen has been a great addition to the back end of Mayhems, a player that really drives their offense and is crucial for them on the breakout. Always a danger in the offensive zone too along with Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, in fact, over 21% of goals for Mayhems were scored by defensemen! Färjestad BK also went on an impressive run over the past few weeks. The team slotted in towards the absolute bottom of the standings at the midway point of the season and started their campaign with an eight game losing streak. It seems like they were really able to turn things around in the third week and went 16-1-5 after that initial losing streak. One highly notable factor about their game is that Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen on left defense is the puck-hog of the Elite division with 193:22 of puck possession time, an entire 30 minutes more than Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander, who plays up the right flank. In general, Färjestad are a team who like to stay on the puck and will most likely try to control the pace against Mayhems.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Although Mayhems have had a great run, I don't think they can stand up to Färjestad in the Playoffs."