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-

Round the Rinks 30th November

You know the drill by now-team by team preview for the weekend coming up...

Basingstoke: Cardiff and Newcastle are the opponents for the Bison this week, in what is sure to be a tricky weekend for the Hampshire side. Kyle Peto is still out, but with Mikko Purontakanen and David Vychodil competing for his place the Bison need have no fear of any slacking on defence. Both players will need to play to the limits of their considerable abilities, however, against two attacks who, for different reasons, will be fired up-the Devils as they attempt to stay top and the Vipers as they try to reverse the mini-slump the North-Easterners have been in over the past week or two...

Belfast: Coventry are the visitors to the Odyssey tonight, in a game which will be covered by the Belfast webcast team (details here and here) before the Giants travel to Sheffield on Sunday in two games which will be hotly contested. The Northern Irish faithful will be hopeful of a result in at least one of these games now that the team are finally back at full strength (defenceman Trevor Johnson is the last to come off the injury list and should be in the lineup this weekend), and with one import having to be cut in order to comply with league rules, the players will be giving it their all in one last chance to impress coach Ed Courtenay.

Cardiff: The Devils face Basingstoke and Nottingham as they bid to stay top of the EIHL for a third week, and will be watching tonight's game in Belfast closely in the hope the Giants can do them an early favour. With two opponents who are both desperate for points themselves in the battle for playoff places, the Welsh will need to play somewhere near the level they reached in Coventry last Saturday in order to achieve their goal...

Coventry: The Blaze will be up for this weekend as they face rivals Belfast away tonight before looking to gain revenge for their shock defeat last time they met Edinburgh when the Caps visit the Skydome on Sunday. With a question-mark over just how long Sylvain Cloutier can keep going, the Blaze need every point they can get at the moment in order to keep in touch with Cardiff at the top, despite their games in hand, so expect no let-up no matter how much the players may be hurting..

Edinburgh: Manchester and Coventry beckon for the league's bottom club this time out-the Caps will be hoping for a miracle at the Skydome on Sunday, but their best chance of points comes against the Phoenix at Murrayfield tomorrow night. As we've seen so far this season, however, miracles are few and far between in the Scottish capital, so another lean weekend looks on the cards.

Hull: The Stingrays will be hoping new signing Marlon Joseph provides enough of a boost to see them out of their epic losing streak as they take on Sheffield and Manchester. However, despite all the good intentions in the world, the Stingrays look locked into a losing mentality if their results are anything to go by, and I can't see one player changing things on Humberside...

Manchester: The Phoenix come off a win into games against Edinburgh and Hull, both of which are certainly winnable, particularly now Luke Stauffacher is sharing the goalscoring load with Joe Tallari. This weekend could come at an ideal time to inject some confidence back into the Angry Budgies as they look to gain some ground on the teams above them...

Newcastle: The Challenge Cup is the priority for the Vipers as they take on Nottingham tonight in the second leg of their semi-final before welcoming Basingstoke on Sunday. After a recent loss of form in the league the cup is a welcome distraction-but there is the danger that a loss tonight could set the tone for the rest of their season if it's followed up with a loss to the Bison...

Nottingham: Tom Askey gets thrown into the deep end tonight as the Panthers travel to Newcastle with a one-goal advantage in their Challenge Cup semi final, before they return to league action against Cardiff on Sunday. With Mike Ellis lacing up the skates as a stopgap until the new import arrives, the Panthers aren't short of bodies any more, but will the addition of Askey be the last piece to help them close out the Vipers and do the Blaze a favour in the league?

Sheffield: Another two chances for the Steelers to get their league campaign back on track as they face Hull and Belfast this time out. With no injuries to speak of the game against the Stingrays should yield two points, but the Giants, even away from home, should be a much tougher proposition. Still, there will be high hopes that the Steelers can take four crucial points in the league race...

The fixtures, then.

Friday

Belfast v Coventry

Newcastle v Nottingham (Challenge Cup)

Saturday

Edinburgh v Manchester

Hull v Sheffield

Basingstoke v Cardiff

Sunday

Manchester v Hull

Newcastle v Basingstoke

Sheffield v Belfast

Coventry v Edinburgh

Cardiff v Nottingham

Let's play hockey....:)

Thursday Catch-up...

Once again we go with the regular daily update-apologies there haven't been many longer posts this week but job-search-related events in my own life mean I've been somewhat busy for the majority of it...Anyway...

"On a knife-edge" just about covers it: The Steelers and Devils battled out a tense eight-goal draw in the Big Blue Tent last night in the first leg of their Challenge Cup semi, scoring four each in a see-saw tie which also saw Ashley Tait score his 800th point in British hockey with the Steelers' third goal, which came just eight minutes in (the game saw five goals scored in the first ten minutes before the scoring slowed down a little). The only certainty in this tie is that the second leg is going to be an absolute humdinger as the two sides battle for the right to meet Nottingham or Newcastle in the final (that semi will be decided tomorrow night).

Stingrays add muscle: Hull have beefed up their roster today with the signing of Marlon Joseph, a 22-year old Canadian who, lets just say, isn't the goalscorer the Stingrays need but is more of a replacement for injured enforcer Cole Byers-the press release, as appearing in the Hull Daily Mail, is here. Mean-looking, isn't he?

