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.