Here we are with one week left in the regular season, with 11 of the 12 divisional all but secured we turn our focus to the Wild Card Race and the Pacific West. If you haven’t listened to @ChiToWnB3atD0wN 's “ LG Outsider Wild Card Race Episode” I urge you to do so as they did a great job summarizing the status of this wildcard race ( Link here- https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums/index.php?threads/lg-outsiders-wild-card-race-episode.308305/#post-2016627) The Not So Wild West- In the Pacific west there are realistically 2 teams fighting for that last playoff spot, Vancouver who currently is sitting 3rd in the Pacific with 83 points and a revamped and motivated San Jose Team hot on the trail with 79 points. To me this is the most interesting matchup as both of these teams are behind both teams currently occupying wild card spots. With week 9 being a divisional matchup and a 10 game week there isn’t much room for error. Vancouver’s 3 out of conference games are against St. Louis, Colorado and Minnesota where San Jose will be facing off against Chicago, Arizona and Dallas. The big game for these 2 teams will be Game 1 of Week 9 where these two teams face off in a 4 point game that can decide the fate for these teams nice and early and the only way San Jose is getting in is if they win this game. Although San Jose in my mind is the better team a loss here will be a little too much to overcome but if there is a team that can do it this is it and if they get in they are a team I would worry about going on a run but it seems they are getting hot just a little too late. Prediction- Vancouver remains in the final Divisional Spot. The teams currently in Wild Card spots are Minnesota who is currently hanging onto that 7th spot with 85 points and Arizona has 84 with a big 4 point game Tuesday at 11. Unless Arizona is strategically targeting a round one matchup I do think that game will be a wash and Arizona will overtake that 7th spot. Stew and Stick are most likely going to play 4 games this week and should grab 6 out of a possible 8 points where Minnesota you just don’t see a line that you are confident can net you the same return. @Psyc 78 has been dominant all season and should be a Calder favorite keeping Minnesota in a playoff spot and the complimentary cast of @Koho , @Redmile89 ,@God Haazy and @Fox l1l having very good seasons will be enough to keep this team from a week 9 collapse I just don’t see a line that I can confidently say they are going to gap the difference they have with Arizona. Prediction- Arizona tops Minnesota to grab the top wildcard spot. Not Quite the Beasts in the East- Contrary to the West the east has much more parity with 4 teams in the thick of it and another just on the cusp of being there. We currently have 3 Metro teams on the outside looking in and 2 Atlantic teams fighting tooth and nail to stay where they are. The current standings are as follows. 7) Detroit – 81 Points 8) Montreal - 80 Points 9) Philadelphia - 79 Points 10) Columbus – 78 Points 11) Washington – 75 Points Realistically you can all but remove Washington from the playoff picture, they made a solid run and battled adversity but with 10 games to go, chasing 4 teams and having to play Tampa, Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Carolina this week it is just too much to overcome. This leaves us with 4 teams realistically fighting for those last 2 spots and I think what it is going to come down to is what teams have the most success with the 3 out of division games they play this week as both divisions in the east are very top heavy and who comes out on top in the multiple 4 point matchups each of these teams will play this week. Philly has shown tons on resilience the last few weeks and on paper are a very good team and finally the play is replicating what we expected from them, @JJr and @l3l Ray l8l are veterans in this league and are going to do everything they can to get their players into the right matchups even if it comes are surrendering a few points here and there. Columbus is a team with a great top line being lead by @John Bri I 7 I but if this teams wants to punch a ticket they are going to need a huge week from @VVaGs82 . He knows his team and is an experience owner who will be looking to get his guys into the right matchups, also I wouldn’t be shocked if he utilizes @D4D USA this week for some extra help with the push but at the end of the day I do not believe the schedule and talent on the team favor them in the last week of the season. Montreal and 1st time owner @Duukk who is currently sitting in the final wildcard spot has the most favorable schedule and if he can overcome the management inexperience and get his team the right matchups they should have a playoff spot handed to them on a platter. On paper this is such a weird team to look at they are Good, Bad and Ugly all at the same time. I think this team will get in but I do not think they are going to make any noise like a Philadelphia team can if they get in but regardless for a 1st time owner this team has been great and I look forward to seeing Duuk continue to manage in the coming seasons. Then we have Detroit who has been on the cusp of something all season. Whether that be on the cusp of a serious team or the cusp of a disaster they have been there. If this team wants a chance at the playoffs it is going to come on the backs or Lorenzo and Breezy. Anything short of a 4-0 week for these guys and they can kiss their playoff aspirations goodbye. The lack of depth and bonafide top line mixed with a tough draw in the final week of the season is going to be a little too much to overcome and it goes back to just a few too many weeks with losing records throughout the season. Predictions- Montreal gets their guys into the right games and utilizes that top line to grab the 7th spot where Philly finally puts it all together and grabs the final spot in the east.
Great write up ! It’s been a hell of a first season managing. Good luck to all the teams in our division battling! Excited for some tight meaningful games. Sko nux’s
7 points with a week to go is just too much ground to cover. Which upsets me because post bidding I had Calgary as a contender and for whatever reason you guys were just never able to turn the corner. Constantly taking a step forward and 2 steps back, even this week at one point being 2 games back and finishing 4 games out. I hate to say this but in my eyes Calgary was the biggest disappointment this season
