8:00 PM- Yaqeen (0-1-0) vs Haya (0-0-1):
Yaqeen (white) enters this contest by hanging onto dear life against Emaan for the victory in Week One. Despite a very strong start in the first half, it was Yaqeen that was on their heels near the end with Emaan having several opportunities to tie the game. Definitely there could be improvements on the way Yaqeen closed out that game. On a positive note, Maaz Haq and Arif Bijabhai were particularly impressive with four and three points respectively. Their efforts see them ranked 1st and 2nd in the overall points board. Is this a slight glimpse of a new dynamic duo in the making?
In comparison to Yaqeen, Haya (grey) would start slow but finish superb in Week One against Ikhlas. After going down by two goals, they would rally and walk out of The Hangar with a point for their efforts. Just don’t tell the rest of the league how scary this team could potentially be as they overcame adversity without the following players: Adeel Awan, Sufyaan Shaikh, Waqar Khan and Yasin Admani. So definitely, these boys are feeling themselves and spectators will be interested in seeing how lethal this team is with their full roster (remember we had Haya going to the Finals in a preseason previews).
Hamidi Prediction: Haya win
9:00 PM- Shukr (0-1-0) vs Ridha (0-1-0):
These two teams from The Jerusalem Division battle it out in a huge four-point game. Both Shukr (red) and Ridha (blue) are coming off defeats. Shukr was the only team not to score a goal in Week One as Sabr’s Ali Khawja collected his first shutout of the young season. Shukr’s downfall in the first week was they lacked a sense of urgency to start the game. They looked very tentative and out of sync as in the first half they mustered a measly six shots on net. You can’t expect to score if you don’t get shots on net. Sufyan Kazi did miss Shukr’s first game, so having him in the lineup should help the offense. A disaster outcome for Shukr is if they get shutout again or score only one goal and lose. I say this because scoring goals stems from confidence and if Shukr can’t find the net again then this will become a psychological struggle they will have to deal with all season.
Ridha (blue) also suffered a defeat in the opening week at the hands of division rivals Taqwa, 2-1. As advertised in the preseason previews Ridha plays a run and gun style. What this means is they want the game played at a quicker pace and challenges their opponents to keep up. With things wide open, Ridha will get plenty of chances and likewise the other team will also get chances. If you want a basketball analogy, their games is like watching The Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets play. In Week One, they simply did not have enough fire power beyond Yusuf Ingar. With the amount of chances this team creates other players on this team need to chip in in order to be successful. Lastly, coming into the season not much was known about goaltender, Mohammed Patel, he had a solid performance in particular in the first half turning away 14 of 15 shots faced. A loss against Shukr would be disastrous for Ridha as that would make it back to back defeats from divisional opponents.
Hamidi Prediction: Ridha win
10:00 PM- Ikhlas (0-0-1) vs Sabr (1-0-0):
Out of all the teams, it is safe to say Ikhlas (green) is having the worst start. If you were to tell me that my team would have a two-goal lead with 11 minutes to play and the other team would be missing one of their GMs (a guy who lead the league in points last year), in addition to their second, third and fourth round picks, then there really is not a scenario where I can imagine where my team does not win. However, such is I-Slam Hockey - you can’t take your foot off the gas pedal until the final buzzer. Ikhlas’ fortunes does not seem to be improving as Brian Beauvis, a replacement player GM’s Haris Mallick and Mehmed Rizvanovic tried to bring in was claimed by Emaan through the waiver wire. Nonetheless, they need to put these series of unfortunate events behind them and focus on the task at hand which is a huge four-point game against Mecca divisional foes, Sabr.
Sabr (yellow) is coming of a 2-0 victory against Shukr. It was well known coming that this team is very deep upfront. This was shown in Week 1 as they got goals from both the second and third line- Abdu Sharkawy and Rizwan Malik. Early impressions of this team is that no matter what line jumps over the boards they will be a threat to score. One aspect Sabr can work on is being more disciplined as they accumulated 12 minutes (nearly an entire half) in penalty minutes.
Hamidi Prediction: Sabr win
11:00 PM- Emaan (0-1-0) vs Ihsan (0-0-0):
Last week against Yaqeen, at least for the first half, Emaan (orange) looked like the “weakest team coming out of the draft”. You looked up at the scoreboard and it was 3-0 for Yaqeen with little less than half a period to play. Then all of a sudden Yaqeen get a power play and Rizwan Hassan gives his team some life. Not too long later Mazhar Hussain would score to make the closing minutes of the game really interesting. Did we prejudge this team too harshly? I mean, Emaan could have just went through the motions after falling behind by a field goal. To their credit they kept on chipping away and could have very much tied their Week One game. Not bad at all considering they were missing their first round pick, Zubair Wahid. The focus for this team is to carry that momentum they found late in the second half against their Medina Divisional Rivals, Ihsan.
Ihsan (teal) had a bye in the first week. Not much I can write about this team until we see them in action. Of course they have recognizable names such as, Huzaifa Manjra, Idress Deen, Akib Malik and Naeem Akhtar. However rumblings around the league suggests Tayyib Khan and Abdur Zuberi are sleeper picks. Lastly, we simply don’t know much about their goaltender Mohammad Kasuji. We have a lot more question than answers with this team, but we are all curious to see Ihsan in action.
