Double Overtime, 10th December

Saturday ran to form, but Sunday saw several shocks including one massive one-on we go with the review of the weekend...there may be a few curious grades this week though as several teams only play one game...

Basingstoke:...and we start with one of them-the Bison nicking a win against the Sheffield Steelers at home this Sunday evening to put a bump in the Yorkshire side's winning run. Ryan Aldridge will be faced with a tough decision soon, with Mikko Purontakanen scoring yet another goal this evening. Three to two was the final score in Hampshire, which does the Bison's playoff chances no harm at all-they really do look like the dark times of September and October are now well behind them.
Grade: B+

Belfast: Two wins in Edinburgh and a seven-goal weekend for Shaun Sutter mean that all is well in Northern Ireland. There was a big scare with enforcer Carlyle Lewis sustaining a suspected sliced femoral artery thanks to a skate blade during the Saturday night game, but thankfully, after treatment the injury was nowhere near as severe as first feared and it is believed he'll be back in three weeks or so. It's amazing what releasing one old, slow millstone of a defender in the shape of Troy Neumeier can do...
Grade: B

Cardiff: What the...South Wales will be in shock this weekend, as the Devils lose their only game of the weekend two-one. To Hull Stingrays. At home. Somehow the worst team in the league has beaten one of the best in their own rink with two very early goals, in what is by far the biggest shock of at least the month if not the season. It must be said, though, that as a result of this, no team will want to be the next to play the Devils because the backlash will be very nasty indeed.
Grade: D-

Coventry: Injuries? What injuries? Despite missing Curtis Huppe, and Sylvain Cloutier playing his final weekend before disappearing for a much-needed operation, the Blaze scored twelve goals this weekend in two games against Manchester, including a KC Timmons hat-trick on Sunday night in Altrincham. Saturday's game will definitely not go down in history...in fact it was dire and the 4-0 scoreline flattered the Blaze insanely-however, their eight goals in Altrincham tonight show what they can do. Staying top with a five-point gap and four games in hand, the Midlanders are well set as they run into a tough month of games...
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: The Capitals ran into a Belfast side who simply wouldn't be denied this weekend, and a Shaun Sutter who was unable to stop scoring, taking the Capitals for an almost unbelievable seven goals by himself in the two games. With Hull actually winning this weekend, the Capitals stay rooted to the bottom and actually lose ground on the team immediately above them, so sadly they only earn..
Grade: D-

Hull: Stingrays win! Stingrays win! Stingrays win! I've said it three times and I still can't quite believe the result in Cardiff on Sunday night. Maybe all the criticism is finally getting through-but being a cynical young-ish sod I refuse to go overboard and start praising them to the skies. However, and much as it hurts to say it...
Grade: A

Manchester: Ouch. Literally and figuratively, this was a painful weekend if you're a Phoenix fan-shipping twelve goals in two games against Coventry including a hat-trick from a player you've released earlier in the season isn't ideal. But there are positives for the Phoenix-they stifled the Blaze on Saturday night for the majority of the game before the floodgates opened, and they're still nicely settled for the playoffs. However, for this weekend I can't see further than a grade...
Grade: E

Newcastle: Panic! What is going on in the North-East? They lose 8-3 in Sheffield, 4-0 at home to Nottingham, and by all accounts look disinterested. Rob Wilson must be haunted by his foolish words, which have seen the Vipers drop like a stone since he said that Vipers deserved to be high in the table three weeks ago. These low grades are becoming all too familiar now...
Grade: F

Nottingham: One game, one win. Nothing more to be said for the Panthers, who appear rejeuvenated since the signing of Tom Askey, the American getting himself a shutout tonight in the North East. I'm sure there''ll be no argument in the East Midlands for this...
Grade: B+

Sheffield: The Steelers get one win, one loss-it appears that they far prefer playing at home to playing away, particularly in Basingstoke, as they lose three-two tonight after their 8-3 demolishing of Newcastle back in Sheffield. They gain another two points in the title race, however, and are now only three points behind Cardiff in second place with a grade...
Grade: B

Midweek games this week see two struggling teams face each other on Wednesday, as Hull face Newcastle...

And that's your weekend review...check back throughout the week for more updates..

Double Overtime, 3rd December

A slightly shorter review this week, but still we go team-by-team:

Basingstoke: Two losses for the Bison in their first no-points weekend for a little while, but there's no disgrace in that given that their opponents were Newcastle and Cardiff. The Bison are cruising along in the last playoff place, and with Hull and Edinburgh below them, can more likely look above rather than below them. However, the two losses mean that, under my grading rules, they earn a...
Grade: C

Belfast: Losing to Coventry in overtime is no disgrace, nor losing to a Sheffield side on a high from their tanking of Hull the night before in front of a partisan opposition crowd. However, there's still the issue of Belfast being in a position far below that which the Giants fans would expect, and with both the Challenge Cup (definitely) and the league title (seemingly) already out of reach the Giants need a run of results quickly just to get the feelgood factor back in Northern Ireland. As above, my grading criteria rather than their actual performances mean that the Giants earn themselves...
Grade: C

Cardiff: A hiccup of a weekend for the Devils, with just the one win (a hard-fought victory in Basingstoke) followed by Nottingham nicking a point in the lottery of penalty-shots on Sunday. The OT loss means they lose a point in the race for the title, with Coventry now back on their own at the top. However, the Welsh side will not be too unhappy with themselves...and given that they only dropped one point, and that only due to the unpredictableness that is the penalty shootout, they earn...
Grade: B-

Coventry: Four more points, including a win in the Odyssey in a difficult Friday-night fixture, mean that all seems well in the Blaze camp. However, with the Capitals giving them a big scare on Sunday night by scoring three goals in six minutes, and the possible loss of captain Sylvain Cloutier to injury as well as several other walking wounded, there could be leaner times ahead for the Midlanders. However, the four points this week mean that they earn...
Grade: A-

