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| Season Review |
Elite League 2036 - 2037 Season
Greetings hockey fans! Before we set our sights forward to the coming season lets first take a look back at what was a crazy year for hockey...
Stanley Cup Champions
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Runners Up
NEW YORK RANGERS
With another record breaking season completed for the league which saw a new all time top point scorer for the league crowned with Connor Mcdavid we also saw "The Great One"'s goal scoring record of 92 goals in regular season broken by New York Ranger's star winger Thomas Zedenik. Here we will take a look back at some of the most pivotal moments of another great year of NHL hockey as well as looking forward to the coming season which looks set to be another scorcher.
Regular Season
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| Goodbye Mcdavid |
The western conference. The playground of two of the most experienced teams within the NHL, the Oilers and the Predators. As it has been for a while it was a neck and neck battle for top spot between these two giants of NHL hockey. It was a momentous year for the Oilers as it marked their first season without NHL superstar and all time top point scorer for the league Connor Mcdavid. The Oilers bring with them a stacked defense headed by Lenny Cambell, a solid forward scoring lineup with Rick Britain stepping into Mcdavid's shoes on top line C, and multiple Vezina Trophy winning goalie star Baylor Mason. As for the Predators it was all about the offense. With goalie Simon Cameron long gone from the Preds net and no like for like replacement in the pipeline it was up to the offense of the Preds, with Carl Beckworth scoring an astounding 70 goals, to take them to the playoffs. The western conference ended with Preds taking top spot with the Oilers just behind in second place.
Moving on to the eastern conference there were no shocks to be had as we saw Paul Stoddart's New York Rangers finish in top spot encompassing a very impressive season for the team by setting a new league record for consecutive games won taking the record from previous owners Nashville Predators. This was not the only record to be smashed by the rangers as we witnessed history by watching Thomas Zedenik score a mind-blowing 94 goals for his team in the regular season. This kind of goal scoring talent has not been witnessed since the days of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux and it is a testament to the scouting and coaching team there over at the Rangers for them to find a player of his caliber and nurture him into his current self. All eyes will be on Zedenik as he looks to continue his record breaking form next season.
The Playoffs
It was a year of new contenders in the playoffs this year for the western conference as we saw the Arizona Coyotes perform exceptionally well to make it to the conference finals managing to beat Jack Cooke's Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in the semi finals. Oilers fans will no doubt be disappointed with not going all the way but you can not fault Jack's efforts for trying to fill the void left by Connor Mcdavid's retirement but this year it was not to be. With Baylor Mason still young and improving and the threat the Oilers have on the wings i would be excited to be an Oilers fan for the coming years. The Yotes, with there new superstar centre in the making Yury Perry, would go on to the conference finals to face the Nashville Predators. The Predators came out victorious with a 4-2 win over the young Yotes side and would go on to face the Rangers in the final. If the Yotes can keep Perry fit and build a strong team around him i see no reason why they cannot continue to be contenders year in year out.
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| Head to Head |
Playoff Final
(4) Nashville Predators vs New York Rangers (3)
If we were to look at both teams and the seasons they had both had before the series began i think it would be safe to say the Rangers were favorites for this match up. Presidents trophy winners, the most goals scored in the league and an eastern European reincarnation of Wayne Gretzky, not to mention Milhouse between the sticks i think it would be a safe bet to say the Rangers would take it but this is not to say the Predators are without their own merit. Although sketchy at the back the predators always had a chance to get goals and this series it would all come down to who would step up on the day.
It turned out to be a very scrappy affair between these two experienced teams. The goal scoring machine of the rangers came up a bit short and struggled to really get season long form going and with an injury to the rangers number one goalie after game 4 the Predators managed to come out victors in this seven game nail biter to be crowned Stanley Cup Champions for the 6th time in the teams history.
