Double Overtime, January 19th

On we go with our usual stream of consciousness review of the weekend...but first of all, a few loose ends as the transfer merry-go-round turns again...

Niec, nothing, nada: Basingstoke have shored up their roster with a new import, from Telford of the EPL. Andre Niec joined late last week, and the forward registered an assist on his debut in the Bison's 7-1 loss to Nottingham on Saturday. As to what effect it'll have on Bison's chances of making the playoffs at the moment, judging by their current form...just see the title.

Cassells in the Sky: Meanwhile, up in Edinburgh, they welcome Telford's top point-scorer and second-top in the EPL, Jason Cassells. The Canadian has been getting rave reviews from EPL fans this season, so it will be interesting to see if he can make the step up...

Now, on to the weekend...

The Rejects' Revenge: Nottingham found out the hard way on Sunday that former players are almost guaranteed to come back to haunt you at some point, as they lost to Hull 3-2 in the NIC. The Stingrays prevailed 3-2, with two goals from Konstantin Kalmikov (Panther in 04/05) and one from James Cooke (Panther in 05/06) The winning goal was a Kalmikov penalty-shot after Michel Robinson had thrown his stick to prevent a scoring chance with less than two minutes on the clock...you get the sense he may have enjoyed that one.

Bison are rock-bottom. And may be beginning to dig: Another hefty loss for Basingstoke in their only game of the weekend, as the Panthers cruised to a comfortable 7-1 victory on Saturday night, means that even the playoffs are starting to look more and more distant for the Hampshire club...

"You've had your fun. Now let the big boys play": In something of a running theme this weekend, Manchester too suffered a bit of a mualing at the hands of Sheffield on Friday and Belfast on Sunday-including conceding six goals in twenty-one minutes against the Giants in an 8-2 defeat in Altrincham. The traditionally-strong Giants and Steelers, meanwhile, took maximum points from the weekend (well, all the points they could) being the only teams apart from Cardiff and Coventry to do so. The Phoenix are nearly, nearly up with the best teams in the league, but weekends like this show there's still a way to go...

Rumours that he circles meetings with the Phoenix on his calendar are gathering pace: Paul Deniset scored his third hat-trick at Altrincham in three visits there this season on Sunday, which, were he a Phoenix player, would put him on pace for a 72 goal season from home games alone. Clearly, he likes the place....

Keep on keepin' on: Sheffield earn themselves another four points...and despite being second in the league many fans of their close rivals are already handing them the title after Nottingham lost to Hull on Sunday...

Meanwhile, in the Midlands, the embers are glowing: Remember when I said on Thursday that, even in their KO Cup capitulation to Belfast, there were signs that the "real" Coventry Blaze were on the way back? A confident performance against Newcastle (despite going two-down early on) and a battling comeback in Edinburgh, aided by two very promising debut weekends (Erik Hjamarsson getting an assist on Saturday despite clealry not quite being match fit and Blake Forsyth looking like the d-man Blaze have been missing all year in scoring 1+2 for the weekend) means that, suddenly, the Skydome has the air of hope around it again. Saturday's meeting with Manchester and Sunday's trip to Nottingham should show whether that hope will grow or stall...but the signs are promising.

Hm. Not exactly a barn-burner, then: Cardiff and Newcastle played out a rare 0-0 draw on Sunday, with the game only being decided in the Welshmen's favour through penalty shots. Given that, according to IH update, there were only 44 shots combined in those 65 minutes, you'd imagine that this game was fore for those who get excited by tight defensive play rather than offense. So, in essence, hardly anybody...it comes to something when all you can really think to comment on is an early-game scrap between Mike Prpich and Derek Campbell...

There you go-that's you weekend reviewed...

Just a quickie before I go-many thanks to those of you who've taken the time to tell me how much you like the blog-both via email and (in the case of one very nice gentleman on Saturday-apologiies if I seemed a little distracted) in person at games...it is, as always, much appreciated...

The next post will likely be on Wednesday morning, when we'll have a preview look at the midweek action between Belfast and Sheffield as well as round up any tidbits of news...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Hockeysomniac...

Morning all.

As you may have gathered by looking at the posting time, I'm up far too late. The reason for this is, of course, hockey.

