Soapbox Eighteen - Run-in, Playoffs and retirements

Here’s our eighteenth week’s Frozen Steel blog fan view on some hot topic items.

It’s time to get on your soapboxes for the last time this season people!

Photo : @mickgta

After our play-off defeat it’s a reflective bunch this week, and we’ve got contributions from: Glynn M, Robert Newbolt, Mark Duell, Andy Roberts, and Alan Claringbold. You might not agree with, or even understand, their points of view, but let’s crack on...

Firstly, let’s reflect on your Big Steelers topic of the week – I guessing there’ll be only one subject to discuss…

Andy - Hewey and Leggy retiring. Thats some skates to fill on the PK, the dressing room, and when ya need that all important goal. All the best to them both. Thanks for the effort and the memories over the years! If I see either about this weekend there's a beer for the taking.

Alan - Hewitt and Legue's farewell at the arena and Vestberg getting recognition at the awards night.

Mark - The retirement of two absolute Steelers stalwarts, those being Hewey and Leggy. Both men are Steelers legends from the EIHL and have provided countless of memories which will remain in the club's history for years to come. Would have like to see Hewey get to 1000 EIHL games but alas no. Shirt retirements imminent? Wouldn't be surprised

Glynn - Well the retirement of two long serving legend will be #1 - Two great guys who love this club every bit as much as you and me. It's been their life for so long and if reports are right Hewey might not be permanently retired, I guess we'll see next season if he makes a surprise return to the team but it sounds like that will be a real emergency situation for that to happen. As for Leggy, all those goals, points and game / Championship winning ones at that. Hewey knew his role and he did it to perfection. Yeah it was sad we couldn't see them and the other Champions in the team parade the Trophy at home, but it seems it was their decision after the disappointment of losing the Qtr Final.

Robert – The fact that some fans were annoyed that the team did not celebrate the title win after the Coventry game. Some people felt left out but as was pointed out they were in a no win situation. The players apparently voted not to have celebrations post game and as was made clear only Nottingham celebrate after a loss. After all, the trophy was there for all to see and hold and have their photo taken with during the game. It was only a few years ago that you could not get near a trophy. In my eyes that is far better than any distant on ice celebrations. In any case it would have detracted from the main thing: saying goodbye to loyal servant Hewitt and Legue.

Now, who has been your personal player of the season.

Mark - Tough call. tough call indeed. Even though he's been here now 2 years, and we will have the pleasure of a third next: I'm going for Mosi. The guy has been phenomenal this season, it's a joy to see him play. The man never gives up and epitomes professionalism. What the others would give to have a player like him in their ranks.

Glynn - I'm so torn, Vestberg was so consistent, chipped in with vital goals & assists, he worked his socks of all year. Mosienko was that player who gave 100% every game and again racked up the goals/points. Finally Nelson, what a pickup, he was not supposed to be as good as he turned out from my understanding, Duco was supposed to be the hit, but Levi absolutely nailed it. Yeah he did have a sticky/quiet patch when Dowd was out but overall a great season. Nelson is also is the first Steeler I can remember to ever wear MY number 76, so I'm giving it a 3 way tie! Dessy deserves a special mention but since he came in late I can't give him a 1/4 share of my vote, but maybe next season!

Robert - The stand out payer for me has been Tyler Mosienko, not only for his goals but also for the 100% he gives every game. Without him, when Fretter and Dowd were injured, we would have been sunk as Roy and Nelson were playing injured at that time.

Andy - Tough one this. It's like someone asking me if I prefer Hobgoblin or Old Peculier. Can't split Mosienko and Vestberg. Both have been superb in their roles. Mosienko scoring them clutch, timely goals and never giving less than100% every night. Vestberg with his no fuss, minimal mistakes blend into the background style. Really hope we see Vestberg again next season.

Alan - Levi Nelson. Holy smokes what a run in that guy had. Took games by the scruff of the neck and wound up SO many opposition players. Absolute beast. He needs a contract extension. 2 or 3 years and I'd be doing Daffy Duck somersaults!

What do you think tipped the balance in the final league run-in.

Mark - The fact we never gave in and kept on believing, as simple as that. Championships are won on work ethic, as well as skill, and that saw us home. Was a pleasure to be in Fife to see it happen.

Andy - The game 7 approach to every game after the loss at the HOS to the Devils tipped us across the line. Everyone bought in and got rewarded with the League title.

Alan - Cardiff losing midweek in Belfast before the final weekend, but also us playing games like we wanted to control them and put them to bed inside the first 40 minutes. The performances against Nottingham were huge. Dominated the opening 2 periods of both games.

Robert - The fact that Steelers were able to string five wins together and play consistently well. This was no coincidence as Robert Dowd returned and the others seemed to have shaken off niggling injuries.

Glynn - Glynn - The never say die attitude in those last 5 or 6 games, yeah we got some help from Belfast with that win in the final week at home to the Devils, but we stayed firm and won some tough crucial games (2x Nottingham and the Blaze game in particular). Perhaps we can also give a mention to 1 Direction for giving us the extra night off earlier in the season and the subsequent win in Belfast in Feb!

Tony (Editor) – Big balls. We played consistently all season, had no right to catch the Devils, nor overcome the simple run-in of the Clan, nor the right to finish 10 points clear of the Panthers. No wonder the rest of the league hate us, we’re just like the Energiser bunny that keeps going whilst others falter.

What went wrong in the playoff Qtr Finals

Andy - That's easy...going 5-0 in the 1st leg. Ya can't go that far down and claw ya way back against a team that have been our bogie team all year, especially as it’s their one shot of getting anything from their dismal season. Have to give the guys credit though as they nearly did it, which when I was working my way through the real ales on tap in the Old Windmill, I wasn’t too sure we would. We won the main event so I am not too unhappy. Playoffs would have been the icing on the cake.

Alan - We didn't play for 120 minutes. We played for 90. We spent the first 30 minutes chasing shadows. We simply had NO answer to the speed and the aggression of the Blaze side. Not having Fitzy there was huge. We had no physical presence to clear the crease well and that enabled them to build screen after screen on Pinc. Despite some questionable officiating, we shot ourselves in the foot.

