ECL '22 Winter: Elite Weekly - hREDS continue undefeated

It's been a wild first week of Elite action in the ECL and we've seen quite a few surprising outcomes. Still, the defending champions hREDS remain the sole undefeated squad and we'll be left to follow how long that streak will extend. On the other end of the spectrum, HV71 and Northern Ascendancy are still in pursuit of their first wins of the season.

Some exciting matchups were on display right from the get-go as the season opener broadcast featured four team expected to make the playoffs. The new Swedish superteam Granit Gaming met with Färjestad BK in their newly formed rivalry and shared wins in their low-scoring bouts, after which HAVU Gaming and GOONS did just the same in their games. The dynamic between HAVU and GOONS is also interesting, as HAVU is that long time contender on the decline, whereas GOONS is emerging to take their place at the top in contention with the likes of Frölunda HC and hREDS.

Speaking of Frölunda HC, the former FILADELPHIA had a great start to the season, but didn't quite find their scoring form early on. Despite overwhelming Northern Ascendancy with attack throughout 120 minutes of play, a combined 43 shots including more than a few high-danger chances yielded only five goals for their first night of play. The same dominant offensive pressure continued against the notoriously good defensive team HV71 and the total opposite in Örebro Hockey, who tend to play a fast paced counter-attacking style. Although not converting on chances to the best of their abilities yet, Frölunda HC are still the second highest scoring team in the league at this point - one goal behind GOONS. On top of that, Erik @Eki Tammenpää, who's been involved in nearly every goal they've scored sits at #2 in scoring with 18 points in total.

A bit of an unexpected outcome of the first week is the fact that IQUE has seemingly managed to patch some of the defensive gaps that they struggled with last season. They currently sit at #7 in the league with an impressive GAA of 1.17. However, they've not yet been that productive on offense either, which should pick up if they'll want to stay in their current playoff position in the standings. In that department, especially experienced winger Jere @jergelii Jortama will need to up his game, as he has currently only amassed 1+2=3 points in the first six games.

One of the most exciting stories early on could be that of Roots Gaming, who managed to sneak into the European top 16 at the expense of the former SAWO ESPORTS roster that ended up disbanding in the preseason. Roots have a tremendously skilled ensemble that plays a fast passing style of play that can dismantle any defense in the league when given the opportunity. These young guns currently sit at #8 with only four games played. Tonight's matchup against hREDS will be a big test for them, and especially captain Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen holds a big role in anchoring his team ahead of their first big games in the bright lights. 

The ECL 12 Pro Champions Djurgarden Hockey were also expecting a type of learning curve with their first Elite experience, but it has perhaps been a bit steeper than predicted. Like so many other squads in the bottom half of the standings, they've struggled mightily with scoring, which is looking like it might be a theme for the season if the same trend continues. Djurgarden have, however, managed to grab their first win of the season at the expense of established Elite squad YMCA Esports, who haven't started out on the right foot. Undeniably, YMCA's schedule wasn't too favourable as they met both GOONS and hREDS in their first few bouts, so they are expecting a bounce back as the season moves on.

At the bottom of the standings, we find HV71 for now. The newly promoted club hailing from Jönköping didn't quite find their stride in the first week of competition, but we'll admit their schedule wasn't too favorable either. Having kept the games close against Örebro and Frölunda is already a good start, and getting a point out of their matchup against GOONS will send them on their way towards a hopefully bigger catch in the second week. 
 

Individually, GOONS youngster Roope @pikkuroger Bergström has been at the top of his game early on this season. The left winger leads the league in scoring after six games at a total of 13+6=19 points and a contribution to almost all of the goals scored by his team. As mentioned previously, also @Eki has started off hot and is in second place. The man is used to topping the scoring tables, but has now taken on the role as the main finisher for Frölunda, a position usually occupied by teammate Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, who we're expecting to heat up later on. 
 

Among defensemen, the most productive players have been Frölunda RD Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta at 0+9=9 and hREDS' Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen at 1+7=8 points. However, as defensive individuals perhaps surprisingly Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen from YMCA Esports and Putte @Putteekiing Unasin from HV71 stand out as the most effective at separating offensive players from the puck. Rimpe leads all defenseman at 25 takeaways, while Putte leads the league in hits at 45. Both of these guys represent teams who have struggled early on and will benefit from these guys keeping their form going. 

Transfers
It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season, and to this point nothing ground-breaking has happened during the first week of action. The rumor mill is also running on fumes, so this one will be up to you guys - post your transfer rumors in the comments section! 

Remember to tune in for tonight's ECL Elite broadcast at 19:45 CET! Tonight we'll get to enjoy Conquer Gaming vs IQUE and hREDS vs Roots Gaming. Join us at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer.