Every now and then, a professional sports team will break a franchise or league record, one that no one thought was remotely possible. It is those moments that define careers and give fans something to talk about for years to come.
Top of the Rock is a fantasy hockey team that calculates points based on real people’s performances. It was a banner week for the make-believe franchise, who secured one of the most significant victories ever, a 92 point win over the one Manager-less team in Frozen Factory.
The Rock’s opponents boost a lineup that has Connor McDavid (Edmonton), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), and Artemi Paranin (New York). However, no one is running the show over there, so no lineup adjustments ever occur, and the team is just bleeding out points and losses.
This week’s matchup was slated for a different outcome, with the Rock securing a projected 267.95-223.05 (44.90 difference) win. Even though both teams exceeded their initial totals, the Rock laid the smackdown to the tune of a 92 point victory 352.00-260.00. The win gave the Rock a 3-1 record while the Manager-less team dropped to 0-4 on the season.
The Rock fell behind by 15.50 on Monday night, the only time they trailed in the matchup. On Tuesday, the boys rebounded to claim a 6.50 lead that only expanded as the weekdays turned into the weekend. This victory marked the second week in a row that the Rock trailed after the first day before winning out the remaining six days to capture another win.
On top of setting a record for the most significant margin of victory in a hockey matchup, the Rock also scored 111.00 points on Saturday, setting a new club record for most points scored in a single day. Their lowest daily total occurred on Monday where they only scored 17. Meanwhile, the Manager-less Team had their best day on Saturday with 64 points and worse day on Wednesday with 24.50 points.
Improving to 3-1 on the season, the Rock witnessed little to no movement in the team statistics department. The team remains the league’s worse regarding goals and short-handed points. On the flip side, they are the best team in shutouts, earning four through four weeks of action.
As mentioned in previous recaps, the Rock has struggled to score goals and, up until week four, were really bad in the plus/minus department. An impressive week finally turned a team-low minus-6 rating into a plus-15 one, some 18 points behind the league leader.
The Rock continues to be a powerhouse in shots on goal, hits, and blocks, ranking second in all those categories. After those numbers, the following best statistics are plus/minus, losses, and saves. The remaining four categories, assists, power-play points, wins, and goals against, rank in the league’s bottom half.
There are no longer any undefeated teams in Frozen Factory after Dirty Sanchez dropped their week four matchup to Steve’s Great Team 369.50-324.50. Sanchez was the only losing team of the week to collect more than 300 points, joining the Rock, Icing, and Steve’s team. The largest blowout occurred between the Stoned Assassins and Icing, with the latter taking the matchup by 142.50 points.
Right now, there are three teams with 3-1 records, one team with an even 2-2 record, with one trailing behind at 1-3. The Manager-less Team remains without a win through four weeks.
Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay) claimed his first best player award of the season in week four, amassing 29 points to lead the team to victory. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner scored a goal and an assist while collecting two power-play points. He had a plus-two rating with 10 shots on goal, eight hits, and five blocked shots.
Meanwhile, in goal, Robin Lehner (Las Vegas) became the second goalie in four weeks to be named to the heroes list with a 51.50 point week. Lehner’s record for the week was 2-1, and he surrendered seven goals while making 103 saves.
Usually, the worse player of the week had little to no points; however, Fillip Forsberg (Nashville) scored only five points in the victory. Forsberg is out with an injury now and did not participate in much of this matchup. The Swedish winger scored a goal, fired two shots on goal, and finished with a plus-one rating in limited playing time.
Currently, Top of the Rock’s roster is a mess. The Frozen Factory allows for five IR and one NA spot, all occupied during the team’s week four matchup. Every other day, the team loses a player, whether by injury or COVID protocols.
Management pulled the trigger on two-player acquisitions, bringing in Rasmus Andersson from Calgary and Lucas Raymond from Detroit. Together the pair will look to fill the gaps, with so many superstars out of the lineup right now.
Weekly Move Total: 2/4
Season Move Total: 7/50
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Keeping the Stats 