Edinburgh: The Caps win! The Caps win! Manchester Phoenix were the victims this Saturday as the Scots pulled out an overtime win, before scaring the living hell out of me and a thousand or so other Blaze fans with three goals in six minutes to almost pull back a 4-1 deficit on Sunday night...and based on their performance, the Caps leap up in their grading despite the losses, for yet another...
Grade: C

Hull: The Stingrays lost again. Twice. Rather than rehash old ground-for this week I'm simply using this post, which I wrote on Saturday night, to explain why Hull make Breakaway history by gaining the first-ever (and possibly the only ever)...
Grade: U

Manchester: Phoenix earned themselves a win to break themselves out of their slump-while adding fuel to the fire burning under Rick Strachan's seat, but this could be seen as putting a sticking-plaster on the Berlin Wall given that a) it was Hull, who everyone in the league beats with seeming ease, and b) the loss on Saturday was to the only team below Hull in the league. Still-two points is two points, and so the loss in Edinburgh is somewhat offset to earn the Mancunians a...
Grade: C-

Newcastle: The Challenge Cup dream ended in somewhat abject style with a 5-1 home loss to Nottingham in Friday night, but bounced back with a 6-3 win against Basingstoke on Sunday to finally bring a halt to their losing run. Now they need to prove this wasn't a false dawn, but for now the Vipers earn themselves a...

Nottingham: The Panthers growled, and their fans were left purring after two victories which saw them through to the Challenge Cup Final and also gain some ground on one of the rivals above them in the league. With a new import still to come, things just might be looking up in Nottingham-their fans certainly seem to think so...
Grade: B+

Sheffield: The Steelers had by far the best weekend this time out, scoring fourteen goals and conceding only three as their high-powered attack hit top gear...delighting fans and coach alike. There's not really much else you can say that doesn't sound like cliched praise, so I shall let the grade speak for itself...
Grade: A+

Midweek action this week sees Sheffield and Cardiff battle it out in the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi, and Nottingham take on Manchester in the league...

Due to the fact that I'm now working 9 to 5, the updates will now be appearing in the evenings rather than the daytime as they have up until now...so check back tomorrow evening for your weekly dose of rumours and idle speculation...
Grade: B-

Double Overtime, 26th November

Oh my. What a weekend that was...with the Devils being involved in a pair of barn-burners, changes back and forth at the top of the league, and Lord only knows what else. Here we go, team-by-team...

Basingstoke: Another successful weekend this time out, with the Bison earning themselves three out of four points as both games went to overtime. Firstly came the overtime win against the Vipers thanks to Danny Stewart nicking a goal seven seconds before the end, followed by the loss to Belfast on penalty shots as they dragged themselves up from ninth to eighth, so they earn themselves a...
Grade: B

Belfast: Four points for the Giants, even if two of them came via the penalty-shot win on Sunday, mean that the revival continues apace in Northern Ireland. They managed it in more ways than one, as well, showing defiance as well as skill by withstanding a barrage of shots from the Bison on Sunday in order to pull out the overtime win, meaning the Giants are now up to fifth. Can they "do a Devils" and go on a run now? On this weekend's indication nothing is impossible...they earn themselves a passing...
Grade: B

Cardiff: The Devils are still top....just. They may have come out on the losing side on Saturday night but they scared the living hell out of the Blaze doing it, before pushing the Vipers further over the edge of freefall on Sunday, to earn themselves three out of four points, and, despite what Blaze fans may claim, they're worried now-this is the first serious challenge to their supremacy this season, and based on the evidence of Saturday night, it's not one that'll go away soon. The grade drops slightly due to the loss on Saturday night, but the Devils will still be the envy of many teams in the league with a...
Grade: B+

Coventry: Four more points gets the Blaze back on the bandwagon and over the huge stumbling block of facing the Devils. After Saturday's epic a professional and unhurried performance against the abject Stingrays was just what was needed, and the 5-1 win on Sunday night duly delivered. The Blaze now enter a run of relatively low-pressure games which give them the chance to go on a Cardiff-like run, but their four points this weekend earn them...
Grade: A

Edinburgh: What do the Caps have to do to get themselves a win? Another pointless weekend despite taking the lead against both Sheffield and Nottingham doesn't bode well. The Scots have tried new tactics, new personnel, and even hired a psychological coach in order to solve the problems, but nothing seems to be working. Sorry, Capitals, but once again all you can get is...
Grade: D

Hull: I'm running out of nice things to say about the Stingrays. They just can't drag themselves out of this slump for love nor money-probably becaue neither commodity is much in evidence on Humberside at the moment. Rick Strachan is desperately trying to remain upbeat but the act simply isn't working any more for the Hull faithful. And nine goals conceded for only two scored this weekend will just make things worse.
Grade: F

Manchester: The Phoenix have another goalscorer! Luke Stauffacher was the only one to hit the twine this weekend for the Altrincham side-and he "only" managed it twice. But the defence and Scott Fankhouser's man-of-the-match performance in goal were enough to only concede one and thus win hockey's War of the Roses against Sheffield in the Phoenix's only game of the weekend. Maybe the Mancunians aren't going to win any trophies any time soon, but at least they've earned themselves bragging rights for this week and two more points, so for that, they earn themselves...
Grade: B

Newcastle: "We deserve to be where we are". Those words are coming back to haunt Rob Wilson. Two more losses and only one point mean that the Vipers are dropping like a stone, with a gap of five points now opening up between them in third place and Coventry and Cardiff at the top. Sheffield are reeling them in from behind as well, now only one point behind. There will definitely be some harsh words said on Tyneside this week, and there need to be, otherwise the only place the Vipers will deserve to be is in the lower reaches of the table...
Grade: D

Nottingham: One game, one big scare, but a six-four win in Edinburgh means they just about come out of the weekend with their reputation intact. But all is not well, with rumours of major changes on the horizon, not only in the forwards but also in net. With the Challenge Cup semi coming up on Friday, this could be a turbulent week in the East Midlands-but the grades are only based on results, so the Panthers earn...
Grade: B

Sheffield: The Steelers can't get any consistency going lately, and this weekend was just another example...a win against the Capitals was followed by a loss away in Manchester. Oh, and Ashley Tait still needs two points to reach 800 after being held without a goal or assist in both games. If the Yorkshiremen are serious about mounting a title challenge, they'd better start stringing together a win or two to make up the six-point gap between them and the top two...
Grade: C

That's your lot. The second Challenge Cup semi-final is the only midweek game this week as Cardiff welcome Sheffield...

