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End of ECL 4 is nigh, NHLGamers! Couple more weeks and we're done - for a while. It's time again to look up what has happened in our community during past week. Like we announced couple days ago - Laser HT finally won the ECL Elite championship as they won Dynasty in Game 7 thriller. One more time on my behalf - well deserved guys, hats off! Carlsberg HC did what pretty much everyone expected and walked to the Pro division finals as Silver Sword Griffins simply didn't have enough what it needs to beat down CAR. In the finals, CAR will be facing good old Sjukstugan which was also predicted to be one of the most biggest dogs in the Pro and here they are - going to Elite division with Carlsberg! Sjukstugan won Kattiautomaatti in the semi's and they'll face SIKA in the relegation battle for the spot in the ECL 5. SSG will face Finnish Roosters. In the Lite, there's four teams remaining in the battle for the spots in the Pro division: DEAD END KINGS, J P T J, Hawks Hockey Club and Lavetten. It's time for last big push, guys! Once again, best of luck to every team! ELITE: Relegation faceoffs SIKA vs Kattiautomaatti, ELITE relegation round, by @The_Alpha_Furyan Cats vs. Hogs - talk about an even match-up! Legend has it the rivalry between these two franchises dates back almost a full decade, to a time where IRL meet-ups and LAN battles were the format of competition. Atleast a half-dozen years, many online matchups and the occasional thrown controller later, SIK and CAT find themselves in one of the most interesting playoff series of their careers - a battle for next seasons Elite spot. Judging by the fact that I just recently played against CAT in the playoffs, I can tell you they are good. Damn good. Defenders Sumpi and Slaivonen are excellent puck movers and CATs offense can cause myriads of trouble for opposing teams defenders and goalie if they aren't 100% sharp, all the time (Anchorman reference, anyone?). Based solely on my experience playing them, I would say Kattiautomaatti has a very strong chance here. When you combine that with the fact that they've been in ECL action up until now and SIKA has been idle, their odds grow even stronger. However, a little bird whispered in my ear that vSilenttio is pushing his troops hard in preparation for this matchup, which again makes me doubt the outcome of the series. If ShaneC27 and Nampa77 can score some timely goals, Anbtbl keep a clean house in center ice while Sile and Friilander protect a battling SpiderRoyal - then we have a hell of series on our hands. Ultimately, I have to go with my gut right now in this moment... and it actually says 4-3 SIKA. Finnish Roosters vs Silver Sword Griffins, ELITE relegation round, by @vSilenttio What a series this'll be! Does FR have anything left after long wait as they need to beat SSG in seven games to stay in the Elite - where FR belongs to in my honest opinion. SSG then in the other hand, have fought their way this far and they gotta be the more hungry side here after everything they've gone through past months. They just dont want to give up, which will be the biggest factor here. Which team has the more willpower and grit to make it out alive from this series? FR has lost some big names during past season but they still have guys like johtaja699, Janikka and Jparola taking care of their legacy. SSG does have also some good names, and I would also say that they have the momentum here as they have been playing big games all Spring. What if it's battle of individuals after all as I see both teams being strong with the teamplay stuff - although I gotta admit that I see SSG having the edge in that one. So let's make up some pairs for this one which are going to solve the winner here: johtaja699 vs. xLVxRitchey, ktewjh vs. pelimies80 & JParola vs. elvijs99. Then the goalies. SSG's Kefleri has stepped up big time this season and meanwhile FR has lost their #1 goalie to who-knows-where (OODAP), the old legendary mascot of FR, jyrkkis_ started to play between the pipes and the winner from this series will be the team with better goaltending - and because of that I see SSG taking the biggest victory of their career here from rusty Roosters as they beat them in Game 7. Finnish Roosters projected line-up: JParola - johtaja699 - zton93 NeonHum - ktewjh jyrkkis_ Silver Sword Griffins projected line-up: Elvijs99 - xLVxRitchey - ProMinx24 Entii112 - Pelimies80 Kefleri PRO Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan, PRO division final, by @nylanderi So the Pro Division’s grand final is here! It's a rivalry matchup: Sweden vs. Finland, Filariou vs. Joukki13 & LastMandalorian vs. Zande95. The best of the best from the Pro Division come together for one final clash this season. This is also a matchup that has some history as these two teams played each other deep in the playoffs in ECL 1, where Car managed to escape with a 4-3 series win. Sjukstugan projected lineup: Filariou - patovic_ - lBjonol The_Alpha_Furyan - Gustafsson7 LastMandalorian Sjukstugan is known for its tight defense and really fast paced and straightforward offense. It all comes down to how well 112's defense manage to play against Carlsberg offense. Sjukstugan is probably not going to have the puck as much as they want so their forwards need to capitalize on their chances. LastMandalorian is also gonna have bunch of work ahead of him from Cars shooters. Carlsberg HC projected lineup: joukki13 - Mikaasi - Vatalisti janzuh - fbi andy zande95 I actually heard some rumours that Carlsbers captain and leader Patzlaf wont be playing in the finals. Regardless, Car have a very strong team that is known for their lightning quick passing game. They need to handle the puck with care in the offensive zone, so 112 wont get those dangerous counter attacks. My prediction for this series is 4-2 to Carlsberg HC. LITE Hawks Hockey Club