Hamidi Prediction: Ihsan win
Friday, 21 September 2018
Thursday, 6 September 2018
Fall Season - Week One - September 7th
To kick off the season the previews for this week will give a brief review of each team coming out of the draft:
Haya (grey):
Positives:
- Best defensive depth in the entire league: Luqman Arshad, Salman Khalid, Adeel Awan and Sadat Malik
- Offense already has chemistry going from Salaam Cup, Cambridge Days and other East-End leagues: Waqar Khan, Yasin Admani, Sufyan Shaikh (Note: We had Erfan Bhanapatel pegged as a top ten draft pick which they were able to pick up in the 5th pick… he should contribute to the goal scoring production as well)
- TMT core has been brought back: members of the Haya 2017 I-Slam Cup Winning Team are returning: Samad Hamidi, Adeel Awan, Salman Alvi, Waqar Khan, Yusuf Kapoor (Playoff MVP), Mustafa Shahbaz, and Salman Khalid
Biggest Weakness:
- Beyond the first line there is not enough offensive depth
Projection: I-Slam Cup Finals
Emaan (orange):
Positives:
- Best defensemen hands-down in the entire league: Zubair Wahid
- Veteran Team: Most of this team is 30+ in years which means they will be playing smarter not necessarily harder; expect this to be a good ball movement team
- The entire “Hussain” family playing on one squad (Azhar Hussain, Mazhar Hussain, Muddasar Hussain, and Yasir Hussain) they will know each other’s games inside and out.
Biggest Weakness:
- Really slow team and a lack of offense. Can these guys last the entire game?
Projection: Miss the playoffs
Ridha (blue):
Positives:
- Offensively highly skilled: Abdul Rahim Manjra, Fahad Panchbhaya, Yusuf Ingar, Yahya Ingar, Ammar Panchbhaya, and Mohammed Kazi
- This is a quick fast running (young) team
- The “Malton” connection should help this team build team chemistry real quick
Haya (grey):
Positives:
- Best defensive depth in the entire league: Luqman Arshad, Salman Khalid, Adeel Awan and Sadat Malik
- Offense already has chemistry going from Salaam Cup, Cambridge Days and other East-End leagues: Waqar Khan, Yasin Admani, Sufyan Shaikh (Note: We had Erfan Bhanapatel pegged as a top ten draft pick which they were able to pick up in the 5th pick… he should contribute to the goal scoring production as well)
- TMT core has been brought back: members of the Haya 2017 I-Slam Cup Winning Team are returning: Samad Hamidi, Adeel Awan, Salman Alvi, Waqar Khan, Yusuf Kapoor (Playoff MVP), Mustafa Shahbaz, and Salman Khalid
Biggest Weakness:
- Beyond the first line there is not enough offensive depth
Projection: I-Slam Cup Finals
Emaan (orange):
Positives:
- Best defensemen hands-down in the entire league: Zubair Wahid
- Veteran Team: Most of this team is 30+ in years which means they will be playing smarter not necessarily harder; expect this to be a good ball movement team
- The entire “Hussain” family playing on one squad (Azhar Hussain, Mazhar Hussain, Muddasar Hussain, and Yasir Hussain) they will know each other’s games inside and out.
Biggest Weakness:
- Really slow team and a lack of offense. Can these guys last the entire game?
Projection: Miss the playoffs
Ridha (blue):
Positives:
- Offensively highly skilled: Abdul Rahim Manjra, Fahad Panchbhaya, Yusuf Ingar, Yahya Ingar, Ammar Panchbhaya, and Mohammed Kazi
- This is a quick fast running (young) team
- The “Malton” connection should help this team build team chemistry real quick
Biggest Weakness:
- This is a team that mostly plays in a gym league, how will they adapt to the challenges of the arena?
Projection: Will Make Playoffs
Ikhlas (green):
Positives:
- Highly talented offensively in all three lines: Emmad Khawja, Aazar Zafar, Hani Soliman, Arif Khan, Zahid Panchbhaya, Abdul Wahab, Mehmed Rizvanovic, Salman Syed and Ibrahim Khan- This team is a very quick team and could probably match team Ridha in speed
- This is an I-Slam product team: This suggested GMS Haris Mallick and Mehmed Rizvanovic went for the best guy available in the draft by passing any regional or Salaam Cup past associations
Biggest Weakness:
- Attendance issues… ATTN: Aazar Zafar, Hani Soliman and Umair Ashraf. Your attendance issues might come back and bite your team!
