One Minute Preview: Knockout Cup Edition

Today is but a short one, and will be mostly taken up previewing the midweek action between Coventry and Belfast as they meet in the first of two cup-competition battles...this one being the KO Cup appetiser for the Challenge Cup semi later this month. Tonight sees the Giants in their home from home at Dundonald for the first leg, with the return at the Skydome tomorrow.

So, let's break this thing down, MC Hammer style:

Goalies: Belfast will have Nathan Craze in goal, after a promise they made when signing him that these games at least would see him as guaranteed starter. Meanwhile, Coventry will, naturally, have starter JF Perras in net. In theory, this import-v-youngish-Brit battle is a mismatch. However, Craze has acquitted himself well thus far, earning himself a reasonable 89.8% save percentage in his eight games played. However, you have to give the edge to the Blaze on this one...

Defence: The simple answer may surprise some. On statistics alone, the Coventry defence is better. Over the season (League and CC Cup games) the much-maligned Blaze unit has conceded ten less goals than that of the Giants. However, that balances itself out slightly when you consider that the Giants have been playing in front of two goalies whose save percentages are both around 89%, compared to Perras' of 91.8. Certainly when it comes to going forward, the Giants are more effective, with Belfast having provided one more goal and two more assists from the blue-line when comparing the current players on each unit. This picture is skewed even more when you consider that, for the Blaze, over half of the goals and assists of the unit as a whole have been provided by one player in Jon Weaver-if the Giants can close him down, then the Blaze d suddenly looks all but toothless going forward. Edge Giants.

Forwards: This is where it gets really tricky. The Giants have four forwards who have scored over fifteen goals, and three of those are over twenty. Goals are spread evenly throughout the forward lines, The equivalent figures for the Blaze? Three and one. The Giants have also scored five more goals as a team, with players like Mlacolm MacMillan not soring many but setting up a fair few (5+32). It's just about even, this one...and could well be decided by which unit is more productive as a whole. Even.

Other factors: The powerplay units and their penalty-killing counterparts could be crucial. Belfast, mainly thanks to the efforts of Paul Deniset, lead the league in shorthanded goals, with the Blaze close behind (10 and 9 respectively), and also outscore the Blaze on the powerplay, 46 to 41. The Blaze desperately need to stay out of the box, as the Giants have had thirteen of their players score a powerplay goal this season to Blaze's ten-a true reflection of their scoring threat with a man extra. With one of the most lethal finishers in the league facing them on the penalty-kill also in Paul Deniset, the PP unit can't afford some of the mistakes that the Blaze PP unit has always had a history of making-particularly with its seeming one-dimensional tactic at times of "pass to point (preferably Weaver), shoot into traffic, repeat" of this season.

Quite frankly, this is a meeting which is impossible to predict. Results between the two sides so far this season suggest that the Giants have the edge, winning two of the three meetings this season including the only one at the Skydome so far. However, that's to be expected with the teams so evenly matched-I foresee two games of nip-and-tuck hockey, with both sides needing to exploit any opportunities they have to the full. I can see both teams winning their home legs...but one thing's for sure-we're in for two tense nights of hockey...

Double Overtime, Janiuary 12th...

You know the drill by now, so let's get on with it, shall we? Starting with a nice, juicy rumour...

His name fits. But whether the Coventry crowd will love him remains to be seen: After all, Dominic D'Amour hasn't even signed yet. Rumours floating around the Skydome on Saturday, however, have him as a target to replace the departing Jon Coleman next week. Certainly, he's a big lad who's played at a high level despite being only 24...but is another steady defensive d-man really an upgrade on what Blaze currently have, or will it be much more of the same? We shall see. After all, one thing this season has proved is that previous stats mean very little. How do I reckon this? Well, this guy is fifth top-scoring d-man in the league, and look at his form at Basingstoke last season and before that. I rest my case.

This is getting silly now...: Andrei Rajcak is the latest player to leave Edinburgh, joining an illustrious list this season (Iain Bowie, David Nimmo, Jeff Hutchins, Shawn Germain, Michel Robinson, and John Dolan). The Capitals appear to be seeing if it's possible to end a season having completely replaced at least one whole line, perhaps more than once. However, up until now their stand-out player by some distance, Mark Hurtubise (who has been involved in over half of the Caps goals this season, and is third in the league in points, ahead of far more heralded players like Carlson, Calder, Tessier et al) has stayed loyal. If he leaves or suffers a season-ending injury, then I reckon that to all intents and purposes, the Caps are done...I'd be surprised if he isn't one of the hot properties this coming summer...

There you go...that's the off-ice news out of the way...

Aye well, Ryan, at least you can point to the scoreboa...oh, bugger: Sheffield finally faced Cardiff for Steelers v Devils III: Finnerty's Revenge on Saturday...a game that had been building for months after his infamous threats to Jay Latulippe after a bad-tempered meeting in South Wales. This was the first time Cardiff had returned to Sheffield since then, so naturally everyone was waiting for Finnerty to go out there and do his thing as he promised...

Nothing. Not even a minor penalty. In fact, Finnerty was quiet for a lot of the game.

OK, you say-clearly he'd been ordered to. It shows on the scoreboard cause the Steelers won, right?

Final score-Sheffield 3, Cardiff 4, after penalties. And, just to twist the knife, Sheffield's favourite Devil, Brad Voth, put home the winning shot.

Sorry, Finner...

In fairness, though, the Steelers always play hard for the full sixty minutes: Trouble was, this weekend both games went into overtime at the Hallam Arena. And, after there overtime win in Coventry last weekend, it was thus something of a surprise to see both Cardiff and Belfast take the hnours in sudden death. Although much welcomed by the rest of the league, given that the Steelers have looked unstoppable in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, down in the doldrums: Basingstoke can't buy themselves a win at the moment. After going down by the odd goal at home to Edinburgh to leave themselves firmly rooted to the bottom, they were taken out to the woodshed and given an 8-0 beating by a resurgent Cardiff in South Wales, effectively ensuring there will be no return to the KO Cup final for them this season. Some would say that the mere continuing existence of a team in Basingstoke is cause for celebration, but many more weekends like this and the rumours of a drop to the EPL which have been floating around for at least the last two seasons will just get louder and louder.

And one rung up the ladder: Hull had another weekend to forget. After being summarily disposed of by Coventry at the Skydome (yes, the game was as one-sided as the 7-1 score suggests) they managed to throw away a 3-1 lead in eight minutes at home as Newcastle came back to force overtime, with David Longstaff sealing the win.

Of course, it would help if they had a (living) coach on the bench: Come on, Stingrays. Admit it. You just stick a mannequin dressed as Rick Strachan on the bench as some sort of joke no-one else understands....ha-ruddy-h...

What? You mean that unmoving lump in a brown jacket behind your bench is the REAL Rick Strachan? Is there some sort of "Weekend at Bernie's" thing going on here? Cause on Saturday, I didn't see him move a muscle, even when the Stingrays called a timeout...

Terror comes to Hull...it's "Night of the Living Dead Hockey Coach"!

A little is fast becoming a lot of trouble....: Manchester lost twice this weekend, by a goal each time...something which seems to be becoming a habit. Of the seventeen games they've now lost this season, ten have been lost by one, or two-thirds. You get the feeling that, had even two or three of those gone the other way, we'd be talking about the Phoenix as legitimate title challengers rather than a team that is perhaps one more piece short of being a genuine powerhouse in this league. That said, a cup or even a playoff victory is still very much a possibility, what with the Phoenix still being in the Challenge Cup (and having arguably the easier semi against Basingstoke) and one of the stingiest defences in the league.

Job done: That's all you can really say about Nottingham this weekend. They went up to Edinburgh on Sunday and seemingly brushed the Capitals aside with ease, only allowing 16 shots as they won 6-0 in a game which was effectively over after ten minutes as the Panthers went 3-0 up.
Oh yes, and Michel Robinson would likely have taken immense pleasure in the win after his nightmare experience up in Scotland, too.

Back in the game!: Belfast, meanwhile, have been quietly making some serious progress in the past week or two, and are now settled in third after pulling out two excellent wins against Sheffield in the past five days, despite still missing Andrew Martin. Given that their next two games are against another resurgent side in Coventry this week, the top two clubs (Nottingham and Sheffield) will doubtless be watching the battle with interest as they attempt to gauge which one is likely to be the bigger threat to their positions at the top of the heap.

