Thursday Thoughts: Two Team Teaser & Tunes...

Wow. That's the last time I try an alliterative title...:)

Anyway...today we'll look at the first two teams taking part in this weekend's EPL playoffs-Sheffield and Bracknell, before having a gander at the two powerhouses (Guildford and Slough) tomorrow. And of course there's your fix of IceTunes...

But first, a few items of news...

Dave Phillips signs for Belfast: ...and so the exodus from Hull begins. One of the better Brits in the league (and still only twenty) the big Stingray has finally left the club where he's spent his whole career to date to become Steve Thornton's first signing. Not a bad opening to the off-season for Giants-Phillips is big enough and fast enough to play and contribute in this league, and has experience in all situations thanks to the Stingrays throwing him into just about every situation you can have in a hockey game and expecting him to sink or swim...a very good first capture for Steve Thornton-it does, however, raise questions about Paul Moran's future in Northern Ireland-third-line forward or surplus defenceman?

Jonathan Phillips returns to Steelers: No relation to Dave, but a slightly better Brit, Jonathan Phillips will captain Sheffield for another year. This season he's finally made the leap from "great developing player" to "elite Brit" and reached a level as good as if not better than Ash Tait and Jonathan Weaver-I would love to have seen Phillips on my squad. There should be nothing but pleasure in Sheffield at this signing...

GB on the BBC: BBC Coventry will be providing live Internet commentary on all of the games involving GB at the World Championships-the link can be found here along with times. They'll also be covering tonights GB-Sweden game (which annoyingly I'll miss thanks to work) on the same link...

That's the news dealt with...now onto the teaser part with a look at the first two teams in Coventry this weekend...

Sheffield Scimitars
By far the underdogs in this group of four, the "other" Sheffield hockey club have made it to Coventry on the back of Peter Slamiar's and Stephen Wallace's goals and the heroics of Paul Jones and Pasi Raitanen in net, having topped Group A in the qualifying after finishing fifth in the league. This was something of a poisoned chalice as far as the Coventry weekend goes, however, as, thanks to their playoff groupings it now means that their supposed "easier" game is against Bracknell, who finished three places above them. With Slamiar (44+40 last time I checked) potentially missing Coventry, though, all the weight will fall upon the Scim's British talent (Robert Dowd and Stephen Wallace being the most important) if they're to have any chance of beating the Bees, and whoever plays in net will need two stellar games for the Scims to pull off a shock and win it...

Bracknell Bees
One of the powerhouses of the EPL despite their well-documented money troubles earlier in the season, the Berkshire side have the league's top import scorer in Michal Kanka, as well as a crop of very good Brits (many, like Tom Carlon and Matt Foord, with EIHL experience) to back him up and experienced EPL campaigner Greg Rockman in net. Their defence is anchored by Dwight Parrish, a long-time British hockey stalwart who's spent most of his career at the top levels in Britain, and the offensive force is provided by Jan Melichar, who can find the net as well as any forward when he needs to. The Bees will want revenge on their local rivals Guildford and Slough, either of whom they could meet in the final, and so you can guarantee they'll be going all out to avoid being the victims of a shock...

I know that these previews are a little shorter and less detailed than the ones for the Elite teams-this is the problem I have when you mainly watch EIHL hockey...if there are any mistakes in the above, feel free to correct me. Guildford and Slough previews appear tomorrow...

For all you EPL fans who are going to the Coventry weekend, by the way, the Old Windmill Pub on Spon Street usually runs offers for fans in hockey shirts during Blaze games-I believe they're continuing them for the EPL weekend, so nip in and have a pint or two...

And finally, a brief bit of IceTunes: There's only a couple of songs in there today, what with the playoff CD being created last week, and both of them are a bit more poppy than usual, but given that they've been rocking around my head all week I'll hopefully at least be able to share them and know I'm not the only one who has "earworm fever"...

Ashlee Simpson: Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya): I defy you not to have the chorus running round your head after one listen...or sit there and not get an urge to bob your head back and forth as soon as the beat kicks in...And this coming from someone who usually likes his music a lot heavier...Plus, she's by far the better-looking Simpson sister...

The Ting Tings: That's Not My Name: See above...apart from the Simpson part. :)

Tomorrow we review the GB v Sweden game and look at the other two teams taking part in the Coventry weekend...until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck...