Erzac

Here we are the last game of the season and as usual, lots to still be decided.
 
With the top four teams in GHL so close, any of the top four could still win the regular season crown. That's just crazy.
 
As usual, the final spot will be decided tonight as well. Stray Cats, Wolf Pack, and Sabercats are all within one point. Lower down, last night's Elite squeaky win past Volcano has Volcano, Miners, and Elite separated by just two points trying to avoid the dreaded relegation playoffs.
 
Two key matchup tonight.
Wolf Pack vs Elite since both teams are fighting for their survival.
Also, if Vandals can beat the Indians, they will win the league title.
 
The SHL is just as wild since Bangers beat Musketeers last night, now Bangers (5th) locked their postseason berth and put the next to last nail in the Musketeers' dreams. Musketeers can still get in, but now need to hope Bangers thump Leopards since the Musketeers can only get in if they win AND make up the three goal difference with Leopards.
 
Key Matchup:
Bangers vs Leopards!

Depending on some game results tonight, the last playoff spot(s) may be decided by the last game of the season between Cats and Grizzlies, with the possibility of a spot being on the line for both teams.
 
Another magic number: Of all the current GHL teams (that have been in playoffs in the past), Stray Cats hold the enviable record of the longest playoff drought, with the latest (and only) appearance in S7.

2 to go!
 
With last night's victory, Minutemen have secured their playoff goals. Also, Miners beat Elite 2-1 with a 3rd period SHG (that pretty much sums up my season) to grab the cheap champagne slot of 12th. They control their own destiny now.
 
Straycats and Wolf Pack both lost, so it's a dead heat for the final two spots.
 
No real key matchups tonight as the schedule tends to favor the top half teams, so anything can happen.
 
Over in the SHL, Admirals locked up 1st place by holding Thundering Herd to only two goals.
 
The Bangers loss and wins by Musketeers and Leopards means those three teams are fighting amongst themselves for the final two playoff spots.
 
Tonight's Bangers vs Musketeers matchup will likely decide which one of those two teams will definitely be moving on to the postseason, no pressure!

Another annoying result from the bloated overalls is that players are an indistinguishable mass.
 
As 99 marks the best of the best, currently in Biscuit GHL there are:
 
24 world fastest skaters,
11 world best passers,
14 world best shooters etc.
 
And if you'd think ~95 is "elite" in a category, then basically any player on any given team is "elite" in something. Which shouldn't be the case obviously.

Currently in the GHL, the playoff structure looks like:
 
Series A: Rank 1 vs Rank 8
Series B: Rank 2 vs Rank 7
Series C: Rank 3 vs Rank 6
Series D: Rank 4 vs Rank 5
 
Series E: Winner A vs Winner B
Series F: Winner C vs Winner D
 
Final: Winner E vs Winner F
 
The current path ensures that there will never be the top 2 teams fighting it out in the finals. It also makes it so that the teams rank 4th and 5th have the highest chance at getting the easiest path to the cup. And since the 5th place team is also entered into a better playoff lottery compared to the top 4 teams, it makes it the ideal position from a purely playoffs and potential future success standpoint. My suggestion is to simply change the following series:
 
 
Series E: Winner A vs Winner D
Series F: Winner C vs Winner B

This is just becoming pure insanity.  We now have the same amounts of points and are separated by 1 goal differential.  Can we finish with the same amount of points 3 seasons in a row?
 
Two teams who play totally different tactics, totally different strategies, different types of players... the list goes on.
 
But let's add to it.  We also recently discovered that we are the same age, have pretty much the same exact profession, and our personal lives are pretty much the same with the exception of a 1 kid differential (3 vs. 4) to go along with our 1 goal differential.   
 
Yes, insane. 

That makes two of us

Happy for bear! He Made it! Quality manager, very correct also.

After starting 0-7 against the Thundering Herd (last season + this season) the Leopards have finally taken down the Herd to improve to 1-7 !!!
 
http://www.gameplanhockey.com/game?gpid=177902
 
Good luck in GHL, Bear.  I, for one, am happy I don't have to face you again next season

Just 4 games and 12 points to go.  The top 4 teams are now a lock with Protons, Pegasus, Rebels, and Vandals.  How they shake up is anyone's guess the way they have been shuffling the top two spots this past week.  Although a Vandals loss (vs Breakouts) and Protons win (vs Indians) would make it virtually impossible for Vandals to claim the #1 spot. 
 
