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1) Server Selection Issues Recently there has been discussion regarding LA and server selection between central European teams, EU North East based teams, and the idea of ‘home-ice / server advantage’.To be concise, we have been aware for a while now that sometimes central European teams (specifically German-based ones) have issues connecting to the EU North East server, resulting in higher than expected pings and packet loss. This came to a head a few days ago where multiple series had to be played with the EU North East team treating the EU North server (located in Stockholm, Sweden) as their ‘home’ server, as opposed to the EU North East one. We decided at the time to go with this compromise as we felt it unfair to force German teams to play with legitimately unplayable connections. Additionally, we also felt that the idea of swapping players out from the affected team so that no-one had the ping issue was a wholly unfair proposal. Ultimately in our eyes, this comes down to a couple of important points. One, while we understand the advantage of playing on a server that is located closer to the majority of your team, vs the other team. Teams also have to realise that there is a difference between server advantage based on geographical location, and server advantage by way of the server itself not working as intended. German players getting 60ms+ with 20% packet loss is so incredibly obvious that the server not working as intended, and any players that even attempt to say otherwise are in our eyes being unsportsmanlike, because I think we all know for a fact that if the roles were reversed and these EU North East teams had the same issue connecting to the German server, they would balk at the thought of ‘just playing’, or being told to ‘just swap out players’ – so please, can these players in question get some much-needed perspective and think ahead for just a slight amount. Two, in this case, the difference in ping between the EU North, and EU North East server is functionally minimal. We appreciate that it is frustrating having to move away from your preferred server but can we please be frank here. If you have a good to great connection ping-wise to the EU North East server, chances are you’re going to have a good connection to the EU North server, Stockholm and Helsinki are not ‘that’ far away from each other. Furthermore, please consider the fact that a central European team’s ping is not going to differ wildly between the two servers either, so it’s not like they are gaining a meaningful upside in connection quality by having the server switch from EU North East to EU North. Furthermore, LA has not decided on a whim to tell teams to play on the EU North server. Again, we’ve been made aware about the issue that central Europeans have in connecting to the EU North East server a while back, and we verified that the players in question were having legitimate issues that lined up with what we have previously seen – in other words, we can confidently say that these cases were not manufactured in an attempt by the central European teams to ever so slightly gain back some ‘server advantage’. Finally, to set the record straight. LA did not come to this decision because another LA member was involved. We arrived at this conclusion and suggested the process well before an LA member’s team happened to be impacted by the server issue – as can be evidenced if need be. To be clear, the LA member in question was not a participant in the LA discussion about what should happen in the series where they were involved. Additionally, we will not tolerate lies being spread by individuals on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) or other social media simply because they are upset that they lost and want to blame someone else instead of their on-ice performance. Hopefully, this post makes it abundantly clear that all we are trying to accomplish is to make it so that teams aren’t punished for clear and obvious server-related issues that are far from simply being explained as server advantage. To end this portion of the text, please find below the procedure to follow in the event that this or other connection issues presents themselves: Start on ‘home’ server Check in-game connection (note: not the lobby screen before the game begins, as that can sometimes give unreliable ping that turns out to be fine in game) If substantially higher than expected ping or packet loss is present, the player impacted should record evidence of this Please record video clearly showing the problem is in the game you are supposed to play to remove any doubt of tampering The player should then restart their router and console in an attempt to see if the issue is their own connection, or the server itself Both teams should change lobby host / captain Attempt to restart the game, taking video evidence of the ping and / or packet loss If the issue is still present, then the team affected should start a support ticket detailing the issue and attach the aforementioned video clips as evidence At which point LA will decide whether the server switch should go ahead or not Edit: Please use this form to provide information to League Administration about all the server issues you or your team are experiencing: https://forms.gle/iVbP4tak6aDysqAR7 The information provided through the form will be shared with EA SPORTS in an effort to assist them to tackle the issue(s).