How soon they forget: Coventry win twice, and suddenly all is well at the Skydome again. Now, in fairness, the Hull performance was very calm, very professional, and there wasn't a player that played badly. Sunday in Manchester was the same. However, given the fact that most in Coventry now accept that there are still some "issues" with the Blaze this season, it's surprising that suddenly all appears to be sweetness and light again...

Meanwhile, in the frozen North: Newcastle Vipers, four more points. There appears to be no sign of the Hutchins/Courtenay effect slacking off. Most interesting tidbit out of Newcastle in the past few days though, has been this from Chris McAllister.

First off, anyone who plays with a broken bone in his foot is a braver man than most. And McAllister is a big lad, to put it mildly. However, given that this season he's been conspicuously absent whenever the rough-stuff has kicked off in games against the Blaze...which it has a few times, I remain somewhat sceptical of his claim. Maybe he could make it if he was in there when things got a bit testy and everyone avoided his eye, but it must be said I haven't really seen him asserting himself either with hits or rough stuff..and it's not like he hasn't been given the chance.

Still-I await Saturday with interest now...

And that's your weekend reviewed...

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.

Friday Quickie...

Morning all,

I should have Round the Rinks up for mid-afternoon or early evening today, so by the time you all come home from work, college or wherever, a nice juicy weekend preview should await...

Thursday Thoughts

Morning all,

Apologies for the lack of updates so far this week-the credit crunch has hit home at Breakaway HQ, as I've just been made redundant, so have been engaged in sorting myself out a new job as soon as possible. However, I have been keeping an eye on British hockey happenings and so here's a quick reflection, including something of a rant about face-cages....

More new blood? Talk about ringing the changes for the New Year: With Johan Molin concussed, Nottingham have move quickly to cover his absence, bringing in Slovenian international utility player Jurij Golicic from Jesenice, who weirdly, play in the Austrian league. Notable for his fairly impressive stats thus far, as well as being possibly one of the highest-scoring Elite League player names in Scrabble terms ever) he joins ex-Blaze d-man Corey Leclair on the revamped Panthers blueline. Both players made their debut tonight in Nottingham's 7-3 win against Basingstoke, with Leclair scoring and both getting cautiously optimistic reviews on the Cage Forum. Speculation is now rie on who will be cut to make way once Molin is fit, with Rumun Ndur and Brendan Cook the consensus picks...

Speaking of being in the firing line: There are rumours floating around in Coventry that JF Perras is being eased out of the door at the Skydome due to "not being as good as hoped"-he's coming in for some stick from the home crowd despite having one of the best save-percentages in the league. This is one I just can't work out...Perras has been one of the better imports in Coventry this season, but is automatically getting blamed by many for letting in "soft" goals. Have they forgotten defence is a team effort?

It's just one seamless link after another today...: And, speaking of that Blaze defence, it will shortly have a new member, according to an announcement on BBC CWR's Face-Off show tonight. Jon Coleman has taken up a contract offer in Europe and will be off in mid-January...no clues as yet to his replacement, although a nasty rumour says it could be Rumun Ndur. Thanks, but...no, just, no. Great guy and all, but...no. This game will of course be available for your viewing pleasure at www.giantslive.tv should you wish-click on the link for all the details...


A philosophical question for a Thursday: "Players with cages are untouchable. Discuss"
A debate has been raging recently on THF about whether youngsters playing in cages should be treated with kid gloves in the EIHL, following an incident in Basingstoke at the weekend in which Ben Davies was hit hard but cleanly by Kurt Reynolds, sparking a melee. It seems to be the case often that face-cage players are protected far more diligently by their team-mates when it comes to being hit, with retribution often being sought for what, were it on an "older" player would just be shrugged off.

This is wrong. I accept that there is always the danger of some 16-year-old being drilled and injured by the opposition's monster import forward, but, on the other hand, if they can't take the hits in the first place, or will expect to be treated differently or hit less hard than their team-mates due to age, should they really be on the ice with the big-boys in the first place? Your thoughts, please...

Thirty Second Preview: Belfast v Cardiff:

his game will of course be available for your viewing pleasure at www.giantslive.tv should you wish-click on the link for all the details...

And an intriguing watch it will be. With the Devils now almost back to full strength and the Giants needing to build some momentum for a late charge, both teams will want the points badly. After the Giants winning by the odd goal in Cardiff on Sunday, there is clearly very little between the two sides at the moment...this, more than most, is a game in which the top players will need support from their less-spectacular team-mates in order to take away the win. I reckon the Giants will just about have enough to beat their Welsh rivals, but it will be nerve-shreddingly close...

And that's your Thursday Thoughts...

Double Overtime, Jan 5th...

First one of 2009, and naturally, we begin with a little music for our first item...

"It's the little sparks that fly and then land like dynamite, It's just, it's just the little things, pure incidentals..."

Alisha's Attic "The Incidentals"


Let's get Coventry v Sheffield out of the way early. This was, as predicted in Round the Rinks, an absolute barn-burning, siren-wailing stormer of a game, with two moments of real controversy, a goal-judge with an itchy trigger finger and won in dramatic fashion by a sublime piece of finishing from Jeff Legue.


It was also a game of little things. Inches, sometimes less. Like, for example, the inch-or-so thickness of tape on the end of Jody Lehman's stick handle which meant that Jon Coleman's absolute howitzer of an overtime shot, after he was given space from the sublime passing from the Blaze powerplay unit, steepened its rise by a fraction and went high over the bar and not into the roof of the net, where it had been heading. Or, thirty seconds later, the margin by which a desperate dive from Jon Weaver to keep the puck in the zone deflected its path out, perfectly onto the stick of an onrushing Legue, who duly did his thing thanks to the ice-water flowing in his veins.


There's more. The difference in distance the puck had travelled which meant that Scott Kelman's deflection of a centering pass went zinging into the inside of the post and out rather than into the side of the net, despite the goal-judge telling all and sundry that it was in (however, given that in the third he put his light on when the puck had barely entered Lehman's crease, never mind the net, his judgement this night was, at best, questionable)
The margin by which Lehman overslid across his goal to knock the net off as Adam Calder gleefully banged what he thought was the equalizer into the empty net, causing it to be washed out. The margins by which Lehman somehow deflected shot after shot wide late in the third as Blaze made the league-leading defence look completely lost, playing with verve and passion which had been sadly lacking in Nottingham the night before.

The distance under the bar into which Scott Basiuk placed his bullet slapshot to put the Steelers 2-0 up after only four minutes.

And, ultimately, the distance between the bottom of JF Perras' pads and the puck as it was slid under him beautifully for the Steelers' overtime winner. A small gap, but it could have huge ramifications on the title ambitions of three clubs.


Home is where the heart is: If you doubt the importance of playing on home ice to teams in the EIHL, then this weekend should, once and for all, have settled it. Particularly if you were in Nottingham on Saturday to see the same Blaze team which did themselves and the game proud on Sunday (aided massively, it has to be said, by a superb Steelers road performance) then the Panthers playing with as much drive and pomp as their Midlands rivals have become known for, roared on by the NIC crowd, would have done it.
Failing that, how about the Steelers so nearly throwing it away against Hull before dragging out an overtime win in a dress rehearsal of their game at the Skydome the following night, or Belfast outlasting a determined effort from Manchester? Both teams winning their home legs of the KO Cup semi before Newcastle edged out Edinburgh on penalties?

Being a cynical sort of fan, I often doubt the whole "fans can be the sixth man" rhetoric trotted out before every big game. Just occasionally, though, you wonder whether the cliché merchants might not have a point.

Wince of the Week: You know that "inches" theme earlier? Well, it seemed Danny Stewart was inches from doing himself a serious mischief at one point on his comeback weekend. Some players would ease themselves back into the game, possibly not go in quite as hard on a check or two...not the Blaze's "little ball of hate" (if you object to me calling him little, then look up the reference by Youtubing Pat Verbeek). Trouble was, it nearly cost him dearly when he sought to make Rod Sarich better acquainted with the Skydome plexi and lost an edge as Sarich moved...cue a sickenng thump as he flew, horizontal in mid air and face-first, into the boards where the Steeler had been a second before. As fans nearby leant over expecting to see a crumpled heap on the ice, he was already up and heading back toward the play...
Ease your way back in? That's for cowards...:)

And by the way...Manchester 4, Nottingham 2. Up to fifth, three points behind the top four and on something of a run. Just saying...

