Round the Rinks, Jan 9th...

Straight in today..flying south to north and back again on our weekly lightning trip round the EIHL...

Saturday

We start in Hampshire, for Basingstoke v Edinburgh,a game which will never win any prizes in the glamour stakes, but will be close and more intense than a junkyard dog with piles, since when you're scrapping down in the mud at the bottom of the pile, things often get dirty quickly...and, with the possible exception of mud-wrestling at the Playboy mansion, are never pretty. And cuddly bunnies are in short supply in both Hampshire and Scotland this season...

Coventry v Hull:

After last week's massive clash, this game is the perfect antidote as the Blaze seek to get back on a winning run-they've been wobbling recently and, although these games don't have the razzmatazz of the "big-boys" for the fans at the Skydome, the team very much need a win after a barren spell-if only to restore confidence and stop the murmurs of disquiet aimed at several players hitherto considered "fan favourites". Personally, I can't see the points of those whinging now (with the exception of the defensive issues) so it'll be interesting to see how the team react. On the Stingray side, undermanned as they are, a point will be the realistic target, but wins have come with less.

Sheffield v Cardiff,

: If you think that all the bad feeling has been quelled by the EIHL's desperate attempts to clean up the mess from the time these last two teams met (for which Andrew Sharp is still paying) then think again. You clearly also believe that Paris Hilton has, as she claims, only shared intimate time with "a couple of men" The time has now come for Ryan Finnerty to make good his infamous boasts in the Sheffield Star (this being the game he claimed would see Jay Latulippe beaten up in revenge for his "sucker punch" on the Steelers number ten back in the early season). Apart from that, there's the little matter of maintaining their title charge to consider too. If the Devils have any sense, then soaking up the punishment and taking revenge on the ensuing powerplays could be the key to victory for them...

Newcastle v Manchester

: Power v speed. Rapier v club. Gorilla vs a pack of mongooses (yes, that is the correct plural). Pick any image of "big and powerful v smaller and quicker" and it sums up this game to a T. Which will win out up in the North-East? Traditionally, this is an area where hard work and a willingness to get mucky are appreciated over being very quick, very skilled and...well, even a bit showy at times. At the MRA, the Vipers are a tricky proposition, with Manchester only winning by one the last time they went up there. Andrew Verner will be the key for the home side as they batter at the gates of Stephen Murphy's goal, and attempt to keep up with the burning speed and guile of the flying Phoenix...

Sunday

Edinburgh v Nottingham

: This game is a banana-skin waiting to happen for the Panthers-the Capitals are far, far more comfortable in Murrayfield than away from it, and at times the Panthers have looked, for their part, unsure of themselves at times while away from the NIC. With injuries and new players to settle, the Midlanders need to put in a professional and calm performance if they're not to be shocked by the Scots.

Hull v Newcastle

: It's an "ugly duckling" match, this. No-one likes to watch it that much, it will never be pretty at first glance, and compared to some of its companions, its shabbiness and lack of obvious attraction makes it stand out horribly. But, like Hans Christian Andersen's feathered hero, there is the chance that, one day, it'll surprise us all with just how good to look at it is.

And that's why people keep turning up. This game becoming a classic is far less certain than a cygnet becoming a swan, but there's always the chance.

Manchester v Coventry

: A game that, but for the termination of my employment this week, would have seen me travelling north almost forthing at the mouth in anticipation, this game could be bigger for both teams than it looks. Manchester win, and the wind of change currently blowing at the top of the EIHL may start to gust a little more strongly. Coventry win, as they have done in all the meetings up until now, and maybe belief will begin to flood back into the Skydome side. Either way, if any of the preceding meetings between these two are owt to go by, this game will simply not disappoibt if you like close, quick and end-to-end tussles. It could even qualify for "highlight of the weekend"....

Sheffield v Belfast

...unless this meeting finally delivers the feast of attacking hockey the rosters promise. With a large Hallam crowd and Todd Kelman attempting to stoke up the atmosphere with his hope that "every Steeler wakes up bruised from head to toe on Sunday morning" (after playing Cardiff the night before), the passion is there. The skill is there. Question is, will the excitement finally go all the way to eleven?

Cardiff v Basingstoke

: And so the "friendly" rivalry resumes for another on-ice skirmish, this time on Welsh territory. Bison v Devils has, this season, been a very blood-and-thunder type of encounter, with gloves seemingly dropping often and more handbags found here than in than a Louis Vuitton factory shop. And Sunday night should be no exception.

There you go-that's the weekend previewed...only three hours late, too.