Playoff Final Preview: Reasons to Be Optimistic, and Blaze's First Big Signing?

Tomorrow sees the climax of the EIHL season for another year with the showpiece that is the EIHL finals weekend taking place in Nottingham (I'll be there, walking round in a Stephane Julien (#22) white Cologne Sharks top should you fancy saying hello)...and given that the title Round the Rinks is somewhat superfluous with all three matches taking place in one place, we'll simply look at why all four teams attending have a chance to win, and assess their chances. It must be said that this is one of the hardest weekends to pick in a long while, though...

Coventry Blaze
Why they have a chance: Erm...they're the league champions, so that must count for something. Plus, they have arguably the most complete side in the league, with scorers, grinders, d-men and the league's top goalie (at least statistically) in Trevor Koenig backing them up and looking for his second playoff title. With a team in which almost every player is a proven winner at EIHL level (only Matty Soderstrom and Curtis Huppe haven't played on a team that's won an EIHL playoff title, and Huppe won the league with Belfast instead)
What could stop them: Expectation. With many tipping the Blaze to win it this year, the stage is open for them to lose to arguably the least-fancied team in the semis, just like they did to Cardiff last time out. Paul Thompson and his players will be desperate to make sure this doesn't happen again against the one team that have a 100% record against the Blaze in the champions' home rink...

Newcastle Vipers
Why they have a chance: Playing style. The Vipers are the only team at the final four who prefer crash-bang hockey rather than skill (the Devils and Blaze can play it if so desired but it's not their preferred way to win games and all three of the Vipers opponents can be knocked off their game by good old fashioned smash-mouth hockey) As a team with a good mix of scoring talent and pure power the Vipers will be fancying their chances of pulling off a shock tomorrow, especially as they were expected to lose to Belfast in the quarters.
What could stop them: Penalty trouble. The Geordies aren't exactly the calmest of teams and have two of the league's leading penalty-takers in Andre Payette and Derek Campbell, both of whom are also crucial to their teams' style of play. If either or both of these two get riled up, then the minors (and opposition powerplays) tend to mount up as well as blunting the battering-ram by which the Vipers gain the majority of their chances, so the PK unit will need to be prepared to see a lot of ice-time over the weekend...

Cardiff Devils:
Why they have a chance: Put simply, motivation. The Devils have made it to Nottingham every time in the past four seasons, but have always suffered heartbreak each and every time, culminating in last year's penalty-shot loss to Nottingham. After gaining sweet revenge on the Panthers in the quarters this time out, the Welsh faithful will be hoping that this is finally their year, particularly with Brad Voth playing immensely and Sylvain Deschatelets providing the creative spark for Jason Silverthorn and Max Birbraer on offense...
What could stop them: The wobbles. After being the bridesmaids so often, the Devils psyche needs to be strong to cope with the inevitable rollercoaster-ride of playoff weekend-if other teams score early, frustration may set in even among the never-say-die attitude of the Welsh dragons, especially as a large section of the team remain from last season and the pain of losing the playoff final when it was there to win will still be a raw wound for many...

Sheffield Steelers:
Why they have a chance: Because, apart from anything else, the chance to ram a playoff victory in their biggest rivals' building (especially when those rivals will be absent) is a big motivating factor. Follow that with one of the most dangerous offences in the league and a wildly-under-rated (at least by IHUK journalists) defensive corps, and suddenly the team that finished second in the league look very dangerous indeed...
What can stop them: Again, this is one where a mix of indiscipline and the efforts of others mix-if the Steelers can get past the Devils in the semi then many would back them to win the final whoever the opponents, but lure them into penalty trouble and shut down their top forwards and suddenly frustation sets in...

So, going all Mystic Meg...here's how I think the weekend will run...

Semis
Coventry v Newcastle: The Vipers will come out hell-for-leather in this one, but I reckon that, with a final place on the line, the Blaze will have enough to beat them this time round as they look to avoid the poor performance bred from complacency that cost them against a very good Cardiff side last year.

Sheffield v Cardiff: Could be the best game of the weekend, potentially. Both teams are very good indeed and there's some needle in the game thanks to the Brad Voth/Ashley Tait incident earlier in the season. My heart would like Cardiff to sneak through thanks to the potential of a Blaze/Devils final, but head says that the Steelers may have just enough. This one really is too close to call though...

Final
Coventry v Sheffield: Going with head over heart, this is the logical match-up to pick-one vs two in the league, for the playoff crown. I think that Steelers could well sneak this, as the last thing they'll want is to be beaten by the Blaze again after losing out both in the league and KO Cup. This is the only time I'll allow my Blaze bias to influence things, though, as I reckon the Midlanders could win their twelth trophy in the Coventry era, in order to give Neal Martin the perfect send-off...

However...

Final II
Coventry v Cardiff: This is the final both Blaze and Devils fans want to see-and the final which I can see happening on the way to the Devils finally winning the playoff trophy. With Nottingham v Sheffield not possible, this is unquestionably the final which will be best for the neutral, as anyone who's seen some of the epic battles between the two sides (most notably in the two Challenge Cup finals, one won by each side) will testify. If it happens, I think the Devils could nick it. Certainly, it'll be a game which no-one in the arena (even those supporting the sides not involved) will be able to resist getting involved in-and that's what the sport needs most.

The Picks
Coventry to beat Newcastle
Cardiff to beat Sheffield (OT)

EIHL Playoff Champions 2008: Coventry Blaze (after OT)

Meanwhile, in news outside of the playoffs...

No sooner was it rumoured that Sean Blanchard was Blaze-bound, he's signed a contract with Hamburg Freezers, which means that the Midlanders would appear to be looking elsewhere for Neal Martin's replacement. And they have indeed-see below...

Blaze "signed Martin replacement already": Based on several sources, including that of a Blaze sponsor and, believe it or not, the purchase of his hockey cards by a Blaze employee on Ebay (something which is apparently a surefire indicator according to the source), Coventry fans need not worry too much about their premier offensive defenseman leaving, as his replacement is a player with AHL, DEL, NHL and Swedish Elite League pedigree. His name is David Cullen, and his stats are here. Just cause I like spoiling you lot, here's a picture (on the right, seen playing for DEG Metrostars last season, which means being a Cologne fan I should hate him...:))...
That's my shirt sorted, given that the Irish part of my family are named Cullen...

That's your EIHL playoff preview...all that remains is to wish good luck to all four teams involved (as well as all their fans), invite all you Breakaway readers to come up and say hello if you see me around over the weekend, and finish with the immortal words said before every hockey game in the State of Minnesota...

"LET'S.....PLAY....HOCKEY!"