Obligatory Stingrays mention: Three point weekend, including a point in Sheffield? Maybe the New Year has rung in a new run on Humberside...

Now, if only the "Chaventry" and "Squeelers" stuff worked as well: Has anyone else noticed that since the whole Team Hollywood affair, the Panthers appear to be back to the team everyone thought they'd be at the start of the season? Can someone arrange for an opposition coach to mention "Chaventry" in a press-release, please?

Petty name-calling. Motivation at its best....

Much more, and they'll be calling them the Shawshank Panthers: Corey Neilson has clearly been encouraged by the public redemption going on in his team's goal at the moment, as he signs Corey Leclair to be his next reclamation project after the American was released by Coventry. Given that Panthers fans were giving the same negative feedback about Jon Coleman when he went the other way, and given that that particular American d-man has now become something of a fan favourite at his new club, Neilson will be hoping lightning strikes a third time in this season's EIHL...

Newsflash: Anglo-Welsh relations "tense" after weekend: Basingstoke and Cardiff don't like each other that much, it seems. Another incident-packed game at the Silverdome, including a six-man brawl late in the game, meant that they managed to break a combined total of 200 penalty minutes...can't they just be friends?
On second thoughts-it's more fun this way.

And there you go-that's your weekend reviewed...

Monday Quickie

In what is fast becoming a Monday tradition...just letting you all know that Double Overtime is in the process of being written and should be up for seven or so...

Round the Rinks, January 3rd

I swear these Fridays seem to come around quicker and quicker as the season passes...we'll get into our weekly trip up and down the country in a moment, but first of all...

He may be a big, ugly sod on the ice, but off it...: it appears Doug MacIver is a little different. Here's a nice story from the Western Mail about the Cardiff enforcer and his fiancée giving up part of their Christmas Day to visit the wards of Cardiff Children's Hospital after he asked if he could do so...

Opposition fans will still likely hate him with a passion, but quite frankly, there's nothing you can say to him but "fair play" for this...well done, ya big lug...

There we are then...with that out of the way, let's look forward to a bumper weekend in the Elite League which sees all ten teams in action twice...something of a rarity so far this season...

Double-headers
The only double-header thie weekend sees the league's two northernmost teams face off home and away, in Newcastle on Saturday and Edinburgh on Sunday. After their comeback win against Hull on the Great Capital Skate on Tuesday, Edinburgh will need to carry that momentum into two tricky games against a Vipers side who, finally, are showing some signs of consistency. However, after losing to Nottingham on Tuesday the Tynesiders will no doubt be looking at these two games as a way to get back onto the winning trail in the least difficult way possible (going purely by league position). Both teams need the points desperately, so there will be no quarter given or asked in either game...

Saturday
Going from South to North this time round....

We start in Hampshire for Basingstoke v Cardiff, a game that will see the return to the ice of Mike Prpich for the Devils, as well as Brad Voth recovered from an injury he's been carrying recently. Both players are huge returnees for the Devils, with Prpich being one of their major offensive threats and Voth being...well, Brad Voth. The Bison, on the other hand, aren't missing any of the players they've managed to retain on their roster up to now...however, there is a doubt over Kevin Reiter. This means that you have to back the Devils in this one...

Travelling north we see the resumption of one of the nastiest little rivalries in the league (at least this season)-Nottingham v Sheffield may get all the press but Nottingham v Coventry has had more than its fair share of flashpoints recently with the ongoing Team Hollywood fiasco and a game that was somewhat tasty to say the least just before Christmas. Panthers won that game 4-0, and will fancy their chances of repeating this time round, given the problems seemingly existing in the Blaze dressing at the moment. It could be a stormer...

Travelling further north still, we arrive in Sheffield, as the Steelers take on The Stingrays in the Yorkshire derby, as Sheffield face Hull. This is a game the Steelers will need to win going intyo Sunday's clash with Coventry (of which more shortly) and with the Stingrays still suffering from injury problems, their fans will expect them to do so quite comfortably. Whether they will, though, is another matter.

And finally, we turn sharp left and travel across the Irish Sea for arguably the highlight game of the night-Belfast v Manchester (which of course you can see courtesy of www.giantslive.tv if you wish). Two of the pretenders to the EIHL throne clash in a meeting which has seen the Phoenix win at the Odyssey already this season, but with the Giants now returning to full strength both sides will fancy their chances of the two points, and both are equally capable of getting them, too. I can see this one only being decided in overtime...

Sunday

Going back from North to South, now, and having already dealt with the second of the Edinburgh/Newcastle double-headers, we start on Humberside as Hull face Basingstoke in a meeting of two of the league's basement clubs. It's fair to say that this game is definitely not the main attraction of the weekend, but both sides desperately need the points in the chase for the last playoff place and the mad scramble for position down there, so if you are up on Humberside, you should be served fayre that isn't the most polished but not lacking in flavour for all that...

Travelling south, we come to Altrincham for Manchester v Nottingham-a game which as recently as last season may not have merited more than a quick look to see if the Panthers could arrest their traditional January slump. How times have changed. This season, this is a clash between two of the league's top sides as they battle for position behind the top spot. Both sides will be fully aware of the threat posed by the other at this stage in the season, and with both teams more comfortable when they try and take the game to the opposition, the goalies could be in for a busy night at both ends,

Onward and downward to the Skydome for a crucial game in deciding, if not the ultimate destiny of the league title, at least who's in the driving seat. Coventry take on Sheffield in first v third. This is a weekend in which the Blaze simply have to perform or risk slipping back into the mire of mid-table, as they face both of the teams above them, with Sheffield being arguably the slightly trickier opponent thanks to being a more rounded team than Nottingham, who they face the night before. The Steelers, meanwhile, will be hoping for two points to drive an early nail into the coffin of the Blaze's title hopes and at the same time maintain the gap between themselves and Nottingham. It should be a storming game.

Finally, we hed West for Cardiff v Belfast. This is another game crucial for both teams if they want to haul themselves out of the mid-table quicksand and get themselves back in touch with the top four-and quite frankly could go either way on Cardiff's small, confined rink, so different to the wide-open spaces of the Odyssey.

There you go-that's your weekend preview-keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Technical Hitch

Morning all...

Just a quick one to let you know I hope to have this week's Round the Rinks up around lunchtime...my computer is continuing to play up and the connection is a little patchy...it shall be up in plenty of time for the weekend though...hopefully around 1pm...

Halfway House

Given that the number of times this post has been re-written precludes any meaningful discussion of Tuesday's action in the EIHL, we'll simply consider the good and bad of each team's season up until the halfway point, see if any predictions have changed from the pre-season preview, and do it in the time-honoured Breakaway fashion of assigning either a song lyric or a quote to each team to sum their season, past and future, up based on the evidence thus far...and when you're done here why not have a look at the Angry Budgie, the Pyre and, given that it's that time of year, see what Becky over at Five Minute Major has assigned as resolutions for each team going into the new season. This would have been up much earlier but for my computer deciding it would start the New Year early by refusing to turn itself on...after digging out a machine that appears to be the prototype that was rejected back when Charles Babbage was around (look him up on Wikipedia) here we go...

Basingstoke Bison:
"Life is a bad quarter of an hour, populated by exquisite moments" (Oscar Wilde)

There have been a few truly great moments in Bisonland so far this season, mostly to do with Kevin Reiter. His 66-shot, 65-save performance at the Skydome will live long in the memory, and when he's on form, helped by the little ball of energy known as Brent Hughes, the silky skill
of Danny Stewart and the goal-potting ability of Greg Chambers, the Bison can beat any team. Trouble is, the books haven't been balancing again, and with players going in and out quicker than a rabbit in a carrot patch, the season has lurched from one crisis or blow to another so far down south, with the Bison's league position reflecting this. However, a semi-final place in the KO Cup means, amazingly, that silverware is still very much within reach.