More ramblings to come tomorrow, but until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 19th November

Another Monday, another team-by-team review of a weekend which saw climbers, fallers and one of the goals of the season in Coventry...let's get straight on with it...

Basingstoke: The Swedish Surge stuttered a bit this weekend, as Bison threw away leads in both of their games to emerge with just the one point, losing in overtime to Hull before scaring the pants off the Blaze with three goals in the first eight minutes on Sunday night. Unfortunately, the Midlanders then scored six without reply, although one was, in that euphemistic way commentators have of describing such blatant wrong calls, surprisingly awarded. David Vychodil and Mikko Purontakanen have both settled in quickly, so it's not all bad news for the Herd, but one point from four despite leading in both games earns them, sadly...
Grade: C

Belfast: Just the one game for the Giants this weekend, and they did their rivals in Coventry and Cardiff a huge favour, beating Newcastle 6-3 in the North East. The Northern Irish eyes, while not smiling openly just yet, will no doubt take a huge boost from this, and with players coming off the treatment table slowly their team can only get stronger-but have they left it too late already to challenge for honours? Putting 6 past the Vipers, however, earns them a high grade of...
Grade: B+

Cardiff: This is getting a little monotonous. Two games, four more points for the Devils as they move up to second and show no signs of stopping their charge up the table. Manchester and Edinburgh were the sacrificial lambs this week, and unbelievably (at least based on their form in September) the Welsh can now go top, at least for three days, if they win the return v Edinburgh on Wednesday. I know that being a Blaze fan I should find some way to reduce the success of our friendly rivals from South Wales (it being the law in Coventry and all) but I simply can't-they're on one hell of a run at the moment. Once again, the Devils earn themselves:
Grade: A

Coventry: Hell hath no fury...like a champion scorned. The Blaze took revenge in some style for last weeks defeats, potting twelve goals (six in each weekend game) as the dragon gracing the Blaze shirts showed its teeth. Putting six past your nearest rival at the top is one way to show anger, but all is not quite perfect in the Sky Blue City, as three goals in eight minutes conceded against Basingstoke will show. However, if the trend for taking no prisoners continues, then next Saturdays meeting with Cardiff will be the hottest ticket in town, bar none.
Grade: A

Edinburgh: "Life is a wretched quarter of an hour enlivened with exquisite moments". Oscar Wilde could have had the Capitals in mind when he came out with this pearl of wisdom. Unfortunately, after the "exquisite" defeat of Coventry last weekend, this weekend saw a return to the wretched quarter of an hour which has been the Caps' season thus far...two more defeats, only two goals scored, and six points adrift at the bottom of the table mean that a lot will rest on the shoulders of new signing Mark Wires when he joins the team on Wednesday...The Caps sit once again near the bottom of the class this week, though, with an all-too familiar...
Grade: D

Hull: Meanwhile, on Humberside...the tree of hope sprouts eternal. Or at least until, once again, it gets brutally chopped down. The team wielding the axe this week were Sheffield, who stuck seven past Hull at home after the Stingrays fought out an overtime win in Basingstoke on the Saturday. The problems on Humberside are real, and need solving fast. Let's be fair despite the whipping on Sunday, though-actually earning a win this weekend gets the Stingrays from truly awful to the dizzy heights of lower mediocrity. Now there is a quote you won't see in a Stingrays PR any time soon...
Grade: C-

Manchester: As the season progresses it is becoming more and more obvious that as Joe Tallari goes, so do the Phoenix. Unfortunately, he was injured this weekend, with predictable results. Three goals in two games this weekend is the same as the Canadian sniper got in one last weekend, and losses to Cardiff and Nottingham were the results. The Northerners aren't conceding many, but they're scoring even less. Someone in Altrincham should start stockpiling the parachute silk, because at the moment the Phoenix are in freefall and it doesn't look like they can pull themselves out of it anytime soon. Unless they start getting goals from more than one source, that is...
Grade: D

Newcastle: Ryan Macdonald will not be happy this week. Twelve goals conceded in 120 minutes mean that the young Canadian will doubtless be staring at himself in the mirror a fair amount in his solitary moments, while his team-mates try and work out just why they haven't been defending like they should. Rob Wilson said before the weekend that the Vipers deserve to be where they are. Presumably, then, he will have no trouble admitting that the fall from first to third in the table is also fully deserved-as is the bad grade that goes with it...
Grade: C-

Nottingham: One game, one win, four goals. The Panthers are holding the fort nicely. Trouble is, they're also doing nothing more than holding position in mid-table, which is not acceptable to the fans of the Big Cats. A Challenge Cup semi on Tuesday will provide a welcome relief from the grind of the league, especially as the East Midlanders have a good chance against a wounded Newcastle side. You can't argue with a win though, so the Big Cats earn a...
Grade: B

Sheffield: Who woke the Steelers up? Playing against the two basement sides, the Steelers scored ten and let in two on the way to a four-point weekend which just about keeps them in touch with the top three. As a bonus, it also gives them a five-point breathing space over the Panthers behind them. Jeff Legue is looking better and better, and Joey Talbot is also potting the goals, so the Steel City is riding a wave of optimism right about now, earning them a...
Grade: A

Midweek games this week see Nottingham meet Newcastle in the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final, and Cardiff meet Edinburgh in the Sky game on Wednesday...

That's your weekend review...more tomorrow. Until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 12th November

This week we look back on a weekend which saw the title race get closer, form teams keep going and the return of the Bison...here's the team-by-team review for the 12th November:

Basingstoke: What a difference a new owner makes. Nine goals (including a shutout win on the Saturday), a win away in Manchester and a new mood of optimism at the Silverdome. The Bison, if not likely to challenge for the title just yet, have at least turned the corner. With Curtis Cruickshank returning, Mikko Puntorakanen making what was by all accounts an impressive debut weekend, and Danny Stewart and Steve Thornton carrying the goalscoring load, coach Ryan Aldridge can now show what he can do with a team of settled and happy players-it will certainly be fun for the Bison faithful...A four-pointer this weekend earns them...
Grade: A

Belfast: Here's another team whose fortunes are on the turn for the better. A win against the Steelers in the Odyssey was followed by a gutsy win in Hull, with the Stingrays taking them to a penaly shoot-out before falling in the tenth round of shots. With Scott Cameron the first to return from the Giants long injury list and playing well in his return to action, there is finally optimism in the Northern Irish camp. As for the grade, you can't argue with four points, even if two of them are against the slumping Stingrays, so the Giants earn..
Grade: B+

Cardiff: The Devils are seriously hot right now. 12 wins from 13 games after another two this weekend makes them the team to fear at the moment, and the two this weekend were good ones, beating Manchester away before dismantling the Panthers with six goals at home on the Sunday. Mike Prpich opened his account, and Max Birbraer is finding the scoring form of last season, so it's hard to bet against this run continuing, which is bad news for the three teams above them...The Devils continue to be among the top grades with...
Grade: A

Coventry: It's amazing what two losses can do...sections of the Blaze fanbase (maybe those with short memories) are now in outright mourning because their team has been proven to be mortal this weekend. Summing up their reactions-the home loss against Newcastle on Saturday was greeted with "OK, we can just about accept that" but losing up in Edinburgh on the Sunday has seen the big red PANIC! button pressed by some as they look for a scapegoat. Admittedly it wasn't the most pleasant weekend of hockey ever from a Sky Blue City perspective, but already players are being lined up for the chop by some fans-notably Barrie Moore. The Blaze will have an immediate chance to bounce back as they face Newcastle away next Saturday-doubtless there will be some harsh words spoken in training this week after two listless performances, which combined earn the Blaze a...
Grade: C-

Edinburgh: Meanwhile, north of the border, there are calls for a public holiday after the Caps finally broke their losing streak. And what a way to do so-beating the league leaders 3-1 after a shutout loss in Basingstoke the night before. They are still anchored to the bottom of the table, but the Capitals will take a huge boost from last night's result as they look to get their league campaign off the ground after a nightmare start. The win against the league leaders bumps up their grade to a...
Grade: B-

Hull: On the other hand, Hull would love a boost from somewhere. Two more defeats mean the Stingrays are still in free-fall as the nights darken...the one positive is the point gained in Belfast. More press releases are flowing from Rick Strachan this week saying that things will have to change soon, but is anyone reading them any more? The Stingrays, I'm afraid, are still down at the bottom with a grade...
Grade: D

Manchester: What has gone wrong in Altrincham recently? The Phoenix lost both this weekend despite Joe Tallari having a five-goal weekend-trouble is he still isn't getting any real help putting the puck in the net, at leasy not on a regular basis, and while this state of affairs continues the Phoenix will always be beatable. Losing to the Bison and the Devils, both at home, is not the best way to cement your playoff ambitions...thus, they earn themselves a...
Grade: C

Newcastle: An up-and-down weekend for the Vipers as a superb and well-earned win in Coventry on Saturday was followed by a 4-1 loss in Sheffield which dented their chase for the Challenge Cup and mean they'll face Nottingham in the semis. Actually, that's not such a bad thing at the moment, given the teams respective records...The Vipers can go top by themselves if they beat the Capitals on Wednesday, before returning to face the Blaze at home next Saturday. The win against the Blaze alone, however, is enough to earn the Vipers a...
Grade: B

Nottingham: Just when is the Panthers' title challenge going to start? Seriously? A win against a slumping Stingrays (fairly predictable) was followed by a tanking down in Cardiff (also fairly predictable). The Panthers aren't really the best side if you're looking for consistency, but then, if you've watched ice-hockey in the UK for any length of time, then you'd know that already. Admittedly, the Panthers have an import forward to come in to replace the temporary measure that is Mike Ellis, and should that be Dan Tessier (or someone equally creative) then things may change for the better, but at the moment the inconsistent Panthers get...
Grade: C

Sheffield: At least the Steelers have confirmed their Challenge Cup qualification after beating Newcastle on Sunday-a fact which will be some consolation after their loss in Belfast saw them drop to third in the league. There's some in Sheffield who are caling for changes-and Dave Matsos was apparently seriously unhappy with the result and indeed the performance in Belfast-could changes be on the horizon? The qualification for the CC Cup bumps up their grade a little, but the Steelers still only earn themselves...
Grade: C

This week, the midweek game is Vipers vs Capitals, as Newcastle have a chance to go top by themselves...It could be interesting to see if there are any changes in any other teams this week-it's not exactly been quiet on the player-movement front so far...

Check back tomorrow evening for more hockey chat, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 5th November.

As fireworks crackle in the sky and the smell of smoke hangs everywhere on this Bonfire Night, we look back at a weekend that saw at least one barn-burner and plenty of explosive games...here we go with another team-by-team review of the weekend...

Basingstoke: One win, one loss for the beleaguered Hampshire side, as they came out on the wrong side of an 8-4 game in Cardiff on Saturday (complete with a spectacular brawl twenty-three seconds from the end-it seems that these two teams just strike sparks off each other after their brawl in Basingstoke last month) before gutting out a 5-4 win in a dead rubber CC game against the Giants on the Sunday. It really is a testament to the heart of the Bison squad that they continue to play hard each week despite not knowing from week to week whether they'll be paid, or even if the team will exist. Once again the Bison are graded on more than just results, as they earn themselves a
Grade: B-

Belfast: With almost as many walking wounded as your average episode of Casualty on their bench, the Northern Irish side could be forgiven for expecting a tanking at the hands of Coventry on Friday. Instead the Giants played well in order to grind out a 1-1 draw which not only puts the Blaze out of the Challenge Cup, but also makes for some bragging rights in the rivalry between the two sets of fans. A loss in Basingstoke on Sunday isn't the greatest way to finish their cup campaign for another season, but despite this the Giants earn a:
Grade: B-

Cardiff: Someone's lit a fire under the Devils. Two more games, two more wins, including an awesome defensive performance away in Nottingham in order to gut out a 2-1 win after scoring eight past the Bison the night before. The Devils are now up to fourth in the league from 9th a few weekends ago, and making their presence felt as they breathe down the necks of the leading pack. For their 10-goal, 4-point weekend, the Devils earn themselves a coveted:
Grade: A

Coventry: My, was this a nervy weekend for the league leaders. Their fingertip grasp of the Challenge Cup slipped away on Friday as they produced an uninspired performance at the Odyssey in Belfast, before the Steelers pushed them all the way in a 3-2 win at the Skydome on Sunday in what was one of the best games at the Skydome (and will certainly be the best game in front of the Sky cameras to date) this season. Only the width of a post prevented the Steelers from taking the game into overtime as Joey Talbot pinged the pipes twice in the closing stages, but thanks to goals from the electric duo of Adam Calder (2) and Dan Carlson, the Blaze stay on top. There'll be a few sighs of relief around the Sky Blue City this morning, and because of this the Blaze only earn...
Grade: C

Edinburgh: Shut out at home by the Vipers in their only game of the weekend, the Caps have hit rock bottom, with only three wins from fourteen league games. Changes surely have to come soon in the Scottish capital, with pressure growing on Doug Christiansen to turn things around. The bright new dawn in Edinburgh has, so far, only produced a long and rainy day, with no break in the clouds in sight. Sadly for the Caps faithful, their team hit rock bottom in the grading this week (barely) with the dreaded...
Grade: F

Hull: And it isn't much better further south on Humberside. The Stingrays suffered a mauling from a rampant Panthers side on Saturday as Nottingham (8 goals) and Patrik Wallenberg (who got himself four of them) ran completely riot at Hull Ice Arena. The Humbersiders did regain some pride by taking Manchester to overtime before losing 2-1 on Sunday, but the PR machine will have to work even harder in order to cover up this grade...
Grade: E

Manchester: The Phoenix lit up the Steelers for five goals at the Hallam Arena on Saturday, but unfortunately their stingy defence seemed to take the day off as they conceded six. On Sunday, however, it was back in full effect as the Altrincham crowd saw their team eventually break down a dogged Stingrays side for a two-one win. Challenge Cup group B is still wide open, and the Phoenix, who are poised to announce the signing of a goalscorer to complement Joe Tallari this week after the release of KC Timmons, are still in the hunt. Thus they earn themselves a...
Grade: B-

Newcastle: One game, one win for the Vipers-a professional performance saw them notch up the first qualifying spotnfor the semi final from Challenge Cup Group B as they took a 4-0 win away from Edinburgh. With a big weekend coming up, the Vipers are poised to move up a gear in the charge for silverware. A professional performance earns them a...
Grade: B

Nottingham: Weekends like this sum up the frustration of being a Panthers fan. The Big Cats destroyed sorry Hull on the Saturday, notching eight goals while conceding two, but then fell to Cardiff at home by two goals to one in another example of them not being able to beat the good teams often enough-something which has dogged the NIC residents for years. Had they won against the Devils, the East Midlanders would easily have earned the best grade for this week, but their continuing inconsistency only earns them a
Grade: C+

Sheffield: The Steelers fans had a rollercoaster ride with their team this weekend, as they outlasted the Phoenix for a 6-5 win at the Hallam on Saturday before giving the Blaze a huge scare (and indeed being unlucky not to take at least a point) at the Skydome on the Sunday,eventually losing 3-2 (but not before Joey Talbot scared the living hell out of me twice in the final five minutes). Keeping in touch with the leading pack and two vital points in their Challenge Cup campaign means the Steelers earn...
Grade: B

There are no midweek games for a change this week, so it'll be a week of off-ice ramblings on here until the weekend preview on Friday. Keep checking back, and remember, as always: Keep your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime: 29th October

And so we come to another Monday, and thus another Double Overtime. Off we go...in a weekend which saw great comebacks, more injury woes and a few high-scoring games...

