IS Cup 4 Finals: Preview

NHLGamers,

(1) HAVU Gaming vs Delusion (2)

Group stage record: 12-0-0
Round 1: vs We Kings 3-0
Round 2: vs Vaxjo Lakers HC 3-0
Quarterfinals: vs Roots 3-0
Semifinals: vs Butterfly Effect 3-2
Top scorer (Playoffs): @Buantso 14GP, 12+24=36 (3rd)
Goaltender (Playoffs): @Hansulinho 14GP, 12W, 79,62 SV%, 1,57 GAA, 3 SO (2nd)

It was not a walk in the park type of outing for HAVU this time around. Friday started off with games one and two between HAVU Gaming and Butterfly Effect and boy, was that a show! The first game saw a total of ten goals being scored, among those some great plays and beautiful efforts, but we also have to make note of the fact that the goalies weren't quite ready for the barrage they faced early on. HAVU managed to dominate the first half of the series despite being down early in both game 1 and 2. The break during the day did wonders for the play of Butterfly Effect though, which gave HAVU some trouble. Be it fatigue or whatever, let's hope that's all gone by Saturday morning cause that's when the real big games start.

@Hansulinho reads @jergelii perfectly and keeps HAVU's dreams alive late in game 5:

Lainaa

These boys from Finland are playing convincingly dominating hockey, they are often seen trying to look for perfect opportunities to score a goal and surprisingly often end up successful. They recognise the flow of the game and know when they must switch game style, but most of the time they are combining skill-based puck control hockey and stellar team play, as they have a level of game sense and chemistry that's unheard of. HAVU's last two LAN outings have seen them go up against FILA in the finals and they've come out victorious each time. Their key player in puck control and the offensive quarterback is @FlyerKungen, who often sets up his office behind the opposing teams net. At the same time, their defenders etch closer to the net taking away all space from the opponents and allowing for fast passing and beautiful chaos, which HAVU knows how to utilise.

Group stage record: 14-0-0
Round 1: vs Shooting Stars 3-0
Round 2: vs Reality Check 3-0
Quarterfinals: vs POGGERS 3-0
Semifinals: vs FILADELPHIA 3-2
Top scorer (Playoffs): @Joukki 14GP, 23+16=39 (1st)
Goaltender (Playoffs): @ICappeI 14GP, 12W, 84,90 SV%, 1,14 GAA, 5 SO (1st)

For the longest time it's seemed like no one could dethrone FILADELPHIA or HAVU Gaming, but maybe these long-time top teams have finally met their match in the form of Delusion. The semifinal matchup against FILA really showed what Delusion are made of as @Joukki scored several beautiful goals as a result of incredible individual efforts. Delusion seemed to enjoy the vibe at GameXpo and had an overall good buzz going all day long, as the guys cheered each other on and celebrated wildly (for Finns) when scoring goals.

@Joukki does a well-timed spin move to equalize game 4:

Lainaa

The players in Delusion feed off of puck control and possess an incredible chemistry which dates back some 3 years and countless games. Delusion will cycle the puck and tire out the opposition until they find an opening to strike, but at the same time never pass up on an opportunity to drive the net. They have an interesting defensive combination with the offensively minded @Ilmari_30 and the long time FILA defenseman @Janzuh, who is matching up against his old teammates in this bittersweet battle. Delusions forecheck is bad news to any opposition and will strike if they smell a mistake coming up.

Having seen the games live and experiencing the great atmosphere surrounding Delusion at the event, they could be a strong candidate to overtake the throne this year. We knew the offensive power that these guys possess, but in the semifinals we also saw that they can shut down a high level opponent effectively. HAVU has been a top team for as long as some of us can remember and that's speaking volumes about what caliber of team they are. It is highly doubtful that we've seen all the tricks they have up their sleeve yet. A reborn and refueled HAVU is expected to show up Saturday morning, hungry for another title.

Preliminary schedule for Saturday, 16th of November:

11.00 CET FILADELPHIA vs Butterfly Effect - BRONZE GAME
12.45 CET Finals, games 1-2
13.55 CET Intermission
15.00 CET Finals, games 3-4
16.15 CET Finals, game 5 *
17.00 CET Finals, game 6 *
17.30 CET Finals, game 7 *

*If required.

All games will be streamed on IS Streamcorner Twitch.

Who do you think will win?