Glynn - Going 5-0 down, and a team that had no answer to Blaze for the first 30 minutes in game one was the biggie for me. (Although the lack of luck/energy in the 2nd period on Sunday to go ahead in the tie after levelling it played another big part.) That final period was ours to take but a breakdown in clearing the zone gave Blaze the lead in the tie again and the rest was just not to be.

Mark – Wasn’t there but the fact we were 5-0 down in the first leg on the road after 30 minutes was a mountain we never seemed to scale. We did well to get it to level but Blaze just kicked on and we had no response: the tank was empty. It's been a tough old season for us, but we have achieved something that others couldn't (unless you’re the Blaze) and that was back to back league titles,

Robert - The title push and those five impressive wins left nothing in the tank for the play-offs. Also I, and many fans around me, felt “underwhelmed by the play-offs after winning the title” so it wouldn't be a surprise if the players had similar feelings too, Yes it would have been nice to do the double but lets not be too greedy.

Tony (Again) - If only Coventry had played this hard in the regular season, then they wouldn't have finished eighth, and we would have had Fife or Dundee - and we were almost perfect against those two. Bloody Blaze!

Crystal-ball time, what are your Playoff Predictions for the three remaining games

Mark - Cardiff will overcome the Blaze, Pansies will overcome Fife, and Devils to win the Final. That's what I want to see happen. Will it happen? Who knows. Fife might shock the entire EIHL and win the whole damn thing. Now that would be a beautiful thing wouldn't it? See you in Nottingham! In a bar....

Andy - I will be at the finals weekend. I feel like I will be walking into bar that just sells IPA and Blonde beers when I walk into the NIC for Game one. Hoping we are going to see some good games this weekend, with the Blaze and Fife making the final. That means it will be a repeat of the CC final between the Devils and the Panthers! Sure Bunkers will make me feel better come Sunday night.

Alan - Nottingham to beat Fife. Cardiff to beat Coventry. Cardiff to win the final and get revenge for the CC final loss.

Robert - I am hoping Fife win it, but I cannot even see them getting to the final which I reckon will be a battle between Cardiff and Nottingham. As we are sharing things out I’d like Cardiff to win but I think they have put everything into the league and are hanging on now, so its Nottingham to win the championship for me.

Glynn - Panthers will win their Semi, and probably the final. I hope Devils win their Semi as I think they deserve another shot at a trophy. I'm not convinced they will beat the Panthers if they do get past the Blaze, but I hope they do. If it ends up a Blaze v Panthers final I'm not sure who I want to win it least, I don't want Blaze to retain it after last weekend's antics (eg Boris), but I don't really want Gary Moran spouting the "Double Winners" rubbish next season, so... #LetsGoDevils

Have a Great Play Offs, see you in Bunkers & other pubs & eateries, Have a great Summer and bring on the Champions League!

That’s all folks. Hope you enjoyed reading our thoughts during 15/16, 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 has been watching the Steelers on and off since ‘91. Massive Ron Shudra fan and owner of an EIHL League Championship medal.
• 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

Game Highlights - March 2016

We've got you covered for match highlights in March:

Steelers beat Fife at the Arena - 5th March

Steelers win at the NIC - 12th March

Steelers beat the Blaze at the Arena - 13th March

Can't find highlights from the home win against Nottingham. Was live on Premier so maybe blocked, here's an interview showing the goals

Thommo interview and goals against Nottingham - 19th March

Steelers win in Fife - On Premier Sports - 20th March

The night they won the league

PlayOff Qtr Final leg one at Coventry

Play-Off Qtr Final leg two at Sheffield

And if you want more links to previous games take a look at Robert's stats page here Click here

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:-
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@FrozenSteelMNL
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Big Match Preview - Coventry (Home, Play Off Second Leg)

Apologies for the lack of a preview for last night's first leg first of all. Tonight, Easter Sunday evening, sees the Steelers play their last game of the 2015-16 on home ice when they face off against the Coventry Blaze in the play-off second leg. A place in the Finals awaits the overall winners.

Will Steelers go through in their quest to complete a double? Or will Blaze, the current play-off champions, send the newly crowned Elite League champions tumbling out at the quarter final stage? It promises to be one hell of a battle.

Last night's encounter in the Sky Dome was an eventful game, that it has to be said. For the first 30 minutes, Blaze were on fire (pardon the pun) as they looked to continue their dominance over Paul Thompson's team. Five times they lit the lamp behind Marek Pinc's goal, and through five different scorers too. Steelers had been rocked good and proper by Chuck Weber's team, and one was spectulating how bad this was going to get. It looked a blow out was on the way, and the second leg was going to be one for the Steelers to just play for pride in front of their own fans.

However Steelers suddenly woke up, and it was Coventry's turn to rock and wobble.

Swedish centre Fredrik Vestberg ruined Brian Stewart's plans of a shutout just shy of the 33 minute mark and that was the kick on that Steelers needed. Skipper Jonathan Phillips carried the momentum on when he bloodied Blaze's Slovakian hardcase Boris Valàbik, which gained the skipper an early bath but it was a sign that Steelers would not hold the white flag up against their opponents. Pinc kept the Blaze at bay at one end of the ice to ensure no further goals would be conceded, whilst the visiting offence started to put the pressure on at the other.

Paul Thompson's men outshot Blaze 23-6 in the final period; which tells its own story. Two more visiting strikes from Robert Dowd and Guillaume Desbiens made the final score 5-3 and set the scene for tonight's second leg. It came at a cost though, as Canadian power forward Desbiens was sent tumbling to the ice by the afore mentioned Valàbik straight after scoring his goal with a brutal act that annoyed the visiting support no end. Having seen the incident myself now on video, it's callous and uncalled for but you can see that Valàbik had this in mind as he approached Desbiens. Quite a penalty was never called for it, is astonishing. You cannot defend the indefensible here.

We wish Gui a speedy recovery but if the prognosis is correct; his season has been ended by a cheap shot which has no place in our wonderful game. For some Blaze fans to allegedly say Desbiens has injured himself is blinkered vision, how would they feel if this the skate had been on the other foot so to speak?

Steelers can progress that I have no doubts though. It's all about defending smart and offensively doing what brought them three goals last night; and also inflicted that 6-3 drubbing in the same building against these same opponents just a fortnight ago. Two goals to draw level is certainly not beyond the team who worked their bag off to win the Monteith Bowl on the final day of the regular season. With Colton Fretter back in the line-up; they can definitely do this.

