One year ago....At the Christmas break last year, the Ice Hogs were in 1st place, leading the 2nd place Misconducts by 8.6 points. The eventual champion Wild Ducks were in 3rd place, 48.8 points back. The Silicon Valley Slashers - the team that would "win" the Laughing Bag - was seated in 9th place, 49.6 points clear of the basement.
Over the next three months the Wild Ducks would outpoint the Ice Hogs by 74.1 points (did you hear that Bluliners?!) - winning the FHL Cup by a margin of 25.3 points.
The news from one year ago...For the second consecutive week the Central Red Army were caught and passed on the final day of the week. On Friday Sergei Bobrovsky (left) won his league-best 21st game of the season - his 11th win in a row - his Wild Ducks team overcoming a 4.8 point deficit to win by 0.3.Wild Ducks: 33.9
Central Red Army: 33.6The Wild Ducks improved to 8-3 with the comeback win. While they don't have the best record in the league they do have the fattest cushion, the Ducks now leading the Grimson division by four full games. Overall, the Ducks departed the week in the money, nestled in 3rd place; 48.8 points back. The Central Red Army were left nursing their wounds yet again, GM Buker's hard-luck squad now 6-5 for the season; three games behind the Misconducts in the stacked Domi division.
Ice Hogs: 39.3
Silicon Valley Slashers: 28.1It was an up and down campaign for the Ice Hogs but they finished strong - and in the same position that they occupied at the start of the week, 1st place. The victory leaves the Hogs with a record of 8-2, tops in the Probert division. The Silicon Valley Slashers slipped under .500 in defeat, their record now 5-6. Despite having a losing record the mark keeps the Slashers in the post-season H2H picture, still holding the 7th and final playoff card.
Misconducts: 35.4
Between the Pipes: 25.3The best H2H team won again, the Misconducts now 9-2 for the season; 2.5 games better than the SC Cobras. Unable to maintain their position after passing the Ice Hogs, the Misconducts enter the holiday break in 2nd place, 8.6 points from the FHL summit. Between the Pipes slumped to 4-7 in defeat, four games behind the Domi leader but only one game shy of a post-season H2H playoff berth. Overall, the picture remains bleak. Once close to daylight, the Pipes are now 23.1 points below ground level.
Bluliners: 54.0
Polar Bears: 24.4The Bluliners were the best team of week, closing with 54.0 points. Getting a taste of the money (3rd place) at midweek, the Bluliners eventually slipped to 4th, now 53.3 points back. H2H-wise, the Bluliners improved to 7-4, currently 1.5 games behind the Probert-leading Ice Hogs. The Polar Bears were the worst team of the week, GM Elya's squad stumbling to 3-8. Overall, the defending FHL champion is securely lodged in 10th place, 126.8 points from top; 23.2 points from the bottom.
Boulder Flyers: 45.9
Badger Bob: 25.8Badger Bob joins the Bluliners in the Hall of Shame - teams that have lost to the Boulder Flyers. The Flyers enjoyed a rare good week, posting the league's second best score; their H2H record now 2-9. While the overall situation remains grim, GM Morgan is smiling somewhat, his back no longer plastered to the basement door. The defeat leaves Badger Bob with a record of 4-7; one game short of the H2H playoffs. The Cup chase standings find the Bobs in 8th place, 99.9 points out of first; 51.1 behind a money finish (3rd place).
Ice Cats: 36.9
SC Cobras: 32.5There were no final day heroics for the SC Cobras this week, GM Murphy's team succumbing to the Ice Cats, their record now 6-4-1. Still in the H2H playoffs, the snakes close the week in 7th place overall, 89.9 points back. The Ice Cats improved to 4-7 with the win, one game short of the H2H playoffs. In search of their first FHL Cup, the Ice Cats enter Week 12 in 6th place, 86.6 points behind the front-running Ice Hogs.
The standings from one year ago...