Round the Rinks, March 6th

Here we are again with the weekend preview, with the weekend including a semi and a final...NOW we're really getting to the business end of the season...I am aware that Cardiff and Belfast played the first leg of their KO Cup semi on Wednesday and Manchester faced Edinburgh on Thursday, but we'll deal with that below...

Saturday:

Hull v Manchester: Before the fireworks of Sunday's Challenge Cup Final first leg, the Phoenix must take on Hull, with the Stingrays viewing every game between now and the end of the season as a cup final as they chase the last playoff spot in a battle with Edinburgh. Paradoxically, Manchester have already done Hull a favour by nicking a four-two win on Thursday night against their Scottish rivals (with David Beauregard scoring his 54th and 55th goals and moving within touching distance of being only the second player in the EIHL era to have a 100-point season-Adam Calder being the other with his record 105-point haul last season, including a record 58 goals, both records which are now under serious threat from the French-Canadian goal-machine). The Stingrays will be hoping Manchester have one eye on Sunday's game as they chase a vital two points, but I wouldn't be too hopeful for them...

Edinburgh v Newcastle: Meanwhile, the Capitals face the Vipers, with the Scottish faithful urged to be as loud as possible to help Mark Hurtubise (83 points on a ninth-placed team is simply phenomenal, by the way-he's outscored most of the "top" players in the EIHL by some distance-even more amazing when you consider that many of his competition have far more prolific linemates) and company gain another two vital points in their battle with Hull. With the Vipers settled in seventh with a ten point gap to the teams both above and below them, the Capitals will be hoping their opponents are in cruising mode for the playoffs. The Vipers, however, won't make it easy...

Basingstoke v Coventry: This is a game for two teams whose regular seasons have somewhat run out of steam, and despite there still being three weekends to go still has something of an "end of term" feel to it. With Corey Leclair facing one of his former teams there may be a bit of needle running under the surface, especially with Carlyle Lewis and Jeremy Cornish renewing acquaintances-however, it's not a game that stands out by any stretch of the imagination, especially with the Bison already looking towards next season in the eyes of many...

Nottingham v Sheffield: This one, however, is a game that practically leaps out and grabs you, although the hype machine has been absent this time round. The reasons for the relatively quiet buildup to this instalment of the "EIHL's premier rivalry" are tragic-both teams have seen well-respected figures at their respective rinks pass away this week, with the Panthers losing official photographer Dave Page to illness and the Steelers losing Owen Grant, the social secretary of the Sheffield Supporter's Club and a very well-known fan of the Steelers, within a day of each other. This means that this game will see something of a more reflective and sombre mood in the build-up than usual, with the Panthers planning commemorations for both men, and both sets of fans and all of British ice-hockey hoping that the game will be a fitting memorial to two stalwart supporters of the British game.
On the ice, Sheffield can bring themselves within one game of the league title with a win, but you can bet the Panthers would like nothing more than to delay the party a little longer...

Cardiff v Belfast: This KO Cup semi stands delicately poised at 3-3 after Wednesday's first leg in Northern Ireland, as the Giants begin a weekend dominated by Cup fever. The Devils will be heartened by a very good result in the first leg, and roared on by a sea of red, will hope to ensure passage through to face Manchester in the final. However, with the Giants proving to be something of cup specialists this season, this one is way too close to call...

Sunday

Newcastle v Sheffield: This, depending on Saturday's result, could be the title-clincher for the Steelers, and South Yorkshire is reportedly travelling en masse in anticipation. The Vipers have already publicly said, in the persona of Rob Wilson, that they intend to spoil the party, so this game could well be worth a watch if you're up that way...

Manchester v Belfast: The first of Manchester's two cracks at a Cup begins here, as the Challenge Cup is on the line. The Phoenix will want to take a lead over to Northern Ireland for the second leg on the 17th March, and with Altrincham likely to be packed out and roaring them on, David Beauregard, Tony Hand and co need no motivation. However, Paul Deniset, with an amazing record of three hat-tricks in three games in Altrincham, will be hoping to continue his scorching run and give his team the ideal cushion to take back to their home rink...

Coventry v Hull: The Stingrays need two points, desperately. Coventry, on the other hand, need a win just in case Sheffield start to panic and lose twice-if the Blaze lose, the title-race is definitely, unarguably over. Hull traditionally have not done that well at the Skydome-a trend they urgently need to reverse this weekend. The Blaze, on the other hand, just need to keep momentum up and keep giving their fans reasons to believe that the playoffs are a genuine title possibility-a faith which has been tested in recent weeks despite the team continuing to win...

Cardiff v Edinburgh: After the fireworks of the night before, a return to league action for the Devils against another opponent going hell-for-leather for points is probably not what the doctor ordered. Much will depend here on the result of the night before-if the Devils fail against Belfast, then the Capitals could be best placed to take advantage. Then again, they could also suffer a vicious backlash...

Basingstoke v Nottingham: Yet another in a long line of torrid nights could be in store for the Silverdome faithful, as Nottingham come to town either on a high from denying Sheffield their title celebrations or wounded, angry and eager to make amends. Either way, they are not an enticing opponent for a Bison team which, more and more, looks like they are simply marking time despite a few flashes of life sparked by Brent Hughes and Greg Chambers (Chambers leads the league in assists with 62, which tells you just how important a player he is in Hampshire)...

There you go-that's your weekend previewed...and good luck Manchester...