Prediction Time? Steelers to win the second leg and to overcome the Blaze. It will be a hard battle, but if the offence really clicks again, like we know it can, Brian Stewart and his chums could be in for a hard night in Sheffield 9. I'm not saying a scoreline though. But we will do it...

 

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

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Back to Back Reflections - FSB Editor Mark

A further reflection, this time from FSB Editor Mark.

Image from @wannabedutchie

So we did it on the actual final day of the season, and are back to back Champions! We have equalled Coventry's feat of doing just this, and in that become the first team to have FIVE Elite League Championships to our name. Yes everybody, that's not one, not two, not three, not even four but five. No one else can state that fact, so suck on them apples!

However, we didn't expect it to happen after those terrible bumps in the road which have included gifting six points to Edinburgh who finished last, and that's not meant as disrespect to the Caps who deserved their wins but we would have wrapped this up long before if you know what I mean.

It's been a proper team effort on and off the ice, and that's what saw us home in incredible scenes up at Fife which I was proud to be a part of; the memories of this will remain long in my lifetime as a hockey fan. It was just amazing. From doing the conga in the car park to high-fiving each and everyone on that roster as they came out of the locker room one by one. Remarkable; absolutely remarkable.

I'll talk about each individual player in a later article.

Going into that final weekend though, of the two I still felt we were slight underdogs. Yes, we had that two point advantage but you looked at the respective games each had and yes you could surmise that being a realistic thought. With Storm just playing their last game of the season in what has been a welcome return back to the Elite League fold, we all knew there wouldn't be many surprises there. The Panthers playing at the Arena could have been but those men in orange stood tall despite the ejection of Big Zack. One wee man deserved the plaudits, and it was a man who has been immense for a number of weeks too: That man, Marek Pinc. It surprised me that he didn't get Man of the Match last Saturday; that sequence of four saves in rapid succession was just awesome.

Then onto Sunday, and we knew what we had to do. After a weird call saw Cullen sent to the naughty corner for 12 minutes on a 2+10 check to head (it was an accidental collision between him and Mike Dorr if you look at again and again), Ben intercepted a pass and with confidence oozing from his Steeler pores: launched a shorthanded raid on David Brown. Desbiens did excellently to support him, and then the latter produced a beauty of a non look pass onto the stick of a gleeful Mosi who lit the lamp. Moments later, and back at full strength: we doubled the lead. Luke Ferrara takes most of the praise here with such hard work behind the home cage before feeding Ben then it was across the point where Jace Coyle (who really has shown some very good performances in recent weeks) faked a shot before throwing the puck and like many times in the past: Mathieu Roy was there at the right time and place to divert it in for 2-0.

Whatever Fife threw back at us, we were dealing with bar the odd scary moment and Pinc was again solid and dependable. When Fife did score, a nice finish from Stockton from a good team play: we didn't let it get to us and it was back on that horse to look for a third. Conny Strömberg, a 40 year old who plays like his life depends on every shift he takes and has the energy of someone in his early 20s, created it with typical not giving up attitude and his feed back into the danger area found a deflection from Roy and that was that. Fife huffed and puffed but we were in no mood to let this one get away: Pinc started dancing his crease in the final seconds and the large away contingent celebrated and serenaded the Czech netminder with a raucous "Happy Birthday" at the end.

We had done this the hard way but it was a statement that the team who many had written off (myself included at one stage) had triumphed to become champions again. I believe the CHL gave us some impetus early on, which we slightly got blown off course but got back into the groove when it really mattered whilst seeing those pretenders fall by the wayside, one by one. Us fans have made a difference with incredible support that acts like a sixth outskater when in full voice. The players feed off this, and that is what makes a successful hockey club. Tony Smith had been chastised by some for dispensing with Gerad and bringing Thompson; but when you win back-to-back titles and have the most successful British coach in: then you can excused a smile that says "Yeah I got this right."

Who knows what else is possible? More silverware I hope...

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

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Back to Back reflections - Robert, Bethan and Tony.

More reflections following our glorious championship, this time from Tony, Bethan and Robert:

Image from @wannabedutchie

ROBERT

As Paul Adey was heard to say “it is probably the hardest title to win in Europe” and we have now won it nine times.
The most consistent team performance throughout, and a strong run in reminiscent of the start of the season, astounding netminding and a thorough workmanlike effort gave Sheffield a deserved title. 
When you looked at the team after they had won you could see how much it meant, especially to Marek Pinc. They gave their all during the season and I must say that was a very enjoyable team to watch.
Sheffield always seem to come good towards the end of the season, historically, whether that is something to do with play off mentality, I don’t know, and as they are now the form team can they go on to get a double in the play offs?

BETHAN

Last year I remember an emotional win over the Devils, and the tributes paid to our family member Amy Usher who we'd only recently lost. One year on, our boys won again it in her memory. 

Both last season and this one the team has had to overcome a lot of injuries, and especially with our goalies! Doyle played 43 games for us, before being replaced by a combination of Jaszczyk (yes I did have to look up how to spell that!), Woolhouse and finally Unice. Plante played for just 17 games this season, before Jaszczyk, Day and Pinc had to step in. Both years we've had a goalie we didn't think much of turn into a real star for the team, but I still hope for a more relaxing ride next year! :P

While it would be great to have won the title well in advance of the end of the season, to expect such a result is a serious underestimation of our competitors. There's been some great hockey played this year, against awesome teams such as JYP Jyväskylä and Frolunda Gothenburg, and against our more 'usual' rivals within the league. Some teams have surprised us, like Edinburgh and their incredible run of form at the start of the season, and some have done exactly what we'd expect (Nottingham finishing in their favourite place of fourth or fifth!). 

If you read the Soapbox posts regularly, you'll know that I didn't believe that our Steelers could win it this year, but I'm very happy to be proven wrong! As Jeff Legue mentioned in his interview, we may not have a team made up of all the most skilled players in the league, but they find ways to grind out results. Different players have stepped up to cover for injuries and slumps in form, and it's been great to see players such as Luke Ferrara getting the ice time to really begin to shine for the team. 

Paul Thompson has done a great job this year, and treated us to some great players! Already with his signings for next year many people are excited about the direction he's leading the team in, and I believe he'll continue to guide us to great success. 

