SPNHL, Season 37:Stanley Cup Finals Review and Award Winners – “True Parallels”
By: Dirty-Dietrich
 
Sorry about the delay in getting this out, school and work have been kicking my ass. I’m also composing this article with no power! You gotta love the fact that my landlords gave me no heads up that they would be trying to fix their wiring. Maybe they should call an actual electrician? Regardless, I feel like I’m going crazy at this point, and I know I said I would be doing new wave reviews, but in this candlelit craze, there’s only one choice for an album review. Let’s go back to 1994 and revisit Nine Inch Nails’ “The Downward Spiral”,
Seemingly a concept album about somebody’s, well, downward spiral, Trent Reznor sings, sulks, and screams over numerous haunting compositions. The album sets the tone with “Mr. Self Destruct”, a frenetic industrial number that picks up where the “Broken” EP left off. “Piggy”, “Heresy”, and “Hurt” are dark yet  melodic in comparison to the energetic “March of the Pigs”, “Ruiner”, and “Big Man With a Gun” striking a balance in the album’s intensity levels. The ambient tracks in “A Warm Place” and the title track accompany the demented, multi-layered standouts in “Closer”, “The Becoming”, and “Reptile” to create an outstanding record that hits as hard musically as it does lyrically.
 
It’s been about three weeks since the Cup finals, so if you don’t know by now who won, you’re probably living under a rock or have just gone off the grid like the Unabomber. For the uninformed, congratulations are in order for the Sony Playstation Hockey League Season 37 Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning! Bufford80 and the Bolts completed the comeback story of the century, going from worst to first and fulfilling the prophecy laid out at the beginning of the season. They were able to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in an incredibly exciting 7 game series, one that saw the Jets come back from a 3-1 deficit to force game 7.
Hey the power is back on! Let’s go! All it took was bitching about it in an article!
Congratulations go out to (in somewhat of a particular order) the Lightning GM Bufford80, the Conn Smythe winner bluedevil631, i9i-stamkos-i1ic, hypey-, my boys PistolPete7788_ and DodgesBlueShells, Shootersteele19, all around good guys in JoshuaDuhaime and X-Z3tt3rbergzz-X, and the king of the backups in Xxdiistortedxx. Every single one of these players were instrumental in Tampa Bay’s success in the regular season and the playoffs, and no matter how big or small their role was, they are ingrained into the history of this league. 
Let’s get down to business here. We’ll recap the Stanley Cup finals game by game, and afterwards, we’re gonna get to the awards! We’ll take an in-depth look at the award winners’ performance over the regular season and playoffs, and see how many people we can upset with the selection of these award winners. A lot of people have been clamoring to see who won (not a lot, mainly chadkillz134 asking me a few times a week), so we will wait no longer and see who outshined the others in season 37!
STANLEY CUP FINAL
Tampa Bay Lightning (E) vs. Winnipeg Jets (W)
Winner: Tampa Bay Lightning in 7 games.
DD Prediction: Lightning in 7.
MVP: i9i-stamkos-i1ic.
Man, Prodigy and Bufford kinda suck doing stats, so this may not be as complete as I want it to be. Oh well. We’ll do it live!
Game: 1.
Score: 5-2 Winnipeg.
MVP: ttommyboiii. 
