Double Overtime, 11th February

Well, I'm just about back up and running...so on we go with a review of the weekend. Belfast will be getting something of extended coverage thanks to the news that Ed Courtenay is resigning at the end of the season. And we're off...



Basingstoke: One 3-1 win, one 3-1 loss. Not a bad weekend for the Bison Eleven, who were boosted hugely this week by the return of Kyle Peto after months out with injury. Perhaps the most amazing changes have come off the ice, however, with the Bison packing nearly 1400 people into the Silverdome to see them beat Manchester on Saturday-nearly double their average attendance last season. There appears to be something genuinely amazing happening in Hampshire. And the loss? Well, that was Sheffield away, which is a very tough game for any team...Long may the revolution continue down south...
Grade: B


Belfast: Meanwhile, things are slipping again in Belfast. With it being public knowledge that the coach is on his way out and a demoralising 6-3 home loss to Sheffield in their only game of the weekend, the Giants have gone from a purple patch to a slightly darker hued part of the world...things are looking all in Sheffield's favour in the race to catch the Blaze now...
Grade: E


Cardiff: Two battling one-goal losses for the Devils, who must surely believe that, if karma exists, next season should already be guaranteed injury-free. 4-3 to Newcastle and 5-4 to Coventry are two genuine heartbreakers, and with top scorer Jason Silverthorn the latest casualty the hospitals of South Wales must be sick of seeing Cardiff Devils cars in the parking lot...

Grade: D



Coventry: The Blaze were really made to work for their points this week-first by Hull and then by Cardiff in two tight one-goal victories-the kind that win you titles. Trouble is for the Midlanders-Sheffield have been digging out the same gritty wins recently, and they still have to travel to the Hallam Arena. Twice. Game...on...
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: Winning away at the Panthers and then losing to the Phoenix means that the Capitals are still just about in the running for a playoff place, being five points down and two games back on the Bison. However, the win in Nottingham shows that they will not give this season up...
Grade: B+

Hull: The Stingrays pushed Blaze hard in their only game of the weekend...but, as has become more predictable than the sun rising in the East...they lost. And excuses just aren't good enough anymore.
Grade: D

Manchester: The Phoenix, meanwhile, are fighting tooth-and-nail to climb the table, and with Scott Fankhouser back in net they got past Edinburgh fairly comfortably to make up for their loss in Basingstoke the night before. I think I shall come out with it now...if you fancy an outside bet on the playoff trophy winners, you could do a lot, lot worse than picking the team from Altrincham...
Grade: C+

Newcastle: Beating Cardiff and losing to Nottingham sums up the Vipers' season-they just can't put a run together to save their lives, or ever get up any momentum. And this weekend was no exception. Just like their stuttery, stop-start approach to playing hockey, the season has juddered along for the Vipers...
Grade: C

Nottingham: For this weeks review, see Newcastle's-all you need to do is substitute "Newcastle", "Edinburgh" and "Panthers" in the appropriate places. The hockey may be fast and flowing in Nottingham, but the points are still coming at more of a trickle...
Grade: C+

Sheffield: The Steelers are coming. Two more wins including a 6-3 win in Belfast means that they're now level on points with Belfast and two games closer to Coventry above them...which makes the two remaining games in the Hallam look like they could be absolute epics...
Grade: A

That's your Double Overtime for this week-apologies it's a little shorter than usual thanks to your writer still being slightly fragile, but hopefully I shall be back on form tomorrow...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...