With the news that Jeff Legue and Jason Hewitt are to retire at the end of this season, it would be remiss not to mention their contribution to the team's success, the league (and hopefully playoffs! ;) ) this year and the previous 3 League titles and 3 Playoff victories! Hewy doesn't have the softest of hands, but he gives his all for the team, whether it's by getting under players' skin or by battling for the puck. Leggy on the other hand has scored an astounding 608 points for the team over the years, 41 of them in this season so far. Jeff came to the team the same year I began watching hockey, and it feels like Hewy has been there forever, so it's going to be strange not seeing them on the ice! Wish them all the best for the future.

See you all at the arena on Sunday to celebrate the title win with the boys, say goodbye to 2 of our family members, and most of all hopefully cheer them on to victory in the playoffs!

TONY

Back-to-Back league champions. An awesome result in a year where we probably didn’t have an exceptional squad, and where we could have crumbled after taking injuries in our net minding and net front presence. Yes, we took some odd series losses against the Blaze and Capitals, but otherwise we killed it cross-conference (perfect against Fife, Dundee and Manchester, and losing only once to Braehead). Our Powerplay recovered from being the worst in the league in the first half-year, where we seemed to be conceding as many shorties as we were scoring, to being one of the best after switching out some of the personnel. We also regularly failed at the BBT, but we won the one that broke the Devils stride with Mosi’s winner in February, and then closed it out with five wins in our final six games. Performances worthy of champions.

So many highlights, including the CHL games, winning both games in the double header in Belfast, seven wins over the Panthers, 9,100 in the building last week, but my favourite came a couple of week-ends ago in the home game against Coventry. 6,300 fans in fine voice, taunting Brian Stewart as our guys rampaged forward, and creating the best atmosphere in that building all year in a very physical game. Here’s to the guys, here’s to those who won’t be returning, and here’s hoping for another great Arena night as we round out the home season on Sunday.


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
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Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Back to Back reflections - Phil Beddoe

After a rather decent week-end, we've asked a few fans for their reflections, and thank you to Phil for his contribution to FSB, All Credit for this piece goes to him/her so any queries you can contact him on Twitter @PBeeodd

Montage from effy @wannabedutchie

You might regret just asking for general comments Tony, it's Steelers Top of the Pops time! 

How good was this weekend?  A great team performance, a little bit of squeaky bum time in both games to make us work for it but we stood tall and came out victorious making Sheffield Steelers now undefeated for the league title from last season to this one!

http://youtu.be/32yZPs5kWjQ

A lot has been said, much of it by other teams fans, of the Steelers not being the best team in the league this season but you know what?  We won the league and whether other teams may consider themselves to have players that are better than some of our guys we were the best TEAM sticking together through adversity and injury to grind out wins where no one might have expected us to at times!  So to the people who claim their team is better, Steelers won the league title and only the best team over the course of a whole season does that! :-)

http://youtu.be/4E0iEsHqc6k

It could have gone to Cardiff though who were many people's favourites for the title this year but although Devils fans may be disappointed now I don't think they need to be.  This year is the tightest league we've seen in a long time and although they have missed out to us by 2pts this time, with Todd Kelman and his team behind them they will be fighting every year now I'm sure.

But only one team can win the big one, the Elite League Championship trophy and that was us!  Looking forward to the celebrations on Sunday, hopefully accompanied by a win that takes us to the playoffs weekend at the NIC (it's not the Motorpoint Arena, it's just not ).

So for one last time (probably multiple times) this season - https://youtu.be/xJHG8yJAuEg (I picked a good version of the song )

Onward to the playoffs! 

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
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Big Match Preview - The Final Countdown

It certainly is The Final Countdown as Joey Tempest and his Swedish band-mates so prophetically told us back in 1986. Ironically the same year that our rivals for the Monteith Bowl, Cardiff Devils, were formed.

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us, and it's a shootout between the Singapore Slinger (Paul Thompson) and the Vancouver Vigilante (Andrew Lord) to see who comes out on top. A place in next season's Champions Hockey League (yes, the EIHL will have only a single representative in 2017) and the honour of being crowned EIHL Champion 2015-16 awaits..

Going into Wednesday's night game, Steelers still led by a two point margin but Cardiff use their match in hand to squeak ahead on the regulation wins rule? Granted Devils had taken maximum points from their opponents, Derrick Walser's Belfast Giants, over the weekend - surely they would do the same in the SSE Arena? Except nobody cared to tell the Giants that. David Rutherford gave the homesters a first period lead which was rubbed out early in the second by Joey Martin. Then Giants bounced back with further goals from top scorer Mike Radja and former Steeler Mike Forney (Agent Forney as he was getting dubbed on social media). Defenceman Mike Wilson extended it to 4-1 with just a shade over 6 minutes to go, and then Lord gambled.

With his team on the powerplay and just over 5 minutes left, Lord sacrificed Ben Bowns for a 6 on 4 PP, and it looked like it was a good idea when Martin notched his second of the night at 55:35 to reduce it to a 4-2 hockey game. Matt Nickerson then picked up a roughing minor with 2:29 left, and Lord made the same gamble. This time it failed, as former NHLer Jim Vandermeer picked up talismanic skipper Adam Keefe and he found the empty net. 5-2 Giants, and Cardiff's goose was cooked that night. Steelers fans rejoiced naturally, advantage heading the way from South Wales to South Yorkshire perchance?

Saturday could see the title decided, but to be honest I very much doubt this will be the case. Cardiff visit Manchester in the Storm Shelter at Altrincham, and that's a game I can't seem them slipping up in. Storm have nothing to play for, their post-season bid has fizzled out so this looks a certain road win for Lord's men but has Omar Pacha got a surprise in store for the last home game this season? As I said, I doubt it. Steelers on the other hand, entertain Nottingham - but at the House Of Steel - for the second time in seven days. Panthers have the ability to scud the Steelers but spurred on by a massive crowd which is expected to top 8,000: can Steelers take a massive step over the finish line? I believe they can, although it might go beyond 60. As long as it is not a penalty shoot out...

