SCL 6v6 playoffs: Semifinals preview

NHLGamers,

We are on our way to the finals and this week we'll find out which teams are to push through into the biggest games of the season with everything on the line. We're down to four contenders remaining and despite there being underdogs and favourites, realistically the title is anyones for the taking. Stay alert on social media in order to follow the finale of the SCL season this week!

Lainaa

6) Turneringsstruktur

• Registrering: 18.8.-27.8.
• Grundserie: 28.8.-13.9.
• Play-in Runda: 14.9.-15.9. (BO5) 4/8
• Playoffs Runda 1 17.-20.9. (BO7)
• Kvartsfinal: 22.-25.9. (BO7)
• Semifinal: 27.9.-30.9. (BO7)
• Bronskamp 3.10. (BO3)
• Final (Top 2): 3.10. (BO7)

Grundserien spelas i fyra grupper, där de tre bästa lagen i varje grupp (totalt 12 lag) går direkt till slutspelet. Utöver detta kommer lagen på plats 4-5 i varje grupp att spela en Play-in runda för gruppens sista plats i slutspelet.

Play-in rundan spelas i bäst av fem. Slutspel spelas med den bästa av sju-metoden. Det bästa laget i ordinarie säsong möter det 16: e laget och så vidare.

Here are your semifinal matchups:

(1)  Vesa Pompa HC vs Leksands IF  (7)
TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (24+17=41) vs Johan @Isindar Jonsson (14+13=27)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg (78,38 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 2 SO) vs Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari (75.68 SV%, 2.25 GAA, 1 SO)

The all-star lineup that defending champion Vesa Pompa HC is running has been clicking well so far into the tournament, putting the team at a 24-1-1 record throughout the season including their playoff push so far. The fact right now is that their leading playoff scorer is best known for stopping pucks than putting them into the back of the net. It's not a massively worrying factor since @ICappeI has surely proven capable of doing both and superstars Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund and Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha have no problem stepping up when required but it just makes you wonder if such a setup really can carry them all the way. Another fact is that their upcoming opponent Leksands IF is a squad that for years have honed their defensive play that they are so well known for, but are definitely no slouches on offense either. I've seen Leksand pull of impressive one-touch passing plays on several occasions and they possess the skill to capitalize when given the opportunity. Experienced defenseman Jonas @Supremski Söderlund is the man to keep an eye on in white and blue, since he can play up and down the ice and has the skill to get some really nasty pucks on net at the most opportune moments of big games. The goalie matchup in this series should also not be understated. Vesa Pompa has the option to go with either @Thunborg5 or Philip @Pippo Johansson, who despite seeing less ice time has been statistically superior in net in these playoffs. Leksand on the other hand has gone with their mainstay @DUNZA who has struggled a bit and still needs to get his percentages up and averages down. Which goalie will manage to turn it around? It might be the decisive factor in this series.
 

(2)  Vaxjo Lakers HC vs Northern Ascendancy  (3)
TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (13+17=30) vs Erik @Eki Tammenpää (23+21=44)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Filip @Fcoy_faze Azri (88.06 SV%, 0.89 GAA, 4 SO) vs Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström (80 SV%, 1.22 GAA, 2 SO)

Personally, I see Vaxjo as somewhat of a surprise pushing this far into the postseason, but the team has proven to find prime form during SCL and has made some fitting acquisitions to help them along the way. Former defenseman @antoniomannen004is doing well on the wing and inexperienced but very talented goaltender @Fcoy_faze is topping statistics and playing the game of a bona fide Elite-level netminder to keep his team battling through any opponent. Last year we saw Northern Ascendancy crumble in the semifinals, resulting in a massive disappointment to cap off the tournament but that is surely something that the largely renewed squad is looking to change. @Eki currently leads the playoffs in scoring and surely hopes to keep up the same pace, but now needs to get past the hottest goaltender in the league in order to do so. So far into the tournament, NOR hasn't really been tested yet and has only seen two losses at the hands of Bask Nation and Sjukstugan, I'm expecting them to have an increasingly tough time overcoming Vaxjo especially if the goaltending stays at a high level. In this series, the men who decide the outcome will be @Fcoy_faze and @Eki. It's your play, guys.

Let's cap this article off by taking a look at the community consensus about the series. We put out a poll on Twitter and you guys answered as follows:

Tune in for the playoffs tonight!

The semifinals start tonight  as we'll see Leksands If and Vesa Pompa HC go head to head in a broadcast commentated by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson, starting at 20:30 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.