The Magic Puck...

Just a side note to Sunday's games-it's amazing how people can change their views depending on whether its their side affected by an incident or not-Blaze's fifth goal on Saturday has seen the debut of a new phenomenon-the shot which defies the laws of physics, as produced by Adam Calder. The goal can be seen here (you will need Realplayer to view it)-it's the fifth Blaze goal. Watch the way the puck comes away from the goal in the slow-motion replay...quite impressive, really. Those who claim a goal say that the puck went in at the right post, round the rim at the bottom and back out-some feat considering the puck was rising and managed to miss the protruding back-bar on the way round, and managed to turn itself through nearly ninety degrees coming back across the line.
Others say it pinged off the right post, into the back bar, and back off the left post. Either way, this is what could have happened...

Either the puck has:
a) managed to hit the right post, curve through the air behind the line, hit the inside of the left post without dropping or losing speed and come back out (in which case the goal-judge at that end is in the wrong job, cause he has the eyes and 3D spatial vision of a fighter pilot and the reactions of a bullet-catcher to see all that from directly behind, through the plexi, and react, which with the best will in the world I doubt, given that I usually stand just to his left),

b) the puck has somehow managed to hit the right post at just the right angle to reflect perfectly onto the back bar (even more impressive given that physics tells us Calder would need to be about four feet to the left of where he was when the shot came in for the puck to approach at the correct angle), defy a 45 degree downward deflection to rise off the back pipe and hit the inside of the left post on its way back out on a perfect angle with the goal-line (which is physically impossible given the angle it would be approaching at off the back bar),
or c) it never went in in the first place.

When you look at it like that, you've got to take c, really...:) I very much doubt that would have been given if it had been a shot on Koenig's net, somehow...

Anyway..enough of the science bit..:)

Double Overtime, 19th November

Another Monday, another team-by-team review of a weekend which saw climbers, fallers and one of the goals of the season in Coventry...let's get straight on with it...

Basingstoke: The Swedish Surge stuttered a bit this weekend, as Bison threw away leads in both of their games to emerge with just the one point, losing in overtime to Hull before scaring the pants off the Blaze with three goals in the first eight minutes on Sunday night. Unfortunately, the Midlanders then scored six without reply, although one was, in that euphemistic way commentators have of describing such blatant wrong calls, surprisingly awarded. David Vychodil and Mikko Purontakanen have both settled in quickly, so it's not all bad news for the Herd, but one point from four despite leading in both games earns them, sadly...
Grade: C

Belfast: Just the one game for the Giants this weekend, and they did their rivals in Coventry and Cardiff a huge favour, beating Newcastle 6-3 in the North East. The Northern Irish eyes, while not smiling openly just yet, will no doubt take a huge boost from this, and with players coming off the treatment table slowly their team can only get stronger-but have they left it too late already to challenge for honours? Putting 6 past the Vipers, however, earns them a high grade of...
Grade: B+

Cardiff: This is getting a little monotonous. Two games, four more points for the Devils as they move up to second and show no signs of stopping their charge up the table. Manchester and Edinburgh were the sacrificial lambs this week, and unbelievably (at least based on their form in September) the Welsh can now go top, at least for three days, if they win the return v Edinburgh on Wednesday. I know that being a Blaze fan I should find some way to reduce the success of our friendly rivals from South Wales (it being the law in Coventry and all) but I simply can't-they're on one hell of a run at the moment. Once again, the Devils earn themselves:
Grade: A

Coventry: Hell hath no fury...like a champion scorned. The Blaze took revenge in some style for last weeks defeats, potting twelve goals (six in each weekend game) as the dragon gracing the Blaze shirts showed its teeth. Putting six past your nearest rival at the top is one way to show anger, but all is not quite perfect in the Sky Blue City, as three goals in eight minutes conceded against Basingstoke will show. However, if the trend for taking no prisoners continues, then next Saturdays meeting with Cardiff will be the hottest ticket in town, bar none.
Grade: A

Edinburgh: "Life is a wretched quarter of an hour enlivened with exquisite moments". Oscar Wilde could have had the Capitals in mind when he came out with this pearl of wisdom. Unfortunately, after the "exquisite" defeat of Coventry last weekend, this weekend saw a return to the wretched quarter of an hour which has been the Caps' season thus far...two more defeats, only two goals scored, and six points adrift at the bottom of the table mean that a lot will rest on the shoulders of new signing Mark Wires when he joins the team on Wednesday...The Caps sit once again near the bottom of the class this week, though, with an all-too familiar...
Grade: D

Hull: Meanwhile, on Humberside...the tree of hope sprouts eternal. Or at least until, once again, it gets brutally chopped down. The team wielding the axe this week were Sheffield, who stuck seven past Hull at home after the Stingrays fought out an overtime win in Basingstoke on the Saturday. The problems on Humberside are real, and need solving fast. Let's be fair despite the whipping on Sunday, though-actually earning a win this weekend gets the Stingrays from truly awful to the dizzy heights of lower mediocrity. Now there is a quote you won't see in a Stingrays PR any time soon...
Grade: C-

Manchester: As the season progresses it is becoming more and more obvious that as Joe Tallari goes, so do the Phoenix. Unfortunately, he was injured this weekend, with predictable results. Three goals in two games this weekend is the same as the Canadian sniper got in one last weekend, and losses to Cardiff and Nottingham were the results. The Northerners aren't conceding many, but they're scoring even less. Someone in Altrincham should start stockpiling the parachute silk, because at the moment the Phoenix are in freefall and it doesn't look like they can pull themselves out of it anytime soon. Unless they start getting goals from more than one source, that is...
Grade: D

Newcastle: Ryan Macdonald will not be happy this week. Twelve goals conceded in 120 minutes mean that the young Canadian will doubtless be staring at himself in the mirror a fair amount in his solitary moments, while his team-mates try and work out just why they haven't been defending like they should. Rob Wilson said before the weekend that the Vipers deserve to be where they are. Presumably, then, he will have no trouble admitting that the fall from first to third in the table is also fully deserved-as is the bad grade that goes with it...
Grade: C-

Nottingham: One game, one win, four goals. The Panthers are holding the fort nicely. Trouble is, they're also doing nothing more than holding position in mid-table, which is not acceptable to the fans of the Big Cats. A Challenge Cup semi on Tuesday will provide a welcome relief from the grind of the league, especially as the East Midlanders have a good chance against a wounded Newcastle side. You can't argue with a win though, so the Big Cats earn a...
Grade: B

Sheffield: Who woke the Steelers up? Playing against the two basement sides, the Steelers scored ten and let in two on the way to a four-point weekend which just about keeps them in touch with the top three. As a bonus, it also gives them a five-point breathing space over the Panthers behind them. Jeff Legue is looking better and better, and Joey Talbot is also potting the goals, so the Steel City is riding a wave of optimism right about now, earning them a...
Grade: A

Midweek games this week see Nottingham meet Newcastle in the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final, and Cardiff meet Edinburgh in the Sky game on Wednesday...

That's your weekend review...more tomorrow. Until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck...