ECL '25: Spring - Elite | Semifinals Preview

After a quarterfinals that saw each of the favorites move on to the semifinals, four teams remain in the ECL Elite division playoffs, and just eight wins separate them from championship glory. With each of these teams having their own unique storylines and each series being first-time playoff matchups between the two teams, let's dive deeper into each matchup and give you an inside look at how each side stacks up heading into the series. A big thank you goes to @Mozjayh, @Allupekkaz, @antoniomannen004 and @sopulii_ for contributing to this!
 

(1)  Last Dance vs (4)  EXEN

Regular Season Series (April 16th): 

- Last Dance 4-2 W
- Last Dance 4-1 W
 

 Last Dance

Last Dance has carried over their dominant regular season into the postseason, as the #1 seed was able to make quick work of Tohtorit in the Quarterfinals by knocking them out in five games. Despite playing a Tohtorit team that was likely one of the most "complete" #8 seeded teams that we have seen in some time in this division, Last Dance looked every bit the part of a true, championship favorite.

They saw four different skaters reach at least 9 points, with Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen leading the way with 13 points and 9 assists. Even their lone player who didn’t reach 9 points led their team in goals, as Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen tallied 6 goals, which accounted for all of his points in the series.

Along with a balanced offensive attack that saw everyone in their lineup score, they also were able to play a complete game in their own end. Last Dance only allowed 11.4 shots per game in the series, and the always-steady Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen was phenomenal in net, posting an 85.96 % and 1.6 GAA.

Last Dance have yet to really face any adversity this season. They were dominant in their quest for the #1 seed and never felt much danger of losing their series against Tohtorit (aside from a late two-goal lead blown late in Game 2). There aren’t a lot of reasons to pick against this team other than really believing in their opponent. The effect of a “Last Dance” is a legitimate thing. They don’t want this ride to end with anything short of a championship. Not making the Finals would be a bitter disappointment for this group; they’ll do everything in their power to ensure that doesn’t happen. 

 EXEN

From a team that was questionable to make the playoffs, to one that just knocked out one of last season’s finalists. That is the story that EXEN has written for themselves over the past month and a half, and it’s one that has seen them also emerge as arguably the hottest team in the Elite Division.

Their battle with Mustaa Kultaa lasted six games, and was capped off with an overtime game-winning goal from their star transfer, Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, who tallied 8 total goals for 9 points, including 3 game-winning goals. Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen was also a standout performer, tallying 7 points with 5 of them being assists. 

In that series, EXEN were able to not only come up with critical, game-changing plays, but they were also great at limiting Mustaa Kultaa’s opportunities offensively. EXEN allowed more than two goals just once in the series, and only surrendered 1.67 goals per game in the series and an average of 12.5 shots per game in the series. Much of this had to do with the team’s phenomenal play in their own zone, especially by Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt in goal, who managed a strong 86.67 SV% through all six games.

EXEN have found their stride and have continued to grow in it. They may not be a team that wins games in blowout fashion, but they keep games tight and always seem to show up with timely plays. It’ll take a complete series from all six positions for EXEN to pull off the upset, but as a significant underdog who no one expected to be here, what do they have to lose? That’s a dangerous thing to play against, especially when that team has the form to back it up. EXEN does, so don’t count them out.

Prediction

Hot vs Consistent is always a fun matchup, especially when you have a spot in the Finals on the line. When these two teams played on April 16th, EXEN was a completely different team than they are today. Sure, their roster was the same outside of Krike, but the team was in the midst of a considerable losing spell at that time, losing 7 of their first 8 games of the season. Ever since that series, EXEN has a record of 21-5-2 (including playoffs). On the other hand, Last Dance has been as steady as ever since opening day. They were the best team in the division offensively during the regular season, and they’ve paired that with elevated play in their own end (which was already Top 3 in the division).

Based on what we saw between these two in the regular season, this series could go a variety of different ways, and as much as I love EXEN’s ability to stay close in games and the way that their experienced playmakers have stepped up, Last Dance have the feeling of a team of destiny. That’s a tough thing to overcome, but EXEN has already defied large odds this season. We’ll see which of those two stories holds true.
 