Winnipeg started this series off with a bang and in a resounding 5-2 victory against the President’s Trophy winning Tampa Bay squad. ProdigyToLegend contributed two assists from the point, while i_Zinczy_i_TV matched that total and added two goals. However, ttommyboiii made a strong case for Conn Smythe with this performance, scoring a hat trick while trying to set the tempo for the series. 
Game: 2.
Score: 2-1 Tampa Bay.
MVP: bluedevil631.
The Jets were able to hold the Lightning to two goals for a second consecutive game, however they only matched 20% of their output and scored a single goal to drop game two. I9i-stamkos-i1ic scored a goal while hypey- added two assists, but it was bluedevil631 who remained consistent and matched his first game totals with a goal and an assist in this game. This kind of consistency is so necessary in playoffs, and bluedevil was the perfect example of what it can lead to. 
Game: 3.
Score: 3-1 Tampa Bay.
MVP: i9i-stamkos-i1ic.
The Lightning were able to end Monday night with a win, and take a 2-1 lead in the series after dropping the first game. Tampa Bay were able to add on to their goal total from the first game while remaining defensively responsible and holding the Jets to a goal. PistolPete7788_ and hypey- each scored a goal, Xxdiistortedxx contributed three assists, Bufford80 stopped 13 of 14 shots, and i9i-stamkos-i1ic had a goal and two assists amongst a great team effort to secure the victory.
Game: 4.
Score: 2-1 Tampa Bay.
MVP: bluedevil631.
Bufford didn’t do stats for this game, and whoever inputted the score did so incorrectly, so I don’t have much to report on in this game 4 victory other than what I was able to pull from ItsKingLyme’s stream (thank you for everything you did in the finals coverage, big man). i9i-stamkos-i1ic scored a goal and an assist, and X-Z3tt3rbergzz-X came through when it was his time to shine. bluedevil631 put up another goal and an assist in this performance, one that helped the Bolts push the Jets to the brink of elimination.
Game: 5.
Score: 5-2 Winnipeg.
MVP: ttommyboiii.
Tomm Smythe was out in full force, as the Jets were able to stave off elimination with a victory that saw them return to their game one dominance. Elfpha made his presence felt with a goal and two assists, while Bartlett–98 was a forechecking machine with 4 hits and 5 shots, sharing a hit total with CaptCanada_, who played a great shutdown role for Winnipeg this season. ttommyboiii put up another hat trick as he rallied to get his team back into the series.
Game: 6.
Score: 4-2 Winnipeg.
MVP: Bartlett–98.
Every time Winnipeg won a game in these Stanley Cup finals, somebody had a hat trick. In this game, it was Bartlett–98, who was instrumental in sending the Jets to game 7. ttommyboiii continued his Conn Smythe campaign with three assists in this game, while Elfpha matched his helper count and added a goal. Bartlett–98 proved himself to be a household name in this league, and got himself a spot in game 7.
Game: 7.
Score: 3-1 Tampa Bay.
MVP: bluedevil631.
The game was 2-1 going into the final seconds of the second period when bluedevil631 cut to the middle and was able to bury a goal with three seconds left in the period. This was all the Lightning needed as they were able to win game seven by a score of 3-1, and secure the Stanley Cup. i9i-stamkos-i1ic only notched an assist in this game, but hypey- was able to score two clutch goals for the Bolts. bluedevil631 assisted on both of these goals, and added the insurance marker to cap off a fantastic Stanley Cup finals performance. 
 
