Round the Rinks: Hallowe'en Special

And so it's the weekend where all the ghouls and ghosties come out, but will there be any teams suffering nightmares in the EIHL this weekend? Let's run swiftly through the news of the past few days in that Breakaway rambling style you've all come to know and (maybe) love...

Will the real Edinburgh Capitals please stand up?: Wednesday's game against Coventry was, quite frankly, a bit uncomfortable to watch. In fact, it was the hockey equivalent of watching any video of a particularly bad injury (such as Eduardo's for Arsenal last season, for all you football fans-Google it, but have a strong stomach first). Only, instead of a second of "Ohmigod!" revulsion, this was more the type of uncomfortable you get when listening to, oh, I don't know, Russell Brand make a phone-call to an ex's grandpa. As goal after goal went in and we watched Jacey Moore, Michel Robinson and Moore again have their confidence destroyed by the Blaze forwards and their defencemen, the overwhelming thought was something like "this just isn't fun"

Then Pasi Raitanen returns, and tonight they win 4-1 in Newcastle. I really don't know what to say now...so let's move to easier territory...

Hutchy Watch: Jeff Hutchins gave the Caps fans a taste of what to expect for the season-conceding a goal shorthanded on his first shift, going to minus two and then assisting both Caps goals, despite only playing about 25 minutes of the game (as in, only being on the bench for 25 minutes)...With Pasi now in too and the Caps winning four one, surely he can't fire the Caps up the table, can he? Speaking of signings...

Concorde is back!: Ed Courtenay signs for Newcastle. That could be interesting for the Vipers-and indeed the rest of the league, since when Courtenay is just playing and not making something of a hash of coaching, he's by far one of the best players ever to play in Britain. Sure, he's 40 now, but even so...

Oh yes, and he makes his debut, or is planned to, when the Vipers play Coventry. At the Skydome. As an enthusiast of the fine art of heckling (tastefully, naturally) I and many others simply can't believe our luck-Jeff Hutchins AND Ed Courtenay back in the EIHL and both making their debuts in Coventry? It's like a gift from the wind-up gods...

There we are then...on to the weekend preview now...

SATURDAY

First off this weekend, Basingstoke play Newcastle, in a battle which pits the underfunded against the underperforming.. Coming off contrasting fortunes (Basingstoke after their great win in Nottingham on Tuesday, Newcastle losing to Edinburgh on Thursday) you have to wonder which way this game will go. My money would (just) be on the Bison, believe it or not. And that hurts given that I tipped the Vipers to be among the top teams this year…

Belfast face Hull at the Odyssey in a game which, will of course be live on the web at the Giants Webcast here (which, by the way, has now become pay-per-view)…it may well be worth saving your shrapnel for this one, not so much for Hull as to see whether the Giants can cut loose against a team who, at least in the past week or two, look far happier now that they’ve jettisoned the millstones that were Rick Kozak and Jake Riddle…

Meanwhile, in South Wales it’s one of the most hotly-contested fixtures of the season, as Cardiff play Coventry. If you’re in South Wales, then nip along to the Big Blue Tent-with names like Prpich, Teplitsky, Calder and Weaver certain to be going at full-bore for the win (for pride as well as points) and a game which is known for the passionate but friendly rivalry between the two sets of fans, this game always has the potential to be a classic.

At the NIC is another game with “potential barn-burner” written all over it. Nottingham (struggling but skilful) face Manchester (skilful and flying). Goals are all but guaranteed, and so are busy goalies. With two pacesetters meeting, this game is arguably one of several highlights this weekend.

Finally is a game which, while not as attention-grabbing as the two above, could be worth following in its own right, mainly due to the fact that any one of four teams could contest it. Sheffield and Edinburgh are both teams with split personalities. With them you get good or awful-never just average. And for that reason alone, the sheer unpredictability of this game makes it worth a look…

Sunday only has four games, but two of them, like the above, could be beauties. Then there’s the Battle of Yorkshire. Let’s get the “other” game out of the way first...

It takes place at Murrayfield. Edinburgh play Newcastle with the Vipers seeking revenge for their loss on Thursday night, and the Caps hoping to give their home fans something to cheer on a cold night in Scotland. It may not hold other teams' attention but it'll certainly be keenly contested...

Moving south, we come next to Hull, who face Sheffield in the cross-Yorkshire rivalry which always produces a decent game. It's not a game you anticipate as a neutral, though...but as we travel further south, they appear...

Manchester face Cardiff in Altrincham, and are next on our trip down the country. What a game this could be if both teams are on fire...both Stephen Murphy and Peter Aubry will need to bring their A games to give their side a chance of winning-I can see this one being decided by one goal or a moment of individual genius...or madness.

Finally, we come to the Midlands, for Coventry vs Nottingham. The last time this fixture took place, we saw the Blaze win by the odd goal in eleven, and the evidence since then says that, if both teams are on their game, then a similar scoreline is a distinct possibility...that in itself is a reason why the Skydome's sure to be pretty damn full for this one...

There you are...once again there's your weekend previewed to within an inch of its life....and the amount of games worth watching this weekend alone is, quite frankly, scary. But then, what else would you expect on Hallowe'en weekend?

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...