Projection: Attendance issues will cause this team to miss the playoffs
Ihsan (teal):
Positives:
- Most felt that GM Huzaifa Manjra drafted the best team
- Faraz Alvi, Tayyib Khan and Abdur Nafea Zuberi will make this the deepest team in the entire league
- Threats from long distance: Faraz Alvi, Idris Deen and Huzaifa Manjra can all blast it from the point
Biggest Weakness:
- Not much is known about their goaltender, Mohammad Kasuji
Projection: Will Make Playoffs
Shukr (red):
Positives:
- Re-united and it feels so good! The dynamic duo of Arslan Mian and Humza Chaudhry will be looking to create havoc in the offensive end (Note: Last season Humza Chaudhry suffered a season ending knee injury. With Chaudhry out of the lineup Mian’s game is severely impacted)
- Solid veterans that know how to play the game and bring a calming presence to a team: Zuhair Fancy, Aamir Hanif, Belal Hafeez, Kashif Taquddin and Saajid Bhayat
- Less stress and more success: expect Sulmaan Azmat and Zaid Majoo to create an easy-going environment. Sometimes you just got to stop over-thinking things, relax, trust your instincts and play the game
Biggest Weakness:
- Their back-end defensive pairing is a little bit on the slow side.
Projection: Unknown… hard to predict which Arslan Mian we will see over the next four months. The Mian from last year, well this team misses the playoffs. The Mian that is on fire when Chaudhry is in the lineup, this team will comfortably qualify for the playoffs.
Sabr (yellow):
Positives:
- The best gm pairing in the league: Shaukat Khan and Mohammad Bilal
- Championship Experience (Ridha 2017 Winter Champions): Ahmad Ibrahim, Ali Khwaja (Playoff MVP), Abdu Sharkawy, Shehryar Khan, Shaukat Khan and Mohammad Bilal
- Similar to Ihsan this team also has a lot of depth: Taqi Ahmed, Razi Ahmed, Rizwan Malik, Ali Murtaza, and Shuaib Shaikh
Biggest Weakness:
- They lost Farrukh Khan from last year’s team. He was a big part of their blue line. This is a hole in their lineup they will feel throughout the season.
Projection: I-Slam Cup Finals
Yaqeen (white):
Positives:
- Will score a lot of goals: Maaz Haq, Arif Bijabhai, Farooq Sani, Saleem Malik and Arssal Shahabuddin
- One of the top three goaltenders in the league: Fahad Mohammad
- Dedicated GMs (Maaz Haq and Fahad Mohammad) that guys like to play for
Biggest Weakness:
- Maaz Haq and Fahad Mohammad have yet they can carry over their regular season success to the playoffs. Also lacking defense (other than Taha Azhar and Arssal Shahabuddin)
Projection: Will make the playoffs
Taqwa (black):
Positives:
- Fastest Player in the league: Humza Ali
- Sound Defense: Mohammed Hamoud, Riaz Lasania, and Humza Hussain
- Dangerous First Line: Humza Ali, Dawood Ciombar and Huzaifah Panchbhaya
Biggest Weakness:
- Beyond the first line the offense does not go much beyond that.
Projection: Will miss the playoffs
- This is a team that mostly plays in a gym league, how will they adapt to the challenges of the arena?
Projection: Will Make Playoffs
Ikhlas (green):
Positives:
- Highly talented offensively in all three lines: Emmad Khawja, Aazar Zafar, Hani Soliman, Arif Khan, Zahid Panchbhaya, Abdul Wahab, Mehmed Rizvanovic, Salman Syed and Ibrahim Khan- This team is a very quick team and could probably match team Ridha in speed
- This is an I-Slam product team: This suggested GMS Haris Mallick and Mehmed Rizvanovic went for the best guy available in the draft by passing any regional or Salaam Cup past associations
Biggest Weakness:
- Attendance issues… ATTN: Aazar Zafar, Hani Soliman and Umair Ashraf. Your attendance issues might come back and bite your team!
Projection: Attendance issues will cause this team to miss the playoffs
Ihsan (teal):
Positives:
- Most felt that GM Huzaifa Manjra drafted the best team
- Faraz Alvi, Tayyib Khan and Abdur Nafea Zuberi will make this the deepest team in the entire league
- Threats from long distance: Faraz Alvi, Idris Deen and Huzaifa Manjra can all blast it from the point
Biggest Weakness:
- Not much is known about their goaltender, Mohammad Kasuji
Projection: Will Make Playoffs
Shukr (red):
Positives:
- Re-united and it feels so good! The dynamic duo of Arslan Mian and Humza Chaudhry will be looking to create havoc in the offensive end (Note: Last season Humza Chaudhry suffered a season ending knee injury. With Chaudhry out of the lineup Mian’s game is severely impacted)
- Solid veterans that know how to play the game and bring a calming presence to a team: Zuhair Fancy, Aamir Hanif, Belal Hafeez, Kashif Taquddin and Saajid Bhayat
- Less stress and more success: expect Sulmaan Azmat and Zaid Majoo to create an easy-going environment. Sometimes you just got to stop over-thinking things, relax, trust your instincts and play the game
Biggest Weakness:
- Their back-end defensive pairing is a little bit on the slow side.
Projection: Unknown… hard to predict which Arslan Mian we will see over the next four months. The Mian from last year, well this team misses the playoffs. The Mian that is on fire when Chaudhry is in the lineup, this team will comfortably qualify for the playoffs.
