Hot And Cold Round the Rinks...

"You're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out, you're up then you're down
You're wrong when it's right, it's black and it's white"

Katy Perry: "Hot and Cold"

And so I'm back from the wilds of Cheshire and Shropshire, and it would appear that in Coventry at least, the sky is falling...two losses and the Sky Blue City is panicking. Sack Perras! Sack Leclair! Sack Stewart! Sack Moore!

And they say Nottingham fans can turn on their team in a knife-edge...

Meanwhile, back in EIHL Towers there is panic of a different kind as Cardiff, to no-one's surprise, have lodged a vociferous appeal against the stupidity that is Brad Voth's ban. I must admit to being surprised at the warmth of the response to my attack on it just before I left (the post below) but appreciative nevertheless-thanks to those who've commented. However, I doubt the EIHL are as receptive to feedback, as they're now in one hell of a pickle. Uphold the ban, and confirm themselves to be a bunch of puppets of the Sheffield PR machine (and leave open the chance that any less response to similar incidences, such as Scott Basiuk throwing three sucker-punches to the back of Adam Calder's head last Saturday, will raise hell) or reduce the ban (or, as some argue they should, annul it) and admit that, yes, they are, on this occasion, the muppets they are often accused of being.

Or, they can take the option they are currently, which is "hide, say nothing and hope it goes away". None of them are particularly attractive, I grant you, but if Mr French and his friends hadn't cocked up so spectacularly in the first place (while at the same time completely ignoring Andrew Sharp, coincidentally a Sheffield player, licking the blood off his hands the week before) then this wouldn't be an issue. Interesting that there has been no public reaction to the Battle of the Odyssey last Saturday, either, which saw seven players thrown out-doubtless the proper procedures are being followed, though, so we shall see what occurs from that, if anything.
The British hockey world (well, the EIHL part of it, at least) watches with interest...

Anyway...now on to Round the Rinks, back in its tried and trusted format...

Belfast/Newcastle: We'll take these two as a pair, since they're playing each other in a double-header this weekend which could get a little tasty after team toughness met team brutality last weekend in an epic confrontation at the Odyssey. Expect no quarter to be asked or given, and Rob Wilson to spend a fair amount of time in polite conversation with whoever is refereeing...

Basingstoke/Cardiff: The only game of the weekend for both teams, and they meet with one needing to kick-start their season already (Bison) and one looking to keep riding the crest of a wave from last Sunday (Devils). The Devils will have Jay Latulippe finally making his debut, but may or may not have Brad Voth depending on just what the league decides to do. Basingstoke will also be lacking new signing Matt Miller as he simply won't be able to get over in time. Should be an interesting game, especially now Basingstoke have starting goalie Kevin Reiter over and ready to go...

Coventry: DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC! Two capitulations last week (Sheffield on Saturday romping to a 5-1 win, and throwing away a three-goal lead at home against Cardiff on Sunday) mean that the Blaze have to rebound, and fast. With the pantomime villains of Hull on Saturday, there's a physical evening in store and Carlyle Lewis may well be busy. Sunday sees Nottingham visit the Skydome, and I don't mind admitting I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Panthers for the first time due to their rave reviews thus far. Four points is a must to stop the natives getting twitchy already...

Nottingham: Big weekend for the Panthers. Sheffield at home on Saturday and Coventry away on Sunday mean that by Sunday night there will either be real and growing confidence in the East Midlands, or a sense of anti-climax after a very good start. Should the Panthers win both, then they'll be firing a big warning shot to the rest of the league regarding their intentions this season...especially as they've performed up til now missing Dan Tessier and Jade Galbraith, who are a frightening addition to any team, especially if you're an opposition goalie...

Hull: No Rick Kozak, but a whole heap of trouble as the Stingrays take their brand of sports entertainment up a notch against Coventry, and then north to Edinburgh. At least two points is possible for the Stingrays, but it's far more likely to come in the Scottish capital, given the problems the Caps have had this week. If they come against Coventry, then it will only intensify the muttering in the Sky Blue City-which the rest of the league will love...

Manchester: The Phoenix need to rise from their mauling by the Panthers last Sunday, and a game against Edinburgh gives them the perfect chance to do so early in the weekend, before the War of the Roses against Sheffield on Sunday...

Edinburgh: Batten down the hatches in the Scottish capital...it's going to be a long weekend. Manchester and Hull are the opponents, and two points is the most the Caps can hope for after a turbulent week which saw two players (John Dolan and Shawn Germain) leave...

Sheffield: Two derbies in a weekend? Dave Simms may just spontaenaeously combust from excitement. Nottingham and Manchester are the opponents which have the Steel City hockey fan contingent working itself into a fever-pitch...and the rest of the league watching with interest in an attempt to measure whether last weekend's 5-1 demolition of Coventry was a fluke or the sign of a team who are already tightly together and ready to make their usual waves on ice as well as off it...

And so there you go...the weekend previewed to within an inch of its life...

Let's play hockey...