Rumours that the same person was offering two CD's of unknown origin for sale are, however, unfounded: The Government have involved themselves in the use of hockey forums-specifically The Cage (Nottingham Panthers, which is one of the most respected forums on the net related to British hockey), after it was revealed that a poster (who ironically is a Sheffield Steelers fan and has posted the same information on the Steeltalk forum) was posting the names of new signings before they were released after obtaining them from work-permit applications to the Department of Work and Pensions, which are strictly confidential. The article covering this, and appearing in the Nottingham Evening Post today, is in full here.
Must admit this worried me for a few minutes, as I'd also posted this information on the blog after reading it from the original forum. However, after asking a few people on the Cage, it appears that posting information after it's already appeared in public, whatever the source, is OK...so there'll be no interruptions in posting due to your good writer meeting the gentlemen of the law...:)

That's your lot for now...check back tomorrow afternoon for the traditional weekend preview, and keep keeping your eye on the puck...

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...

Round the Rinks, 23rd November

It's your weekly skate round the EIHL as we preview a weekend which, even this early in the season, is going to have a major influence on the standings at the end of the season...

Team-by-team...

Basingstoke: The Bison play twice at home this weekend, in tricky ties against Newcastle followed by Belfast at the Silverdome. The Southerners are finally building something substantial after their early-season problems, but this weekend will be a big measure of the new imports-the Vipers are a very good team indeed despite their recent stutters in form-something which can also be said for the Giants. But then, the Bison themselves went 3-0 up in eight minutes away in Coventry last week, so they're not too bad themselves...it could be a very close pair of games that could go either way in the South...

Belfast: The Giants have two games they will consider eminently winnable, with Hull visiting on Saturday before the trip to Basingstoke on Sunday. With players coming back from injury the Giants should be too powerful for the sorry Stingrays, but will not be looking forward to the Basingstoke tie, especially as every point is precious as they seek to get back into the race for the top tier of the league...

Cardiff: If the Devils had to choose the biggest threat to their winning run, then facing Coventry away followed by Newcastle at home would probably be the nightmare weekend-the trouble is that this weekend contains those exact fixtures for the South Wales side. The message Gerard Adams will be giving to his team is simple: "Every player must turn up, every player must play to their absolute best-these games are ours to win". With Mike Prpich missing, the Devils are slightly weakenend-but you can guarantee there'll be little evidence of that as they come out determined to gain a huge psychological victory over both of their rivals. If you're anywhere near the Skydome tomorrow night, then get in any way you can-Saturday's game in particular has the potential to be an absolute classic.

Coventry: The Blaze make a trip to Hull on Sunday to face the stuttering Stingrays aiming to get themselves back into the winning groove for good after bouncing back last weekend...but that game is hardly getting a mention on the forums-to many this weekend is all about the most passionate rivalry in British hockey as Cardiff come intending to raise hell at the Skydome tomorrow night. I know I've been hyping this game for the past week, but anyone who's seen some of the near-legendary meetings between these two teams in the past will know that such treatment is justified. Barrie Moore is back in the line-up, so Blaze are only missing Michael Tasker in a game both the players and the fans would simply love to win-if it puts Blaze back on top that will just be an additional bonus.

Edinburgh: Sheffield and Nottingham will be hoping to pile on the misery for the luckless Scots after their 8-3 tanking at the hands of Cardiff on Wednesday...new signing Mark Wires will be after a good home debut, but one player does not make a team, and if I'm honest I can see it being yet another pointless weekend for the Caps as the Panthers and Steelers brush them aside in the chase for points.

Hull: Belfast and Coventry promise another lean weekend for the Stingrays faithful-with crowds dropping and increasing pressure on Rick Strachan, these are tense times on Humberside, with nothing seeming to go right-even the PR reports seem to be formulaic and predictable now. Sorry, Hull-but this is going to be another long weekend...

Manchester: Just the one game for the Phoenix this weekend, and it's a War of the Roses as Sheffield visit Altrincham on Sunday. The major question for the Phoenix is, as always, goals...Joe Tallari has scored double the amount of his closest team-mate (Tony Hand), and they're the only two players in double figures after 22 league games as the team as a whole has only scored 50 goals. Sheffield are another team who tend to rely more on one area than another to win games-however, unlike the Phoenix it's their high-powered attack. scoring 57 while conceding only 48. The Phoenix will be hoping that the Steelers can't shut down Tallari (assuming he plays) otherwise they'll start to look a very one-dimensional team..

Newcastle: Basingstoke and Cardiff are the opponents as the Vipers spend the weekend away from home hoping to bounce back from the nightmarish weekend they had last time out-but any slack play will definitely be punished by both opponents. With Rob Wilson's "we deserve to be where we are" comment coming under question based on last week's performances, this is a vital weekend for the Vipers as they look to prove that last weekend was not them finally being found out...