SEASON 37 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS: Tampa Bay Lightning.
Once again, congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning on an incredible season and being able to fulfill their own prophecy. It’s an incredible comeback story after Bufford missed the season 36 draft and ended up finishing last in the league with only three wins on the season. However, let’s not forget about the Winnipeg Jets, the Western conference champions, who had a fantastic season that fell one game short of a championship. ProdigyToLegend, ttommyboiii, Elfpha, i_Zinczy_i_TV, Bartlett–98, CaptCanada_, Glachs, dophares2000, Gallagher_11x, and BRANN-THE-MANN should all be very proud of themselves for the campaign they put together. 
 
AWARDS
Let’s start with the statistically determined awards!
 
ART ROSS TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the player who leads the SPNHL in points at the end of the regular season.
Winner: LeCupidon.
LeCupidon had a season to remember, as he broke the record for most points in a single season (245), a record which had stood since the inaugural season of the league(jusalator’s record was 236 points). Cupidon scored the second most goals in one season in league history (110), only behind jusalator’s 140 from his record setting first season. Cupey continues to be one of the best (and in my opinion, most underappreciated) players in this league, and if he continues to play like this, he’ll find himself back in the Stanley Cup finals in no time.
 
MAURICE “ROCKET” RICHARD TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the top goal scorer in the SPNHL regular season.
Winner: LeCupidon.
We talked about LeCupidon at length in that last little blurb, but we’ll add on to that here. Cupidon is a guy that knows how to bury a puck. He uses his speed to blow by defenders, and his signature through-the-legs deke leaves defenders confused and goalies prone to his finishing ability. Whether he’s deking you out in your crease, or wrapping the puck around the net and past the goal line, Cupidon has a natural ability to find the back of the net, and if he continues to do so at this pace, there’s no stopping him.
 
WILLIAM M. JENNINGS AWARD
Criteria: Awared to the goalkeeper having played a minimum 50% of regular season games for the team with the fewest GA.
Winner: Spencer_Knight30.
Spencer didn’t play 50% of the games (just one game shy at 26), but there were no other qualified goalies who played for the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers allowed the fewest goals against in the regular season with 126, and in Spencer’s 26 games, he allowed 68 goals against. This is Spencer’s second consecutive season winning this award, and goes to show how having a strong goaltender between the pipes can give your defense confidence. Also, the Flyers had one of the best defensive cores in the league, so that will help out a little bit.
 
NHL PLUS-MINUS AWARD
Criteria: Awarded to the player with the best +/- at the end of the SPNHL regular season.
Winner: Reapz2313.
Reapz2313 often gets unnecessary criticism for playing (close to0 every game. However, when you’re performing this well and your presence on the ice leads to an incrementally larger goal total for your team, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be. Reapz finished the season with a +126 differential in 52 games, meaning that his team, when he played, scored an average of just under 2.5 goals more than their opponents. If I had a player with that kind of impact, they’d be on the ice whenever they could be.
 
JACK ADAMS AWARD
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL Owner judged to have completed his duties as a GM at the highest level.
Winner: Bufford80.
So, for those who don’t know, Pliskin has a system where GMs are awarded points based on their task compliance and behaviour throughout the season. This includes inputting stats on time, their regular season standings, their conduct in the public chat, and more. In the end, Bufford80 of the Tampa Bay Lightning was bestowed this award, and I doubt many people could challenge this. Big Buff took a team that finished last and turned them into Stanley Cup champions. Need we say more?
 
Now, let’s get to the awards that were voted on!
 
HART MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL’s most valuable player to their team during the regular season.
Winner: hypey-.
It was difficult to not give this award to LeCupidon, especially after his record setting season, but let’s talk about hypey-. Hypey was second in the league in goals (108) and third in the league in points (197). Cupidon also had Reapz and mjvoell4 on his line, who combined for 359 points in addition to Cupidon’s total. While hypey had i9i-stamkos-i1ic on his line (who scored 139 points), his performance outside of just goals and points, including 18 pims, 167 hits, and a 53.79% faceoff percentage, proved to be of immeasurable worth to his team.
 
CONN SMYTHE TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL’s most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.
Winner: bluedevil631.
bluedevil631 didn’t lead the league in playoff points (that would be Bunzy-62 with 40, who the Bolts eliminated on their way to the finals), nor did he lead the league in playoff goals (that was ttommyboiii with 17, who brought his Jets to game 7) or assists ( Elfpha had 26 assists in his postseason). What he did do was lead his team in playoff goals (16), shared the team lead in points per game with i9i-stamkos-i1ic at 2.5, and was the most consistent player in the Stanley Cup finals and scored when Tampa Bay needed it the most. That’s an MVP.
 
FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.
Winner: i9i-stamkos-i1ic.
While he led his team in points in the playoffs, Stamkos also was incredibly effective in the regular season, especially in defensive aspects amongst forwards. In 40 games he notched 99 assists, and was a +65 with only 14 pim. His 76 hits weren’t earth shattering, but his high faceoff percentage (57.28) and his lower giveaway to takeaway ratio (2.4 giveaways per takeaway) set him apart from the rest of the competitors for this award. Congratulations to Stamkos, as he continues to prove that he’s one of the best players in the league. 
 