While eight teams made their way into the playoffs to fight for the ECL '24: Spring - Elite championship, eight other teams have seen their season come to an end, each wondering what went wrong and what could have been. We will take a look at each of these eight teams, why they missed the playoffs and where things stand as they each look towards the future. We will begin with the 16th ranked team in the standings and then work our way up. 16. Gotham Knights (25pts) Why They Missed: Lack of Form All Season After winning the ECL Pro Division championship over Renascor last season, Gotham Knights' time in the Elite Division has come to a quick close, finishing last in the standings and now likely being relegated back down to the Pro Division. Unfortunately, this team just never really found their footing in Elite this season. In their 30 games played, they only managed to collect standings points in 11 of those games and their longest win streak of the season was 2 games. That simply isn't a recipe for success. They did show some glimpses of potential this season, as out of their 9 total wins this season (including OT wins), four of them came against playoff teams. However, this league is all about being able to win consistently and unfortunately, Gotham Knights were never able to find their way there. We'll see what the future holds for this club and if they can find their way back into Elite in the future. 15. Renascor (31pts) Why They Missed: Offensive Woes Last season's Pro Division runner-ups earned promotion to Elite after making it through the qualifiers in April. Not many people expected much of this group in its first Elite season and unfortunately, they finished right around where many had predicted them to before the season. Though Rensacor did seem to find a little bit of rhythm later on in the season, they only won 4 of their first 19 games (including OT wins). This pretty much did them in when it came to being able to secure a Top 8 finish. The biggest reason for this was Renascor's offensive struggles this season. For starters, they had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. The Elite division is a big step from the Pro Division and it's not easy to adjust. Now this team will get ready for their relegation series in a few weeks against the Pro Division runner-up, hoping to stay up in the ECL's top division next season. 14. Heimo (34pts) Why They Missed: Not Being Able to String Together Wins After finishing in no man's land last season at the 11th spot, Heimo unfortunately found themselves further down the Elite table and now have to go to a relegation series. What's wild is that last season they had 36 points, so it goes to show that the Division as a whole performed better this season when it came to accumulating points in the standings. Something that Heimo may have suffered from more than any other team this season in terms of their place in the standings. As for where this team fell short, they never really found that consistent form of winning that they needed. This Heimo team would get a win and then follow that up with two or three straight losses. In fact, this team only had two win streaks all season, and their longest winning streak lasted the minimum amount of games to be considered a streak, 2 games. It's just tough to make it in when you aren't able to find a consistent stretch of winning. Add that in with increased performance from the other teams that were outside the cutline and Heimo just happened to find themselves where they are. If they can keep their place in the division for next season, hopefully, they can take that same next step that their competitors did this season. 13. GOONS (34pts) Why They Missed: Allowing Far Too Many Goals It's unfortunate to see how things have trended for this team over the last few seasons. As weird as it seems, GOONS haven't qualified for the Elite Division playoffs since ECL '22: Spring, a season in which they made it to the semifinals. That was two years ago. Since that season, this team lost multiple critical pieces to that core due to transfers and has been trying to rebuild themselves since. And now, they are going to have to win a relegation series just to keep their spot in the division. The biggest reason GOONS find themselves outside of the playoffs again is due to the high amount of goals that they allowed, which ironically is the same thing that plagued this team last season. During the Winter season, GOONS allowed 3.5 goals per game, which ranked third-worst in the Division. This season they allowed 3.1 per game, which though an improvement, still ranked them as the second-worst in the league, only finishing ahead of Gotham Knights. Not only this, but just 8 of their 19 total losses this season were by one goal, and this includes overtime games. On a positive note, they were one of the division's better teams offensively this season with an average of 2.53 goals for per game, which ranked 6th in Elite. They also broke the ECL's record for hits in a regular season with 1163 (across all divisions), so they were also able to make some history despite missing the postseason. However, I have the feeling that this summer could be one with a lot of soul-searching for this GOONS team; especially with their future in the division now being uncertain. 