To prove to all the PlayStation 3 EASHL teams that September was no fluke, the 7 Bridges of Konigsberg repeated as Season Champions in October after the first full month of seasonal play.  How did they do it?  I had a chance to find out with this Q and A with 7BK GM, TrueLeader.

sk88z:  What was the difference this month winning the title vs September?

TrueLeader:  From a personal standpoint, I think winning October was a greater accomplishment then winning the first month. We trailed by a pretty severe margin at one point, due mostly to the Spooners incredible total games played, and we had some doubt as to whether we could keep up with their activity. It was nice to see that we stuck to our gameplan, playing only with 5 or 6 players, and only versus opponents with 4 or more user players. We had a lot of success playing against the Spooners as well, which allowed us to gain a significant amount of ground in a short period of time. It was a lot of fun.

sk88z:  Were there any major player personnel changes to your team?

TrueLeader:  Yes we had a few significant roster moves. It’s always a challenge recruiting because stats can be very deceiving and we tend to look for loyal players who like the puck-possession type of game. We really upgraded on the back-end this month, where we re-added VaTiC_5, an original member of No CryBabys (7BK of 09). He left the team after the EASHL playoffs for a while and I think all the boys in general were hit hard by the loss. So it’s kinda sweet that everything came full circle. Also on defense, we added the ever so steady and offensively inclined GoHawks496 and the one-timer slap machine known as GoodFella146. Up front, we added another dynamic forward - RorDog22 from the Angry Whoppers.

sk88z:  How were your special teams this past month?

TrueLeader:  I do not have the monthly numbers, but overall our special teams have been very good. PP is at 36.8% and the PK is at 88.1% The PP used to be at a 44 or 45% rate, but we’ve been trying some new setups, so that’s my excuse for the lower numbers.

sk88z:  What teams competed for the monthly title and what were your records against them? How did games play out against them?

TrueLeader:  In October, it was pretty much a 3-team race between 7BK, Spooners, and Angry Whoppers. There are very few teams that can contend with us 6v6. We lost one game to Angry Whoppers 2-1 and we beat them 4 or 5 times. Spooners we beat 3 or 4 times as well I believe. There are very few teams that can contend with us consistently. Then there are the teams who back out against us or dodge us…man up.

sk88z:  Do you guys take advantage of the multiple dressing rooms playing multiple games or do you normally just play one game with one lineup at a time?

TrueLeader:  As of now, we’ve primarily just used one dressing room. Here and there we will run two lines, but that is very rare.

sk88z:  Which players stood out this month? Any game in particular stick out as the game of the month?

TrueLeader:  Total team effort this month as always. With 7BK, it’s not about one or two guys, it’s about six guys pulling together in the same direction. We really have great chemistry and trusting your teammates, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, is the most important thing if you want to be a top team. If I had to pick a game that stuck out, it was probably one of our games against the Spooners who were ranked 1st at the time and we were in 2nd. Our leading goal scorer, Crusaders13, was in net for that game and recorded a 19-save shutout. He does not play net that often since we need his scoring up front, but he made one of the best saves I’ve ever seen. He flat out stole the show, making a miraculous point-blank rebound save with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd, with us barely clinging to a 1-0 lead. It was a hell of a save that I won’t forget….especially since I was the d-man who checked the wrong player in front of the net :) Thought for sure that was a guaranteed goal. Thanks again 47!

sk88z:  Who is your goalie and what has been his strengths?

TrueLeader:  We have 3 goalies. HITMAN1342 and Tea_Bag_Frenzy rotate as the #1a,#1b, and if they aren’t around, Crusaders13 more than picks up their slack. HITMAN1342 has a 0.64 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Tea_Bag_Frenzy has a 0.78 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Crusaders13 has a 0.59 GAA and a .928 save percentage. All three are very capable goalies who give us a chance to win every game and that’s all that you can ask for out of your netminders.