Hockey Soapbox 14 - Mosienko love

Here’s our fourteenth week’s Frozen Steel blog fan view on four or five hot topic items.

It’s time to get on your soapboxes people!

Easy choice for player of the week

Contributors this week are: Mark Duell, Robert Newbolt, Phil Beddoe, Eric Green, Glynn M and Andy Roberts (our latest recruits).

The normal starting point – What’s your hot topic item from the EIHL this week?

Andy - Obvious choice would be was Tyler Mosienko's "goal" - from the skate a goal or not?  I am still pulling splinters out of my backside. But hot topic for me is will the Clan be beaten to the Gardiner Conference by either Fife or Dundee? Both are currently in front of the Clan, but Clan have games in hand. If Stars and Clan win their games in hand on the Flyers all three will be on the same amount of points. If either Flyers or Stars take the conference title it will generate some unsavoury playoff quarter final ties for the so called "big boys" so I suspect teams are starting to take a sly look at the Gardiner Conference title race.

Mark - Has to be washed out goal of Mosienko's against Cardiff in the Arena for me. From where I was sat it looked a decent goal, and some of the pictures seem to indicate the same. It changed the dynamic of the game, and caused our collective heads to drop. I think if it had stood then we would have gone on to win that game comfortably.

Robert - The title race is back on. With Cardiff and Sheffield splitting the weekend Devils have not pulled away.  Also Manchester had two wins to move into eighth place and Coventry dropped four points to leave them floundering.

Phil - Braehead's current losing streak.  They were right up there but now look to be overtaken in the standings by Nottingham and maybe even Belfast so if I was Finner I'd probably be quite worried as the Clan should have won the league by now with their conference advantage (although that advantage will narrow further if Stars can keep on improving and Fife can maintain their current form into next season).   Good luck Finner.

Glynn - Main talking point around the league this weekend had to be 1st v 2nd & the disallowed goals. Not just the Mosienko one but the one down in Cardiff too. Both looked legitimate goals to me, however from what I saw of Darnell he gave ours initially before the Lino chipped in their interpretation of it, Whereas on the Devils one Darns instantly (& repeatedly) indicated No Goal. I know we can play the blame game, but I'd sooner have Darns as ref than some of the other refs in this league though. 

Eric - What was the main talking point for me? Dear God Man!!!! Are yer blind Tom, do you need a stick and a dog? John McEnroe once said "you’re kidding me" well I think some Steelers would like to tell him that... Luckily enough he felt sorry for us and decided to reciprocate at the BBT...

Tom Darnell is my hero....

Any players stand out for you this week-end? I’m guessing there’s lots of Mosi love out there.

Robert - Tyler Mosienko stood out head and shoulders above the rest closely followed by Conny Stromberg. Mossy is Steelers main and only real scoring threat at the moment because of injuries. Obviously Roy is playing injured, and there is no real scoring presence available to PT but the other players really stepped up this weekend, even on Saturday.

Mark - Tyler Mosienko, without question to be honest. Five goals, should have been six, in a weekend! What a player he is. I really hope he's around for a third term next season. He certainly befits the description of a clutch player.

Phil – Tyler Mosienko was the standout player this weekend but a mention must go to Stromberg too as he's been great. Vestberg has also been great on the ice and on the piano! :)

Andy - Tyler Mosienko. 5 goals against a very good Devils teams this weekend. That sentence says it all for me. 100% effort every game and never gives up. I hope we already have his signature for next season.

Glynn - Tyler Mosienko, but this weekend I think Desbiens, Stromberg & Vestberg had excellent weekends too. The Swedes & Dessy have been great editions this season, Vestberg & Dessy are so reliable & strong, Stromberg has been adjusting to British hockey but think he's getting his feet now 

Eric - There's only one stand out guy for me this weekend. Tom Darnell!!! How on earth could he rule out Mosienko's goal? Mossy would have scored six - and because you didn't have yer dog and stick with you, he had to settle for just 5...

Who will win the league and how close will it be?

Robert - Think it is still Cardiff’s to lose, mainly because of regulation wins. But they have a difficult run in and the transition of playing arena (if it ever happens) may well have an unsettling effect.

Mark - Still Devils title to lose, but we were in the same boat last season so who knows. Devils to squeak it, maybe by a point. Those dropped points in Coventry and Edinburgh will come back and haunt us terribly.