Surely I can't be the only one out there who has spent many a night with only the computer screen, headphones and the voices of someone far away in Edmonton, Dallas, New York or Toronto describing the action of a game in which you have no interest other than the fact you love hockey...I was originally going to come on just before bed, write my Double Overtime column for the morning and go to bed nice and primed for the following morning. Sadly, it played out the same way it always does...

"I'll just have a quick gander at the NHL scores..."

"Oh, hey, there's a game on live...might just give that a quick listen"

"Oh, hell, it's 2am and it's gone into overtime. Aye well, just till the end of this game..."

"Game over. Phew. Oh, hey, that matchup in porgress in the third looks interesting too..."

"Damn. Need coffee. And I'll go to bed at the end of this period"

"Oh, damn...haven't written a word...aye well. Just the end of OT..."

And so on down the slippery slope, until here we are at ten past four in the morning...

Please tell me I'm not the only hockey fan who's done this...

Right-definitely off for some sleep now. Round the Rinks to come later today..check back around 3pm...

Round the Rinks Extra

And the merry-go-round keeps turning.

Fresh from signing Erik Hjalmarsson, the Blaze make a change on defence, replacing the much-travelled Jon Coleman, who by all accounts is off to Europe, with Blake Forsyth.

Press release is here.

He, along with Hjalmarsson, will make his debut against Newcastle tomorrow.

And, quite frankly, should he score/win a fight and there isn't a yell of "didn't he do well?!" from the audio box, then I shall be very disappointed...

Round The Rinks, January 16th...

In we go for another lap round the rinks...but first of all...

Belfast top off a good week...rumours that they had to take twenty pictures before Tyler Howells, Bobby Robins and Dave Phillips were all looking at the camera at the same time are scandalous and unfounded...probably.

Given that Coventry has this very famous daughter, who we Coventrians are quite proud of, surely there's some sort of promotional angle in there somewhere. If only for the comedy of seeing the entire Blaze team try and lift a scantily-clad woman on a horse...

Anyway, ramblings over. On we go.

Friday

For once, the first hockey gmae of the weekend doesn't take place at the Odyssey. Instead, we head to Yorkshire for a War of the Roses clash between Sheffield and Manchester. Sheffield have had the better of these so far this season, winning four games to their cross-Pennine rivals' two. With the Phoenix in what, for them, is something of a slump, the Hallam is probably the last place they fancy visiting right now. They travel with the hopes of not just their own fans but those of at least three other teams, though, as everyone bar those from South Yorkshire hops for a Phoenix victory to peg the Steelsrs back a bit in the race for the title. With both sides at or close to full strength, this should be a very nice warm-up to a night-out in the North...

Saturday

Hull v Sheffield
And so to the Yorkshire derby, as the Stingrays and Steelers renew hostilities at the Hull Arena. Quite frankly, I can see little other than a Steelers win in this one, although the Humberside fans will be given some hope by the fact they took the Steelers to overtime last time the two sides met. Even so, the current leaders had enough to force their way past on that occasion, and I can see similar happening here as the Stingrays get little joy out of a weekend in which they play the top two one after the other.

Coventry v Newcastle
This one could get a little tasty. To Viper eyes the Blaze are there for the taking after crashing out of the KO Cup. With Erik Hjalmarsson hopefully making his debut and looking to impress his home crowd, there is also cause for optimism in the Skydome camp, although rumours that have surfaced linking the Blaze with a goalie change (JF Perras out, Aalborg's Peter Hirsch in) will add an extra notch of intrigue to the game. As if it needed it-meetings between these two are always memorable Skydome occasions, and this one promises to be no exception, particularly as Newcastle have found something of their former selves since signing Ed Courtenay and Jeff Hutchins...

Basingstoke v Nottingham
Second v bottom, with the Panthers only missing Johan Molin and Kevin Reiter still injured? Could be an ugly night at the Silverdome...although with Scott Kelman now on the market the Bison may well be looking to add to their squad before the transfer deadline. However, with things in the state they are down south I can see little other than a comfortable Panthers win.

Sunday

Cardiff v Newcastle
This is possibly the toughest game to call of the weekend. Two physical teams who like to wear the opposition down meet in South Wales, with both needing points in the jostle for mid-table position. Much will depend on how hard Newcastle are worked the night before-the fact that Cardiff only have the one game this weekend may be the one thing that decides who stands up better to the pounding that both teams will dish out...

