Round the Rinks 2nd November

This lateness is becoming a habit-I might just move the preview day to Friday unless there are any midweek games...This weekend, however, has some pretty important fixtures, so let's get on with the team-by-preview without further excuses from me...

Basingstoke: The Bison finally have a starting goalie. And, somewhat unsurprisingly, it's Curtis Cruickshank, who returns to the rink where he made his reputation in Britain for the third time. He's being thrown in at the deep end with a tricky game against Cardiff on the Saturday, before a meaningless (now that neither team can qualify) Challenge Cup game against injury-ravaged Belfast on the Sunday marks his home debut. Dan Green has performed heroics for Bison recently, so the Canadian has much to live up to, and as if that wasn't enough, he'll have the Bison hopes of a resurgence now they've replaced at least one of the gaping holes in their roster resting on his broad shoulders...

Belfast: Two dead games for Belfast this weekend, at least in terms of their own hopes in the Challenge Cup. However, with the outcome of the group resting on tonight's game against Coventry at the Odyssey, the Giants will be hoping to stir their battered roster into putting one over their bitter rivals. As mentioned above, however, Sunday's game against Basingstoke will be a chance for the British players on Giant's roster to get some ice-time as the walking wounded (not that there are many of them with the Giants only able to ice 12 outskaters) in red, white and teal are given the chance to heal their wounds in anticipation of the league campaign beginning in earnest next weekend.

Cardiff: Two tricky league games for the Devils this week, as they welcome Basingstoke at home before travelling to Nottingham on Sunday in a battle of two of the league's under-achievers. The Welsh side won't be taking the Bison match lightly, and certainly going out with a point to prove against the Panthers, as they look to ride their recent good form further up the table and kickstart their challenge to the top three before they open up too much of a gap...

Coventry: This is a huge weekend for the Blaze this early in the season, as they face a do-or-die game against Belfast tonight in the Challenge Cup, followed by one of their biggest title rivals as Sheffield come to the Skydome on Sunday. As several players are still carrying injuries and playing hurt, it'll take more than just firepower for the Blaze to win this weekend-guts, guile and grind will be the order of the day. With captain Sylvain Cloutier leading by example by continuing to play his hard-hitting game despite carrying a ruptured stomach muscle (!), however, this team is resilient as well as lethal in front of goal, so if any team can take a four-pointer in this situation, they can...

Edinburgh: It's do-or-die time for the Caps this weekend, with the whole team playing for their jobs as they face high-flying Newcastle at Murrayfield. Last time the two teams met, the Vipers edged the Scottish side out by four goals to two-a win in this game will show just how much motivation the two weeks notice has given the leagues basement side...

Hull: Boosted by the return of enforcer Cole Byers to the lineup, the Stingrays try to turn those close losses into wins this weekend, but it won't be easy as they face Nottingham and Manchester, both of whom need the points themselves in order to keep in touch with the leading group. Can the Stingrays suffocating style finally start paying off, or will their lack of firepower tell yet again, particularly against the stern defence of the Phoenix on the Sunday?....

Manchester: With qualification for the Challenge Cup semis still wide open in group B, the Phoenix will look to put themselves in the best possible position with a win against Sheffield on the Saturday, which as a side effect will make the Steelers' qualification much less certain than it is currently-this is a game which the Vipers, as the third team with a chance to qualify from that group, will be watching closely. On Sunday the Phoenix face Hull for the umpteenth time so far this season, and will be hoping for another confident performance in front of their home fans to keep in touch with the title-chasing pack.

Newcastle: The Vipers are joint-top, and will be doing their level best to stay that way as they travel to Edinburgh for their only game of the weekend, hoping that the Caps will still be reeling from their capitulation against Basingstoke last week. With the Blaze also only in action once in the league this weekend, the Vipers could go top by themselves if they win and Sheffield do them a favour against the Blaze on Sunday, so they won't be in the mood to show the Scots any mercy...

Nottingham: The Panthers face Hull and Cardiff this weekend as they hunt for some consistency and some morale-boosting points against two sides immediately below them in the table. The Big Cats faithful finally had something to be pleased about last weekend as the Panthers nicked a 1-0 victory against the Blaze, but these are games that the NIC residents will need to start winning now if they have any serious ambitions of challenging for honours this season.

Sheffield: Just like Coventry, the Steelers face a big weekend and will be hoping to produce offensive fireworks on the ice this weekend, rather than just watching them bursting over the Hallam Arena. Manchester are the visitors on Saturday before the top-of-the-table clash in Coventry on Sunday-a four-point weekend will mean that Monday's celebrations of Bonfire Night will really go with a bang around the Steel City...and it just may light a fire under the rear-ends of their title rivals also. With the Steelers at full-strength and Ashley Tait returning to the club he captained to five trophies, Sunday's game in particular promises to be an absolute barn-burner...

So then, the fixtures in full...


Friday
Belfast v Coventry (Challenge Cup)

Saturday
Hull v Nottingham

Sheffield v Manchester (Challenge Cup)

Cardiff v Basingstoke

Sunday
Nottingham v Cardiff

Manchester v Hull

Edinburgh v Newcastle

Coventry v Sheffield

Basingstoke v Belfast (Challenge Cup)

Let's play hockey...:)