ECL 9 Elite Playoffs: Quarterfinals

NHLGamers,

It’s playoff time and Monday, December 16th marks the start of the first playoff round of ECL 9 Elite! We’ve got the eight best teams in Europe left and each one of those are extremely anxious to get their hands on the trophy and the largest share of the 5 000 € prize pool.

Here's how the playoffs of ECL 9 Elite will be played:

• Quarterfinals: 16.12 - 22.12
• Semifinals: 30.12 - 5.1
• Finals: 11.1 (To be confirmed)

All series are played in best-of-7 manner, meaning that the first team to amass four victories advances to the next round. 



Without further ado, let's get into the previews:

(1)  Linkoping HC vs Symphony  (8)
REGULAR SEASON RECORD
27-2-1 vs 14-14-2

TOP SCORER
@Eki (32+52=84) vs @Nieppii (15+25=40)

GOALTENDER
@ICappeI (26GP, 23W, 83.06SV%, 1.23GAA, 7SO) vs @Lauri (30GP, 14W, 78.49SV%, 2.10GAA, 3SO)
 

The newly announced FILA turned Linköping is a powerhouse for sure and is expected to run over Symphony, who have struggled mightily this season. @Eki won the scoring title of the regular season (32+52=84) and @PleeMaker on the other LHC flank came in second (34+37=71) so the firepower here is not to be doubted. Linköping in general seemed to cruise through the regular season but don’t read me wrong on that one - they had their struggles from time to time. Despite walking away with victories in a majority of their games, they dropped points and ended up in tight battles with several underperformers like BRAYCE Phantoms and Almost Famous, so there have been some fluctuation in their form. It is expected that the new colors and organisation backing them will give something of a boost to the squad but also bring some pressure. It remains to see how this affects these guys.

Symphony on the other end haven’t had a cakewalk this season. They are a group that’s used to success, but the team hasn’t seemed to be able to recover from losing the trio @iilmarii, @Joukki and @Beniittto to Delusion. IS Cup 4 was a decent showing as the team barely missed the final event at GameXpo, but ECL 9 has been a struggle all season long as it’s been hard for the team to find the consistency that they need. On top of that, Symphony is heading into the playoffs with a five game losing streak having lost to Unlucky Boys, HAVU Gaming and Almost Famous in that timespan. Although Symphony hasn’t been too convincing so far this season, they should absolutely not be counted out of the race just yet. Mainly the looks will be turning towards captain @indi969 and centerman @tbnantti to strap the team on their backs and lead the way going forward.

(2)  HAVU Gaming vs Miracle  (7)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
26-2-2 vs 12-11-7

TOP SCORER
@FlyerKungen (36+25=61) vs @Artuzio (20+23=43)

GOALTENDER
@Hansulinho (16GP, 15W, 92.62SV%, 0.56GAA, 9SO) vs @PCJP (10GP, 4W, 82.23SV%, 2.70GAA, 1SO)

If LHC are perhaps a slight unknown due to the impact of an organisation now backing them, then the players for HAVU Gaming will be going into this series against Miracle as though it is business as usual. With a roster untouched (as far as starters go), one could not be mistaken for thinking that HAVU look poised to become the first team in ECL history to win back-to-back titles. Although their path to that point will be anything but easy, their opponent in Miracle is looking like the perfect opponent to face, thanks in part to their subpar defence (3rd most goals conceded) which should allow HAVU to flex their offensive muscles and dictate the game with relative ease. Something that Miracle will have to be wary of as HAVU were only beaten four times this season, with three of those losses coming from them either being held off the scoreboard (0-2, 0-1), or only being able to score once (1-2 OT). Therefore, if Miracle looks to stand a chance of progressing, then they will have to insulate their chosen goalie as much as they can and hope they can steal a goal or two along the way, failing this the odds look fairly weak for Miracle to make this series competitive. Although that said, HAVU have seemingly made a habit of keeping games closer than they perhaps should have been throughout the season thus far, so it is perhaps not completely out of the realm of possibility that Miracle can steal a game or two providing they play exceptionally solid defence and do not hand HAVU any free chances.