Most Valuable Player: Danny Stewart. Kevin Reiter is the obvious choice, Brent Hughes may have scored more points, but the speedy Prince Edward Islander (amazingly for such a small place, there are two natives of Charlottetown in the EIHL, Evan Cheverie being the other) is the heartbeat of the Bison offence. Lose him, and the goals suddenly become a lot harder to come by...

Belfast Giants:
"Just leave it all in the past..
It's gonna happen so fast
You won't even feel it"

Damone: "Get Up and Go"

The Giants were everyone's pick for the title this season, but so far they just haven't quite hit the devastating form opponents feared they would-players like Bobby Robins, Andrew Martin and Paul Deniset can be lethal but injuries have niggled at the Northern Irish side just enough so that they've never really settled into a groove. Trouble is, when they do hit it, they're virtually unstoppable going forward, and pretty exciting to watch while doing so with honest, hard-working players like Malcolm MacMillan and George Awada providing the steel behind the high-profile top-line of Robins, Deniset and Martin. However, there are major defensive niggles which are masked as long as the goals are going in (they haven't been as often recently) and unless these get sorted and the team tighten up, particularly against their nearest rivals, they could equally fade into the mid-table pack. On the positive side, the top line are slowly beginning to fire again, and despite tonight's loss to Sheffield, the lyrics are apt-if and when the Giants finally hit top gear and hold it, very few teams in the league, if any, are going to be able to keep up with their charge back up to the top...

Team MVP: Bobby Robins: The ex-Binghampton Senator is simply awesome when he gets going-he can hit, fight and will use his last dying twitch to provide a pass to a team-mate in space to shoot and score if necessary-plus, his blog, the Robins Nest, is superb...

Cardiff Devils
"Made a spark that
Lit the dark
Let me SHINE!
Machinehead: "From This Day"

The Devils have started to show their good side recently after all the negative, Steeler-driven publicity at the start of it, with a suffocating defence unfortunately being let down by a combination of injuries to forwards and lack of quality in front of goal from those remaining (Jason Silverthorn excepted). Mike Prpich is a huge loss at the moment-he's been by far the Devils standout player this season and wins Most Valuable Player, with only the franchise player Brad Voth running him close. The Devils need their injuries to clear up, fast-if they do, then they could start making rapid progress back into the upper reaches-if their luck continues as it has done, then a mid-table finish may be the best they can hope for.

Most Valuable Player: Mike Prpich: Hard to spell, easy to spot-he's the one scoring most of the Devils goals and generally being the heart of anything good when he's on the ice. Unfortunately for the Welsh fans, this has been an all too rare sight...

Coventry Blaze:

"I never knew you (don't give up on me),
I never knew you (don't give up on me)
I never knew you (don't give up on me)
I never knew you threw so hard!"

Hellogoodbye: Touch Down, Turn Around (Don't Give Up on Me)

Something isn't right in Coventry this season. Maybe it's the defece, maybe it's the fact that three of the most valuable players in last season's team (Koenig, Cloutier and Martin) are gone, maybe it's the fact that someone there underestimated just how much the other teams would improve, but the Blaze look a shadow of their former selves. Personnel issues, defensive lapses and some performances that have stunk worse than the most rancid meat in the Fish Market bins just down the road have all combined to puncture the aura of invincibility Blaze fans had grown so comfortable with. Constant niggling whispers that the Blaze are desperate to squeeze every penny they can as the coffers empty faster than they can be filled haven't helped the atmosphere at the Dome...maybe the blissful trophy-filled days of the past two seassons are finally disappearing into the haze over the Ring Road. Certainly, the recent placing of the much-hyped (for his skating at least) Corey Leclair on notice and the struggles of Scott Kelman are causing whispers of discontent in some quarters of the Blaze fanbase. Even so, the arrival on Jon Coleman and the fact that despite all the above, Blaze are still up there with the title challengers, still means that the New Year won't be as bleak-looking in Coventry as elsewhere...

Most Valuable Player: Sylvain Deschatelets: The cog that makes the offence tick now that teams seek to shut down Dan Carlson and Adam Calder. Some have criticised his workrate but the Quebecer can thread a pass through the eye of a needle. He's not bad in front of the net himself, either.

Edinburgh Capitals
"All I've got is what I bare in these arms,
The saddest part is that is not enough"

Youmeatsix: "Call That A Comeback?"

The Capitals are the team everyone likes. The plucky losers who always guarantee they'll try hard but, for some reason, always lack that missing piece. Another team who are suffering thanks to the credit cruccb, the Scots have some gems in Mark Hurtubise and Taylor Christie, but just never seem to get themselves close to anything approaching a threat to anything other than the bottom three places. Eigth for them, like Hull, is considered a success...although a comeback win against fellow strugglers Basingstoke in front of a big crowd by Caps standards (1500 people) means that, at least, hope still burns

Most Valuable Player: Mark Hurtubise: By far the best player on the roster, the Canadian centre just needs a scorer to feed to really show his worth to the team...something which he hasn't exactly managed to avoid doing already this season...

Hull Stingrays
"Is it worth it, can you even hear me?"
The Used: "The Taste of Ink"

The Stingrays are an irrelevance. That's not my view-in fact I happen to believe that there may be better times ahead for the Humbersiders (but they need to get rid of the dead weight known as Rick Strachan on the bench for these to happen), but if you're a fan of another Elite League team, just think for a second-can you honestly say you look forward to Hull coming to town at the moment, or is it just something to be endured rather than enjoyed (however well the game goes). It's a shame, as the Stingrays are a good coach away from having hockey return to the glory days on Humberside-Hull is a hockey town of long standing and needs a successful Elite team...
Please, Pack family, for the sake of hockey in Hull, put aside personal friendships and move Rick Strachan to another role. Let someone with a bit of flair get their hands on the team, and things might well start to look up...

Most Valuable Player: Matt Reynolds: At times he and Steve Slonina have been the only flashes of colour in the wash of beige that is the Stingrays roster with their scoring and playmaking skills...surely he'll be off to greener pastures next season?

Manchester Phoenix:

"Can't you hear us coming?
The fight has only just begun
Can't you see us coming?"
Creed: "Freedom Fighter"

The Phoenix haven't faded away. They haven't collapsed when David Beauregard has been off form. And in Josh Garbutt and Kenton Smith, they have two of the best d-men in the league that still, no-one talks about. On top of that, they have one of the most lethal snipers ever to play in modern British hockey, who has scored over thirty goals already and, in his own words, hasn't warmed up yet, fed by a veteran who is arguably still the best creative player currently playing in British hockey.

Ye gods.

No wonder everyone's still too scared to talk about the Phoenix as title challengers. But I stand by my prediction in the pre-season preview back in September...there will be a trophy in Manchester by the end of this season.

Most Valuable Player: Any one of four could have won this award. But it's hard to argue with the top points scorer in the league, even though it is predictable. Take a bow, David Beauregard.

Newcastle Vipers:
"This is a mother..... invitation
The only one you could ever need
This is a mother...... invitation
Come try me!"
Lamb of God: "Redneck"

We know what we're getting with the Vipers by now, and they haven't disappointed. Apart from Ed Courtenay and David Longstaff, and the cat-like reflexes of Andrew Verner in net, the Vipers have continued to crash and bang their way around the rinks of the Elite League. However, it seems that all that crashing and banging, as always, is so much sound and fury...they're still sat in mid-table, Tyler Willis was one of the disappointments of the season, and the Vipers desperately need a shift from brawn to brains if they're going to get anywhere near the top three...

Most Valuable player: Ed Courtenay: Yes, he came late, but he's added something more of an end product to a team who don't really have any out-and-out goalscorers. Or didn't, anyway. He shares this award with Andrew Verner, who is the only reason the Viper's lack of discipline hasn't cost them more dearly...

Nottingham Panthers

"You see us comin', and you all together run for cover
We're taking over this town"
Pantera: "Cowboys from Hell"

Finally, the Panthers are showing signs of being the team they promise to be every season, helped by the modern-day miracle of the Michel Robinson Redemption in net and the stellar play of Johan Molin up front, complimented by the steady Nick Toneys behind himand the ever-improving Jade Galbraith. Another comfortable win against Newcastle tonight shows that the Panthers are, thus far, avoiding the Christmas slump they always seem to suffer. With Coventry stuttering, they'll be hard on the heels of the Blaze and, further ahead, Sheffield as they try to come from way back in the second half of the season. Consistency, as ever, is the big question-mark at the NIC...

