Here’s what I have heard for scores and records for what I see as the Top 10 teams. In trying to rank teams, I found that I relied on the eye test more than won-loss records for the teams that I watched. The match-ups were not particularly helpful. Given the format, I am not a big believer in placing a lot of value in close losses. These were artificially close scrimmages. The lesser teams benefited greatly from icing the puck to kill penalties and, in many of these scrimmages, seemed to be spending all they had trying to stay in the game. My sense was that the third periods would have been ugly.
I see a pretty clear top 6, and 7-10 to my eye are something of a slippery slope.
1. Ice Dogs (1) (4-0): Beat Kings(1) 2-1, Reign 3-1; Ducks(2) 3-0, and Ducks(1) 2-1.
2. GSE(2) (3-0-1): Beat Ducks(2) 5-3, Gulls (2) (didn’t hear score), and B’hawks 5-3. Tied Empire 2-2.
3. Kings (1) (2-1-1): Lost to Ice Dogs (1) 2-1; Beat Sharks(1) 7-0 and GSE(1) 5-0. Tied Gulls (1) 2-2. Dominated two Flight 2 teams and played tight games against likely Flight 1 teams. Easily passes the eye test.
4. Gulls (1) (2-1-1): Beat Sharks (1) 5-3; lost to Ducks (1) 2-1; beat Kings(2) 6-1. Tied Kings (1) 2-2.
5. Empire (3-0-1): Beat GSE(1) 2-1, Ducks(2) 1-0, and Reign 4-2. Tied GSE(2) 2-2.
6. Ducks (1) (2-1-1): Tied Wave 1-1; beat Gulls (1) (2-1) and Sharks (1) 5-1. Lost to Ice Dogs (1) 2-1. Clearly belong in Top 6.
If CAHA goes with a larger Flight 1 like last season:
7. Blackhawks (2-2): Lost to Kings(2) 3-2; Beat Sharks(2) 9-1 and Wave 3-2; lost to GSE(2) 5-3. In the games I watched, I don’t think they passed the eye test, but the last two match ups look like they are in the running.
8. Ice Dogs (2) (3-0-1). Tied Gulls (2); Beat GSE(1) 2-0, OC 9-0, and Wave 2-0. Not sure what the purpose of the Wave match-up would have been unless it was to fill the 8th spot spot in Flight 1. Would like to know if they rolled lines or relied on their top players.
9. Ducks (2) (1-3). Lost to GSE (2) 5-3, Empire 1-0, and ID(1) 3-0; beat Sharks 1 (3-1). Didn’t catch the Sharks (1) game – did D2 dominate but not reflected in score? Last match up does not look like one you would give a team that was being considered for Flight 1. I had a hard time choosing between Wave and D2. D2 play a more team oriented and tougher game.
10. Wave (1-2-1). Tied Ducks (1); beat PML 5-1; Lost to B’Hawks 3-2 and ID(2) 2-0. Losses to B’Hawks and ID(2) could be the dividing line.