ECL '23 Winter Core: Playoffs Round 1 Preview

SportsGamers,

It is now time to turn to the final stages of this ECL '23 Core Season and we will try here to go through some facts for each series.

Schedule

• RO32: 22.-26.1.2023
• RO16: 29.1-2.2.2023
• Quarterfinals: 5.-9.2.2023
• Semifinals: 12.-16.2.2023
• Finals: 19.-23.2.2023

 Cheeky Grinders (1) vs  Ambri eSports (16)
By beating Deggendorfer in his last outing and forcing the German team to a final overtime, the Swiss from Ambri managed to qualify for the playoffs in extremis and despite a chaotic journey during the season. But the fight will be difficult for the Swiss against the best formation of the regular season. Admittedly Ambri managed to extract a point in overtime during their confrontation but the Finns who have lost only four times during the season should advance without too much difficulty.

Facts
- Cheeky Grinders has three players who exceeded 75 points in the regular season: @Ekifoukka (81), @Yaredhagos (80), @tonninen (78)
- Of all the teams qualified in the playoffs, Ambri is the team that has won the fewest faceoffs (40.82%)

 HC Korobka (2) vs  WarHeads (15)
What if this confrontation was much more balanced than it might seem? The Russians won the two games that opposed them to the Finns, including one after extra time, but the end of the season for Korobka showed a team that seemed to run out of steam. Winners of their first fourteen games, the Russians then experienced relatively unexpected difficulties. WarHeads is a recent team but seems to have grown in strength over the season.

Facts
- @lordkomar91, for Korobka, is the best scorer of the entire regular season with 93 points (50+43)
- With 81.98% of saves @QzRiiot, the French goalkeeper of WarHeads, had the best of his seven ECL seasons

 Hannover Indians eSports (3) vs  Black Hurricanes (14)

Hannover came close to finishing first in their group at the expense of Korobka. The Germans had a few upheavals during their season but never really seemed to be in real danger. Their balanced team has a powerful attack and a solid defense coupled with a very good goalkeeper. For the Finns of Black Hurricanes the start of the season was relatively peaceful but the end was a failure with eight consecutive defeats at the end of the calendar. Let's hope for this team that a breath of fresh air will help them in the playoffs, otherwise their first round may be complicated.

Facts
- @MMTS, for Hanover, totals 86 points in its first season in ECL.
- With 1-7-2, the Black Hurricanes worst L10 record in the playoffs.

 Predators (4) vs  Remparts de Tours Esport (13)
The formation of Predators is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous. They score quite a bit but at the same time also concede a few goals. Predators have the best defensive record in the entire league, just behind Olten. They are the only ones, with the Pirates, to have beaten Cheeky Grinders in regular time in the Gr.2. For its part, Tours is a team that has had the experience of the Lite division. The all-French team experienced an irregular championship but has, especially in the net, resources capable of turning this series to its advantage. To do this, he will have to outwit one of the best defenses today.

Facts
- There are eight different nationalities in the Predators roster.
- With 283 games played at SportsGamer, Tours is the most experienced team of all those qualified in the playoffs.

 North Sawo Lions (5) vs  HC Pustertal eSports (12)
The North Sawo Lions season has been consistent and even linear. A few missteps but overall a coherent course and efficient statistics in all areas of the game, except perhaps in the net where the goalkeeper is below 78% of saves. On the other hand, the Austrian team of Pustertal had a difficult start with seven defeats in their first eight games before the team finally found their rhythm. If Pustertal manages to stay on their end-of-season trend, they could come and upset the established order and perhaps eliminate an opposing team that has had a better run, but Sawo Lions won't let themselves be defeated easily.

Facts
- North Sawo Lions had just 111 hits on the season, the lowest total in the entire Core Division. They are also the least penalized in the entire championship.
- Pustertal used a total of eleven players during the season, one of the highest numbers in the Core Championship

 Deggendorfer SC Esports (6) vs  Fenris Wolves (11)
The remaining three series are fully open and each of the six teams can advance to the next round or stay back and leave to play golf prematurely. However, Deggendorfer's German team showed muscles during the season and their number of goals scored clearly indicates a tendency to hit the scoreboard hard. On the other side of the fence, Sweden's Fenris Wolves scored far less than their opponents but also conceded far fewer goals. However, it is difficult to make this type of comparison between two teams that have not played in the same group.

Facts
- Deggendorfer won few faceoffs, only 45.37% during the season
- On the other hand, Fenris Wolves was one of the good students in this sector, winning 54.69% of its face-offs

 EHC Olten eSports (7) vs  CapeTown Kings (10)
This is an incredible matchup. The best defense in the league against one of the best attacks. Olten is the only team to have conceded less than two goals per game. "Attack wins games but defense wins championships", so in this case the Swiss are one to watch. But opposite CapeTown has managed to score four goals in each of its matches. The initial balance weighs in favor of the Swiss but CapeTown are a patient team and build their game intelligently. The fight will be fierce.

Facts
- With four shutouts and 88.28% saves in twenty games, the Olten goalkeeper, @HousePro99, was undoubtedly the best goalkeeper of the season
- Only 67.65% efficiency in shorthanded play for CapeTown, the lowest total of teams qualified in the playoffs

 Pirates eSports (8) vs  MoDo Hockey (9)
Traditionally the last series of the playoffs tree is always the most open as the gaps between the two teams are so close. Offensively the favor goes to the Swedes who score more. But defensively the French did slightly better. However, it is a team that scores little and wins few faceoffs, thus having to suffer the rhythm of its opponent. But by beating Cheeky Grinders the Pirates showed solid skills. These are two teams that take few penalties but the superiority game of the Swedes is much better than that of the French.

Facts
- Formerly Cancun Hockey Club, the Pirates are the oldest French team in activity with a first ECL in 2018 and a total of eight participations in the ECL
- @MrXbox79 of MoDo is the player who scored the most powerplay goals during the season, 6, tied with @Mestar93 of Black Hurricanes