Regardless, this is HAVUs series to lose at this point, and you would have long odds on Miracle finding a way to win more than two games over the course of this best-of-seven, much I’m sure to the chagrin of Miracle’s captain @Zip player.

(3)  Butterfly Effect vs Unlucky Boys HC  (6)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
24-4-2 vs 14-10-6

TOP SCORER
@NikkeDangles (26+44=70) vs @Anhel (24+24=48)

GOALTENDER
@sibeelius (24GP, 20W, 82.37SV%, 1.91GAA, 5SO) vs @Viltzup (30GP, 14W, 81.10SV%, 2.16GAA, 5SO)

Butterfly Effect is one of the most exciting teams in the Elite division currently, with an impressive outing being a mere breakaway conversion short of a final spot there and now finishing third in the regular season they have finally proved that they belong in the discussion of top teams in the European community. They have reached their current level by great individual development but also acting on the transfer market as they see fit. During the summer break the youngster @NikkeDangles was acquired and apparently the kid has now caught fire - leading his team and amassing 70 points in the regular season. Another important signing is @sibeelius - the accomplished former FILADELPHIA backstopper, who joined the team a few weeks back increasing their defensive potential and helping them prove their contender status. The opposing team Unlucky Boys are already veterans of ECL Elite and they have enough experience to put up a fight against any opponent in the playoffs, so viewers are in for a treat with this matchup to be watched. Last season UB made questionable history, being the first ECL Elite team ever to retain their Elite spot in a relegation battle, but by seeding 6th into the playoffs this season, captain @Anhel has surely proven that his team is able to bounce back. Make no mistake - The Unlucky Boys aren't done yet!

In the regular season, Butterfly Effect managed to win both games. The playoffs are a different beast, so we're expecting a tight battle and UB to steal at least one win. Look for a 5-6 game series ending in a FLY win.

 

(4)  Roots vs Lulea Hockey  (5)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
17-10-3 vs 16-11-3

TOP SCORER
@keranee (15+24=39) vs @hpkfani (23+14=37)

GOALTENDER
@swagx88 (28GP, 16W, 83.42SV%, 2.14GAA, 3SO) vs @Supreex (30GP, 16W, 80.96SV%, 2.23GAA, 4SO)

Roots is a squad that has been playing together for quite some time already and doing so with improving results. Their game is based largely on fast passing motored by experienced centerman @SadaPoika who is flanked by goal-scoring machine @Lamsa and the highly talented @keranee. It’s been no surprise that goaltender @swagx88 has been solid and is among the top of the pack measured in save percentage (83.42%). The season so far for Roots has been decent. Most of their statistics don’t tell a pretty tale, but they’ve been able to win games by being disciplined and converting on their high-percentage chances. Roots is the least scoring team out of all playoff teams and has also struggled in the face-off circle being the worst in that category too. On top of that, their powerplay lies at a measly 9,5% success rate. If the team is looking for a deep playoff run, these are the areas that need to be cleaned up.

These two teams are no strangers to each other. During a small hiatus of the former Northern Ascendancy, a fusion between them and the also former Rusty Blades existed in which Lulea players @The_Alpha_Furyan and @MartindalexC sported the same colors as the now Roots players @Lamsa and @Tanski87. That’s an interesting factor going into this matchup and will surely bring a bit of spice and rivalry spirit to the games. Statistically, Lulea is almost exactly similar to Roots, as they too have had some trouble scoring and issues on their powerplay. What sets the two teams apart though is the somewhat wider arsenal that Lulea has in terms of offensive firepower. Whereas @keranee and @Lamsa will be the players to look for scoring from on the Roots end, Lulea has a highly capable offensive trio backed by @The_Alpha_Furyan who is a real offensive threat at his best too. This matchup is expected to be a nail-biter and it might come down to the very last games in the series to determine a winner here.

Stay tuned for announcements about the games on our social media channels, playoff matchups will be broadcasted on our Twitch channel as usual.

As always, play hard and see you guys out on the ice!

The ECL Elite writing team,
@MartindalexC, @Serg1vratar & @jahajaha93