Playoff Fever...Round the Rink...

First of all...you may have noticed that the page has changed slightly...this is due to the fact that the Breakaway has now joined the Twitter age...and will be live from Nottingham throughout the weekend, so keep checking back every few hours to follow just what I'm getting up to, as well as updates on the matches themselves, unedited and (almost) live...

Yes, I know that all the games take place in one place, but here we go, team-by-team, previewing the Nottingham weekend...straight into the Playoff Preview (the Sheffield section was written by Dave Chaston of Steelers TV)...

CARDIFF DEVILS

Gameplan: The Devils are a team for all seasons. Don’t let the size of players like Brad Voth and Doug MacIver fool you into thinking this team is all about brawn-granted they are built with a fair dose of grit and hard work, but there is also a deceptively high level of skill sprinkled into the mix which has seen the Devils surprise teams on many occasions this season as they switch styles mid-game. Built on solid, uncompromisingly physical defence and speed coupled with relentless pressure on the forecheck, their default gameplan is not a complicated one, and sometimes lacks the glamour of, say, a run-and-gun offence like their opponent in the semis, Sheffield’s. No-one, least of all the opposition, can deny that it’s very effective indeed when the parts of the Devils machine are all working in sync, however...the Devils are a nightmare to play against for those players who play best given a little time on the puck, like many of the Sheffield forwards...as their opponents in the quarter finals, Belfast, found out to their cost.

Three To Watch:

1) Brad Voth (forward): The 6’5 Albertan is a player you simply can’t miss when you watch the Devils-whether it be for his distinctive blond locks, his sheer size or the fact that he is usually in the middle of everything the Devils do. Add to that the notion that if you looked up the term “fan favourite” in the dictionary it would likely say “see: Brad Voth’s relationship with Cardiff” and you begin to get a sense of how important the big number 26 is to his adopted home town. Voth is one of the few players in the league who provokes the phrase “I hate him, but only because he’s not playing for my team” to pass the lips of many opposition fans…the heartbeat of his team and a player who can hit, score (usually at vital moments) and will never back away when needing to stand up and be counted, the Calgary native gives the impression that he’d willingly sacrifice a limb to give the Devils that vital advantage that will win a game…

2) Wes Jarvis (defence): A player having a career year is always worth watching, and with eighteen goals and eighteen assists from defence this season, this big, 29-year-old blueliner from Toronto, signed for his defensive capabilities, has become one of the Devils’ two offensive d-men, although when placed alongside Tyson Teplitsky his offensive capabilities remain relatively unnoticed by many. Not bad for a player who was cut by Basingstoke last season after scoring only one goal and three assists in 28 games…

However, Jarvis is not all about attack-the 6’4, 230-pounder can take care of business pretty effectively in his own end, being surprising mobile for his size-although size itself is a useful intimidation factor for the Devils, particularly as he’s often paired with the equally massive Doug MacIver in front of Peter Aubry. Don’t expect any end-to-end rushes from this guy, but if you like d-men who do the simple things, are always willing to stand up for their team (154 PiMs should be an indication that Jarvis can more than take care of himself if necessary) and have a booming shot, then you’ll like Jarvis a lot…

3) Mike Prpich (forward): This season, Prpich has shown the Cardiff faithful just how good a player they were denied by injury problems last season, becoming the main offensive producer alongside Jason Silverthorn. His work-ethic and hard-nosed approach have won him many friends in South Wales, while his eye for goal was seemingly the only thing that won the Devils points in the early part of the season as he was hotter than a sauna in the desert. He leads the Devils in scoring with 35 goals and 32 assists, nine ahead of Jay Latulippe in second place, and fifteen scores ahead of the much-more-heralded (at least based on his previous record) Jason Silverthorn. The 26-year-old native of Kenaston, Saskatchewan can fairly be considered the Devils’ main danger-man, and will be the main focus of the Giants defensive efforts along with fellow forward Latulippe…

