Double Overtime, 6th October...

Well...that was interesting...Belfast met possibly their biggest speed-bump yet and cruised right over it, leaving the wreckage of the Elite League's discipline process in their wake, Manchester drove a nail into the coffin of any hopes the Vipers have of winning a title at the moment-certainly on the fan side (oh, and my pre-season tipping of them as a team to watch-really should have picked the Phoenix there). Let's run over the weekend in now traditional fashion, then...

Things We Learned This Weekend:

Bobby Robins + Malcolm McMillan + Paul Deniset = monster: People will talk about Paul Deniset's four goals, but by far the standout Belfast player, for me at least, is Bobby Robins. He scared the living hell out of the Blaze defence on Sunday with his strength and snarling-bulldog style of play, ably aided by the slightly smaller but even-fierier Malcolm MacMillan. Paul Deniset, while slightly more refined in his style (the rapier to the other two's club, if you will) did the same. People talk about Steve Thornton's dubious winner, but quite frankly the Giants had steam-rollered the Blaze already, with the three players above being most effective in doing so (Robins showing intent by plastering the 15lb-heavier and two-inch-taller Carlyle Lewis over the plexi like a fly on a windshield thirty seconds into the game, followed swiftly by MacMillan doing the same to Corey Leclair (a mere three inches taller and 23lb heavier) is as effective a message-sender as I've ever seen at a Blaze game)-if the Giants win the league this season, then these three players will be a massive part of them doing so. And as for the three of them on the same line-well, that's just a frightening thought if you're not fortunate enough to be their team-mates or a Belfast fan...

The appeals process is open to...manipulation: Steve Thornton. Game winner. 59:41. While technically serving a nine-game ban, delayed thanks to a useless appeal. Rick Kozak, possibly returning before his ban is served. An appeal process which is already under review. And the big teams seemingly able to manipulate the process at will, should they wish to. Would you like some bread soldiers to go with that egg on your face, Elite League?

Basingstoke need help: Ten games, ten losses. The Bison have, perhaps not been helped thus far by losing both Curtiss Patrick and Brad Cruikshank to suspension...but then, there are fifteen other players on the ice...

Edinburgh are a player away...from being a team to really reckon with. If they find a goalscorer to go with David Nimmo, Mark Hurtubise and Doug Christiansen, and/or someone who can pull the defence together and/or dispirit the opposition just by his efforts, such as an Adam Calder or a Steve Munn, then with two dangerous lines and arguably the best young Brits out there to back them up, there will be happy times up north.

Nottingham aren't perfect...but they are lucky:..because, seemingly, they have the ability to play badly and win-as witness their game in Edinburgh on Sunday night. That is the kind of team that wins championships. It remains to be seen, perhaps, whether Belfast are the same.

The worst is over for Hull: Yes, they lost twice. Yes, they've cut Jake Riddle. Yes, supposedly there's a bit of argument in the dressing room. But the Stingrays actually look like a team this time out, Konstantin Kalmikov was heavily under-rated while at the Panthers, and they have a team who appear to have more than just fighting in their locker...we shall see if the improvement continues over the next week or two.

Referees are never good, but when they're bad, it's better...because then any deed of your players, even up to and including sucker-punching someone in the face, stick in hand, and narrowly being prevented from landing a flying elbow, while skating halfway across the ice to do so, has an excuse...at least in the eyes of some. Watch out for Scott Kelman going after Evan Cheverie in the Sky game this week-and then try and work out just how frustrated at a ref's performance you'd have to be in order to do the same...I haven't managed to yet. However bad Michael Hicks is (and god, he's annoying) that's the first time I've ever seen him blamed for a targeted act of violence...

Manchester: team of many weapons: Offensive depth? You may rave about teams such as Coventry and Belfast, even Nottingham, but Manchester had ten players with at least one point in their game against Newcastle, on seven goals. It seems that the creative abilities are nicely spread out in Altrincham...

Live Elite League > televised NHL: Despite all the hoo-ha about the great games in Stockholm over the weekend, and despite me being a Pens fan, the highlight of my weekend was still a Sunday night at the Skydome-even if my team lost. You simply cannot beat live hockey for experiencing the game in Britain-anything else is just a poor imitation.

Goalies are insane: Yes, this is a fact every hockey fan and outskater knows, but I never really believed it until seeing Stevie Lyle smiling after taking a point-blank slapshot right in the five-holes...even with the protection, that would have the vast majority of hockey players blessing their equipment. Having checked it still existed...Lyle, on the other hand, simply stares up at a glowering Carlyle Lewis with a grin on his face, as if to say "more!"


And on that shocking truth, here ends tonight's review-tomorrow we'll plunge back into the club-v-country debate...

You'll come back-it's got to be better than working out the Elite League appeals process, surely?

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...