A Marauders win tonight against the Miners will essentially lock in their playoff berth.  
 
As usual, 8th place will likely be decided by the last game of the season with 7th-10th all within 4 points still.  
 
Miners upset victory over Rebels last night in a SO moved them up to 12th, ahead of the going backwards Elite who are in 13th due to goals differential.  
 
Speaking of relegation, an Elite win (vs Pegasus) AND a Breakouts loss (vs Vandals) would essentially mean Breakouts could finish no higher than 14th.  But a win by the Breakouts would all but ensure that the Tomahawks (vs Grizzlies) will be back in the SHL next season.  
 
Matchups of the Night:
Breakouts at Vandals due to the impact on so many teams
But keep an eye on the scores for Volcano at Minutemen and Wolf Pack at Sabercats since both these matches may add some clarity on which teams will be sitting on their thumbs by the end of the weekend.  

In the SHL, there is also some excitement brewing even though the top two teams were decided several games back.  
 
But there is a real battle raging for the right to try and play up as the Bangers (94 pts, 5th), Musketeer (90), Leopards (90), and Eagles (87) all are trying to stay alive to play against the Dynasty Heroes and Mohawks in the 1st round of the SHL playoffs.  
 
Key Matchup Tonight:  Dynasty Heroes at Leopards.  A potential first round matchup and the Leopards have taken 2 of 3 against the Heroes so far this season.  

And in the end we managed to squeeze into 1st place. Incredible 4 teams scramble for 1st place. 5 games left and the leader is changing everyday. 

A regulation win in the catfight tonight would be big for either team.
 
I still have the upcoming 4 game streak of Marauders(5th), Rebels(4th), Vandals(2nd) and Protons(1st). Can't really expect to gain too many points there.

With only 7 games remaining (21 max points), thought it'd be fun to track teams chances going forward.  I don't have one of those fancy simulators to give % chances (feel free to add below if you do), but will at least highlight key games and when teams either clinch or get eliminated.  
 
1.  Protons (103 pts) - Have clinched a playoff spot for the 132nd straight year.  
2.  Vandals (102) - Are in.
3.  Pegasus (102) - Are in.
4.  Rebels (100) - Are in.
14-16, Breakouts (59), Indians (59), and Tomahawks (55) are eliminated from Top 8 but neck and neck in the battle to avoid automatic relegation.
 
Key Matchup tonight:
 
Stray Cats (78, 9th) vs Sabrecats (77, 10th).  A win by either could catapult them into 7th place.
 
 

These are indeed quite puzzling.
 
From what I've observed(merely observations, not based on actual raw fact),
 
Teamwork: Solely based on traits, doesn't fluctuate without roster moves.
 
Confidence: A mix of individual players' confidences as well as team record. The only time I've seen better than OK confidence was last season in SHL where I had multiple long winning streaks. Even then it didn't rise above "good", so there must be some other factors involved as well. Perhaps some traits factor in?
 
Winner instinct: Largely based on "big games" - trait, goalies seem to factor in more than your average skater. There are also some unknown factors involved that make it fluctuate a little. Possibly season record or recent games affect it somehow. I've witnessed a drop from heroic to strong, and from strong to ok while absolutely nothing else changed. No roster, lineup, confidence or training change. Just time passing, I.E. games being played/training happening(with no modifications to intensity).
 
I also have a wild, possibly completely misplaced hunch, that your whole roster factors into these, including players in the minors. That could explain some of the weird fluctuations as well as the confidence bar seemingly lagging behind the main roster's overall confidence. But I've zero tangible facts on this.
 
As to whether these have any actual effect on team performance, I haven't figured out. If there's an effect, it would seem to be quite small. Any big movements in the team spirits are (almost) always associated with trades, thus making it hard to judge whether the differences in team performance are a result from the different players or the team spirits changing.