Fast forward 24 hours, and the final games of the season. Cardiff entertain Nottingham in Ice Arena Wales, and depending on results elsewhere: the Panthers have their sights on finishing as high as possible. Corey Neilson could spring a shock here, and this will be either a tough and close encounter, or Cardiff will ruin riot if Neilson's men have nothing special to play for. It's an interesting one to try and call. As is Steelers trip to the Fife Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy. "The Auld Barn" can be an intimidating place to play in, and probably not the kind of arena you are wanting to win a championship in. Fife have improved markedly, especially at home, as the season progressed and will be a tough test for Thompson's men. Depending on how Saturday goes, Thompson's tactics will need to be spot on in Kirkcaldy.

So who to win? I'm predicting Cardiff to win both theirs, and in regulation. Steelers though: I'm thinking they will pick one point against the Panthers but clinch the league with a close run affair in Fife thereby becoming the first team to retain "Monty" since 2008 when Coventry recorded back-to-back titles: ironically under Paul Thompson. What do you think?

 

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

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Hockey Soapbox 17 - Hot air, Valabik and Darnell.

Here’s our seventeenth week’s Frozen Steel blog fan view on some hot topic items.

It’s time to get on your soapboxes people!

It’s an excitable bunch following a four point week-end, and we’ve got contributions from: Phil Beddoe, Glynn M, Robert Newbolt, Mark Duell, Andy Roberts and Eric Green (who’s doing some blue sky thinking this week). You might not agree with, or even understand, their points of view, but let’s crack on...

Normal start point – What’s your hot topic from what you saw this week in the Elite league?

Mark - The fact the title race is still undecided makes for an interesting final weekend of action, and to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way. Devils edged past the Giants in two close-run games; whilst we did we had we had to do too. The odds are still probably in the Devils favour, but we have given ourselves a real shot should they crumble.

Glynn - The Title race. An exhilarating Saturday night in Nottingham (and I’m not just talking about Me & Ginge in Hooters beforehand, and Bunkers afterwards  #PracticeForPOFW) . The game itself had everything, a 3-0 lead, a fight back, a heavyweight tussle, and finally an Empty Net Goal. It was yet another great Steelers night at the NIC, but then could we grab all 4 points and score half a dozen past Stewart the following night? Yes we could... for a change!  Yes the Devils took 4 points too, but I saw the end of that game and they looked rattled by the Giants. Hopefully they will drop a point or two on Wednesday - Fingers Crossed.

Phil - A big round of applause for the liney who escorted Valabik off the ice on Sunday when he wouldn't leave.  The liney barely came up to Valabik's shoulders but conga'd him out of the rink quite well.  Best thing the officials did all night ;-)

Andy - I would like to know why Panthers fans were in block 1 on Saturday? Things then escalated and it ends with several stewards/security people handling an elderly couple out of the arena. I hope mixed blocks at the NIC are not going to be the norm in the future.

Robert - Not really a hot topic, more of an observation. Are Edinburgh going for a record in losses, or goals conceded? Twenty three goals against and only scoring four in two games is dire, as is only having thirty shots - no wonder Chubak decided not to go in goal this weekend.

Eric - "Hot Air Ballooning". Now normally in this sport you may have a "hare" that takes off first, followed by "the hounds" the idea being the hounds follow the hare and try to land as close to it as possible. Well after a 4 point weekend I think we have become the "hare" but as yet the hounds are all falling by the wayside. First hound: Panthers, as usual all the early hot air ran out before the finishing line; as for the second hound: Cardiff, well I hope they deflate on Wednesday...

Who, or what, gave us the edge over Coventry this time?

Robert - The play in front of Stewart by Roy and Desbiens gave O’Connor the opportunity to rifle two early goals past an unsighted Stewart. This was the difference from other times we played the Blaze. Roy is looking more like his old self and his crowding of the netminder always pays dividends. However, it’s a good thing O’Connor scored because defensively he’s a total mystery to most people. And not to disappoint, (sorry Mark) but I did think Pinc nearly let Coventry back in it with the third, but it wasn’t just him as the whole defence grew very static after their second goal.

Phil - We did what we should have done every game before this one which is to get under Stewart's skin. Once he started losing composure, having a go at his D and the home fans we knew we were in with a chance of this one. Also, despite a couple of defensive lapses we gave it full beans all game and got a result because of it.  Should we be worried about winning the league if it means we play Blaze again in our playoffs opener?  Not if we play how we did on Sunday.

Mark - We got in Stewart's face, we got him rattled. You only had to witness him smashing his stick in anger to have proof of that. One of our "fans" claimed he was injured, he wasn't - we just did what we have wanted to do to him all season and get him to throw his teddies out of his pram. That and donkey Valabik's indiscipline cost Blaze dear in the end.

Glynn - Probably those bullets from O'Connor, and our forwards crowding Stewart a lot more. It just looked to me that the Steelers knew it was a must win game and after the win in Nottingham they were really up for it

Andy - Several things were a factor to our win against Blaze. We shot high, moved Stewart about and got up close and personal with him. The crowd played their part getting on his back and in his head. Where has that arena atmosphere been for most of season? More of the same please! We played at a high pace and were much more direct going forward and didn't give Blaze time to set up.

Eric - What gave us the edge? Easy we listened to a little bloke called "Pinc" who told us to shoot high and we would finally shake a six foot five tall bloke off our back. I wonder why Thommo didn't listen to the small bloke before now.  That and shooting on the power play, sure "popped" Stewart's balloon. Or was it "Valad the destroyer" that also helped us get those goals?

Did Darnell lose control, or given the excellent game we saw, did he judge the flow just about right?

Andy - Not my favourite Tom Darnell performance. I wasn't sure what he was going to call and not call. Fans got on his back with the Fitzy call. In fairness the call was correct. For me it was the 2-3 blatant calls just prior that he didn't call that got my back up. I understand he is trying to let the game flow and to be honest I am all for that. It provides a more entertaining game but there are some calls that just have to be made otherwise you teeter on the edge of possibly losing control.

Robert - In a tighter more feisty game it could easily have got out of hand. It’s alright letting the game flow but there comes a time when authority is needed or players take it upon themselves. As an example take the retribution sought by Fitzgerald for the attack/slash on Mosienko. How no penalty was given is a mystery, perhaps Darnell missed it but someone on the ice must have seen it, not just those 5,000 spectators!

Glynn - Didn't see too much wrong with Darnell on Sunday. Saturday however the 5 on 3 he gave the Panthers was dubious and Panthers 2nd goal should have been wiped off for goalie interference. (Simmsey has since said on Periscope that Darnell has reviewed & now agrees should have been disallowed).

Mark - Not one for having a go at referees really, and Darns (he's a good bloke off ice too) is the best stripey we have in the country. But yes he missed some calls as he's only human. He allowed Valabik to get away with ragging Levi around the neck though, some would have punished that. Was a cracking game mind.

Phil - I think Darnell's intention was to let the game flow although for me he let the Blaze get away with way too many holding and hooking plays.  Even Stewart deliberately went for one of our guys who was skating round the net and nothing called there either, but I guess it's all about finding a balance.  Call too much and it effects the game, call too little and it turns into a free-for-all but luckily last night didn't descend into chaos.

Eric - Did Darnell lose control? Maybe! But it took me 2 periods to realise he hadn't got his dog or stick with him. How many times Tom! For goodness sake man, always bring them when attending the Arena! As for judging the flow! Well the way he was chucking the puck around before the start of the 3rd, I think he was trying to ascertain "which way it was flowing". Ask the dog next time Tom.

Will Nottingham dictate our fate this weekend, and does that worry you?

Phil - Nottingham don't worry me. If we lose the title it won't be down to dropping a game against Nottingham, it'll be our inability to beat the Blaze (and for that matter the Caps at times) this season.  We know we can beat the Panthers at the Arena when we play well so let's get to it! We have no control over what Cardiff do but I'll definitely be silently hoping for a Panthers win against the Devils on the Sunday!  Now just need the Giants to win on Wednesday. Come on Agent Forney, help us out and we'll let you off leaving!

Robert - It doesn’t worry me because I think all teams in play off positions will want to win to gain momentum for the close season.  I don’t think it will matter anyhow as we will win in Fife. (I hope)

Glynn - Nottingham do have a big say on where the title ends, which is a worry as I can't see them going to IAW and winning in Cardiff on Sunday. Obviously we need Devils to be beaten by the Giants midweek and make sure we take control of both our remaining games at the weekend, including the one against the Panthers of course.

Mark - . Of course they do, but we just have to do our jobs. It doesn't concern me though, you can only beat what is put in front of you and if it means beating them en route to another possible title then let's do it. They are no great shakes, we proved that this weekend. I can't see them providing much resistance on Sunday in IAW, but stranger things have happened.

Andy - Nottingham are going to be a big factor in where the title ends up. There is no way they are going to roll over on Saturday against us. Messers Moran and Simms just won’t allow it. I am hoping they want to be the first team to beat the Devils in their new home. With a bit of luck the Giants will do their 1 job and get a win on Wednesday.

Eric - You bet your sweet oxygen bottle they will , having run out of puff early, I pretty damn sure Neilson and his team of hot hairdryer's would like nothing better than blow us back to the hounds....

Will you twitter, or web-stream, or sit on the loo this Wednesday for Giants v Devils?

Mark - Twitter hockey for me, refresh refresh...

Glynn - I will almost certainly be watching the Giants v Devils game on the Webcast. I think it's probably going to be one of the most watched Webcast's in EIHL history, with many Devils, Steelers and a few other teams’ fans watching (Most neutrals cheering on the Devils I suspect!). Let's just hope this number of viewers doesn't crash or slow the stream. LetsGoGiants !!

Phil – Yes. Twitter or webcast, not decided yet.

Andy - Wednesday I will be in doughnut heaven. Maybe that big doughnut Valabik can visit and keep me entertained. It will be a glance at whatsapp on my break kind of night.

Eric - Me! I'll be sat on the "khazi" for a number of reasons a) I don't like heights. b) if I do have to go to dizzy heights, I want power not gas. c) at my age I can't run as fast as a hare. And finally if we lose this we will all need a big gasp of my "laughing gas" to get over Cardiff landing first. Evenin all.....

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 has been watching the Steelers on and off since ‘91. Massive Ron Shudra fan and owner of an EIHL League Championship medal.
• 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

Check out the Frozen Steel Podcast


Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Dan's the man - Five things I learnt w/e 13 March

Approaching the last week of league hockey it's getting more stressful than following Twitter hockey with a slow connection, but we're still learning loads, and here's five more things for you:

1> Brian isn’t the messiah – It was great that the Arena crowd did their best to get inside Stewart’s head on Sunday, telling him that it was all his fault, and mockingly applauding him when he made some basic saves. He’s been awesome this year, but it was great to see the crowd contributing to his stress levels, and getting some dummy spitting in return!

2> Pinc on Saturday – Despite some suspect moments over the last few months we got to see an extended glimpse of what made Marek a Czech international back in the day. At his peak he would have been too good for this league, and on Saturday he was the difference when the Nottingham waves overcame our defences. Hůl kohoutek.

3> Conference winners decided – Congratulations to the Devils, who probably don’t care, and the Clan, who really do. It’s true that the Clan have to beat the Capitals twice next week-end to cement their victory, but it’d be a huge choke if they failed from here.

4> Run-in Stat burst : US : Panthers at home, and Fife away. We’ve beaten Panthers three times (by one goal each time), lost once in the league (with Brad in goal) and once in the Cup Semi-final (can’t remember the score on that one) – no surprises there, and expect that game to be tight. We’ve played in Fife twice and won twice, 4:1 in the league, and 4:2 in the Cup quarter-final, so statistics suggest that’s the easier tie.

5> Run–in Stat burst : THEM : Devils in Belfast and Manchester, and Panthers at the IAW. Devils have lost twice and won once in the league and once in the Cup semi in Belfast, so slight advantage Giants. Devils have won twice in Manchester, so they’re favourites there. The Panthers have one win at the BBT, compared to two losses in the league and one in the cup – but obviously nothing at Ice Arena Wales where Devils are unbeaten in their two games so far.

If both teams win out, then we need both Steelers games to be regulation, and two of the Devils games to be OT/SO, and we’ll nudge it. If the Devils win out and take the league, then I’d congratulate them regardless of whatever tie-break rules might apply, as they’ve had a hell of a run-in.

Montage from @Mickgta

The final thought I’ll leave you with is to celebrate Steeler Dan. He turned a very highly charged moment between Valibik and the home fans behind the penalty box into a comedy moment with some well-timed actions – even big Boris saw how ridiculous it was arguing with a bloke in a funny costume and sat down. Well played that man

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

Check out the Frozen Steel Podcast


Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Big Match Preview - Squeaky Bum Time against Panthers and Blaze.