Basingstoke: The Bison continue to make friends around the league as they play without a top-line centre and a starting goalie. This weekend they scared third-placed Newcastle at the Silverdome by going two goals up before eventually losing 6-4 in a game which, judging by the penalty count and the types of penalties given, was more than a little "tasty". Then came an epic comeback up in Edinburgh on the Sunday, as they came back from 4-0 down after the first period, scoring eight goals in forty minutes while only conceding one to win 8-5 at Murrayfield. With an import goalie expected to sign this week, and three extra days to rest and recuperate with the Halloween game against the Blaze cancelled, the Bison appear to be out of the woods after their recent financial problems, and they also have possibly the best young forward in the league in Danny Stewart, who is creeping up the scoring charts thanks to his current hot-streak. Mainly due to their comeback in Edinburgh, the battling Bison earn themselves a...
Grade: B

Belfast: One game, two points. That will do as a weekend for the Northern Irish side...although injuries continue to dog them with Mark Dutiaume and Paul Moran the latest two to be crocked this weekend, both with shoulder injuries, joining Trevor Johnson, Scott Cameron and Roman Gavalier in the physio room. Luckily for the Giants, Peter Campbell has been on an absolute tear since coming over from Basingstoke a few weeks ago, and he continued it by gaining man-of-the-match and another two goals in the Giant's 4-1 win. Apart from the injuries, all is rosy in the land of shamrocks and leprechauns, and so they earn themselves a...
Grade: B

Cardiff: That rumbling is the sound of something stirring in the valleys. While it can't really be said just yet, as the Devils' slogan does, that "all hell's gonna break loose", the boilers are definitely being heated up in South Wales as we speak, after standing idle for the first few weekends of the season. Mike Prpich's competent debut and a four-point weekend against two tough opponents means that things continue to look brighter and brighter by the bay, and they earn the top grade this week with...
Grade: A

Coventry: Sunday was much brighter than Saturday for the current champions-a woeful performance in Nottingham means that the defence of the Challenge Cup hangs in the balance despite only losing 1-0-a score which could have been a lot higher if Trevor Koenig hadn't channelled his inner French Army General and decided that his motto was "they shall not pass". Sunday saw a nervy performance against a Hull side who came to shut the Blaze down, and largely succeeded on the back of Ladislav Kudrna's efforts before succumbing 2-1 to goals from Dan Carlson and Adam Calder. Let's just say that this weekend will not live long in the memory, which is why the Blaze can only earn themselves a
Grade: C

Edinburgh: Definitely a case of "sublime to ridiculous" for the Caps this week. One step forward in beating Hull away on the Saturday night was followed by several steps back on the Sunday as they threw away a 4-0 first-period lead to lose 8-5 to the Bison. All is not well in Murrayfield, with the fans angry at the "shocking" performance on Sunday, the entire team reportedly on their two weeks notice, and coach Doug Christiansen pleading with the fans to stick with the team but already subject to rumblings of discontent. Given that the Caps took a giant step backward on the Sunday, they earn themselves a...
Grade: D

Hull: There's only so many press releases that people will take saying that the team are unified or, as this week, the coach is satisfied with the performances, before people begin to look solely at the results. And the simple fact is-the Stingrays aren't gaining enough points. Worse, they're losing to teams they should at least look like beating, as with Edinburgh (nine losses on the bounce before this weekend) on Saturday. To give them their due, the Humbersiders played their spoiling game well on Sunday at the Skydome, but losing valiantly just doesn't cut it in the EIHL-even if "valiantly" means Ladislav Kudrna gaining a 94% save percentage off 49 shots in defeat on the Sunday. And this is why the Stingrays only earn themselves...
Grade: E

Manchester: The Phoenix Express came off the rails slightly this weekend with two losses. Saturday saw the Phoenix run into a Belfast side on something of a roll, while Sunday saw another odd-goal loss against their cross-Pennine rivals from Sheffield as the charge up the table stuttered slightly. There is no cause to panic yet, but the Phoenix earn their lowest grade yet this week despite their battling losses...
Grade: C-

Newcastle: With apologies to Meatloaf, three out of four ain't bad. The Vipers faced two hard-fought games this weekend, coming out on the right side of a ten-goal thriller in Basingstoke on Saturday, and taking the Devils to a penalty shootout in the Blue Tent on the Sunday. Another two points will do the Vipers no harm at all in the EIHL standings, but their home form will be something of a concern if it continues much longer. The Vipers keeping themselves cruising along means that they earn...
Grade: B-

Nottingham: One game, one win. In a game the Panthers needed desperately. In that respect, the Big Cats will be pleased this Monday evening. One Big Cat does not make a safari, however, and, far from resting on their laurels, Mike Ellis' men must continue to win games if they want to silence the mutterings in the Panthers faithful, many of whom will be aware that catching the league champions on an off-night does not mean things are definitely improving at the NIC. However, a win is a win, and the grade, while it can't really be worse than last week's, is a big improvement at...
Grade: B-

Sheffield: The Steelers keep on keepin' on. A 3-1 loss at home against Cardiff wouldn't have been the greatest Saturday night at the Hallam ever, but the 2-1 victory in Manchester (OK, Altrincham) is a hard-won and useful two points which keeps the Steelers in second place, so the demanding Steel City faithful can rest easy for yet another weekend as their team earn themselves a...
Grade: C+

And so there you go. There's only one midweek game this week, as the Vipers face the Stingrays with both sides coming off a loss. This game won't be pretty, but there'll be bruises on both sides when the final buzzer goes, whatever the scoreline.

That's Double Overtime done for another week. More ramblings tomorrow, but until then, as always...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 22nd October

So, another weekend in the EIHL is in the books, and it's time for the team-by-team weekend review:

Basingstoke: On the face of it, it's only been a weekend of more misery for the Hampshire side. Three games in four days for a team who've just lost their starting goalie and number one centre isn't the ideal weekend slate, not to mention something of a baptism of fire for Dan Green, as the back-up goalie-turned-emergency-starter. I briefly refer to the Thursday night game here, but things didn't get much better results-wise for either the Bison's temporary starter or his team at the weekend. The young Brit more than earned the adulation of his notorious "Appreciation Society" however, facing 84 shots over the two weekend games and only letting in five goals for a stellar 94 percent save percentage. Unfortunately, the Bison's weakened attack could only score three goals in the two games, losing 2-1 and 3-2. Which means the Bison come out of this weekend pointless, but with a huge amount of respect earned from both their fans and the opposition.
Grade: B-

Belfast: The Giants, a team who were somewhat in need of a lift themselves before this weekend, lucked out by facing a Basingstoke side in turmoil for their only two games of the weekend. After Peter Campbell's dream (2 goals, 2 assists) debut on the Thursday night, he and the Giants found the Bison a much tougher proposition in their home rink, but still managed to grind out a hard-fought two-one win thanks to goals from Shaun Sutter and Carlyle Lewis (who seems to be finally finding his feet after being heavily criticised by his own fans earlier on in the season). Another improvement for the Giants this weekend-let's just see how long they can continue...
Grade: B

Cardiff: It was an up-and-down weekend for the Devils, coming out on opposite sides of the same 3-2 scoreline on Saturday and Sunday. Against Sheffield on Saturday, they were on the wrong side, as the Steelers fought hard to keep their climb up the table going. Sylvain Deschatelets continues to provide rich pickings for the irony hunters among us, though, earning another man-of-the-match award in what is surely his last weekend. More fodder was provided on Sunday, as Deschatelets scored another two goals and assisted on the the other as the Devils ground out a three-two result against a high-flying Newcastle. With the Devils still looking for a forward and Gerard Adams able to move back and play on defence, coupled with a growing "Sly must stay" movement among the fans, the big Quebec-native centre is finally proving his worth-but is it too late?
Grade: B

Coventry: Two more games, two more wins in which the Blaze didn't really look like they got out of third gear. A professional performance against Edinburgh on the Saturday was followed by a surprisingly easy 4-0 win against a lacklustre Panthers side on the Sunday. The league leaders didn't do too badly in avoiding the dreaded Continental Cup Curse for the first week back at least. There are several small clouds on the horizon, however, in the injuries suffered by Neal Martin and Michael Tasker on the Saturday night. They were missing for Sunday's game at least, so it remains to be seen whether they'll be out for longer, and whether Martin's loss in paticular will affect the rhythm of the team. However, based purely on the results on the ice, four points and two professional performances gets them a...
Grade: B+

Edinburgh: The Caps fans must be wondering when this losing streak is going to end. Just the one game this weekend saw them lose five-two to the Blaze in a game during which they never really troubled the Midlands side. Doug Christiansen's men started the season with a lot of hope, but so far it hasn't even come close to being realised. Much more of this and there may be changes north of the border...
Grade: D-

Hull: Another rollercoaster weekend on Humberside saw the Stingrays split their home-and-away games with Manchester, although the loss on the Sunday was perhaps more important as it officially confimed the Rays' exit from the Challenge Cup, the home side prevailing 5-2 and gaining revenge for their 5-3 defeat in the league the previous night. Paul Cabana finally got some help in the scoring stakes from Jake Riddle and Rob Rankin, the three combining for five goals at home on the Saturday, but the defeat on Sunday shows there may still be some way to go before the Stingrays can breathe easier-they're not out of the woods yet after their nightmare recent run...
Grade: C+

Manchester: This team is nothing if not resilient. After losing 5-3 in Hull, the Phoenix simply came back out on Sunday in their own rink and quietly went about gaining revenge, which they duly did with a 5-2 scoreline in their favour, moving themselves a step closer to the Challenge Cup Finals in the process. Once again their goal difference came out positive despite the loss-the Angry Budgies forwards scoring eight goals over the weekend while their defence conceded only five. The Northerners are continuing to be a thorn in the side of the top teams, and as long as Joe Tallari continues to score and the defence continue to block shots, they look like being there or thereabouts...
Grade: B

Newcastle: From the sublime....to the slightly less sublime. The Vipers piled on the woe for Nottingham on Saturday with a somewhat surprising 4-1 win at the NIC as brawn prevailed over skill, before being outmuscled by the Devils on Sunday in their own rink, in a performance described variously as "disinterested", "lacklustre", and "very poor". The North Easterners dropped from second to third on this weekends results, and will be looking to bounce back next weekend after the Cardiff loss in order to continue their decent start to the season. Based on this weekend (with slightly extra weighting for tanking Nottingham in their own rink) they get
Grade: B

Nottingham: Oh, dear. The Panthers fans are really not happy. Shaky on defence and toothless in attack this weekend, the Big Cats were more like Little Kittens-with Robert Stancok and Rastislav Rovnianek in particular drawing the fans' ire. New signing Kevin Bergin has shown no sign so far of replicating last seasons' form in Basingstoke, and after only four games the Panthers faithful are already beginning to get on his back. Mike Ellis has said that there will be changes shortly and that players are effectively on their last chance this weekend-it remains to be seen whether this will put the claws back on the feet and sticks of the Panthers, however. Facing Coventry again, but this time in the NIC, is a game that's looking bigger and bigger, particularly with the impact it could have on both sides' Challenge Cup campaigns. However, a nightmare weekend for the Panthers means that this week they earn...
Grade: F

Sheffield: And finally, the Steelers, who will not be complaining at all after gaining a hard-fought four-point weekend, winning both their games by the same 3-2 scoreline. The Hallam Arena tenants will certainly be feeling the effects today after meetings with Cardiff and Basingstoke, both of who will fight like demons for the full sixty minutes and can beat any team on any day, no matter how highly-touted their forward line is. However, you only have to score one more than the opponents in order to win, and the Steelers managed that to perfection this weekend as their defence held firm long enough for the forwards to get the needed breakthrough at the other end. A good weekend for the perennial title hopefuls gains them the best grade of this week with a
Grade: A

Midweek action this week sees the struggling Edinburgh Capitals take on the stuttering Newcastle Vipers in a cross-border Battle of the North. Who will prevail-Doug Christiansen's Bravehearts or Rob Wilson's bruisers? I shall be watching this one closely...

More ramblings to come tomorrow-until then, keep your eye on the puck...