COVENTRY BLAZE

GAMEPLAN The Blaze of this season, it is generally agreed, have not been the terrifying juggernaut built on the perfect proportion of grit to skill that they have become known for being over the past few years..despite this, they still play a forward-looking style of hockey looking to beat teams with eighty percent skill and twenty percent grit. Like all Paul Thompson teams, they rely on excellent organisation (which, sadly, has been lacking on the ice occasionally this season, to their coach's evident frustration) and the offensive skills of stars Sylvain Deschatelets, Dan Carlson and Adam Calder amongst others. Erik Hjalmarsson, Carlyle Lewis and Danny Stewart provide the grit, while Tom Watkins and Greg Wood will never, ever be outworked...although they were given a scare by Newcastle in the quarter-finals

THREE TO WATCH

1. Dan Carlson (centre): The speedy, smallish American centre from Edina, Minnesota is arguably the best two-way centre in the EIHL, and the player many Blaze fans would pick to build their team around. His partnership with fellow forward Adam Calder has won the Midlands side countless games in their time together, but his play at both ends of the ice is equally strong. As his play goes, so does that of the Blaze.

2.Sylvain Deschatelets (centre): The other half of the two-headed centre monster along with Carlson, the ex-Cardiff Devil from Blainville, Quebec is the Blaze's second-top point scorer this season behind Calder-which may surprise those Blaze fans who have criticised him for laziness this season. Deschatelets can drift in and out of games but there are few better passers in the league, and at 6'2 and 195lbs he has the size to create some problems in front of the net too where necessary...

3. Jonathan Weaver (defence): The Sunderland-born defenceman, who converted from forward during his time with Newcastle, is so crucial to the Blaze that he's spawned a running joke...the Blaze powerplay tactic is described by some fans as "take puck into zone, pass to "Weaves", shoot. Repeat until goal is scored". That is possibly overstating the case somewhat, but it cannot be denied that the GB captain is a crucial part of the Blaze both offensively (23+46 this season) and defensively...his smooth skating and ability to find a team-mate with a pass from anywhere to anywhere on the rink means that, like Dan Carlson, he'll be at the heart of everything Blaze do, at both ends of the ice...

NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS

GAMEPLAN

The Panthers are perennially a team who flatter to deceive-a team who many feel have earned the derisive “Team Hollywood” nickname pinned on them by Blaze coach Paul Thompson earlier this season. They are traditionally a fast-skating team who prefer to play with finesse over power, although this season they have reached the best balance of the two seen at the NIC for some years as Corey Neilson has finally begun to place his coaching stamp on the East Midlanders, assembling a team of small, skilful forwards like Johan Molin and Dan Tessier, some of which, like Bruce Richardson, have more than their fair share of attitude to go with it. The Panthers are most dangerous coming forward, with lingering question-marks over their defence and goalie Michel Robinson after the latter’s atrocious start to the season with Edinburgh. They are very similar to the team they beat in the quarters, Manchester Phoenix, in liking to pass the puck around and attack with speed and lots of movement, but are slightly less happy with getting involved in a physical battle, preferring to try and win with brains and intelligent play (even when indulging in more questionable practices off the puck) than outright brawn…

THREE TO WATCH

1. Johan Molin (centre): The little Swede, known as much around the league for his silver skates as his quicksilver skating, is a superb creative player, who burst onto the EIHL scene with Manchester two seasons ago and has won admirers around the league with his hawk-eyed vision, lightning-fast puck-handling and effortless skating, allowing him to blow by defensemen as if they weren’t there…along with Dan Tessier, he will definitely be looked to to create as many chances as possible for the Panthers this weekend against his former club…

2.Jade Galbraith (wing): Much-derided for looking like he often overindulges slightly in the fine restaurants (well, chip-shops) around the NIC, Galbraith is not the quickest of wingers but is deadly around the net, as he has shown more than once against the top teams this season, becoming one of the Panthers’ top five scorers in the process. Mainly, however, he’s been picked in this list because of his shot…if given time in front of the net, much like his linemate Brendan Cook, Galbraith will punish you…

