Double Overtime-25th February

Interesting point before we begin today's round-up...I'm really not sure about the result in Coventry last night...the scoreboard shows Coventry won on penalties thanks to Curtis Huppe being the only scorer in the shootout after a pulsating game ended three-three. Simple enough, right?
However...
I'm really not sure that Tom Askey didn't "save" the decisive penalty-this is how it unfolded...
Huppe comes in at speed, goes roughly level with the left hand post on the way in and then cuts across goal at the last possible second, dragging Askey with him before finding the smallest of gaps on the right hand side and scoring. Thing is, as he heads in originally and then pulls across (I'm stood behind the goal at that end) there's a distinct "thump" of puck hitting pad, before Huppe switches across to the backhand, finishes pulling the puck across and sticks it in on the forehand. This picture from Mark Tredgold shows the decisive moment, or at least immediately close to it-that puck is bobbling having just clipped a pad, in my view...Speaking to people afterwards, the general consensus even from Blaze fans was that Huppe may well have had two bites of the cherry and got away with it-there's more than reasonable doubt...
My point is-if that's called as a save, then it's a whole new set of three, after Marc Levers misses the next penalty. I'm not saying Blaze wouldn't have won the game, but I am saying there is a very good chance that they got out of jail with that one...

Anyway. On to the review...

Basingstoke: The Bison may have lost to Cardiff on the Saturday, but they managed to win the game they wanted to, putting themselves through to the KO Cup final with a solid performance for a 5-2 win in Hull. The league is now a little tighter after Edinburgh gain two points on them in the playoff race. With the Bison now in a final, however, many will be seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, and the grade reflects this...
Grade: C+

Belfast: Ouch. A 5-1 loss in Nottingham is not what the doctor ordered for the Giants, who appear to be in cruise control on the way to the playoffs now that their brief chance at the league title is gone. This weekend will have hurt the pride of the Northern Irish...
Grade: D

Cardiff: The nightmare is over for the Devils, as their fifteen game winning streak finally comes to an end with a win over Basingstoke away from home on the Saturday. Sure, it was a depleted Bison team, but even so, the win was well-earned-with two more goals from our Best Supporting Player Sylvain Deschatelets, and so the grade is the best the South Wales side have earned for a while...
Grade: B

Coventry: The less said about Saturday's performance against the Steelers, the better. Giving away two points to your closest rivals due to a complete lack of discipline is not the way to go. The discipline was somewhat lacking on Sunday against Nottingham also, with the Panthers given twelve powerplays and scoring all their three goals on them. However, thanks to the lottery of penalty shots (and a slightly dubious winner from Curtis Huppe-see above) they earn a vital two points...
Grade: C+

Edinburgh: One step forward, two steps back. A win on Saturday against Hull was followed by a nasty loss in Manchester as they became the latest side to meet the Joe Tallari Express. However, another two points gained on Basingstoke mean that the playoff dream is still alive as the Capitals lion continues to roar...
Grade: B-

Hull: You can tell it was a bad weekend-we get not one, but two consecutive press releases on the Elite League home page with Rick Strachan talking about his disappointment in the team. Does anyone actually read them anymore? As for the action on the ice-the Stingrays managed once again to throw away the chance to make something of themselves as they didn't turn up in the BKO Semi and lost to Edinburgh, the day before. One of these days, the Stingrays will earn themselves a decent grade, but the season is well and truly over for them now...
Grade: F

Manchester: One loss and one win for the Phoenix in what is becoming a familiar pattern, although if they could have had the powerplay firing against Newcastle it could have been a different story. A 7-4 win against Edinburgh on the Sunday is not to be sniffed at, particularly with the Scots on something of a tear. The Phoenix now look in good shape for a playoff run, but they still need to build some momentum and turn these close losses into wins...
Grade: B-

Newcastle: A win against Manchester and then a loss to Sheffield mean the Vipers, too, enjoyed a mixed weekend. They're still targeting a top three place, but are perhaps too far away from Belfast (ten points) for this to be realistic. Like the Phoenix, though, if they want any chance to get near them they still need to keep turning these narrow losses into wins...
Grade: C+

Nottingham: Beating Belfast and earning a point in Coventry is a good weekend by any standards-the Panthers keep earning themselves vital points in the chase for the top three-they're now only three points behind the slumping Giants and can still influence the league title thanks to their remaining game against Coventry...
Grade: B+

Sheffield: Four points are just what are needed for the Steelers, including two points gained against the Blaze at home perhaps the most vital two points of the season thus far. The Panthers failed to do their rivals a favour on Sunday night, otherwise the league race could be even closer this Monday morning.As it is, six points is not an insurmountable gap by any means, particularly with the Steelers and Blaze due to meet again at the Hallam next Wednesday...
Grade: A

The one midweek game this week sees the streaking Steelers meet the stuttering Giants in Belfast on Thursday in yet another game which could have ramifications on the title race...

That's your Double Overtime for this week...keep keeping your eye on the puck..