12. Polski Boys (36pts) Why They Missed: Not Improving Offensively From Last Season Polski Boys find themselves in no man's land for a second straight season and the biggest reason for this was their struggles on offense. Interestingly enough, this was exactly what held this team back last season. During their Winter campaign last season, which was their first in Elite, Polski Boys averaged just 2.03 goals for per game, which ranked as the 5th lowest in the division. They also struggled mightily on the power play last season, only converting on the man advantage 14.29% of the time, which was the lowest in the division. Despite having a season of Elite division experience under their belt and returning all six starters from last season's team, the Polski Boys' offense saw minimal improvements in the Spring. They averaged just 2.07 goals for per game which ranked 2nd lowest in the league, only ahead of Renascor. Their power play was also a weakness for them again this season, as their 16.22% on the power play was 4th lowest in the league. One positive thing to note is that they did seem to find some form late in the season, as they collected points in the standings in 8 of their last 10 games of the regular season, though they only surpassed the two-goal mark in 2 of those 10 games. As someone who has had the pleasure of covering this team's rise through the ECL ranks over a few seasons, the potential is there for Polski Boys to be a genuine threat in the Elite division, but that won't happen until they find a way to improve their play offensively. They have yet to find success there at this level, and until they do they're bound to be stuck in the middle of the pack. 11. Vesa Pompa (37pts) Why They Missed: Losing Close in Regulation Games and Not Putting Together A Winning Run Of the teams that didn't get into the Top 8, Vesa Pompa was probably the most surprising. After making the playoffs as a #6 seed and making it to the Elite semifinals last season, missing out on the playoffs altogether this season is a disappointing result for this group. Unfortunately, they just never really found the same form that they had in the Winter season and it ended up costing them dearly in the playoff race. For starters, Vesa Pompa lost valuable points in the standings in close games, as 8 of their 14 regulation losses were decided by one goal. Not only this, but they never were able to find a consistent winning run the way that they did last season. In their Winter campaign, they were able to make the playoffs off of the back of a 12-game points streak, a streak that saw them win 10 of those 12 games. This season, Vesa Pompa's longest points streak lasted just four games. It's unfortunate that this team will have to watch the playoffs from the sidelines this time around, as we've seen this group be able to make some magic happen in the postseason before. On the bright side, they didn't see themselves eliminated from playoff contention until the final day of the regular season, so this team was in the hunt throughout. Unfortunately, the factors that we've mentioned were just too much for Vesa Pompa to overcome in the end. A tough result for a high-quality squad. 10. Roots Gaming (42pts) Why They Missed: Too Many Regulation Losses, Struggling Against Playoff Teams, and Not Finding Enough Offense Before we talk about why Roots Gaming didn't make the playoffs, I want to spend some time talking about the vast improvements that this team made this season. I'll be honest, I think that this season could be considered a success for Roots Gaming, as they arguably improved more than any team in the league this season. Last season they finished 15th in the standings with just 24 points and had to win a relegation series just to maintain their place in the Elite Division. This season however saw a complete turnaround for this team. And the most impressive part about it? All six starters this season were on this team last season; with five of them starting 20+ games during that Winter campaign. Now that we've talked about the good though, we have to talk about why they missed out, and unfortunately, I couldn't pick just one reason to tell the full story. For starters, 14 of Roots Gaming's losses this season came in regulation, meaning that they lost out on potential points that they could've gained by pushing more games to overtime (they went 7-7 in regulation games this season). Second, they had a record of 3-13 against playoff teams and 11 of those losses were in regulation. Lastly, their offense just never really seemed to find itself. They tied with Heimo for the fourth-lowest goals for per game at 2.07. They also took the least amount of shots of any Elite division team at 353 (that's an average of just 11.8 shots per game). I promise you that I don't mean to pile on. This group has a ton to be proud of considering where they were in the standings just a season ago. However considering that they missed the playoff cutline by only 4 points, it feels like they could've made the postseason if they had been able to correct even just one of those three factors. Regardless, Roots Gaming should go into the offseason feeling good about their efforts. The question now is, can they build on it? 9. Purification (42pts) Why They Missed: Their Second Half of the Season Every team has aspirations of making it into the postseason before the season begins, which makes it even more crushing for the group that ends up finishing as the first team outside of the playoff cut line. However, let's give Purification their due credit. This was an impressive debut season in the Elite Division for this group and I don't doubt that they will be back in