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After earning their first ever playoff birth, the Revolution gets rewarded with a series against the potent and powerful Maniax. The Vegas odds-makers might not give them great odds, but the young squad really has no pressure on them heading into this series. After all, few expected them to reach this stage of the season.

On the other hand, the Maniax rode a 17-1 record all the way to the first seed. A final game regular season loss meant nothing for seeding, but their expectations are sky high. After losing in the first round of the playoffs last year, and after dominating the regular season, they are the odds on favorites to capture the Cup this year. They’ve been on everybody’s radar since opening night, and they’ve certainly been the biggest target.

Nonetheless, the Maniax have the guns to back it up. Led by the Kevin Smith’s stellar season, the Maniax racked up 235 goals, besting the competition by a bunch. And their defense can be just as good, with two best defenseman candidates in the ranks. But what makes the Maniax the most dangerous team is their depth and speed. They don’t have any weak links, and they’re fast pace can leave the competition dizzy.

The Revolution will need to find a way to slow the game down as much as possible. They don’t want to get into a run and gun series. They also can’t get star struck by their first trip to the post-season. They must play smart, slow, and confidently. They did, after all, force a shootout against the Smithless Maniax earlier in the season, and nearly foiled the perfect season then.

This series draws comparisons to the 2002 series between the Punishers and Contenders. The Punishers were the elite team in the league. They appeared untouchable, but the Contenders used that opportunity to define themselves. Sure they lost the series, but they put a dent in the Punishers’ armor and gave them the experience they would need to later win two championships.

Season Record
Goals For
Goals Against
Record v. Playoff Teams
Leading Points Scorer
Leading Goal Scorer
Assists Leader
Most Penalty Minutes
Most Goalie Wins
Best Save Percentage
Best Goals Against Average
Most Shutouts

17-1
235
75
6-1
134 - Smith
98 - Smith
40 - Jewell
12 - Jewell
16 - Henry
.829 - Henry
4.62 - Henry
1 - Henry

10-6-2
146
135
0-5-1
76 - Miksich
49 - Miksich
28 - Boyd
20 - Boyd
10 - Halpin
.772 - Halpin
7.82 - Halpin
0 - Halpin