It's the penultimate weekend of the season and still all to play for. We face two more huge games, one on the road Saturday night and back in the House Of Steel on the Sunday. It's as Sir Alex Ferguson once said: "Squeaky bum time" and there are sure to be nerves amongst both players and fans alike. Can we handle the pressure?

Steelers currently have a two point lead at the head of the Elite League standings, garnered by that 5-2 win last Saturday against Fife and Cardiff's reverse in Nottingham last Friday. This Saturday it's our turn to go down to the NIC and plan to come away with the points. It's going to be tough, very tough. Cardiff might be facing Belfast in two games at the new Ice Arena Wales, but we have to take care of our own concerns first. It that simple.

Nottingham, fresh from the elation of winning the Challenge Cup, came down to earth with a bump 48 hours ago (Wednesday) when they were heavily beaten 6-1 by Coventry. Have you noticed the similarity there, Challenge Cup winners beaten comprehensively next league game - happened to Cardiff last season in that crazy game where we kinda ran riot and Cardiff lost the game and their heads as well. But rest assured Panthers will be smarting and wounded; nothing would give them great pleasure in scudding any title hopes of ours.

They have the players to do in all positions, Evan Mosey (a recent call up by GB) is dangerous in both defence and attack but we can't afford to concentrate our thoughts on just him. The 8-0 loss; which still hurts now; shows that they can damage you with their offence as seven different players lit the lamp that night. Miika Wiikman has been a very good replacement for the legendary K-Wall and will be hard to get past.

We need to play like we know we can, and if we can do that - then we can come away with the points. Remember what happened in the NIC at this time last year? Draw inspiration from that, and silence the building.

Sunday and it's the visit from our nemeses, Coventry. It's about time we got the measure of them and handed them a comprehensive beating for all the pain they have caused this season. Get into Stewart's head early, make him work hard and draw him out of position. Ensure they are the ones who become ill-disciplined and lose their heads. Surely we have got to get it right, now. Also make sure that Jordan Pietrus doesn't control things up top and don't allow Brenden Walker the space to unleash his one-timer effort. But can we do it?

Prediction time? Nottingham is too close to call, it might go beyond 60. Coventry, I'm hoping for a 5-2 home win. How do you see it?

 

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

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Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Hockey Soapbox 16 - Clutch, Clan & Moran.

Here’s our sixteenth week’s Frozen Steel blog fan view on some hot topic items.

It’s time to get on your soapboxes people!

It’s a full house this week, with contributions from: Phil Beddoe, Glynn M, Bethan, Robert Newbolt, Mark Duell, Andy Roberts and Eric Green, so let’s get straight into it.

What’s your EIHL hot topic this week?

Bethan -Gary Moran. I'm sure he does a lot of good things, but the guy really gets on my nerves! Lifting the trophy with Clarkey annoyed a lot of people, and I can understand why. At the end of the day all members of the team - the players and the staff, worked towards the trophy. On Sunday though, it was the players who actually won the game, so it's the captain as the representative of the team who gets the honour of lifting the trophy, not the GM.

Phil - Pesky Panthers winning the Challenge Cup in our Arena when we weren't there, grrr...  Must be how Panthers felt when they don’t make the playoff final weekend and had to watch other teams going for it in their own rink without them.  At least if Devils had won I could console myself with the fact that Bownsy is a local lad, but the Devils performance was just not offensive enough to counter that of the moggy's.

Andy - Great to see an EIHL game available to all for free, albeit on the interweb. If only it had been available as a red button option we may have been able to increase the fan base of the Elite League with some 1st time viewers. Next time hey BBC?

Eric - Ok so this week I will start with a fact:- "The Banana does not grow on a tree!" It is, in fact a giant herb... and 7500ish Herb(ert's) attended the Arena game against the Gardiner conference challenger's  "The Fyffe Banana's” (Editor : That would explain the yellow on their kit!). The vast majority of these Herbert's were hoping the Steelers would not slip up. Well I can tell you this, the final score was Fife Two,  Sheffield Fyffe.  Yer see what I did there.... Oh and welcome back golden child... Missed ya!

Gylnn - Steelers wise it has to be the numerous re-signings made of key players. Thommo is really showing his hand very early, but I guess with Season Tickets going on sale these early signings will give fans confidence to stump up their money, safe in the knowledge that at least some of the flair players (Mosi & Dowdy) & Gritty players (Dessy, & Fitzy) join Roy & O'Connor in returning next season. As a whole the Challenge Cup final was the other hot topic, but turned out to be a bit of a Panthers dominated 0-0 chess game until Mosey finally put the Devils (and the Millions at home watching on the BBC website) out of their misery.

Mark - The pictures of Gary Moran, sorry I meant Gary Moron, lifting the CC with David Clarke. The guy is the John Terry of British Ice Hockey. Some slate Simmsey but this tool is the epitome of a douchebag. It's the players moment not his. Perhaps he was trying to brag but it just showed him up for the idiot that he is.

Did you watch the CC final, and what did you make of it?

Bethan - I didn't watch it because I had work to do, but it sounded like the stream wasn't very reliable anyways! Followed along on Twitter for parts - it seems like Bownsey stood on his head for the Devils to keep them in the game. I guess with neither side having the home advantage, and both being stronger at home, it was unlikely for there to be too many goals, but I wasn't expecting quite such a long game!

Phil - Well it wasn't exactly a goalfest but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  Panthers the better team but Devils more than holding their own and Bowns making some great saves, but when it went to OT it never looked like being anything more than a Panthers victory.  Also it turns out watching a hockey game as a neutral is quite a nice stress free experience!  What about Gary Moran not letting the Panthers captain raise the trophy himself though. Let the players who did the work enjoy the win first eh Gary?  Tut, tut..

Eric - Well I certainly wasn't doing much on Sunday, so I thought, "Go on then, how bad could it be not watching the Steelers in the final?". So I pressed the "red button".  Mistake Eric! BIG mistake.

Glynn - I watched it online, it was great being shown on the BBC, and although the Stream quality started poorly it did get better. The game itself was no classic, however Panthers were the better team on the day and got the Trophy back (Again). As for GM the GM lifting the cup whilst also presenting it....Why was he given that job, and why did he feel he deserved to lift it? Probably because he helped secure the win with all the Semi-Final fixture shenanigans!  It would have been great to see his face if he had been presenting it to the Devils though....

