{"id":25559,"date":"2019-10-01T14:30:46","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T18:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.btsh.org\/bruise\/?p=25559"},"modified":"2019-10-01T14:30:47","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T18:30:47","slug":"2019-playoff-preview-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/2019-playoff-preview-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 Playoff Preview (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Four heroes are going to dish on how the 20 BTSH teams who qualified for the playoffs or play-in game will do.\u00a0 Any complaints should be directed at one hero in particular, Richie Hero, as he is used to dealing with random people yelling at clouds from his time manning the phones at Crime Stoppers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

20) Gut Rot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richie Hero: <\/strong>When Gut Rot has a goalie, they win games. Eric and Ed have provided their fare share of W\u2019s along the way, but sadly, Eitan refused to goalie 4 them and they\u2019ve been stuck with a goalie by committee year. Truth be told, I think Russ is funnier than Eitan, and I don\u2019t think Russ is that funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arya:<\/strong> Gut Rot went from five wins and 18th place to two wins and 20th place.\u00a0 Was Ed leaving really that big of a blow? Fans of narratives will say yes as Gut Rot dropped two spots while WTP went from 12th to 5th.\u00a0 However, Gut Rot only let up three more goals this year than last year but scored 22 rather than 35, a massive 37% drop in scoring. Whatever the issue is, in playing one of the only two teams they beat this season, they have an amazing chance to notch an improbable playoff victory. If Shelly is there, I don’t think they can do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatbox: <\/strong>Given the fact that I lose championships every year, look for Gut Rot to win their first round matchup (they\u2019ve beaten Mega once this season), forcing the Rehabs to have to play Fresh Kills in round 2 while Gut Rot is rewarded with a date with the Lbs. Did I just make this about me? Yes, I\u2019ve gone full JW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JW: <\/strong>Wait, when I was asked to do this I wasn\u2019t told there would be hockey involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

19) Riots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arya: <\/strong>The Fresh Kills have had the season from hell thus far, punctuated by a late-season Gabe injury, but I just can\u2019t see them losing to the Riots.\u00a0 Dave would have to play even better than he did in the OC semi-finals AND the Riots would need a lot of bounces. This is too big a choke for a team like the Fresh Kills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richie Hero: <\/strong>While the Riots aren\u2019t going to be hoisting the new PBR Cup in 2019, they will play Fresh Kills tougher than most think. No, Walker, this wouldn\u2019t be the biggest upset in BTSH history. I think Anklebiters over Fresh Kills in 2015 would still top it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JW: <\/strong>You\u2019re absolutely incorrect, Rich. This would be the biggest upset in BTSH history if it happens. That\u2019s it, I\u2019m starting a Facebook poll.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatbox: <\/strong>Rich, this would be the biggest upset in BTSH history by a mile. I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m on #teamJW for this one. #ha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18) Dark Rainbows\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatbox: <\/strong>Meatbox math time: Rainbows have talent + Butchers have attendance issues = A tightly contested matchup. That being said, if the Butchers show up, I really don\u2019t see them losing this one for the second year in a row. Stranger things have happened, but unfortunately it looks like the new league sweethearts (or have they always been this and the demons just tried to steal the title?) won\u2019t be making it to the second weekend of the postseason this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richie Hero: <\/strong>I love the Rainbows\/Butchers rematch in round 1.\u00a0 Last year the Rainbows shocked the BTSH Universe with an upset playoff victory in the Play-In round. This year they will try to knock Rachel\u2019s team out again. Last year they wisely took a team picture after they won, because who wants to see a team picture after you lost? I suggest you do the same this year, Rainbows…the Lbs. will be waiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arya:<\/strong> Indeed we will.\u00a0 But as much as conventional logic would suggest that I take the Rainbows (they won 4-1 last year and got better in the offseason), I feel like the Butchers are going to light it up with at least four goals and get some revenge for last season\u2019s surprise elimination.