Double Overtime: Preseason Edition...

Rather than a considered team-by-team run through the pre-season, this will be more of a jump-about stream-of-consciousness post, although I'll try and at least keep the games in some sort of order...

Fight!: Getting the rough stuff out of the way first of all with a pic that speaks louder than words...

This is why it's a bad idea to wind up a 6'3, 215lb centre, skill player or not...(thanks to Mark Tredgold for the pictures as per usual). For the record, the fight was a clear Scott Kelman win...

"Team toughness" isn't about size, it's about state of mind: Hull and Sheffield have six scraps in two games...let no-one say the Steelers don't stick up for themselves on this showing...

Twist and (probably) shout: Cardiff have signed a contortionist for a d-man in Mike Hartwick-is it me or does his body look like it's going completely the opposite way to his legs? I've seen many slapshot pictures but that is just plain wrong...(picture from Helen Fryer)

Goal, after goal, after goal... So, all the pre-season weekend results...

Saturday 30th August

Dundalk Bulls/Hawks Select 0 Belfast Giants 10
Cardiff Devils 4 Manchester Phoenix 3
Hull Stingrays 4 Sheffield Steelers 10
Newcastle Vipers 2 Coventry Blaze 3

Sunday 31st August

Dundalk Bulls/Hawks Select 1 Belfast Giants 9
Manchester Phoenix 7 Nottingham Panthers 5
Sheffield Steelers 5 Hull Stingrays 2
Coventry Blaze 10 Newcastle Vipers 2

With 36 goals in four games on Saturday and 41 in four on Sunday (for you maths whizzes, that's 77, or nearly eight goals a game over the weekend) can we safely assume that that's the highest scoring (on average) weekend of the season already out of the way?

And the "FMTWABI" Award goes to: Shamelessly nicking the "silly acronym" award from Five Minute Major with the "(sounds like puck) Me, That Was A Bad Idea" award, David Longstaff wins it after attempting to wind up Scott Kelman. You can see the consequences in the first bit of this post, but seeing Longstaff's greasy builder's mullet fly back as his head was thumped extremely hard and repeatedly was one of the highlights of Sunday night for many. closely followed by the fact that Kelman then proceeded to score twice (and beauties they were, too). The Vipers didn't exactly cover themselves in glory, lack of imports or otherwise, as Rob Wilson and Derek Campbell spent more time trying (and failing) to hit shadows then use their experience and gritty skill respectively. Meanwhile Andrew Verner went from sublime (46 saves from 49 shots) to ridiculous (3 goals in 10 minutes, including a shot from Lewis that hit both pads before dribbling over the line) between Saturday and Sunday. Tyler Willis looked like the kind of player everyone not from Newcastle will quickly grow to despise and admire at the same time, capping his night with a well-taken goal, and Todd Griffith was the standout player of a pretty poor bunch-not least as he demolished Leigh Jamieson in a fight at the MRA. Meanwhile (and I may have to find something negative to say about him already as I sense that I'm beginning to develop something of a favouritism for him) Scott Kelman shone, Carlyle Lewis concentrated on scoring rather than physical presence and the rest of the Blaze team looked like last year's side. Which is really not a bad thing, unless you support one of the nine other teams in the league, I suppose.

And in the "pic equals thousand words" file: This is why the chaveree suits are a bad idea. The Viper is on the left, but on the right is not a team-mate coming in to help but one of the linespeople (the comely Alice Stanley, I think) keeping a watchful eye on things. Just for a half-second you weren't sure, though, were you? Now imagine playing the Vipers and just how many times you'll catch yourself starting to yell "too many men!" before realising...

In the interests of balance: Apologies that this preseason review is a bit Blaze-centric...for other perspectives, take a gander at Five Minute Major (including a nice bit of textbook controlled ranting from Becky regarding people predicting shutouts), the Pyre and the Podcast for Manchester, The Cat's Whiskers for Nottingham and F Block for the Stingrays, all which can be accessed via the Recommended Reading panel. There's even a Belfast blog popped up now...

And some good news: Basingstoke, as of yesterday, are 19k towards their 30k target to compete this season. With 11k to raise and an extended deadline until Wednesday to do it by, there is hope anew in Hampshire.

Coming up next: Tomorrow will see a Breakaway-trademark One Minute Preview of the "official" curtain-raiser to the season-the Charity Shield, between Coventry and Sheffield, as well as all the randomness you've come to expect of the Breakaway. There will likely as not not be a post on Wednesday thanks to my evening routine looking like "home from work. shower, change, pint in the Old Windmill, watch Blaze/Steelers, out on the lash". However, there will be a match report up on Thursday evening, followed by Round the Rinks on Friday morning (all being well)...

Until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck....

Stay tuned..

I appreciate I said that there'd be a post this morning. Work's a bit busy though, so it should be on this evening by around 7pm at the latest...apologies for the delay...