First Stats Of 2008!

Thanks again to Brian for providing everyone with their stats fix while I was in computer-less land. We actually did get Christina's mom a new computer before we had left the coast but I did not have a chance, while there, to putter around on the spreadsheet to get the line-ups entered.

Here we are in 2008 and the Highlanders are continuing to hold a narrow lead on the rest of the field. Things have been spreading out but the essential equation has been pretty much the same for many weeks now: things are really close. The gap from first to eighth is almost 40pts but a 40pt gap can be made up in little time (as the Severed Heads demonstrated with their 25pt leap last week). There is a little more separation between the teams but really, it is very close and very tight.

Belated congratulations to the Scourge and Edge as they cross the 400pt barrier. The Great Whites and Knights Templar are the only teams left who have yet to do so though the Fish should accomplish the feat before the weekend.

The Challenge Cup games this week have some playoff implications. The Highlanders play the Personal Vendetta, who before Christmas looked to be challenging for the Predator Cup lead, in one of those games. The Vendetta are on the outside looking in but a win against the Highlanders could put them into the post-season and, potentially, put the Highlanders into a fight to stay there. A win by the Severed Heads over the Shadowmen in their match could flip the playoff fortunes of both teams. At the moment the Heads are on the outside looking in while the Shadow are in a tie for the final spot but a win could turn that situation around. The other team tied with the Shadowmen, the Scourge, are in a fight this week with the Wolves. One of the things I love about the Challenge Cup is that a team like the Scourge, sitting in 9th in the Predator Cup race, is contending for a playoff spot while the Wolves, some 40pts ahead of the Scoure in the Predator Cup race, is two points and several teams out of a Challenge Cup playoff berth. A win by the Wolves could really complicate the calculations.

Speaking of the Wolves, congrats to them for pulling into the lead in the Omnivore rankings. The Highlanders slip into second principally on the strength of the Nagy trade. The moody winger explodes for his new team and the Wolves net the gain, the Highlanders the loss.

Please let me know if you see anything "off" about the stats. I think I have everything correct but it wouldn't be the first time I've been "off" with my spreadsheets.