Updated the roster for Season 14! I just realized I had a Japanese-American player (Ramiro Ohara) on my own team, and he immediately makes the top-line much stronger and GHL-competitive. Some other significant changes to the forwards - what was an incredibly veteran-heavy roster the first time around has thinned out with five teenagers making the team this time around...the defensemen and goalies haven't changed at all, and this team would still rely heavily on Yu, one of the best goalies in Biscuit.
 

I think it is just more realistic that every player cant be 99 in every category. Even if he is a top player there should always be 1 or 2 category where the player cant hit 99.  I don't know if this is a good example but Sidney Crosby 53% Win percentage rank 33 in face-off's. Many think that he is the best player in the world but to be realistic he cant be the best in everything he does. And I personally like this game cause it is meant to be realistic. Just my humble opinion.  But i agree that many centers has low face-off skill, that also lets the good face-off players shine. And this case is same for every manager so i don't really think that anyone is getting any benefits about this situation. 

The revitalized Stray Kittens are looking to extend the point streak to 10 games tonight. The top line with Chovanec and Ryzhanov has been on fire, and they show no signs of slowing down.

The revitalized Stray Kittens are looking to extend the point streak to 10 games tonight. The top line with Chovanec and Ryzhanov has been on fire, and they show no signs of slowing down.

Player Awards:
 
Top Forward: Pasi Eskola - Forest Park Lumberjacks (4)
The leagues leading point scorer with 62 points takes out this seasons top forward award. Eskola with four votes beat out last years winner of the award Alexandr Gavrikov who came in second with two votes. Season 23 saw Pasi Eskola set a new career high in both goals and points. An achievement even more impressive when done on a non-playoff team.
 
Top Defensemen: Pedar Andreasen - Burnside Bombers (5)
Pedar Andreasen was the talk of the year for the first half of the season. Andreasen’s breakout year had him lead all defensemen in points and finish 6th in overall league scoring. With five votes Andreasen takes home the top defensemen award handedly over last years recipient Dalibor Kosegi who finished with two votes. 
 
Top Goaltender: Thor Landstrom - Stony Brook Steel (5)
There’s no split decision this year. After sharing the award in season 22 Thor Landstrom wins the Top Goaltender award for the second straight season. Landstrom's save percentage of .929 was second in the league even with the second largest workload of any goaltender playing 2674 minutes. This is also while receiving the fifth most shots against, there is no doubting that Landstrom had his work cut out for him to retain Top Goaltender.
 
Most Outstanding Player: Pedar Andreasen - Burnside Bombers (5)
Along with receiving Top Defensemen honours, Pedar Andreasen was voted the Most Outstanding Player of Season 23.  One of three new categories to the ballot this year, Andreasen is crowned with the most impressive performance of all players for this year. The hulking 6’7 defender, taken outside of the top 10 at 11th overall at the season 18 draft has developed in a game breaker for the Burnside Bombers. Spending most of the year leading all players in points, it wasn’t until the last quarter of the season that forwards were able to catch up to his production. 
 
Most Desirable Player To Build A Team Around: Anir Vigneault - Newcastle Fighters (3)
Goaltender Anir Vigneault takes out the Cornerstone Award for season 23, narrowly edging out the emerging star center Filips Birznieks. Vigneault, 24 years old, has consistently finished in the top 5 for save percentage since entering the league in season 17. Finishing 5th in save percentage this season and having the leagues best save percentage in Season 20, Vigneault’s size, age and intangibles endeared him to voters this  season.  
 
Best Under 21: Artem Belyakov - Pittsboro Predators (3)
Artem Belyakov is the first recipient of the Best Under 21 award. With the intent of highlighting the top up and coming player the first overall pick from the Season 20 draft helped guide the Pittsboro Predators to their second consecutive appearance in the GHL playoffs posting 36 points from the blueline. While this is his last year of eligibility of the award his previous performances of 40 points as an 18 year old and 35 at 19 years of age could have seen him sweep this award since his debut into the league. Belyakov with have to settle with being the inaugural recipient of the award before he ages out of contention. 
 
First Overall Consensus of Previous Draft: Dylan Diop - Goderich Goblins (6)
There was little deliberation with who the top choice of last season draft was. Dylan Diop who was selected first overall retains that opinion at the end of his first season in the league. The 18 year old centerman transitioned into the GHL well putting up 28 points. At 6’4 and displaying maturity beyond his years Diop looks like the real deal as he looks to be the cornerstone of the Goderich Goblins who narrowly missed the playoffs this year in only their second season in the GHL.
 