vs Lavetten, LITE division semifinal, by vSilenttio The stakes are surely high now - aren' they? First of all I gotta admit that I have never faced Hawks in the EASHL this year so it's pretty hard to say anything about them. All that I have heard and red about them is that people never kind of believed that they would even play these games but here they are - facing the new-old swedish team with few common names for me atleast. Pulverapa hasn't played that much this season but I did actually watch 3-4 games from Lavetten's previous series against EN HUND and was surprised to see him in Lavetten's line-up. Hope so we can see more of him in this series & in the finals as I predict that Lavetten wins this one thanks to typical, swedish style of playing with some bigger names (pulverapa, Esdor15) making sure things are going their way. 4-3 Lavetten. DEAD END KINGS vs J P T J, LITE division semifinal These guys have already played almost the whole series, and it's 2-2 while I'm writing and yeah - it seems even! Kings, team that some people would have wanted to see in Pro division, has come this far to face one of the most skilled offensive teams in Lite, J P T J. Now all they gotta do is just to prove that they belong there, and you know what - I'm 100% sure that these guys, led by superstar-Nephenzy and skilled forward windblad, will take their spot in the Pro divison next season. But still then again when you think J P T J as an team, one mistake here and there from Kings and boom - J P T J goes to the Lite finals. Ugh, really hard to say anything but if I had to - I'd go with DEAD END KINGS here taking this battle 4-3.

Hello NHLGamers, We are entering the third week of the ECL 4 playoffs and temperatures are without a doubt rising. Not only outside - where the rapidly approaching spring weather threatens to completely overtake the last remnants of winter - but also inside our many virtual hockey rinks. We are finally reaching the final stages of competition and the stakes couldn't be higher. For Elite, the ECL finals are already here. Our finalists Laser HT and Dynasty fought well and hard for an entire 30-game regular season, in what can most accurately be described as an all-out war against the 14 other Elite teams. After narrowly making the playoffs (the separation between teams #1 to #8 were only a few points), both teams continued to grind their way through challenging playoff series versus Synergy/Nordic Nightmare and Written In The Stars/Limitless. Now that they've finally arrived at their ultimate test, both of these classic ECL franchises will be looking to bring the trophy home for the first time. In Pro, we've arrived at the Semifinals where Carlsberg, Kattiautomatti, Sjukstugan and Silver Sword Griffins are the final four standing. It might not come as a surprise to long-time members of the community to see these teams among the potential finalists, even if all of them have had to be at their absolute best to advance for as long as they have. The two winners of these series will not only advance to the Pro finals, they will also have a guaranteed spot in Elite for next season. For the semifinal losers, a promotion/relegation series Versus either SIKA or Finnish Rooster awaits. For Lite, we are down to 8 teams which effectively means we've arrived at the quarterfinals. The teams that are fighting for a guaranteed spot in Pro next season (and the Lite title) are Hawks Hockey Club, HC Ancient Warriors, DEAD END KINGS, Banterfield Battalion, EN HUND, Lavetten, J P T J and Dynamo Danglers. Best of luck to all teams and remember - all 4 winners of these series will play in Pro next season. Do or die! I'd like to sidetrack this story for a bit here by giving myself a tiny pat on the back as I correctly predicted the results of 11 out of 13 series last week, even getting the series' scores right on a few of them (!). I know, I know - I'm being "that guy". Hey, all I am saying is that I would like to see some more predictions come out of the community! I know for sure there are far more knowledgeable NHLGamers out there than me - make yourselves heard. Show Alpha who the real prediction master is, so to speak. Anyway, let us get to it y'all. As always, be sure to share your comment on the news story or in the forums with your own predictions. (Predicted series winners will be marked in Bold text) ELITE Dynasty vs. Laser HT - Two teams I know quite well and also two teams I'd really like to see do well. So much for being impartial, right? I've said it repeatedly in these predictions, the time has come for Dynasty to make a run. They are going up against possibly the best offensive team in the world right now with Leksa94 and Dominointi leading the charge. Lasers quick-pass system around the net is better than it ever has been... and yet, for the duration of these playoffs I haven't been able to shake the feeling that Dynastys time is now. Therefore, I will continue to predict success for them. They win this one 4-3. Make sure to check this one out though folks, we are talking playoff hockey at its finest. Look for both team to broadcast! PRO Carlsberg HC vs. Silver Sword Griffins - The all-out Pro favorites versus a team on a mission of revenge from last seasons dissapointing exit. This should be a playoff series for the ages... which is a big reason I am inclined to pick SSG as the winners. Watching them power through one of the most intense series' I have seen in years, courtesy of "Most improved team"-candidate Rusty Blades, was nothing short of spectacular. Alas, I predict Carlsbergs desire for Elite will prove to be too strong for SSG here. I predict 4-2 Carlsberg with SSG re-loading for a hard battle against SIKA/Roosters. Sjukstugan vs. Kattiautomaatti - [Long prediction courtesy of Mr. @Ranksu - thank you for chipping in, sir!] Sjukstugan, who ended their regular season in the 2nd position for Group 1 are here faced with Group 2 winner Kattiautomaatti. Two teams who rely heavily on puck possession and also two teams that have came through this stage pretty easily (both have played just 10 games in two series). 