Playoff Round the Rinks and More...

Today we preview the remaining three playoff matchups (Sheffield v Manchester was previewed yesterday) and unleash our inner Mary Shelley as we build the ultimate EIHL player...

Playoff Preview: And so here we go, beginning with the England v Scotland battle that nearly didn't happen...for a preview of the Sheffield/Manchester quarter-final starting tonight, see yesterdays post...

Edinburgh v Coventry
Key players: Colin Hemingway (Edinburgh), JF Perras (Edinburgh) and Dan Carlson (Coventry): If the Capitals are to pull off a shock, every player needs to be on top of their game, but none more so than their talismanic top scorer and their starting goalie. Perras will face a lot of rubber over the two days, Hemingway will not get many chances, and both need to take their chances to shine when they come, whether it be that vital save that could change the tie or that one half-chance which could win it. Meanwhile, Dan Carlson needs to supply the ammunition for the Blaze scorers against a team who will be only too aware of his creative ability and will send out players like Adam Stefishen attempting to check him into next week every time he gets the puck...

Key to the game: Winning the 50/50 pucks. This is a game that pits two fast-skating teams against each other in a fast-paced, intense battle where no player will want to give any quarter and neither team (particularly the Caps) has anything to lose by attempting to go out and win the game rather than sitting back-with the battle for every loose puck a dogfight in itself, the team that holds possession for longer will be able to control the game and dictate the pace and flow-a crucial advantage in hockey

Verdict: Over two legs, I think the Blaze will just about prevail, but don't rule Edinburgh out-the Scots deserve to be in the playoffs and, with all the pressure on their opponents, can go out and play without fear both in front of their partisan Murrayfield crowd and on the trip down south the following day.

Cardiff v Nottingham
Key players: Brad Voth (Cardiff) and Sean McAslan (Nottingham): These two will see a lot of other this weekend as the teams they captain do battle, as the Panthers' top scorer and the Devils' chief physical threat each attempt to impose their style of play on the other. When he's in the mood Voth is possibly the most effective power-forward in British hockey, and can force players out of the game with his physical presence. McAslan, meanwhile, can win games by himself thanks to his lethal goalscoring ability, and is the player who sets the tone for the Panthers' attack.

Key to the game: The goalies. Both Tom Askey and Phil Osaer are game-winners in their own right when on form, and with both teams being about equal in ability when all players are present, they'll both be facing high-powered attacks with several of the top forwards in the league-the one that blinks first will lose.

Verdict: Panthers to nick this one and go through to defend their title on home ice...

Belfast v Newcastle
Key players: Peter Campbell (Belfast) and Derek Campbell (Newcastle); Two players with the same surname, but different styles of play. Peter is the Giants' top goalscorer and sniper who is at home firing lightning one-timers past goalies, Derek is more likely to throw a hit and force a d-man to cough up the puck for someone else to put away or bang home a rebound from six inches at the third attempt, while being cross-checked in the back by a defenceman. However, they're both vitally important to their respective teams style of play, and in a matchup which will be 120 minutes of all-out physical war they'll need to use their strengths to the full to give their sides a chance of prevailing...

Key to the game: Winning the physical battle. Both teams have players who don't exactly shy away from the rough stuff, and with playoff hockey racking up the ante even further, hits, sticks and elbows are sure to be flying every time the puck goes into a corner or someone sets up in front of the net. Whichever team shies away from this will give their opponents a crucial advantage both psychologically and in terms of scoring chances...

Verdict: I reckon the Vipers will prevail in this one, as long as they keep their heads and don't give Belfast any free powerplays, which will give the Northern Irish side a chance to unleash their attacking talent.

Both the Edinburgh/Coventry and Belfast/Newcastle games are being webcast from Murrayfield and the Odyssey respectively on Saturday night-details are available on the Giants and Capitals websites...

Now we depart from the playoffs briefly....

