Additionally, this squad returns just one longpole, Mike Manley. As such, it will be interesting to see how the defensive and LSM units fare against a Chaos offense that led the league in scores (130), shooting percentage (31%), and two-point goals (12, tied with Whipsnakes) last season.

Speaking of the Chaos attack, though it lost midfielder Myles Jones to Redwoods in the offseason, it gained talented attackman Austin Staats, who is a prime breakout candidate for the Championship Series. On the other side of the field, the reigning Goalie of the Year Blaze Riorden is amazingly fighting for his job from Team Canada keeper Dillon Ward. At the time of writing, it’s anyone’s guess who will start this game but expect a potential tandem situation going forward in the Championship Series. 

Major Matchup
Connor Fields was a force at X last season: the Albany product scored a league-leading 17 unassisted goals and created 56 assist opportunities, the third-best mark in the league, though Fields’ teammates converted just 23.21 percent of these chances. It will likely fall to Jesse Bernhardt, the second overall pick in the Entry Draft, to contain Fields, and if the rest of this revamped Chrome defense can force those bad shots, much like it did in Week 6 last season, it could be a long night for Chaos.

Gambling
Thanks to DraftKings, fans will now have the opportunity to bet on PLL games throughout the Championship Series. Chrome come into this matchup as 1.5 point underdogs, but at -165, the play there isn’t too enticing. Alternatively, taking Chrome on a +135 moneyline, though risky, could really get the blood pumping. After all, with so many unknowns surrounding the team, it may be a good time to take advantage.

Ramifications

This game represents a massive opening for each of these teams to flip the script right at the onset of the Championship Series. For Chaos, it’s a chance to remind everybody that it had the best record in the league last season and shake the moniker of the “forgotten” team.