WEEK 23 (thru Saturday)

People watching the pitched battle for the FHL Cup are starting to get dizzy, the back-and-forth race seeing yet another leaderboard change on Saturday, Badger Bob supplanting the Bluliners as the league's best team, the Bobs now leading the race for the 2017-18 championship by 0.4 points.

The Battle for the FHL Cup
Both the Bluliners and Badger Bob trudged through a mucky not-a-lot-of-points Saturday, the Bobs netting 5.0 while the Bluliners were held to just 3.0. The difference however was good enough for GM Chester to move back into the FHL penthouse (though admittedly, not feeling comfortable enough to unpack his bags).

The Bout for the Money
Alex Pietrangelo was the loudest player on an otherwise quiet Saturday, the 28 year-old rearguard ripping 12.0 points (2g, 1a), his Wild Ducks team moving to within 11.1 points of third place money. The Central Red Army also scooted closer to the green, an 11.0 point outing drawing GM Buker's team to within 17.6 points of $175.00.

The Scrap for the Laughing Bag
Torey Krug potted 6.0 (3a) of his team's 9.0 points, the SC Cobras now within striking distance of daylight, GM Murphy's last place team just 18.0 points shy of 11th place and the shedding of the Laughing Bag.

First round, Playoffs
Playoffs are three weeks in length (Weeks 23-25). Prize money is awarded to three teams: the H2H champion ($100.00), runner-up ($70.00) and winner of the consolation match ($30.00).

Central Red Army: 72.1
Polar Bears: 29.1­
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Wild Ducks: 47.7
Misconducts: 44.0­
The Wild Ducks and their league-best 12.0 point Saturday jumped in front of the Misconducts, the skintight match to be decided by an 8-game Sunday.

Bluliners: 46.6
Ice Cats: 40.5­
The Ice Cats will have to unleash one of their nine lives if they want to defeat the Bluliners, GM Cutshall's Cats trailing by 6.1 points with now, one day remaining in the first round of the playoffs.

LINK: Standings

Again, an empty net goal was the difference, this time from Eric Staal of Minnesota for B2.

Let's keep eyes, if possible, (a tip of the Penguins' helmet to MorganWigge for today's lead image) on the way something in the NHL may impact the BL versus B2 race.

F Nugent-Hopkins of BL was out for a long time for Edmonton with injury to ribs and sternum. He is now back and playing on the first line with McDavid at even strength. Draisaitl of B2 was moved off the first line and is now on the third line.

Yesterday, Nugent-Hopkins had entire BL production, 3.0 on 1 G and 1 A. Somehow, Draisaitl of B2 had the lone assist on the Nugent-Hopkins goal. May have come during a line change.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl remains center on the first power-play unit with McDavid on a point, while Nugent-Hopkins is playing a point on the second power-play unit.

Makes perfect sense, right? Yes, to the Edmonton coach.

So far this week, the decision by BL Owner Hamilton to have Nugent-Hopkins active has been correct. Nugent-Hopkins has 5.0 on 2 G and 1 A. F Eberle of the Islanders, a former Oiler, who Hamilton put on reserve, has 4.0 on 1 G and 2 A. Will see if the decision remains correct after today as both Edmonton and the Islanders play a game.

Nugent-Hopkins has a 5-1 lead over Edmonton teammate Draisaitl in FHL points. When Edmonton visits Tampa Bay today, I will be rooting for the Oilers to be on the power play so Draisaitl and McDavid can work together. (Will also, of course, be rooting for goals and assists from D Hedman of Tampa Bay.)