Hi Again! Another week filled with TWHL action has come to an end, in fact a new one has already begun. We're now halfway through the TWHL3 season and it looks like Hated Taipei is still the best team in the league.
The ALLSTAR TOURNAMENT
The TWHL3 AST should be coming up in a couple of weeks. We've had the same winner in both previous AST, the mighty Lee division. I'd be very surprised if the LEE which have been dominating the league even more this season doesn't win the TWHL3 AST. Just look at these numbers.
TWHL1
GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT LAST 10 STREAK
LEE 6 4 2 0 22 13 8 .667 4-2-0 2G losing
ALI 6 3 3 0 15 25 6 .500 3-3-0 1G losing
PELE 6 3 3 0 23 17 6 .500 3-3-0 2G winning
BORG 6 2 4 0 20 25 4 .333 2-4-0 1G winning
TWHL2
GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT LAST 10 STREAK
LEE 6 5 0 1 29 21 11 .917 5-0-1 6G undefeated
BORG 6 2 3 1 23 24 5 .417 2-3-1 4G winless
ALI 6 2 4 0 19 23 4 .333 2-4-0 1G losing
PELE 6 1 3 2 23 26 4 .333 1-3-2 2G winless
ALL-TIME
GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT
LEE 12 9 2 1 51 34 19 .792
ALI 12 5 7 0 34 48 10 .417
PELE 12 4 6 2 46 43 10 .417
BORG 12 4 7 1 43 49 9 .375
The GM and coach of each division all star team is the same as the GM adn coach of the team that is leading their divisions shortly prior to the AST break. With the current standings it would mean that the following GM's and coaches would be selected.
ALI - tiger / susie derkins
PELE - Chris(py) / Terence
BORG - Peter / Neely/Linseman
LEE - David / Yakushev/Gradin
The Trades
Last week we saw some action on the trading market, mostly thanks to Rio GM Jason. This week things have been slower but I have one rather big trade to talk about.
Taipei had an extra goalie after the promotion of Manny Legace earlier. Demi Moore had been indicating that one of Taipeis netminders had to go and it was surprisingly Tomas Vokoun.
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To Taipei:
Mika Noronen 1+ L G 4 7 8 5 9 7 8 6 8 - - 62 3
Vancouver 1st Rnd Draft Pick TWHL3
1 TC TWHL3
To Cairo:
Tomas Vokoun 1+ R G 8 9 7 7 8 4 7 2 9 - - 61 4
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This is a great trade for hated Taipei, infact I think I hate them even more now that I did before ( if that is at all possible ). They already have a strong team and they only got stronger with this deal. Sure, Vokoun is a great goalie, but Cairo already have Chris Osgood, last years Vezina winner, so why they go for the runner up aswell is beyond me. But as my source in Taipeis HQ said, this is open trading.
The Records
My compliments to the Records commish for compiling the record book! Good work Wayne!
The Stats
This week I've taken a closer look to the shots. Shots against and shots for. C3P0, Stockholms statistics manager has compiled these numbers. And knowing C3P0 as well as I do I can't guarantee that they are correct. In fact I know that some of them are incorrect. Trades effect the teamstats which have been used to compile these stats.
Lets start out with shots for / game. It isn't any surprise to find Tokyo and Taipei at the top. Tokyo shoots 10 shots more / game than Toronto, that impressive. League avarage is just over 31 shots.
Team Games Shots for Shots against Shots for/game Shots against/ game
Tokyo 40 1752 1220 43,80 30,50
Taipei 40 1451 1125 36,28 28,13 *
Rome 40 1427 1137 35,68 28,43
Stockholm 40 1369 1138 34,23 28,45
Toronto 41 1380 1178 33,66 28,73
Now lets take a look at shots against / game. These numbers are a great way of seeing how good defense your team has. The stars next to Tapei and Cape Town indicated that their numbers are incorrect. They have traded goalkeepers during the seasons and since trades effect the teamstats theses numbers are probably a bit off. Natable is that Borg Division teams Rome and Stockholm are among the top five in the league in both categories.
Team Games Shots for Shots against Shots for/game Shots against/ game
Taipei 40 1451 1125 36,28 28,13 *
Rio 41 1244 1163 30,34 28,37
Cape Town 41 1284 1165 31,32 28,41 *
Rome 40 1427 1137 35,68 28,43
Stockholm 40 1369 1138 34,23 28,45
The Divisions
ALI
Vancouver continue to struggle at the top and might soon be passed by Toronto in the standings. The reason to the Greenpeace's problems appears to be slumping goalies, all three of them are currently at -1. I wouldn't be surprised if Vancouver trade for a goalie soon. Toronto is a disapointment so far, they score lots of goals and should be higher in the standings. Both Montreal and New York have passed LA in the standings this week. Not so much because they are playing well, (both around .500 ) but because LA is playing awfull! They are 1-8-1 in the last 10 games. GM Wayne has put the whole team on the block so we should expect to see some trades confirmed soon. Chicago has won their last two games and has now 10 wins this season. What has happend to this team ? Nylander and Sittler who used to carry this team just isn't good enough this season. 23 points separate the first and last team.
PELE
Three teams are battling for first place in the division, Mexico, Rio and Cape Town. They have scored almost the same amount of goals (146-148) but Rio has by far the best defense. Stephane Yelle is playing good for the Burritos and leads the team in scoring with 46 points of which 21 are goals. Rio has one of the best goalscorers in the league in Brett Lysak. Adam Deadmarsh came to Cape Town from Tokyo prior to this season and he has been Cape Towns best player so far together with rookie Cory Stillman. Only 4 points separate these three teams. Cairo, Santiago and Havana in that order are fighting for the fourth playoff spot. 12 points separate the first and last team but Havana in last place has a couple of game in hand an might be able to decrease that gap even further.
BORG
Stockholm has thanks to a 9 game undefeaten streak been able to climb past Rome and reclaim the first place in the Borg. Stocholm got their game together when they traded Pascal Rheaume to Rio for Anson Carter. During the same period hasn't Rome played that great. it is clear that they miss lefty Sergei Samsonov. Prague is in third place just two points a head of London in fourth. Both these teams have been playing good lately. Prague is .600 and London .700 in the last 10 games. After these teams there is a huge gap down to Berlin in 5th. The gap has now grown to 16 points. I dare to say that the playoff spots in the Borg are already decided. Perhaps they were even before the start of the season. Moscow hasn't won a game in their last 18 and has lost 10 straight. Has Zinetula run out of aces in his sleeve ? 30 points separate the first and last placed teams.
LEE
The best division in the league without a doubt. With teams like Taipei, Tokyo and Singapore I can't feel anything but pity for the other teams. All teams in the division are over .500 but there is still a gap of 18 points between first and sixth place. Tapiei hold on to their lead, are they going to last to the end ? I hope not. Singapore is in second place but Tokyo has the chance to climb past them if they win todays game against Stockholm. Two Tokyo players, Bure and Marleau is leading the league in points. Bure is number one with 59 points in 40 games. Hong Kong is in 4th place but is being followed by Melbourne and Calcutta. Hong Kong has four points and two games in hand on Melbourne and Calcutta. Is Hong Kong going to be able to keep the two followers behind them ?
That is for me, I'm Lasse Kinch reporting for no one but myself!