the playoff conversation in the future. After earning promotion by defeating POGGERS in its relegation series last season, Purification was a group that many people were interested in seeing make the jump to Elite, as they were dominant in the Pro Division and fell one win short of making it to the Finals. Early in the season, they looked like a team that would be well on their way to the playoffs and potentially even a Top 4 seed, winning 10 of their first 13 games this season. After this, things unfortunately fell apart. In their last 17 games of the season, Purification earned just 15 points in the standings. That stretch included a 7-game losing streak that saw them earn just 2 points and a 5-game losing streak that saw them earn zero points. During this stretch, they lost 10 games by one goal (including overtime losses) and had a 1-5 record against non-playoff teams, including two regulation losses to Gotham Knights and a regulation loss to Renascor on May 16 that eliminated them from playoff contention. I know that Purification is going to be disappointed that they aren't playing playoff hockey this season, especially considering that they looked like a lock during the first half of the season. However, I think that they also have a lot to look back on positively, as they've proven that they can truly compete at the Elite division level. This season will be valuable for them to learn from and will be something good to build on for the future. I'm excited to see where they go from here. If you have any feedback or if there is anything that you feel that I missed, make sure to let me know in the comments! If you want to learn more about the teams that did qualify for Elite division playoffs, you can check out my Quarterfinals playoff preview below.

MATCHUP 1 Valokuitunen Esports (1) vs (8) The Black Jacks Regular Season Results: 3-2 The Black Jacks W 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW Valokuitunen: Another dominant regular season from the defending champions (formerly known as hREDS) as they clinched the top seed in their finale against Straikers. The group has been truly elite in all phases of the game so far this season. They finished as the top team in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game and shot attempts. They also saw each of their three forwards finish Top 10 in points. This includes Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Roope @pikkuroger Bergström, who shared the points title this season with 68. Speaking of @pikkuroger, he has filled the void left by Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen admirably this season after transferring from Straikers, posting a career-best season that will likely see him get consideration for both Forward of the Season and Transfer of The Season. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar season that Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes has had in net for the group, posting an 88.24% save percentage, 1.4 GAA and 10 shutouts while starting all 30 games this season. His save percentage increased by nearly 8 percentage points from last season (80.25%). This could very well be considered one of the most impressive regular season campaigns that we've seen in the Elite Division, but this team cares about winning championships more than seedings and flashy numbers. Now is when their true season starts. Stat of The Series: Valokuitunen Esports have yet to lose a game this season by more than one goal. The Black Jacks: Another season, another playoff appearance for The Black Jacks. It feels like this group always manages to find their way into the Top 8 despite the league getting deeper. This marks their fourth straight playoff appearance, as they have not missed the postseason since the ECL '22: Spring season. Though this team returned much of its lineup, they did have a major question mark down the middle after losing its captain and Center in Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi, who departed from the team after being with them since ECL 6 (2018). They filled his place in the lineup with another experienced Center in André @Foppatofflan Liljegren who has been solid for them this season with 35 points in 30 games. The biggest addition for this team however was Johan @McSavid Rundqvist; who after taking a break last season has proven to still be one of the top goalies in the game. The way that this team has been able to find success this season has been through its defensive play. The Black Jacks took massive strides in their defensive play this season, going from allowing 2.3 goals per game last season (which ranked 7th in Elite) to allowing just 2.07 this season (4th best in the league). This number was even lower before their last four games of the regular season, which saw them allow 3.75 per game during that stretch. If they can get back to the defensive play that we saw during the first 26 games, this series should be low-scoring and rightly contested. Stat of The Series: The Black Jacks' played in 17 games during the regular season that were decided by one goal; they had a 9-8 record in these games (this includes overtime games). Bonus Stat: The Black Jacks are 12-3 in home games this season (including OT games). This is important because The Black Jacks are known to play on the Central European server, and it appears they have been able to use that to their advantage in those games this season. Prediction: I truly do like this Black Jacks side. They