Nottingham: The Panthers have another one-game weekend, and it's the one they would have picked as they face the league's basement side in Edinburgh. Even one import down, the East Midlanders will be expecting a victory, and the Capitals will have to work very hard indeed in the hope of running them close. But with Nottingham determined to copy Cardiff and rise up the table quickly, they too will be taking no prisoners...

Sheffield: The Steelers face Edinburgh and Manchester this weekend, in one of those weekends short on glamour but long on importance. The Yorkshiremen have lost a little ground on the top three recently, and these two eminently winnable games will be seen as major opportunities to muscle their way back into contention after being slightly forgotten in the talk of honours as the attention fell on Cardiff's charge up the table.

So, the fixtures this weekend...

Saturday

Basingstoke v Newcastle

Belfast v Hull

Sheffield v Edinburgh

Coventry v Cardiff

Sunday

Manchester v Sheffield

Hull v Coventry

Cardiff v Newcastle

Edinburgh v Nottingham

Basingstoke v Belfast

Let's play hockey...

Snakes Bitten...

Well, first blood in the Challenge Cup semis goes to the Panthers-the game between Nottingham and Newcastle has just ended, with the home side actually proving one of my predictions right by coming out on top in a 9-goal thriller, thanks to Johan Molin scoring the winner in the 57th minute. Game details are here.

It does look a bit of a tasty game, doesn't it-not least because of this hug-fest fight between Andre Payette and Ryan Shmyr...although you have to wonder about the strength of Panther's goaltending, given that Rastislav Rovnianek managed to let in four goals on 22 shots while Ryan MacDonald let in only one more on nearly double the number of shots. Vipers will definitely fancy their chances in the return leg, particularly as the Slovakian between the pipes for Nottingham is looking more and more like their major Achilles heel-it's probably unfair to say that a large part of his signing this season was due to his shootout heroics in Panthers' playoff victory last time out, but that is looking more and more the case based on this season's form. At 38 he's no spring chicken either.

This tie is still very much in the balance heading up to the Metro Radio Arena-that is the only certainty we can draw from tonight's events...

Tomorrow I am working for most of the day, so there will likely not be an update until around 7pm...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck in the meantime...

Tuesday Morning Skate...

Welcome to another November day in the hockey world. On we go with the daily round-up, including more NHL dirtyness, a prospective Panther, a potential new arrival in Hull and one more new arena in London...

Panthers looking at another returnee: Brandin Cote, who was a huge hit for the Panthers three seasons ago, is the latest Panthers rumoured target to replace PC Drouin after the Canadian was reported yesterday as leaving SG Cortina in Italy. The gritty centre would be an ideal fit on this years roster, and with Mike Ellis appearing to prefer players who have worn Panthers shirts before over newbies in his recruiting this season, he could be a very likely option if not wishing to return to North America...

Stingrays looking for inspiration: Hull are another team looking to inject some new blood into their lineup, with one likely candidate being ex-London Racer Trevor Baker, who spent last year in the Central Hockey League. Firstly, though, the Stingers need to release an import...

Banzai-Swedish style!: Another week, another controversy in the NHL. This time it's the Vancouver Canucks Mattias Ohlund, who channels his inner samurai in this vicious slash on the Minnesota Wild's Mikko Koivu, which has left the Finn with a broken leg. Ohlund earned himself...four games, or about a week's suspension. Hardly a deterrent, really.

Sixty Second Preview: Challenge Cup Semi Final First Leg (tonight)
Why the Panthers will win: Sean McAslan. If Johan Molin or indeed any other Panthers player can feed him, the Panthers captain will score for fun-particularly as this weekend Ryan MacDonald has finally been shown to be mortal in conceding twelve goals. Vipers are coming into this game while not in the best of form, so if Panthers get at them early and force penalty trouble, the high-powered forward line can win it on the powerplay.

Why the Vipers will win: Nottingham, in the words of Corporal Jones, "don't like it up 'em". And up 'em is just where the Vipers like to play, throwing hits around like confetti, snarling and spitting on the forecheck, and bullying their way into the ascendancy. The Vipers also have a fairly strong back line (when it's on form) so denying the fast-skating Panthers the space to play will also be a priority.

Prediction: I'm absolutely awful at predicting scores, and indeed have made a running joke this season out of just how bad I've been. However, I can see the Panthers nicking this in front of their home crowd, but the tie will still be very much alive either way at the end of the first sixty minutes.

And still on the Vipers...: After my weekend review yesterday, "greenfox" commented "A nightmare for Newcastle who need to turn up for big games against the Blaze. It was a poor show this weekend and we were out played in every aspect of the game. Sunday saw another very sorry looking Vipers team playing the dump and chase style hockey."
This does surprise me-in the times I've seen the Vips this season they've played anything but dump-and-chase, preferring to carry it across the blue-line and then put all sorts of pressure on the nettie with people in front of him. It's interesting also as an indication the different reactions shown by different fan-bases, though-this was a very reasoned criticism, whereas Blaze's weekend last week was met with comments like "what's the point of (insert player here)" or "shocking show-not a single player turned up". This after winning 16 of seventeen? Some people are just never satisfied-maybe those who criticise the Blaze should take a leaf out of the North East's book...

