The first ever ECL hosted by NHLGamer is over, and Nordic Blizzard has claimed the European Championship title!
The tournament offered a lot of great exciting hockey moments, and it is you, the players, who are to thank for.
Overall the level of the tournament was through the roof. At last the European competitive EASHL community gathered under one console, which ensured the level of play we all witnessed.
Dominointi from the championship team was asked to produce a walk-through of their season:
Quote“Our Journey
In December 2015 I joined Nordic Blizzard with Hansulinho and DieCutterMC. At the time FINSeRe was the only player I knew from the team and I had no idea of what their style of play was like. After just a few games I noticed that the team plays very well defensively, which I liked from the get-go. Also, the defensemen were being passed to more than in general in other teams.
My first ECL games in the team were against Silver Sword Griffins. From the games themselves I can’t recall other than that the connection was terrible and we won both games. As the regular season progressed, the style of play of the team kept progressing towards a more direct approach, putting aside the following of certain patterns that the team had when I joined in. Already at the beginning of the tournament there were a few players that stood out in their own way in my eyes. The two-way workhorse with a good hockey-sense, Mr. Markkula i.e. hooneli, as well as the very reliable offensive defenseman Esis, i.e. esajorma.
In the end, the regular season went well for the team and we won our group. In the first round of the playoffs we were matched up against Falun Coal Miners, which we won with a clean sweep 4-0. For the second round we found ourselves up against a team that was very familiar to me personally from the Xbox-scene, Sika. The first two games of the series were tight, and the series was 1-1 after the first game day. For the upcoming games we made some roster adjustments, eventually winning the series 4-1.
Our third round opponent, The United Knights, was a very familiar team for many of our players in Nordic Blizzard. The first game of the series was tough for us; it felt as if whatever they did the puck ended up in our net. We were down 2-5 when there was only less than a half left of the third period. Just like several times before in this tournament, we managed to bounce back, evening the score and eventually winning it 6-5 on overtime. The second game of the series was completely different from the first one. This time it was tight defense from the first faceoff to the final buzzer. Right at the end of the game we managed to score a goal that was enough to secure the win this time. A special mention to Sere for a couple of really good saves during the game. The third game was also very tight; the opponent was defending in a disciplined fashion and the offensive zone entries were very difficult to pull off successfully. After some exciting phases in the game we went into overtime, in which hooneli secured us a 4-3 victory. The fourth game was like a copy from the previous one, with tight defense and low-risk plays. Once again we had to look for the winner in overtime. After an offensive-zone faceoff Selarit put the puck towards the net where it was left rolling loose, we got to the rebound and finally jammed it to the back of the net after a bounce from an opposing player. Thus, we won the series 4-0 with each of the games being decided by a one-goal differential.
In the quarter finals we faced up against Synergy Hockey. We knew the team beforehand and knew what to expect from them. What I saw from the stream was that we played well during the first two games, especially Hansu was delivering with surgical precision. At this point the series was 2-0 for us. A few days later the series continued with two more games. The games were much tighter than the previous ones, but nevertheless we managed to win both, thus winning the series 4-0. A special mention has to be handed out to Masku i.e. Maskuta, who played very solid in the centerman position during the four games that I was absent.
Now, there was only one series to fight through; the finals against Carlsberg HC. We knew in advance that they had skilled powerforwards and a tight neutral-zone defense. We went into the series feeling very confident, we all thought we would pull it through. In the first game the first and second periods were very difficult, we couldn’t get anything going our way. In the third period we managed to score a couple of goals, which got us back in the game, and later we claimed the lead. However, CAR managed to tie the game shorthanded in the dying seconds of the third period. At the start of the overtime we got a new powerplay, during which hooneli one-timed the game-winning goal. In the second game we had the puck much more and we were able to generate quality scoring-chances on the counter-attack. Hansu was very convincing as he scored 2 goals on breakaways and assisted on two more by passing the puck to the center who was facing a wide-empty net. The game ended 4-1 and we were leading the series 2-0.
We decided to continue the series on Sunday. Both teams made minor roster adjustments after the first two games. The third games was a let-down for us, we never really got into the game. CAR won game 3 with a score line of 4-1.
The fourth game started off very well for us when we managed to score 2 quick goals. However, the game shifted equally quick and all of a sudden it was tied at 2-2. Right at the start of the third period we intercepted a pass in the neutral-zone, from which we were able to shift quickly into offense and it was rewarded with a goal. The major penalty that CAR took halfway through the period helped us keep our net clean for the remainder of the game. Game 4 ended 3-2 and we were leading the series 3-1. The fifth game of the series was tied at 2-2 after a tight first period. In the second period we were in the penalty box too much and the game was being played in our own end. CAR was deservedly leading the game 3-2 after two periods. In the third period we had to start taking chances, we put up our best but it wasn’t enough this time. CAR won game 5 2-4 and the series was 3-2.
The last remaining games of the finals were scheduled for the following day. We played with the same roster that we had in the first two games of the series. Once again the game started well for us, when hooneli one-timed the opening goal after a few minutes of play. However, CAR tied it and took the lead by scoring two goals. Despite a few quality scoring-chances we went to the first intermission with CAR leading 1-2. Both teams managed to score a goal in the second period. At the end of the period CAR got a penalty shot, but Sere made an important save by denying joukki and kept us in the game. Halfway through the third period we got a powerplay, after which Mr. wraparound i.e. Selarit wrapped the puck in and the game was tied at 3-3. Hard battling from both sides. In the last minute of the third period we went on a counter-attack, in which hooneli managed to play me the puck, and we ended up leading by a goal with just 48 seconds on the clock. With 30 seconds remaining Hansu went on a breakway after a shot attempt from CAR. He finished off the breakaway with cocky jump over the goaltender. The game finished 5-3 and we won the series 4-2. WHO AM I?
The tournament itself was without a doubt the most competitive I have participated in, with many great teams and players. It was a pleasure to watch streams from the other games and the chatboxes were full of good stuff, haha. First of all, I want to thank Nordic Blizzard in that they trusted me and gave me a lot of responsibility from the get-go. Also, thanks to Northern Stars for numerous warmups during the tournament, and Sjukstugan for the warmups during the finals! Finally, I want to thank the organizers of the tournament as well as all other participants.”
Cheers,
Seppo aka Dominointi
Forwards: Defensemen: Goalies:
#13 Dominointi #2 DieCutterMC #8 FINSeRe (A)
#25 Maskuta #14 BlackTnT_FIN
#83 Edd138 #87 Selarit (A)
#88 Hansulinho #90 kyllikk1
Best forward, regular season: joukki13 (Carlsberg HC)
Best defenseman, regular season: Janzuh (The United Knights)
Best goaltender, regular season: lukkolinho (Dynasty)
Best forward, playoffs: Dominointi (Nordic Blizzard)
Best defenseman, playoffs: vatalisti (Carlsberg HC)
Best goaltender, playoffs: FINSeRe (Nordic Blizzard)
The individual awards were decided upon statistics. Due to the current limitations in statistics, much emphasis was given on points scored.
A big thank you from the NHLGamer staff to all the participants! The season was not without controversy, as is often the case. This being the first season organized by NHLGamer, we knew there was bound to be some issues that would come up over the course of the season. We have been working on improving on those issues, both technical and administrative ones, and we are confident to have made improvements on the most pressing ones before the start of the next season.
Thank you for the season and we hope to see you again soon when the new season begins.
On behalf of the NHLGamer staff,
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