Spring Previews: Championship Finals (Series Preview) - May 27th

Emaan vs Haya: (Head To Head: Emaan wins 2-0-0)

Two teams. One mission. In one corner, you have Emaan, a team who've set a precedence as the league's most noisiest offence. Team orange has been a menace this season and has penalized each team on the scoresheet. Their ability to suffocate the opposition in their own zone has been a talent that hasn't been replicated by many teams. They might not be defensively decisive, but have been able to hold their own. This first place squad has every right to flex their guns, but do remember the i-Slam myth:

"No first place team has ever won the championships..."

In the other corner, you have Haya. A team peppered with dynamic players that have braved many storms to reach this point of the spring season. Haya was on a roll earlier this season as this squad toppled anyone that dared to be an obstacle. Then Waqar Khan left for a brief Pakistani stint and for almost a month the team appeared to be writing their own obituary. Haya became a nail-bitter but then the resurgence of Khan revitalized the aura in Haya, and here we are, two wins away from the finish line. Can Haya take it all the way?

Offense:

Emaan's offensive guts has been the infectious line of Al-Hundi-Hindy-Sowdagar. The trio have set record points and have stunned the opposition with their chemistry. Unfortunately, the bus remains stationary past Emaan's first line. Huzaifa Manjara has lit the lamp when feasible, but there was more expectations from first round pick Arif Bijabhai. The lanky sprinter has only 1 point in the last 5 games and needs to get out of this funk. 

Haya has been fortunate to witness offensive avenues as colourful as a plate of biryani, after Waqar Khan that is. This diversity will be key for the blue shirts as Azhar Kalair, Farooq Sani and Azim Siddique will be expected to rise to the occasion. Speaking about Khan, the strapping forward has a mammoth 7 points in his last 4 games and will be on the radar for Emaan. Farooq Sani has also been a heavy broker upfront and will see heavy minutes in the next two games. 

Defense:

Emaan has been tender around the corners when it comes to their defensive coverage. The orange shirts still remain notorious for allowing the most goals and need to add a big piece to assist with Huzaifa Manjara on the blue line. Saqib Sheikh and Madni Danial are meeting the basic criteria; but will these pieces win you a championship? The orange shirts will need defenders that can shadow and out-muscle studs like Waqar Khan and Azhar Kalair.

Neutralizing Emaan's forward will be the theme for Haya, and that's where the experience of Sajid Bhayat plays an orbital role. Reeling in this booksmart defensemen into the locker room was a clever maneuver for Haya. Expect Bhayat to dictate the backend while Farrukh Khan's offensive attention hopefully creates scoring chances for the blue shirts. GM Zuhair Fancy's presence at the blue line adds some welcomed physicality that should disturb Emaan's offensive cohort.

Goaltending:

Khalid Mufti is no stranger to the post season and has been through this phase before. Mufti will be highly counted on stealing games for his crew while shutting down Waqar Khan and company. His playoff experience should be advantageous compared to his rival.

If there's a monumental task for Kaunain Saiyed then it's succeeding in these next two games. Saiyed might not be as experienced as Khalid Mufti but has sold the skeptics with his newly found confidence. Kaunain has been the saviour in previous games and will be expected on holding the fort for his team. 

Whom are you riding with? Can Haya muffle Emaan once and for all? Or will Emaan storm passed Haya with their elaborate and grizzled offence?

Spring Previews - Week Thirteen - May 20th

Emaan vs Ihsan

Emaan had no pity over Ihsan in game one of the semifinals as the orange shirts scraped off team red in a 5-3 decision. Emaan went buck will over Ihsan and hammered Zaid Majoo and company with their "premium" lineup of Al-Hundi-Hindy-Sowdagar. Will Emaan be able to close this series and jump to the finals? How will Emaan respond to the fresh Ihsan roster this week? GM Ibrahim Hindy's squad appeared convincing in their first post season match but will expect a more frenzied effort from Ihsan this week. Huzaifa Manjara's return to the backend provides stability; but how will the remainder of the defensive cast reply? Can Emaan break the haunting first place myth? 

The red shirts could've used some Red Bull last week! Ihsan was tired from their wild card game and just didn't have the gas to survive the volley of attacks by Emaan. GM Fuzail Thakur and company need to exploit Emaan's defence and get producing again. Forwards Ahmad Hathout and Nadeem Faqiri have been shouldering most of the offensive burden and need to elevate their game. Netminder Zaid Majoo faced 21 shots and needs the defensive shielding versus an offensively saturated Emaan team. Will Ihsan be able to neutralize Emaan and own the seats to the finals? Will Salman Khalid and his defensive clique be able to tolerate the orange shirts?

Burning Questions?Which team will reserve their seats to the finals?

Who's Hot?

Yousuf Sowdagar once again punched out a 3 point night.

Player To Watch:

Ahmad Hathout has been the torchbearer all season long. Can he carry this team to the finals?

