EIHL Play-off Weekend Review – The Final Chapters

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 14th April 2012

III. The Final: Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils

I love a great ending to a great story. And let’s be brutally honest: for everyone in attendance at the NIC last Sunday (well, those not wearing Panthers jerseys at least), the perfect ending would have seen Gerad Adams and his men lift the play-off trophy and write themselves into the history books as champions for the first time.

The ‘always the bridesmaids’ refrain was used in relation to Cardiff several times throughout the weekend and I didn’t think it would have been unreasonable for the Devils to rock up in wedding dresses as a statement of intent if nothing else, but my helpful suggestion went unheeded and despite turning up in boring old regular hockey kit, Cardiff and their fans were ready to try and change their fate once again, the Devils having taken part in every play-off finals weekend since the inception of the Elite League but never having lifted the trophy. The Nottingham team entrance received a hilariously disaffected reaction from the full complement of Belfast Giants fans, all opening their newspapers on cue, and there was another main man in the spotlight, referee Moray Hanson taking charge of his last ever Elite League hockey game. He was given a rockstar send-off, skating laps acknowledging all of the fans who have been proud to give him abuse for his considerable time in the black and white stripes.

And so we were off: neutrals adopted the Devils as their own for the day and the strong home crowd settled down ready for a battle. The game started with a few good hits and an early scare for Cardiff as a defensive fumble left Lyle with work to do, but he pulled off the save to give his side a confidence boost and prompt some spirited pushing and shoving in front of goal which resulted in a generous dishing out of penalties on both sides. Both teams had chances but Nottingham looked the stronger on the attack, and they were throwing hits so big the plexi-glass cowered in fear. Not to be outdone, Jamie Vanderveeken made a brilliant open ice hit and Cardiff had a period of pressure – were the Panthers rattled? Rhett Gordon and Kenton Smith chirped amongst themselves, but despite a shot or two either way, the game seemed to quieten down. Nottingham couldn’t put their fluid passing game into practice as Cardiff broke up the play and possession chopped and changed. They hustled Panthers on their powerplay and didn’t allow them any room, and Panthers returned the favour to close out the first period. It had been a period rather lacking in invention and we hoped for better in the second.

But it continued in a similar vein, the sparkle and fizz we had hoped for absent, typical nervy play-off final stuff evident in its place, neither side wanting to make what could be a fatal mistake. Nottingham had some early pressure and there was concern for Cardiff as Adams appeared to hurt himself in a tussle with Neilson but he bounced back shortly afterwards. Lyle was toughing it out in the Cardiff goal and had everything that Panthers threw at him covered. As the period wore on Panthers started to dominate possession; were yesterday’s exertions catching up with the weary Devils? The odd chance fell to them, Scotts Dobben and Matzka both having good shots saved, and Lyle still looked assured in his net; it seemed we had ourselves a stalemate situation on ours hands.

Aside from a rather athletic attempt to prevent an offside decision by one of the Devils players, the game in general had lost some of its intensity and the crowd had gone quiet; Nottingham’s defence seemed to be the only ones in the game, Gui Lepine winning all the battles in the corners, hustling Devils off the puck time and time again. The Panthers almost broke the deadlock when a long shot took Lyle by surprise but after 40 minutes, we were still goal-less.

Let’s face it, what we needed here was a bit of urgency. And there’s nothing like the final period of the final game of the season with a hefty chunk of silverware on the line to inject that urgency into two sets of players. None seemed to be feeling it more than Lepine, who delivered a massive check to the head of Cardiff’s Adam Harding for which he received 2+10. On review it looked like a good hit but it sent the player sprawling into the boards and prompted the blood-cleaning folk to come and have a look at the ice. The resultant powerplay was poor from the Devils, there was no real build-up and a careless turnover almost led to a goal for the Panthers. The momentum was one-sided, a breakaway chance for Nottingham should have been a nailed on opening goal but Danny Meyers fluffed the tap-in and went careering into the boards.

The Devils were under the cosh as they gave up a penalty and shots rained in from Clarke, Myers and Beauregeard, and it was squeaky bum time as a Lyle save gave a Panther a rebound shot but it was cleared in the nick of time. The game started to open up – after 50-odd minutes, we finally had ourselves a contest. It was lively, end-to-end stuff with shots on both nets, both teams trying to stretch the other, the netminders still proving the difference, Stevie Lyle displaying brilliant reflexes to dive on a loose puck that would surely have been an easy finish for a  prowling Panther just inches in front of his line. The Devils were defending doggedly, in particular Jamie Vanderveeken who ranks as my top player of the play-off weekend overall. Give that man a prize.

Something had to give, and give it did, with 7 minutes remaining, a gift of a chance falling to David Beauregard who made no mistake. With the Panthers on the scoresheet the NIC lifted, the crowd noise was immense and Nottingham were brimming with confidence, piling the pressure on Cardiff and coming close to doubling their lead, hitting the post. The Devils had nothing left in the tank and despite pulling Lyle they could not make the man advantage tell and their defeat was sealed in the dying seconds as David Clarke neatly delivered the puck into the empty net. Heartbreak once again for the Welsh side, jubilation once again for the Panthers and their fans.

It wasn’t the fairytale ending that neutrals had been hoping for; but as much as we all love to hate the Panthers there was no arguing with the fact that they deserved to lift to play-off trophy once again. That being said, we didn’t hang around to watch them celebrate.

IV. The Fallout

There’s nothing quite like the giant rumour mill that is playoff weekend. When the fans, players and management of ten Elite League teams (plus an ex-team) and the associated media circus come together in one place it’s inevitable that news will travel fast, and a juicy bit of gossip will travel faster, and this year was no exception. It would be entirely unprofessional of me to repeat even half of even the more credible rumours that I heard through the legendary play-off Chinese Whispers communication system and needless to say the ones which are true will come to light in good time, but it was all in the best possible taste.

Things that did come to light via the medium of Twitter were announcements of player retirement, Belfast’s Jon Pelle and Cardiff’s Scott Matzka both using the social network to deliver the news to their fans, the Giants’ Ryan Crane also hinting that it may be the end for him. Another player, Phil Osaer, announced his return to former team Cardiff, validating one of the rumours: that Stevie Lyle will be taking leave of the Devils next season. Debates sprung up about the format of the play-offs in general and the perceived problem of the event taking place on Nottingham’s home ice. It was quickly revealed that the format would in fact change for the 2012/13 season. The issue of venue remained unclear but it seems unlikely that the weekend will go anywhere.

I suffered from a bad case of ‘play-off throat’ brought about by too many late nights and too much singing. It developed quickly into full-blown play-off flu. And I suffered from an even worse case of Elite League withdrawal, mildly soothed by a spot of NHL but still prevalent, as I contemplated the end of the season, my second as an Elite League fan, my first without a team. There was much to reflect on: had my season of neutrality dulled my passion? Not a bit of it, but it had proven to me how much of an uphill struggle being an outsider in a world of tribes and affiliations really is. Will I continue my nomadic trails next season, in the hope that there might be some light at the end of the tunnel, and that in the meantime there will be more excitement, battles, fights, beards, skills, thrills and spills to keep me entertained? Abso-bloody-lutely. So it’s farewell from me for now, but fear not, I will be back with news, all in good time. Over and out.

EIHL Play-off Weekend Review – Chapter 2

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 12th April 2012

Semi-Final 2: Nottingham Panthers v Hull Stingrays

There are some sporting occasions that demand the attention of the media types writing about them in the same way an arresting landscape demands to be captured by an avid photographer. Some games where the keyboard thrills to the touch of the intrepid journalist as it experiences through their frenetic fingers the passion, the tension, the drama and the excitement of said contest, and the reader devours the resulting report like a favourite meal, savouring each well-phrased memory like a tasty morsel as they relive a spectacle that they were privileged to be a part of.

Sadly, this was not one of those games.

There was no doubting the allegiance of the many neutral fans in the building: everyone loves a plucky underdog and they don’t come any more plucky than Hull, whose win over the Sheffield Steelers was one of the biggest surprises of the Elite League season. I hoped against hope that they would show up against the Panthers and take the game to them; the second semi-final had a lot to live up to after the first one and there was no denying the feeling around the NIC was one of vague anti-climax.

The opening exchanges between the sides were scrappy but the crowd were in fine voice. Hull flailed early on but netminder Christian Boucher made an assured save from a Brandon Benedict breakaway effort and settled the jangling nerves. The early signs were worrying for the ‘Rays fans. The Panthers looked up for it and were playing their fluid, attacking style of hockey with aplomb. Hull weren’t rolling over however, and despite the nerves showed some guts, throwing some big hits and getting involved when their hosts allowed them to.