Most Valuable Player: Johan Molin: Just count the number of MOM's he's won this season. Pure, pint-sized class. It almost makes those ridiculous skates of his justifiable...

Sheffield Steelers:

"Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower..."
Metallica: "Battery"

Finally, the Steelers. Despite a hiccup against Belfast, they still stand proud at the top, and appear to have the means to stay there thans to the best offensive d-man in the league (Rod Sarich) combined with the talismanic Steve Munn to give Jody Lehman the protection he needs, and an equal mix of flair and muscle up front. Plus, they have the league's premier agitator by far in Ryan Finnerty. The destiny of the title will be decided by how consistent the Steelers are for the remainder of the season. If 2009 starts the way 2008 finished, then the Sheffield faithful can begin to dream of yet another league-winning party at the Hallam...

Most Valuable Player: Jody Lehman: Back to his imperious best, reminding everyone of his pinnacle in Coventry during 2004/05 and providing the Steelers with the confidence to play their hard-charging, forward-looking brand of hockey to the full, Lehman is possibly the best at his position in the country right now...

And there you go...one half term report, just in time for the end of the year. Naturally, I shall be out this evening, and I wish every reader, my fellow fans, (and fellow blog writers) and everyone else in the Briotish hockey universe a happy new year...let's hope 2009 brings more great hockey...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Tuesday Quickie

The review of the first half of the year is on the way...it's already been re-written twice due to me being too harsh on some teams and not harsh enough on others...check back around half-six/seven this evening and I should have it done then...

Meanwhile, don't forget the Belfast/Sheffield webcast tonight-should be a storming game-you can find all you need to know at www.giantslive.tv...

Double Overtime, Christmas Hangover Edition

That was a rip-roaring rivalry weekend, with Saturday's game in Coventry in particular being one that will keep people talking for some time-as much due to the incompetence of Tom Darnell in letting a few minor skirmishes spiral out of control into a game that ended with more bad blood in it than a TB-ridden slaughterhouse...Oh, and there was a little matter of two Steelers/Panthers games as well. Naturally, let's kick off a busy few days on the Breakaway with a look back at the weekend in our usual stream-of-consciousness fashion:

If there's one thing this weekend proved, it's "nothing motivates a team like revenge":...unless you're the Newcastle Vipers, who were disposed of by Manchester in both their games over the weekend. They made the Phoenix work hard to do it, though, particularly up on Tyneside...

As far as the other double-headers went, they were shared with each team winning on home-ice in both of them-clearly losing stings...

When asked to sum up the games this weekend, the phrase that comes to mind is "tighter than a duck's arse": Five of the nine games were decided by one goal, two of them went to overtime, and of the others, at least one (Coventry v Cardiff) could have gone either way rigght up to the crucial third goal.

However, when it comes to Tom Darnell's control of a game, "loose" is a compliment: In Coventry on Sunday, the game opened in niggly fashion-Sylvain Deschatelets and Doug MacIver in particular were looking for trouble, with Deschatelets asking Jay Latulippe to drop 'em on three consecutive faceoffs in the first five minutes (all of which were declined), MacIver squaring up to Carlyle Lewis, and all manner of digs, jabs and shoving (including Peter Aubry somehow getting away with a warning after a blocker punch, which legend has it is an automatic game pen in this league) after the whistle. The atmosphere clearly got to those notorious tough-guys Jason Silverthorn and Dan Carlson, too, as they dropped 'em after a nothing incident (a slash by Silverthorn on Adam Calder which was called on a delayed penalty and saw Carlson put a hit in just as the whistle went. Things seemingly reached a peak at the end of the second period, as Calder was nudged off his feet by Wes Jarvis while shooting just as the buzzer went, slid hard into the boards and immediately became the cause, unwittingly, of a ten-man melée as the teams had a full and frank exchange of views.

Now, at this point, as a referee, it seems you can do two things:

a) Be strong, hand out penalties, maybe chuck out the main combatants and send a message to the teams to just get on with the bloody game rather than digging at each other after every ruddy whistle without punishment. And I should state that both teams were equally guilty of this.
b) Call a few minor pens, tell the teams they're naughty boys and should be nicer to each other, and hope it all works it out.

Our friend picked option B, and thus everything went to hell in the third period, building up and up before an explosion which meant the last eight seconds of play took fifteen minutes, mainly due to the officials seemingly being unsure how they'd sort out all hell breaking loose after Brad Voth crashed the net in his usual highly effective fashion, and Jon Weaver decided to show him the error of his ways, at the same time as JF Perras finally snapped. Cue a minute or two of anarchy on the ice (in which Weaver regretted his decision) before ten minutes of inactivity as the referees tried to work out just where they'd lost control so spectacularly...after all...just count the roughing and fighting pens...

I know it's a tough job, and I'm not claiming I could do it week in week out, but surely, if everyone in the rink can see a game is going to turn very nasty unless a firm hand is taken, why can't the stripeys in the middle of it?

Doubtless, Ryan, you'll be taking him on to seek revenge next time they come to Sheffield: Ryan Finnerty and Bruce Richardson went for it in Sheffield on Saturday, but it appears that the Steeler is unsure of himself away from home this season-despite being offered out by Danny Meyers three seconds into the game in Nottingham the following night, the invitation was declined. I've heard of home-ice advantage, but never applied to fights before...clearly Mr Finnerty is much more of a deep thinker than we give him credit for. Either that, or the Hallam Arena has some nice nurses he prefers to visit at every opportunity, and no other rink medical staff can compare.

Giants back on track...just: After earning themselves a confident two points against Edinburgh on Saturday. Belfast just squeezed past Hull away from home tonight-winning in overtime. The Stingrays seem to be something of a bogey side for the Giants this season...which just goes to show that even the best teams have an Achilles heel in the strangest places.

Seriously, Stingrays. The hockey gods hate you. Sacrifice a chicken or something...: While we're on the subject of the Stingrays-two more one-goal losses, to Basingstoke and Belfast? Who in the Great Ice-Rink in the Sky has Rick Strachan annoyed this time?

Obligatory Capitals Mention: They lost. With the Great Capital Skate coming up tomorrow, there still needs to be something special happen in the frozen north if they're to make the playoffs...

Two games for "injuring a goalie" bur what about the suspended ban?: BISteve Thonton will miss two games after being found guilty of an "attempt to injure" Curtis Cruickshank in Belfast's last game against Hull at the Odyssey. And here it is. I have to be careful here, being an outskater who has been known to have a dig at goalies on more than one occasion if a puck is loose or they're playing it) but the strangest thing to me about this whole thing is not that there's an offence judged (it's a trip, and the way Cruickshank falls means that there's potential for injury) but that none of the Hull players go after Thornton after it happens-you'd have thought that someone may have had a word. Certainly, had it been my goalie I'd have been over there with at least a shove...there is a definite line in the sand as to how "fair game" goalies are, and a triop behind the net crosses it. The suspension is strange but possibly due more to the injury than the offence itself (Cruickshank was concussed). Strangely, though, there's no mention of the suspended sentence hanging over Thronton after his stick-swing at Andre Payette's head earlier in the season. Why not, Elite League?

Well, you were all thinking it....: Unrest at the Blaze seems possible, at least in Paul Thompson's mind, as he's now finally come out and said what most Blaze fans have been thinking since about mid-October..."we're not going to win the league with this team" (see interview here).
Rumours are rife that Corey Leclair is one of the players set for the chop (which appears to be given weight by the fact that he's the only player singled out for criticism by name so far this season) and strangely, some seem to think JF Perras is the other...

Erm...what?

Now, I freely admit that the Blaze have been spoiled when it comes to goalies (Jody Lehman and Trevor Koenig are a pretty impressive duo, and Martin Klempa wasn't bad either) but singling out Perras for the faults of the corps in front of him is somewhat strange unless there's a much better guy stood in the wings. As for Leclair, alarm-bells rang when the Blaze PR machine concentrated almost exclusively on his skating-but even so, he's not been the worst dman on the Blaze by a long way.

