DATE: 03/24/19
| rank | Player | Goals | Assists | Points | Games | Wins | GW | GWA | Team Goals | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John R | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| 2 | Jared | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 |
| 3 | Brendon | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | MVW | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 5 | Billy T | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 6 | Jason H | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 |
| 7 | Mike M | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| 8 | Mike D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| 9 | Chris Y | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| 10 | Reggie | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Nick | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 12 | Pete S | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| rank | Goalie | Games | Wins | Win % | GA | GAA | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve F | 2 | 2 | 100.00% | 8 | 4.00 | 0 |
| 2 | Dave | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 10 | 5.00 | 0 |
Last night was some of the most competitive games we have had all season. Perhaps the most competitive we've had in a couple years.
When you play over 2 hours and barely churn out 2 games with max scoring, the only thing more competitive, IMO, is playing only 1 game like that in the same amount of time.
We've all been there for the weeks when blowout after blowout happens and somebody (usually Jared) blows their lid because the teams are uneven and multiple unfair trades happen as a result.
Those weeks aren't as fun. Maybe from a comical perspective when a Captain decides to trade himself off his own team...but I digress...
The best games are played when everyone is in playoff mode and the games are close and fun. The HC is just around the corner and the captains need to start putting together their pre-draft rankings.
Well, three of the captains, anyway...Iggy where you been? The Commissioner tells me that for every week you miss from here on out until the HC, you are getting $90 reduced from your overall draft budget.
And if you don't play again until the draft, we are revoking your entire budget and you will just get all of the leftovers for your team. (See what I did there? There's only 1 playable week left)
Anyway, concerning the games last night, some notable things affect the impending HC DRAFT:
- Dave was playing at less than 100% (join the club) So the question about his draft value is now not so much about his talent as a goaltender (which projects to be tops in our current goalie selection),
but more about the question of if he will last the entire 12 hours that the HC lasts. Will his draft value slip? Do captains want to spend valuable capital on someone who might last MOST of the day?
Or would you be better off with a less talented goalie who at least is healthy for the entire day?? Decisions, decisions. It's going to be a great draft.
Nonetheless, Dave definitely kept the white team in it for a while with some great saves, most notably on a breakaway attempt by Jared where he robbed him with his glove. Dave at 50% might be better than GoalieX at 100%...
Next week might be the most definitive week for this opinion to take shape in the minds of the captains.
- Jared and John both played well, contributing to 100% of the dark team's goals. They won the HC last year...will this leave an impression on the captains to overpay for both of them in an attempt to keep that duo together?
It's hard to argue with results. Whoever buys the one first will likely be thinking about selling out for the other in an attempt to create a monopoly of offense. Just another interesting side-story to think about...
- Mike W had himself a game. He was all over the ice, creating shots, hustling for loose pucks, and at one point making a shin-pad save for Dave that robbed the dark team of a sure goal. What kind of value will captains put on his gritty style of play? Will they overpay? It's going to be a great draft.
- Speaking of overpaying, Brett (MIA last night) will likely cause a bidding war as well at some point in the draft. But you won't be able to overpay for him and Mike W and Jared and John and still overpay for JB and Nick and Dave and Billy D...
...at some point, someone will end up going much cheaper than expected because many will be out of capital through the first few bidding wars...but the order is random, so it's going to be a complete
surprise as to who it ends up being. Salary cap management is everything. I seem to recall JB spending something like $42 on Andrew P last year simply because he had way too much left over when everyone else was dollar-bidding the last few out. In a random order draft you can't afford to have tons of money laying around at the end because it's even more dangerous if the order doesn't shake out in your favor and you end up like JB with tons of money and no one to spend it on. So I fully expect all captains to engaged in bidding wars on at about 6 to 8 different players. Doing the math, if top dollar is paid for each one, each team will have exhausted most of their budget on 2 players each, which COULD result in semi-even teams across the board.
The flip side is, the person with the most money left at the end of that will essentially control the rest of the draft. Of course the order is random and the bids are unpredictable so anything can and will happen. It's going to be a great draft.
- Switching gears to a non-HC player, Pete seems to be getting better, especially after he was encouraged in game 2 to get more aggressive and less tentative. I think he may have surprised Jared a bit with some nice defense. He just needs to work on being stronger on those clearouts and passes. We had girls play that made harder passes than that.
- Billy and Nick made up a nice defensive duo with Billy pinching in at wing from time-to-time and getting in on the fun scoring the first goal of the night for our team while sneaking up to the hash marks for a nice one-timer. I think this has to make captains reconsider their draft value as a two-way defenseman is extremely valuable in the HC. Nick might have some competition here.
- Besides Jared and Johnny, Jason is the only other position player left in the draft from last year's defending championship team (Brett is not playing goalie and I am not in the draft since I am a captain). Jason has definitely picked his game up from last year, showing us some solid defensive plays and consistent passing through the neutral zone. I guarantee someone will end up underpaying for him (which is a compliment) and, depending on draft order, might even end up dollar-grabbing him if all funds are exhausted by then. It's going to be a great draft.
You know what you are getting with JHard. A big body who can eat up space in the tiny HC arena and make plays. Enough plays to win. Proof is in the pudding (insert your own dumb joke here).
The underrated players might be the story this year. What if his name goes on the block FIRST? With everyone presumably trying to save their money for elite talent, will they pass on a solid player like him?
So many pre-draft questions left to answer...next week's games should prove to be the most interesting week of the year as it is the last chance to leave an impression on the captain's minds...and for Jared, last chance to purposely tank so he can get his draft price to fall (ha). We shall see.
Draft is 4/6. Be there next week for the final pre-draft game...or else!