are experienced, talented and are one of the best defensive teams in the entire ECL. Unfortunately, they are just running into an outright juggernaut in Valokuitunen Esports. I respect them enough to predict them to steal a game and feel like they have had about as much success against this group as any team in ECL, but it would probably be the biggest upset in league history if they were to pull off a series win. I just don't see it happening. Valokuitunen Esports in 5 MATCHUP 2 (2) Straikers vs (7) Unwanted Regular Season Results: 2-1 Unwanted W 5-2 Straikers W Straikers: For the second straight season, Straikers find themselves at the #2 seed after another stellar regular season. The group was balanced and showed their elite form in every way, as they finished Top 3 in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game, shots, power play percentage and face-off percentage. They also finished 4th in penalty kill percentage. Much of this group's core remains the same from the past season, with the lone addition to their regular season lineup being Teemu @temppanen Karvonen, who scored a career-high 23 goals in his first season with the club. Someone else to look out for will be Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen. The veteran netminder put together another spectacular season with strikers, starting in 20 games and posting an 84.95% save percentage and a 1.55 GAA. Straikers are 14-5-1 in games in which he started in the regular season. As a matter of fact, the last time that @Hansulinho had a save percentage below 80% was in an ECL regular season was in ECL 4 when he played for Laser HT. That was in 2017. if that's not dominance, I don't know what is. Overall, this Straikers team has had plenty of regular season success over the year and even some playoff success, but the reality is that this team is starved for a title. Ever since combining the cores of FILADELPHIA and HAVU before NHL 23, this group has made it to the finals twice, but fell short both times to Tunnel Vision. Last season they were knocked out a round earlier in the semifinals after being swept against hREDS (now Valokuitunen Esports). The last time anyone in their lineup won an ECL Championship was in ECL 11 when FILADELPHIA did it in early 2021. It's been far too long since this group has held gold and they're going to come in with a chip on the shoulder. They'll have a tough path no doubt, but they were the league hottest team down the stretch with an 8-2 record in their final 10 regular season games. This is one of the last teams you'd want to see in a playoff bracket. Stat of the Series: Straikers played in just one overtime game all season, which was 2-1 loss against Purification on April 18. They have an overall record of 8-4 in one goal games this season (including OT games). Unwanted: Though I'm sure Unwanted are happy to be back in the playoffs for a second straight season, they have to feel like they left some meat on the bone during the later stages of the regular season. The wolves wound up as the 7th seed after finishing the season with a 4-5-1 record in its last 10 games. This includes a 7-1 loss to the now-relegated Gotham Knights and a 4-3 loss against Purification in their last game of the season, a game in which they held both a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead in the second half of the game. If Unwanted wins just one of those two games, they would've finished in 5th. if they had won both? They would've been 3rd. Despite the disappointing end though, Unwanted still had a lot to be happy with this season. A nine game win streak from April 24 to May 5 is what pushed this team into the Top 8, as they collected a whopping 25 points in the standings during that time. That streak makes up for 49% of their points all season. Not only this, but Unwanted are the only team in the entire league that can say that they swept Valokuitunen Esports, as they won both games against them in the regular season (4-3 W and 5-4 OTW on April 29). Where this team can be most dangerous is in the offensive zone and that shows in their 2.73 goals for per game, which ranks 4th in the Elite Division. They've seen multiple players step up, as four of their five skaters finished this season with 30+ points. Eetu @Launonexx Launonen was quietly one of the division's top playmakers this season with 33 assists (3rd for all skaters), while Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland was one of the division's best finishers, finishing tied for 5th in the league goals with 27. Some else to keep a close eye on is Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson. In his rookie campaign, @karlssonadam_ had an 85.57% save percentage while making the third most saves of any goalie in the Elite division this season with 350. He also had more desperation saves than any other goalie in Elite with 28. Look out for him in this series. Stat of the Series: Despite finishing with the second lowest shot total (354) and shots per game (11.8) in the Elite Division, Unwanted had the highest shot percentage in the league at 23.16%. They were the only team in Elite to finish over the 20% mark. Prediction: These two team met in the Quarterfinals last season as the exact same seedings. 