@bMaJuH: Last Dance in 6 

@Mozjayh: Last Dance in 7 

@Allupekkaz: Last Dance in 5 

@antoniomannen004: Last Dance in 6 

(2)  Mythix vs (3)  Parasite

Regular Season Series (May 7th): 

- Parasite 2-1 OTW 
- Mythix 1-0 OTW
 

 Mythix

Mythix was able to knock off a tough SSK ESPORTS team in relatively quick fashion, ending the series in a gentleman’s sweep. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that this series was much closer than what the five-game ending would make you believe. Three of the five games were decided in overtime, with Mythix taking two of those games, including the series-clinching Game 5.

Despite how close this series was in nature, though, Mythix was able to separate themselves from SSK in the way of offensive opportunities and neutral zone defense. Mythix had more shots on goal and time on attack in every game other than Game 5 and they were able to hold one of the division’s most dangerous offenses to just 1.4 goals per game in the series (SSK came in averaging 3.07 GF/GP, which ranked 5th in Elite).

This group saw many of its regular-season producers continue to make an impact in the Quarterfinals. Teemu @temppanen Karvonen led the way with 11 points and 7 goals, while Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila and Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli each earned 8 points of their own. Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaari also had the most successful playoff round of any goaltender, flexing an 88.89 SV% and 1.4 GAA on 63 shots. He also registered a shutout in Game 4. 

This team has proven they are a legitimate championship threat, no matter what happens from this point forward. The next step is proving that they can become a Finals team. It’ll be a tall order to do so against the defending champions, but anyone counting out this team could very well regret it. 

 Parasite

After eliminating an upset-minded Heimo team in six games, Parasite now find themselves just 8 wins away from successfully defending their championship crown. I’ve been on record saying that I don’t feel that this group is as overwhelmingly dominant as they have been in seasons past, and while you could argue that going to a six game series against a heavy underdog in the Quarterfinals would back that logic, the actual games themselves showed that Parasite is still a team that elevates their game in the playoffs.

In a series that saw four one-goal games, including two in overtime, Parasite was able to take over the flow of the game at many different points in this series. Heimo played spectacular defense throughout the series and had stellar goaltending to boot, but it still wasn’t enough to stop Parasite from getting the chances that they always look for.

There’s multiple players that you could point to in terms of impressive individual performances. Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen led the team in points with 10 while tying for the team-high in assists with Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila, with each of them earning six. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala played arguably his best hockey of the season in this series, notching 7 goals on 8 points, while scoring on 35% of his shots. Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen also continues to prove why he’s one of the best playoff performers in the scene, as though his 7 points in six games may not immediately jump out at you, his numbers outside of his offense show you exactly how crucial his impact is. In the series, he posted a 56.4% face-off percentage, had 8 blocked shots, 20 interceptions, and even showed his physicality with 24 hits. 

To summarize all of this simply, Parasite is still Parasite. They’re undoubtedly one of the best teams in the division, and until there is a team that can beat them in a best-of-seven series, it’s a risky choice to pick against them. There’s just so little margin for error against this team, and they themselves don’t seem to make many mistakes. They’re the defending champions for a reason, and they continue to prove why time and time again.

Prediction

This is such a tough series to predict, and I truly believe that this is a series worthy of a championship final, but only one can advance to that final stage, and whoever does will certainly be battle-tested by the time they get there. Mythix is the lower seed and has everything going for them. Multiple dangerous scoring threats, a reliable defense pair that makes plays in all three zones of the ice, a special teams that is amongst the best that we have seen in the Elite division over the years and a goaltender in net who will likely be a candidate for Goaltender of the Season. Parasite, on the other hand, are the defending champions. Sure, they may not be breezing through teams the way they were a season ago, but they’re still winning no matter the circumstances, and they’re still a team with some of the best players in Europe at every position on the ice, including two different starting-caliber goalies. I’d be stunned if this series goes any less than six games, and I think there are plenty of valid reasons to pick either of these teams to win.

Want to keep up with everything happening in the ECL this season? Make sure to follow/subscribe to us on Twitch, YouTube, and X.