Sabr (yellow):
Positives:
- The best gm pairing in the league: Shaukat Khan and Mohammad Bilal
- Championship Experience (Ridha 2017 Winter Champions): Ahmad Ibrahim, Ali Khwaja (Playoff MVP), Abdu Sharkawy, Shehryar Khan, Shaukat Khan and Mohammad Bilal
- Similar to Ihsan this team also has a lot of depth: Taqi Ahmed, Razi Ahmed, Rizwan Malik, Ali Murtaza, and Shuaib Shaikh
Biggest Weakness:
- They lost Farrukh Khan from last year’s team. He was a big part of their blue line. This is a hole in their lineup they will feel throughout the season.
Projection: I-Slam Cup Finals
Yaqeen (white):
Positives:
- Will score a lot of goals: Maaz Haq, Arif Bijabhai, Farooq Sani, Saleem Malik and Arssal Shahabuddin
- One of the top three goaltenders in the league: Fahad Mohammad
- Dedicated GMs (Maaz Haq and Fahad Mohammad) that guys like to play for
Biggest Weakness:
- Maaz Haq and Fahad Mohammad have yet they can carry over their regular season success to the playoffs. Also lacking defense (other than Taha Azhar and Arssal Shahabuddin)
Projection: Will make the playoffs
Taqwa (black):
Positives:
- Fastest Player in the league: Humza Ali
- Sound Defense: Mohammed Hamoud, Riaz Lasania, and Humza Hussain
- Dangerous First Line: Humza Ali, Dawood Ciombar and Huzaifah Panchbhaya
Biggest Weakness:
- Beyond the first line the offense does not go much beyond that.
Projection: Will miss the playoffs
Friday, 4 May 2018
Spring Season - Week Fourteen - May 4th
CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT - 9:00 PM
We started this journey back on January 26th, 2018 and now we have arrived at Championship Night. If there is one day you want to have your best game of the season it would be today. If you are playing today, regardless of what has happened to date, this is the one day in the season where the I-Slam Cup will be in the building. It does not stay at the rink for long… The cup is just waiting to see who is worthy of being its owners for the next couple of months. Ridha comes into this contest up 1-0 in the series. They have their goaltender Ali Khwaja to thank for that. The rest of his team played like dogs getting out-shot 26-5 with Emaan having possession of the ball for most of the game. When you have a goalie who is white-hot they can help cover up a team’s glaring weaknesses long and give them a shot at winning the game. This is exactly how things unfolded, as Arif Bijabhai scored a goal from center (hey man any shot that makes it towards the net has a chance!) and Imran Lakhanpal getting the game winner off a rebound.
So what happens tonight? At this point you got to think Emaan’s net-minder, Kaunain Saiyed expects more from himself and knows he can perform better. He is going to have to forget about his Game One let down and refocus his efforts on being solid for Emaan and backstopping them to the championship. He should be ready to face more shots (and higher quality) as rumours are circulating that Shaukat "Baba" Khan who did not play in Game One will be back in the lineup for this game. Khan will be a welcomed addition to his team and his team will definitely get more than five shots on net this game. If this helps get Ridha the first goal then they will be the 2018 I-slam Hockey Champions. However, if Emaan is able to repeat their Game One performance but just making subtle changes such as shooting the ball quicker and crashing the net then there is a good chance this game is going to overtime/shootout.
If we get there, the next question becomes which team better manages the pressure?
Friday, 27 April 2018
Spring Season - Week Thirteen - April 27th
9:00 PM Finals Game 1: Emaan (Orange) vs Ridha (Blue):
Welcome to the 2018 I-Slam Hockey Spring Season Finals. With eight teams and two different conferences, this was the hardest season to win the I-Slam cup. Emerging out of the Mecca conference is Emaan. It is often said that first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo and they set the tone for what follows. Well for every rule there is an exception; after losing their first game of the season to Yaqeen 6-0, Emaan found a way to learn from their mistakes and give credit to them as they were able to figure things out. This team has really reflected this saying, “the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Coming out of the Medina conference is Ridha. The consensus coming out of the draft was the gm pair of Mohammad Bilal and Shaukat Khan were the most offensively skilled. What people did not see coming was the point productions this season from Black Panther, Abdu Sharkawy and Shehryar Khan (all finishing top 5 in scoring). Credit to Bilal and Khan for getting the most out of these players and putting them in an environment to thrive.
How will these finals shake out? Offense, Ridha has a clear advantage. Not only did they score the most goals out of the eight teams during the season but also their opponents, Emaan has no one in the top ten in scoring. On the defensive side Ridha’s key cogs are Farrukh Khan, Shehryar Khan, and Shaukat Khan whom I would take over Emaan’s Mohammed Hamoud, Humza Hussain and Rayhan Malik. In net, Ali Khwaja (Ridha) has out-performed Kaunain Saiyed (Emaan) in all major goaltending categories throughout the year. So, with the better offense, the better defense and the stronger tender all signs point to Ridha being crowned the 2018 I-Slam Hockey champions. Not so fast! I am actually rolling with Emaan… The more cohesive team is Emaan and many of this group knows what it takes to conquer the summit (see here). During the season, Emaan torched Ridha for four goals back in February. Expect a tight battle between these two teams but when the pressure gets turned up, Emaan has been there and done that, making them better equip (in comparison to Ridha) to overcome any situation.