Nottingham v Hull
Poor Stingrays. It never rains, but it pours. After playing Sheffield the night before the Stingrays will come into this game either supremely heartened or just wanting to get it out of the way, depending on the result. Meanwhile, the Panthers can afford no slip-ups in front of their home fans, so will be watching the Stingrays with great care in order to a) avoid being caught out and b) make sure of the two points to keep up with Sheffield...


Manchester v Belfast

Gsme of the night-two teams who can rip others apart on their day meet up in Altrincham in the battle of the British goalies. The Giants looked cool, calm and confident in disposing of the Blaze during the week, but they will find the Phoenix a much tougher proposition than a half-empty Skydome with the tie effectively already lost, particularly with a hostile home crowd. Much will come down to which GB goalie plays better on the night...and if the Phoenix defence can stop the Giants attack long enough for the Beauregard/Hand combo and/or Bruce Mulherin to work their magic...it'll be worth watching either way

Edinburgh v Coventry
Left as something of an afterthought is the meeting in Murrayfield between two teams who need to restore their fanbases' faith in them. Edinburgh have lurched from loss to loss this season, while the Blaze have proved they can win games but have struggled against their title rivals. Given that this is the type of game the Blaze have won with relative ease this season, you have to back the Midlands club...however, those hockey fans in the Scottish capital may have something to say about that-particularly as the Caps chase that elusive playoff place again-we all remember the fruits of their efforts last year...

And that's your weekend previewed to within an inch of its life...

Speak of the Devil...

That's just weird. At 3pm I post thinking there could be some light on the horizon for the Blaze, and at 3:30pm, this appears...

Blaze sign Hjalmarsson, release Kelman

Now, aside from the slight issue I have with calling someone who's about the same size as Barrie Moore (5'10, 190lbs) a "power forward" (I'd classify him more as a "pest"-after all-that's the same size as Sean Avery, and he's been called many things but "power forward" isn't one of them...

Everyone is getting ridiculously excited thanks to this one clip...but alongside the human sandpaper that is Danny Stewart and Carlyle Lewis too, the Blaze attack certainly appears to have had more teeth added to it...

Kelman, meanwhile, has already been linked with Hull, Nottingham, Newcastle and even Cardiff, so who knows where he could be by this time next week?

Seamless link: Pleasantly, this now allows me to direct your attention to an interesting article by Mark over at the Angry Budgie, concerning the wage-cap and the transfer merry-go-round this season. I'm not going to comment on it, just simply leave you to read it with an open mind...

That's today definitely done. Check back tomorrow morning for your usual dose of Round the Rinks...

Thursday Thoughts...

In we go, with arumination on the events of last night to begin, followed by a recounting of a 3am conversation. Stick with me here...

hope (n): the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

hope against hope (idiom): to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it.

On the face of it, last night at the Skydome was the last place you'd expect to find hope. Nine seconds in, Bobby Robins takes advantage of a Jon Weaver mistake, beats Perras and scores, effectively making the following 59 minutes and 50 seconds an irrelevance. Cue much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the forums.

Ordinarily, I'd have been a part of that. However, even in as the KO Cup was drifting away and the Blaze players were staring dispiritedly at each other as Belfast eased to a 4-1 victory through the simple expedient of working harder as a team (a fact acknowledged by at least one Blaze player afterward), if you looked hard enough, you could see that, contrary to the current swell of opinion, there was still a sign or two of the Blaze the Coventry crowd love so much.

Maybe it came in the snarl of Carlyle Lewis as he decided that he wasn't going to let Belfast leave without a mark on them and pummelled Bobby Robins with a few hammer blows late in the third. Maybe, a little later, in the flying gloves of Ben O'Connor (not a noted fighter) as he tried to do the same (and took a beating), or the tireless skating of Danny Stewart. Or, maybe, if you're the type of fan obsessed by stats, it came in the nice backhand drag-and-roof shot as Barrie Moore scored the Blaze's second when you could have perfectly forgiven them for playing out the clock.

Or perhaps it came much later, in the shape of a quiet conversation in the corner of a pub lounge. Speaking with several of the Blaze team who had been receiving a fair bit of stick (some of the harshest, I admit, from me) thess phrases stood out in the midst of much discussion of whether blogs, forums etc and the stuff written on it affects the players stood out).