112s all-important breakout will be depending on how well their defenders The_Alpha_Furyan and Gustafsson7 can handle pressure as puck carriers and get the puck up to forwards Ibjonol, patovic_ & 112 leading goal scorer Filariou. On the other hand, Kattiautomaatti has overall more scoring depth than Sjukstugan, in my opinion. Especially CATs Slaivone has been producing heavily from the blueline so far in the playoffs. A short word here also needs to be said about the goaltending battle, featuring two of the absolute best goalies this community has to offer right now (including Elite): LastMandalorian and hoigga. Whoever can reach their peak level in this series could potentially steal it. This series is indeed going to be hard to predict. A closer look at PP stats reveals Kattiautomaatti really has an advantage here, scoring 5 powerplay goals spread out through the roster while Sjukstugan only has two (!) goals which both came from defenders... did I reveal too much here? The faceoff dot is pretty even 50-50, but I think advantage there goes to Sjukstugan center patovic_. These are of course just small details, but in a tight series it could be a difference maker. I was almost ready to give this series for Kattiautomaatti, but seeing how much Sjustugan has developed their game throughout the season I will give them this one in game 7. Kattiautomaatti 3 – Sjukstugan 4. Projected lineup for Kattiautomaatti: xMaick82x - BiiAiDii - jnmxx Isumppi90I - Slaivone hoiggaa Projected lineup for Sjukstugan: Filariou - Patovic_ - Ibjonol The_Alpha_Furyan - Gustafsson7 LastMandalorian LITE Hawks Hockey Club vs. HC Ancient Warriors - HC Ancient Warriors surprised me by dispatching Old Farts by a score of 4-1 in games. By all accounts, their game has reached a level that most would consider truly worthy of the playoffs. Meanwhile, favorites Hawks Hockey Club might not be fully warmed up yet, with them having only one series under their belts thus far. I predict a tough battle as always but a 4-2 win for HC Ancient Warriors. DEAD END KINGS vs. Banterfield Battalion - Should be a fun series to watch with two smart, tight-checking teams facing off. DEAD END KINGS have yet to face a true test while Banterfield are a scarred and battle-hardened Battalion by now. Not to mention the inspiring effect the creative GIFs and video shorts Banterfield player @Stu has been uploading, must have on his teammates! Then again, DEK could use those same videos as inspiration to shut up their opponents... I say 4-2 BB. EN HUND vs. Lavetten - Two teams from opposite ends of the spectrum. Lavetten likes to rush and score goals while EN HUND likes to hit and shut down the opposition. If Lavetten can overcome being truly challenged by a tough defense, then this series is theirs. Meanwhile, if EN HUND can maintain their poise and calm against the most dangerous offensive squad they have faced in the playoffs, they will stand victorious. I say Game 7 and I say Lavetten wins. J P T J vs. Dynamo Danglers - Offensive beasts J P T J might finally have met their match skill-wise in Dynamo Danglers. Then again, at this point, can anyone really stand in the way of J P T Js goal-scoring machine? They have smashed their way through both the regular season and the playoffs (by scores of 12-0, 8-1 & 9-2) so far and look like a potential top Pro team for next season. I am going with a 4-1 J P T J win here. The third round of the ECL 4 Playoffs is to be played 19.04 to 25.04. Good luck in the playoffs to all remaining teams! Later skaters, @The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hello NHLGamers, We're in the middle of it now. That great time of the year when the true essence of hockey shines through. The lengthy overtime battles, the primal shouts of frustration and joy, the overpowering urge to defeat your opponent no matter what... but also, the humble "digital handshakes" after a completed series. The cordial well-wishes and genuine appreciation for a great series. The sincere respect for your opponent. All these factors is what has come to define playoff hockey in any competitive league in the world and it is no surprise to us here at NHLGamer.com that the same values hold true as we move that same playoff competition over to a digital hockey landscape. The first week of the ECL 4 Playoffs is over and what a week it was! We had some tremendous upsets (who could've guessed that all the "lower seeds" would advance in the Elite playoffs?) and some dominating performances from predicted favorites (Carlsberg HC of Pro and J P T J of Lite come to mind). Currently the Elite playoffs are at the Semifinals stage, the Pro playoffs will start their quarterfinals and the Lite playoffs kick off their Round-of 16. This means a total of 14 playoff series will begin today, with an additional 2 series (the Pro/Elite Promotion/Relegation series) waiting in the wings. Also a big round of applause and appreciation to the teams who fought hard but didn't reach their final goal these playoffs - we hope to see you all come back strong next season! But now, let us get to the teams still remaining and see if we can predict what will transpire! As always, be sure to share a comment on the news story or in the forums with your own predictions. (Predicted series winners will be marked in Bold text) ELITE Nordic Nightmare vs. Laser HT - After both teams put together impressive series wins over Unknown and Synergy respectively, these two veteran squads will face off in a what should be a memorable battle. Laser has truly found their offensive groove this season and has continued their goal-scoring prowess into the postseason. Look for them to attack Nordic Nightmares well-oiled team