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NHLGamers, The ECL 9 Pro season is in the books with the last games in the finals having been played at the end of January. At the end of the line we got to see arguably the most talent packed final series ever on our second highest tier of competition. Both Delusion and Vesa Pompa HC consists players possessing tremendous personal skill. Both teams have also seen previous success, as Vesa Pompa are the reigning SCL champions and Delusion recently paved their way into the finals (and almost won!) of IS Cup 4. We've decided to take a closer look back at the final series between these two teams. Here's the road to the finals for both teams: Delusion 🏆 Vesa Pompa HC 🥈 Group stage record: 29-0-1 (1st) Group stage record: 26-2-2 (2nd) Round 1: vs Pata Hellalla (8) 4-0 Round 1: vs ZSC Lions (8) 4-0 Quarterfinals: vs Black Horse (8) 4-0 Quarterfinals: vs Reality Check (7) 4-2 Semifinals: vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS (4) 4-1 Semifinals: vs Gotham Knights (3) 4-3 Vesa Pompa HC had two tough series against both Reality Check and Gotham Knights. On the other side of the finals, Delusion had easier series in the first two rounds but somewhat tougher in the semifinals against the ever so strong GHETTO FIREBIRDS. The main question before the finals was which one of these teams were in better form, since Vesa Pompa had truly been battle tested whereas Delusion has been able to cruise through the season quite casually - granted this might be due to their overpowering skill compared to their competition. Games 1 & 2 - Tuesday, 28th of January, 2020 Game 1 - 4-1 Delusion W The first period was a rather tight ordeal but eventually Delusion led 1-0. In the second period Delusion was the more dominant part and with that widened their lead to 1-3 even though Vesa Pompa HC managed to score a lone goal. Throughout the remainder of the game, we did not see a comeback from the Swedes and Delusion takes game 1 in a convincing fashion. Game 2 - 3-4 Vesa Pompa HC W The second game of the series was certainly an outstanding bounce back by Vesa Pompa after getting embarrassed a bit to start the series. They were determined to even up the score and did so in a shootout. Delusion took a quick lead but the skilled Swedes countered with two of their own. All in all, the first night was a great indicator of the kind of action we were to see throughout the rest of the series. Games 3-6 - Wednesday, 29th of January, 2020 Game 3 - 5-1 Delusion W In game three, Delusion scores two nearly identical goals at the end of the first period - @Beniittto finds a breakaway opportunity twice and tickles twine with a great backhand shot on both chances. The second period was no different, but Delusion only netted one goal. We finish with an equally dominant third and chalk up another victory for the Finnish team. Delusion was simply the more efficient team and took advantage of the momentum in the game. Game 4 - 3-4 OT Vesa Pompa HC W We see a very similar storyline to the second game in the series, where Delusion opens the scoring, but Vesa Pompa quickly manages to gather themselves and get back in the game, this time with three quick unanswered markers. Once again, Delusion mounted a comeback and we entered overtime, in which Vesa Pompa's Finnish star @Nampa77 steps up and becomes the hero that ties up the series. Game 5 - 2-0 Delusion W To our surprise, the fifth game of the series was the one game where strict defensive play and patience finally was the key. The score was kept low due to the high stakes of the game - the winner would be merely one win away from the title. Delusion is the only team to get some scoring going, as they manage to net two whereas Vesa Pompa isn't as effective and gets shut down completely by a stellar defensive effort and strong play by @uhNikke in net for Delusion. Game 6 - 4-2 Delusion W Delusion had the series in a stranglehold and therefore Vesa Pompa needed their best game of the series in order to keep the games going. It has definitely not been a matter of playing bad for the Swedes, but Delusion is simply such a difficult team to beat. The major difference between the two teams has been capitalising on scoring opportunities.Once again, fans are treated to a defensive battle in which Delusion finds the back of the net twice until Vesa Pompa got their first marker. We saw some drama as Delusion had an opportunity to close out the series with a penalty shot by @Joukki at the end of the second period, but @Thunborg5 in net for Vesa Pompa draws the longer straw this time. Eventually, Delusion finds a way to stay ahead and finishes the game with a victory - we're ready to crown a new champion! The entire series was a very exciting bout between two tremendously skilled teams. Personally, I thought the play was very tight at even strength and the series could have gone either way was it not for the deadly efficiency that Delusion had in their scoring chances. Vesa Pompa put forth a great challenge to the eventual champions, but in the later games of the series a difference was evident and Delusion is a rightful champion of ECL 9 Pro. Congratulations!

