A new week and a new opportunity is here! Welcome to your ECHL Week 5 Review. As the trade deadline approaches, Sat, 12/09/2023 at 4:59:59 PM, I'd like to preview some of my way-too-early playoff projections as no more moves will be made. I am going to go by Eastern & Western divisions and pick my Team To Beat, Contenders or Pretenders, and my Dark Horse. EASTERN Team To Beat - Reading Royals Top Line - @ShinyPuppet @BostonDangler21 @Sean Sal3565 @Lamar1226 @BKGuapo Starting G - @DarthxKitten868 In the East it is really difficult to choose a front runner but the Reading Royals just seem like them. Outside of Tulsa in the West, they are PUMPING teams with a +56 Goal Diff and have the lowest Goals Allowed. They have two really good lines and have 3 experienced managers in @Kmoreau19 @BADxLARRY @RtC21 Contenders or Pretenders - Florida Everblades Looking at this team on its face you would think they are fine and a sure thing to make a deep run in the playoffs. Even the WAR rankings of these players are not bad at all. What worries me is not the WAR or the SOS of this team, it is the 1 Goal Game record. Having played 23 1 goal games, the Everblades have won 13 of them. Dropping those games in a playoff series does not get you points and with the combination of only having a +4 Goal Diff I am unsure of their potential but their W/L does speak for itself. Dark Horse - Adirondack Thunder On an absolute HEATER going 17-5 since week 4 is the Thunder. This team has benefited from a former mention of the weekly reviews @Nhl 23 is buns and new addition in the form of a former teammate of mine from the Colorado Eagles in @qoosey. Solid defense on the back end and if they can get a few good performances from @BFM_CloutGod to get playoff eligible, I really like this team to make a run. WEST Team To Beat - Wheeling Nailers/Tulsa Oilers Top Lines - Wheeling: @Guru x 26 @Disensitized @Kaprizov 97x @Jigglypuck @PRhyme_99 Starting G - @LoadingWin Tulsa: @TeixeiraFanatic @xStLiLLUSi0N @Buckeyes2525 @xEvanI96l @SupaRiill Starting G - @DreamzVIL Going to cop out here and pick two teams who are extremely similar. Really similar in 1 Goal Games, Win/Loss is close, and both have some studs in net in @LoadingWin and @DreamzVIL. Nothing really more to say here, both of these teams will be hard to beat come playoff time. Contenders or Pretenders - Rapid City Rush I called this team out back in my Week 2 review of teams to look out for and while they are proving me right for now, can they close out a series in a playoff game? I just don't know. I do think @EpicWxter can absolutely steal a game or two if the Rush are able to hold on to a playoff spot. 4 shutouts is tied for best in the league and has a respectable .803 Save%. Dark Horse - Kansas City Mavericks I really really like this KC team. They have two studs in net with @Birexsie and @lI Demonic II (even though he is having a down year) and while I still find their 2nd and 3rd line weak I think they find ways to steal some games. 7 OTL and being 11-9-7 in 1 Goal games's are not going to cut it in playoffs but I just have a weird feeling this team makes playoffs and will be a nasty draw for a top team.