Haya vs Shukr

This clash was predicted to be a physical battle, and man it was a 10.0 on the richter scale. Haya was outmuscled, outplayed and outshot, yet still pulled off a remarkable win with goaltender Kaunain Saiyed showing no sign of quivering. A sneaky Shoaib Bhatti was found slithering around the net to notch the team's only and winning goal. Haya is 30 minutes away from the promise land and needs to contain those stubborn veterans. GM Zuhair Fancy's team didn't buckle and withstood Shukr's resilience with Azim Siddique and Ozair Naveed sacrificing their bodies on numerous slapshots. Will Haya be able to shock Shukr? Can Waqar Khan exploit Shukr's aging defence?

There was a silent dissatisfaction amongst the Shukr bench. How did they lose to a team whom had no business winning? GM/Coach K has tamed his team well but let's admit it, Haya's goaltender stole that game. On to game two and it's no secret that Shukr will come out of the flood gates thirsty for revenge. Shukr's defence did a great job of shutting down Waqar Khan but unfortunately the remaining backend was permeated at times. Stud goaltender Yasir Hussain has played phenomenal all season long and will have his "A" game on hand this Friday. Can Salim Malik and Aazar Zafar solve Haya? All the marbles are on the table for both teams. Who will be victorious?

Burning Questions?Which team will reserve their seats to the finals?

Who's Hot?

No body for either team.

Player To Watch:

Ali Murtaza has always been an influential player in both ends of the rink. He'll be looked upon to get through Haya.

Spring Previews - Week Twelve - May 13th

Ikhlas vs Ihsan

Ikhlas had a thundering amount of momentum going into there match last week versus Emaan but unfortunately succumbed to their tenacious forwards in a 7-5 drubbing. Regardless, the green shirts have planted themselves in the wild card match and are set to confront Ihsan in a one game wonder. Ikhlas's roster isn't as proportionally balanced as others teams but withhold some pieces that are pivotal facets to winning this nail bitter  Saqib Khokhar and Idrees Deen's arrival has awarded this team a new identity. Humza Chaudhry and Arsalan Mian need to continue their offensive intrusion while Junaid Mohammad and Haris Mallick turn on the engines in the backend. Will Yusuf Kapoor be able to get his squad through this wild card game?

Ihsan suffered a jolting experience against Shukr last week. The red shirts were cornered in their own zone for most of the time and fell victim in a 4-1 spanking. Ihsan's narrative has been intriguing yet dramatic. Team red experienced many trials and tribulations all season long but managed to align their mission once Zaid Majoo set foot in the roster. Akin to Ikhlas, the notion of this squad making it to the wild card match was preposterous, but here they are! Expect Ahmed Hathout and Nadeem Faqiri to put the opposition under stress while Salman Khalid and GM Fuzail Thakur endure the onslaught of speed from Ikhlas's forwards. Will Zaid Majoo be able to handle the barrage of shots from the green shirts?  

Burning Questions?
Which team will win the wild card match and face Emaan?

Who's Hot?

Humza Chaudhry has attained some serious numbers and sits within the top five amongst scoring leaders.

Player To Watch:

Expect Ahmad Hathout to pull all the rabbits from the hat against Ikhlas. The brawny forward will need to provide some offensive punch in getting the red shirts through the night.

Haya vs Shukr

Haya faced a skeleton roster of Sabr and laughed away the night in a 6-1 beating. GM Zuhair Fancy's team wasted no time in dehydrating the opposition and bidding them a final farewell as Sabr was eliminated from any playoff anticipation. Earlier in the season, there was a concern where the avenues of scoring would originate from. Well, judging from their stats there's no ceiling for Haya when offence is concerned. Waqar Khan, Farooq Sani and Azhar Kalair will need to be the gateways in getting Haya through the first game jitters. Farrukh Khan and Sajid Bhayat must be A1 in the backend while netminder Kaunain Saiyed looks to silence Shukr's lethal weapons. Will Haya be able to overthrow Shukr? 

There's a heap load of depth in Shukr, but it doesn't mean that their unbeatable. Shukr has had a few bad games but when they've clicked it's been absolutely bruising for the opposition. Despite having a wiser roster, GM Kashif Taqiuddin's squad will make sure Haya endures a taxing experience. Unlike Haya's reserve of offence, Shukr has been blessed with many arms that can score and defensive studs that will regret you pondered the thought of crossing the blue line. Salem Malik, Aazar Zafar and Ali Murtaza will be the key guys that will interrogate Kaunain Saiyed while buddies Luqman Arshad, Sadat Malik and Naiem Malik barricade Yasir Hussain. Will Shukr's experience counter Haya's speedy forwards? 

Burning Questions?
Which team will draw first blood and win game one?

Who's Hot?

Saleem Malik has been on fire with his offensive production. The resilient forward will be on the radar for Haya.

Player To Watch:

Waqar Khan is always the player to watch. Khan will be the focal point of the night for Shukr.