They were like rabbits in the headlights going forward however, unable to make any impression on the Nottingham goal, and soon Nottingham were off the mark, the goal coming from a delayed penalty 6-on-5 situation, David Clarke the scorer. Boucher made a great save to deny the Panthers a second and it looked for a moment as if we may have a tied game on our hands as Jereme Tendler broke away up the ice but he was stopped by Craig Kowalski. Boucher once again came up big for Hull making an outstanding double save and Hull killed a Nottingham powerplay, before a spot of roughing between David-Alexandre Beauregard and Sylvain Cloutier resulted in some 4-on-4 action. The first period closed with Panthers just one goal to the good and it seemed as though Hull might be in this game for the long haul.

This theory was quickly disproved as the second period opened however, Nottingham scoring two goals in the space of thirty seconds from Marc Levers and Sami Ryhanen to knock the wind out of Hull. It was clear who’d had their Weetabix in the period break. Boucher looked like a different netminder, his confidence rocked, and it felt as though all the life had been completely sucked out of the game, Hull deflated, the Panthers fans jubilant.

There was life in the old dog yet however, as despite all members of the crowd to a person admitting this one was 99.9% decided, Hull had a powerplay and were unlucky not to score, Boucher getting his act together once again and blocking a few shots, and finally, after a successful penalty kill, Hull scored, Jason Silverthorn sending the Stingrays fans crazy, and neutrals asking the hockey gods if perhaps we could have ourselves a game now, thank you very much?

Apparently not. Just over a minute later David Clarke struck to make it 4-1 and restore the 3-goal cushion, and completing another killer double blow to the ‘Rays chances of staying competitive in the game, Rhett Gordon made it 5-1 less than a minute after that. The Panthers were more than dominant and were stabbing the already flailing corpse of this poor, battered game without sympathy. It was clinical. Just in case we were in any doubt they scored yet again just before the end of the period to compound Hull’s misery, and surrounded by Nottingham’s celebrating fans I felt something of the pain of being the ‘little club’, head in hands, the cold hand of inevitably gaining a creeping hold on the pit of my stomach.

Nobody felt much like a third period, but something or other, perhaps the ‘nothing to lose’ factor had given Hull a boost, and Boucher settled the ship before they scored a second goal from Derek Campbell. It would not lift the spirits for long however, a cruel bounce seeing the puck skip over Boucher’s head from an attempted glove save to make it 8-2. Hull bit back, nailing Panthers to boards. Dan Green came into the net for Nottingham. They scored again. I didn’t win the 50/50. To add insult to already massive injury, Jordan Fox clinically despatched a tenth goal. I worried for the Devils in the final with Nottingham in this form. I worried for the Hull fans in the pubs of Nottingham after this game. There were five minutes left but I had lost my mojo. The embarrassing scoreline became mildly less so as Cloutier scored a third for Hull and gallows humour prevailed: ‘We’re going to win 11-10.’ It didn’t even sound right. I needed a pint. So did everyone else.

And that was that. The sound of the final horn had never been so welcome. The underdogs were just that, the Panthers victorious: they would go on to challenge Cardiff in the 2012 play-off final. It promised to be a thrilling contest. Or at least, that’s what we hoped, after this damp squib of a semi.

EIHL Play-off Final Weekend Review (in four chapters)

I am rubbish at dealing with endings. As players and fans head back to their normal lives for the summer I cling desperately onto what remains of what has been an interesting and far too fleeting season of Elite League hockey: a sore throat, and the memories. And one of those is welcome to go away. The other I will cherish through the medium of the written word as I review all things play-offs for you over the next day or two.

And what a weekend it was. I had hoped to bring you reports sooner but all kinds of things got in the way, amongst them hotel dramas, late nights, protracted discussions about the state of UK hockey, the spirited singing of numerous topical songs and running from one end of Nottingham to the other on several occasions. But I’m here now and I shall provide for you a veritable cornucopia of hockey news and reviews, as is my raison d’etre.

Let’s begin.

I. Semi-final 1: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils

From the back row of the NIC I looked down upon the combatants for the weekend’s first bout of hockey, a duel between reigning league champions the Belfast Giants and the challengers, last year’s finalists the Cardiff Devils. The stage was set and we settled in for what promised to be a tight contest. Team news saw Chris Frank still sidelined with injury for the Devils and no Darryl Lloyd for the Giants, consternation prevailing among the Belfast fans as it was unclear whether or not he had picked up an injury. They wouldn’t scratch him for any other reason, surely?

Play-off finals weekend could not have started any better. The game exploded into life, a wraparound effort from Jon Pelle and a decent shot from Gerad Adams the best of the early attempts on goal, the Devils proving that despite any perceived disadvantage from being short-benched and missing imports, they were ready for the physical challenge ahead of them, as hits flew in left, right and centre, and fittingly first blood was theirs after just two and a half minutes, Scott Matzka scoring the first goal of the weekend and putting the cat amongst the Giant pigeons.

Belfast responded, an animated Jon Pelle going agonisingly close against his former team. The miniature forward has been off the boil this season in Northern Ireland but it could not be argued that he wasn’t up for it in the first period of this game. Devils netminder Stevie Lyle was forced to make an outstanding double save and there was so much collective in-taking of breath the oxygen supply in the arena must have been running dangerously low.

The first ten minutes had everything: hits, shots, saves, handbags, it was too exciting to write notes so the intricacies will have to be left to your imagination. Or read about in someone else’s report. What I do remember was Belfast’s equaliser, coming from the stick of Jeremy Rebek on the powerplay as Cardiff were twice penalised to give the Giants the 5-on-3 opportunity, the Captain picking out his spot and shooting cleanly past Lyle.

The game became really chippy after that, Adams out to prove that he and his side were not to be taken lightly, the Devils players goading the Giants, niggling them and muscling them off of the puck, their defence and in particular the brick-hard Jamie Vanderveeken frustrating their attempts to take the lead. Sadly they couldn’t reproduce that level of quality on their powerplays, and the first period drew to a close having grown somewhat quieter, however Adam Keefe seemed to have taken the bait laid out for him by Cardiff and he could have been called for inciting as the teams left the ice. Jolly good entertainment.

The second period was a battle. Cardiff were like a pack of terriers, tenacious, determined and dogged, hassling the Giants who couldn’t come up with an incisive moment anywhere on the ice. The physicality picked up early on after a huge hit from Nick Kuiper, and Keefe, still fired up, totally ran over Mark Smith, the referees lenient, allowing the physical side of things to manifest. Both teams had breakaway efforts, the Giants from Aaron Clarke and the Devils from Jeff Pierce who was skating like a man possessed but continued to be unlucky with his final touch.

Cardiff were ramping up the pressure; they had another great chance on the powerplay which almost sneaked by Stephen Murphy, there were scrums and scrambles in front of net and another stinging shot from Jeff Pierce, until finally Cardiff took a deserved 2-1 lead through Scott Dobben. They were running the show, the Giants were devoid of ideas and seemed to be lacking in oomph (yes, that’s a technical term), Keefe one of the few really throwing himself into the game, and battling with Devils’ defenceman Mark Richardson amongst others. There was a scramble in front of Lyle’s net before a riled Ryan Crane picked up a penalty; Cardiff were well and truly under the Giants’ skin, Belfast rattled and clearly frustrated, the Devils turning the screw. They could really have done with extending their lead as the chances were Belfast would re-group and come back stronger in the third, but their last chance of the period was unsuccessful. The second period had been a story of the two British netminders, both producing great performances to keep the score delicately poised going into the third.

And so it was back to the drawing board for the Giants, who desperately tried to claw their way back into the game from the top of the third, an unsuccessful powerplay closely followed by a sustained period of pressure with shots on goal from Deniset and Pelle well dealt with by Lyle. Was the inevitable comeback on? A gift of a 5-on-3 opportunity descended into a comedy of errors, misses and fluffed shots galore, and suddenly it seemed possible – Cardiff really could win this. Belfast just couldn’t get the puck in the net. Galvanised, it was the Devils’ turn to attack and the contest moved closer to a decisive conclusion when they made it a two-goal game, young Brit Luke Piggott extending the Welsh side’s lead. The Devils just wanted it more. But there was to be a twist in the tale as the Giants sucker-punched Cardiff scoring a surprise goal against the run of play with less than five minutes remaining, Lyle caught off-guard by a well-taken Aaron Clarke effort. Game most definitely back ON.

Stevie Lyle made a clutch of breathtaking saves over the course of the next few minutes; could the Devils hold on to secure an unexpected victory? It couldn’t be argued that they didn’t deserve it. But there was heartbreak in the form of the most unlikely goal of the season, the puck creeping behind Stevie Lyle who didn’t see it. It was a fatal mistake. The puck settled itself on the line and time seemed to slow down, but from somewhere, somehow, a stick poked through to put the puck across the line, just before the net was knocked off. There was a scrum and a few punches were thrown as tensions boiled over. It was an amazing last gasp effort and unsurprising that it was scored by the surely the longest arm on the ice, one belonging to Mike Hoffman.