The Sky Blue City is awaiting the next week with bated breath to see what happens...although, to my eyes, that sound you hear in the distance may well be a horse bolting into the distance, a pause, and only then followed by a stable door slamming shut just too late..

That is your weekend review-apologies that it's slightly Blaze centric. Tomorrow, though, we look at the Elite League fixtures scheduled for the next week, and consider the status of the league at the halfway point in time-honoured lyrical fashion..,

Keep keeping your eye on the puck.

Hockey Christmas, Everyone...

...and, naturally, it's time to hand the presents out. And a special big lump of coal for Mr Andrew Sharp. But that's by the by-let's see what the Elite League (should) find in their stockings this Christmas:

Scott Kelman (Coventry): A rocket, and someone to show him where to put it: Failing that, a dummy or a mute button is equally acceptable. One of the most frustrating players in the league (particularly if you're a Blaze fan) the big centre has undoubted talent (you don't become a first round pick for nothing, and early in the season some of his passing and puck possession was a joy to behold) but has shown it all too rarely in Blaze colours, making his public more and more frustrated with each passing week. His effort expended on letting the referees know what he thinks of their performance is, however, unimpeachable, mainly due to the fact that he seems to have an opinion on every bloody whistle. Questions are now being asked, especially with the big build-up he was given by the Blaze PR machine (which appears to be in need of a bit of attitude adjustment itself), and to many it's only a matter of time before he leaves these shores. I really hope that the Christmas Fairy brings him some fire in the belly for the new year, otherwise he'll become a regular in the "greatest letdowns" club with such well-loved Blaze players as Steve Gallace-which is a fate that quite frankly no-one should suffer.

Burt Henderson (Newcastle): A bit of good luck. Poor man. In the best part of a season already at Newcastle, spread over two campaigns, you'd be priveleged if you'd seen him step onto the ice-he's played a total of five games this seasonbefore being injured, after missing large amounts of last season. In all the meetings, home and away, between the Blaze and Newcastle, I've never seen him in a Vipers shirt, due to a combination of injury and (at the beginning of this season) late arrival. Give the man a break, please...in the good way.

The Coventry Blaze: Jon Coleman, or someone of his ilk, on a permanent contract: God knows, it's needed.

Ryan Finnerty (Sheffield): Not really a present, more a good deed. Can someone please nip up to the Hallam Arena and help this guy out-judging by his comments in the press this season so far he seems to have a foot jammed in his mouth. Seemingly this is something of a common complaint across the league after originally breaking out in Sheffield-now Coventry have the same problem just in time for Christmas.

Kevin Reiter (Basingstoke): A defence: Eric Braff has been performing miracles in front of him, but the Bison have been leaking shots quicker than a smashed vodka bottle at the Christmas party. And even after his epic performance in Coventry a few months ago, the man can't stop them all...

Hull Stingrays: A coach: Yes, the random digs at the incompetent (at least when it comes to attacking hockey), stiflingly boring and endlessly-optimistic press releasee-machine that is Rick Strachan return to the Breakaway. Surely, if his presence at the club wasn't inextricably linked to that of owners Mike and Sue Pack, who between them keep the Stingrays afloat, he'd have gone or been forced out a long time ago...

The Elite League All-Star Game: An actual point: Come on, EIHL, you're not fooling anyone at the moment. February's meeting is nothing more than a cash-cow for the owners.. Now, if you make the win worth a point to the teams from the winning region, as has been suggested and already rejected by certain clubs in the league, then it might be worth watching. But who's going to pay fifteen quid for a friendly which technically isn't even what it says-I mean...an All-Star game full of uninterested players, with restrictions on how many players you can pick from each team, and even what nationality they are? For fifteen quid a ticket? Seriously?
That's not an All-Star game-that's just a joke. And a poorly-attended, unfunny one at that.

While we're on about cash-cows...rumours that the Vipers have been trying to raise cash by hiring Andre Payette out to every school nativity play going (well, no child wants to play as a donkey's rear end with their parents in the crowd-did you?) are cruel, vicious and completely untrue. They couldn't get him to every nativity play in the North East due to the high demand, so Andrew Sharp was drafted in as a stand-in, as he has time on his hands until March now....

And on that note, I'm off to prepare for the Yuletide festivities...but before I go...

A Merry Christmas from the Breakaway to everyone involved in British hockey, be it fans, players, or team staff (hell, it's the season of goodwill, so let's even include officials). May you get everything you wish for...

The Breakaway will be back from its Christmas break either on Saturday night or Sunday (or, if you're really lucky, Boxing Day eve if I'm not sleeping off Christmas), as we consider the repercussions of Rivalry Day in the EIHL and assess the league at its halfway point...until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck, and Joyeux Noel a tous...

Round the Rinks Christmas Special, Part 2. Rivalry Weekend

Given that Wednesday and Thursday are days in which I, along with everyone else, may have other priorities thanks to it being Christmas, I thought that we'd get this weekend's Round the Rinks out of the way nice and quickly and preview the games for Boxing Day weekend (i.e 26th, 27th and 28th) now...especially as there are three highly intriguiing double headers, including the Elite League's two premier rivalries, taking place this festive season...but first of all, have a quick gander at the Cats Whiskers attempt at carol-singing as they re-work Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (although Blaze fans may wince a little at it)...

On we go then-let's plunge into the fixtures over the festive period...

We begin, of course, by looking at the Christmas double-headers, all of which hve the potential to cause more conflict than your family struggles over the remote on Christmas Day...Sheffield v Nottingham, Manchester v Newcastle and Cardiff v Coventry

Panthers v Steelers

In what has become something of a tradition, the self-proclaimed "biggest rivalry in British hockey" is renewed as the two teams meet in Sheffield on Boxing Day and Nottingham on Saturday 27th. With the Steelers dropping points over the weekend and the Panthers on a massive high after forcing the Team Hollywood tag back down the Blaze's throats on Sunday. These games are both sure to be played at a furious pace, with no room for those who've over-indulged the day before. Christmas spirit will be well and truly out the window in this one, with the anticipation already building in both cities (well, at least for those who watch hockey). There's so many storylines in this one-Michel Robinson facing the ultimate test-will he hold up? Dan Tessier-will he shine or disappear as he returns to Sheffield again? And can the Panthers do the Blaze a favour? One things for sure-both games will be crackers.

Blaze v Devils

Meanwhile, another long-standing rivalry is renewed as Coventry face Cardiff, with the Blaze making the trip to the Welsh capital on Boxiday Day and the return leg on Saturday. The Blaze badly need to get themselves back on track after Sunday's reult, while the Devils, on the other hand, would love to heap further festive misery on their rivals while at the same time pushin themselves back into the reckoning towards the top of the table. These games may be played in a slightly different atmospher off the ice to those in Yorkshire and the East Midlands (this rivalry is built on a foundation of mutual respect rather than dislike) but on ice the action will be just as intense, and both teams and sets of fans will put their friendships aside for the sixty minutes of each game. If you can't get a ticket for either Steelers-Panthers game, or just don't fancy suffering Dave Simms and friends two nights on the trot, then this one is well worth a watch instead-you won't be disappointed.

Manchester v Newcastle

Lost somewhat in the razzle-dazzle of the big two rivalries, the Phoenix and Vipers will meet twice in a battle of two teams on the up. Since the arrival of Ed Courtenay and Jeff Hutchins, helped by Likit Andersson, the Vipers have looked a different team to the outfit that disappointed so heavily in the first few months of the season. The Phoenix, meanwhile, have consistently impressed thorughout the seasonand will now be viewing games like these as must-wins rather than can-wins as they set their sights on challenging at the top in the New Year. With both teams able to mix it as well as play the skilled stuff, these two games should both be intriguing, close-fought battles, with it being almost impossible to predict a winner.

Leftovers

OK, I accept that using the term "leftovers" may be harsh-but here are the other games taking place on Saturday and Sunday:

Hull and Belfast are both in action twice this weekend, as the Giants take on Edinburgh and Hull face Basingstoke on Saturday, before the two teams meet each other on Sunday in the only game of the day. The Giants will be looking to bounce back and take revenge for Sunday's loss against the Capitals, while the Stingrays will fancy their chances against the Bison. Sunday is a game which could go either way-the Giants have learned not to take the Stingrays lightly after losing to them at the Odyssey earlier in the season, and the Stingrays, injuries or not, may fancy their chances of pulling off another upset...

