FCL 6v6 playoffs: Quarterfinals preview

 NHLGamers,

We're movin' on! Only the absolute elite remain as we're closing in on the final games of the FCL season and the teams can smell victory around the corner. Some of the teams we see at this stage of the competition are old acquaintances that are expected to play at this level, but it's also a joy to see a few younger teams push through the initial playoff rounds.

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5) Turnausrakenne

• Ilmoittautumiset: 7.8.-21.8.
• Runkosarja: 24.8.-11.9.
• Pudotuspelikierros 1: 14.9.-18.9. (BO5)
• Pudotuspelikierros 2: 21.9.-25.9. (BO5)
• Puolivälierät: 28.9.-1.10. (BO5)
• Välierät: 3.10.-5.10. (BO5)
• Finaalit (Top 2) @ TBD: 10.10. (BO5)

Runkosarja pelataan seitsemässä lohkossa, joista jokaisen lohkon neljä parasta joukkuetta etenee suoraa pudotuspeleihin. Tämän lisäksi pudotuspeleihin pääsee mukaan kolme parasta lohkovitosta.

Pudotuspelit pelataan paras viidestä - menetelmällä. Turnaukseen kutsuttu Havu Gaming on turnauksen 1. sijoitettu ja kohtaa ensimmäisellä pudotuspelikierroksella 32. sijoitetun joukkueen. Runkosarjan paras (eli 2. sijoitettu) joukkue kohtaa 31. sijoitetun joukkueen ja niin edelleen.

(1)  HAVU Gaming vs GENESIS  (10)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Risto @Dominointi Järvi (7+11=18) vs Joona @Hullued Saarinen (8+12=20)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (81.40 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 0 SO) vs Teemu @Vaporik Jokinen (83.46 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 1 SO)

Throughout their reign, HAVU Gaming has been the absolute toughest team to beat in the scene and they look to continue on that path remaining undefeated throughout their first two playoff rounds. Despite going directly into the playoffs, there is no rust to be found on these guys and their play has been clicking nicely. If something, I'd expect their possession play to elevate moving forward and goalie @Hansulinho to improve on his already steady level of play. The most surprising and refreshing team of the FCL season would be GENESIS for me. They've paved their way into the quarters and are setting up a success story like no other. On the Swedish side we've seen goalie legend @ICappeI potting goals for Vesa Pompa, but in Finnish competition Genesis' @Hullued is doing just the same, is there something these guys can't do on the virtual ice? The challenge is tough for GENESIS, and I'm agreeing with the community on this one - HAVU will advance, most likely staying undefeated.

(2)  FILADELPHIA vs Tunnel Vision  (9)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää (6+15=21) vs Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen (5+10=15)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (90.57 SV%, 0.63 GAA, 4 SO) vs Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (75.86 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 0 SO)

This matchup showcases yet another juggernaut versus a clear underdog and a somewhat surprising team to see at this stage of the tournament. We all know what FILA is capable of and the routine that these guys have cannot be stressed enough, but the fact is that most of them have spent time with other teams in other tournaments alongside the FCL and it surely has to impact their play in some way, no? Despite the speculation, FILADELPHIA has some of the most dominant players of the tournament both up front and in net and are expected to rely on their sheer skill in order to overcome Tunnel Vision in this series. The younger, inexperienced but perhaps hungrier team will definitely need to find that next level in this series, if they look to advance past the 2nd seed FILA. Their goaltender @ITemeI has proven his talent in net but will need to step up big time and make those one or two decisive saves more, whereas the unit needs to gel better and improve as a whole. The community consensus is that FILA should advance quite clearly and I agree despite wishing for an upset. The fact is that Tunnel Vision isn't at FILA's level as a team - yet.

(4)  hREDS vs KOVA Esports  (7)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (13+19=32) vs Kimi @Zip player Nordberg (7+16=23)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (83.33 SV%, 1.00 GAA, 1 SO) vs Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck (77.36 SV%, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO)

The incredibly skilled hREDS remains undefeated through their first two rounds of playoff hockey while they have outscored their opponents 39-10 in that same span of games. Granted, the REDS ran over CRY IS FREE in one of their games, scoring 15 goals but nevertheless their total is impressive. I might have mentioned their forward trio before and I'll do it again, since they possess the skill to do just about anything on the ice when they get into the flow. hREDS also have decent depth in their roster and it remains to see which combination they choose mainly on defense. When talking roster depth, we naturally can't forget about KOVA Esports either. The team has plowed through the first two rounds in a somewhat inconsistent way, dropping a few games but impressively rotating players at even unfamiliar positions. Through the grapevine it's been heard that some internet issues have affected roster decisions but KOVA hasn't let that stop them to this point. The community agrees that hREDS will run over KOVA in this series, but I object - KOVA will pose a challenge to the best of their abilities (note that the author represents KOVA).

(5)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS  (6)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (10+10=20) vs Valeri @Valluxet Reihel (11+8=18)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (91.67 SV%, 0.66 GAA, 2 SO) vs Jere @Jeresti Kulju (76.00 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 1 SO)

I know one thing to be certain about the series between JYP Jyvaskyla and GHETTO FIREBIRDS - one of the teams in this series will be facing their first playoff loss to end the first game. Personally, I feel like JYP has put forth one of the most balanced playoff performances so far - their goaltending is league leading, they seem to be able to score at will while keeping their opposition away from high danger chances. Granted, they haven't faced a team anywhere close to the caliber of GHETTO in these playoffs yet, so this will be their first real challenge as a team, in fact since being eliminated by Farjestad in the ECL 10 playoffs. As stated before, during 2020 GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own and have found a style that somewhat differs from other Elite teams but keeps them competitive at the very highest level. The return of @Valluxet on offense has given them that bit of extra firepower up front, pushing them to the next level. The community sees JYP advancing, but the votes aren't as lopsided as in the other matchups. I'm actually expecting JYP to struggle with GHETTO, and wouldn't see it as a surprise if the slight underdogs were to advance.

Tune in for the playoffs tonight!

The quarterfinals start tonight  as we'll see the starts of two series (KOVA Esports - hREDS and GENESIS - HAVU Gaming) in a broadcast commentated by Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Erik @Eki Tammenpää, starting at 18:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.