User blog:BJFRacing14/IHA President's Cup Playoffs preview

PACIFIC CONFERENCE

Las Vegas Scarlet Trojans - This team representing the Southwest Division of the Pacific Conference is well on their way to their first ever President's Cup Playoffs appearence as an IHA expansion team. They have won eleven times on ABN's Thursday Night Hockey, seven on Safari Sports Friday Night Ice, and four on ABN Sports Sunday Night Hockey. The Scarlet Trojans are led by their front runner, Pierre LeGoer, who was recently traded to Las Vegas from San Antonio. Mikilov Cilic of the Czech Republic has been a road block to opponents as the lead goalie for the Scarlet Trojans and Dahrconian player Marcus Rikos has provided the backbone support as one of the charter players since joining IHA in 2017. The head coach, John Crozak, has been in two playoff apperences for two expansion teams in the 90's and 2000's. It will be his third with Las Vegas and first in over eight years under owner Scott Spite. The Scarlet Trojans are three games ahead of second place division runner, San Diego with Houston a distant third, five games behind.

Seattle Rangers - The Inland Northwest Division leading Rangers are set for their first playoff run since 2005 with fresh new talent from Sedrick Miles, the wingmen Jason Alto and Carl Freese, and goalie Treyson Larkspur under head coach Michael Killgore. But they have tight competition behind them as the Rangers are a half game ahead of Vancouver and one and a half games ahead of Portland. One wrong move will easily erase any forward progress the Rangers have made this season. Coach Killgore ensures that won't happen. Miles is the front runner for Pacific Conference MVP votes ahead of Vancouver's Mark Trine, Helio Vastez from Portland, Pierre Rancic from Manitoba and Kasey Kingley from Colorado. Miles and Las Vegas' Mikilov Cilic were the two front runners giving the Pacific Conference the victory at the January 4th IHA All-Star Game in Minneapolis.

Omaha Trailblazers - It feels as if they're heavily outnumbered in the Midwest Divsion. At times, Omaha's offense have struggled against better Midwest Division teams like Kansas City and Arkansas. The team has turned their season around at the trade deadline in December acquiring Nicolas Plazak from Miami in exchange for a 2018 third-round draft pick for Miami. Since the All-Star break, Plazak, the Serbian native and IHA's top defensive player in the Pacific Conference, has lifted the Trailblazers to one game head of Iowa and one and a half games ahead of Arkansas. This trade was all Omaha needed and now we'll see if this trade was worth it come playoff time in a couple weeks.

ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

Atlanta Blazers - At first, the first half was not pretty for the defending Southeast Division champion. By the All-Star break, the Blazers made some hefty moves that could prove useful now that they are a half game ahead of Carolina. Owner Jim Ronald and head coach Robert Turpin believe this is Atlanta's moment to shine in the playoffs. They had not made a playoff appearence in over 25 years until the 2016 season which they lost to Memphis in the second round. With the acquisition of Alonso Stone, Mitch Sera and Kris Korte from AHA Augusta and Freddy Finley from AHA Hartford, the Blazers have improved in the second half thusfar. But it won't be an easy climb for the Blazers as they face a tough New York team on Friday night at home, Nashville on the road the following Friday, and face Iowa on February 1st on the road.

Indianapolis Speeders - What a surprise this is for the Northern Division leading Speeders. About how long have they been this good? It's been a long time. Go all the way back to 1993. Indy fans have waited long enough for a playoff appearence. The Speeders last made a playoff run in 1994 and again in 1998, but since have never been back to the Atlatic Conference Finals since 1999 or the Northern Division Series finals since 2003. It's time Indy gets a taste of the Northern Division Series finals, but a tough road is ahead of them against Chicago on January 19th, Buffalo on January 26th, and the Metro Division leading Montreal Kings on February 2nd. Jaze Jetson is a key contributor to the Speeders offensive firepower and they'll need Jetson an awful lot these next couple of weeks. Same for goalie Riko Gastopolous of Greece who will represent the team in South Korea for this year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. While Gastopolous is in South Korea, they'll need their second man, Heath Lochart to provide the stops the Speeders need to put themselves in the Division Series. The Speeders are a half game ahead of Buffalo and one game ahead of Ottawa.

Montreal Kings - It certainly has been a bang-it-out season for the former President's Cup champions from the Metro Division. They've proven their mettle against New York and Boston and they'll need to do so again January 19th against Baltimore, Minnesota on January 26th on the road and their final home game on the 2nd of February against New Jersey. One wrong move sends them out of contention, but they know very well that they will pull all the stops to get into the Metro Division Series Finals. Since 2015, the Kings have made two appearences in the Metro Division Series Finals, but have not been in the Atlantic Conference Finals since 2001. They hope to erase the heartache these next couple of weeks.