London's new home-in Croydon?: Plans have been announced for a new 12,500-seat arena in Croydon, and as usual there is the wondering whether a new hockey team can be set up to resuscitate the London EIHL franchise. However, with work not even having begun on the site, this is very much a work in progress.

And that's you up to date this Tuesday...more tomorrow, and 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...

EIHL Daily Roundup...

;Apologies to those of you logging in expecting a Round the Rinks-that will now appear in time for tomorrow morning-I'm just using my break from work to post a few titbits from yet another day in the EIHL...

Vipers go top: In the only midweek game played this week, Newcastle beat Edinburgh 4-2 at the Metro Radio Arena last night, including two goals from local prospect Ben Campbell, in order to go clear top of the Elite League-they are now on 27 points with Coventry on 25 and two games in hand. The two teams face each other in the North East on Saturday in the EIHL game of the weekend...this just adds a little extra spice to what is sure to be a fiercely contested game.

Hay Panthers-we wanna know...where your import's gone?: Ooops. It appears that Panthers will not be welcoming Dwayne Hay to the NIC after all, as a recurrence of the injury that shortened his season last term has forced the Canadian into retirement before he even made it to the UK. This is a huge pity for him, but equally so for the East Midlanders as they now have to play at least a weekend with an import down. Mike Ellis is doubtless frantically searching the waste-paper bins in the Panthers office for Dan Tessier and Donald Maclean's mobile numbers as we speak...

Principles? Isn't that just a clothing store?: Not satisfied with simply saying one thing and doing another, my team the Blaze have now used the local media to slate the Elite League for turning down their appeal to be reinstated in the Challenge Cup-the Coventry Evening Telegraph story is here. As a Blaze fan, the continuing hoo-hah over this is somewhat embarassing-firstly because the Blaze tried to take the moral high-ground by saying that they wouldn't appeal, and then did so anyway, completely removing any sense of morality whatsoever, and secondly because, rather than accept the decision they've now played the "it's just because it's Blaze" card. Read this quote from Andy Buxton in the article...""You can bet if it had been us who had made the infringement, certain people would have been calling for the book to be thrown at us." (Yes, just like loads of Blaze fans have been on forums doing exactly the same thing with Belfast and Cardiff). Don't pretend it's just Coventry who take the flak...it just sounds like the spoilt kid at school complaining because they haven't got their own way.
Meanwhile, Mike Cowley says this...
""We've asked for the rules for the Challenge Cup to be up dated. Both games would have been forfeited if it had happened in the Elite League and it's only fair that the same rules apply for all competitions.". This conveniently fails to mention that, had the same rules applied for all EIHL competitions last season, the Blaze would not have been able to ask Jody Lehman to come in to cover for Trevor Koenig when Koenig's family suffered a major emergency (which thankfully turned out well) during the playoffs last season, and playing Stevie Lyle, who they eventually asked, would also have been somewhat dubious. (Admittedly, Lyle never played for the Blaze, but this was only because the Blaze goalie returned, with the blessing of his family, at the last minute).
For the record, it wasn't Shaun Johnson (Vipers centre) who played for Cardiff-it was the same Shane Johnson who played for Belfast and Sheffield. Nice bit of fact-checking.

And by the way...: Since the EIHL is an owner-run league, and Messrs Buxton and Cowley are both Blaze directors and thus will have at least one seat on the board between them-they had a hand in making the rules in the first place! It's like a gun-maker complaining about someone being shot-this whole thing is slowly descending into farce.

Steelers in trouble with arena: Well, maybe that's a bit alarmist. But there has been friction between the Steelers and the Hallam Arena recently, with the arena management refusing a weekend date for the Steelers and forcing a change to Ice Sheffield for a midweek game. Could a permanent move be on the cards?

That's your lot for today...Round the Rinks to come tomorrow. And don't forget-keep your eye on the puck...

Swings, Roundabouts and odds and ends...

It seems I was a bit hasty with the earlier post-there's more news, including proof in the first item that you shouldn't believe all you hear...Oh, and all the links are now working-I didn't manage to copy the URL for the Steve Pelletier pic properly, which ruined one of the lookalikes somewhat. :)

Panthers new player announced: And, as seems to be the law in Nottingham these days, he isn't a centre (that would be far too logical with the Cats currently only having one natural centre on their roster in Matt Myers), but a left wing. Dwayne Hay comes to the East Midlands after being cut by the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL. The 6'1, 203lb Canadian isn't exactly an inspiring signing after all the rumours of Don Maclean, particularly as his much-trumpeted (in the Panthers press release) "NHL pedigree" amounts to two goals and four assists with five different teams in 79 games, and his career season was comparable to that of most decent imports in the UK (29+30 in 62 ECHL games with the Pensacola Ice Pilots four years ago). Compare that with Adam Calder's career ECHL season (29+42 one season earlier), and bear in mind that many see Calder as a pure sniper rather than a creator, and you begin to wonder whether Hay will need to be fed the puck to be effective rather than be the feeder the Big Cats desperately need. Of course, he could prove me wrong and absolutely tear up the league, but let's just say this signing hasn't really been greeted with the anticipation MacLean or even Tessier would have been. Oh, and he's coming back from a season cut short by injury. Can you say "underwhelming?", Nottingham?

Capitals release Jeff State: Anyone need a big crease-clearing d-man? (Panthers and to a lesser extent Blaze, I'm looking at you in particular here). The Edinburgh Capitals have parted ways with their biggest (well, in height, anyway) asset by releasing the 6'7, 244lb monster that is Jeff State (press release here). In the few occasions I've seen him this season he didn't really do much wrong-yes, he didn't look too special but could probably do a job as a defensive d-man in this league if anyone's desperately looking for one until they find the one they really want. It's likely he'll be off back to North America, though. This of course opens the door for the recently-released David Vychodil to play for his third EIHL club in two seasons after being released by Blaze...

Elite League in lookalike frenzy!: Lookalikes (except those forced on you) are few and far between in the EIHL, but here's a couple that'll just about work...the first not so much facially but in the marriage of large shoulders with a waist that can only be produced by forcing it into a corset on a nightly basis...Firstly we have the Panther and ex-Bison Kevin Bergin, seen in a somewhat compromising position with the shirt flying free around his waist as per usual...and second, here we have him in cartoon form....

Meanwhile, it appears that Welsh comedian Rob Brydon, here in an off-ice pose, is also moonlighting as a defenceman for Nottingham. Not wanting to be bothered by autograph hunters (seriously, how many people would want a Panther's autograph? :)), he simply adopts a Canadian accent and calls himself Steve Pelletier. For proof, click here and then click on the second-to-last pic in the album. This would explain why the Big Cats faithful moan about his complete lack of defensive positional sense-you can't write comedy like Gavin and Stacey and play EIHL hockey to a high standard...

Up in Newcastle, the current fashion appears to be "a haircut you can polish shoes with", if Andre Payette (the one in black, for those of you unfamiliar with his "distinctive" look) is anything to go by. Still, I suppose it beats David Longstaff's single-handed attempt to make this kiddy TV legend (Pat Sharp, for those of you under the age of 20 or so) look like a fashion icon, simply by using a ton of chip-fat to slick the haircut down. It's always Fun at the Viper's House...

Finally for today, we have Roman Gavalier of the Giants, who appears to be taking inspiration from a famous German. Strangely, he also tends to launch himself into the air quite regularly with little provocation...it's a strange way to hit but he's been sorely missed by Belfast this season.

And so there you are in our brief burst of Tuesday randomness...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Locker Room Chatter: Rosters, They Are A-Changin'

With apologies to Bob Dylan for that mutilation of his song title, here's your daily burst of Tuesday rumours, updates and general strangeness...

Panthers to announce Donald Maclean as new signing: No, not the aging singer of that karaoke classic American Pie, but the high-scoring centre who in recent years has torn up the AHL for Grand Rapids and made occasional appearances in the NHL for Detroit and Columbus. I mentioned his name as an outside chance when it appeared that Dan Tessier was the front-runner, but now all the talk in the East Midlands has the 6'3, 216lb centre as their man, after the Canadian left Zurich (Swiss Elite League) last week. On paper, Maclean looks scarily good-it'll be interesting to see how he'll fit in if he is indeed the man Nottingham are looking to to resolve their woes on the forward lines.

Changes imminent in Hull: Now, it seems, the patience of Rick Strachan is finally running out. With power-forward Jake Riddle missing last weekend after being involved in an "off-ice incident" which left him with a "facial injury" (draw your own conclusions), he would seem to be on slightly shaky ground, and indeed, according to some on Humberside has already been released. The Hull Daily Mail has published an article all but stating that changes are due, blaming injuries, but surely poor performance will be a factor. We shall see.

Panic in Bracknell: With David Taylor narrowly averting a wholesale strike by the Bees squad last weekend, one wonders just how deep the problems have sunk in the off-ice management of the EPL powerhouse. The events going on are eerily similar to the whole Basingstoke saga, so with statements being released almost daily, and conflicting reports of just who's been paid and how much depending on who you listen to, it'll be a while working out just what is going on in Berkshire...

Dagenais and Matsos under pressure?: Sheffield, you'd think, are cruising along nicely. But with Dave Matsos reportedly saying that he fears for his job, Steelers fans are looking for scapegoats, and much-hyped d-man Randy Dagenais is the name coming up again and again on the forums...perhaps a situation to keep an eye on rather than an immediate change, but interesting nevertheless...

And that's your lot this Tuesday...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...

Round the Rinks, 9th November

Once again, it's time for the weekly race round the EIHL rinks of the UK as we preview the weekends' action, team-by-team...

Basingstoke: This weekend, for the first time in ages, the Bison come into the weekend on a high. With a new owner attending his first weekend in charge, the players will be wanting to impress as they take on Edinburgh at home on Saturday, and Manchester away on Sunday. These games are both eminently winnable (the Phoenix away game on will likely be the trickier one, however), and with Curtis Cruickshank making his long-awaited debut, along with new signing Mikko Purontakanen, there is a real sense of optimism in Hampshire for the first time since the first few weekends of the season, which will make an already hard-working team formidable opponents for the two northern sides...