"You know what? We read some of that stuff, and we laugh."

"They may think they're being harsh, but far worse is said in the locker room every single week. Why should we care-most of them know nothing about the game anyway"

"We know what we're doing wrong-why should we get pissed off by people who don't know the game thinking they do too?"

Doubtless those fans of the "we pay your wages" brigade will now be spitting feathers in disbelief. However, to my eyes, it shows the kind of spirit which everyone thinks has been lacking...maybe these players believe that they are doing the right thing, and eventually it'll come good.

And if this is a reflection of the attitude of hockey teams everywhere, then maybe, just maybe, there's never as much to worry about as people think. And maybe, contrary to what some are saying, and the evidence of our own eyes last night the title race isn't over yet...

Keep looking over your shoulders, Sheffield...there's four teams who don't believe you've won the title yet...

Midweek Musings...

This is another very short one, given that the games midweek were previewed yesterday.

Let's begin with a definition...

Abject (adjective): utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched

That, by all accounts, seems to sum up the game in Dundonald last night, at least from a Coventry persepctive. A 5-1loss doesn't mean Blaze are already out of the competition, but it does mean that there will likely be a half-empty Skydome this evening at best as many decide not to waste their money on a third-tier competition that their team appear to already be on the way out of.

For the record-goals...

Belfast:
Cheverie PPG Assist: Thornton
Deniset SHG
Thornton Assist: Burgoyne
Burgoyne PPG Assist: Awada
Cheverie

Blaze:
Carlson-asssists Weaver and Moore

I pinpointed special teams as one of the keys to this tie, mentioned the dangers Belfast pose even on the PK, and lo and behold, three of Belfast's five come through such a route. By accounts from Belfast fans at the game, the Giants were better in every respect-you have to wonder whether some on the Blaze bench had already given up on the tie after the fourth Belfast goal, swapping Perras for Fone in nets. We'll be able to tell for sure tonight if Fone starts...

One thing is for sure-there'll have to be a hell of a comeback tonight if Blaze are to reach the semi-finals....

Come on, Belfast. Feel the Rush!: After last night's game it was announced that, with Andrew Martin still absent and taking a long time to recover, the Giants have brought in reinforcements, signing Jason Rushton from the LNAH.

Hello.

This guy can flat-out play, and is a little screwy in the head as well...combine him with Bobby Robins and, to a lesser extent, Malcolm MacMillan, and suddenly the Giants look a lot more threatening on the physical side of things going into the run-in. If nothing else, he'll be entertaining...

Aye well-that's me off to prepare for Mission Impossible (Skydome Edition) this evening...keep keeping your eye on the puck...

One Minute Preview: Knockout Cup Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Double Overtime, Janiuary 12th...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sorry, Finner...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still-I await Saturday with interest now...

And that's your weekend reviewed...

Round the Rinks, Jan 9th...

Straight in today..flying south to north and back again on our weekly lightning trip round the EIHL...

Saturday

We start in Hampshire, for Basingstoke v Edinburgh,a game which will never win any prizes in the glamour stakes, but will be close and more intense than a junkyard dog with piles, since when you're scrapping down in the mud at the bottom of the pile, things often get dirty quickly...and, with the possible exception of mud-wrestling at the Playboy mansion, are never pretty. And cuddly bunnies are in short supply in both Hampshire and Scotland this season...

Coventry v Hull:

After last week's massive clash, this game is the perfect antidote as the Blaze seek to get back on a winning run-they've been wobbling recently and, although these games don't have the razzmatazz of the "big-boys" for the fans at the Skydome, the team very much need a win after a barren spell-if only to restore confidence and stop the murmurs of disquiet aimed at several players hitherto considered "fan favourites". Personally, I can't see the points of those whinging now (with the exception of the defensive issues) so it'll be interesting to see how the team react. On the Stingray side, undermanned as they are, a point will be the realistic target, but wins have come with less.