A ten minute period of 4-on-4 overtime ice hockey would follow. My bladder protested but there was no way I was going anywhere. Belfast began their build-up play, passing the puck around, reeling in the Devils. The tension was immense. It was all one-way traffic, the Giants finally getting their act together, and there was plenty of drama, Craig Peacock and Jamie Vanderveeken almost coming to blows, and further handbags between Rob Dowd and Vanderveeken resulting in a period of 3-on-3 hockey which frankly looked a bit silly on Nottingham’s giant ice pad.

Still Belfast could not score. The horn sounded and it came to pass that a thrilling and hard-fought contest would be decided by penalty shots. I’m not sure who was dreading them more, my bladder or Cardiff, who have been notoriously hopeless in shoot-out situations, losing in all six of their attempts this season. The death knell was sounding. Or was it? The first penalty was taken by Kenton Smith, and he scored. Every single other penalty was either saved or missed. Things went distinctly red. The Devils players went mental. They’d done it again. They would yet again contest for the play-off trophy, and there was no doubting they had earned their spot, each and every player a star on the night, although Scott Matzka, Jamie Vanderveeken and Stevie Lyle could perhaps have claimed to have been uppermost in their victory.

It was later confirmed that Darryl Lloyd was a healthy scratch and Giants fans and neutrals alike struggled to fathom the reasoning behind the decision, and wonder if the feisty forward’s inclusion could have been the difference between the two sides, as there was a certain lack of sparkle from the Giants that surely a confidence player like Lloyd could have injected. We’ll never know, and I won’t take anything away from Cardiff’s performance: they were the better side and they deserved their victory. But y’know. It’s interesting to speculate. You’ve got to do it, to accumulate, apparently. Accumulate what I’m not sure – more questions, it seems. Anyway. Chapter II is beckoning me. It will be upon you shortly.

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal – Week 2, Part 2

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 6th April 2012

Hey, you! Look at me! I’m about to perform the collected works of Sir Elton John on the spoons whilst wearing a neon pink romper suit and platform trainers!

Sadly, many parts of the above statement are lies. But it got your attention, didn’t it. That’s good. As my voice is drowned out and diminishes to little more than a ripple in the pond of the many clamouring voices you will hear throughout this play-off finals weekend, I will do my best to shout loudest so you can still hear me, even if it means standing on somebody’s shoulders or jumping up and down. Or wearing a neon pink romper suit. I WILL grab your attention. And I will strive to, as always, bring you a different perspective (I don’t see the BBC reporters in pink romper suits. Beige, maybe). And I hope it will be worth the precious time it takes for your eyes to peruse my many lines of wisdom. So, hear me now! This is one hockey nomad’s neutral view of how the play-off semi-finals might come to pass. And how many Hockey Nomad Neutrals do you know. There, I told you I’d be different.

Semi-final 1 – Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils

Yes, okay, Belfast are very good. We all get it.

Awards and plaudits have been piling up at the Northern Irish side’s doorstep in recent weeks like Valentine gifts in Justin Bieber’s dressing room, and the collective media, myself included, have run dry of superlatives to describe what has been a truly dominant force in UK hockey this season. Although the Steelers ran them fairly close for the title, it was never in doubt and an astonishing (don’t think I’ve used that one yet) away record was one of the many factors that assured the Giants their title.

So they’ve got play-offs in the bag, right? If their 14-0 demolition of the Dundee Stars is anything to go by, they must have. But wait. Not so fast. Doug Christiansen’s side have lost only five games all season in regulation time; but two of those have been to Cardiff. They haven’t always been able to find their way around a notoriously stubborn Devils side who play a determined, physical, attacking style of hockey and don’t fold under any circumstances, even when short-benched and missing key imports as they have been for much of this season.

In front of a loud and proud red army Cardiff will hope to approach the game in the same manner as they did in the corresponding tie last year: like a bulldog with a bone. They will bite down and not let go, and hope that they can contain the Giants’ intimidating attacking force and use their own to penetrate the impenetrable – the Giants defence, and the unerring instrument of their supremacy, Stephen Murphy. That will be the sternest challenge for the Welsh side, but they will look to key forward men Stu Macrae, Phil Hill and Jeff Pierce to use a little of the speed and invention that took them to fourth in the league and the final four weekend. The fitness of defenceman Chris Frank will be vital as they try to match the Giants physically, the American a massive part of the Devils’ hard-edged style.

It’s by no means an impossible task for the Devils and I fancy that the Giants will find it tough, tougher at least than what they have been used to in their recent encounters, as they took care of business, sauntering off with the league trophy at the expense of their hapless competition without so much as breaking a sweat. No biggie.

I envision a low scoring and cagey affair, punctuated with some physical encounters and the merest hint of a goal or two to divide the teams. Prediction: A Giants win, 2-1.

Semi-final 2 – Nottingham Panthers v Hull Stingrays

On paper, things don’t look good for Hull.

They haven’t beaten the Panthers on a single occasion this season, and only twice have they managed to lose by just a one goal margin. But this isn’t the same Hull who slogged their way through the regular season, and as such, you might just as well throw the head-to-head statistics into a waste paper basket and set fire to them than try to analyse them. It’s play-offs. It’s like the FA Cup – anything can happen. And as Hull have proven, it sometimes does. Was their win over Sheffield fluke? Did it come about merely as a result of Sheffield’s failings? Or did they earn it fair and square, by playing the better hockey across the 120 minutes? And even if the latter is the case, will that same Stingrays side show up when facing once of the strongest home sides in the league?

Nottingham are ordinarily more susceptible to the whims of fortune than the other ‘big’ clubs – could Hull’s new-found vim and vigour along with the confidence drawn from beating the league runners-up be enough to overturn the Panthers? It’s possible, however it cannot be forgotten, the National Ice Centre is the Panthers’ lair and they will be looking to make the most of what they will of course see as a home ice advantage. This could potentially undermine Hull’s confidence and coming into the game as underdogs, the threat of a Panthers’ side in their comfort zone could prove unsettling.

On the other hand, Hull have absolutely nothing to lose. Their fans will be in fine voice, and every single person associated with the club will be enjoying what is their first appearance in an Elite League play-off finals weekend. The team will be buoyant and hopefully boisterous, possibly even rambunctious. If they can bring these and other adjectives into play against Nottingham they stand a chance of exacting some revenge, as long as they can keep their defences tight and have netminder Christian Boucher play a similar blinder to the one that he pulled out of the bag against Sheffield.

Nottingham have one of the most formidable attacking forces in the league with a  host of striking options, the heavy artillery of Jordan Fox and Matt Francis complemented by the style and grace of David-Alexandre Beauregard and Sami Ryhanen. They need to focus on the job at hand and if Corey Neilson can keep a tight ship against Hull, I foresee them going on to challenge Belfast for their second piece of silverware of the 2011/12 campaign. Prediction – 3-1 Panthers.

—

I’m off folks. Tomorrow morning I wend my merry way southwards to the district of Nottinghamshire armed only with my trusty pen and paper, ready to bring you news of all the weekend’s drama. (Well, I may also have a laptop, camera, and that pink romper suit). Stay tuned here for match reports, idle gossip and beards, and check me out on Twitter (@ktdude) for real time updates, hashtag #POFW. Yes, yes, I know - I’m achingly hip. See you on the flip side!

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal: Week 2

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 4th April 2012

Monday 2nd April

 I hope that although Saturday and Sunday’s journal entries were nothing more than a spewing stream of over-exuberant consciousness on my part, they managed to sum up the rollercoaster ride that is following multiple ice hockey play-off quarter-final games on Twitter, and that they somehow captured the intensity of the experience of a sad and lonely laptop-loving neutral such as myself. Now on we go, roaring full throttle into week two of the action.

Debates continue over the drawing of the semi-final line-up – should the teams have been re-seeded like in the NHL, or are Elite League playoffs set up like a bracket in which case the outcome is as it should be? There are rumblings of dissent from players about the decision-making process and Giants’ forward Mike Hoffman unwittingly begins the ‘Kelman In!’ campaign to have the Belfast owner take over running of the Elite League. League politics scare me however I would innocently venture to say I think this could be a very good thing indeed. I would also like to offer my services as his deputy and/or assistant. Because it’s about time I had a career change. Can we consider that my formal job application? I think so.

The Hull Stingrays players’ Twitter feeds make for brilliant reading this morning as the triumphant underdogs returned home to a heroes’ welcome late on Sunday night and seemingly enjoyed the subsequent celebrations. They believed they could do it, and they did it. News stories come flooding in congratulating the side who have beaten the odds to take their place in the final four. Steelers lick their wounds; some call for the head of Ryan Finnerty. A kneejerk but perhaps understandable reaction given the set of circumstances that led up to their quarter-final defeat. However Finnerty will have learnt a lot from this season and any team loyalties aside I personally hope to see him do well next season as I feel he will improve as his focus shifts to a pure coaching role and on the whole, I’ve enjoyed the way the Steelers have played this season.

