ECL '24: Spring - Lite Quarterfinals Preview

(1) Nordic Stars vs Hopfensmoothie HC (24) 

After two very different series, these two teams now face each other which should be worth watching, with the number one seed facing a team a lot further down the pecking order.

The coveted number one seed always comes with the position of being the favorite in every series, and this series is no exception. With a sweep in both rounds so far Nordic Stars are the heavy favorite to take another win and advance. With the whole team scoring a lot, it will be interesting to see if someone can keep this pace up and break a record of 95 points (49+46) set by @moilanenC in the ECL 4 - Lite playoffs. For now, the duo of @Jerax13 and @Vire30 are boasting a point-per-game of 4.75 which is on pace to be a Lite record (min 6 games played).

Hopfensmoothie has another upset to make, taking down seed number 2 Oldtimers, in a well-played game 7! Now they need to continue where they left off. With some great leadership and great team defense, they can take this series further than any other team has in these playoffs. With their lineup changing, this can provide a shake-up they will need, however, their captain and backbone @Original-SnuS, has played in all of their 14 games so far. Can Hopfensmoothie continue their streak of game 7s?

We caught up with the Hopfensmoothie HC captain @Original-SnuS for some comments about the series. 

What are your plans for the high powered offense of Nordic Stars?

Original-SnuS: "We just try our best on defense. Our goalie is probably the best in the Lite. With a little playoff toughness, a lot is possible. 😄"

How will the servers play a role in this series?

Original-SnuS: "Unfortunately, the servers play far too big a role in this game. They will have advantages and we will have them. We are used to this, but are they?"

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: Nordic Stars 4-1 

@Pensasmies: Nordic Stars 4-0 

@Pekedipeks: Nordic Stars 4-1 

@MCH_98: Nordic Stars 4-2 

Player to watch: @Katunarski
 

(3) Zenegeim vs DEG eSports (11)

A defensive team vs an offensive team. Both teams surely can provide both - on Tuesday we’ll see who takes the first games when these two teams face each other.

Zenegeim plays a mean style of hockey, they punish the smallest of mistakes on defense and are really dangerous on the counter-attack. With captain @Juhaniz- not providing the offense he usually did when he played winger, this can frustrate even the best of players. @rakkauspakkaus- taking the lead on offense in these playoffs, he’ll surely want more to his name in this series. Can Zenegeim overcome the German server, and advance to the next round?

In a tight series, there are always good games, and not-so-good games. In this series, the team from Düsseldorf needs to string together more of those good games to have a shot at a spot in the semifinals. They’re going to need their top point producers @daaiim0n and @xxICEFORCERxx to do more than they already have in these playoffs - take this team on their backs and carry them offensively. @Meazza1704 has been great so far, with an 86,62% save percentage. If he can keep up the good work, DEG eSports will have a great chance to go through to the next round.

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: Zenegeim 4-1 

@Pensasmies: Zenegeim 4-1 

@Pekedipeks:  Zenegeim 4-2 

@MCH_98: Zenegeim 4-1 

Player to watch: @Esko-etikka

(4) Mights vs Modo Hockey (7) 

This is a series that will go down as a coin flip - both teams possess the right type of style to beat one another - but as always, only one team can win. In this series, we have the privilege to witness two teams who can hold on to the puck at the right times, and not turn over the puck in situations where it’s costly.

Mights took a confident 4-1 series win in their last matchup and absolutely shut down a good offensive team in Ruuti, only conceding 6 hosld in 5 games. If their defense is able to keep up the good work, it won't be a long series. @Saloust77 16 goals in these playoffs puts him in 2nd place in the scoring category - if MoDo Hockey finds a way to keep him quiet in this series, Mights might just not make it.

Taking down former Pro team Pata Hellalla in a sweep, MoDo showed everybody that this is where they belong, riding a 6 game-win streak heading into this matchup, MoDo have a good momentum that might propel them into the next round. Also, a good defensive team, MoDo kept Pata Hellalla to a mere 4 goals in 4 games. Will we see any goals in this series? @MrXbox79will surely have a say in that with his 16 points (5+11), assisting him will be @Mathiasgamer_07.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: 1-4 MoDo 

@Pensasmies: 4-1 Mights 

@Pekedipeks: 3-4 MoDo 

@MCH_98: 4-3 Mights 

Player to watch: @Maykan

(5) BushWhackers vs Sawolanche (6) 

(written by @Pekedipeks)

This is a matchup between two teams who both got confident series victories in the previous round. BushWhackers had no mercy in sweeping their opponent Seinäjoki Noms, and Sawolanche got a 4-1 win respectably against all our predictions versus xBOTS.

In this series, we will see a matchup of two teams adapting to each other's well-organized playing structures to decide the semifinalist. However, one of the most interesting key points will be the showdown of two rock-solid goalies, @HiBaZiBa- 89,69 SV%, 5 Shutouts, 1.11 GAA and @I_TERTTU_I 88.19 SV%, 4 Shutouts, 1.42 GAA.

It is also worth mentioning that in the playoffs, BushWhackers center @IJepuxI has done a better job on faceoffs (55,2%) than Sawolanche center @maffe92 (47,2%), so let's see if that affects which team will be the more aggressive side when it comes to plays directly from the puck drop.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: (plays for Bushwhackers)

@Pensasmies: (plays for Bushwhackers)

@Pekedipeks: 4-3 Bushwhackers 

@MCH_98: 4-1 Bushwhackers 

Player to watch: @I_LaiTi_I