Week 1 (Oct. 1-Oct. 11)

The Good Sir Gazette

Written by Cole Thompson

October 1, 2009

Two-Headed Monster

The wait is finally over, the NHL is back for another season! Which in turn means that the TOFHL is back for another season. I hope you all enjoyed your summer, the teams are done drafting and it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty. With another year comes another chance for predictions. I will once again be covering The Week Ahead where I will break the upcoming week's match-ups and try to predict to my best ability what will happen. Before we get into that though, since this is a prediction column, here are my predictions for playoff teams and the eventual champion:

1. The Phenoms (Repeat Champion)
2. MesEx (Runner-Up)
3. Team Shake 'n Bake (Always a Bridesmaid)
4. No Boundaries (Excellent showing in first year)
5. Minority Report
6. My Goodies

Now onto this week's predictions:
*Team Ranks are based on Preseason Rankings*

(1) The Phenoms vs. (4) MesEx
All-Time (1-3-0) - The two most recent champions battling it out in week one of the 2009-10 TOFHL season. Two years ago these two teams made a blockbuster trade involving Ovechkin. One team went on to win that year (MesEx), while the other had to settle for third place. The Phenoms wouldn’t have to wait long for Ovechkin to deliver however. Just one year later The Phenoms proved the team name is appropriate as he dominated his way through the league, with the help of Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin. It seems unfair that one team could have such an embarrassment of riches, but credit The Phenoms for building such a great core. Going into this year my money is on The Phenoms to once again repeat as champions. However my money is on MesEx to take down the reigning champ in this match-up. MesEx is an astonishing 3-1 (regular season) against The Phenoms over the course of his existence, better than any other team vs. The Phenoms. Look for that trend to continue. Prediction: MesEx 6-4-1.

(2)Team Shake ‘n Bake vs. (11) Five Knuckle Shuffle
All-Time (1-1-0) – Going into this season both of these teams will be asking themselves “Is This The Year?” Five Knuckle Shuffle will be looking to get into the playoffs for the first time since joining the league. He missed out on the playoffs last year by three points, and I'm sure he is looking for redemption. Unfortunately Five Knuckle is facing another team who is hungry for his moment in the spotlight. Team Shake 'n Bake has finished 4th, 4th, and 2nd in his career, each year losing out to The Phenoms in the playoffs. Both teams will be looking to start the season off right with a win, but I believe Team Shake 'n Bake is just too talented for Five Knuckle Shuffle. Prediction: Team Shake 'n Bake 7-3-1

(3) No Boundaries vs. (12) Co-Jisms
All-Time (0-0-0) - Another very interesting battle this week as two rookie GMs get their first taste of fantasy hockey. Co-Jisms is the new identity of Dangles, as ZD and Baby took over the team in the off-season. The team that has floundered for much of it's tenor finally has an identity and is on the right track to building a contender (even if they are a good 3+ years away). In their first week they are facing No Boundaries, who got a cup of coffee in the TOFHL last year as he took over the House of Snipes Franchise towards the end of the season. In the 2008-09 Replacement draft, No Boundaries completely dominated and was able to draft such legit cats as E. Nabokov, R. Getzlaf, J. Iginla, D. Heatley, and J. Carter; setting himself up with some of the best keepers in the league. No Boundaries definitely has the potential to be a great team. I would have thought he would have surprised a lot of teams, but judging by his preseason rank teams will be bringing their A-Game when they play No Boundaries. Prediction: No Boundaries 8-2-1.

(5) My Goodies vs. (10) Old School
All-Time (3-4-1) – My Goodies has been in limbo ever since winning the cup in the inaugural year of the TOFHL. He intends to make the playoffs every year, but hasn't been able to regain the magic of his championship run. This year he is out to prove it was no fluke. My Goodies tends to have a strong team every year, but this may be his strongest team yet. With players such as M. Richards, R. Nash, M. Gaborik, M Havlat, and C. Pronger leading the offensive charge. My Goodies is always solid in net, and this year is no exception with the likes of N. Backstrom and R. Miller, not to mention highly touted prospect J. Gustavsson waiting in the wings. Old School is back for his second go around in the TOFHL and made it to his first draft ever this year. He was able to snag some quality players in J. Hiller, B. Morrow, and A. Markov. Unfortunately, his team has already taken a hit as Markov tore a tendon in his first game and is expected to be out 4 months. The real question mark for Old School is in net as he has J. Hiller (possible backup), P. Leclaire (Injury Prone), and T. Conklin (Backup). Goaltending may come to haunt him all year. Prediction: My Goodies 8-3.

(6) The Good Sirs’ vs. (9) Gorilla Warfare
All-Time (3-4-0) – Two teams that have come so close to immortalizing themselves, yet both fell just short of their ultimate goal. Gorilla Warfare finished 2nd in 2006 behind My Goodies, while The Good Sirs' finished 2nd behind MesEx in 2007. Both teams will be looking to return to their glory days after disappointing showings in 2008. The Good Sirs' has a good mix of veterans and youth, with the likes of V. Lecavalier, N. Backstrom, and M Cammalleri leading the way. The real question for The Good Sirs' is in net as he is putting a lot of faith in 3 goaltenders that have only 183 games combined experience in the NHL. Gorilla Warfare on the other hand is led in goal by the incomparable M. Brodeur, supplemented with C. Mason (who was phenomenal on The Good Sirs' roster last year), and rookie phenom S. Varlamov. It is easy to see who gets the nod in goaltending on this one. Battle of Offense vs. Goaltending and I believe it will be a very close one. Prediction: Gorilla Warfare 6-4-1.

(7) Minority Report vs. (8) MVB All-Stars
All-Time (2-0-0) – Battle of the Playoff bubble teams here (if you believe the preseason rankings, which I don't). MVB All-Stars came into the league last year and had a pretty decent showing. He will have to build on that this year if he wants to stay competitive. The league overall seems to have gotten better, so the margin for error has decreased significantly. In his first week he faces a team, Minority Report, that he has yet to beat in two previous meetings. It's hard to predict what will happen in this match-up as both teams have an array of offensive talent. Minority Report has a good mix of youngsters (P. Kane, P. Sharp, and P. O'Sullivan) and grizzled veterans (P. Datsyuk, M. Savard). MVB All-Stars is relying on P. Stastny, H. Sedin, M. Ribeiro, and B. Boyes to carry him through the season. Where I really see a shift in power is in the goaltending. Minority Report has arguably the best goaltender in the game in H. Lundqvist, along with M. Kiprusoff, and recently acquired prospect A. Niemi. Look for Minority Report to ride his goaltending to victory and keep his undefeated streak against MVB alive. Prediction Minority Report 7-4.

- Cole “The Good Sir” Thompson