There you are-that's all your festive fixtures previewed for this weekend-tomorrow the Breakaway finally gives into Yuletide and hands out some Christmas presents to the EIHL-you may even get a few carols (suitably reworded) and a few mince pies too as the blog makes what will likely be the last posting before Christmas...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 23rd December

Apologies-I did intend to have this up first thing this morning and then at 2pm, but staying in the Windmill for a "quick drink" until 4am chatting with some fellow Blaze fans, and then going to work four hours later will throw anybody's schedule off. :)

On we go, with one (mildly) naughty word contained within, straight into a weekend where mouths wrote cheques, and deeds made them bounce. But first of all...

Huppe Christmas: The Fire and Ice Blaze Forum (you have to register to view, but it's worth it) has been following ex-Blaze captain Sylvain Cloutier's exploits in Corpus Christi this season, and have recently passed on the news that ex-Blaze and Belfast Giant Curtis Huppe has come out of retirement to sign with his former captain, joining the team on Christmas Day. This is good news for them-it seems that Huppe couldn't keep away from the game after all...

OK, I admit being wrong on this occasion. Sort of: The Blaze Christmas shirts slated so violently on this blog were, in fact, red and not pink, so maybe the pictures didn't do the colour justice-certainly they did look much better in the flesh than in the pictures, however easy that was. However, they were still generally viewed as, well, a bit ugly. Some wag behind me replaced his traditional post-face-off yell of "Come on, Blaze!" with "Come on, Devils!" to general amusement...but quite frankly, on Sunday night a bit of visual miscalculation was the worst of Blaze's problems-we'll get to that now....

Pull a Panther's tail, and you get mauled: Maybe this is a lesson the Blaze will have learned this morning-after much back-and-forth in the press, and instructions from the Blaze hierarchy to push the "Team Hollywood" angle as much as possible in an attempt to wind them up...

Panthers win 4-0, and quite honestly it was at a bit of a canter for the most part-half the Blaze team appeared either not to turn up or just be a bit flat. But saying that, though, there really was only one team going to win last night, and that was Nottingham-they were first to every loose puck, won one fight convincingly (Richardson v Stewart) and didn't really lose the other (Lewis v Bergin). Naturally there is much gloating going on on the Panthers forums at the moment-however Corey Neilson made the best point in his post-match Sky interview, simply saying "we came here to prove a point, and we think we've done that".

Certainly, judging by JF Perras attempting to dismantle the Skydome with his stick on the way down the tunnel at the end of the game, leaving a lovely hole in the ceiling, the point was well and truly taken, too.


Now if only the Cage Forum could learn from their coach too: Speaking of Corey Neilson, fair play to the man-while the Panthers fans were dancing back and forth and firing postings all over the place prediciting physical violence from the Blaze fans in their usual fashion on the Cage, the man himself responded to some good-natured mickey-taking from the North End by skating up to them at the end of the game and touching gloves with the fans there-Panthers fans may find this hard to believe, but he actually got a "well played" from more than one of them too.

Winning with class-you couldn't have blamed him for getting a bit cocky, but he didn't. And respect to the man for doing so.

Speaking of class: Can we put the whole "let's snipe at Nottingham through the press" thing to bed now, please, Blaze? You look a bit stupid, the fans feel very stupid and more than one mentioned afterwards that the whole PR circus was just a bit...well, seedy. You're one of the best-supported clubs in the league anyway, don't stoop to petty insults just to get people through the door-it just looks stupid when you get found out. If I were a very succesful and well-respected coach who'd just been made to look a bit silly thanks to the club pushing a throwaway remark in an attempt to create a rivalrlry purely in pursuit of the almighty dollar, then perhaps I'd have had a few words with people after the said game behind closed doors. But then, that's just me...

Hot n' Cold: Sheffield pulled out another hard-fought win in Manchester on Sunday night-read about it more in depth on the Angry Budgie...however, after a home loss to Newcastle the night before they had to, really...could a certain Midlands coach comments about the "pressure" have got to them, even briefly?

Sometimes, you just have to concede that the hockey gods just plain don't like you: Hull Stingrays score seven against Coventry on Saturday-a game which would have most team's fans turning somersaults with delight. However, as always on Humberside there's a sting in the tail...they let in nine, with Sylvain Deschatelets scoring five by himself. Merry Christmas, Messrs Cruickshank and Jaszczyk...

Miracle on Princes Street: Edinburgh seem to pull out one shock at Murrayfield every year (yes, I know it's nowhere near Princes Street, but the reference was too good to miss), and this time it's Belfast who were the victims of a Christmas miracle, losing on penalties after going three-up. Hockey may be suffering at Murrayfield thanks to the credit crunch, but it seems the spark of hope still burns brightly in Doug Christiansen and his men.

Meanwhile, on Tyneside, something awakes: The Vipers beat Sheffield 4-1 away from home on Saturday off the back of a fine performance from Andrew Verner, and then calmly take Hull to the cleaners at home on Sunday for a total of ten goals scored, two conceded. Now, one weekend does not make a season, but could there finally be a bit of life on Tyneside yet?

Mandatory Basingstoke Reference: 4-1 losers to Cardiff away from home on Sunday-there is work to do over the festive period down south, either on the signing front or on making the best of what they have...

Calamity Goalie to Celebrated Stopper in just two weeks!: Thanks to the Nottingham Panthers diet! I'm not sure exactly what they've been feeding Michel Robinson at the NIC, but he's certainly been proving his doubters wrong (and winding up fans in Edinburgh) with solid displays a world apart from his shakiness in a Caps shirt. Last night, however, he seemed to take his game to another level as he stopped 40 shots-thus giving rise to the brilliant theory that he didn't actually fancy Scotland after all and just got his brother to travel in his place-now we're actually seeing the CHL All-Star the Caps thought they were getting. Pull out a decent performance on the 26th/27th, Michel, and suddenly you'll have gone from zero to hero...

And finally...: Be warned. A slight rant coming up-if you're not interested in off-ice stuff to do with the British leagues, or something which is occasionally in danger of getting a bit preachy, then skip this bit...

During the course of a conversation in the pub last night with some fellow hockey fans, the topic of the Elite Forum and its removal came up. The whisper being passed around was that "certain Elite League figures" had asked for it to be removed, mainly due to the fact that players and teams were being criticized on there. What really amuses me is that myself and some of the other blogs on t'Internet were apparently mentioned by name as being some of the worst offenders, mainly due to the fact that sometimes we put negative stuff about our teams, other teams, the marketing or anything else on there, and apparently do our best to destroy rather than support stuff.

I find this hilarious for several reasons...

a) I've never set myself up as some sort of hockey expert, and nor do most other blogs-indeed, if you look back through the postings here there have been many occasionts where I've been called on something I said wrong or believed to be true that wasn't-and thus, things were duly corrected if I could. There's an example of such at the top of this very posting with the Blaze Christmas shirts.

b) I've never claimed that this blog is anything other than my personal view on British hockey-and indeed fully expect people to come on here and probably think "this guy knows nothing-he's spouting rubbish". I'm still amazed that as many people read it as do, in fact...To claim that I or any other blog has an agenda against a team, league or even some bloke who once sharpened the skates for Edinburgh is, quite frankly, bollocks of the biggest, hairiest kind.

c) The Elite League is a business, and those running and playing in it are, for want of a better word, the "celebrities" of the league. And, for this reason, people will have an opinion on their efforts. And, sports being the way it is and everyone wanting success, there may be grumbling if people think there's something wrong...and if myself, other bloggers or some hockey-watching kid with a keyboard has an opinion, they'll write about it. By setting up a forum or choosing to read what people are saying about a team, you're going to have to accept there are negative views as well as positive-to try and filter them or take your ball away because someone says something you don't like is neither professional or, really, adult. But then, given the history of British hockey and some of the infighting that has gone on, is going on and will continue to go on, are you surprised? There is some extremely good work going on at all clubs in the league, and some people putting their heart and soul into it. However, I try hard and crafting postings for this and put some serious hard work in keeping up to date with gossip etc through the Internet, and so do the other bloggers. Doesn't mean that we expect everyone to agree with everything we write...