NHLGamers, Playoffs in all our divisions are rolling on nicely and we're only starting to get into the really exciting games where the best of the best match up against each other. The Pro division this season has been as exciting as ever and as usual, we've seen some real powerhouses among the group. Without further ado, let's get into some previews about the upcoming series: Here's how the playoffs of ECL 9 Pro will be played from this point on: Quarterfinals: 9.1 - 15.1 Semifinals: 17.1 - 24.1 Finals: 26.1 - 2.2 All series are played in best-of-7 manner, meaning that the first team to amass four victories advances to the next round. Here are the matchups for the Quarterfinals of the ECL 9 Pro Playoffs: (1) Delusion vs Black Horse (8) To no surprise, Delusion had no difficulties in their first round series against Pata Hellalla. Advancing 4-0 and now meeting a slightly tougher opponent is not going to faze them either and their true test will come in the later stages of this tournament. Black Horse has a mountain to climb if they want to advance against a major favorite in this matchup. (2) Vesa Pompa HC vs Reality Check (7) Vesa Pompa HC played well in IS Cup 4 some months back and advanced with a comfortable 4-0 win over ZSC Lions in the first round of the ECL 9 playoffs. The team is expected to continue their good form, but beating a very skilled opponent in Reality Check won't be easy. Reality Check might challenge Vesa Pompa HC well and I would not be surprised if Game 7 is needed in this series. (3) Gotham Knights vs Vaxjo Lakers HC (6) This might be the one to watch in the quarterfinal round. Gotham might very well be the most long lived team in the NHLGamer era and they have eexperienced their fair share of ups and downs. After a fairly successful regular season campaign, they are looking to build on that foundation and overcome any obstacle they might face. Captain @ReDMisTi for Gotham is the biggest individual player in this series due to the x-factor that he possesses. Vaxjo on the other hand, I have some mixed feeling about. They are just about ready to get into their eSHL campaign which surely must be exciting but there is a risk that it takes away from their focus on this series. They are a solid team every step of the way and their performance will be determined by their level of focus. (4) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (5) I see GHETTO FIREBIRDS advancing from the first round as a minor surprise. They faced Sandstorm, who are a team stacked with talent, but this time it seems like the experience and teamplay of the FIREBIRDS prevailed. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo has a skilled roster lead by their high-powered offensive trio @Jooonasaurus, @Katuhessu (KrisutusB) and @Limbe65, who need to be shut down in the series. Overall I expect this matchup to be a tight one. The games ere expected to be rather low scoring and in the end the more disciplined team will come out on top. Good luck out there, as always - play hard and have fun!