Robert - For a neutral it was a good feisty end to end game, but almost spoiled by some very inconsistent and at times baffling reffing. Having said that Cardiff do not seem to be the force they were in the last few weeks.

Mark - No I didn't. I was going to watch it online but I decided that going to the gym and seeing my Mam (since it was Mother's Day) was a better couple of options. By all accounts it was the Ben Bowns show, Swinton's finest! If Ben was North American, he'd be in the AHL as a bare minimum.

Andy - Only watched 1st period and a bit as I had to go to work. It reminded me of watching Geoff Boycott batting in yesteryear both in the excitement stakes and in picture quality. (Editor : Lol – nailed it!)

Which player needs to be ‘clutch’ for us in the next four games?

Andy - I believe we saw our 'Clutch' player return at weekend. I am hoping a little bit of Dowd skill and passion is going to get us through the next 4. Pinc standing on his head wouldn't be a bad thing either!

Mark - Tough call, but I will say Mathieu Roy. We really need Matty to be at his belligerent best and take us across the finishing line. That and some solid defending in front of our Marek.

Robert - Fretter when fit, and Dowd. Plus Legue can always be relied upon to turn up for big games

Glynn - I know it should be someone like Mosi, Roy, Nelson, etc, but the player I really want to be "Clutch" is Pinc. I won't profess to be a fan of his style - but if the guy can keep the Goals Against down (with the help of his Defence), then the more likely it is that we will get the points and ultimately (hopefully) retain the league title.

Eric - Roy! No wait.. Nelson, No, Desbiens! Hang on! What about Vesty.. Maybe his mate, old  Stromberg. What about cometh the game cometh the man! Legue.  Hold it.. Hold it.. I know PINC... Yes PINC...

Phil - Having Dowd back on his line with his best mate Nelson and Vestberg will definitely help us in these last few games as that line has been so good for us this year. So I’d say Dowd because of what he brings to the team, and what he brings out of others that he plays with.

Bethan - Mosi has been really standing out recently and stepping up to fill in for injured players, but I don't know how long he can keep it up. I think we need some of our top scorers to be hitting top form soon if we're to have any success - with Dowdy coming back and linking up with Levi again, hopefully those two can bring us those goals.

Who will win the Gardiner, and can the Clan win their last four against the Storm and Caps?

Bethan - Fife are currently top, with their Gardiner points already nailed to the board - leaving them with just Panthers, Belfast (x2) and the Steelers! The Clan have been on quite a losing streak recently, so they'd need to turn things around if they were to win. (Dundee only have 3 more games, so they can't make up the points they'd need.) I think the Clan will win it – all four games are winnable, and bringing back a title might turn the end of their season around with an easier Playoff Semi-final draw.

Phil - Fife as they have played all their conference games, whereas the Clan have to play the Storm twice and as they are fighting for their own playoff spot I reckon Storm will win at least one of those match ups.  Out of conference I hope Fife also take points from Belfast in their two games against them, and from Nottingham, to take the league down to just us and the Devils but that might be a big ask for the Flyers.  Either way I hope they tire themselves out before we play them again!

Eric - Easy Peasy!! NO... The Storm are the Banana's bestest mates so NO... The Clan will slip up... Got to have an outside bet on Fyffe to win the "Gardner".

Glynn - I think I'd go with the Flyers. I'm not sure Clan will win all 4 remaining games, particularly the Storm games.

Robert - Fife will win their conference because I cannot see Braehead being consistent enough to take maximum points from their games. 

Mark - Yes they can win all four, but Manchester could be the skid again that allows Fife to scoop the Gardiner. Omar won't tolerate a below par performance, and Braehead can be equally inconsistent. It's interesting watching that unfold as well as the actual main title race, and that for 8th place. I still think Fife might get it though, sorry Finner.

Andy - Fancy Fife for the Gardiner title. They have the points in the bag and the Clan are in catch up mode. Whilst there is a glimmer of hope for a playoff spot, the Storm will be hard at it and tough to beat. I fancy them to beat the Clan, which seals the deal for the Flyers.

Seems Thommo follows this blog with Mosi and Desbiens, so who do we want him to sign next?

Eric - Evening Sir, it's an honour to see you read all this Rubbish! It's all done "in the best possible taste" I'm pretty sure Thommo is old enough to remember who's punch line that was. My next signing would have to be Nelson, no wait, Vesty, no wait!!! Oh I don't know. Anyway, come on Steelers.

Andy - My next signing is still the same. Mr Vestberg. Make it happen Thommo!

Mark - Levi Nelson or Fred Vestberg, please. Both are quality players and match winners in their own right. Nelson would be my first pick of the two, and I wonder if Dowdy is having a few words in PT's ears as we speak about having his linemate signed up again. I wouldn't complain if these were signed next, then get the remaining Brits (Roddy included here) locked in before then spending the summer filling the gaps.

Robert - I know people tend to pick forwards but I think the next signing should be a defenceman such as Coyle. As a young player I reckon give him another couple of seasons and pair him with a stay at home defenceman he would be an asset.

Glynn – Like many others, I think Nelson &/or Vestberg, but not sure either will be the next one announced. I recall Simmsey saying something recently (I think of Periscope) about Vestberg needing to go home & sort a few things before he's even in the frame to re-sign. As for Nelson, I think that he will come back and team up with Dowdy again, but until he's signed you never know. I also think from another Simmsey Periscope snippet that we are likely to hear of some fresh blood being signed/announced in the next few weeks, presumably one or more of Thommo's new Brit kids to warm the bench for a season or two as they develop. 

Phil - Nelson and Vestberg please Thommo!  Package deal!

Bethan - Currently we've got 2 D re-signed (Fitzy and O'Connor) and 6 forwards (Jonna, Mosi, Roy, Dowdy, Desbiens and Ferrara). Personally I'd bring Levi back next, with 53 points in 57 games he's contributed a lot this season, and I really enjoy watching him play. I'd also love to see Frets back, but I don't know what's going on with his injuries, and that might be a season too far.

 

 

 

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 has been watching the Steelers on and off since ‘91. Massive Ron Shudra fan and owner of an EIHL League Championship medal.

•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