Players say goodbye to colleagues and fans and it dawns on me with a tinge of sadness that for six of the ten Elite League sides, the season is over and they’re officially on holiday. We may never see many of the imports who have entertained us all season on these shores again. But for four teams of players, their fans, and a bunch of rabid hockey-loving neutrals, we have one big weekend left. There are hasty reassessments and realignments of loyalty as the new underdogs are factored into the equation and everyone figures out who they will be cheering for. I’m struggling with the notion at the present time and will re-visit this particular issue later in the week.

Tuesday 3rd April

Estate agents around the UK find their phones ringing off the hook as intrepid fans try to find out just where it is that Rob Dowd has bought a house. Rumours that it’s in Fife gather pace. Overall it’s a telling move from a man who many suggested could be on his way to Europe in the summer.

*STOP PRESS* It's not in Belfast... (cue dramatic music)

I decide it’s time to think about a semi-final preview and wonder idly just how much coverage I will manage over an infamously debaucherous weekend.

I fall into the womanly trap of losing myself to Steelers-related sympathy after hearing reaction to their loss on Twitter and in the media. There were tears apparently. As much as it’s fun to have some banter and rivalry, the pathetic girl in me cannot abide watching others suffer and as such, despite trying to remain stiff of the upper lip, I dissolve into a mass of ‘aww’-ing and anguished expressions and battle with the desperate urge to run down to Sheffield and administer firm yet tender hugs to Finnerty and co.

But as well as being a pathetic girl, I’m a lover of sport, and at the end of the day, what do we demand from the athletes we support above all else? Passion and desire. Simply put, we want them to want to win as much as we do, more preferably, if that’s possible, because it’s how we relate to them and to be frank, it’s why we all watch sport in the first place. So anyone who can’t empathise with Finner, or indeed any broken sportsman after a heartbreaking loss, is denying their own inner pathetic girl, or passionate sportsfan – whatever you want to dress it up as. It’s a sad fact however that passion alone is, more often than not, not enough to win trophies, and it’s a shame that not all of Finnerty’s team shared the passion of their player-coach, or perhaps the outcome may have been different, as we consider by contrast the balls-to-the-wall, never-say-die mentality of the triumphant Hull side who were eventually to be their undoing.

On the other hand, I laughed, some might say quite loudly despite my attempts to be muted and respectful, at some of the witty chants and songs that were being created and circulated by Steelers’ rivals. I’m a horrible person. But they were funny. There’s empathy, but then there’s really great banter.

Wednesday 4th April

I feel all procrastinatey and decide I’ll write the weekend preview tomorrow.

Katy’s Elite League Playoff Journal – Week 1 Finale

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 2nd April 2012

Sunday 1st April

It might be April Fools Day but there’s no joking about the importance of today in the world of British Ice Hockey. Who will join the Nottingham Panthers in the final four? There’s no questioning which team have their game faces on, the Hull Stingrays players bigging up their David v Goliath clash in Sheffield via the medium of Twitter and clearly up for the tough challenge ahead of them. Max Birbraer sets a few of the less astute Cardiff Devils fans’ hearts racing claiming he’s been given the all clear to play in the second leg against the Blaze that evening; hopes are dashed later on when it’s realised that Max was merely getting into the spirit of the occasion and pulling an April Fool’s prank.

I spend the day doing normal people things and trying not to let my every second thought be about hockey. I fail.

By the time I reach my computer around five minutes have passed in the first period of both 6:00pm face-offs and both homes sides are already one goal to the good. On paper it doesn’t bode well for the Stingrays; the Blaze I feel can still make a decent fist of it and I wait to watch the action unfold. Cardiff are still without hard-hitting defenceman Chris Frank. Would it matter? Possibly: within minutes of each other, both games are tied, Blaze equalising through Rob Farmer on the powerplay and Hull through Jason Silverthorn, the East Yorkshire team seemingly ready to shut me right up – they really are up for this after all. Goliath 1 – 1 David.

Then, a triple hit of action and the statuses on Twitter come flooding in. First, a goal in Dundee, Belfast going up within just 27 seconds through Tom Dignard (yay!) although this is later altered to Aaron Clarke (aw). At IceSheffield Hull go ahead in both the game and on aggregate, and in Cardiff there’s drama as the Devils are awarded a penalty shot, which is subsequently taken and missed by Jeff Pierce, Peter Hirsch pulling a huge save out of the bag to keep the Blaze’s hopes alive – Cardiff and penalty shots go together about as well as politics and trifle.

Then Belfast score again. It’s now 7-0 on aggregate – can Dundee muster up some dignity and at least take the rest of the game to the Giants? Hmm, apparently not. A third goal for Belfast. Aaand then a fourth. Oh dear. What the hell Dundee? Dig in, dudes. Nobody wants to see a rout. But it’s surely already a case of lights out, all out on Tayside (anyone who gets that reference – high five).

The other two games are on period breaks. Can Hull hang onto their ever-so-slim lead? And just who will prevail in the as ever finely poised Cardiff v Coventry battle? It’s still all to play for, it’s a game of three thirds, and other such footballing clichés. Going into the first period break in Dundee, the Stars have interestingly had 12 shots on goal to Belfast’s 15, proving that however close a game might seem, it’s all about taking your chances, and the Giants are absolutely deadly in front of goal.

The second period begins in Sheffield and the home side quickly equalise but few minutes later the Stingrays re-take the lead. I was wrong to doubt them. There’s no denying they have the bit between their teeth, but can they hold out against a side that are notoriously good at coming back from deficits? They are leading despite apparently being backs to the wall throughout the second. Do they have the mettle to see it through? (There’s a metal/Steelers pun in there somewhere. I’m ever so droll).

What about the hapless Stars? Happily for them there have been no further goals in Dundee, but this is mainly because it’s the first period break, whilst in Cardiff the home side take the lead through Stuuuuuu Macrae (complete with the requisite number of u’s) and Blaze seem to be losing their grip on a semi-final berth as momentum swings in favour of the Devils.

Into the final period in Sheffield and Hull are still leading. Belfast put back-up netminder Andrew Dickson in goal and proceed to score a 5th and 6th goal, and Dundee players and fans alike must be counting down the seconds until this painful encounter, along with their season, is over. I am momentarily distracted as I discover last season’s Vipers favourite, netminder Charlie Effinger, has joined Twitter, and I proceed to harass him.

At the Big Blue Tent it sounds as though Blaze just don’t have enough invention or energy in the tank. In Dundee Brennan Turner has his second fight in as many nights, squaring up to Nick Kuiper. Hull add a fourth goal to their tally – this is looking majorly ominous for Sheffield. Could Ryan Finnerty’s big decision be coming back to bite him in the behind? Or are Hull just that motivated? Their defence and netminder Christian Boucher are playing a proverbial blinder. It will make for a great underdog story if they can make the final four. Two seconds after the first fight in Dundee comes the second, Jeff Hutchins dropping the gloves with Darryl Lloyd. The latter is an agitator not an enforcer by trade so I’m keen to see how he fared with the gloves off.

Hull continue to hang on. Lord knows their fans must have no nails left. Cardiff give themselves a two goal cushion, the man of many u’s Macrae scoring once again. Blaze look to be out of this one. Hull score again to go 5-2 up, former Steeler Derek Campbell completing an unlikely hat-trick to become the hero of the day. Wow. Sheffield, you’ve officially scuppered this one.

And then it’s over. People, we have an upset. It was so nearly Braehead Clan, but in the end it was the Hull Stingrays who defied the history books to win through, and richly deserved it is too. The final four weekend will be a little more interesting than expected due to the presence of a true underdog, and will also be largely devoid of orange shirts. Colt King, you are clearly a god amongst men. Cutting off noses to spite faces is a thought that crosses my mind but still not knowing the full picture, I clearly can’t speculate. Oops, I just did. My bad. Needless to say, Ryan Finnerty has to be feeling sick as a parrot, and being as that this was his last competitive hockey game, it has to hurt.

Cardiff put a cherry on top of their successful quarter final challenge with a fourth goal, Jeff Pierce making up for his earlier penalty miss with less than two minutes remaining. Belfast score three more goals to compound Dundee’s misery. An aggregate score of 14-0 does not make for easy reading.

I go to bed to prepare for another working week with my mind still buzzing with hockey action and reaction. The Easter weekend is going to be a good one quite apart from any mention of bunnies, chicks or chocolate eggs. And I shall be there to deliver you full coverage of the action!

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal – Week 1 continued…

Originally published on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 1st April 2012

Friday 30th March

Anticipation builds up prior to the weekend’s games. I feel more than a shade of jealousy following the excitement as it gathers pace on the social networks, wishing I could be a part of it. To comfort me, the thought of 48 hours of basking in the full-on hockey glory that only the playoff final weekend can provide.

