Mean Girls (+2.0 Goals) (-105)
My Cup Size Is Stanley (-2.0 Goals) (-135)
Over 7.0 Goals (-120)
Under 7.0 Goals (-120)
Notes: These teams met in week 1 when, for a glorious first couple shifts, it looked like we had all underrated pink as their speed and depth was giving black fits. Then Cup Size, despite being outplayed, just started burying goal after goal en route to a blowout win and it was pretty much all downhill for Mean Girls as they ended up finishing in 10th. They did notch a 5-2 win in the play-ins on the strength of an Emma hat trick that brought the fans out of their seats and won Yehuda $70 (ugh), but it should be noted that both of their wins this season were against silver. I do think pink is better than they’ve looked for much of the season (most of it played, not coincidentally, without Emma) and having Joe Moskowitz in tonight will help solidify their back-end. But I don’t think it will be enough against an older, slower but ultimately stronger Cup Size team. Black may have ended the season on a bit of a skid in losing 4 of their last 5, but with Hogg in the lineup and Lucas playing his last night before absconding to Africa, they should have enough to win this one. Cup Size by two.
Slime Time Live (-200)
Purple Nurple (+135)
Over 7.0 Goals (-105)
Under 7.0 Goals (-135)
Notes: This is a fascinating game between a team that everyone expected to suck but finished strong in Slime Time and a team that everyone expected to be a contender but lost 5 of their last 6, a streak that goes back to…a 7-0 win over this very Slime Time team. Two squads going in different directions, but with this being the first game of playoffs, does any of that really matter or is it a clean slate? Purple will be without Caleb in this game and will have former purple co-captain Kev subbing in and steadying a defense that for much of the season was the strength of this team. Geskin will also be in net in a season where the team has struggled to find consistent goaltending. Green has actually had one of the steadier goaltending seasons of Jake’s tenure as he’s generally cursed in that regard but has had a host of problems elsewhere in somehow finishing in 9th place despite a roster that I quite like. This in many ways is the ultimate test of public confidence in purple vs my own confidence in green. Besides Kolenberg himself, I’ve probably been the only person consistently hitting the buy button on green all season and with the squad finally looking the way I expected them to in the final week with three wins in four games (and that one loss being in the final minute), I am honestly more bullish than ever. I do really like purple’s depth and they still have one of the top scorers in the league in Jo Robin, depth in Mitch/Pigozzi/Karly/Dana/Milstein and one of the top rookies in Will. But I think green’s experience, which has been chided as old age all season, is going to come through here, even without their captain who is shockingly missing a playoff game to party with his fiance in the Hamptons like he’s a character in The Great Gatsby. If he was in, Slime Time moneyline would be my biggest bet of the night. Without him, it’s a closer line, but I’m still taking green to advance.
Mean Girls (+2.0 Goals) (+140)
The Pie Pie Strikes Back (-2.0 Goals) (-200)
Over 7.0 Goals (-120)
Under 7.0 Goals (-120)
My Cup Size Is Stanley (EVEN)
The Pie Pie Strikes Back (-145)
Over 6.0 Goals (-155)
Under 6.0 Goals (+110)
Notes: Orange is going to be coming directly from Sheila’s rooftop where they will be carbo-loading and hopefully not drinking nearly as much as we did on Sunday to try to either beat down pink for the 2nd time in a week or avenge an early season 5-1 loss to Cup Size that was probably their low point of the season. Orange got extremely hot down the stretch, winning 4 of their last 5 with a goal differential of 25-12. This was the team that many of us envisioned to start the season and despite a very rocky first month they ended up in 6th of 11 and a chance for revenge here. With James, Sam and Sheila forming one of the best top lines in the league, Jeff Green back from vacation and Ken looking likely to make it in for playoffs, this is a team hitting its stride at the right time. If they play pink, it’s likely to be a 3+ goal romp. If it’s Cup Size, I see it being a tight checking, physical game that could really go either way just because I think black is a difficult matchup for orange, but I still have to give the hot team playing their first game of what should be a very hot night the edge. Orange to advance.