Belfast: The games keep coming for the injury-ridden Northern Irish-Sheffield and Hull are not teams you want to face when your players are hurting. The Steelers visit the Odyssey with only victory being an option in order to keep them in the title race, while the Stingrays, meanwhile, need to win in order to keep them from slipping into the basement battle with Edinburgh. Two points from this weekend would be a bonus, four would be a lot to ask from this Giants side. But with Peter Campbell on fire recently, if the Belfast defence can hold out, there may be a shock for the confident Steelers, and/or more misery in store for the Humbersiders...

Cardiff: Manchester and Nottingham are the opponents for the Devils this week-with the trip to Altrincham on the Saturday followed by the visit of the Panthers to the rink by the Bay. With the Welsh side now up to fourth and hoping to continue that rise up the table, neither opponent will be relishing the meetings-especially as they are immediately below the Devils in the standings and desperately need the points themselves. After their excellent four-point weekend last time out, the Devils will be fired up and ready for the different tests posed by both sides. A four-pointer for the second week in succession is a definite possibility...

Coventry: Saturday's home date against second-placed Newcastle is another huge game for the Blaze, with the Vipers poised immediately below them in the table. With Adam Calder joining the list of the walking wounded this week, the Blaze will not be relishing the Vipers physical style, and there may be more than a few aching limbs on the trip up to Edinburgh on the Sunday...Even allowing for the debut of new signing K.C Timmons, neither game will be a pushover (the Vipers game will be a physical and vicious battle in itself)-could this be the weekend where the Blaze's unbeaten home record (in competitive games this season) finally falls?

Edinburgh: The Caps, on the other hand, will be happy with just the two, or indeed any points from their games against Basingstoke and Coventry-both sides on something of an upswing at the moment. However, with the Blaze facing Newcastle the night before, they may not relish dragging their aching bodies on the long trip north, and the Caps will also be looking for revenge after capitulating to the Bison at home last week. Certainly neither side will be taking the Scots lightly...but can the Caps finally reward their staunch support with a win or two?

Hull: Two tricky games for the Stingrays this week-first they make the trip to Nottingham hoping for a slightly better scoreline than the 8-2 reverse suffered on Humberside last week, before welcoming Belfast to the Hull Ice Arena. Forward Rob Rankin plays despite dislocating his shoulder last weekend, and once again the press releases are saying all the right things, but it would still take a shock to get points in the NIC. The home date against the Giants isn't the easiest of games either, injuries or not-it could be another barren weekend in the shadow of the Humber Bridge...

Manchester: The Phoenix, boosted by their new signing Luke Stauffacher, have two games in front of their home crowd, and they should be good ones as Cardiff and the buoyant Basingstoke are the visitors. With the Phoenix able to potentially gain two places this weekend if results go their way, they will want nothing less than the four points-the trouble is, so will the other two sides. Joe Tallari finally has some scoring help-will it be enough to fire the Mancunians up the table this weekend?

Newcastle: The Vipers face a weekend which could define their season-a trip to the team immediately above them in the table, followed by a game to decide Challenge Cup semi-final qualification. Coventry are the opponents on Saturday at the Skydome, and Sheffield welcome the Vipers on the Sunday, in two of the toughest places for opposition sides in the EIHL. Win on Saturday and the Vipers go top, win on Sunday and they leave their chances of silverware wide open. Lose one or both games and their chances of trophy success, even this early in the season, diminish. It's that simple. You can guarantee that Rob Wilson's bruisers will hold absolutely nothing back-the question is, can they keep their discipline? If not, then they will come out of this weekend a lot less optimistic than they are going in.

Nottingham: The Panthers, without one of their talismans in the released PC Drouin, face possibly their easier game on the Saturday as Hull visit the NIC, before they make the trip across the country to face Cardiff in South Wales on Sunday-two games in which wins are vital in order to avoid charges of mid-table mediocrity. With Mike Ellis returning to fill the gap, the Big Cats will at least be at full strength. However, this hasn't automatically translated to wins this season (or indeed ever) so it will be interesting to see if the East Midlanders can finally start to begin their title challenge this weekend...it's better late than never...

Sheffield: And finally the Steelers, who face Belfast away on Saturday in a game they'll probably expect to win, before the massive Challenge Cup game against Newcastle on Sunday at the Hallam Arena. It is a measure of how much the league has changed that the Vipers game is currently considered the tougher one, and indeed the one which at this stage of the season will have the most impact on the chase for silverware. Rest assured that either way, Remembrance Day in the Steel City will provide an absolute feast of a game for hockey fans...

So, a full list of all the fixtures, then (Elite League unless stated)

Saturday

Basingstoke v Edinburgh

Manchester v Cardiff

Belfast v Sheffield

Coventry v Newcastle

Nottingham v Hull

Sunday
Manchester v Basingstoke

Sheffield v Newcastle (Challenge Cup)

Hull v Belfast

Cardiff v Nottingham

Edinburgh v Coventry

Let's play hockey...:)

Locker Room Chatter: Rumours and Ramblings

Changes continue apace in British hockey, with David Taylor under pressure from both of his clubs, some signings for Manchester, and more names to throw into the pot for Nottingham...