How will these finals shake out? Offense, Ridha has a clear advantage. Not only did they score the most goals out of the eight teams during the season but also their opponents, Emaan has no one in the top ten in scoring. On the defensive side Ridha’s key cogs are Farrukh Khan, Shehryar Khan, and Shaukat Khan whom I would take over Emaan’s Mohammed Hamoud, Humza Hussain and Rayhan Malik. In net, Ali Khwaja (Ridha) has out-performed Kaunain Saiyed (Emaan) in all major goaltending categories throughout the year. So, with the better offense, the better defense and the stronger tender all signs point to Ridha being crowned the 2018 I-Slam Hockey champions. Not so fast! I am actually rolling with Emaan… The more cohesive team is Emaan and many of this group knows what it takes to conquer the summit (see here). During the season, Emaan torched Ridha for four goals back in February. Expect a tight battle between these two teams but when the pressure gets turned up, Emaan has been there and done that, making them better equip (in comparison to Ridha) to overcome any situation.
Friday, 20 April 2018
Spring Season - Week Twelve - April 20th
9:00 PM Medina Conference Championship: Sabr (yellow) vs Ridha (blue):
The team that finished first in the Medina conference is 30 minutes away from being sent home if they are unable to score one more goal than Ridha tonight. Ridha has defeated Sabr in back to back weeks (Week 10 by a 4-0 score & Game One of this Series 2-1) and in the process holding the team boasting the league’s top two scorers to just one goal. One way to stop Waqar Khan and Yousuf Sowdagar is not to let them shoot. That is exactly what happened last week as Sabr was held to a dismal offensive output of just seven shots. If Ridha can repeat this performance then by the end of the night they will come out as the Medina Conference Champion and advance to the finals. As well, if Ridha gets the first goal, it is hard to see Sabr winning this game. For Sabr, it would appear that they need to get more shots on net. While that would be nice, I think their focus should be on defense. Last week, Ibad Khan faced 21 shots only surrendering goals to Mohammad Bilal and Shaukat Khan. His performance was great but tonight he needs to be almost perfect - if not 100% perfect. As the first goalie selected in the draft these are the type of games where he needs to be the first, second and third star. Sabr would be wise to check Bilal and Khan more tightly this game and see if the others on Ridha can score against Ibad Khan. If this plays out, I got my money on Ibad shutting the door long enough for Sabr’s dynamic duo to do their thing.
10:00 PM Mecca Conference Championship: Shukr (red) vs Emaan (orange):
Just like the Medina conference, a similar storyline is unfolding in the Mecca conference – Top-ranked Shukr is 30 minutes away from having their season come to an end. Last week, they lost Game One of this series 3-1 with all three of Emaan’s goals coming off the stick of Osama Soliman. In fact Osama Soliman was a man among boys scoring whenever and however he wanted which included a tremendous shorthanded effort. You can anticipate Shukr will be paying closer attention to him tonight, which puts the pressure on the rest of the Emaan forwards to step up. In fact, Yousuf Soliman had two goals last week in his team’s 3-1 wildcard win over Yaqeen and is definitely another player that can keep the Shukr defense honest. If you are rooting for Emaan then you have to be concerned with their lack of discipline shown last week. Rayhan Malik took three penalties and was automatically ejected and Mohammed Hamoud took an unnecessary unsportsmanlike conduct infraction that gave Shukr a chance to tie the game. If you continue to play with fire, eventually you will get burned. Actually, that is what happened last week as Shukr’s lone goal came via the power play off the stick of Maaz Haq. That was pretty much the lone highlight for them as they looked lifeless for the rest of the game. Not sure what it was, but Shukr did not resemble anything close to the team that finished first overall in the entire league during the regular season. Maaz Haq and more-so goaltender, Fahad Mohammad have had back-to-back stellar regular seasons but have yet to win a game during the playoffs. If they want to take the next step then the two need to figure out a way to get it done in the playoffs. As for the rest of the Shukr team, they absolutely need to pay more attention to Osama Soliman and try to get a better start in the first half.
The team that finished first in the Medina conference is 30 minutes away from being sent home if they are unable to score one more goal than Ridha tonight. Ridha has defeated Sabr in back to back weeks (Week 10 by a 4-0 score & Game One of this Series 2-1) and in the process holding the team boasting the league’s top two scorers to just one goal. One way to stop Waqar Khan and Yousuf Sowdagar is not to let them shoot. That is exactly what happened last week as Sabr was held to a dismal offensive output of just seven shots. If Ridha can repeat this performance then by the end of the night they will come out as the Medina Conference Champion and advance to the finals. As well, if Ridha gets the first goal, it is hard to see Sabr winning this game. For Sabr, it would appear that they need to get more shots on net. While that would be nice, I think their focus should be on defense. Last week, Ibad Khan faced 21 shots only surrendering goals to Mohammad Bilal and Shaukat Khan. His performance was great but tonight he needs to be almost perfect - if not 100% perfect. As the first goalie selected in the draft these are the type of games where he needs to be the first, second and third star. Sabr would be wise to check Bilal and Khan more tightly this game and see if the others on Ridha can score against Ibad Khan. If this plays out, I got my money on Ibad shutting the door long enough for Sabr’s dynamic duo to do their thing.
