CFHL Update

CFHL Regular season coming to an end...

I know its been a while since the last CFHL update so here is a recap on the teams in the Cherry Fantasy Hockey League as we head down to the final 3 weeks of the regular season.

With only 3 weeks to go the playoffs are already starting to take shape as the Norris Division will likely have three representatives in the playoffs.

Who Gives a Puck has a slim one point lead for first place in the Norris and #1 seed.  Despite injuries to two of their best players in Lundqvist and Kane they continue to hang on to the top seed.  It helps when you have Stamkos as well who has 35 goals and 23 assists and Steen's 32 assists.  Backes leads the Puck in PIM with 88 and now that Yandle is a Ranger, his productivity could increase.  Puck is running with 4 goalies right now and would do well to have Lundqvist come back, but Talbot has played well in his absence.

Stamkos trying to figure out the Puck.

Getzy and Pair looking to lead the Crew to Cup

One point behind Who Gives a Puck is the Goon Crew who have been keeping pace with the Puck with lack luster performances.  They are hoping Seguin, who lead the league in Goals before he went out with a MCL injury, is back in time for the playoffs.  Despite being out for 3 weeks he has 29 goals and 30 assists.  Getzlaf and Perry have picked up the slack scroing 20 and 27 goals respectively along with 41 assists from Getzlaf.  Where the Crew have racked up wins has been between the pipes with Price and Holtby who have combined for 66 wins on the season.


The Assassins sit as the final playoff seed and are 7 points behind the Crew in the Norris, but have a 8 point lead over the USSR for that final playoff spot.  Leading the way for the Assassins has been Malkin with 26 goals and 60 PIM and Voracek's 46 assists and 59 PIM.  In fact the Assassins have several players with substantial PIM including 77 from Hamonic and 67 from Wheeler.  They also have a strong netminders in  Rinne, who was is having a career year and 35 wins despite being out with an injury earlier this year and Marc-Andre Fleury who has 29.

Which one here doesn't belong??

In the final spot of the Norris division is the 3-time Champion Checkers.  This may be the end of their run and look to miss the playoffs.  This would mean that they would not complete the first ring on the Cherry Cup.  Sitting 13 points behind the final spot, will make it difficult.  Could this mean the end of their go all Kings lineup.  At draft day it looked like the Checkers tapped into another great strategy grabbing both Rask and Quick back to back.  This looked like a sure thing and a sure 2 Wins in goalie category.  They have struggled most of the year despite putting up 50 wins between them.

The Smythe Division seems to be a one team race as the AshBusters lead the division with 95 points, 14 points ahead of second place USSR.  They are a well rounded team even if Crosby hasn't put the puck in the net as many times as they were hoping he does have 44 assists as well as the full Backstrom package with 47 assists.  Pavelski leads them with 31 goals and the blue line is anchored with an impressive duo of Subban, Weber and Letang.  And to complete their team, Halak and Bishop have 64 wins and an ice SV%.

Caps' Backstrom or Portland's Backstrom?

USSR flash back...

USSR are 8 points behind the 4th spot for the playoffs and will have a lot of work to do to make that happen.  Tarasenko and Pacioretty both are 30 goals or more and have an impressive +/- ratings.  Centers Ribeiro and Tyler Johnson have 40 and 37 assists.  Injuries have bit them at goalie with injuries to Howard earlier.  Howard only has 18 wins and "Greasy" Luongo only has 23 wins.  Elliot backs them up and has 20 wins.  Thats 61 wins between three goalies, while the AshBusters have 64 with just two.  The Kremlin has not been happy this hockey sesaon.

The final two spots in the Smythe Division belong to the Krampus Carols with 74 points and the Mayhem on Ice with 64 points.  Its too bad the Krampus Carols couldn't have built a better team round John Tavares and Jamie Benn, a few of the only bright spots for the Krampus.  Tavares has 30 goals and 35 assists while Benn has 37 assists and 58 PIM.  There for a while the Krampus Carols were not even starting two starting goalies.  Niemi, who was acquired in a trade with Goon Crew, has put up average numbers (24 wins and .912)

Even with Ovechkin and his 41 goals and 24 assists, the Mayhem have no other help and their record shows it.  Poor SV% with Lehtonen and an injury to Miller in net has lead to struggles with getting wins in goalie categories.  Rest of team is mediocre at best.  Most all players are average with their stats and Lucic leads them all with 75 PIM.  The Mayhem are looking for next season or trying to screw over teams that are looking at Playoff spots.

So there you have it.  Playoffs will be upon us soon....