4 Weeks-In: BBKL in Review 1 Month Into the Season

[Robin Hood]

As you all know, I’m getting my own Leafs’ blog on KK. So I decided to post a little blog about our own league thus far. I’m going to try to post weekly reviews for our league. Figured it will be good practice and fun for the league to read about their own teams kinda like it's being written about in news publications. Let me know any feedback/things you want me to include in weekly reviews and I'll add it in.

Week 1

NJD-PIT
The two perennial contenders faced-off in Week 1. The hype around the match-up was electric. Shiv’s shit-talking throughout the Summer, coupled by Scott’s return from an undefeated regular and post-season in 2009-2010 as the League Champion set up the glorious match-up. Alas, the Champion showed up; the Challenger did not. Scott’s Devils took down Shiv’s Penguins in stylish fashion, winning 10-6-0. The match-up sent Shiv into a frenzy of trades, and he ended up overturning almost half his roster in panic.

BOS-OTT
The other big match-up of the week. Kyle’s Bruins and Billy’s Sens went head-to-head and toe-to-toe. 4 weeks in, this match-up remains one of the most entertaining and closest yet. Billy dominated offense, while Kyle dominated goaltending and peripheries, as the match-up ended 8-8-0. The match up also brought to light the rise of the Northeast as the toughest division in BBKL.

Week 2

WSH-BOS
Boston once again found the limelight. This time against championship frontrunner in Kareem’s Capitals, the one team that may have talked more shit than Shiv. Kareem’s team was in the lead throughout the week, until Kyle and the Bruins pulled Sunday game heroics to take critical categories and turned the match-up on its head. Boston took it 8-5-3.

BUF-OTT
Boston’s counterpart from Week 1’s match up took on Buffalo. Billy’s Sens should have crushed Topher but the Sabres had other plans. Chris had spent the off-season accumulating talent that targeted peripheries specifically. That, coupled with elite goaltending from King Henry, put the Senators up against one hell of an opponent. The Sabres lost the match-up 7-8-1, but don’t make up your mind just yet. Topher is just starting to shape this team, and it could upset some big name contenders down the road.

VAN-LAK
Vancouver always had a decent team. So when it beat the Flames 13-3-0, no one really noticed. Week 2, however, was different. This time the Canucks got to take on the all-mighty Kings, headlined by Crosby, Ovechkin and the Sedin twins. But Bergey and the Canucks had something the projected top seed in the West didn’t: depth. The Canucks stole multiple offensive categories in the match-up to win 8-4-4. Don’t think it’s a fluke either. The Canucks sit 2nd in the West, as of today, with 92 points.

Week 3

BUF-TBL
Buffalo went 7-8-1 again. This time against the injury depleted Lightning. But again it was goaltending that Topher’s Sabres dominated. Lundqvist is quickly becoming the MVP of that team. Nick squeezed by the match-up but he needs to get healthy fast. Staal and Okposo are both still out of the line up. And he had to ship Phaneuf to keep his head above the water.

LAK-ANA
The Kings surprised everyone once again. And once again it was in the wrong way. This time Steve went 7-7-2 against the Ducks, but that in no way is to take anything away from Cliff’s team. The Ducks have one of the most underrated teams in the West and Eriksson and Sharp have been lighting the lamp night in and night out. Even still, the Kings are Cup contenders. Because of this match-up, Steve slowly began to retool his team, which included shipping out the Sedin twins and bringing in guys like Marleau, Pavelski, Ott and O’Reilly.

Week 4

WSH-ATL
This was the match-up that broke the camels back. Kareem’s Capitals had been struggling early on, but SURELY they would beat the Thrasher’s right? Wrong. Luke has amassed an impressive line-up and rather quietly. He brought offense and some unexpected goaltending from Flyer Bobrovsky to beat the Capitals 9-4-3. The match-up was not the first time Kareem’s goaltending struggles were a theme. Two days following the match-up Kareem shipped former Vezina trophy winner, Ryan Miller, to Columbus for Jaroslav Halak.

SJS-LAK
Goaltending galore defined this division rivalry match-up. Neel’s Sharks posted 1 Win, 1.69 GAA and 0.938 SV% on the week, only to be bested by Steve’s Kings who posted 2 Wins, 1.01 GAA and 0.962 SV%. The match-up ended 8-8-0 and going forward, expect similar results. The SJS-LAK fight for the division title is going to be as tight a race as any in BBKL.

PHX-CGY
Mashley and the Coyotes have been at the bottom of the barrel in every way since the formation of BBKL. From finishing last place in 2009-2010 to the 1st Overall Pick fiasco in the off-season, the Coyotes have seen it all. But this week marked a (as Pierre McGuire would call it) TSN Turning Point. Mashley made countless moves in the off-season to turn his team from a bottom 5 team to a borderline playoff team. And in Week 4 of the 2010-2011 season, those efforts paid off, as Phoenix won its first week in BBKL Franchise History. The victims? The Calgary Flames. A small price to pay to be a part of history.

[MSP4LYFE]

You just had to post the ATL matchup didn't you...I've been trying to forget about but people keep bringing that shit up.

Anyways, aside from that i love the blog, and do hope you contribute weekly. Perhaps add a bit of a power ranking theme to it, by mentioning the weeks risers and fallers, or heck even sacrifice one whole piece to do an in depth analysis of one team, I would LOVE to read that personally.