10:00 PM Mecca Conference Championship: Shukr (red) vs Emaan (orange):
Just like the Medina conference, a similar storyline is unfolding in the Mecca conference – Top-ranked Shukr is 30 minutes away from having their season come to an end. Last week, they lost Game One of this series 3-1 with all three of Emaan’s goals coming off the stick of Osama Soliman. In fact Osama Soliman was a man among boys scoring whenever and however he wanted which included a tremendous shorthanded effort. You can anticipate Shukr will be paying closer attention to him tonight, which puts the pressure on the rest of the Emaan forwards to step up. In fact, Yousuf Soliman had two goals last week in his team’s 3-1 wildcard win over Yaqeen and is definitely another player that can keep the Shukr defense honest. If you are rooting for Emaan then you have to be concerned with their lack of discipline shown last week. Rayhan Malik took three penalties and was automatically ejected and Mohammed Hamoud took an unnecessary unsportsmanlike conduct infraction that gave Shukr a chance to tie the game. If you continue to play with fire, eventually you will get burned. Actually, that is what happened last week as Shukr’s lone goal came via the power play off the stick of Maaz Haq. That was pretty much the lone highlight for them as they looked lifeless for the rest of the game. Not sure what it was, but Shukr did not resemble anything close to the team that finished first overall in the entire league during the regular season. Maaz Haq and more-so goaltender, Fahad Mohammad have had back-to-back stellar regular seasons but have yet to win a game during the playoffs. If they want to take the next step then the two need to figure out a way to get it done in the playoffs. As for the rest of the Shukr team, they absolutely need to pay more attention to Osama Soliman and try to get a better start in the first half.
Friday, 13 April 2018
Spring Season - Week Eleven - April 13th
8:00 PM- Yaqeen (white) vs Emaan (orange):
The winner of this game will go on to face Shukr (red) in game 1 of the semi-finals later tonight. Yaqeen won the season series 1-0-1 against Emaan. However, you could probably toss the first meeting between these teams out as it was back in Week 1 (Yaqeen thrash Emaan 6-0). Tonight’s contest will probably follow a long in a similar fashion to their most recent meeting where the game ended in a 2-2 draw. In fact, in that game, Emaan were moments away from emerging as 2-1 victors had it not been for Azhar Kalair saving his team with 12 seconds remaining. Yasir Hussain (goaltender for Yaqeen) was tested a lot during this game and did well, turning aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced that night. If Emaan is able to generate the same amount of shots one would have to assume at least one of the following names will factor in on the scoring play: Yousuf Soliman, Hany Soliman, Osama Soliman or Mohammed Hamoud. Assuming this is the case the pressure will fall on Yasir Hussain to produce a similar if not better performance in comparison to the last time these two teams met up.
9:00 PM-Ridha (blue) vs Haya (grey):
The winner of this game will go on to face Sabr (yellow) in game 1 of the semi-finals later tonight. Ridha won the season series 2-0 versus Haya, outscoring them 6-2 in the process. In both of those games Ibrahim Hindy was not in the lineup for Haya. No doubt he can make a difference but the question remains is he enough for Haya to get their first victory over Ridha? Personally, I do not think so. Look no further than the last time these two teams played. Ridha scored 4 goals in the first half and cruised to a 4-2 victory. What was impressive was they won without Shaukat Khan, Farrukh Khan, and Abdu Sharkawy. Logic says this is Ridha’s game to lose but I wouldn’t count Haya out yet. For Haya their playoffs started last week with a 4-3 win over Ihsan. A clutch performance resulting in four different goal scorers- Abdul-Wahab Mohammad, Farooq Sani, Arif Khan and Sahil Mohammad. Momentum is definitely on Haya’s side. If they are able to get the first goal and ride the high they are on from last week this would put Ridha in some serious hot water.
The winner of this game will go on to face Shukr (red) in game 1 of the semi-finals later tonight. Yaqeen won the season series 1-0-1 against Emaan. However, you could probably toss the first meeting between these teams out as it was back in Week 1 (Yaqeen thrash Emaan 6-0). Tonight’s contest will probably follow a long in a similar fashion to their most recent meeting where the game ended in a 2-2 draw. In fact, in that game, Emaan were moments away from emerging as 2-1 victors had it not been for Azhar Kalair saving his team with 12 seconds remaining. Yasir Hussain (goaltender for Yaqeen) was tested a lot during this game and did well, turning aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced that night. If Emaan is able to generate the same amount of shots one would have to assume at least one of the following names will factor in on the scoring play: Yousuf Soliman, Hany Soliman, Osama Soliman or Mohammed Hamoud. Assuming this is the case the pressure will fall on Yasir Hussain to produce a similar if not better performance in comparison to the last time these two teams met up.