Perhaps it's time for some of the egos in the Elite League to rein themselves in a little, grow a pair and realise that fans will talk, read and devour anything they can about our sport, take any opportunity to discuss it, and those in power won't like everything that gets said. After all, otherwise we'd be living in a world where those in power in British hockey could run the game like their own personal police state without worrying about the lifeblood of their sport-i.e the people who come through the doors each week. At the moment, it seems that this is slowly becoming the case...luckily there are a growing number of people on the forums/blogs or God knows where else who are willing to try and spread the word about this great sport of ours. And if that means that a few egos become slightly less important and thus bruised in the grand scheme of things, then so be it.

*removes himself from Che Guevara impression*
There you go-that's your weekend reviewed. Tomorrow morning will see Round the Rinks part two as we preview all the post-Christmas/pre New-Year action...and maybe have a bit of festive fun too.

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Monday Quickie II

Just to keep y'all updated, Double Overtime should be up around 2pm today...it was an interesting weekend so should be well worth reading...

Round the Rinks Christmas Special, Part One:

On we go-given that next week has Chrismas looming rather large in the middle of it but there are also a program of games spread over the 26th, 27th, and 28th, Round the Rinks will be in two parts-the weekend games, and the ones afterward, a preview of which will appear on either Tuesday morning or Christmas Eve morning depending on when I get Double Overtime done. I'm not going to comment any more about either the Christmas shirts (I've said my bit about the Blaze ones, they appear to be almost universally unpopular (clearly there's at least one resident of Oldham who likes them), but let's see how they look on Sunday. As for Andrew Sharp...see the post below this one...many thanks to Jono from the Cat's Whiskers for his comments also...you may want to nip over there using the link at right for more examples of parody (oh, and an opposing view of this weekend's big clash at the Skydome on Sunday, too :)). I've also finally added the Angry Budgie to the links section-I was a bit slow on that one...

But firstly...the two midweek games:

Told you it'd be close: Nottingham just edged Basingstoke on Heroes Night in the Silverdome, despite arguably not performing at their best, winning a hotly-contested game three-two thanks to this season's star player, Johan Molin, scoring the winner.

"Close", however, isn't the word for events in Belfast: The Giants returned to winning ways with a vengeance, hammering Hull 8-2 and giving a rare start to Nathan Craze in goal. Worryingly for the Stingrays, Curtis Cruickshank left the game injured after only eleven minutes-leaving him a doubt for at least Saturday's game against Coventry...

On we go to the first part of the Christmas Special...with a Yuletide journey Round the Rinks...

Saturday: Our Friends in the North

Going from South to North on our Saturday trip, we start probably the furthest north we will this season on a Round the Rinks jolly, in Nottingham, where the Panthers take on Cardiff. This should be a classically close game between two teams who are at their best when dictating a game from the off-expect some frenetic early action as both look to stamp their authority on the contest early.

Next comes Sheffield, where there will be little Christmas spirit in evidence as the Steelers take on Newcastle. With accomplished irritators on both teams and Ed Courtenay returning to the scene of his best years in Britain, there will be a mix of nostalgia and pure aggro in the air which should make for an intriguing battle.

We stop in the shadow of the Humber Bridge next for Hull v Coventry, not traditionally a high-scoring game, although with the Stingrays suffering injury after injury and the Blaze slowly getting back into their stride after the Conti Cup blip of a few weeks ago, it could be a depressing night for the Hull faithful.

Finally, the first of a double-header as Edinburgh face Belfast in Murrayfield for the first of two in two days-games of opposites both in team fortunes and (arguably) the size of crowds. With Edinburgh teeming with pre-Christmas attractions, watching the Caps struggle against an intimidating Giants line-up could look fairly unappealing...but this time of year is one for the unexpected-or so Doug Christiansen and team, buoyed by new signing Sean Perkins on D, will hope.

Sunday: Hollywood Glitz

Travelling back down the country, and with Edinburgh v Belfast already dealt with above, we stop off first at Newcastle v Hull, a Christmas turkey of a game if ever there was one. Certainly not the type of game you'd want in an attempt to part your home crowd from their precious pounds. Still, the points count just the same, so both teams will be going all out for this one...

Next is one of the two Christmas crackers taking place tonight-Manchester v Sheffield. Now this is more like it-a fiery crowd, a War of the Roses derby and two of the top teams in the league doing battle in a traditional rivalry which has always produced classic games. Well worth travelling to if you're in that neck of the woods...

..but if you're further south, then the Coventry Skydome is the place to be as Team Hollywood Nottingham Panthers face Coventry. This game has already spiked the odd jibe in the press from Coventry coach Paul Thompson, and from 6pm onwards on Sunday you can be sure there'll be plenty more events worthy of filling the pages of the pre-Christmas papers in both cities...

Finally, Cardiff take on Basingstoke on the Bay, in a meeting full of Christmas cheer-the two clubs have a cordial relationship off the ice and the mulled wine glasses will be clinking up until face-off time. But then, as we've seen, the Devils give presents to nobody in their own rink, whoever they may be...

And there you go-that's your weekend preview...

Sharpielujah: the Hockey Christmas Number One...

Yes, I know this is going to be a bit thrown together, but taking inspiration from the Cat's Whiskers, who have produced parodies left, right, and centre, and inspired by the bloody-awful attempt to cover Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which is likely going to make it to Christmas number one courtesy of the X-Factor, here's a reworked version paying tribute to everyone's favourite Northern team and its favourite son, Andrew Sharp...I make no apologies for its naffness, but hopefully it will give you a (brief) smile. Plus, it's got to be better than reading all the fire and brimstone appearing in threads all over the British Internet...

So, I give you-the Breakaway's entry for British Hockey's Christmas number one. With a rude word or two, and apologies to Cohen, Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright....

Sharpielujah
(Words: Paul Wheeler, music: Leonard Cohen)

(Introduction)

There was a man, named Andrew Sharp
About whom fans would moan and carp
But you don't really care for goons, now, do you?
He couldn't skate, or fight, or hit
In fact he was completely sh*t
For first Romford and now the Steelers too, yeah...

Sing Sharpielujah, Sharpielujah
Sharpielujah, Sharpielujah..

The hype was rich, coach's faith was poor
In the skills of number sixty-four
He watches from the bench, just feelin' blue, yeah ...
Til the night he jumped the boards in Hull
And livened up a game so dull
By bringing pain to Paul Moran's debut, yeah

(Chorus)

They tell me on the forums, true
That Moran's shoulder broke in two
As Sharpie drew blood and then licked it too, yeah
The Stingrays raged, the league reviewed
But Kozak trangressed next week too,
So Sharpie was lost in hullaballoo, yeah....

(Chorus)

The season passed, and his friends did say
"Look, he scored a point on the powerplay"
But still the rumbles came that he was poo, yeah...
Then Steelers went to Cardiff Town
And Finnerty, he played the clown
And Andrew knew his time was coming soon, yeah...

(Chorus)

And so we came, to that fateful day
A cold and wintry Welsh Sunday
When everyone knew things would go askew, yeah...
While Jody swears, and the Welsh fans roar
Sharpie waits for the Matsos call
And with two seconds to go he gets it, too, yeah

(Chorus)

So as MacIver skates away
From Jody's wrath, it's clear as day
Sharp swings his stick, with aim he thinks is true, yeah
Alas, his aim, it went awry
And caught a linesman near the eye
So Hicks and Jarvis tag-teamed poor Andrew, yeah...

(Chorus)

And now it seems, his time is done
For Andrew Sharp, the hired gun
The league and fans will throw the book at you, yeah
But maybe, maybe, time will tell...
You'll find a home in the EPL
As Scimitars or Raiders will sign you, yeah...

And if you should lace up no more
You'll live forever in folklore
As the mental one who played for Steelers, ooh, yeah
You may have been completely sh*te
But thanks for livening many a night
And wherever you go we hope you're happy too, yeah

(Chorus)...repeat to fade....

I know it's about three verses too long, but I hope it brings you a chuckle...
Round The Rinks Christmas Special to come tomorrow...