machine with all they've got. I predict a 4-2 series win for LHT. Dynasty vs. Limitless - It might be foolish to continue betting against last seasons winners, but I just have this feeling that the time has come for Dynasty to truly go on a run and bring home the ECL Elite trophy (on a side note, does anyone have suggestions for an official trophy name? We need something iconic! The Ramjagsingh Trophy perhaps?). Also, look for Limitless to continue surpassing the somewhat lower expectations created by their regular season. This one will most likely go 7. I say Dynasty 4-3 series win with the final game going to OT. PRO Carlsberg HC vs. White Trash - WT delivered a serious upset when they upended regular season juggernaut Nordic Stars in the first round. Their gameplan to shut down high-scoring Tapparafan- in that series will certainly come to play in this series as well with joukki13 and Patzlaf coming to town. Despite WTs early playoff heroics, I predict Carlsbergs scoring depth will be too much for them here. 4-2 Carlsberg series win. Kattiautomaatti vs. Shameful Knights - Shameful are coming off a tougher first series while Katti were able to breeze by their first round opponent. This shouldn't have an impact on this series though, as there will be no rest needed or underestimation going on - from either team. This will be a close series and Katti will be forced to face their biggest test of the season. I predict they will rise to the challenge and win this one 4-2. Sjukstugan vs. Unlucky Boys HC - [No prediction due to me playing in the series, feel free to post your predictions in the comment section! That goes for all the series in this prediction by the way - always fun to read what the community thinks.] Rusty Blades vs. Silver Sword Griffins - These two teams were built for the playoffs and this should certainly be a "series to watch" - perhaps the most even one ECL Pro has to offer. Both defensively strong teams, both lethal on the counterattack and in front of the oppositions net. Expect this one to go 7 and for most of those games to go to OT. My gut says SSG though, 4-3. Finally, congratulations are in order to Pro teams Bare Knuckles Hockey, murohoki, Nemesis and Showtime who all staved off relegation by winning their respective series. These teams, together with the teams that finished in "no mans land" and all Pro playoff teams who don't qualify for Elite, will have guaranteed spots in the Pro division next season. LITE Hawks Hockey Club vs. Ice Phoenix - The Lite overall top seed HHC enters the playoffs after sitting out Round 1. They should be hungry and eager to play against an Ice Phoenix team that impressed in the first round. Don't expect a sweep, but HHC should still win this one 4-1. DEAD END KINGS vs. EV Duisburg - Swedish "Synergy Lite" DEK will also be eager to prove their mettle and show that they belong higher up in the divisional system. Their quest to do just that begins here against German surprise team Duisburg. I predict Nephenzy and his boys to come out firing and end up with a 4-0 series win. EN HUND vs. INF4MOUS - Two strong teams with high ambitions clash in this matchup. Should be a tight battle with the physical play of ENH clashing with the defensive structure of iNF. I do predict a 4-2 series win for EN HUND here but as I said, good matchup. J P T J vs. HC Palosaari - Offensive beasts J P T J take on a Palosaari team that fought hard in their series with the Coal Miners. Anything other than a 4-0 sweep from star team J P T J here would be a surprise to me. Old Farts vs. HC Ancient Warriors - The veterans of Old Farts take on the Warriors in a matchup that I wish could be saved for further down the line in the Lite playoffs, due to the skill of both teams. However, it is what it is and I do have to predict a winner so I will go with Old Farts, 4-2 Dynamo Danglers vs. Bone Breakers - Two teams I saw as contenders to win the Lite trophy that didn't fully deliver the types of seasons I am sure they would have wanted. I predicted Bone Breakers to do well in my season preview and I am sticking with it. 4-3 BB. GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs. Banterfield Battalion - Community sweethearts and video makers GHETTOBIRDS (new official nickname) take on the Banter squad in another tight matchup. GHETTOBIRDS had their difficulties getting going in the first round but should be warmed up enough to give the Banter squad a tough time. 4-3 BB here as well. Clowns On Ice vs. Lavetten - This is THE series to watch in Lite Round 2. Lots of skill, lots of energy, lots of passion. If you have the time, check it out because this one could go 7. I predict a 4-3 series win for Lavetten in Game 7 OT. In addition we've extended this round by two days since it overlaps with Easter - the second round of ECL 4 Playoffs is to be played 10.04 to 18.04. Good luck in the playoffs to all remaining teams! Later skaters, The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hello NHLGamers, It is that time of the year again, isn't it? You wake up one morning and the cold weather outside doesn't seem to bother you as much, the morning traffic you encounter when driving to work is suddenly not a nuisance but instead a reason to silently reflect on what is to come and that little knot of anticipation you know so well is back in your stomach. It is time for some ECL playoff hockey! For ECL 4 we had more teams participating than ever seen before in the European competitive hockey gaming scene, something that we here at NHLGamer.com are immensly proud of. Thank you to all 80 teams that signed up and a special thank you to the 78 teams who finished the season (a 97.5% completion rate) - continue spreading the word so we can try and grow this tournament even further together! Can we create a league with 100+ teams? Is the Xbox One side of the community ready for its first tournament? Only time