Just a short space of eight weekends to go, including this one, before we know who will be the 2016 Elite League Champions. Will last season's champions, the Sheffield Steelers, become the first team since Coventry Blaze in 2008 to successfully defend their title? Or will the title venture to a different trophy cabinet.
What you are about to read is purely that of my own thoughts, and if you think otherwise that's down to you.
We begin the assessment by admitting that neither the Belfast Giants or the Nottingham Panthers will be celebrating the title. Giants recent blip in form, when they were comprehensively dismantled it has to be said by the Steelers, has cost them dear. Likewise Panthers have had a blip of their own when they picked up just two points from a possible six North of the Border, a set of fixtures that they had been successful previous in the past. Both Derrick Walser and Corey Neilson will be looking at the Challenge Cup and/or the Play Off Final as their target for silverware.
Which now takes onto the top three teams at the head of the Elite League; Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers and Braehead Clan.
To finish third, are Paul Thompson's Steelers. As much as it pains me to say that, Steelers ain't going to repeat the above feat done by the Blaze. The problems with injuries all over the place is the real determining factor to why they will fall short. Once player goes down injured; you can half expect another to follow like buses. Players like Colton Fretter and Robert Dowd are skilful players who can win a game on their own it has to be said but both have spent many times on the treatment tables rather than on the ice. Even last season's MVP Mathieu Roy has had time out. Still it was always going to be a transition year in Steelerland, third place is as an excellent achievement considering all these trials and tribulations.
Second place, I reckon will go to Andrew Lord's Devils. They have the best home form of all three contenders at the time of putting this piece together and that's been the factor that has kept them in title contention all season long. Nigh on unbeatable in the BBT, as a visiting fan I won't miss it when it's gone particularly for the amount of losses Steelers have had there in recent times, this has really played into their style of play that Lord preaches. They will involved in all three competitions open to them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win one of them. Unfortunately I see final day heartbreak for the Welsh side.
Which therefore means I have gone for the Braehead Clan as the winners of the 2016 title. And before you start, I have not done this based on their run-in. Sure as eggs are eggs as they say, they have the majority of the games against fellow Gardiner Conference sides but there's no such given thing as an easy game these days - just look at Steelers record against the Edinburgh Capitals right? However, as well as Travis Fullerton has done as a temporary fix, the return of Chris Holt between the pipes will be a massive plus for Ryan Finnerty. Finner has a team packed with experience and a few of them were involved in last season's collapse. They know they have to right this, and they will do this: overhauling Cardiff on the final day. The Purple Army will be the ones celebrating 20 March!
So that's how I see it all unfolding, and I have been proven incorrect before so don't take these as a given. That's why my hockey betting history is about as shambolic as Joe Grimaldi's actions last season: absolutely dreadful.
What you are about to read is purely that of my own thoughts, and if you think otherwise that's down to you.
We begin the assessment by admitting that neither the Belfast Giants or the Nottingham Panthers will be celebrating the title. Giants recent blip in form, when they were comprehensively dismantled it has to be said by the Steelers, has cost them dear. Likewise Panthers have had a blip of their own when they picked up just two points from a possible six North of the Border, a set of fixtures that they had been successful previous in the past. Both Derrick Walser and Corey Neilson will be looking at the Challenge Cup and/or the Play Off Final as their target for silverware.
Which now takes onto the top three teams at the head of the Elite League; Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers and Braehead Clan.
To finish third, are Paul Thompson's Steelers. As much as it pains me to say that, Steelers ain't going to repeat the above feat done by the Blaze. The problems with injuries all over the place is the real determining factor to why they will fall short. Once player goes down injured; you can half expect another to follow like buses. Players like Colton Fretter and Robert Dowd are skilful players who can win a game on their own it has to be said but both have spent many times on the treatment tables rather than on the ice. Even last season's MVP Mathieu Roy has had time out. Still it was always going to be a transition year in Steelerland, third place is as an excellent achievement considering all these trials and tribulations.
Second place, I reckon will go to Andrew Lord's Devils. They have the best home form of all three contenders at the time of putting this piece together and that's been the factor that has kept them in title contention all season long. Nigh on unbeatable in the BBT, as a visiting fan I won't miss it when it's gone particularly for the amount of losses Steelers have had there in recent times, this has really played into their style of play that Lord preaches. They will involved in all three competitions open to them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win one of them. Unfortunately I see final day heartbreak for the Welsh side.
Which therefore means I have gone for the Braehead Clan as the winners of the 2016 title. And before you start, I have not done this based on their run-in. Sure as eggs are eggs as they say, they have the majority of the games against fellow Gardiner Conference sides but there's no such given thing as an easy game these days - just look at Steelers record against the Edinburgh Capitals right? However, as well as Travis Fullerton has done as a temporary fix, the return of Chris Holt between the pipes will be a massive plus for Ryan Finnerty. Finner has a team packed with experience and a few of them were involved in last season's collapse. They know they have to right this, and they will do this: overhauling Cardiff on the final day. The Purple Army will be the ones celebrating 20 March!
So that's how I see it all unfolding, and I have been proven incorrect before so don't take these as a given. That's why my hockey betting history is about as shambolic as Joe Grimaldi's actions last season: absolutely dreadful.
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