WEEK 8 (thru Monday)

His Ice Hogs team playing the Boulder Flyers for the outright Probert division lead, Braden Holtby (game face intact) deflected 32 of the 34 pucks he faced - his seventh consecutive triumph and league-best 11th win providing the Hogs with the early lead in their pivotal Week 8 match.

Ice Hogs: 3.2
Boulder Flyers: 0.0
No need for fancy words. No need to be cute or clever. Just the facts: The Ice Hogs and Boulder Flyers are tied for the Probert division lead. Both teams are 4-3. The winner of the match will improve to 5-3 - and will lead the division outright. The loser, at 4-4, will be branded “Average” and tossed into the tank housing the Probert division wannabes.

Wild Ducks: 3.0
Misconducts: 7.0­
An important match for both franchises - important for different reasons. The Wild Ducks, 5-2, are coming off their biggest win of the season; the firing-on-all-cylinders squad seeking to regain a share of the Grimson division lead. The Misconducts, 4-3, are struggling mightily; the smoke-billowing-from-under-the-hood franchise in need of a win to retain their slim Domi division advantage.  

Vegas Vipers: 0.0
Rocky Rocks: 0.0­
When it comes to qualifying for the 7-team H2H playoffs, they don’t make them much bigger than this - especially for a match this early in the season. The Vegas Vipers and Rocky Rocks share the worst record in the league - both teams scarred with a record of 2-5. The winner will jump back into the playoff picture at 3-5. The loser will hold the outright worst record in the league, a 2-6 mark possibly crippling their chances of qualifying for the postseason.

Badger Bob: 0.0
Cherry Pickers: 2.0
Badger Bob, 6-1, are focused on a return trip to the winner’s circle as they play host to the Cherry Pickers, 3-4. Prior to last week - when Badger Bob was flawless - the task for the Pickers would have seemed monumental. But now - after the Wild Ducks have proven the Bobs to be human - the Pick are confident of escaping the unfriendly confines of New Jersey with a much-needed win.

SC Cobras: 0.0
Bluliners: 2.0­
A non-divisional battle of 3-4 teams; both the Bluliners and SC Cobras in identical positions - both currently seated one game behind their division leader. You don’t have to be good at math to recognize the importance of this match. A win could vault one team into the lead; a loss could drop the other into their division cellar. It’s not a do-or-die match, more like a do-or-ah-shit-now-I-really-gotta-win-next-week confrontation.

Central Red Army: 0.0
Polar Bears: 0.0­
Another battle of 3-4 teams. In this case however, the teams face entirely different scenarios. Despite their subpar record, the Central Red Army are seated just one game in back of the Domi division leader. A win and a .500 record could place the Army on top. Conversely, the Polar Bears are lodged in the stacked Grimson, a subpar record placing the team a full three games back. In short, both teams need to win but only the Army can afford to lose.

LINK: Standings