Double Overtime, 15th October: Elite League Weekend Review

Well, here we are after another weekend of Elite League action-the Blaze not involved this weekend but all the Conti Cup action is detailed in the running diaries below, and a brief reflection on Saturday's games is detailed in this post... http://throughtheplexi.blogspot.com/2007/10/hungover-hockeyreflections-on-october.html

So, on to the weekend as a whole, with grades for each team...

Belfast: Another up-and-down weekend for the Giants, with that 7-1 thumping of Hull away on Saturday being followed with finishing on the wrong end of a 6-1 scoreline in Manchester on Sunday-the Giants fans are well and truly getting sick of this Jekyll-and-Hyde team (although there's been much more Hyde than Jekyll up to now). Ed Courtenay appears to have no way of bringing consistency to this team, and must be wondering what he has to do, although surely now there will be changes made. Troy Neumeier has been taking the brunt of the fans fury along with Courtenay himself, although Giants seemingly have problems at both ends, letting in far more than they're putting away. Expect changes soon...
Grade: C-

Basingstoke: Two games against Cardiff, two close losses. The expected Battle at the Bay didn't materialise after Saturday's game, at least in terms of fisticuffs, but it was more than made up for by the twelve-goal thriller shown on the scoreboard, with the Bison coming out on the losing side by 7-5 after their 4-3 loss on Saturday at the Silverdome. With rumours still hanging around the team, it remains to be seen what'll happen this week, but the league's most Southern-based team are still plugging away, and I have a feeling they'll start causing a stir as long as they can keep their team together.
Grade: C+

Cardiff: Well, there can be no complaints in South Wales. Two games, eleven goals scored, and four points. Possibly the slight cloud on the horizon is that Phil Osaer had to pick the puck out of his net eight times over the two nights-that's one man who will certainly be thanking the hockey gods that his forwards had a productive week. Irony of the week goes to Sylvain Deschatelets, who gained 1+2 in his final game for the Devils, sneaking the insurance goal at the end of Sunday's game. With a new player to come in this week, the Devils will have a huge confidence boost going into next weekend's action-it's taken a while, but the furnace may finally be starting to heat up in the "blue tent on the bay"
Grade: B

Edinburgh: Poor old Capitals. So much hope at the beginning of the season, and once again they're propping up the league after an eight-game losing streak, losing to Nottingham 4-2 in their only game this weekend. The Scots are far better than their league position gives them credit for, but just can't close out games. With their talented young Scots contributing better than expected, the onus is now on the imports to back them up-if this starts happening and the Caps start firing, they will be dangerous, particularly on the big ice of Murrayfield. We shall see. Their grade is perhaps unfairly low, but is based more on results than actual performance, hence:
Grade: D

Hull: Oh, dear. There are problems by the Humber, with starting goalie Ladislav Kudrna only playing for twenty minutes this weekend before suffering a knee injury, leaving young Brit Tom Chamberlain to face the full fury of Belfast and Newcastle's attacks, and they took advantage, putting eleven goals past the Stingrays for a total of only two scored. The Hull Daily Mail has described Saturday's performance as "shambolic" and from all accounts, Sunday's wasn't much better. It remains to be seen whether Kudrna will be out for a while, but all Humberside hockey fans will be hoping that he will be back soon, otherwise it could be a long winter...
Grade: F

Manchester: I discuss their two-one loss in Sheffield on Friday in depth here:
http://throughtheplexi.blogspot.com/2007/10/catching-up-with-eihl.html
but their 6-1 thumping of Belfast on Sunday will have done them no harm at all after a dispiriting game at the Hallam which saw them outshoot the Steelers by over two-to-one and still lose, thanks to Jody Lehman. I've been impressed with the Phoenix so far this season-they're a workmanlike team who have a surprising amount of flair in Joe Tallari and Sean Starke, not to mention the ageless Tony Hand, and will always cause teams problems. Given that they are still holding station in the league and produced a good performance to sink the Giants, they get...
Grade: B+

Newcastle: The Vipers are another team who were only in action once this weekend, against a sorry-looking Hull side riven by injuries. But you can only beat what's in front of you, and the Vipers did that, putting four goals in before reportedly easing off a little against Hull's back-up. Colin Shields is starting to play as expected, newest signing Todd Jackson is settling nicely, and Ryan MacDonald is starting to stake his claim for best goalie in the EIHL. Sitting third in the league, three points off the top with two games in hand on second-placed Sheffield, there are few things to worry about on Tyneside at the moment...
Grade: B

Nottingham: The Panthers eased the pain of a 2-1 derby loss to Sheffield on Saturday with a come-from behind win in Edinburgh on Sunday for yet another two-point weekend. And that's one of the problems-when on fire this team is arguably the best in the league, but they just can't seem to find the consistency...an age-old problem in the Lace City. With a tough weekend coming up against the Vipers and my very own Coventry Blaze, this weekend will be a real test for the big cats as they face two of their big rivals for honours this season. But they will be confident with Sean McAslan on a scoring streak of 16 in only fifteen games, and a raft of other quality forwards yet to find their scoring touch...
Grade: B-

Sheffield: The Steelers came unscathed through two tough games this weekend, winning 2-1 on both Friday and Saturday. While not being the most exciting, these are the weekends that win championships. One slight cloud on the horizon is that their much-touted and high-powered attack were restricted to 17 shots, of which they scored two vs Manchester on Friday-not the kind of efficiency you want from your attack if you have any ambitions of winning trophies. However, their defence (well, more to the point, Jody Lehman) was as stingy as the forwards were wasteful, only conceding two goals on 60+ shots, despite the defence in front of him allowing Manchester 42 attempts on goal on Friday night, so on that basis, they earn the top grade of the week:
Grade: B++

Next weekend sees all teams return to Elite League action-check back on Thursday for the Round the Rinks weekend preview, and throughout the week for updates...

Until next time, keep your eye on the puck...
duly edited, after managing to misread the shot count from Friday night...