NHLGamers, The ongoing season of our ECL Pro Division has progressed to somewhere around its midway point and with that it is appropriate to look back on what has happened so far. As far as I'm concerned there has been some tight games, some not so tight but all of the action has definitely been up to standards and tremendously enjoyable for a spectator. Rakish has been one very positive team to me that I've taken a liking to. Despite not performing too well and struggling to find consistent winning, they have recently managed to win the likes of Växjö Lakers, which is showing better waters ahead for that group. Group 1 1. Vesa Pompa HC 2. Children of Ice 3. Virtual Horizons eSports In group 1, Children of Ice and Vesa Pompa HC are at the top and it seems like it's going to be between the two of those to compete for the first position in the final standings. Vesa Pompa have some impressive performances as of late in the rearview mirror, a hard-fought IS Cup playoff series against the Elite table topping FILADELPHIA to mention one and that surely shows that they are one of the stronger teams in this division. The middle of the pack in this group is extremely tight and there's really no telling at this point which teams will be securing the last playoff spots. This upcoming week will be important for all teams. One of the most important games of this group is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10th as the top two in Children of Ice and Vesa Pompa HC will battle it out in a so called eight point matchup. Apart from the group title, there's a psychological edge at stake here, since it is almost inevitable that these teams will meet again down the line. Another very important bout in this group is the one between Horror Hockey and Shooting Stars, since both teams are currently below the playoff line but look to better their standing by acquiring some wins in this tight matchup. Group 2 1. Delusion 2. Reality Check HC 3. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo Group 2 is showing some more separation mostly due to the fact that Delusion a bit less surprisingly is wading through the pack with a clean record and the rest of the teams seem to have split points quite a lot. Rakish is probably the biggest upset in this group as they have a rather accomplished roster but have struggled mightily for the opening half of the season. Sandstorm, who fought well in IS Cup haven't found their stride yet in ECL and as a result are struggling to secure a spot in the playoffs. Växjö were expected to do a bit better, but will definitely be going to the playoffs if they keep up their current level of play. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo will be clashing with Växjö for a tough matchup preliminarily scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday. Sandstorm and Cowabunga Hockey will also be facing in an important matchup which determines an advantage near the playoff line. In this group, we will also be looking forward to the meeting between top two teams Delusion and Reality Check HC, Delusion will be going into that battle as a heavy favorite and Reality Check is looking to spoil the party. When taking a look at the point totals, it's clearly visible that Delusion has been the highest scoring team by a wide margin. Their dynamic duo @Joukki and @Beniittto reigns supreme with both of them being almost 20 points ahead of Reality Check duo @jorma2001 and @Pursuitti who are in... well... pursuit. It'll quite clearly be a battle within Delusion of who will be the top scorer this season. That'll be it for my short and sweet insight into what's been going on in our Pro division this season. The playoffs are right around the corner and we are as excited as ever to see who prevails when the big games start. Who would you guys pick out as a dark horse in the playoff race?

NHLGamers, Round 2 of the IS Cup 4 playoffs saw an interesting matchup rivalry as the 2018 Finnish champions FILADELPHIA faced the Swedish champions of this year - Vesa Pompa HC. The stacked rosters are led by good friends Eki and eken45jr respectively. Expectations for this series were through the roof even though FILA was widely considered the favourite heading into the games. Head-to-head (Regular season stats) TOP SCORER I_Eki_I (12GP, 12+38=50) vs eken45jr (12GP, 9+13=22) GOALTENDER FinKonna (6GP, 6W, 85.10 SV%, 1.16 GAA) vs Thunboorg (12GP, 9W, 84.80 SV%, 1.58 GAA) Game 1 Like a typical opening game in a series, we saw a tight game with a disciplined tactical approach on both sides, as a result very few goals. FILADELPHIA took the lead and in the third period Vesa Pompa equalized. Both sides defended well but we also saw a couple of stellar scoring chances in both ends of the rink. In overtime FILADEPHIA scored in an instant, just like they must have determined during the short period break. FILADELPHIA - Vesa Pompa HC 2-1 OT Game 2 FILADELPHIA took the lead by putting up two goals relatively early in the first period. Their play seemed superior to what felt like most of the game but just before the end of the second period Vesa Pompa scored to make it 2-1. After their disastrous beginning, Vesa Pompa managed to compose themselves and really deserved their first goal. The start of the third period was a cold shower to say the least, as FILA managed to get an early goal increasing the differential to two goals again. Vesa Pompa didn´t give up and about five minutes before the buzzer they notch another one. There were some chances for the Swedes at the end but overall FILADELPHIA was the better team and deserved their win. Looking at the big picture I think the differences between the two teams became clearer in this game despite the tight score and Vesa Pompas good performance. The series score is 2-0 and at this point it's hard to see Vesa Pompa mounting a comeback with how convincing FILA's game is looking. Vesa Pompa HC - FILADELPHIA 2-3 Game 3 It is commonly quite typical that the third win is hard to take in these best of 5 or best of 7 playoff series and that is exactly what happened this time around too. Vesa Pompa took the lead in the first period and they went for broke to get the their vital first win in this series. It was refreshing to see a new found confidence and a true balls to the wall effort by the Swedes but FILADELPHIA weathered the storm and knew that losing this game could end up being costly. FILADELPHIA dominated the game in terms of the shot statistics and did by no means resort to merely playing defense. Vesa Pompa was also in good form and kept the lead until the third period. FILADELPHIA managed to equalize on the powerplay when @PleeMaker acted as the closer at the end of a beautiful passing play. We had overtime and lots of it to ensue. These teams played well past the halfway mark of the second overtime period when finally FILA managed to strike gold. This time @Juunas finished a one-timer from close range. FILADELPHIA moves on by a sweep. FILADELPHIA - Vesa Pompa HC 2-1 OT Above: FILA OT goal in Game 3 to win the series All the games in this series were tight and two went to overtime. FILADELPHIA showed their strength and experience by managing to win games after being down by a goal twice. It was not result of coincidence but a result of determination and experience in playing together and a strong team spirit. Vesa Pompa put forth an enormous effort in challenging this top team and gave their best but this time, that wasn't enough. FILA was the better team in all areas and deservingly moves on to the quarterfinals. Which series should we cover next?