KING CLANCY MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the player who has made a noteworthy contribution to the SPNHL community.
Winner: Wheelchairdevon8.
For those who don’t know, Wheelchairdevon8 was in charge of running the trade block for Pliskin last season. This was an especially tall order given the high frequency and volume of trades this past season. You had Vegas and San Jose trading numerous players per day for a considerable period, as well as Philadelphia and Anaheim wheeling and dealing over the course of the season. He made Pliskin’s life that much easier, so cheers to devon and congratulations on the award.
 
BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the SPNHL.
Winner: xHAC_Rambo.
The Vancouver Canucks had a hard time last season, and were at the bottom of the league all season long. There was one constant on the Canucks roster, and that was xHAC_Rambo. A guy who was campaigning to get himself a roster spot at the beginning of the season, Rambo had the unfortunate honour of getting picked up by the Canucks. However, Rambo made the most of the chance he was provided, scoring 29 goals in 25 games for Vancouver and was there until the end of the season. Good for Rambo for sticking it out.
 
LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded for playing at a high level of skill and maintaining a highly disciplined standard of play.
Winner: Reapz2313.
Reapz wins his second consecutive Lady Byng trophy, perhaps starting a new streak that will rival TrueLegend07’s 6 season streak. Reapz, as we mentioned earlier, had another outstanding season and scored 104 goals to go along with 113 assists, all in 52 games. This incredible offensive performance accompanied an incredibly disciplined season, as he only amassed 10 penalty minutes all season long. Reapz is in the middle of a career resurgence, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hit those toals again next season.
 
JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL defensemen who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.
Winner: PistolPete7788_.
I’m not sure if anybody else has done this in previous seasons, but my dear friend Peter hit the thirty goal plateau as a defender. He had as many goals at defense as I did as a forward. That’s insane. He paired that with 68 assists to lead all defenders in points by a 26 point margin. No defender played more games (50), and Pete finished second in hits (187 (ON AN UNDERCOVER COP!)) and takeaways (152) to go along with his great offensive performance. Cheers to the Pistol on his second Norris trophy.
 
VEZINA TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL’s top goaltender.
Winner: chadkillz134.
chadkillz134 has reclaimed his throne as the best goaltender in the league after Spencer_Knight30 wrestled it away from him last season. A Hart Memorial Trophy candidate, chad was the backbone of the Minnesota Wild all season, playing 46 games for them in between the pipes. He won 24 of those starts, facing 17 shots a game and saving 83.54% of them. Chad averaged 2.85 GAA and posted 3 shutouts on the season, which may not seem to be impressive numbers, but given the team in front of him, they damn sure are.
 
CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY
Criteria: Awarded to the SPNHL’s rookie of the year.
Winner: Bartlett–98.
Winnipeg’s leading scored and games played leader in the regular season, Bartlett is our pick for rookie of the year amidst a strong class of rookie. He finished third in points for rookies (92) and points per game amongst rookies (2.8), and finished first in assists (56) and games played by a rookie (33). He was a prime example of a power forward, finishing third in the league for hits by a forward (220) and with only 4 pims. He was also a beast on the powerplay with 11 markers, good for 4th in the league.
 
And with that, season 37 has officially come to a close! All the awards have been handed out, all of our champions have been crowned, and the book on NHL 20 has been permanently shut! As we move towards NHL 21, and more importantly, season 38, we have a new crop of players who have made an impact and are looking to become superstars, we have some longtime veterans who have changed positions and are making a huge impact, and some new GMs in the fold who are either looking to build on their success from this past season or rebound from a disappointing performance. Regardless, there is much to look forward to next season.
I guess Off the Ice has taken a bit of a hiatus now that things have started to pick up in all of our lives, but I encourage you to check out https://twitch.tv/thespnhl_media and catch up on some old episodes of the program and see if any of our hot takes turn out to be cold as ice. While you’re on Twitch, make sure to check out https://www.twitch.tv/itskinglyme! He does all kinds of cool stuff on there, and was so gracious to broadcast and commentate on the Stanley Cup finals this past season. Give him a follow, maybe even a subscription!
 
That’s it for me for a while. Thank you for reading this, and good luck in season 38! 
Cheers,
DD.