I consider who the favourites to qualify are. I’ve started to feel as though Coventry Blaze may be in with a good chance; in terms of momentum they are flying: of the nine games they have played so far in March they have lost only two, although worryingly, both of these losses were sustained at the hands of the Devils. I wonder if they can find a way around them this weekend. They seem to have a really positive vibe coming out of the camp at the moment. And I really feel that if Hull approach their game in an attacking mindset and go all out, they have a chance against a Steelers team who seem from the outside looking in, to be an unsettled group. I worry for Dundee. The confidence surrounding the Giants on and off the ice is ridiculous. And I am purple through and through as I keep everything crossed that Braehead can hang onto their lead at the NIC.

Saturday 31st March

Game faces are summoned up and down the country. I’m restless, involving myself in the afternoon’s football action to try and dull the nagging sense of needing to be somewhere, needing to be a part of the building tension going on in Belfast, Hull, Coventry and Nottingham. It’s not so bad: it’s not as if I’ve experienced this situation before, as Vipers finished 9th last season, so I don’t really know what I’m missing. But I’m missing it nonetheless.

I place a cheeky wager on the outcome of the games. Can’t resist. There’s drama in Belfast as the bomb squad are summoned near the Odyssey Arena but thankfully nothing comes of the scare. I’ll be following the action via the medium of Twitter and even through that I can feel the tension building as face-off time creeps ever closer. I settle down for an evening of clicking and waiting.

First blood Cardiff Devils, who go 1-0 up in Coventry with a short-handed goal through Scott Dobben. Shortly afterwards Blaze equalise – all the action so far coming from the West Midlands. It sounds lively in Hull too despite a lack of goals, but there’s not a word from the other two rinks – I set off on an Elite League live scores page mission.

First periods end. A cagey start in Hull where the score is still tied 0-0. I vaguely wonder if a tied game would go to overtime and realise I should really know these things. I figure there wouldn’t be much point seeing as the games were two-legged affairs. Belfast are one up on Dundee and Nottingham one up on Braehead. Come on Clan.

First period break… radio silence…

Then a flurry of activity – Steelers 1-0, Blaze 2-1. A little while later, Giants take a 3-0 lead despite Chris Whitley seemingly standing on his head in net. The claws are coming out around the rinks as frustrations begin to bubble and rise to the surface. Penalties are chalked up and banter gets serious. Hull equalise. Things get chippy and there’s some chirping as the second period draws to a close in Hull. Whitley can’t do it all on his own at the Odyssey and Jon Pelle chalks up a fourth for the Giants – this one looks as though it may be over before it starts. Nottingham pull level with Braehead – the end may be in sight for the Glasgow side despite thousands of hockey fans willing them to victory.

Blaze score again from Fussey. Looks like my betting slip is up the swanny. Then Steelers score and it looks like double bad news. But Hull equalise! It’s all happening! Then Braehead score through Galbraith – what did I tell you! Come ON the Clan! Cardiff pull one back to make it 3-2 – now we have some real playoff hockey on our hands, and aside from the Belfast game every single tie could go either way at this point – I love it! Cardiff EQUALISE!!! Not just game on, but GAMES ON! And what on earth has happened to the Blaze? A few weak moments and suddenly it’s anybody’s game. It sounds like an electrifying atmosphere and a great effort, but the Cardiff fans have to be the happier of the two.

And then it all goes wrong. Despite being arguably the better side, and clearly being the more passionate and fired up, coach Sylvain Cloutier reportedly dancing with the fans, it ends 2-2 at Hull and my bet is off, but fair play to the ‘Rays for taking it to the Steelers – who knows how they will fare back in Sheffield tomorrow. The Devils end with a draw and have to feel confident going back to the Big Blue Tent. Giants grab a last gasp goal from Mike Hoffman to effectively put an end to Dundee’s hopes, bar a miracle, and it goes to overtime in Nottingham but there is heartbreak for the Clan fans and indeed for hockey fans all over the UK who have been honorary members of the purple army as Brandon Benedict scores, making Panthers the first side to qualify for finals weekend.

What a night. And I didn’t even see a single minute of hockey! The anticipation for tomorrow and next weekend is palpable, I can almost taste it. Things are finely poised and anything could happen. Time to get some sleep, I need to be fresh for another night of the thrills and spills that only Elite League ice hockey can provide. More coverage tomorrow!

Katy’s Elite League Play-off Journal – Week 1

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 30th March 2012

Keeping you updated with happenings up and down the Elite League during the play-off period… according to me!

Monday 26th March

With play-off berths decided and fans up and down the Elite League buying tickets in their droves and planning travel for their away trips, I hastily put the finishing touches to my review of the weekend and preview of the quarter-final match-ups. Read parts 1 and 2 below, if you haven't already.

Tuesday 27th March

All-Stars, Baby!

Journalists release their all-star line-ups for the season. And can you believe I wasn’t even asked my opinion! It would have made all the difference too – what poppycock these so-called writer types spout! Okay, so some of it made sense.  Jade Galbraith is a no-brainer to be on the first team, as are Murphy, Mason, and Legue. Guthrie is a fantastic talent but for me, was a little goal-shy earlier in the season as he took some time to get his eye in – but a dream to watch when on the puck and on paper of course, he’s the right choice. I would have replaced him with Rob Dowd, who only made the second team for the ‘journalists’. (This is only fake bitterness, you understand). Neilson? As an attacking defender probably only Jeff Mason outclassed him this year, but it’s hard to see past his more questionable actions and as such, I wouldn’t have chosen him.

Missing from the teams? The Belfast defencemen deserve their place, none more so than Jeff Mason, but I would have had Tom Dignard in there too. He’s underrated, a real unsung hero. Okay, I’m a bit biased. As I love him. But only because he’s SO good. Speaking of defencemen who I have a soft spot for, I’m glad they included Jim Jorgensen in the second team as I found him to be a revelation in Braehead this year, a fast, clean, creative and dynamic defenceman who turns up at the heart of everything good the Clan seem to do; undoubtedly an asset they will look to keep hold of next season.

My All-Stars are based on the players I’ve found myself enamoured with over the course of the season for having that extra something about their game, as even though it’s quite obvious that on paper the likes of Galbraith and Legue would have to top any list, not every player can be a fancy-pants goal machine and as such, I would have Darryl Lloyd in my dream team. I’ve made no secret of my admiration for the feisty Giants centre; what he lacks in size he makes up for twice over in grit, determination and pure aggression. He hits like a train and gets in the faces of opponents. He’s your worst nightmare – unless he’s in your team.

I’d also have a punt on Jeff Pierce as a surprise inclusion, as if you’re considering pure raw talent, it’s hard to look past Pierce despite his sporadic effort and understandable obsession with his own hair. His puck-handling is poetry and his movement on the ice breath-taking at times, and when he gets the bit between his teeth he can undress defences up and down the league. If you could guarantee him on top of his game at all times, I think I’d even choose him over Galbraith due to his speed and fitness.

No Panthers?! I hear you cry?! No. As yet, I haven’t seen a single minute of Panthers hockey outside of a few minutes of highlights, so I don’t feel qualified to rate them against the teams who I have seen plenty of (all the rest). Also, I like nine teams more than them. So it was unlikely I’d pick a Panther for my all-stars. Pick a Panther sounds like a really twee card game doesn’t it. I can just picture Corey Neilson as the Joker.

On the subject of netminders, there’s no doubting the man at the top of the heap (take a bow Stephen Murphy), but after that I like two of the Scottish sides’ netminders, Chris Whitley and Garrett Zemlak, over a number of the top half teams’ choices. Both have showed great passion alongside great shot-stopping all season and I would be confident that either could perform for one of the top teams if they were called upon. Plus Zemlak’s unforgettable 70-plus shot-stopping heroics against the Panthers was not only brilliant, but could do nothing other than endear him to fans all over the league. Except possibly in the East Midlands.

Game 1

The first of the playoff quarter final games took place in Glasgow. In an exact repeat of last year’s quarter final, Nottingham travelled to the Braehead Arena. I was otherwise engaged, taking in one of the world’s worst football matches at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, and was completely unaware of the goings-on from north of the border. I came out to discover that not only had Braehead won, they had shut out the Panthers in doing so and built a lead that, whilst not unassailable, would take some coming back from. It was a timely reminder that the four places in the final weekend are up for grabs by any of the eight teams involved  – a predictable top four line-up may be what the league would like to see, but the fans would love an upset, and this has the makings of one written all over it: odds on Jade Galbraith scoring at the NIC in a twist that will be the big money side’s ultimate undoing? Let the hockey gods be merciful.

Wednesday 28th March

British ice hockey seems to have a knack of throwing up a shock news story when you least expect it, and today was no exception. Three days shy of the most important games of the year for the Sheffield Steelers - bearing in mind the pressure on them to pick up some silverware of some sort – news breaks of the release by the club of fan favourite Colt King.