will tell but us Staff members certainly hope so. I'd also like to take this opportunity to once again highlight the legacy of our previous ECL winners in order to inspire all participating teams to follow in their footsteps. Here they are; ECL 1 - Nordic Blizzard ECL 2 - MUKIMIEHET ECL SC - Team pelimies80 ECL 3 - X Factor Moving on to the business at hand, the ECL 4 playoffs and our traditional predictions. A total of 30 series kicks off today (26 playoff series and 4 relegation series) so I will keep the predicting to a solid one line of text for each series in order to preserve my sanity. I apologize in advance if I am not completely familiar with all participating teams. Also, expect slightly longer predictions the longer these playoffs proceed! (Predicted series winners will be marked in Bold text) ELITE MUKIMIEHET vs. Limitless - A tough series between two former ECL winners but I predict a 4-3 MUKI win here. MUKI has played a flawless season while Limitless has struggled to find the magic of their previous team version, X Factor. Synergy vs. Laser HT - Another tough one featuring two teams with a lot of history and rivalry. Going with 4-3 Synergy here as I believe they have moved past ghosts of playoffs past. Unknown vs. Nordic Nightmare - Never bet against Unknown in the playoffs. NN is a terrific squad but Unknown has some history on the line that they'd be eager to defend. 4-2 WHO. Written In The Stars vs. Dynasty - Probably the most lethal offensive squad versus the most structured defensive squad. I'll give the edge to Dynasty here as they are due for a deep playoff run, 4-3 DYN. PRO Carlsberg HC vs. Huppati HC - The #1 overall seed and predicted top team takes on an inexperienced #8. Going with 4-0 Car here. Sjukstugan vs. HC Checkmate - [No prediction due to me playing in the series, feel free to post your predictions in the comment section! That goes for all the series in this prediction by the way - always fun to read what the community thinks.] Rusty Blades vs. Royal Club - Two strong defensive squads but Rusty has grown from a playoff bubble team last season to a top ECL team. It will be a series of OT games but I think the Blades will come out on top, 4-2. Unlucky Boys HC vs. Germany's Finest - Unlucky Boys is another team who has grown stronger as the tournament progressed while GER has had some tough games towards the end. I predict an even series with a 4-2 win for UHC. Alliance HT vs. Shameful Knights - The Russian two-way machine has impressed me during the season, as have the Shameful Knights. I will go with a 4-3 win here for AHT. Silver Sword Griffins vs. Nocturnal Hunters - SSG is due for a deep playoff run. They will encounter tough opposition from NH but will most likely advance if they get their machine rolling. 4-1 SSG. Nordic Stars vs. White Trash - NS will take full advantage of the #1 overall scorer in Pro and get through a tough series with WT by a score of 4-2. Kattiautomaatti vs. ORIGINS - Another regular season giant in CAT entering the playoffs versus a bubble team. Granted, ORIGINS has ECL experience but I do not think it will be enough here. 4-1 CAT. (PRO Relegation Faceoff) Bare Knuckles Hockey vs. Company of Geeks - CoG has had a tough season but will deliver when it matters the most. 4-3 CoG. murohoki vs. Thunder Tigers - If murohoki gets their two-way game going they could run through this series. TT are no slouches however so I think this one will go to 6 games, 4-2 mur. Nemesis vs. The Beagle Boys - The Swedish dogs also went through a challenging season but could surprise here and defeat offensively skilled team Nemesis to stay in Pro. 4-3 TBB. Showtime vs. The Lights Out - Showtime had their ups and downs, struggling versus teams around them in the standings while performing great against some of the top dogs. Expect them to come in motivated to this series. 4-1 SHO. LITE (Hawks Hockey Club and DEAD END KINGS - both automatically advance to the second round) EN HUND vs. Blues HC - Time for the The Finnish dogs to create their own legacy apart from SIKA. They start in this series, 4-0 EN HUND. J P T J vs. A Dream Valhalla - Offensive powerhouse with multiple top scorers enter the playoffs with a series win, 4-0 J P T J. Old Farts vs. Pohjoista Voimaa - Experienced old bastard versus a newer team, experience wins out in the playoffs: 4-0 OLD. Dynamo Danglers vs. Vemppaosasto - Tougher to predict but the Danglers, led by lycki10, has had an impressive season. 4-2 DyD. GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs. The Youngsters - Not as well educated when it comes to these teams but the FIREBIRDS playoff hype video has me convinced, 4-2 BIRDS Clowns On Ice vs. Prometheus - Have not played against either team but Prometheus strikes me as the stronger squad here, 4-3 XKP. Lavetten vs. Die TwitchProleten - Swedish Versus/HUT giants in Lavetten grew stronger as the season progressed, just as predicted. If they can keep their momentum going, this is a 4-1 Lav win. Banterfield Battalion vs. PSHL Roadrunners - The most banter-filled squad in ECL start a solid playoff run here with a 4-2 series win. Teletapit vs. Ice Phoenix - Have only seen Ice Phoenix play (which they did well), therefore going with a 4-2 series win here. HC Ancient Warriors vs. Papat - I predicted a strong season for the Warriors and I am sticking by it. 4-2 Warriors. Bone Breakers vs. HC Scorpions - The Bone Breakers had a season worthy of Pro, I predict they start their journey there in this series with a 4-1 series win. HC Palosaari vs. Falun Coal Miners - Two teams with the same logo (the one with the factory and 3 pucks) who are both looking to improve on their regular season. The FCM boys has playoff experience though, which should weigh heavy here. 4-3 FCM. Last Kings vs. EV Duisburg - Not familiar enough with either team to accurately predict this one but my crystal ball says 4-2 Kings. Elämäm