Purple Nurple (+1.0 Goals) (+135)
The Mighty Ducks (-1.0 Goals) (-200)
Over 7.0 Goals (-145)
Under 7.0 Goals (EVEN)
Slime Time Live (-120)
The Mighty Ducks (-120)
Over 7.0 Goals (-120)
Under 7.0 Goals (-120)
Notes: The big story for the Ducks is that Satok is apparently out for this one. In typical Amanda fashion, she wasted an hour of my life this morning negotiating subs and having me perform due diligence on a new player, then I approved him and she decided to go without a sub after all. The only surprising part of all of that is that they ultimately decided to play what should be two really difficult games tonight shorthanded. I do admire the spirit, but we will see if it works out for them. I will say that they apparently have a full roster otherwise and that they’ve been extremely resilient all season, with four OT/Shootout games played and wins in all of them to go with multiple last minute regulation wins. I think if they play a purple team that is already without Caleb and skews a little older, they’ll have the edge due to being fresh and the aforementioned resilience. If they play green, the line may raise some eyebrows but I have it rated as a total toss-up and might even give a slight edge to the underdogs. It would be definite if they had a full squad but with Kolenberg out, it does give me some pause. We’ll see how it shakes out but in my personal bracket, I have Slime Time in the final four.
Mean Girls (+2.5 Goals) (+115)
Reds N’ Roses (-2.5 Goals) (-160)
Over 7.0 Goals (-145)
Under 7.0 Goals (EVEN)
CUP/PIE (EVEN)
Reds N’ Roses (-145)
Over 7.0 Goals (-145)
Under 7.0 Goals (EVEN)
Notes: If red plays pink I’m expecting a blowout as, even without Campbell, they should still have enough in the tank to take down a pink team that will be on game #3 and due for a letdown after what will have been two huge upset wins. If red plays orange or black, I think they are favored but it’s really anyones game. Against black, they’re favored slightly more based on it being Cup Size’s 3rd game and red having beaten them twice in the final week. Against orange, it’s basically even talent-wise with even a slight edge going to orange in my opinion, but for all the jokes about red making the final four and losing every season…that’s still a result most teams in this league would kill for and they have the veteran experience to find a way to make it there once more. I think it’ll be an absolute battle and as of time of publication I still don’t know who red’s goalie is; APK told me he’s out, but no one’s asked me for a goalie sub so I have to assume they plan on grabbing Max, Zisser or Geskin (or Corey if he’s down to do a game before his own). In the end, I do expect the winner of this game to be either orange or red and, all things considered, most likely red.
Purple Nurple (+1.5 Goals) (-160)
The MilkMob (-1.5 Goals) (+115)
Over 6.5 Goals (-145)
Under 6.5 Goals (EVEN)
STL/DUCK (-105)
The MilkMob (-135)
Over 6.5 Goals (-145)
Under 6.5 Goals (EVEN)
Notes: The MilkMob have been one of the best stories of the year but tonight their depth will truly be tested. They will have to play this game without the Milkman. At full strength this game would be a near toss-up, but without him it’s anyone’s guess. I think they would have a decided edge against purple who would be playing their third game of the night and having already replaced Caleb, the #2 overall pick in the draft. Against Slime Time or the Ducks, it’s a complete toss-up as the Milkman is a massive loss for white and they’re playing short, but they do still have Hicks, Merone, Jordan and Nick all playing huge minutes along with KG possibly ironmanning the game. Won’t be easy and their defense has not really inspired confidence in recent games but as the temp cools down, the short #s and Corey’s sometimes fatigue in net should become less of a factor. I’ve asked Joe if he plans on facetiming the team on an ipad on the bench all game and I worry that’s exactly what he’s going to do all game. If so, it’s a lock. Even if not…MilkMob ML. See ya tonight.
