ECL 11 Elite: Weekly Recap - Week 4 - ECL

NHLGamers,

Last week brought ECL action back also on the ECL Elite level and with that also pushed us past the midway point of the season. Right now we're just past two thirds through the regular season and with that being said, now is the absolute latest point for teams to start revving up those trusty old diesel engines to boost them in their playoff race or in avoiding potential relegation.

The standings are finding their form and as predicted, FILADELPHIA and HAVU Gaming have been the juggernauts reigning lone, as usual. Both of the top two teams are currently also on impressive hot streaks although HAVU has been taken to OT more often than not in their past few bouts - some trouble keeping their eyes on the prize maybe? Vesa Pompa has been performing exceptionally well but without taking anything away from their performance, one must state that their schedule wasn't as harsh as some of their competitors' to start the season. Last week brought the reigning Swedish champs a total of five points in three matchups against some tougher opposition. If not for a few exceptions (mainly Vesa Pompa HC performing above expectations and YMCA Esports underperforming), the season preview seems to be holding up rather well in terms of predictions so far.

Having pumped our own tires enough, let's get into some of the individual performances seen last week. Overall it was a week of "strictly business" when it comes to the games played, at least no highlights went viral across the community. The scoring department was virtually unchanged at the end of last week, but Monday was a breath of fresh air when hREDS managed to put on a scoring show against Team LEISURE, boosting duo Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Joakim @Joukki Nyholm to 2nd and 3rd in the points department with 51 each to their names.

When taking a look at productive defensemen, we're seeing a somewhat surprising name topping the tables. Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen has made a long career grinding away at various forward positions but has transitioned his skills exceptionally well into the role of an offensive defenseman while not sacrificing too much in his own end either. His Gotham Knights currently lies just below the playoff line and has been able to perform up to the standards of the division as a unit. The team still has some exciting matchups remaining and will need to salvage every point they can if they want to pave their way into their first ever ECL Elite postseason.

As we continue moving on to the last line of defense, we're taking a look at goaltenders, who from time to time don't get the love they deserve. We're used to seeing the likes of Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos leading the league in that department but they do have challengers for the throne when talking about the best in the business. The two previously mentioned have been in the game and at the top for such a long time but admittedly playing in net for a top team like FILADELPHIA or HAVU Gaming poses unique challenges such as potentially facing a way lower shot volume when compared to other goaltenders in the league, such as for example Johan @McSavid Rundqvist or Ville @Supreex Korhonen for Farjestad BK and Norhtern Ascendancy respectively. If not for a few exceptions, the statistics below exhibit a higher save percentage for goalies facing higher shot volumes on a regular basis. A newcomer that has been making his way into the discussion of top goaltenders in the scene is Vesa Pompa's Filip @Faze91- Azri, who was talked about already prior to the season but has made a surprisingly fast ascent to the top, claiming the clear first string goalie spot for his team in the process.

Power Rankings

The power rankings reflect games played between 4.1 and 10.1.

Making a return this season will be the Elite: Power Rankings, provided by @MartindalexC. As always, the rankings are generated by weighting a team's results with the level of opposition that was faced, i.e. a team that went 4-0-0 against teams at the very bottom of Elite may very well be ranked below a team that went 0-4-0 against Elite's very finest. Without further ado though, let's have a look at how teams fared over the fourth week of ECL Elite:

1. FILADELPHIA (6-0-0) [=]