Kiekko vs. INF4MOUS - First taste of the playoffs for both teams so this should be a tight series. I predict INF coming out on top in Game 7, 4-3 INF. Good luck in the playoffs to all teams! Later skaters, The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hello NHLGamers, The regular season is at an end and the ECL 3 playoffs loom large. Who will be the last team standing this time and join the ranks of Nordic Blizzard and MUKIMIEHET as ECL Champions? It all starts in this Round-of-16 where the 32 best teams on the European side of EASHL do battle in grueling Best of-7 series. As I've stated in previous articles, I do love a good preview/review/prediction/analysis when it comes to EASHL so this is an article I've been looking forward to writing. To create a more nuanced approach, I've enlisted the help of SIKA Captain and Truth of Hockey podcast host, @vSilenttio. If you haven't gotten around to checking out the podcast yet, make sure to do so. I have no idea what is being said as the podcast is broadcast in Finnish, but from what I've been told, it's a fun ride with lots of opinions, controversy and analysis. Also, please note that these are just supposed to be fun, speculative predictions from two members of the community. These predictions do not in any way reflect the official opinion of the NHLGamer staff or the website as a whole. The predictions were written yesterday, before the start of the playoffs, without discussing the series' with each other beforehand. Anyway, without further ado, presenting... the ECL 3 Playoff Preview: Northern Stars - Free From Rodents Alpha: To me, this series is pretty much a lock. Northern Stars had an incredibly impressive regular season (better than I thought they would have even), have crazy chemistry built up over almost a decade of playing together, plus one of the best goalies in the league right now in MZK-TrophyHunter. Free From Rodents made the playoffs by winning 10 games less than they lost (atleast in the final standings, not counting the deleted teams). It is impressive for this team to have made the playoffs amongst many tough teams in Group 2, but sadly for them I predict their journey ends here. 4-0 NOS. Silenttio: One of the best teams from ECL 3's regular season faces team that I personally never thought that could make it to the playoffs. Journey to the finals begins easily here for NOS, as they win this series. 4-0 Northern Stars. Written In The Stars - Nordic Nosebleed Alpha: Same case here as the series above really. I believe the offensive firepower of the Bugimir - ADETIKKI - FlyerKungen line will be too much to handle for Nordic Nosebleed. Written In The Stars had the 2nd most goals for in Group 1 and NNB allowed the 5th most goals in Group 2... I think this one could be a bloodbath. 4-0 series win for Written In The Stars. Silenttio: Written is still Written here, as they have their top forwards still in the game with them. Their forwards combined together are one of the most skilled and dangerous trio offensively in the whole Europe. You dont wanna give space to those guys. NNB started well this season, but something happened as in my view their status dropped from surprising challenger, to team that almost didn't even make the playoffs. 4-0 SKY. X Factor vs. Kattiautomaatti Alpha: This is an interesting one. X Factor certainly were impressive during the regular season but Kattiautomaatti is a decent team that I think has another gear. If Kenu manages to take a break from sipping on banana-flavored cocktails - maybe Katti can pull off an upset. X Factor does have very good chemistry though and will most likely take it, not without a fight though. Final prediction, 4-1 X Factor. Silenttio: Oh boy, oh boy. Kids of new era facing the old, legendary Xbox team which used to go far in playoffs - not even long ago. X Factor is a Top 3-team on my list. Huge skill, huge awareness of the game, and lots of games under their belts. I'm afraid that this series will turn ugly after first couple tighter games. Katti has good players, for sure. I'm just not quite sure if are they playing? After tbnantti went to Finnish Roosters, Katti haven't been the same. They have the top Finnish defensemen of the Xbox Era out there in Slaivonen and Sumppi, good chemistry between the wingers but I gotta ask; Who is their leader? Or brick wall goalie? Haven't seen none of these two guys in months - that will be the key differencemaker in this series. Also, I gotta' say that I've heard that Katti has stood up well recently in the EASHL games. Lets hope so. 4-2, X Factor Finnish Roosters - Alliance HT Alpha: The Roosters were always good (they certainly showed me that personally - eliminating the Coal Miners 4-0 in the ECL 2 playoffs' first round) but the addition of tbnantti really pushed them into "Top Team-territory". With tbnantti setting up the always dangerous sniper pleemaker, the Roosters have one of the most dangerous 1-2 punches in the league. However, Alliance have certainly impressed me. As one of the few russian teams in the league, I didn't know what to expect but they've proven their mettle through this tough regular season by downing some big teams. As I said, impressive. Still, 4-2 Roosters. Silenttio: Just like Nordic Nosebleed, Alliance started well as they were one of the best teams of Group 2 in October and November. What happened? All I can say is that they know how to play D, they have a very impressive goalie but guess they haven't found their chemistry in the offensive zone yet. On to FR then - one of the best teams right now. In my honest opinion, they have Europe's best goalie and a Top-5 offense as well. These guys know how to score goals! You turn your back for them for one second and they will score - just like that. I would like to see AHT challenging FR with their defense but after thinking about it - no chances. 