Sheffield v Cardiff,

: If you think that all the bad feeling has been quelled by the EIHL's desperate attempts to clean up the mess from the time these last two teams met (for which Andrew Sharp is still paying) then think again. You clearly also believe that Paris Hilton has, as she claims, only shared intimate time with "a couple of men" The time has now come for Ryan Finnerty to make good his infamous boasts in the Sheffield Star (this being the game he claimed would see Jay Latulippe beaten up in revenge for his "sucker punch" on the Steelers number ten back in the early season). Apart from that, there's the little matter of maintaining their title charge to consider too. If the Devils have any sense, then soaking up the punishment and taking revenge on the ensuing powerplays could be the key to victory for them...

Newcastle v Manchester

: Power v speed. Rapier v club. Gorilla vs a pack of mongooses (yes, that is the correct plural). Pick any image of "big and powerful v smaller and quicker" and it sums up this game to a T. Which will win out up in the North-East? Traditionally, this is an area where hard work and a willingness to get mucky are appreciated over being very quick, very skilled and...well, even a bit showy at times. At the MRA, the Vipers are a tricky proposition, with Manchester only winning by one the last time they went up there. Andrew Verner will be the key for the home side as they batter at the gates of Stephen Murphy's goal, and attempt to keep up with the burning speed and guile of the flying Phoenix...

Sunday

Edinburgh v Nottingham

: This game is a banana-skin waiting to happen for the Panthers-the Capitals are far, far more comfortable in Murrayfield than away from it, and at times the Panthers have looked, for their part, unsure of themselves at times while away from the NIC. With injuries and new players to settle, the Midlanders need to put in a professional and calm performance if they're not to be shocked by the Scots.

Hull v Newcastle

: It's an "ugly duckling" match, this. No-one likes to watch it that much, it will never be pretty at first glance, and compared to some of its companions, its shabbiness and lack of obvious attraction makes it stand out horribly. But, like Hans Christian Andersen's feathered hero, there is the chance that, one day, it'll surprise us all with just how good to look at it is.

And that's why people keep turning up. This game becoming a classic is far less certain than a cygnet becoming a swan, but there's always the chance.

Manchester v Coventry

: A game that, but for the termination of my employment this week, would have seen me travelling north almost forthing at the mouth in anticipation, this game could be bigger for both teams than it looks. Manchester win, and the wind of change currently blowing at the top of the EIHL may start to gust a little more strongly. Coventry win, as they have done in all the meetings up until now, and maybe belief will begin to flood back into the Skydome side. Either way, if any of the preceding meetings between these two are owt to go by, this game will simply not disappoibt if you like close, quick and end-to-end tussles. It could even qualify for "highlight of the weekend"....

Sheffield v Belfast

...unless this meeting finally delivers the feast of attacking hockey the rosters promise. With a large Hallam crowd and Todd Kelman attempting to stoke up the atmosphere with his hope that "every Steeler wakes up bruised from head to toe on Sunday morning" (after playing Cardiff the night before), the passion is there. The skill is there. Question is, will the excitement finally go all the way to eleven?

Cardiff v Basingstoke

: And so the "friendly" rivalry resumes for another on-ice skirmish, this time on Welsh territory. Bison v Devils has, this season, been a very blood-and-thunder type of encounter, with gloves seemingly dropping often and more handbags found here than in than a Louis Vuitton factory shop. And Sunday night should be no exception.

There you go-that's the weekend previewed...only three hours late, too.

Friday Quickie...

Morning all,

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

Thursday Thoughts

Morning all,

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

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

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

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


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

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

Thirty Second Preview: Belfast v Cardiff:

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

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

And that's your Thursday Thoughts...

Double Overtime, Jan 5th...

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

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

Alisha's Attic "The Incidentals"


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


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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday Quickie

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

Round the Rinks, January 3rd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday

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

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

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

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

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

Technical Hitch

Morning all...

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

Halfway House

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

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

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

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

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

Damone: "Get Up and Go"

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

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

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

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

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

Coventry Blaze:

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

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

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

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

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

Youmeatsix: "Call That A Comeback?"

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

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

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

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

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

Manchester Phoenix:

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

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

Ye gods.

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

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

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

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

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

Nottingham Panthers

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

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

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

Sheffield Steelers:

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

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

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

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

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...

Tuesday Quickie

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

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

Double Overtime, Christmas Hangover Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erm...what?

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

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

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

Keep keeping your eye on the puck.

Hockey Christmas, Everyone...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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