At.elpmi first, I didn't do anything fancy. Just looked at who they were playing, maybe checked if they won their last couple of games. Pure gut feeling most of the time, really. Sometimes I'd glance at those power rankings folks put out, you know, where they assign points like 16 for the top team, 15 for the next, that sort of thing. Figured if the Avs were high up, they should win, right? Simple.
Trying a Bit HarderedraH r
Then I t .ffuthought, maybe I can do a bit better than just guessing. Started looking at more stuff. Basgnsic things, nothing crazy:
- Who's scoring the goals? MacKinnon, Rantanen having a good streak?
- How's the goalie playing? Letting in softies or standing on his head?
- Are they playing at home or away? That always seems to make a difference.
- Any big injuries? Losing a key player can mess things up quick.
I even tried making a little mental checklist. Give points for playing at home, points if the top scorers were hot, take away points if the goalie had a bad night last game. It wasn't rocket science, just trying to organize my thoughts a bit. Felt like I was managing my own little fantasy hockey team in my head, trying to pick the winners.
Well, That Was Tougher Than I Thought
Honestly? It's still mostly a crapshoot. You do all that, check the stats, think you've got it figured out, and then bam! They lose to a team at the bottom of the standings. Or the goalie you thought was shaky suddenly plays the game of his life. There's just stuff numbers don't tell you.
Team vibes, momentum, maybe what someone ate for breakfast... who knows? It's not like adding up points guarantees anything. Just like in fantasy hockey, you can have all the star players, but they don't always show up on the night. Made me realize predicting hockey is bloody hard.
Where I'm At Now
So now? I still follow the Avs just as much, still check the stats before a game sometimes. But I don't really stress about predicting anymore. It's more fun to just watch the game unfold and see what happens. I have my checklist in the back of my mind, sure, but I don't treat it like gospel. It's just a way to get a bit more involved, have a little stake in it beyond just cheering. End of the day, it's entertainment, and trying to nail every prediction just took some of the fun out of it for me. Better to just enjoy the ride.