Emaan vs TBD

The orange shirts put a smackdown on the kids of Ikhlas as GM Ibrahim Hindy and company marched off the arena floor in an assuring 7-5 win. Emaan will eagerly await to discover who their foes are as the winner of the wild card game catches their breath to battle Emaan. Nonetheless, Emaan has had the number of both Ikhlas and Ihsan yet have faced adversity with the two in the recent half of the season. GM Ibrahim Hindy, Yousuf Sowdagar and Gehad Al-Hundi have had a record year with their stats and will be a behemoth versus Ikhlas or Ihsan. As mentioned before, the only thing that'll sting Emaan's rear end is their defence. The orange shirts have the most goals for and coincidently permitted the most goals against. Emaan will need to cover the defensive gaps if their agenda is the the championships. Will Arif Bijabhai get back on the scoresheet? Will Emaan conquer the first game?

Burning Questions?
Which team will draw first blood and win game one?

Who's Hot?
Emaan's first line of course. They've been unprecedented and tough to contain.

Player To Watch:

Goaltender Khalid Mufti has had a decent season and will be keen on getting by the first round.

Spring Previews - Week Eleven - May 6th

Sabr vs Haya

Sabr's quest for claiming that wild card match is over. The final nail in the coffin was stamped last week as Haya beat team teele in a 3-1 decision. A short bench, injuries and unavailable players have been the ingredients to Sabr's disappointing season. With Haya on deck for the teele shirts again this week, the relevance for this game will to be closes out the season on a strong note. Captain Yousuf Soliman will try to pry this squad's talent in winning this final game before walking away in the sunset. Can Sabr get the job done this time?

After losing four games straight, Haya revived their winning groove with a monumental win over Sabr. The blue shirts seemed more settled and capitalized on Sabr's rushed efforts. Without Khan, the blue shirts were dropping games at a drastic rate and presented an effort that was a far cry from how they defeated some big teams earlier in the season. Haya concludes their regular season with a rematch of Sabr and will attempt to tally another win for the standings. A win versus Sabr would net Haya a comfy spot in the standings. Can Haya own Sabr?

Burning Questions?
Can Sabr finish the night with a big win?

Who's Hot?

Azhar Kalair scored two goals last game and has supplied some excellent offense for his squad.

Player To Watch:

Sajid Khan has been a beast on the backend and always displays a relentless effort. Will Khan be able to shadow Waqar Khan?

Ikhlas vs Emaan

Ikhlas pulled off a character win last week as they shocked the I-Slam fanfare with a convincing win over Emaan. This will be a team to watch out! Their young guns came through, defenders Haris Mallick and Waseem Kalair also made life unbearable for Emaan's first line while playing valuable minutes in the backend. Once again, Idrees Deen came out smelling like roses and plagued the Emaan defenders with trouble. Saqib Khokhar continues to shine and left with the last laugh as his former team were left scratching their heads. Will Ikhlas be able to out-hustle Emaan again?

Emaan wants that game back from Ikhlas last week. The orange shirts left dazed and lost to the green shirts by a head scratching 4-2 score. Emaan's defence is hurting them and last game seemed like their backend was held by pins and needles. Team orange plugged away but Ikhlas had an answer for everything including 3 botched power plays, we'd expect Emaan to light the lamp at least once. You can bet that Emaan will come out stronger than ever this week an will demonstrate why their the first place team. Can Emaan turn it around this week versus Ikhlas?

Burning Questions?

Will this week wake up Arif Bijabhai? The goliath has been pointless in his last three games.

Who's Hot?

Abdul-Rahman Buttar had a huge night last week. The nimble player left the rink on a three point night.

Player To Watch:

Goaltender Yusuf Kapoor has matured as a goalie and made some jaw dropping saves in a authentic 4-2 win.

Ihsan vs Shukr

The upward surge continues for Ihsan with the red shirts feeding off a shortened Shukr bench for a 1-0 win. Believe it or not but netminder Zaid Majoo's presence to the Ihsan camp was a huge shot in the arm. This ain't monkey business for Ihsan, the red shirts are riding high on a four game unbeaten streak and look to add another feather in that winning cap. Ahmed Hathout and Nadeem Faqiri will need to continue haunting Shukr's defence while Salman Khalid and GM Fuzail Thakur mind the blue line. Will Majoo crank out another win?

The word was that Shukr was missing six players last game but still managed to keep the score down to a 1-0 loss, not bad. The blue shirt's depth has been the main factor to why they exist in every game. Players like Aazar Zafar and Ali Murtaza bring that effort and grizzle that has Shukr breathing for survival in every game. With GM Kashif Taqiuddin out of the roster, in comes veteran Naiem Malik to mind the blue line with the likes of Luqman Arshad and Sadat Malik. A win combined with a Haya loss would curtain Shukr at second place. Can stalwart Yasir Hussain silence Ihsan?

Burning Questions?

Will Ihsan be able to prolong their unbeaten streak?

Who's Hot?

It might've been a mere goal but Salman Khalid is Ihsan's marquee defensman. 

Player To Watch:

Saleem Malik has no off switch. The determined forward has been a big arm for offensive production.