Wow. That one really caught everyone with their pants down and I can’t help but feel a bit cheated. King has been one of the Steeler favourites this season not to mention one of their top players and to lose him on the eve of the playoffs is not only a kick in the teeth for his devoted fans and, er, total neutrals who aren’t even bothered such as myself, but it begs the question, just how bold a move can one coach afford without shooting himself in the foot? It’s impossible to know what has gone on behind the scenes and perhaps King’s absence may be better for the club going forward, but now? Right now? Bad plan. Has to be. They immediately lose a strong physical presence as well as a great goal poacher, the top fighter in the league and a source of real consternation to their rivals. Whether or not it improves the Steelers as a unit is an unknown; what is not is that Sheffield’s quarter-final opponents, the Hull Stingrays, will take courage from this perceived unrest and do everything they can to turn it to their advantage come game time on Saturday.

Thursday 29th March

The calm before the storm…

Check back for updates over the weekend as I continue with my playoff journal.

Re-views and Previews... Part 2

I continue my review of the final weekend in the Elite League regular season, and preview the play-off quarter-final match-ups.

3rd v 6th – Nottingham Panthers v Braehead Clan

Following another disappointing performance in the league this season, the Panthers took the heat off of coach Corey Neilson somewhat by winning the Challenge Cup, and there’s no denying that with a strong crowd behind them and on their home ice the Panthers will want the playoff silverware badly, to bolster their season’s successes. Their final weekend saw them shut out the Capitals at home 7-0 before they travelled to Belfast for both teams’ final game of the season, a tight encounter that really set the tone for the playoff hockey they have ahead of them. The Panthers can be a good clutch side at times and are capable of big performances under pressure; it’s their consistency that lets them down and they are prone to a silly mistake or two, so it will be interesting to see which Nottingham side turns up for their final run-in.

Braehead ended the season as the undisputed top team in Scotland, with over twice as many points as their nearest rivals, and they battled right to the end for 5th place with Coventry. They had a fantastic final weekend, beating Hull at home before clinching a stunning late victory in Sheffield, and they proved they have strength in depth as nine different names went on the scoresheet across the two games. Braehead have blown hot and cold and netminding has at times been a problem for them; they may opt to go with Brit Mike Will over the erratic Jaakko Suomalainen as Will has performed admirably for them and won them games in pressure situations; he could be one to watch for the future.

For me this is the biggest opportunity for a team to overthrow one of ‘the big three’ teams in this quarter final stretch. It would be a massive upset for the hosts of the final four weekend not to be present but the Clan have undone Nottingham before and I believe that in at least one of the legs, they can do it again. For Nottingham their home ice form will be key and they will want to hit the Clan hard and early at the National Ice Centre, especially if they are trailing from the first leg.

Prediction: Home wins each way; I think Nottingham will want to win this at all costs and will take the victory based on a big home win. Aggregate score 7-6

4th v 5th – Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze

The fourth quarter final is a clash between two teams who were pitted against one another this weekend just gone, in a double header that would see both sides getting into the spirit of things and the playoff hockey in full flow. They will meet each other two more times to decide who will progress to the final four and this one really is too close to call. Honours were even this weekend just gone, with each side winning their home game. 17 goals were scored and there were two fights; Chris Frank achieved a Gordie Howe hat-trick if you take both games as one but worrying for Cardiff ended the weekend on crutches following a rip-roaring tilt with the Blaze’s Brian Jurynec. The attacking advantage probably goes to Cardiff who outshot Coventry 78–51 across 120 minutes of hockey, however Blaze’s Peter Hirsch had the stronger weekend in net, saving 70 of the attempts on his goal in comparison to 42 stops by the Devils’ Stevie Lyle.

The double header was a thrilling way to end the season for two sides who have fought closely all season and have fostered a healthy rivalry both on and off the ice, and I have no doubt we will see some feisty clashes across the two games. Of all the match-ups I think I will be keeping the closest eye on this one; Cardiff will be looking to repeat their success of 2011, when they made the playoff final and only just missed out in a close battle with Nottingham. The Blaze seek to return to the final four having missed out in 2011 and they have certainly been stronger over the last couple of months than they were earlier in the season. Cardiff have arguably the advantage with the second of the two games being played in their barn, the notoriously tough Big Blue Tent, and they will look to minimise any damage the Blaze can inflict on them in the first leg at the Skydome and seek to use their physical presence and speed of attack to get the job done in the second leg. The sometimes lightweight Blaze have found their scoring form but are a little loose in defence and it will take a monumental effort from Peter Hirsch to turn away the shots that will rain in on him from the prolific Devils forwards.

Prediction: Cardiff have been the stronger side consistently throughout the regular season and I believe they will take the final spot in the final four. It will be a close one, but Cardiff will desperately want to avoid it going to a shootout, at which they have been hopeless this season. I think they will nick it. Aggregate score 9-7.

Not to be outdone… 9th v 10th – Edinburgh Capitals v Fife Flyers: the Revenge

I can’t let the weekend review pass without commenting on what could respectfully be called a good old time hockey tilt in Kirkcaldy on Sunday night (or in layman’s terms, a mass brawl). With nothing left to play for the teams, placed 9th and 10th in the Elite League respectively, and with the score stacked 9-3 in favour of the visiting Capitals, the players decided to abandon the hockey-playing and act out the much-vaunted old-school rivalry on the ice, with a cheap shot to Fife goalie Garrett Zemlak triggering a series of fights which saw 7 players ejected from the game and a combined total of over 300 penalty minutes doled out by the toiling referees. It was an inauspicious end to the season but certainly a memorable one.

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So, I’m excited to see how next weekend plays out as we discover who our final four will be. I have a few more nuggets of wisdom up my sleeve to share with you before the season is out including my Elite League Dream Team, plenty of play-off build-up, and a beard analysis the likes of which has never been seen before. You don’t want to miss it.

Re-views and Previews – Part 1

The final weekend of the regular season. This time last season, the Vipers faithful had their final game at Whitley Bay against Dundee, and travelled there the following day to complete an unforgettable season and say goodbye to Danny Stewart’s tireless and amazing squad. It was pretty momentous, especially in consideration of all that came to pass in the following weeks and months with the club being dissolved, so it was understandably less of an occasion for me personally this time around. It came and went in the blink of an eye. I sat at home on the sofa mostly, quaffing a variety of alcoholic beverages and eating curry whilst watching scores come in on Twitter. However the weekend contained more drama and talking points than the prior few weeks put together, as the warm weather seemed to spark players into action as they caught scent of the playoffs on the spring breeze, and it really set the tone for what looks to be a thrilling series of playoff encounters.

Despite there being almost a full schedule on Sunday the quarter-final berths were settled on Saturday. So I’ll pass comment on the weekend’s activity team by team, in a playoff preview style. I haven’t even figured out how this is going to work yet. But come along for the ride and we’ll figure it out together. We’ll do two today and two tomorrow. Bitesize previewing, if you will. Big bites, but still.

1st v 8th – Belfast Giants v Dundee Stars

Belfast had just a single game for their final weekend, and they hoisted the Championship banner at the Odyssey before taking on a Panthers side they had seen a fair bit of in recent weeks, losing the Challenge Cup final and seemingly building up a bit of tension between the two sides as the game turned out to be rather feisty, with a fair bit of rough stuff between the two sides. The most agitating agitator in all of British hockey-dom, Darryl Lloyd, threw himself into the game 110% and succeeded in getting under the skin of Panthers defenceman Brock Wilson and a six-man brawl ensued, resulting in a fight between Giants captain Jeremy Rebek and heavyweight Guillaume Lepine. Still waiting for the decision on that one, although hats off to Rebek for getting involved with one of the league’s best fighters. It sounded like a fantastic, hard-fought game and resulted in a late win for the Champions, Craig Peacock netting in overtime to put a cherry on top of an already very tasty and exceedingly large cake. It could safely be said that these two sides are ready for some playoff hockey, and could potentially meet in what would be a very juicy final at the NIC.

But first things first, Belfast enter into a two game quarter final series with the Dundee Stars, whose late spate of wins to lift themselves into a playoff berth seemed to catch up with them somewhat in the final weekend. They managed an overtime win against Fife after a low-scoring 1-1 game before being soundly beaten by 7th place Hull on Sunday, however, with what is clearly the toughest quarter final draw on offer it could conceivably be argued that the Scottish side were right to try and preserve their bodies, as they will need every ounce of energy at their disposal in next weekend’s double header.

The tie will take Dundee over to Northern Ireland for the first leg before both teams return to Scotland to contest the second leg, and Belfast will undoubtedly be looking to get the job done in front of their home crowd and take an unassailable lead back to Dundee, who cannot be underestimated, having run Belfast surprisingly close on almost every occasion that the two teams have met so far this season.

