16x9_Game6_Matchup

Chrome vs. Redwoods: Matchup Preview

By Jerome Taylor | Jul 27, 2020

Chrome is looking to continue its Chromeback2020 campaign when they take on the Redwoods Tuesday at 9:30 p.m on NBCSN.

If it wasn't for a rain delay, the Redwoods might be looking to pick up their second win in the Championship Series. Instead, they will be looking for their first win and hoping to bounce back from a rough 13-9 loss against the Whipsnakes. The 'Woods need their offense to play much better if they want to get .500 early in the season.

The Championship Series rolls on, and Chrome’s hopes that their "Chromeback2020" campaign continues to move in the right direction. Chrome is coming off a 13-9 victory over Chaos and wants to use that momentum heading into their matchup with the 'Woods.

 

Storylines to Watch 

Previous Games
The Redwoods had an unlucky draw in early pool play and would've been gearing up to play their third game in four days. But, mother nature handed the Redwoods another rest day.

In the 'Woods loss to the Whipsnakes, the biggest flaw was their offense. The team experimented with a more varied attack and looked to rely on less dodges from up-top (Last year, they led the league in up top dodges).

The 'Woods attacked from the wings more often and are going to have to fine-tune that action in their upcoming game. The 'Woods are also going to need a better game from their major offseason addition. Myles Jones had four turnovers; he is going to have to step up if the Woods are going to unlock the team's offensive potential fully.

If this game would've gone according to the schedule, Chrome would've been looking to take advantage of their fresh legs and likely would've pushed the pace more than usual.  

Even with equally rested legs, Chrome proved this year is going to be much different. Chrome's offense thrived based on two horses at attack, Jordan Wolf (three goals) and Justin Guterding (two goals).

But the third member of the attack unit may have drawn some unwanted attention to the squad. Matt Gaudet made waves all over social media for his joker-esque laugh and cheeky chirps. None of his antics went unnoticed, and it is safe to assume that some d-poles want to shut him up.

Major Matchups
The stripe proved to be pivotal for both of these teams in their previous matchups.

For Chrome, Connor Farrell was dominant at the stripe against Chaos, winning 79% of his faceoff matchups.

The Redwoods' PLL newbies, on the other hand, had a hard time getting a rhythm at the stripe early. Greg Puskuldjian went 2-13 against the 'Whips. The Woods would find more luck with rookie Peyton Smith. 

In his first game in the Series, Jordan Wolf popped off the screen. Wolf was unstoppable from X against Chaos (all three of his goals came from x). Whoever finds themselves in Wolf's den, whether off an invert or isolation, is going to have trouble with his speed and skill around the crease.

Gambling:
The Redwoods enter the game as 1.5 point favorites. The 25.5 O/U seems pretty low for how many elite scorers both teams can post, and this could easily be a high-scoring affair.

Ramifications

A 2-0 start to pool play would match the number of wins for the Chrome last season. More importantly, it would make them the leaders in the standings and add more steel to the tracks that “Chromeback” is riding on.

For the Woods, they'll be making sure they are not digging themselves out an early 0-2 hole. Especially when they have to turn around and play against an always physical Chaos on Wednesday. The Redwoods and Chrome continue their march to the crown Tuesday at 9:30 ET on NBCSN.