I'm hustling a bit to get through Season 9 of my historical hockey league before our summer plans, so the games are coming fast and furious. At the halfway point of the season, the Victorias, Thistles, Millionaires, and Bulldogs are in playoff position, while the Comets and Bearcats are on the outside looking in. As is often the case, the Vics occupy the top spot in the standings, and their +12 goal differential suggests they're for real, whereas the second-place Thistles (only a single point behind them) are just breaking even, so we might see some regression from this year's surprise contender. Speaking of surprises, the Bearcats have taken a big step backwards in their third season of play, but they're tracking toward a historically good penalty-kill percentage (currently north of 95%!).
For the individual awards, two races are really standing out. Looking at Forward MVP, all the buzz is on the starboard side. Three-time runner-up Newsy Lalonde (10 G, 6 A, +3) got off to a hot start, but he has some tough competition coming from his own locker room; the Vics' captain and second-line right wing, Hobey Baker (9 G, 7 A, +9), is playing a phenomenal 200-foot game this year. Meanwhile, Bulldogs right wing Tommy Dunderdale (9 G, 5 A, +3) is lurking in the background, ready to pounce if the two Vics begin to falter. Turning to Defenseman MVP, in a down year (relatively speaking) for perennial winner Cyclone Taylor, Hod Stuart (2 G, 9 A, +8) of the Thistles and Si Griffis (3 G, 8 A, +7) of the Bulldogs are neck-and-neck for frontrunner status.
The second half of the season begins tonight!
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