Prediction: As hard as Dundee will work for this one, it’s a tall order and I can’t imagine any outcome other than a Giants win. However I do think it will be a closer tie than the gap in league positions suggests. I’ll plump for an aggregate score of 10-6.

2nd v 7th – Sheffield Steelers v Hull Stingrays

Sheffield had something of a topsy-turvy final weekend as they travelled to the Scottish capital and pummelled its inhabitants 13-2, before returning home on Sunday to face the Glasgow contingent in the Braehead Clan, who were able to pull out a massive victory at the Motorpoint, beating the Steelers 5-4 with just 3 seconds remaining in regulation time, and posing questions over the Steelers’ mental toughness going into what could potentially be a tricky quarter-final match-up for them. It’s their fourth loss in five games, one of those being against their quarter final opponents. Could it be that Ryan Finnerty’s side have let the pressure of a long season get to them? They will need to show their mettle if they want to avoid disappointing an orange army who will be travelling the short distance to Nottingham en masse for the playoff final four weekend and will fully expect to see their team a part of the action.

Hull had a mixed final weekend, losing to Braehead before beating Dundee to secure 7th spot, a place which has been theirs for some time and never seemed in doubt despite their mixed fortunes this season, as they mixed some great wins in with some unacceptable defeats, but they have toughened up of late and will be fully prepared to dig their heels in and take this one to the wire.

The head to head statistics make interesting reading: the Steelers dominated the opening exchanges between the teams but the scorelines became closer and closer until the Stingrays were finally able to beat their Yorkshire rivals just last weekend. Have they learnt what it takes to beat the Steelers, and more importantly can they do it twice? Key for the Steelers, the fitness of Jeff Legue, who was the star of the weekend for them as he has been so many times this season, scoring 5 goals in two games and proving his consistency to be one of the main reasons Sheffield remained in contention for the title for such a long time. His ability to score clutch goals will surely come into play and in a tie that will finish in front of home fans at Ice Sheffield on Sunday, Hull will need to have a commanding lead in order to give themselves the best possible chance in Sheffield, who will not be easy to beat on their home ice, despite the more limited crowd size of IceSheffield which rather strangely is where the tie will be played.

Prediction: I think another close encounter is on the cards with Hull’s recent good form against the Steelers. I think they can win the home leg, but I believe Jeff Legue and the Steelers will dominate the second. Aggregate score? I’m going for 7-6

Part 2 shortly...

Just Like Starting Over

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 20th March 2012

Just how do I go about writing this report? It was the game after the Championship-winning night before. It was St Patrick’s Day. And I’m not going to lie to you, I had imbibed a not insignificant amount of Irish beverages prior to my arrival at the Odyssey. Not to mention the night before. The Giants players would surely have a sore head or two amongst their ranks as well and as for the Steelers, it was hard to imagine how they would approach this game; they still had a few hundred travelling fans to go out and play for, but with the title race over, would their minds already be focussing on the play-offs? Just how could this hockey game live up to the previous night?

Putting negativity aside, I am always ready for ice hockey, so I kept an open mind. In the opening minutes of the game it definitely seemed as though the Steelers were the more up for it; they had their game faces on and the teams looked more evenly matched than they had at any time the previous evening – could this be the Sheffield side’s chance to exact a little revenge? It certainly seemed that way as they almost took the lead after five minutes, Colt King with a great effort which was saved, the subsequent rebound fluffed by Jeff Legue, who went on to have a couple of better chances despite his side being short-handed in the following minutes. The Steelers penalty kill was sound and they continued to compete with the unsurprisingly sluggish champions for the remainder of the period, the Giants unable to find a way into the game.

The deadlock was finally broken after 15 minutes, Colt King poaching a tap-in goal from a Jeff Legue shot on the powerplay. This was more like it – I believe ‘let’s have it’ or words along those lines may have escaped from my lips at that time. It boded well for the second period.

The Giants response was rapidly executed however; they equalised just 37 seconds into the second period, Craig Peacock the sniper for the home side. Doug Christiansen must have had a word with his players in the period break – okay lads, you’ve won the league, but let’s prove why. Socks pulled up, the champions began closing down the Steelers more efficiently and the visitors were unable to maintain their early game pressure. The tide was turning.

Four minutes later, Giants Captain Jeremy Rebek took advantage of another lax defensive moment for the Steelers, catching them sleeping to take his side into the lead. It triggered a flurry of three goals in less than two minutes; following some major action in front of John DeCaro’s net in which the Sheffield netminder pulled off an excellent save, Giants scored their third straight from a face-off, Gareth Roberts letting rip an excellent shot into the top right hand corner of the net, DeCaro unable to get near the attempt. Sheffield called a time-out but it couldn’t stop the flow of the clinical Belfast team, who used a failed Steelers’ attempt on goal well-saved by Stephen Murphy to their advantage, turning defence into attack and charging down the ice, Jon Pelle picking out his shot and taking the lead to 4-1.

The Steelers just couldn’t catch a break and I found myself feeling rather sorry for them, the Giants were once again in unstoppable form, their delight from the previous night evident in their boisterous and effusive play in the second period. They were rampant. The Steelers managed to peg back the score to 4-2 with another powerplay effort, but the fight had all but left the building and it felt like a foregone conclusion.

As if to reinforce this notion, the third period began in a rather flat manner, and only livened up when Belfast had their first powerplay opportunity, but despite some good build-up play there was nothing doing. However there was a flavour of just why this team are champions on display throughout the third period: some Tom Dignard being brick hard, some good saves from Murphy when he was called upon, some Darryl Lloyd feistiness, the latter still busy proving just what a handy player he is to have around, goading Steelers Captain Jonathan Phillips into an elbowing penalty after he had him suitably riled, resulting in a 5-on-3 chance for the Giants with around five minutes to go in the period. There was no question they would score, and score they did, another to add to the tally of Craig Peacock.

Back-up netminder Andrew Dickson was given an airing and made a couple of saves, and the crowd noise built once again to a crescendo as the game drew to a close, the result never in doubt and as expected, the whole thing a bit of a damp squib. What followed was worth seeing however, as the League Cup made its first appearance in Belfast for six years, and was proudly lofted by one joyful Giants player after another. It was good to see, but the welcoming arms of Rockies sports bar were calling the neutrals home and as the world and his wife had their turn on the cup and it stopped being people I’d actually heard of, I succumbed to the urge for further refreshment and left the Odyssey for the last time this season.

When all is said and done, Belfast deserved to win the league this year beyond any shadow of doubt. They worked for it and earned it, simply outclassing their opposition at almost every time of asking. Their netminding and defence were by far the best of any team, they had plenty of power in their forward lines and they have arguably the stand-out Brit of the year in Robert Dowd. Whether or not they will be able to replicate it next year is another question and hinges upon how many of the team can be persuaded to stay, and who they bring in to replace the leavers. But now Doug Christiansen has tasted victory, there’s no doubt he will want to do it all over again next year.

Can they become a dominant force in British ice hockey, or was this a one off, unique to this particular group of individuals? Can a team win the league not once but TWICE with a British netminder, thus proving Dave Simms wrong on the same point twice? Will I EVER catch a Subway that’s been shot from a cannon into the crowd at the Odyssey Arena? I’m excited to find out the answers to these and other questions, but all in good time. First and foremost – will the Giants extend their dominance into the play-off section of the season? Discuss. Or at least, I will discuss, in my play-off preview, coming soon. Tune in, fine folk. Oh and please feel free to leave a comment or two, it makes me feel all warm inside. Thanks for reading, bye for now!

This Was the Year That Was

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 17th March 2012

This is the year. Four little words. A simple statement of intent, and a refrain that has been repeated all season long by players and fans of the Belfast Giants alike. The words have taken on a life of their own on Twitter, where much of the inter-team banter has been situated this season, where the hashtag #thisistheyear has followed almost any comment about the Giants’ Elite League campaign. And it all came down to one weekend. If this was the year, then last night was the night to prove it. To put their money where their mouths were. This was IT.

The Odyssey was jumping, packed out with a season high crowd of over 7,000, and I was euphorically inhaling the rarefied air up in the corporate boxes – a treat organised by our Belfast friends, and there was no better occasion to enjoy the comfort and exceptional view than this. The stage was set, the cider was cold, the Steelers were orange. We were ready for a spectacle the likes of which had never been seen before. Well, this season at least.

View from the corporate box: Because I'm worth it

The first period opened brightly, with a couple of chances either way, Stephen Murphy looking the more assured of the two netminders in the Giants goal. The Giants established their dominance fairly early on, the forwards moving together, with a real sense of urgency, and the defence mopping up everything that came their way, as per usual (did I tell you I love Tom Dignard? I love him.). The first goal came after just over five minutes, and was met with jubilation all around the arena – this crowd was ready to win the league, there was no doubt about it. When a second goal was fumbled in through a hapless Steelers defence just a few seconds later, it looked as though the writing may be on the wall.