NHLGamers, The expectations were high both in the stands and on the ice as two Swedish top-tier teams clashed in a round 1 playoff series in IS Cup 4. On one side we have Växjö Lakers, a newly established team stacked with unrealized potential, full with youth and energy - on the other we have Synergy, who are now the juggernauts of Swedish virtual hockey. These teams competed in the same division in the group stage, where Växjö was the challenger and Synergy managed to win both games 4-1 and 3-0. That and the fact that we saw two outstanding Swedish teams go up against each other created a good hype for the matchup. Head-to-head (Regular season stats) TOP SCORER F_Normark (8GP, 10+21=31) vs EDHOLMINHO (12GP, 16+27=43) GOALTENDER Hullued (12GP, 8W, 76.52 SV%, 2.25 GAA) vs Rundqviiist (10GP, 9W, 90.90 SV%, 0.8 GAA) Game 1 Game 1 was quite the traditional affair in the sense that both teams started off with a tight set defensive scheme. The first period was scoreless but in the second Växjö took the lead only to see Synergy level the score minutes later. Växjö brought their young gun energy into game one and showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with. Both teams had their chances but at the 60-minute mark no additional goals had been scored. In overtime we saw a similar pattern continue, but eventually Växjö and @EDHOLMINHO managed to net a decisive goal. Synergy Hockey - Växjö Lakers HC 1-2 OT Game 2 The second game seemed to follow a very familiar agenda as both teams came out with a defense first mindset. In playoff hockey things change fast, however. Växjö seemed to be able to relax a bit more and find their stride offensively, which rather quickly led to them opening the scoring. Five goals for and a solid defense often wins you games as was the case with this one. Växjö puts a stranglehold on the series 2-0. Synergy is desperate to find new angles with their gameplan. Växjö Lakers HC - Synergy Hockey 5-1 Game 3 With Växjö being ahead 2-0 this third game was truly a do or die-situation for Synergy. A quite typical one at that too. This game was all about very disciplined and tactical play, few shots and even fewer scoring chances. Synergy managed to take the drivers seat with a goal late in the first. The meticulous trap game and solid team defense prevailed for what seemed to be an eternity until Växjö managed to break through and equalize. The goal came to start the third period and it was what you'd expect from these types of games - point shot with traffic at the net. Disciplined defensive battle ensued. It seemed the game was heading to overtime - like we saw in the first game - but Vaxjö executed a great playing pattern with quick passing and finished off a one-timer to score the decisive 2-1 goal with just 25 seconds to spare. The minor upset was reality. Synergy Hockey - Växjö Lakers HC 1-2 Synergy was a mild favorite to go through, but Vaxjö came to play and ultimately swept their opponents. With youthful energy, discipline and commitment to their gameplan they were clearly the better team in this series. Game two and the 5-1 win was surely the last straw that gave them the edge to take the whole series. Växjö also showed that they were the better team in the tight games. Good luck in the second round, boys! Which series should we follow closer in the next round?