4-1, FR. Nordic Blizzard - Murohoki Alpha: Murohoki perplexes me. In the EASHL games I've played against them, they've crushed my team 7-0 one game with impenetrable defense and quick zone exists, only for the next game a few days later to end with us winning 5-1. This could of course have to do with different lineups, or it could have to do with the fact that muro has a very high "top level" as a team... If that is the case, they need to make sure they're firing at that level all playoffs long to be a challenge for Nordic Blizzard. NBz, former champs of ECL 1, delivered a solid regular season and will be looking to once again conquer the crown. Lots of talent and routine in this team and when the stakes are high - this should be the deciding factor. 4-1 Blizzard. Silenttio: Uhm, I gotta admit that I haven't seen these teams play much recently but on the paper - should be all Blizzard here. Muro lost their best player to Nordic Lightning, and that is big kick to the nuts for Muro when the game gets tougher. Even one win for Muro would be surprise here but not impossible. Still, Blizzard should take this home easy with routine effort. 4-0, Blizzard. Dynasty - Knight Aces HC Alpha: One of the very top defensive squads of the league (Dynasty) versus a fast, dynamic, agressive team like Knight Aces is a fun matchup. The expression "Offense wins games, defense wins championships" seems appropriate here, even if I don't always subscribe to that theory. If the Aces can get their offense going they have a shot here but thats easier said than done with Haldeem and Snapu patrolling the blueline (like they did every game of the regular season). However, I just got this feeling and I think we might have the first upset of the playoffs here. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say; 4-3 Knight Aces HC. Silenttio: Not even long ago, I liked Dy... excuse me - I played there. If some finnish team is built for playoffs, it's Dynasty without a doubt. What they have is defensive line-up with touch of smooth skill and great goaltending as they have not only one, but two top goalies. I'm too lazy to check stats as I write this but didn't Dynasty have one of the best GAA on ECL 3? Sums up their team pretty good. Knight Aces HC is smart and fast team. They dont maybe play the most beautiful hockey there is but hey, who cares? Shoot, skate and hit - oh and little bit good luck and Knight Aces might have chance to make this series one of the best in round 1. Just because Aces stole 3pts from SIKA in the regular season, I'll go with.... 4-3 Dynasty. Refuse to Lose - TIKI TALK Alpha: Refuse To Lose will have to shut down TIKI TALK captain and leading scorer, itspardytime, in this series to be successfull. If they can do that though, they should be able to advance past this round. RTLs first line of ShaneC27 - RedMisti - Hanssoni has been dynamic and really carried the team while their defenders have focused on defending and shut quite a few teams down. However, rumors say that Hanssoni might miss the first round of the playoffs... Lets see who comes out on top, TIKI TALKs fast transition attack or Refuse To Loses puck possession game in the offensive zone. 4-2 RTL. Silenttio: Very interesting match-up again, I'm thinking about Game 7 already! Both teams have offensive upsides in the game - then again I'm not so sure about their defenses as units. If RtL controls the cherry picking TIKI forwards, they should be fine here. Hard to say which team will take this as I see it very even match-up on the paper. Game 7 decision here but for who? I'll go with RtL. 4-3, Refuse to Lose Fat Cats - Inter Iceland Alpha: I really like Inter Iceland for this one. I know very little of them but what I have seen when playing them is a team that could surprise greatly. Fat Cats is a good, disciplined team but somehow I just got a strange feeling for this one. 4-2, Inter Iceland. Silenttio: If the date would be somewhere in October, I'd go all in with Inter Iceland but damn that Fat Cats has improved during this season. I really like their team and see them as one of the dark horses of these playoffs. Many have spoke about them being aggressive, playoffs-looking team and I have nothing against that. Inter Iceland - I see them as other version of Nordic Nosebleed - started well but long season has done its job for these guys as well. Even though I prefer Fat Cats here, I wouldn't be surprised if we see another long, tight series here. 4-2 Fat Cats. White Trash - Northern Ascendancy Alpha: White Trash is a good team - they proved that by positioning themselves well in Group 1 - but will not be a match for the skilled playoff performers of Northern Ascendancy, IMO. 4-1, Northern Ascendancy Silenttio: Have to say that WT is full of question marks to me. I only know couple skilled players from there and that's it. Have also heard that they've been annoying opponent to play against so there is that. NOR, on the other hand, is full of experience and that's something you cant just underestimate. Foppatofflan is the ultimate forward, one of the best ever, and I think that this is going to be his show. NOR didn't play that good regular season when you look at their roster but that team is built for playoffs and we're going to see that in this series. 