Frankenhockey!: Perhaps this is a topic more suited for Halloween, but I saw a version of it on another site (although done for the NHL) and thought it was simply too good to waste. What we do is imagine you can split each player in the EIHL into parts, and then we put them together, Frankenstein style, to create the ultimate EIHL player. Be warned-he could be an ugly beast...


Legs: Neal Martin (Coventry): The sweetest skater in the league, bar none. It's been said many times that he goes faster backwards than many EIHL players go forwards, with good reason. "Effortless" isn't adequate enough to describe just how easy he makes travelling where he needs to go look-it's more like he simply teleports himself from one end of the rink to the other...


Hands: Dan Tessier (Sheffield): Love him or hate him, the little Steeler can pass through the eye of a needle when the mood takes him. And hit a team-mate's tape in full stride every time. You may hear Blaze fans say Dan Carlson is a better passer, but it's not for nothing that the Blaze were one of many teams that went after him in January, with only wage demands getting in the way of a move to the Midlands...


Wrists: Curtis Huppe (Coventry): Snap, crackle, goal. There are many players with great wristshots in the league, but Huppe has made a livelihood out of his ever since he came to Britain. Barrie Moore runs him very close, as does Ashley Tait, but there's a reason I used to panic whenever I saw the puck heading for a lurking Huppe in front of the Blaze's goal...Now, you see the Skydome rise in anticipation when he receives a pass in front of the net...


Eyes: Dan Carlson (Coventry)/Tony Hand (Manchester) (tie): Tessier may make the flashy passes, but these two see the killer pass even before their intended receiver does, and are still calm enough to put it right on the tape, every single time...


Mouth: Ryan Finnerty (Sheffield): Yap, yap, yap. When the Canadian centre in the teal and orange is on his game, there are no better wind-up merchants in the league, except perhaps Danny Stewart (Coventry version). Playing the game with equal parts nastiness and signalling victory in the psychological war with a wolfish grin or two, he's one of those players who's an absolute nightmare to play against, but a dream to play with...


Arms and shoulders: Tyson Teplitsky (Cardiff): For every wrist-shot, you need a slapshot, and the Devil wearing #18 has an absolute beauty stored in his shoulders. Generally viewed as one of the best offensive d-men in the league (were it not for Neal Martin, he'd probably be the best alongside Corey Neilson)-if he catches a shot just right, then just pray it doesn't hit you, cause you ain't getting out of the way in time...


Head: Luke Stauffacher (Manchester)/Danny Stewart (Coventry) (tie): If you could put pure intensity into human form, than it would probably play like these two the moment it stepped onto a ice-rink. They're both among the smallest in the league (Stewart is 5'9 and 175lbs, Stauffacher even smaller at 5'8 and 168lbs) but if there's dirty work to be done, these two will be the first steaming into harms way as fast as they can go. Both of them have a pretty mean scoring touch when called upon, as well...


Heart: Brad Voth (Cardiff)/Sylvain Cloutier (Coventry) (tie): Both of these players are poster boys for just how a captain should be-they lead by example, back-up their team-mates and play every game at a hundred miles an hour. You want commitment? How about playing three months with a ruptured stomach muscle, as Cloutier did, or being the first player to throw a hit or drop the gloves when needed, as Voth does so often in his role as heart and soul of the Devils?


Temper: Derek Campbell (Newcastle): The Canadian plays every game right on the edge of sanity, throwing hits left right and centre but (rarely) crossing the line into illegality. But if called upon to drop the gloves, he's always willing, and simply gets on with the job when the dust settles, win or lose the fight...


Body: Brad Cruikshank (Basingstoke): You need a frame to put all these parts in, and you could do far worse than the Bison captain-at 5'10 and 207lbs of British Columbian muscle, it's just about the perfect combination of width and height-as anyone who has seen Cruikshank use his body as a ballistic object to rattle the teeth of an opposition defenceman will testify...

That's your Round the Rinks for today...good luck to your team in the playoff quarters, enjoy the weekend and as always, keep keeping your eye on the puck...