THE first month of the new season is in the record books and it’s time for the review of this for Frozen Steel.
I’ve decided to approach it in the way of a report card for all ten Elite League teams and score them as if they were getting grades at school. You know what mean: A+ is absolutely outstanding whilst at the other end of the scale we have E which means very, very poor. Here’s how I’ve scored each of the teams in September based on what they’ve done so far.
Belfast Giants - Grade B: The current league champions have a steady but not very exceptional start to the season. They have comfortably qualified for the last eight of the Challenge Cup but have already been beaten twice which proves that they are not as invincible as some think. A 3-2 regulation loss in Sheffield, and a surprising 6-1 home loss to Fife may give Steve Thornton cause for concern. Only slightly though.
Braehead Clan - Grade B+: Ryan Finnerty’s new look Clan side started the season like the proverbial house on fire, winning every game they played. However, they have come down to earth with a little bump. A 4-0 road shut out in Fife won’t help matters, as will injuries to key players such as the ever hard-working Lee Esders. Stefan Meyer, our man to watch, has had a low-key start although final team signing Scott Pitt has impressed.
Cardiff Devils - Grade B: Andrew Lord’s new look Devils are starting to find their collective feet after a quiet start. There’s good scoring throughout the team and Ben Bowns is still proving to be the best British starting netminder around (although Belfast fans will digress); taking his Hull form down to South Wales. The question does remain though: can the Devils sustain this, or will they blow themselves out?
Coventry Blaze - Grade A-: Probably in some people eyes’ overachieving but there were already signs in the two months of last season that in Marc LeFebvre they have found a coach who could bring the glory days back to the West Midlands. Everything looks solid throughout and teams are finding out that this Coventry side is hungry and keen to put four seasons of hurt with no trophies, firmly behind them.
Dundee Stars – Grade C: Yet to hit the heights from last season’s remarkable campaign. The Stars have had to compete this season with Jade Galbraith (the planned marquee signing) and NHL Brit prospect Paul Swindlehurst sidelined for their own respective reasons. Stars have been physical and have picked up more penalty minutes in their Challenge Cup group than anybody else. Aspirations will still remain high though.
Edinburgh Capitals - Grade C: Much changed from previous seasons when they have struggled constantly. This team is proving less of a pushover and already Riley Emmerson is having a huge impact on the team. Whether they can continue improving or fizzle out is open to conjecture. The fact they have lost every single one of their Challenge Cup games proves how inconsistent they can be.
Fife Flyers - Grade B-: It’s been a topsy-turvy start for the Kirkcaldy side. Capable of getting great results and mixing them up with bad performances has become the norm. A recent 4 point weekend where they scored 10 goals and only conceded just one against Belfast and Braehead shows that the team has undoubted potential. However a 8-1 road loss to Sheffield where they simply didn’t turn up is very worrying on the flip side.
Hull Stingrays - Grade C: The team from the most versatile arena (it says so on the sign outside) have been as up and down as you would expect. It seems to be a case of we score one and you score one, which is great entertainment but not as good on the statistical side of the coin. A 6-1 road win over Nottingham in the NIC will give confidence but like Edinburgh, can be they consistent enough game after game?
Nottingham Panthers - Grade D: Not the best of starts for the 2013 League Champions. Sure they have had their Champions League exertions as well, but for a club of Nottingham’s standing: its definitely more miss than hit. Even K-Wall has been made to look ordinary in some games. Panthers should pick up but they need to find that winning formula. The injury problems though have not helped Corey Neilson one iota.
Sheffield Steelers - Grade B+: A steady start this season for Gerad Adams new look team in orange. The Fretter-Forney-Roy line is as good as any top line in the entire league and Adams will be looking to them to continue their very impressive start. With the defence looking dependable and Frank Doyle continuing his good form: Steelers fans have every right to be quite pleased. I think there’s more to come from this team, as they haven’t really hit top gear at the moment.
So that’s the report for September, I’ll be back next week with my weekly Steelers review.
Yours in hockey, Mark
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