ECL '22 Winter: Elite Playoffs - Quarterfinals Preview: Tough battles early on

We are in for several very exciting series straight from the get-go. It's been a very tough season for several teams, and there's whispers in the wind about a new champion on the come up, perhaps. We're mere hours away from puckdrop for the first series of this seasons playoffs, and it's really tough to know what to expect. Honestly, we've got more serious contenders than ever before, with the tough times the likes of GOONS and HAVU Gaming have fallen into, and the challenge that SAWO ESPORTS have posed, there's no telling what is going to happen, so you'll have to tune in with us tonight at 19:45 CET.

Lainaa

Here's the schedule for the ECL '22 Winter Elite Quarterfinals:
Monday, February 14th
20:00 CET - #7 Granit vs #2 SAWO G1
20:30 CET - #2 SAWO vs #7 Granit G2
21:15 CET - #8 GOONS vs #1 hREDS G1
21:45 CET - #1 hREDS vs #8 GOONS G2
Tuesday, February 15th
20:00 CET - #6 HAVU vs #3 Frölunda G1 
20:30 CET - #3 Frölunda vs #6 HAVU G2 
21:15 CET - #5 IQUE vs #4 FBK G1
21:45 CET - #4 FBK vs #5 IQUE G2
Wednesday, February 16th
20:00 CET - #8 GOONS vs #1 hREDS G3
20:30 CET - #1 hREDS vs #8 GOONS G4
20:00 CET - #7 Granit vs #2 SAWO G3
20:30 CET - #2 SAWO vs #7 Granit G4
20:00 CET - #5 IQUE vs #4 FBK G3
20:30 CET - #4 FBK vs #5 IQUE G4
21:15 CET - #6 HAVU vs #3 Frölunda G3
21:45 CET - #3 Frölunda vs #6 HAVU G4
Thursday, February 17th
20:00 CET - #6 HAVU vs #3 Frölunda G5
20:30 CET - #3 Frölunda vs #6 HAVU G6
21:00 CET - #6 HAVU vs #3 Frölunda G7 
21:15 CET - #5 IQUE vs #4 FBK G5 
21:45 CET - #4 FBK vs #5 IQUE G6 
22:15 CET - #5 IQUE vs #4 FBK G7
21:15 CET - #7 Granit vs #2 SAWO G5 
21:45 CET - #2 SAWO vs #7 Granit G6 
22:15 CET - #7 Granit vs #2 SAWO G7 
21:15 CET - #8 GOONS vs #1 hREDS G5 
21:45 CET - #1 hREDS vs #8 GOONS G6 
22:15 CET - #8 GOONS vs #1 hREDS G7 

 hREDS (1) vs  GOONS (8)
TOP SCORER (Regular season)
Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen 30 GP, 47+23=70 vs Roope @pikkuroger Bergström 30 GP, 32+21=53

GOALTENDER (Regular season)
Filip @Faze91- Azri 30 GP, 25 W, 83,26 SV%, 1.2 GAA, 8 SO vs Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu 30 GP, 17 W, 80,26 SV%, 2 GAA, 5 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
25-2-3 vs 17-9-4

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
1-2 OT, 3-0

After winning their first ECL Elite title last season it feels like hREDS have found a new level as now they were able to win the regular season in ECL 22 Winter too. The only team that were able to beat them in both regular season games were their last season finals opponent Frölunda HC. Maybe the best way to describe the REDS domination is to take a look at some of the leagues player stats. As crazy as it seems, hREDS has all of their forwards in the top 3 point producers and both defenders at the top of the standings when it comes to defenders scoring. A top team also needs a top goalie and Filip @Faze91- Azri has been that for hREDS with the second best saving percentage and most wins in the league. The one thing they could use some improvement on is faceoffs, in which they performed below the 50% level throughout the 30-game regular season.

The regular season didn't go as planned for GOONS but the main thing was that they managed to secure the last playoff spot. In the first round they have huge mountain to climb against the best European team there is right now. In their inaugural Elite season last year, the team faltered in the Quarterfinals at the hands of Farjestad BK, and they're determined to do better now. Roope @pikkuroger Bergströms goal scoring power has been their biggest strength in offense. The youngster lit the lamp a total of 32 times, which put him at fourth best in the league. One thing that was a weakness for GOONS were their powerplay - a 6% success rate will not fly at the highest level of European virtual hockey.

