Midweek Musings

"Great expectations-we had the greatest expectations

We were always waiting...always waiting.

We were always waiting for something to happen..."

The Gaslight Anthem: "Great Expectations"

And that, I think, sums up the situation Manchester fans are now in-immensely proud of their team (Becky's latest post on Five Minute Major speaks for many judging by the Phoenix forum) after I, seemingly, jinxed their tired team last night...on we go to look back at last night and praise those who may not get enough in the EIHL as we bring back the All-Under-Rated Allstars...

They may be bridesmaids today, but next week could still see them in a white dress and veil: It appears that, after all the hope, the sheer number of games Manchester have played in the last week may have cost them the Challenge Cup. After much hope and coming within five minutes of at least a continuing chance at a trophy, the tiring Phoenix had their hearts broken by a soft Mike Burgoyne shot that snuck past Stephen Murphy and handed Belfast the Challenge Cup...perhaps inevitably after the Giants had pulled away to a 2-0 lead in the first period and pulled back from 4-0 to 4-3 in the first leg...

Congratulations to Belfast, though...this Challenge Cup Final was one of the rare ones where you couldn't really deny either team winning it for any reason...

Now that's out of the way...

"Love is a four letter word
And never spoken here"
Metallica: "The Day That Never Comes"

Yep...it's time for the All-Under-Rated Allstars again...those players that, for whatever reason, just don't get seen as among the genuine stars in the league or even, in many cases, of their team, but perhaps deserve to be...every team has at least one and we're going to run through them now...

Basingstoke: Eric Braff (defence): Yes, picking him may seem a bit unlikely on a team which regularly concedes a high number of goals, but believe me, if it wasn't for the big (6'4, 220lb) lump of Ontarian meat on the blue-line, Bison would have let in a hell of a lot more both last season and this. Forced into an almost impossible situation this season as player-coach of a team stumbling blindly towards the end of the season, Braff has soldiered on with quiet dignity and deserves a much better situation than the one he's currently in...

Belfast: Graeme Walton (defence): Lost sometimes amongst the screams for attention from Belfast's legion of talented forwards and gaudy offensive defense is a player who has quietly settled himself into a position as one of Great Britain's better defensemen. Walton has spent his entire career with his hometown club, and at 27 is entering the prime of his career. Converting from forward to a calm stay-at-home d-man who does the simple things well and plays the game with intelligence, the Belfast lad will never set the scoreboards alight but has stepped confidently into Jason Stone's shoes as GB's premier defensive d-man almost un-noticed. And given the career and respect which the Cardiff Devil has and still does enjoy around the league, that is no mean feat...

Cardiff: Ben Davies (forward): Another player with his hometown club, the young forward is just beginning to make waves on the EIHL scene as a very skilful, speedy winger with an eye for goalscoring opportunities. Often discounted by many because of his youth, the potential to be one of Great Britain's next generation of great forwards, alongside Rob Dowd of Sheffield and team-mate Matt Towe, is clear to anyone who watches him play...

Coventry: Erik Hjalmarsson (forward): It may seem somewhat strange putting a player who joined the EIHL only in January on this list, but the Swede has been one of the Blaze's best players since he joined, along with fellow new recruit Blake Forsyth. Speedy, feisty, hard-working and with an eye for goal, he's quickly become a favourite of many on the Skydome crowd, while seeming to receive no fanfare whatsoever...

Edinburgh: Brad Bonello (forward): Sean Perkins ran Bonello very close indeed, and Mark Hurtubise was perhaps the obvious choice (even though many are aware of his gaudy points totals, few seem to really talk about the Caps centre as among the best player in the league) but the feisty Bonello, hailing from Brampton, Ontario, has acted like a small, curly-haired sparkplug to the Caps. His 6 goals and 7 assists in 6 weeks of play may seem fairly average, but his mean-as-a-junkyard-dog style of play (more expected from a player much bigger than him) and agitation skills have added a new edge to the Scots team at just the right moment-his style is more bar-room brawl than art gallery, but that's just the kind of style that you need in a dog-fight such as a playoff race...

Hull: Jeff Glowa (forward): Captain Marvel for the Stingrays, Glowa has sometimes been the only player scoring this season, and is having a career year just when his team need it. He's the kind of player you never notice, and then check the statsheet the day after to see his name in the goals and assist columns without quite remembering seeing him get there...anonymity isn't a hindrance but a help for the Stingrays number 9...

Manchester: Lucas Burnett (forward): Have a look at my Challenge Cup preview from yesterday for the reasons why...

Newcastle: Mark Gouett (defence): Another player who has flown almost completely under the radar, the Vipers defence has often consisted of leaning heavily on this ex-London Racer to get the forward rushes going...the 6'1, 195lb native of the fantastically-named town of Waubaushene (Wow-bow-shay-nee? War-baw-sheen? How do you pronouce that?) has been one of the most consistent players in an under-achieving Vipers squad...

Nottingham: Nick Toneys (defence): Toneys has a thankless task on defence-if he plays well, he never gets mentioned, and if he plays badly, he's castigated-but it's a job he sets to with a will each and every night, frequently being one of the outstanding players on the ice...but stopping goals with clever positioning and a calm head at the back isn't the kind of play that gets you talked about, except in tones of quiet respect on the other teams' benches...

Sheffield: Doug Sheppard (forward): It's hard to pick a player as "under-rated" on a squad most people agree is by far the best in the league as a whole, but Sheppard qualifies-as a veteran of several years in the EIHL with first Basingstoke and now Sheffield, the product of Georgetown, Ontario has consistently and quietly been one of the better forwards in the EIHL, and while his offensive numbers may not be as gaudy as some, his contribution to the Steelers cause, his workrate and his professionalism (demonstrated best when he was coach of Basingstoke and left them to go to Sheffield in the classiest of ways) are second to none.

There you go-the best EIHL players you've never noticed...now, keep keeping your eye on the puck...