3. Kevin Bergin (centre): The only genuine power-forward on the Panthers roster, the big Montreal-born forward can score goals, set them up, defend and, where necessary, drop the gloves, to surprisingly good effect (although one fight against Carlyle Lewis earlier this season could have gone a lot better for the Panther). One of the Panthers’ most important players, he, along with Molin, Brendan Cook, Galbraith and Dan Tessier, forms the core of the Panthers attack this season, with Dave Clarke flying the flag for the British…

h4>SHEFFIELD STEELERS

GAMEPLAN
On the back of winning the league Sheffield have had a few weeks off, resting star agitator Ryan Finnerty (ribs) and giving Dan Green the nod in goal ahead of Jody Lehman for 3 out of 4 games. The last weekend of the season was officially the one that saw their rested players "get back into game-shape", but with all respect to a Bison team who lost heart around a dozen games into their record-breaking losing streak, there was only going to be one winner of that weekend...as was the case with the quarter-final after the Steelers built an 8-2 lead in the first leg...
The Steelers are a team built around some of the best players in the league, with Jody Lehman in goal, Rod Sarich and Steve Munn in front of him and Joey Talbot the leader among a host of forwards who can put the puck in the net. Able to play any style effectively, but arguably at their best when picking teams apart with speed and guile, the Steelers were deservedly league champions and have to be among the favourites for playoff glory and being the first team to repeat winning the playoffs in the EIHL era. Although this patient style has often seen the Steelers have accused of playing 'boring' hockey, usually by teams they've just beaten, no one can deny that Sarich and co's ability to neutralise a team's offense works wonders, even against such pairings as Hand/Beauregard and Calder/Carlson. Even should you manage to break through their defensive barrier, there's still the small matter of beating Lehman, who has had bad days better than some netminders' best...

THREE TO WATCH

Robert Dowd (centre): The 'Golden Child' has managed 49 points (24+25) so far in his first full season with Steelers, and can no doubt be expected to expand on that this weekend. Small and fast with an eye for the pass that'll set up an open team-mate for an easy tap in as well as a lethal shot himself, he brings to mind players of the calibre of Tony Hand with his outstanding natural ability. Although comparisons with British hockey's greatest ever homegrown player are perhaps a little overblown at this stage (after all, Dowd hasn't been drafted to the NHL and will likely not be due to the changes in the game since Hand's youth) it cannot be denied that he is the most exciting young player in British hockey by a clear margin...

Jody Lehman (netminder): Crucial to the Steelers EIHL title win, and in immaculate form for the majority of the season, setting a British Ice Hockey record in the process with no less than NINE shutouts, Lehman is almost universally acknowledged to be the best goalie in the EIHL. Last season saw him shut the door on his former club Coventry Blaze (with whom he won the Triple Crown of league, playoff and Challenge Cup title in 2004/05) to lead the Steelers to the playoff trophy, and the native of North Battleford, Saskatchewan could well be the key to ensuring the Steelers get that far again.

Brad Cruikshank (wing): Signed from the struggling Bison earlier this season, where he was captain, the 5'10, 180lb power forward from Kelowna, British Columbia has become a favourite of the Steelers fanbase for exactly the same reason he was so loved in Basingstoke-he plays the game like a mad-dog released in a junkyard, hunting down opposition defencemen, and is always willing to turn round and bite anyone who attempts to take liberties with either him or his team-mates. Players who are willing to do the dirty work in the corners and put their bodies where few would place a stick as well are immensely valuable at playoff time, and in Cruikshank the Steelers have arguably the most valuable such player in the league...he will play a big part in neutralising any efforts to throw the Steelers off their game this weekend...

So, that's your four teams...here's the matches...with Breakaway's predictions of who'll win in bold...

First semi: Coventry v Nottingham

Second semi: Sheffield v Cardiff...

Final: Sorry, Blaze fans...Sheffield do the double...