FCL 6v6 Finals: Preview

NHLGamers,

In 2019 it was HAVU Gaming lifting the trophy. In 2020 FILADELPHIA wrestled it from HAVU's hands. In 2021, hREDS will be trying to do the same to FILA. Will they be successful? Or will FILA manage to become the first Champion to defend their title? Can KOVA finish their underdog success story by snatching the bronze under the noses of the impressive GOONS?

And how will the players be effected by finally, finally being back in a LAN enviroment the games kick off at the magnificent Game Cave in Espoo, Finland?

Ladies and gentlemen, you'll have your answers tonight. Welcome to the 2021 FCL 6v6 Finals event.
 

Here is the full schedule for the night:

17:00 CEST   Broadcast starts
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17:20 CEST   Bronze - Game 1
17:50 CEST   Bronze - Game 2 
18:20 CEST   Bronze - Game 3 (if necessary)
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19:00 CEST   Finals intro
19:15 CEST   Finals - Game 1
10:45 CEST   Finals - Game 2
20:20 CEST   Finals - Game 3
20:55 CEST   Finals - Game 4 (if necessary)
21:30 CEST   Finals - Game 5 (if necessary)

(2) hREDS   vs (1) FILADELPHIA  

This is it. Truly your matchup of matchups between the two best teams in not just Finland, but in Europe as well at the moment. Having faced off recently in the ECL 12 Elite Finals, these two teams are intimately familiar with each other - and not a single roster change has taken place since then. While FILA likely feels their true revenge against hREDS lies in re-claiming the coveted ECL Elite trophy, defending their FCL title and becoming the first champion in FCL 6v6 history to do so (Artuzio defended his title in 1v1 just yesterday), would be as good an opportunity as any to re-establish dominance over hREDS.

Don't think the hREDS side are likely to just sit back and let that happen, though. Made up exclusively of young guns hungry to continue their winning ways, hREDS will be entering this one brimming with motivation and energy to add a Finnish Championship to their ever-expanding trophy room.

The last time these two teams met in competitive circumstances, hREDS seemed to catch FILA off guard with their picture-perfect trap and their well-executed pokechecks. This time, FILA will have seen that trick before and will be prepared to adjust even before first puck drop. 

Even so, it'll be a tough task for the multi-champs to defend their title against such a hungry pack of wolves. 

Prediction: 3-1 hREDS
 

(10) KOVA Esports  vs (8) GOONS  

The GOONS have had a strong run since their formation in the ECL 11 Pro division. Losing in the finals and securing a league promotion, they followed that up by making the playoffs right away in the über-competitive Elite division and here they are; top-4 in the FCL after having eliminated 2019 FCL Champions HAVU Gaming among others.

Safe to say, GOONS will look to end NHL 21 with a bang, rather than a whimper. 

They'll face stiff competition from KOVA Esports though, Coming into the FCL with a revamped roster (at least on the ice), KOVA have taken down some big fish like JYP Jyväskylä and POGGERS on their way to this bronze battle. Their quick counter-attacks have been proven lethal before, will they be again versus GOONS?

Most of the players in this matchup haven't tasted the LAN enviroment before so seeing how that plays out could add an extra wrinkle to this already exciting matchup.

Prediction: 0-2 GOONS
 

Tune in to www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 17:00 CEST to find out which team will claim the medals in this exciting LAN finish to the 2021 FCL season.