Team-by-team is still, at this stage of the season, a bit pointless in my eyes-mainly due to the fact that you can't really judge anything from the first competitive weekend of the season, aside from who has actually had all their players turn up and avoid the Zoom catastrophe. So let's just have a grasshopper-style look and jump around the Elite League's first weekend of play...
Dude....that's just wrong: Two games into the EIHL season, and unless (God forbid) someone suffers a triple-compound fracture or actually commits murder on EIHL ice, we have the sickest moment of the year already. Step forward Rick Kozak, who endears himself to the Panthers crowd by punching Marc Levers to the ice. Given that Levers is an annoying little sod of a player (although very good at his job), a clean fight may have raised a smile from me. However, if the reports of Levers' head being driven from behind into the ice Todd Bertuzzi-style to leave a huge pool of blood, followed by the Hull forward...and I can't believe I'm actually about to write this...skating through the pool of blood and kicking it over the ice in a spray are true, it just makes my dinner rise in my throat. And for someone who saw Andre Payette allegedly end Kim Ahlroos's career by driving his head into the boards from behind for a concussion, and Brad Voth running over Martin Klempa so hard that some people in the Skydome crowd were heard to gasp "jesus-he's broken his neck", that is some going.
Oh yes...and the game's on Sky...you can guarantee that'll get a viewer or two, even if they just stick to showing some of the other incidents leading to the 105 Hull and 48 Nottingham PiM's...
Warning: information may not be 100% accurate: Here's what I wrote regarding Edinburgh's chances against Sheffield this weekend, before the weekend began...
Edinburgh can expect nothing more than a shooting gallery in their opening two games-they're still missing half a roster as they take on (Sheffield and Belfast)
And so now we come to Saturday night at the House of Steel...final score Sheffield 1, Edinburgh...three. Some shooting gallery that was. Pasi Raitanen pulled on a Caps jersey and promptly had one of the games of his life. Not bad going, really.
To call it a "good" start is to call Usain Bolt "a bit nippy": The Jeff Ulmer Memorial Best Debut award goes to Andrew Martin of Belfast...first game in his new home arena against Cardiff, and he scores 3+1, while Bobby Robins has a shocker with a "mere" 2+2 on the same line. It would appear that Adam Calder and Dan Carlson have competition in the "most-feared forward double-act since these two" stakes...
Snapper's Challenge: I know there are a bunch of photographers around the rinks of the EIHL, including Blaze's own Mark Tredgold. This bit's for you. When your team plays Basingstoke, can someone please, please try and get an action shot of Brent Hughes and Jason Goulet in the same picture-words can't describe how funny a 5'7 angry midget and a 6'5 hunchback of a d-man (if Goulet had a neck, which on first sight at least he appears to be lacking, he'd be 6'7-8, easy) look following each other out of the box-with Hughes following Goulet it looked just like a hockey-player version of a duck and duckling. You even had the waddle in Hughes' case...it certainly brightened up a bit of a dull game for me. In fairness to the Bison, though, with their starting goalie and several imports missing they still put up a decent fight, even if they went down 4-2 at home and 8-2 away...
Human Sunburn: It seems that EIHL goalies, however good they are, may have to put sun lotion on their necks when facing the Phoenix, just to avoid getting a tan from the goal-lamp. Why? Here's the reason in two sentences. David Beauregard: four games, seven goals. Adam Walker: four games, six goals. Can you say "snipers ahoy"?
Next, more ice hockey, live from the frozen lakes of hell...Panthers fans have played two EIHL games, and not a single person on the Cage Forum is moaning about either performance. It's amazing what happens when your team wins...Random Marek Ivan mention: Fair play to the bloke, even if he hasn't yet done the decent thing and officially changed his name to Marek "bloody" Ivan-scoring twice on your debut isn't a bad way to endear yourself to your new fans. However, at this point the whole of the Panthers fraternity is wincing...they thought he was a good signing to begin with, too. Then his mouth warmed up...
However-and putting the whole "money where my mouth is" thing. In order to give him something of a chance as well as having a comedy wager (which is always good) I'll put something of a bet down. If either of the following should happen...
Marek Ivan ends the season leading the league in goals, assists OR points
or
Vipers win the league
I shall admit I'm wrong, and should one be obtained, wear a Marek Ivan jersey (of any team, and let's face it, he's had a few of them) to the Saturday of the playoff weekend. If nothing else that should give you a reason to cheer him on...
And on that philosophical thought, here ends the first DOT of the season proper. Check back tomorrow for more silliness and maybe even some proper hockey chat for a change...