\u00a0 Unless Yetter is ready to start throwing down hat tricks this could be a quick exit for the Bows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JW: <\/strong>Arya says conventional wisdom leans toward the Rainbows, but I honestly think this is a pick \u2018em. (That\u2019s what it\u2019s called, right?) The Butchers had a bit of a rough season, but they are coming off an uplifting shootout win. That said, the Bows also finished the season with a commanding 4-0 win over the Riots. In any case, Brady deserves to win this because of the incredible tie-dyed Cleveland Browns shirt he wore last Sunday. In fact, just give him the Cup now.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17) Math<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richie Hero: <\/strong>Math is a hard team to judge. The last two years they got eliminated against the eventual champion in the Round of 16, but both times they had the lead. Dave L. is prob the most underrated goalie in the league. While I don\u2019t expect them to win their next 5 games, I do expect them to beat the Sky Fighters, and if they play the Anklebiters give them a real scare. If they play the LBS, I would doubt it would be that close.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatbox: <\/strong>Given Math\u2019s attendance issues, I\u2019m predicting their first round matchup with Sky to be an incredibly low scoring affair. Like if the over is 1.5, still take the under. That being said, I think there is a clear advantage for Math in net and on defense. If Math can get an early lead, look for them to sit on it and find themselves playing the second weekend, most likely in a rematch of week 1 against the Lbs where they will prove to be a tough out (see last season\u2019s matchup against eventual champion Fuzz), but end up overpowered by Alex Frey\u2019s sexiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arya: <\/strong>Thank you for recognizing the sexiness.\u00a0 <\/strong>Like most of the teams featured in Part I of this preview, Math has had a tough season.\u00a0 Fortunately, they made the playoffs by virtue of being a team in the league and they\u2019re always a tougher playoff opponent than they should be on paper.\u00a0 Their matchup is tougher than it looks against the Sky Fighters though and I don\u2019t think this is their year to make a deep run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JW: <\/strong>Math are very strong defensively (when their D core all show up), and Dave is a very good goalie. They historically struggle to score, however. The Sky Fighters started out the season very slowly but they have bounced back (shocking the Gremlins, and stringing together a few other recent wins in addition to that one). I think this game will be very close as the late-season Fighters show up. However, Math walks away with the win.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16) Sky Fighters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richie Hero: <\/strong>We have another play-in rematch with the Sky Fighters and Math. Last year the Sky Fighters lost but outplayed Math. But last year they also had SBJ and Carlin. It\u2019s not going to be there year but if they beat Math, at least they can get a modicum of revenge for last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatbox: <\/strong>Rich Glanzer used the word modicum. I am floored. I\u2019m really excited for tomorrow\u2019s word of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rematch of last year\u2019s play-in game (also probably the least predictable of the 4). The Sky Fighters find themselves in the same game they were last year, although this time they\u2019re the favorite on paper and it doesn\u2019t look like Poutine is waiting in the wings to scoop up their players. The team has gelled as the season went on, but I don\u2019t think this is the year they make a deep run. Look for them to exit early, regroup in the offseason, maybe add an FA or two, and come back next year possibly avoiding the play in round.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arya: <\/strong>Sky Fighters are an underrated group with a terrible playoff draw.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re on par with some teams who got the play-in bye, but they would have to beat Math before likely facing the top seed in every round and then spending the offseason making sure their top players are put in witness protection.\u00a0 Not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JW: <\/strong>Can\u2019t I just copy and paste what I wrote above about Math\/Sky Fighters here?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four heroes are going to dish on how the 20 BTSH teams who qualified for the playoffs or play-in game will do.\u00a0 Any complaints should be directed at one hero in particular, Richie Hero, as he is used to dealing with random people yelling at clouds from his time manning the phones at Crime Stoppers. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6355,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-league-info"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6355"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25559"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25564,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559\/revisions\/25564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.miyagimedia.com\/bruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}