In the regular season, GOONS was able to cause hREDS one of their five losses. In the first game, GOONS managed to steal a 2-1 win with a last minute OT goal and in the second game hREDS did shut their doors by winning 3-0. This series can be a really tight battle if GOONS are able to bump up their game. We will see how experienced netminder Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu matches up against @Faze91- in the goalie battle because it will be a big difference maker in this series. As I already mentioned about GOONS, their powerplay hasn't shined but when you add the fact that hREDS has had the best penalty kill percentage with 96.55%, you can't understate the importance of special units in this series. In the physical department, these teams couldn't be further from each other in terms of aggression level. hREDS has had less hits than any other team with 165 and on the other side GOONS has had second most of them with 384. Every mistake could be costly in this series with both having skillful forwards. Even if GOONS could get their game going better than it was in regular season it's impossible for them to match hREDS right now. The reigning champion will continue their journey towards a possible back to back with a 4-1 series win. 

 SAWO ESPORTS (2) vs  Granit Gaming (7)
TOP SCORER (Regular season)
Jere @jxrska Laukka 30 GP, 31+32=63 vs Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund 30 GP, 22+28=50

GOALTENDER (Regular season)
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 30 GP, 23 W, 89,8 SV%, 0.93 GAA, 11 SO vs Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg 16 GP, 9 W, 78,23 SV%, 2 GAA, 4 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
25-4-1 vs 18-10-2

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
1-2, 2-1 OT

What a run SAWO ESPORTS is on in their new colors. It's been great to watch these young talents come together to form a squad that could truly challenge those at the top. One of biggest reasons for the Karelian's making it to the top 2 in the regular season was their goalie Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen. In his second season as a starting goalie in Elite, the talented netminder topped the stats in both best save percentage and lowest GAA. The whole defensive game has to be on fire when your team only lets in one goal per game and their offense hasn't left any questions unanswered either, since both wingers can be found in the top 10 point producers and center Aleksi @MozjaTG(mozjayh) Kähkönen had the third most assists. Compared to Granit Gaming, SAWO's players have less playoff games played. The Finnish guys still have experience from tough games but winning in this first round would definitely boost their confidence for the future. 

Granit Gaming was one of the few teams that managed to steal points from SAWO in the regular season, and despite that being some weeks ago, it could be an indication of Granit's style of play matching up very well against SAWO. This talented Swedish lineup will in for a tough test right away in their first playoff round together. Their offense has a good balance in this lineup as scoring is divided very evenly, showing that they have several go-to options. From the defense you can also find a good mix of offensive skill and defensive awareness. Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt are known for their great chemistry and again it's evident from the defenders scoring leaders. In goal they have two potential guys but right now it looks like Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen will get the start in the playoffs. He joined Granit mid-season and will face the best goalie in the regular season in this matchup. One decisive factor is how well they can defend against the leagues third most effective offense.

The fact that Granit was able to get more points out of the regular season series is making this matchup even more exciting. These starting points will foretell long series for us. The special units differential for these teams isn't that big so if some scouting has been done to expose potential weaknesses, that could make a big difference. SAWO's balance between offense and defense will be a little bit too much for Granit and the hungry young guys will go to the semifinals in 6 games. 
 

 Frölunda HC (3) vs  HAVU Gaming (6)
TOP SCORER (Regular season)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää 30 GP, 38+24=62 vs Juho @Juigelson Kinnunen 30 GP, 30+31=61

GOALTENDER (Regular season)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren 28 GP, 21 W, 78,3 SV%, 1.82 GAA, 6 SO vs Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos 30 GP, 10 W, 79,39 SV%, 1.69 GAA, 3 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
22-5-3 vs 20-7-3

REGULAR SEASON MATCHUP
2-1 OT, 1-4

This is going to be a wild one for sure. The history between these two can't be missed and anyone who's been along for the ride is surely beside themselves about seeing such a delicious matchup this early on. Countless titles have been a fight between these ensembles, and now, due to other strong outfits emerging to contest them, we find Frölunda and HAVU going up against each other in the Quarterfinals. Several established teams have found themselves struggling with the meta this season, but Frölunda has been among those who have adjusted successfully. Perhaps a bit uncharacteristically, Erik @Eki Tammenpää has been the guy found in front of the net, shoveling pucks into the twine, while the rest of the team have found roles fitting that style of play. Make no mistake, however, Frölunda is able to transition smoothly into their possession play and patient controlling of the pace, but they are definitely able to do the dirty work that the game needs from time to time. On defense, Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila and Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta have been rock solid, and especially the latter stands out as one of the most accurate and reliable breakout guys in the league. In net, we know that Casper @ICappeI Lundgren is perhaps the most solid performer you'll find when it comes to big games and having him as backstopper definitely gives this team a boost. 