Manchester sign their new sharpshooter: And here he is. Or at least who the strong rumour is according to a poster on the Steeltalk forum-some say PC Drouin will make his way up the M1 after being released by the Panthers, but Luke Stauffacher is the hot tip. With 42 goals in the UHL last season and the fact that he was on the same team with Phoenix's current resident spark-plug, Sean Starke, there is certainly a very good chance this could be the man the Phoenix are looking for as they try to complement their strong defence with lethally-accurate shooting...

Panthers linked with more names: Dan Tessier is still the front-runner as the NIC side look to replace PC Drouin with a scoring centre-more so now that his team Duisburg have signed a Norwegian centre apparently out of the blue. However, with Mike Ellis mentioning in the Nottingham Evening Post that the centre is likely to be new to this country, ex-NHLer Donald Maclean is another name that's been thrown into the pot after being released from his club in Switzerland. A very long shot (yet still possible if the Panthers are looking to save themselves some money in order to fund a top d-man, but only then) is Taras Foremsky, who tore the EPL up last year with Peterborough but was released earlier this week after coaching differences. Finally, the new centre could come from the DEL, but not from Duisburg as expected-with the big Canadian Cam Severson, recently released by Straubing, an option mooted if the Panthers decide to go for power to complement the skill of Sean McAslan and Johan Molin.

Bees in "no pay, no pay" threat: This season just gets worse in the home counties. With David Taylor already up to his neck in fan anger with the problems in Basingstoke, now it comes out that the team he's been running for several years in Bracknell is also under threat, with players going public in the local press about not being paid. Taylor has insisted that the problems are not as large as reported, but given that he said the same thing about Basingstoke (in a long statement which I analyzed here), just how many people will believe him?

Belfast and Cardiff to be fined: Both teams played cup-tied players in several Challenge Cup group games this season (Belfast with Peter Campbell and Stevie Lyle (ex-Basingstoke), and Shane Johnson for Cardiff (ex-Sheffield). The league appears to be stopping at just paying fines, but the complaints are loud from Blaze fans in particular, some of whom claim that their team should go through with the Giants being excluded, as the two cup-tied players had a direct influence on the 1-1 draw which prevented the Midlands side from qualifying (Peter Campbell scoring the Giants goal). As a Blaze fan myself, it seems to be somewhat clutching at straws-the Blaze were simply not good enough in the vast majority of CC games this season, and to qualify by default seems a bit of a let-off, particularly if they then go on to win it...

Hull injury worries eased: The Stingrays were worried after second-top points scorer Rob Rankin was forced out of Sunday's game against Manchester with a dislocated shoulder. However, the American winger has said he intends to be back this weekend in order to try and help the Humbersiders out of their current slump, which will be a much-needed boost to the north-east club.

Simms all but concedes title: Dave Simms is ruffling feathers again, but this time at his own club, as he has appeared in the Sheffield press stating that, despite his side currently being just four points behind the table-topping Coventry Blaze in third place, the title race is already all but over for the teal-and-orange men...an opinion which is curious even for him. To my mind it's just a bit of reverse-psychology. We shall see what effect, if any, it has over the next week or two...

And that's your daily update of all things EIHL...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

More Swings and Roundabouts...

Quiet week because of no midweek games? It would appear not...

Panthers release P.C Drouin: This one comes right out of left-field...we knew that there was a chance the Cats would make changes, but releasing a returning Panthers legend, one of their top earners and an assistant coach to boot is a drastic change, which has split the Panthers fanbase right down the middle. My thoughts are the same as a lot of others in that it's more a case of needing the money than Drouin himself not performing-there are several players on the Panthers roster that were rumoured to be for the chop ahead of the Quebec native. Of course, this does make the return of Dan Tessier, as mentioned here , a little more likely-although with the Panthers' main woes this season in conceding goals rather than really scoring them, a big d-man is also another possible option. Knowing the Panthers crowd, though, the calls for a natural centre such as Tessier (or indeed Trevor Gallant, who performed so well for them in the playoffs last season) in order to kick-start Sean McAslan and Johan Molin will be growing louder and louder...Drouin himself, meanwhile, is apparently being courted by Manchester, who just happen to be in the market for a speedy goalscorer...

Colin Hemingway to Vipers?: Things continue to look a little less than rosy for the Capitals, with their best player this season linked this week with a move just south of the border to Newcastle. Sergiy Rublivskiy has been taking some heat for not scoring as often as expected, and Hemingway would be an ideal replacement for the Russian. With Caps' prolific centre himself supposedly saying he's prepared to stay and ride out the storm in Scotland, however, this one may be on the back burner.

Bison saved by Swede?: The Bison saga takes another twist, with a fans' forum being called unexpectedly for this Thursday. Rumours are yet flying around of a takeover bid by an owner new to this country-one who is rumouredly also interested in the Cardiff Devils. The weary Bison fanbase are finally allowing themselves to hope for some good news-we shall see on Friday morning whether there will be celebrations or wailing and gnashing of teeth in Hampshire...

That's all for now-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...

Round the Rinks 2nd November

This lateness is becoming a habit-I might just move the preview day to Friday unless there are any midweek games...This weekend, however, has some pretty important fixtures, so let's get on with the team-by-preview without further excuses from me...

