Wednesday 9 December 2015

Week Ten - December 11th

- Week Ten was about empty nets, absent players and upsets as the playoff picture starts to get a bit clearer.

- First the empty nets, despite scrambling to get a last minute fill in goalie Ihsan went into this game with an empty net and paid a heavy price losing by a 9-2 score.  They reportedly thought that they had locked up Sheraz Mahmood to fill in but he never confirmed and Ihsan was left to scramble against top ranked Shukr who showed no mercy as they ran up the score, potting four goals in less than three minutes near the end of first half and then another two goals within the first two minutes of the second half to drive the point home.

- Absent players, forgetting Ihsan's adventures with an empty net, Haya came into a key game with Emaan missing goalie Rizwan Ali, forward Salman Syed and defenceman Salman Khalid and Samad Hamidi.  The result was Nadeem Qureshi having to log more minutes on defense to start the game and it wasn't pretty for the veteran.  Emaan scored three goals in just over two minutes early in the first half with the third goal being a shorthanded shot from the blueline that a Haya defenseman deflected in-front of the net trying to block it which demoralized the squad.

- Finally upsets, Ikhlas came into their game as the presumed favourite to win, especially considering how Sabr has struggled this season but someone forgot to tell them as the team that has been in last from the beginning of the season came up with big plays when they needed it and came away with a 3-2 upset win.

- Haya had designs on jumping into second place but while last weeks loss to Emaan certainly hurt, it did not close the door as a Haya win over Shukr in Week Ten combined with an Ikhlas loss or tie to Ihsan would see Haya take the second seed.

- Ihsan has struggled as of late, currently mired in a five-game win less streak which has seen them plummet to fifth and conceivably could even drop into last if they lose their finale to Ikhlas while Sabr wins their last game to take fifth.  With all of the skilled offensive players it is a surprise to see Ihsan with the least goals scored this season - pundits are whispering that the magic touch of Coach K may be gone as he has not been able to get much going for his team this year.  Combined with rumours of their goalie being injured put this team in a precarious position heading into the playoffs.

- The Waqar Khan vs Ahmad Hathout game within a game from the Sabr vs Ikhlas match-up gave many fans what they were hoping for.  Hathout finished with a goal and an assist while Khan was limited to an assist.  The net result has Hathout still leading the league in Points and Assists while tied for goals with Aazar Zafar from Shukr who jumped up with his hat-trick on an empty net.  It should be noted that Hathout scored his goal on an empty netter which became the game winner when Farrukh Khan ripped a laser shot from the point with one second left in the game.  Going into the final week it will be interesting to see if Hathout can pad his lead to seal his second straight scoring title while Khan faces Ihsan and his former mentor in Coach K who believes the can shut the power-forward down.

- Sabr surprisingly has the second best offense in the league (mainly carried by Ahmad Hathout) but it is their league worst goals allowed that has been their downfall.  With the players they have this stat is surprising but a combination of players being played out of position and absences have been the source of the problem.

- There is some place to move in the standings are only two teams firmly locked in their place, here is a breakdown of the teams (in order of current standings):
  • Shukr: They have locked up first place and their finale is a matter of pride as they look to finish the season undefeated
  • Ikhlas: A win/tie or a Haya loss will see them clinch the second seed, they have struggled as of late but face struggling Ihsan in their finale
  • Haya: A win combined with a loss by Ikhlas will see Haya leapfrog into second place.  The must rue their loss in Week Nine where a win would have put them in the drivers seat for a top-two finish.  They face first place Shukr in the finale where they will want to prove that they can win as these teams may meet in the playoffs.
  • Emaan: Their win last week locked up the fourth seed, because of the tie-breaker rules, even if they win in Week 10 and Haya lose giving the teams 10 points each, Haya has the advantage with more wins and would remain in third while an Emaan loss and Ihsan win would see Emaan hold onto third as they own the head to head tie-breaker.
  • Ihsan: A win or a tie against Ikhlas would give them the fifth seed, a loss combined with a Sabr win would see Ihsan drop to sixth.
  • Sabr: A win combined with Ihsan loss would have them jump into fifth, an unimaginable thought a couple of weeks ago considering their struggles.  
- The above was not confirmed with the guru of Standings and Tie-Breakers, Ahmad Ibrahim but we are confident in its accuracy.

- The final week will have some excitement as each game can impact the final standings.

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