Thursday Thoughts and IceTunes...

And so here we go again, into a post where I give just another way to tell I'm not a Panthers fan, preview the first playoff tie (I refuse to call it a "series" when it's just two flipping games) and rock your ears with some IceTunes...

In fairness, it's easy to confuse him with any other slow d-man, of which the Panthers have had a few: In my team-by-team scouting mission on Tuesday, I mention one of the main weaknesses of the Panthers being Robert Stancok's pace. Of course, being a muppet I forgot that he has, in fact, been de-registered (pointed out by a reader on Tuesday) and Eric Nelson and Jon Coleman (both upgrades on the Lumberjack Slovak) have shorn up the Big Cats' blue-line in recent weeks. This vexes me a) because it's the kind of error I thought I'd stopped making and b) because I'm still trying to work out how I could have overlooked someone who chooses to wear a small animal on his bottom lip as a fashion statement...Somehow I don't think the puck bunnies will be hanging round Mr Nelson at the playoffs...

Playoff fever...catch it!: In the style of an American movie announcer, let's introduce the Sheffield/Manchester playoff series...
Two counties with a history of war. All season, their hockey teams have fought hard with one weekend in Nottingham in mind. Now, they meet over one weekend, and only one will survive. Starring Dave Matsos, Tony Hand, Joe Tallari, Dan Tessier and an all-star supporting cast in hockey's War of the Roses, this is...Sheffield Steelers vs Manchester Phoenix II: The Playoffs. Opens March 28th...
Phew, that hurt the old throat...Now let's compare them both...

Key players: Jeff MacMillan (Phoenix) and Dan Tessier (Steelers)
On the surface, these two couldn't be more different-one is a big stay-at-home d-man and one a feisty little magician of a forward. When you bear in mind, however, that Dan Tessier will be looking to feed Joey Talbot on one side and Jeff Legue on the other whenever he gets the chance, however, and that MacMillan will be the man tasked with shutting him down, you see just how key the ex-Dallas Star is to Phoenix's success in this quarter-final...and also just how dangerous that Steelers top line is. This is before you factor in the second line of Finnerty, Phillips and Tait.

Key to the game: Defence, defence, and defence. With both teams having players who can step up and score when needed, this is a matchup where the blueliners will need to be alert for every second of the (at least) 120 minutes of play in this series. If the Phoenix can stop the Steelers' snipers, then it takes some of the pressure to keep scoring off Joe Tallari, Luke Stauffacher et al, which is a good thing because they'll have more than enough on their hands finding a way even once or twice through a Steelers defence which has a player who should have been a first-team All-Star in Steve Munn and several other under-rated d-men in itself. Meanwhile, if the Steelers shut down Tallari and company, it gives free creative rein to Tessier and friends at the other end.

Verdict: I can see a shock here...it will require some stellar play from the underdogs but, the longer they keep the Steelers out, the more chance the Phoenix will have...I take them to win (just) over the two legs, but only if they win at the Hallam tomorrow...

Rock the Rink-it's IceTunes!: After a week away, IceTunes is back with some more recommendations and some (possibly) exciting news...I'm currently looking at producing a Breakaway weekly podcast with a mix of some of the tunes recommended here, other music and, in between, hockey-related chat from me, just to keep you going over the summer weekends...it's only in the very early stages so it may not get up and running until June, but if anyone has any ideas for stuff I could include on it or is already sitting there thinking that they might fancy joining in, then let me know on the email address at right, and we'll see if anything comes out of it...Of course, if any team people out there are reading this and would also fancy appearing or setting up a player appearance on such a show, feel free to let me know also...
Anyway...on to the songs this week (now with youtube links if I can find them)...:)

Bullet for My Valentine: Hearts Burst Into Fire: The new single from the Welsh boys-and probably their most general-audience friendly. Stick this on and you'll set a rocking tone...

boysetsfire: After the Eulogy: I couldn't actually find a decent one of this on Youtube, and it does have a fair bit of swearing in (so don't play it if you don't want your kids to hear it) but this song ree-yocks...:)

Turisas: Rasputin: Put it this way...if anyone hears the intro and expects it to be anything like the Boney M original, they're in for a shock. If you like a smile, and you like a bit of rock, thump this up...loudly..:)

Evanescence: Tourniquet: Another one you'll have to search out because it was just an album track on Fallen. It's worth the effort, though.

Nightwish: Amaranth: I might have already recommended this one somewhere, but it's still worth having...

A Day To Remember: Since You Been Gone: Yes, it may originally have been a Kelly Clarkson song...but this is the version you want...

And finally, in the "let's make more money out of fans with another shirt auction" section...
The playoff shirt designs have finally been released and are available here, thanks to the Panthers website. Personally I can't really see how they look much different to the regular season shirts apart from some piping and maybe a different sleeve colour or two, but hey, if people want to pay inflated prices for a shirt that will be worn a maximum of twice, then so be it...I understand the battle for game-worn season shirts, but not for the whole playoff-shirt thing...after all, it doesn't happen in the NHL...

And there you go...Thursday Thoughts is over for another week. Tomorrow we go Round the Rinks, only in far more detail than usual as we preview the three remaining playoff quarter-finals, and there's a few extra little tidbits in there as well...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...