Basingstoke: The Bison finally have a starting goalie. And, somewhat unsurprisingly, it's Curtis Cruickshank, who returns to the rink where he made his reputation in Britain for the third time. He's being thrown in at the deep end with a tricky game against Cardiff on the Saturday, before a meaningless (now that neither team can qualify) Challenge Cup game against injury-ravaged Belfast on the Sunday marks his home debut. Dan Green has performed heroics for Bison recently, so the Canadian has much to live up to, and as if that wasn't enough, he'll have the Bison hopes of a resurgence now they've replaced at least one of the gaping holes in their roster resting on his broad shoulders...

Belfast: Two dead games for Belfast this weekend, at least in terms of their own hopes in the Challenge Cup. However, with the outcome of the group resting on tonight's game against Coventry at the Odyssey, the Giants will be hoping to stir their battered roster into putting one over their bitter rivals. As mentioned above, however, Sunday's game against Basingstoke will be a chance for the British players on Giant's roster to get some ice-time as the walking wounded (not that there are many of them with the Giants only able to ice 12 outskaters) in red, white and teal are given the chance to heal their wounds in anticipation of the league campaign beginning in earnest next weekend.

Cardiff: Two tricky league games for the Devils this week, as they welcome Basingstoke at home before travelling to Nottingham on Sunday in a battle of two of the league's under-achievers. The Welsh side won't be taking the Bison match lightly, and certainly going out with a point to prove against the Panthers, as they look to ride their recent good form further up the table and kickstart their challenge to the top three before they open up too much of a gap...

Coventry: This is a huge weekend for the Blaze this early in the season, as they face a do-or-die game against Belfast tonight in the Challenge Cup, followed by one of their biggest title rivals as Sheffield come to the Skydome on Sunday. As several players are still carrying injuries and playing hurt, it'll take more than just firepower for the Blaze to win this weekend-guts, guile and grind will be the order of the day. With captain Sylvain Cloutier leading by example by continuing to play his hard-hitting game despite carrying a ruptured stomach muscle (!), however, this team is resilient as well as lethal in front of goal, so if any team can take a four-pointer in this situation, they can...

Edinburgh: It's do-or-die time for the Caps this weekend, with the whole team playing for their jobs as they face high-flying Newcastle at Murrayfield. Last time the two teams met, the Vipers edged the Scottish side out by four goals to two-a win in this game will show just how much motivation the two weeks notice has given the leagues basement side...

Hull: Boosted by the return of enforcer Cole Byers to the lineup, the Stingrays try to turn those close losses into wins this weekend, but it won't be easy as they face Nottingham and Manchester, both of whom need the points themselves in order to keep in touch with the leading group. Can the Stingrays suffocating style finally start paying off, or will their lack of firepower tell yet again, particularly against the stern defence of the Phoenix on the Sunday?....

Manchester: With qualification for the Challenge Cup semis still wide open in group B, the Phoenix will look to put themselves in the best possible position with a win against Sheffield on the Saturday, which as a side effect will make the Steelers' qualification much less certain than it is currently-this is a game which the Vipers, as the third team with a chance to qualify from that group, will be watching closely. On Sunday the Phoenix face Hull for the umpteenth time so far this season, and will be hoping for another confident performance in front of their home fans to keep in touch with the title-chasing pack.

Newcastle: The Vipers are joint-top, and will be doing their level best to stay that way as they travel to Edinburgh for their only game of the weekend, hoping that the Caps will still be reeling from their capitulation against Basingstoke last week. With the Blaze also only in action once in the league this weekend, the Vipers could go top by themselves if they win and Sheffield do them a favour against the Blaze on Sunday, so they won't be in the mood to show the Scots any mercy...

Nottingham: The Panthers face Hull and Cardiff this weekend as they hunt for some consistency and some morale-boosting points against two sides immediately below them in the table. The Big Cats faithful finally had something to be pleased about last weekend as the Panthers nicked a 1-0 victory against the Blaze, but these are games that the NIC residents will need to start winning now if they have any serious ambitions of challenging for honours this season.

Sheffield: Just like Coventry, the Steelers face a big weekend and will be hoping to produce offensive fireworks on the ice this weekend, rather than just watching them bursting over the Hallam Arena. Manchester are the visitors on Saturday before the top-of-the-table clash in Coventry on Sunday-a four-point weekend will mean that Monday's celebrations of Bonfire Night will really go with a bang around the Steel City...and it just may light a fire under the rear-ends of their title rivals also. With the Steelers at full-strength and Ashley Tait returning to the club he captained to five trophies, Sunday's game in particular promises to be an absolute barn-burner...

So then, the fixtures in full...


Friday
Belfast v Coventry (Challenge Cup)

Saturday
Hull v Nottingham

Sheffield v Manchester (Challenge Cup)

Cardiff v Basingstoke

Sunday
Nottingham v Cardiff

Manchester v Hull

Edinburgh v Newcastle

Coventry v Sheffield

Basingstoke v Belfast (Challenge Cup)

Let's play hockey...:)

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...