9:00 PM-Ridha (blue) vs Haya (grey):
The winner of this game will go on to face Sabr (yellow) in game 1 of the semi-finals later tonight. Ridha won the season series 2-0 versus Haya, outscoring them 6-2 in the process. In both of those games Ibrahim Hindy was not in the lineup for Haya. No doubt he can make a difference but the question remains is he enough for Haya to get their first victory over Ridha? Personally, I do not think so. Look no further than the last time these two teams played. Ridha scored 4 goals in the first half and cruised to a 4-2 victory. What was impressive was they won without Shaukat Khan, Farrukh Khan, and Abdu Sharkawy. Logic says this is Ridha’s game to lose but I wouldn’t count Haya out yet. For Haya their playoffs started last week with a 4-3 win over Ihsan. A clutch performance resulting in four different goal scorers- Abdul-Wahab Mohammad, Farooq Sani, Arif Khan and Sahil Mohammad. Momentum is definitely on Haya’s side. If they are able to get the first goal and ride the high they are on from last week this would put Ridha in some serious hot water.
10:00 PM- Shukr (red) vs winner of Yaqeen/Emaan:
A fresh Shukr will take on a weary Yaqeen or Emaan team working on an hour rest. They won the season series versus Yaqeen 2-0 and against Emaan 1-0-1. For Shukr the major storyline is whether or not Maaz Haq and goaltender Fahad Mohammad can shake off last season’s playoff failure and breakthrough for the finals. It is now time to see if they can take the next step. This will be game one of the semi-finals with game two scheduled for April 20th.
11:00 PM- Sabr (yellow) vs winner of Ridha/Haya:
A well-rested Sabr will go up against a tired Ridha or Haya group. Both potential matches are intriguing- Sabr tied the season series with both teams. Against Haya, Sabr scored 3 goals and conceded 5 goals. Versus Ridha, Sabr scored 4 goals and gave up 6 goals against. Both Ridha and Haya were able to keep Sabr’s dynamic duo of Waqar Khan and Yousuf Sowdagar in addition to the rest of the high powered Sabr offense off the scoresheet. The big headline we will be following with Sabr is whether or not Waqar (Boom-Boom) Khan can make it back to back to back championships. For sure no easy task and for it to happen Khan will most likely need to take his game up to the next level… perhaps even capture Playoff MVP honours, something he did not accomplish the past two seasons.
A fresh Shukr will take on a weary Yaqeen or Emaan team working on an hour rest. They won the season series versus Yaqeen 2-0 and against Emaan 1-0-1. For Shukr the major storyline is whether or not Maaz Haq and goaltender Fahad Mohammad can shake off last season’s playoff failure and breakthrough for the finals. It is now time to see if they can take the next step. This will be game one of the semi-finals with game two scheduled for April 20th.
11:00 PM- Sabr (yellow) vs winner of Ridha/Haya:
A well-rested Sabr will go up against a tired Ridha or Haya group. Both potential matches are intriguing- Sabr tied the season series with both teams. Against Haya, Sabr scored 3 goals and conceded 5 goals. Versus Ridha, Sabr scored 4 goals and gave up 6 goals against. Both Ridha and Haya were able to keep Sabr’s dynamic duo of Waqar Khan and Yousuf Sowdagar in addition to the rest of the high powered Sabr offense off the scoresheet. The big headline we will be following with Sabr is whether or not Waqar (Boom-Boom) Khan can make it back to back to back championships. For sure no easy task and for it to happen Khan will most likely need to take his game up to the next level… perhaps even capture Playoff MVP honours, something he did not accomplish the past two seasons.
Friday, 6 April 2018
Spring Season - Week Ten - April 6th
8:00 PM: Haya (Grey) vs Ihsan (Teal):
After a week off what a way to get back into things. This is for sure the must-see-game of the night. What is at stake is the last and final remaining spot for the 2018 I-Slam Hockey Playoffs. Ihsan needs to outright win this game to qualify whereas Haya just can’t lose (meaning a tie will suffice). The last time these times met Haya came flying out of the gates and took a 4-0 lead into the second half. Ihsan though did battle back and scored three goals in the second half in a valiant attempt to make an impressive comeback. Circumstances for tonight is a lot different. Two weeks ago both Ihsan’s Ahmad Mobin and Haya’s Shuaib Hussein both left their respective games with a lower body injury. Given the magnitude of this game both gms aren’t revealing much. Nonetheless, one of these teams can pack away their equipment until Salaam Cup after this game.
9:00 PM: Ridah (Blue) vs Sabr (Yellow):
In Week 9, Imran Lakhanpal scored the goal to send Ridha to the playoffs. Now they await the winner of the Haya-Ihsan game to see who their wildcard opponent will be. It would appear that this game is not significant for Ridha but it would be good for them psychologically to prove to themselves that they can beat Sabr as the path to the I-Slam Cup runs through them (Note: Ridha lost to Sabr in Week 4, 4-2). For Sabr, we will be watching to see if Waqar Khan can win the double-crown, winning both the overall scoring race and as well as the top goal-scorer award. A rare feat and quite the accomplishment which will most likely also earn him Regular Season MVP honours. As well their goaltender, Ibad Khan can make a stronger argument for The Best Goaltender Award with a win and possibly finish as the leader in this category (amongst goalies). Lastly, finishing first overall out of the eight teams does come with its perks, such as being the home team throughout the playoffs and getting the last change - an advantage for teams that look to line-match.
