Now, onto the weekend's action.
Team News
- No news has come out of the club on the status of Robert Dowd and Dustin Kohn, both of whom missed last weekend. While it wouldn't be a surprise for either of them to be missing, also don't be too shocked if they ice. This is where some communication from the club would be wonderful.
- Long-term absentees Geoff Woolhouse and Max Lacroix remain on the sidelines. The latest rumours passed on have Lacroix's return at late February, which will be well timed for the playoffs.
- "Club legend" (copyright Bob Westerdale) Jeff Legue is on 499 points in the Elite League, needing one to join the very exclusive 500 club. I hope to be present for it on Saturday.
Onto the game previews!
Saturday 30th November - Hull Stingrays Vs Sheffield Steelers (Challenge Cup Group B) (vs Stingrays this season 1-0-0)
If ever there was the definition of a dead rubber, this is it. Hull cannot improve on their fourth place position, regardless of the result. The Steelers can only go up a place, to second, if there is a 7 goal swing with Cardiff, whose final game is a trip to the NIC. So it's very hard to predict what is going to happen. Will there be experimentation? Will backup goalies be deployed? Will we have a working powerplay?!?!?!
Best not get ahead of myself.
As long as they put the effort in, and give a good showing to the large Steelers following that will be travelling up the M18 (or down the Wolds road in my case) thanks to a great discount offer from the Stingrays, then I think there won't be too many grumblings about the result, with nothing to play for.
Liam's Prediction - A Game Of Hockey Will Be Played In The Right Spirit And People Will Be Entertained...Maybe....Failing That, 3-1 Steelers
Sunday 1st December - Sheffield Steelers Vs Fife Flyers (Elite League) (vs Flyers this season - 2-1-0)
So its a Sunday game. At the Motorpoint. Against a team that's already beaten us at home this season. Worried? Don't worry, I am too.
In our Opposition Bench feature, Flyers fan Laura Duff does not hold much hope out for the game, and in theory this should be easy for us. But again, its a Sunday at the Arena. We should win. But will we? Maybe if we give Hull a proper hammering, at a canter, then it might give them the confidence to actually go on and win a Sunday game.
Liam's Prediction - Sheffielf Steelers 3-1 Fife Flyers
Elsewhere around the league...
Friday night sees the Coventry Blaze making the trip to Tayside to take on the Dundee Stars (EL), where injury problems are finally catching up with the Stars after their stellar start. Depending how many bodies they have back, they could still be too much for the Blaze, but I expect the visitors to be all guns blazing (didn't mean that as a pun, sorry) after two narrow defeats to Belfast last weekend.
From there, the Blaze travel to Kirkcaldy to take on the Flyers (EL), and I see that being a slightly easier affair for Coventry, against a Fife side who by their own admission have not reached their expectations this season. They then round their Scotland weekend off with a visit to Murrayfield, to take on the resurgent Edinburgh Capitals (EL). I can see this going either way - Edinburgh have been very impressive of late, but if Coventry win both games as I expect them to, then they may carry that momentum on.
The previous night, the Caps visit the second city of Scotland, and tackle a Braehead Clan (EL/GC) side who are simply storming along right now, and I would expect nothing less than 2 points for Finner's purple army.
Sunday then sees the Clan travel south to take in the capital of culture, and play the Stingrays (EL/GC), where I expect the freight train to keep rolling with minimal resistance, and that is not a slight on Hull. Sunday also sees the Stars entertain the Belfast Giants (EL/CC), where a win would see the Giants finish top of Group A and seal a quarter final with Hull. You'd expect a Belfast win, but again it depends how many bodies are back for the Stars.
The two other weekend games are a double header between the Nottingham Panthers, fresh from their Continental Cup exploits (great showing chaps, shame about the result but you gave a good account of yourselves), and the 'deep in crisis, meddled with, messed up' (yet still managed to beat the Steelers....) Cardiff Devils. Saturday (EL/EC), Aaron Murphy and his Premier Sports crew take the cameras into the Big Blue Tent, where I expect a tight game to be separated by a late Cardiff winner (just a hunch). Sunday (EL/EC/CC), I think the Panthers will have their revenge and give the Devils a walloping.
One more game in this gameweek, and it should be a corker as the Panthers welcome the Giants into the NIC on Tuesday night. I don't think it will be particularly high scoring, but I think it'd be a great game to watch, with the Giants coming out on top.
Got a prediction for the weekend? Going to a game? Want to call me a fool and idiotic for my ideas? Get in touch. Send them all to @FrozenSteelBlog, or email us at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com.
If you're going to a game, enjoy it. If you're not, shame on you. Best be watching Premier...
Take Care
Liam
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