ECL '23 Winter Lite: Playoffs Round 2 Preview

SportsGamers,

The ECL '23 Winter Lite Playoffs are now in their second round and with that, only the 16 best squads remain! We're pleased to see a nice mix of Swedish, Finnish, Swiss, German and even Czech teams left in the fight for the title. Who will take it all though, stay tuned to find out!

Schedule

• RO32: 22.-25.1.2023
• RO16: 29.1-1.2.2023
• Quarterfinals: 5.-8.2.2023
• Semifinals: 12.-15.2.2023
• Finals: 19.-22.2.2023

Without further ado, here are all of our matchups:

Six Sticks Misfits (1) vs vs  DEG eSports (24)

Top seed Six Sticks Misfits cleared round 1 against TROJANS with ease and are now in for their second challenge of the Playoffs, where a trip to Central Europe and DEG eSports await. While Six Sticks have all the experience they'll surely need to advance in these Playoffs, they'll now need to turn things up a notch, since DEG is coming into this one on a high note after defeating the skilled Technical Disaster squad in the first round very easily. A 4-1 series score is a testament to the danger of DEG in these Playoffs.

Prediction: 4-2 Six Sticks Misfits.

 Hunters (2) vs  Herforder Ice Dragons (19)

Hunters played a six game series against Resurrection, in which they completely shut down the opposition. With only eight goals conceded throughout the series, they're not going to lose too many games. Now, going up against Herforder Ice Dragons, who managed to pull off something of a similar stunt against Skelleftea AIK, who were the favorite in that series. this squad has slowly improved throughout the seasons and are now in a position to challenge other rosters in these playoffs, this could end up being tighter than expected!

Prediction: 4-2 Hunters.

 Gunners HC (3) vs  NOSTREETSPORTS (17)

Gunners HC actually ran into some trouble in round 1 against SCB eSports, who pot up a heroic fight, keeping the score low and managing to stay in the games until the end throughout the series. This is where the depth of Gunners' lineup was evident and they were able to salvage wins through great secondary or even tertiary scoring. Despite ending up in a tough matchup as the 17th seed, NOSTREETSPORTS handled their opponent Ultimatum easily, and they are showing that there is a possibility for them to sneak into a dark horse position in this postseason. They have some experience in their ranks, and if they find chemistry, they could be dangerous. 

Prediction: 4-2 Gunners HC.

 Sodertalje SK (4) vs   Purification (15)

Sodertalje SK were one of the best defensive squads in the regular season and got excellent goaltending at the back end from @Kussan82. However, in their seven game series against Lemmenvelhot, they didn't quite find the same stability down low and ended up in somewhat of a shootout in a couple of games. Their opponent in this one is Purification, who took down Lions Academy in a thrilling series that took the full seven games. With the exception of one, every game was a battle of a goal or a few, so Purification should have their nerves in check heading into the second round. 

Prediction: 3-4 Purification.

 Pirati Chomutov Esports (5) vs  EHC Kloten eSports (13)

The Czech offensive powerhouse were the only team to post a sweep in the first round, quite surprisingly. With heir forward trio all finding ways to produce, they'll surely be a tough squad to stop in the postseason. Now it's time for EHC Kloten eSports to have a crack at it, and it'll be interesting to watch, since their series against Stone Age in the first round was wide open from time to time. With both of these factors in mind, we could end up seeing some real fireworks in this battle with some of the division's best offensive players. 

Prediction: 4-3 Pirati Chomutov Esports.

 Vizio (6) vs  Timrå IK Esport (12)

The high-skill squad that Vizio has gathered ended up going all the way against Sawolanche, who kept every game competitive and very close. As we said, we know the skill in the Vizio lineup, but now they've shown their nerves too, and they are seemingly great. They'll be going up against the Swedish Timrå IK, who are led by @Jonass1551 up front with his 8 goals in the first round. Timrå also went to a game seven against Blessed Suedis, but managed to shut out their opponent on two occasions, which should bode well for them moving forward. 

Prediction: 4-3 Vizio.

 Project X (7) vs  Neptune Hockey (11)

We've got two great teams who live off of quick puck movement in this one. Both Project X and Neptune Hockey were able to dismiss their first round opposition quite easily, and have now been in good preparation for their upcoming matchup. For Neptune Hockey, you might want to keep an eye on the left flank, where @wiibeni and @VJobo- quarterback most of their play. Project X have a more balanced approach, which should yield favorable results. 

Prediction: 4-2 Project X.

 Prestige (8) vs  RoKi Esports (10)

Prestige's @I_Saarinen_I leads the league in goals scored throughout the first round, and his team will be hoping for him to continue on that pace in order for them to be, well, prestigious. The squad took down BIG Mistake in the first round, which is a sign of their competitiveness and ability to take down experienced rosters. RoKi, on the other hand had a successful Central European trip and took down EHC Dinamo Riga with relative ease and a 4-1 series result. The story of the first round for them was the connection between @Oliverigood and @egetelli_ on the flanks, and we'll most likely see them continue doing just the same against Prestige!

Prediction: 4-2 Prestige.