10:00 PM: Ikhlas (Green) vs Yaqeen (White):
Team Ikhlas knew for a few weeks now that this will be their last day. In Week 9 they showed that they weren’t just going to mail it in but rather enjoy the moment, battling hard with Emaan for a 3-3 tie. With rumours swirling of a potential Mecca vs Medina allstar game this is the last opportunity for the Ikhlas players to make the case that they belong in that game. With regards to Yaqeen it is all about getting some momentum heading into their wildcard game against Emaan next week. You do not want to be doubting yourself at this time of the year.
11:00 PM: Shukr (Red) vs Emaan (Orange):
Emaan knows next week they will be facing Yaqeen in the wildcard game with the winner facing Shukr in a best of 2 semi-final series. Akin to Ridha’s situation at 9 pm, Emaan could put some fear into the hearts of Shukr and give them something to think about next week by beating them. Also, similar to Yaqeen, you want to be firing on all cylinders heading into the playoffs. With the recent addition of Sajid Khan, this game does allow Emaan to help integrate him into the lineup in perfect timing for the playoffs. For Shukr, beating Emaan tonight would give them a huge mental advantage should these teams meet in the semi-finals. Consider it as winning the war before it even starts. Let’s also not forget depending on the results of the 9 pm game, Shukr might be playing for first overall in the entire league. On an individual note, if Shukr is able to win there would be a strong case for their goaltender, Fahad Mohammad to win The Best Goaltender Award as he would lead the league in sv%, gaa and wins. Perhaps even Regular Season MVP?
After a week off what a way to get back into things. This is for sure the must-see-game of the night. What is at stake is the last and final remaining spot for the 2018 I-Slam Hockey Playoffs. Ihsan needs to outright win this game to qualify whereas Haya just can’t lose (meaning a tie will suffice). The last time these times met Haya came flying out of the gates and took a 4-0 lead into the second half. Ihsan though did battle back and scored three goals in the second half in a valiant attempt to make an impressive comeback. Circumstances for tonight is a lot different. Two weeks ago both Ihsan’s Ahmad Mobin and Haya’s Shuaib Hussein both left their respective games with a lower body injury. Given the magnitude of this game both gms aren’t revealing much. Nonetheless, one of these teams can pack away their equipment until Salaam Cup after this game.
9:00 PM: Ridah (Blue) vs Sabr (Yellow):
In Week 9, Imran Lakhanpal scored the goal to send Ridha to the playoffs. Now they await the winner of the Haya-Ihsan game to see who their wildcard opponent will be. It would appear that this game is not significant for Ridha but it would be good for them psychologically to prove to themselves that they can beat Sabr as the path to the I-Slam Cup runs through them (Note: Ridha lost to Sabr in Week 4, 4-2). For Sabr, we will be watching to see if Waqar Khan can win the double-crown, winning both the overall scoring race and as well as the top goal-scorer award. A rare feat and quite the accomplishment which will most likely also earn him Regular Season MVP honours. As well their goaltender, Ibad Khan can make a stronger argument for The Best Goaltender Award with a win and possibly finish as the leader in this category (amongst goalies). Lastly, finishing first overall out of the eight teams does come with its perks, such as being the home team throughout the playoffs and getting the last change - an advantage for teams that look to line-match.
10:00 PM: Ikhlas (Green) vs Yaqeen (White):
Team Ikhlas knew for a few weeks now that this will be their last day. In Week 9 they showed that they weren’t just going to mail it in but rather enjoy the moment, battling hard with Emaan for a 3-3 tie. With rumours swirling of a potential Mecca vs Medina allstar game this is the last opportunity for the Ikhlas players to make the case that they belong in that game. With regards to Yaqeen it is all about getting some momentum heading into their wildcard game against Emaan next week. You do not want to be doubting yourself at this time of the year.
11:00 PM: Shukr (Red) vs Emaan (Orange):
Emaan knows next week they will be facing Yaqeen in the wildcard game with the winner facing Shukr in a best of 2 semi-final series. Akin to Ridha’s situation at 9 pm, Emaan could put some fear into the hearts of Shukr and give them something to think about next week by beating them. Also, similar to Yaqeen, you want to be firing on all cylinders heading into the playoffs. With the recent addition of Sajid Khan, this game does allow Emaan to help integrate him into the lineup in perfect timing for the playoffs. For Shukr, beating Emaan tonight would give them a huge mental advantage should these teams meet in the semi-finals. Consider it as winning the war before it even starts. Let’s also not forget depending on the results of the 9 pm game, Shukr might be playing for first overall in the entire league. On an individual note, if Shukr is able to win there would be a strong case for their goaltender, Fahad Mohammad to win The Best Goaltender Award as he would lead the league in sv%, gaa and wins. Perhaps even Regular Season MVP?
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