NATION DRAFTS 2015 CHARITY PLAYOFF POOL UPDATE

The Nation Network isn’t accustomed to playoff success. What else do you expect from a blog network based out of Edmonton?

We’re experts in the draft lottery though, and we know a thing or two about playoff pools – particularly the Nation Drafts charity playoff pool that we run annually. With the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs already in full swing, let’s take a moment, look back at round one, and check out the progress that the Nation Network’s poolies are making in the competition!

Here’s how our top-10 leaderboard looks following the first round of competition:

After the second round of the playoffs, FlamingCrabs and ImTopher are tied for first with 149 points while Cape Breton Ice Dogs is in a close second with 148 points. Though they’re currently trailing, watch out for the Ice Dogs who still have 14 men in their roster.

At the bottom of the Top 10, Rjayd2 could be a potential move as he also has 14 players advancing to the third round of the playoffs. We’d include team Mullet in the mix of strong rosters, but one of his 14 remaining players is James Wisniewski who still hasn’t seen the ice in the 2015 Playoffs. 

If the Chicago Blackhawks can finally give the Anaheim Ducks a real test in the postseason, and force them to adjust their roster, that could work in Mullet’s favour.

Steven Stamkos finally broke out of his scoring slump in the second round, which is good news for team’s like Moose Guy who chose Stamkos over Getzlaf first overall. On Tampa’s second line, Nikita Kucherov also caught fire with 5 goals in his last 5 games. Stamkos and Kucherov were able to solve Carey Price in round two, but they arguably face an even tougher test in the Conference Final with Henrik Lundqvist manning the blue ice for the New York Rangers.

In the West, expect Anaheim’s Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf to rack up the points in what should be a long and high-scoring series between the Hawks and the Ducks. 

Players that could make a big difference for Fantasy teams in the third round include Marian Hossa and Keith Yandle. Both players were overlooked by a number of Fantasy teams, but obviously have the ability to put up big points if they get rolling.

Only ImTopher and Cruellspell’s winning combo were able to stay in the Top 10 after the first round of the playoffs. Will they stay in the hunt for the $1500 Prepaid Visa after the Conference Final, or will we see even more churn atop the Nation Drafts leaderboard? Stay tuned!