HAVU Gaming have been falling into some tough times for quite some time already, but somehow they always find a way to be competitive, no matter how difficult the going looks from the outside. Captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha is the definition of a heart-and-soul player, who will do everything in his might to make his team succeed together with his centerman Risto @Dominointi Järvi. The solid play of this duo has allowed for new recruit Juho @Juigelson Kinnunen to blossom, but a more sustainable symbiosis between the three would be required for postseason success. We'll have to see what they can do when it's time for puckdrop. On the back-end, we've been treated with the exceptional play of Wille @willekunq Juntunen and Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto, who continue to be one of the most complete duos in the league. HAVU can go one of two ways when picking a netminder, but we know that both guys will get the job done in a tough spot. 

Both clubs walked away with a victory in the regular season series, but from this matchup, only one can come away unscathed. Frölunda looked a bit out of focus in the regular season from time to time, but at this point, they will definitely bring it all, especially against a dear rival like HAVU Gaming. Based on what we've seen this season, it would be a surprise if HAVU would be able to overcome the Indians in a long series, but you never know. We'll throw caution to the wind with a bold 4-1 series prediction in favor of Frölunda HC.
 

  Färjestad BK (4) vs  IQUE (5)
TOP SCORER (Regular season)
Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg 30 GP, 29+21=50 vs Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko 30 GP, 24+22=46

GOALTENDER (Regular season)
Johan @McSavid Rundqvist 26 GP, 19 W, 80,57 SV%, 2.12 GAA, 3 SO vs Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 30 GP, 21 W, 83,22 SV%, 1.63 GAA, 7 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
22-7-1 vs 21-8-1

REGULAR SEASON MATCHUP
0-5, 2-0

The semifinals have been a curse for Färjestad, who have made the playoffs consistently over the past few seasons, but have never managed to cross that treshold that would solidify them among the top contenders. Losing a couple of key pieces over the offseason and coming together in their final formation mere days before puckdrop for the regular season caused them to be underestimated, but once again, the squad under command of Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson came through, collecting a franchise high 45 points in the regular season and gaining them a favourable position going into the quarterfinals. The Swedish outfit looks really good in time for the playoffs and their offense with Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg and André @Foppatofflan Liljegren flanking Maise is certainly more balanced than ever before. Defensively, however, the team has had some fluctuation along the way, causing them to bleed a bit too much along the way. That is one thing they are hoping to get in check heading into this matchup, since their opponent has the skill to capitalize on any given opportunity.

The excellent performance of IQUE is one of the greatest surprises of the regular season. They had to make some changes over the offseason and while their recruits were talented, none could expect that they'd be even stronger than before. It's been a great team effort all season long for IQUE, but one player that has definitely exceeded expectations is centerman Aaro @Ikavalko Ikavalko, who joined the club after spending a few seasons away from the Elite spotlight, and immediately set a personal high in scoring, while staying responsible on defense too. Captain Janne @Nieppii Niemelä is a beast with the puck and plays a big part in generating offense for the team, while they've been able to lock things up defensively thanks to great efforts by Nico @zNico Tuoreniemi and Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen down low. One of the greatest success stories has been the development of goalie Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen, who has bounced back nicely after some time away from the spotlight.

This is a series that is a real coin toss. Färjestad is a team that tends to be underestimated, but they prove doubters wrong time and time again, and it feels like we are at a similar crossroad again. IQUE has all the skill to win this series, but there's an intuition that FBK will not let it go. Therefore, we're predicting a tough seven game series, ending in a FBK win.

Join us tonight for the ECL Winter '22 Elite Quarterfinals at www.twitch.tv/sportsgamergg. We're kicking things off at 19:00 CET with a season recap, after which it's time for puckdrop!