5 of the 6 games were decided by one goal. Four of these games went to overtime. Straikers would eventually prevail to win the series in thrilling fashion, coming back from two goals down with 15 seconds left in Game 6 to take the series later in overtime. Unwanted was a few plays away from potentially winning this series and they have every reason to feel confident. However, this team has been mired by inconsistencies all season and their recent form is reason for concern in my opinion. I think that we'll see many close games again where the goaltenders will shine and it'll come down to who is able to make plays when their team needs them most. Considering all of this, I'll give the advantage to a Straikers team that has a chip on their shoulder and are hot at the right time winning 8 of their last 10 games. Straikers in 6 MATCHUP 3 (3) Tunnel Vision vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport Regular Season Meetings: 4-3 Bjorkloven Esport W 3-2 Tunnel Vision OTW Tunnel Vision: After failing to win their third-straight Elite Championship last season, Tunnel Vision are back in the playoffs in hopes of recapturing their crown. However, their quest has not come as smoothly as we have seen it in past seasons. Despite still being amongst the best offensive teams in the division, Tunnel Vision's play in its own zone has taken an alarming step back. Don't believe me? Let's look at the numbers: Last season Tunnel Vision allowed just 1.57 goals per game during the regular season, which was the lowest in the league. This season, that number has jumped all the way up to 2.7 goals allowed per game, which is the third worst in the league. The only two teams that allowed more were GOONS - who will have to play in a relegation series to stay in the Elite division - and Gotham Knights who will be relegated down to the Pro Division after finishing last in the standings with just five wins. Not great company to be in. On the more positive side of things though, Tunnel Vision are still a team that can score with the best of them. The group averaged 3.03 goals for per game during the regular season, second-best in the league. Additionally, Tunnel Vision saw all five skaters in their main lineup end the season with 30+ points. They even have the league's leading goal scorer in Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, who scored a ECL career-high 42 goals during the regular season. He also had the second most points of anyone in the division with 62, just six points shy of his career-high 68 points from last season. Someone that everyone will have to keep their eye on especially for this team will be Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen. The captain and star defender had the most time with the puck of any skater in the Elite Division, controlling the puck for 198:51 in his 30 games played. He also ranked 6th for all Elite division skaters in passing percentage (85.1%) and pass attempts (1052). He is the quarterback of this Tunnel Vision team offensively and specifically on the breakout. He should be busy again in these playoffs. This team has mastered the art of winning tight games and they've made the finals in each of the last four seasons, so you can never count them out. However, this Tunnel Vision team seems to have more holes in the armor than they did in those past seasons. You can blame it on some key pieces departing over the years or you can just chalk it up to a few off performances in the regular season. Either way, it doesn't matter. Tunnel Vision is going to be a title threat, there is no question about it. But they are going to have to find away to stifle opposing offenses better than they did in the regular season if they want to make it back to the top of the Elite division mountain. Stat of the Series: 11 of Tunnel Vision's 15 wins were by just one goal (include OT wins). That equates to 73.3% of their wins this season. For comparison, last season 13 of their 21 wins were by one goal (61.9%). They have a 4-3 record in overtime games. Bjorkloven: A team that many felt would be in the playoff conversation at the beginning of the season, Bjorkloven Esport made a statement by locking in the 6th seed in the Division and posting 52 standings points in the process. The part that is even more impressive? This team was in the Pro Division last season and made the jump to Elite through the qualifier before this season. This group also underwent a significant roster overhaul, as only two playoff starters from last season's team have played a game for the team this season. Not only this but multiple players in their lineup hadn't even played in the Elite division prior to this season. Before the start of this season, the most Elite experience on this team came from Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen, who had played 64 games across two seasons, Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila, who had played 62 games over three seasons, and Arttu @Thewix93 Harju with 34 games in his lone Elite season in ECL 9. Everyone else on this roster was a rookie other than Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala, who played in eight games with Reality Check in this division during the ECL '23: Spring season. @koleslaav_ (49pts) and @x-_-BoBi-_-x (46pts) were the team's two top point producers this season. Interestingly enough, no one on this team scored 20 goals this season, but five different skaters scored at least nine goals and their 2.33 goals for per game, ranked 9th in the division. What makes this team special is their ability to slow down opposing offenses, as Bjorkloven Esport allowed just 2 goals per game this season, which ranked third in the league. Juspe @Ricco Laakso has also been a big reason for this, flexing his ability as a rookie with a 83.85sv% and a 2.04 GAA, both in which ranked in the Top 10 in the division. This team is balanced, defensively strong and have a goaltender that has proven to have game-stealing ability. All of the qualities that make for a potential upset pick in the playoffs. State of the Series: Bjorkloven Esport tied with Renascor for the least penalized team in the Elite Division this season, only committing 60 penalty minutes. Bonus Stat: Bjorkloven Esport had an 8-10 record in one-goal games this season (including overtime games) Prediction: I'll be honest, I could see this being a popular upset pick. Bjorkloven are a strong squad that are good enough defensively to compete with Tunnel Vision's high-octane offense. However, I have concerns about Bjorkloven's lack of experience, as not a single player on their roster has played a playoff game at the Elite level (not including relegation series games). I know that it's a cliche thing to say, but it means something. There is something to be said about a team that has yet to play in the postseason at this level, going up against a team that has made the Finals each of the past four seasons and are two-time Elite Division champions. As for Tunnel Vision, I'd be lying if I said that they've been playing to their standard. I wouldn't go as far as to say that this team is vulnerable right now, but I would definitely say that they are susceptible. They've just looked off-kilter this season and have yet to find that next level in their game that we have seen from them in the past. However, I think they'll step up and get the job done in what should be a tightly contested series. If they don't, it could be a long offseason with a lot of soul-searching ahead of them. Tunnel Vision in 6 MATCHUP 4 (4) Tohtorit vs (5) EXEN Regular Season Series: 5-4 EXEN W 2-0 EXEN W Tohtorit: The last time we saw Tohtorit in Elite was in the Spring '23 season, where they went 11-15-4 and finished 13th in the league. They beat Deadly Phantoms in 5 games in their relegation series to stay up in Elite, but didn’t participate last season, taking a one season hiatus. This season Tohtorit came back, replacing the Mayhems brand and bringing back multiple players from that Tohtorit team from last year. Considering this, not many people picked this team to make the playoffs, but they did, and now they have a chance to add another chapter to what has been a storybook season for the club. They will feel as if they missed an opportunity to earn a better seeding, as they lost each of their last 4 games in regulation and wound up just two points behind Tunnel Vision for the #3 seed, but a Top 4 finish is still extremely impressive, especially from a team that many didn't even have making the playoffs at all. This team is the perfect example of a group that isn't elite at anything specifically, but they do a lot of different things well and rely on playing a balanced game in all three phases. Their 2.01 goals allowed per game was 5th best in the division and they also had the division's third-best power play at 31.43%. They also averaged 2.43 goals for per game, which ranked right around the middle of the division in 7th. Tohtorit started the same six player for all 30 games this season. Some impact players for the group include Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta, who racked up a team-high 52 points (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala who tied @Harlowi- for the team lead in assists with 31 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), and Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi who led the team in goals with 26 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters). Another player that you can expect to be active in this series will be Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, who compiled 28 points this season with 25 assists. He also had the second-most time with the puck of any player in the Elite division this season with 187:48 of possession time, so expect to hear his name often in this series. Lastly, I wanted to mention Stan @Stammer70 Adamus and the stellar season that he has had, as he's backstopped his Tohtorit team all season with an 83.76 SV% and 2.10 GAA. These numbers are actually very similar to his Spring '23 season with this team and he's truly emerged as arguably one of the more underrated goalies in a division that is stacked with elite goaltending talent. Overall, this team does a lot of things well. The question is whether they can replicate their success in the postseason. Stat of the Series: Tohtorit went 6-8 against playoff teams in the regular season, including 1-7 against teams that finished in the Top 5 of the standings. None of these games went to overtime, and 6 of the 8 losses were by more than one goal. Bonus Stat: @Kkarkass played for JYP Jyväskyla last season and was one of their most impactful players, playing in all 30 games and putting up 30 points in his lone season with them. He was on Tohtorit during the two seasons prior to their hiatus. EXEN: It's hard to not feel like the team has to have a chip on their shoulder, right? You'd be hard-pressed to find another team in the ECL that have gone through as many ups and downs as this EXEN side has over the past three years. Formerly JYP Jyväskyla before rebranding to the EXEN name this season, this group has seen the following things happen since the Summer of 