4-1, Northern Ascendancy. Warriors of Kongo - Nordic Nightmare Alpha: Warriors of Kongo had a good performance in the games I played against them, so I am high on their chances in this series. However, Nordic Nightmare was one of my predicted top teams before the start of the tournament and I stand by that - despite their somewhat uneven regular season (by their standards). NN steps up and wins this one 4-2 NN. Silenttio: Warriors of Kongo has surprised everyone. Going from low tier team to dangerous mid-level team is something we dont see happen that often. Nordic Nightmare had problems during the regular season keeping their level after great start. However I see them as better team here, and by playing his with routine they shouldn't have any problems. Suutu_jo is their leader off and on the ice, and he will be the difference maker in this one and make things easier for NN. 4-1, NN. HC Checkmate - MUKIMIEHET Alpha: Another former champion in MUKIMIEHET looking to reclaim the ECL title, up against surprise team HC Checkmate with ECL Summer Cup leading scorer Selanne8. On paper, this looks like a MUKI win. They have the experience, they have the skill, they have the passion. However, Checkmate have proven resilient, overcoming many teams towards the end of the season to secure good playoff positioning. I expect MUKI to struggle more than they think this series. 4-3, MUKIMIHET. Silenttio: One of the least interesting pairs in first round as I dont see anything in CM that could even try to turn this series. Muki is solid, experienced, skilled... well, everything. Plus they have two elite goaltenders so, yeah... this one will be: 4-0, Muki. Sjukstugan - Nordic Lightning Alpha: THE series of Round 1 - I know for sure I will be watching this and I am sure I'm not alone in thinking that. Two of the best Swedish teams out there do battle! It's a bit of a shame that it had to happen as soon as Round 1, but what a matchup it creates. The speed and skill of NL versus the toughness and defense of 112... look for this one to go 7. In the end I think it will come down to a battle of wills between the two captains, Bjono and JaromirSniper68. Sniper is the stronger offensive performer but the leadership and iron will of Bjono cannot be underestimated. Still, I will go with... 4-3, Nordic Lightning. Silenttio: Then we have the biggest pair of first round as two traditional swedish teams face eachothers in big rivalry series. Huge match-up to start with. 112 has the defense where NL has the offense. If you want to watch just one series in the first round, watch this. Goalies have big roles as well here, and I see 112's robbin974 winning this series for them. C'mon boys, show us some love. 4-3, Sjukstugan. Rynnäkköviikset vs. SIKA Alpha: SIKA has impressed me during ECL 3 - it seems like their game is finally firing on all cylinders, both offense and defense, which should make them a dangerous contender in these playoffs. Rynnä had a strong start to the season but faltered a bit towards the end. Still, they are a skilled team with the capability to surprise. 4-1 SIKA. Silenttio: First two games have been played while I'm writing this, and the series is 1-1. Earlier I guessed that this will be 4-2 for us, SIKA, and I still do believe so. We have our problems in starting our engines and it did happen tonight again so no surprises here personally. Rynnäkköviikset play fast and simple, and that it all you need to know about them. Their goalie is underestimated, as I see juha96 as their best player who can turn this series for them. 4-2, SIKA. Silver Sword Griffins - Synergy Alpha: Tough series to predict containing two very tactically skilled teams. Every player from both squads understand the game extensively and we will likely see two teams that are very well-prepared, having scouted their opponents before game time. Synergy is another team that has impressed me this season - they have always been good but I'm not sure I would have pegged them to finish 3rd in the very competitive Group 2. This gives me confidence they could turn in their best playoff performance yet and go far this tournament. 4-2, Synergy. Silenttio: Oh boy, oh boy. SSG got Synergy with their last minute walkover situation and I have strong feeling this might turn ugly. Synergy has turned better and better, week by week. SSG has one-timers, Synergy has the whole package. Not gonna say more than this. 4-1, Synergy. Falun Coal Miners - Aapon Taikasauva Alpha: They say that hope is the last thing to leave you before you die, and maybe thats true here as well. Regardless, I wouldn't be much of a captain if I didn't atleast believe in my teams ability to win so I will ruffle some feathers here and predict another upset. One that will consist of a 7-game series where Aapon wins one game 6-2, we win next 1-0 in OT and on it goes like that until FCM's #1 Defensive defenseman, Meeertz, scores on a shot from the point in Game 7 OT. 4-3, FCM. Silenttio: This is pretty much like NOS vs. FFR, even though FCM has better upside to turn this series to game 7 showdown. These guys have playoffs experience from earlier years, and by defending Aapo's super offensive gameplan well, who knows if we have biggest surprise in this series? Then again, we're talking about Aapo. They have Joukki, they have Puantso, they have Indi. Tough, tough boys to defend against one time per night and I can just imagine what FCM D has in their minds facing Aapo for several games in a row (Note from Alpha: Nightmares...). However, Aapo's D-men are their weakspot but gladly they have elite goalie between the pipes. So yeah, might turn ugly again. I'm very excited to see Aapo's playoff journey and this will be good test for them. 4-1, Aapon Taikasauva. No Guts No Glory - Laser HT Alpha: Laser is, to me, without a doubt the best team in this tournament and the world right now. I predicted them to win the entire tournament before it started and I stand by that. Regardless of lineup, Laser is a force to be reckoned with and unless No Guts pull off a miracle here - this will be the first step of a long playoff journey for Dominointi and crew. 4-0 LHT. Silenttio: No glory here for NG2, for sure. Laser is definitely in the overall Top 3 of on-going season and they will handle this series, even with their lefties. Good luck, NG2... 4-0, Laser HT. Pheeew... That's all from us, for now. Feel free to leave any and all feedback in the comment section below. Let us have it! Good luck in the playoffs to all teams and have fun out there. // The_Alpha_Furyan & vSilenttio