Andy - A couple of weeks ago it was a two horse race (Devils/Clan) for the title with Steelers having only an outside chance. After the Clan’s recent results you might think it was a one horse race now. Not a bit of it! We are back to a three horse race with Devils, Steelers and now Panthers in the hunt. After we lost on Saturday I think that most of the league had decided the title was heading to the Devils, but The Steelers didn't read the script! Cardiff Devils are still the firm favourites but with them having to play Panthers twice, the Panthers having to play us twice and the Devils having three games against the Giants, the title is far from over. I reckon it could go down to the final night of the season!

Glynn -  I think any of the top 3. Heart obviously say Steelers, head is going more towards Cardiff since we didn't close the gap this weekend, but the dark voices in my head (Please call the Dr's) are saying that Nottingham could make a late charge, but I hope not... It will be close though, probably right down to the last weekend/game.

Phil - Ask me in another week when the in form Fife have played Cardiff :-)

Eric - Ah!!! The usual easy question. My answers are... "Someone will!" And, "Close". Question here editor.....  Who's reffing our run in? If it's Tom can his dog accompany him please?

Who will make it through to the CC final, and will you attend regardless?

Mark - I hate to say it but I'm going for a Panthers-Cardiff final. We will win our "home" leg but not repeat the events of last season's semi-final second leg in the NIC. Will I attend the Final? Possibly, but if I do I will be one of the adopted Cardiff fans for the day.

Glynn - hoping for another Steelers v Devils final, but who knows. I'll probably be there whether we make it or not, but if it's not us there then I'm hoping Devils or Giants beat the Panthers.

Phil - Now there a tricky one.  A win for us at Ice Shuff and a win for that lot down the road at the NIC.  As to who will emerge the outright winner I'll stay on the fence for now I think.

Robert - Unfair question to put to me really as I will be going anyway; but if I was a paying fan I’d only go if Steelers get through.  Cardiff will be there, and after last night who knows? But I think it’ll be Sheffield.

Andy - Before last night I had Devils and Panthers down to go through to the final in early March. The fight and resilience the Steelers showed last night has changed my mind. I am going for a Devils vs Steelers final. The Steelers need to take as big a lead as possible to the NIC from what will be a strange game at Ice Sheffield. Who would have thought a Steelers/Panthers game would be played at Ice Sheffield and not be sold out a week before the event? If the Steelers make the final I will be there. Whether I attend if we don't make it will depend on the price with the Playoff finals weekend coming up soon.

Eric - Well I'm going Tuesday night, so that could be the kiss of death for the Steelers, unless that is if Michael Hicks is centre stage, then please EIHL, make sure he brings Tom's dog!!!  As for Wednesday I think we will win in the NIC. So final my bet is... Steelers v Belfast. But if Tom and Michael are reffing it's anyone's game.

Who will make the playoffs, Storm or Blaze? I think the Blaze will do it, but what about you?

Andy - A tough one to call. Storm on a great run of form and Blaze struggling you would think it would be a no brainer! I am actually going to pick the Blaze as they are 3 points adrift, but have 3 games in hand. Surely the Playoff champs want to defend their title don't they?

Robert - I hope Storm do it. And the run they are on now they could. Also it would mean I wouldn’t have to suffer watching Coventry win again after Sheffield wins the title. (You read it here first)

Glynn - Well Storm may have been on the up lately but I'd think Blaze will make it through to the QF's. 

Mark - Storm are making a terrific run for it, and Blaze are having a bit a bump in the road. Still think Weber's men will make it; but they're making hard work of it. Just hope that if they do, we don't draw them for obvious reasons. Would be good if Storm got to the final 4 as well, just to see Pacha and his personal entertainment at the POFW: teddies out of the pram and all that.

Phil - Erm.. Storm.  No.. Blaze.  No.. Storm..  (Getting splinters now).  I know, the Coventry Storm! :)

Eric - Well hopefully the Storm, cos we can beat them. I think we will make it all the way. One proviso though, EIHL, if we make the final can Tom Darnell, his dog and his stick come and watch.. and can John McEnroe ref!

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. 
• Andy is the big man with the big horn (or VuVuzela if you prefer) who can be found at most home and away games, and propping the bar up afterwards. Andy is @ic3creamman.
• 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
• Glynn can be found @glynnm76 or just look out for the shirt with Glynn M on the back often seen lurking around block 116.
• 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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