2020. ECL 10 - Earned #1 seed in the playoffs, were later upset by #8 seed Farjested BK in 5 games ECL 11 - Made the semifinals as #4 seed before losing to eventual champion FILADELPHIA ECL 12 - Went 10-17-3 in the regular season and were relegated to Pro Division after losing the relegation series in 5 games ECL '22: Winter - Went 23-5-2 in the regular season and won the Pro Division championship to earn promotion back into Elite ECL '22: Spring - Went 12-14-4 and finished 11th in Elite standings with 28pts, avoiding the relegation series zone by 1 point ECL '23: Winter - Made the semifinals as #5 seed before losing eventual champion to Tunnel Vision in 6 games ECL '23: Spring - Push #2 seed Tunnel Vision to 7 games in Quarterfinals, but lose in game 7. ECL '24: Winter - Earn #3 seed in playoffs, lose to #6 seed Vesa Pompa in 6 games See what I mean? Sure, many of the players from that time have come and gone since, but the history of this team still is there and it deserves a deep playoff run. Turning the focus now to this season, things have been up and down for this EXEN group. The expectation for this team was to make the playoffs, which they did, but it feels like they could've been a little higher in the standings than where they ended up (5th). EXEN ranks in the Top 5 in the league in goals for per game (2.63) and shots per game (15.5). They also sport the Elite division's best penalty kill at 91.87%. Similarly to Tohtorit, EXEN has played the same six players in all of their games this season. 4 of their 6 starters returned from last season's group, but EXEN's two additions have both proven to be great adds for their squad that they are hoping can take them to new heights in the postseason. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala returned to the group after spending last season with Heimo. He led EXEN with 55 points (which ranks Top 5 in the division), 24 goals and 31 assists (both rank Top 10 in the division) during the regular season. The addition of Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen on defense as also proven to be a critical one. After helping hREDS win the league last year and helping Tunnel Vision win the title in the two seasons prior, @Mozjayh posted 25 points with 19 assists in his debut season with EXEN this season. He and Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström have become one of the division's best defensive pairings this season and their impact has been immense. In terms of goaltending, Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt has been stellar once again for this team with an 83.09sv% and a 2.30 GAA. The backend has proven to be the backbone of this team, so these three players will be major factors for EXEN in this series. EXEN has a ton of experience in this league and plenty of skill and chemistry to go with it. The perfect combination for a deep playoff run. Stat of the Series: @Lxndstrom(184:11) and @Mozjayh (171:52) rank 3rd and 5th amongst all Elite division skaters in time with the puck. These two are the straw that stirs the drink for EXEN's offense and much of the team's offensive success will likely involve them in some form. Bonus Stat: Though EXEN went 4-7 in their last 11 games of the regular season, two of those wins came against Tohtorit, who they swept in their regular season finale on May 16. Prediction: This series is so tough to call because these are two teams that do a lot of things well. They are both balanced and have players on both ends of the that can impact the game at any time. However, EXEN went 7-7 against playoff teams and five of those losses were by one goal (this includes overtime games). They also went 5-3 against teams that finished Top 5 in the league. Meanwhile Tohtorit, as impressive as they have been, have yet to prove that they can beat the teams of this caliber consistently, something that is extremely important in a playoff series. They also just lost twice to EXEN on Thursday. None of this is particularly inspiring for them, and when you combine with EXEN's experience, I just don't think that it's a favorable matchup for them. The one thing that I will say though is that this team has been used to being doubted. Just like I am doubting them right now, they have been doubted since the before the season started. Yet every time they have prove these doubted wrong. They are playing against an EXEN team that has disappointed in these Quarterfinals in the past, including just last season. I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if I was wrong, but I think EXEN will just be a little too much for this tough Tohorit team to overcome. Prediction: EXEN in 5 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may have not covered? Let me know in the comments! FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Week 1: Monday 20.5 - 19:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN & #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 1-2 Wednesday 22.5 - 19:15 CEST | #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 3-7 Thursday 23.5 - 20:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN | Games 3-7 Week 2: Monday 27.5 - 19:45 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport & #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 1-2 Tuesday 28.5 - 19:15 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport |Games 3-7* Wednesday 29.5 - 19:15 CEST | #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 3-7* *These dates may be reverse