NHLGamers,
More than two months ago we started into the 12th iteration of the European Championship League. 31 teams competed in ECL Pro to fight for their spot in the playoffs, prevent relegation or gaining promotion into the European Top 16 in Elite. We saw tight matchups, beautiful goals as well as many surprises on our way to the finals of ECL 12 Pro. It is fair to say that two of the most dominant teams of the second half of the regular season and playoffs have paved their way to the finals. 5th seed Djurgarden Hockey will battle 12th seed Team LEISURE on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine who will hoist the cup in the Pro division this season.
Lainaa10.6.2 ECL Pro Playoff Schedule
• Playoffs Round 1: 28.6 – 1.7 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 5.7 – 8.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 12.7 – 15.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 27.7 & 28.7 (BO7)
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Djurgarden Hockey - Team LEISURE 
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The Swedish Djurgarden Hockey and German Team LEISURE will combine to host the ECL 12 Pro finals - only one team will gain direct promotion, whereas the other is in for a hard fought battle against KOVA Esports in the upcoming relegation battle. First, however, we'll focus on the finals ahead!
Over the past couple of seasons, Stockholm's pride Djurgarden have solidified their position as a true contender in the Pro division, but after a disappointing end to their ECL 11 campaign, they are surely determined to cap this one off a bit better. Captain @Jungledonk has surrounded himself with a tight knit group of players that are equally passionate about developing the team game, and it shows - the Swedes have plowed through opposition with relative ease throughout the season in it's entirety so far, with only Team LEISURE remaining in their way. Djurgarden's strength is their team play and adaptability, which will definitely come in handy in this series, but at times the group can end up on scoring dry spells. That is when goaltender @Sorsa103 bails them out with stellar play. In fact, Sorsa is WAY ahead of the competition statistically with a whopping 89,87 SV% to go with an equally great 1.07 GAA - keep an eye on this guy! @Strumpan87 is their leading scorer, but by no means do they solely ride on his success. While some guys will be hotter than others from time to time, Djurgarden is the definition of a squad with a team first-mentality.
Road to finals:
Regular Season: 3rd in Group 1 (18-7-5)
Playoffs Round 1: 4-0 vs. Hotbox
Quarterfinals: 4-2 vs. Kiekko-Espoo Esports
Semifinals: 4-1 vs. BoxinElite
Playoffs Top scorer: @Strumpan8715GP: 13G + 18A = 31P
Team LEISURE is, as stated before, on a mission to regain their position as the strongest German team in the league. That means getting back their spot in the Elite division first and foremost. After a somewhat underwhelming regular season, this team has showed that their style of play is truly suitable for postseason battles and it is their suffocating defense and quick turnover attack that they most likely will live and die by in the end. After all, it is something that they do exceptionally well, an art they've perfected if you will. Especially if you take a look at the matchup of both teams during the regular season with Djurgarden Hockey getting the edge over Team LEISURE by gaining 3 out of 4 possible Points (4-1 Djurgarden & 3-4OT Team LEISURE) we can expect a very tight series. Since the Germans started to find their rhythm in the second half of the season with @Flo_goes_grazy(flgr93) becoming the starter on the left wing and @PlaymakerSJbeing the experienced and world class center the team needed for a long playoff run to return to ECL Elite. Team LEISUREs defense is what made the team go all the way to this seasons final. In their last two playoff rounds against Conquer Gaming (4-0) and HV71 (4-1) the German outfit only conceded 5 goals in 9 games, with @RPH_31 securing four shutouts and recording a whopping 1.5 GAA in this postseason. Just as mentioned in the first Playoffs preview: Offense wins games but defense wins championships.
Road to finals:
Regular Season: 7th in Group 1 (16-11-3)
Playoffs Round 1: 4-3 vs. Sulkavan Sudet
Quarterfinals: 4-0 vs. Conquer Gaming
Semifinals: 4-1 vs. HV71
Playoffs Top scorer: @PlaymakerSJ 16GP: 14G + 20A = 34P
@Keuschemisch's prediction: 4-2 Team LEISURE
@Mikka's prediction: 4-2 Team LEISURE
Tune in for the finals on Tuesday and Wednesday as broadcasts will be live at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer!
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