Here’s our thirteenth week’s Frozen Steel blog fan view on four or five hot topic items.
It’s time to get on your soapboxes people!
Contributors this week are: Mark Duell, Robert Newbolt, Bethan and Eric Green (with his lighter side view on life).
The normal starting point – What’s your hot topic item from the EIHL this week?
Mark - Clan losing both games against the Storm. This has had a huge impact on how the title race will pan out. Both ourselves, and most of all Cardiff, haven't played and yet have won at the same time. What an incredible finish this is going to be again.
Eric - Well at the start of the season, my bet was the Devils to win. But the odds were so good for the Clan to win it a little flutter was in order.. Hmm. Hey Finner, yer owe me...
Bethan - Swindlehurst to Storm - seems a brilliant pick-up for the Storm, and a chance for Paul to get some extra ice time and develop his game further for the remainder of the season. With Manchester chasing down that last playoff spot, he'll bring some much needed relief to the short-benched side.
Robert - The move or not to move saga of the Cardiff Devils. It is obvious that certain factions (fans) want a move to a newer, comfortable place where you can actually see ice hockey, but others (management) don’t want to disrupt a winning formula. However, wouldn’t it be best to have all the summer to prepare and categorically state we are not moving? Constantly promising a move causes disruption in itself for home and away fans, refunds on tickets need to be given for people who have purchased in advance only to be disappointed. I wonder if all the hype is a big mistake. We will not be disappointed by the new place apparently but after all it’s only an upgrade on Ice Sheffield.
Predictions for the games this weekend?
Mark - Blimey now you're asking! Both teams have been very good at their respective home venues. Steelers need to win both games and in regulation if they need to win the league. Cardiff know any points off us strengthens their grip at the top. Steelers to win 4-2 on Saturday, Devils to win 5-2 on the Sunday.
Robert - After their refreshment of a week off I believe Steelers will come out all guns blazing and I have a sneaking feeling they will be successful in Cardiff for the first time this year.
Bethan - Two games against Cardiff are going to be tough. If we win against Manchester, and the two games against the Devils, that would let us overtake them, albeit with an extra game played. However I can't help but feel it's a big 'IF'. We've not been at our best recently, but it's about time the Devils hit a rough patch! Overall, I'd expect two home wins, so if we can take at least 2pts out of those 4 I'll be happy.
Eric - Well some teams will win, and some teams will lose! This weekend’s results are huge but my question is this.. "Can I ask if Coventry to be our bestest buddies?". Well we did let them beat us. (Cough! Cough!) If they are our bestest buddies in the coming weeks can they do the business on them in Wales and them down road and help us out.... But if we don't beat the Taffy’s over the next 2 games then I won't care if the Chav's are our bestest buddies or not!
Are the Panthers sneaking up on us?
Robert - Potentially they are, with two games in hand they could draw level, but realistically I don’t think so, the question is who will we want to win at the end of the month when Nottingham travel to Braehead Clan? (Editor : And who will the Black family want to win!)
Bethan - They're definitely climbing the rankings! I'm sure not long ago I was mentally ruling them out as a threat, but now they've snuck up to their favourite position of 4th! With the 2 new guys they've signed (Quick & McDonald), they do seem to really be pushing for a good finish.
Mark - They're making a last gasp attempt to get into the top 3, and I wouldn't discount them yet but I still think we will finish above them. Simple as that.
Eric - Last week I wanted to Exocet them, stop their troops etc. Now looking at the remaining fixtures, I think we should sell our Exocet's to our new bestest buddies in Coventry and our Irish friends. Then all of a sudden I have too many buddies, and not enough weapons, that's me problem..
Are the Clan out of it - and does that save the conference system for another year?
Are the Clan out of it?
Bethan - They are struggling at the moment - not quite the easy finish people were expecting it seems! Unfortunately it seems everyone has come to expect them to fall at the final hurdle, and they seem to be living up to that this season. I think if they had just coasted to a win based on their fixtures there would be more calls to scrap the conferences, so yes it has possibly saved it for another year.
Mark - Almost but not yet. That double loss to the Storm has really hampered them, and one more loss will be curtains for Finner's men. The question then follows: What about Finner's future there? We shall see what develops.
Robert - You know my thoughts on Clan – they were never in it, but I think the conference system will be changed next year somehow.
Eric - Ah!! An easy question... My answers are "Please refer to question 1 above" and, "Yes". Simples.
Thoughts on Team GB in the Olympic pre-qualifying games in Italy?
Bethan - Of course winning and progressing to later rounds would be great, however for a team who gets almost no practice time together, a second place finish is pretty respectable. Two wins, with an almost unbelievable stat of out-shooting Serbia 52-16, is a good return, and I think we can be pretty proud of our boys.
Mark - Game wise: scrappy and lucky first, much better second and outdone in the third. That's how it summarises for me. Key players such as Dowdy missing are bound to have a massive detriment to the team's offence. Other nations have time to build up for tournaments like this; we don't and it's about time IHUK get this sorted if they want to see the team compete at the very highest level again. Without it, we're absolute scunnered.
Robert - Italy looked a class above GB from the start. GB was not helped by some weird penalty decisions, but we were left wondering how they would have fared if they’d won and qualified. If they hadn’t progressed further than the next stage, it would still have helped raise the profile of GB hockey to an outsider who, after all, has never heard of the world championships but can readily identify with the Olympics.
Eric - Well I listened to Seth commentating on the games, and if I'm honest the guys did really well, and deserve loads of credit. But here's the rub... They fell at the last hurdle.. Which goes to show that like horse racing I must make a "Note to self"- As with any form of gambling whether it be horse racing or ice hockey. "It's a mugs game and yer can never win". Take care everyone...
That’s all folks. Hope you enjoyed reading our thoughts, and we’d love you to get involved too.
Help set the agenda for next week with your questions, or even better get involved and give your views as one of the panel. We would love different views and different participants each week. Please contact Mark @frozensteelblog or Tony @Disgu15ed, or find us at the game.
Brief Bios of those panellists you’ve just been listening to in the series so far :
- Alan is @frozensteelmnl for match night updates and @AwkwardGinge for everything else. Has been watching Hockey for many years, and given half a chance will regale you with tales of the London Knights. Catch him on the Breaking the Ice podcast too.
- Bethan represents the younger end of the fan base, after being dragged along to her first Steelers game in 2007 and has loved the team ever since. Follow her on Twitter at @bethan_4
- Eric is a season ticket holder and can be found shouting encouragement to our players and scorn at the zebras alongside three generations of his family in block 115. Views can be found @greenbunch257
- Mark is one of the main men behind the Frozen Steel blog, being the Editor and Podcast pundit, and has watched the club since its inception. Find him at @hockeybhoy
- Phil has been a fan since watching the final game of the London Racers at the Sheffield Arena back in 2005 and has adopted block 106 as his second home. He now wishes he had listened to Elliott Hall and had started watching earlier! Find him on @pbeeodd
- Richard is the big man with the big drum who until recently was to be found leading both the Rock the Block choir and his family in 218. Now looking for a new block to call home, his views, and invites to come join you, can be directed to @CaVaLiEr666
- Robert is chief architect of steelers-stats.co.uk, the go-to guy for Steelers history from days gone by, and the man behind one of the big White House spotlights! Robert is @steelersstats.
- Tony has been watching the Steelers on and off since Tony Hand arrived, and has been a regular for the last eight years or so. Enjoys contributing to the blog with his weekly five things and can be found @Disgu15ed
Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-
@FrozenSteelBlog
@FrozenSteelMNL
@hockeybhoy
@Disgu15ed
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Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com
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