It would be an uphill struggle for the shell-shocked Steelers for the rest of the period, swimming against the tide, the Giants exerting their authority over their opponents, the momentum and the crowd both massively in their favour. Was this over already? Sheffield could not settle, they looked uncomfortable and out of place. Actually, sod it, I’ll sum up the period in a simple sentence that will leave you thinking I’m rather immature: Belfast took a firm grip on the game early, and Sheffield lacked penetration in key areas. Yeah yeah, whatever. IT’s TRUE, OKAY?!

In all seriousness, Belfast proved themselves worthy of winning the Championship on their first period showing alone. They harassed Sheffield in defence, closing them down and not giving them an inch. It was cleanly fought, with not a single penalty, and seemed to fly by, but maybe that’s just because we were living the high life, and had a beer wench. No really, we did.

The period concluded with controversy, a perceived trip on Craig Peacock which may or may not have ended with a goal was adjudged to be a penalty shot; Rob Dowd was nominated to do the honours.

What can we say about Rob Dowd’s penalty effort. I appear to have started a new paragraph just to analyse it, but let’s be fair, it doesn’t really deserve that. It can be summed up with one word: cocky. He went far too wide, showboating and made a total mess of it; John DeCaro soaked it up with ease. It’s not the way it’s done: it could have been a deciding goal; Anyway, enough about that.

It was like a different game after that. There was suddenly a spark, the Steelers using the missed penalty to their advantage, swinging the momentum and scoring a goal to make it a one goal game, Rod Sarich laying off a lovely pass to Jeff Legue who doesn’t miss opportunities like that. Oh and then there was a disallowed goal for the Giants – apparently it was kicked in. I didn’t even see it. Hey, I’m just being honest.

Second period. It began following another mysterious Odyssey-related delay, and when it did start it started quietly. It was tactical (my code for – nothing much happened). It picked up a few minutes in, a shot each way forcing a couple of decent saves, and we got our first penalty of the game after about 26 minutes of play. Toothbrushes were brandished as the first oral hygiene powerplay took place, Don’t ask. Adam Keefe and Rod Sarich had, er, words, and an injection of fizz was just what the game needed. On the powerplay, Peacock missed a sitter one on one but it didn’t matter, just a few seconds later the Giants scored their third goal from Aaron Clarke. The Steelers would have to have a monumental effort to pull this back. There were some handbags after that involving Stephenson, Keefe, Finnerty and Walton, it was all quite exciting as passions bubbled over and it threatened to turn into a real cracker of a game. However Steelers weren’t up to to the task, they still couldn’t find an opening, and were unable to put any pressure on the rampant Giants.

The third period. It started. Quietly, again. We waited for the inevitable. Things livened up again five minutes in as Clarke had a great chance, and a minute later the killer blow was struck, Paul Deniset scoring the fourth goal which would surely see the Giants win the league for the first time since 2006. It was a shame that in a game as big as this, it couldn’t go down the to the wire, but it wasn’t to be, despite Colt King doing a sexy spinny thing which I believe may have an ice hockey term to describe it but really, it was very good, but sadly didn’t result in a goal. I needed to mention it though as it was about the best thing a Steeler did all night. Mike Ramsay had a great attempt on the turn following that, and there was a brief moment of hope amongst the orange contingent, especially as their team were on the powerplay. There was a moment when it looked as though King might punch someone but it was just wishful thinking, and the Giants executed another faultless penalty kill.

There was a 5th goal at some point. The time ticked away, the noise reached crescendo. There was hugging, shouting. On the ice helmets and gloves were thrown in unsion and players staged a sort of mass group hug thing. They had done it. The Giants had won the league. And with a British netminder too. Who’d have thunk it. There’s no doubt they deserve it, and I’ll analyse the whole thing on another occasion when the dust has settled but for now, let’s just let them have their moment. Did it make me horribly depressed, despite actually wanting them to win it? Well, yes. Nothing brings home the fact you don’t have a team more than watching another team win a championship. I actually envied the Steelers their disappointment. At least they had a team to be disappointed about, to be proud of despite the lack of success. There was champagne spraying, Mike Hoffman dancing, yet I have never felt so outside of something in sport in all my life. Nonetheless, I am thoroughly happy for the Giants – they won it fair and square.

Less of my morosity and more of the joy – good on the Giants. Sadly from a neutral point of view, which is the only one I have to speak from, it creates a bit of an oddity, a non-entity game tonight; the Giants will undoubtedly have sore heads after a night of celebrations, and the Steelers have nothing left to play for but pride. Nevertheless, I will bring you all the action as always. Join me for it, shortly. TTFN!

If you’re going to get one, get a Big one: An Elite League title decider weekend preview

Originally posted on http://www.ukamericansportsfans.com/ on 15th March 2012

Large. Of considerable size. Substantial. Immense. Weekends in British ice hockey do not come much bigger than this one. Weekends in general don’t come much bigger. When this weekend was plucked from the calendar and booked back before Christmas, we had no notion that it would come down to this: two nights, two games, and in them two teams with the final score to settle: who will lift the Elite League trophy this year? Who will be champions, and who will finish second best, runners up.

If it wasn’t big enough, this also happens to be St Patricks’ Day weekend; Belfast will be jumping with visitors as well as being teeming with its own celebrating residents; in addition to the mouth-watering hockey-shaped treats on offer, they will visit for the beer, the rugby (it just so happens to be the Six Nations deciding weekend) and of course the legendary craic. And if all that wasn’t enough, legendary sports bar Rockies is back much to the delight of the visiting hockey fans. Oh, and the games are being broadcast live on BBC Radio. Mainstream coverage, anyone? Don’t mind if we do!

Sheffield Steelers fans are making the journey in their droves, along with a fair few neutrals, myself included. But it’s time to lay my cards on the table. Because when one is passionate about sport, it’s almost impossible to be truly neutral. I want the Giants to win the league, and I have from the outset. But both teams have provided us with some great entertainment this season and I have to say, I really like this year’s Steelers. They are creative, rugged and have a habit of pulling out wins when they’re under the cosh. Which they have had to do on a number of occasions this season, and it’s what has seen them through to where they are today, challenging for the top spot once again.

However they’ve fallen short on occasion too, dropping key points against arch-rivals the Panthers and more recently their opponents for the title, the Giants. Their intercontinental cup jaunt to Denmark earlier in the season left them trailing games and points and they’ve been playing catch-up ever since, which has to take its toll psychologically, notwithstanding the frenetic schedule that has seen them packing in the games late in the season. There’s no doubt they must be tired, physically and mentally. Do they have enough left in the tank? Two games in a hostile Odyssey Arena will need to yield a full four points if they are to have any hope of staying in the race, and that is one hell of an ask, against a Giants side who have rarely been found wanting this season.

The Giants have delivered in all areas, all season – in Stephen Murphy they have a strong, confident netminder, in front of him a stingy defence composed of some of the brightest sparks in the league this season in Dignard, Mason and Kuiper, and at the front they’ve had the firepower to win games, in no small part due to exceptional Brits Rob Dowd and Craig Peacock. ‘It’s theirs to lose’ is the mantra that’s been repeated by pundits, journalists and fans alike for the past few weeks, and it’s true. It would be fair to say that this weekend is more of a title confirmation than a title decider, as all Belfast need to do to etch their name into that trophy is to win one of the two games in front of what is likely be a capacity home crowd, and as long as they don’t go to pieces, they should be able to do that.

Key battles will be fought all over the ice, but Belfast’s squeaky clean defence face one of their stiffer challenges up against probably the league’s top forward, Jeff Legue, who is capable of scoring clutch goals in exactly these sorts of situations, along with a collection of other bright attacking talent. The hits should be hard thanks in no small part to the return of Belfast’s Darryl Lloyd, but these teams respect one another and I predict a cagey start, hopefully developing into full-on, balls out, play-off style hockey. The importance of the netminders having strong performances has already been discussed and is undeniable. Head to head, the teams have played four times this season and have shared honours even. They really couldn’t be any more closely matched.

So what will it come to on the day? What will decide the fate of the League title for the 2011/12 season? Could it be the influence of a coach, Doug Christiansen looking on from the bench, or Finnerty out on the ice, dogged and determined as ever? Perhaps it will come down to one piece of luck, one breakaway chance, one sneaky goal, the tightest of margins. Perhaps even a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out. Or maybe, just maybe, one team will step up to the challenge and exert themselves over the other, stamping their authority on the game and leaving it all on the ice to prove they have what it takes to be league champions. Whatever happens, it’s going to be compelling. And I’ll bring you every twist and turn right here over the weekend – if I’m able to get past jubilant Irish folk to my laptop, that is. I have only three words left to conclude my preview, and these are they: Bring. It. On.