 
Manager Opinions:
 
Most Important Position: Goaltender (4)
Goaltending is still the most valued position by the GHL managers receiving the highest number of votes for the second straight season. Only one team got into the playoffs without a goaltender ranked in the top 8 for save percentage and the play of Daniel Crapper almost propelling Goderich into the playoffs, there is a clear correlation between team success and the performance of their goaltender.
 
What Team Will Win The Most Cups Over The Next 10 Seasons? Stony Brook (4)
Stony Brook again is considered to be the best contending team for the next 10 Seasons. Stony Brook is chasing down their third consecutive GHL cup and fourth in five seasons. Unless Stony Brooks is hit with a flood, the GHL cup doesn’t look to be in any hurry to leave the grips of that town.
 
What Team Will Need To Rebuild In The Next 5 Seasons? Burnside (3)
The Burnside Bombers have enjoyed at healthy run in the GHL with either a 4th or 5th place finish for the last seven seasons. The voting managers in the GHL believe that health is on it’s last legs as Burnside is this years recipient of the rebuild kiss of death. Last years ‘winner’ Palm Harbor Legends saw there team regress this season to an 8th place finish, just narrowly holding onto a playoff spot.
 
What Team Do You Not Want To Meet In The Playoffs? Stony Brook (6)
It’s no surprise if your considered to be the most dominant team for the next decade you’ll be the most feared in the playoffs. Stony Brook received almost a unanimous decision for the second straight season. This comes on the eve of just stamping their ticket to the second round after defeating Palm Harbor in games one and two of the first round. Regardless of the regular season workload, Landstrom will likely gets lots of opportunities to familiarise himself with the bench in meaningless game three during the playoffs.
 
Are You Satisfied With The Current Playoff Format? No (6)
A new question presented to the managers this year and dissatisfaction with the current playoff format was almost a unanimous decision. Ranging from a desire for an extended series to wanting meaningless games eliminated after qualifying for the next round, a playoff reform looks to be a hot topic moving forward. 
 
 
 
 
Thank you to all managers that participated in the second annual GHL managers poll. We saw submissions from a couple new faces this season but failed to receive ballots from returning managers, we’ll place the blame on the postal service and hope for more engagement next season. Best of luck to the teams in the playoffs and all teams in their preparations for next season. 
 

Maybe the solution to both our scoring woes is just to have Stray Cats and Elite play each other for EVERY game!  A real barn burner last night!?!  Now it's my defense the past week that looks horrible too!

Another annoying result from the bloated overalls is that players are an indistinguishable mass.
 
As 99 marks the best of the best, currently in Biscuit GHL there are:
 
24 world fastest skaters,
11 world best passers,
14 world best shooters etc.
 
And if you'd think ~95 is "elite" in a category, then basically any player on any given team is "elite" in something. Which shouldn't be the case obviously.

Another annoying result from the bloated overalls is that players are an indistinguishable mass.
 
As 99 marks the best of the best, currently in Biscuit GHL there are:
 
24 world fastest skaters,
11 world best passers,
14 world best shooters etc.
 
And if you'd think ~95 is "elite" in a category, then basically any player on any given team is "elite" in something. Which shouldn't be the case obviously.

Another annoying result from the bloated overalls is that players are an indistinguishable mass.
 
As 99 marks the best of the best, currently in Biscuit GHL there are:
 
24 world fastest skaters,
11 world best passers,
14 world best shooters etc.
 
And if you'd think ~95 is "elite" in a category, then basically any player on any given team is "elite" in something. Which shouldn't be the case obviously.

Here are the notable 25yo or younger GHL goalies I could find with a quick glance.
 
Vojsovic, 20 - 89
Malette, 21 - 95
Cook, 22 - 90
Fricker, 22 - 94
Koivula, 23 - 95
Senko, 24 - 96
Strass, 24 - 95
Yu, 24 - 96
Keehan, 25 - 90
Ormsby, 25 - 94
 
These guys will be in the game for at least 10+ seasons. And they'll get even better still. Also, there seemed to be no immensely talented 18-19 year old goalies around.