Big Match Preview - Coventry Double Header

Eight weekends of regular season action left and just 15 games. We face this weekend, in a home and home series as our friends across the pond call it, a team that have been a bit of nemesis to us recently - Chuck Weber and his Coventry Blaze. The title race is hotting up and it's essential we build up a head of steam in our bid to overhaul those Cardiff Devils.

Blaze endured what has to be said a horrendous start to the season, and at one stage were seriously adrift at the bottom of the Elite League table so much it was a question on how long Weber would last and whether or not they would make inroads to those above. But they have improved, and markedly too, and seem to be a bit of bogey side for Thompson's men. They have beaten us in the SkyDome and here in the Arena so can't be taken far too lightly. 

In Brian Stewart, they have a goalie that gives his team many chances to win every single night. The guy is a behemoth of a goaltender and is so agile for his size. However if there is one weakness he has, it can be his temperament. We have seen it before that when he gets rattled, the teddies certainly fall out of his pram and his team suffers as a consequence. This is one thing that Steelers need to do this weekend to take maximum points off the Blaze.

Personally I am not keen on their defence, it still looks suspect and I am sure I am not the only one who has observed this. They don't seem to have a leader on that blue line, something that Mike Egener did so well during his spell there. It's too offensive for my liking and only former Dundee Star James Issacs appears to be the stay-at-home defenceman out of them. David Clements is still unproven at this level, but will continue to get better. This is another weakness we need to capitalise on.

Up top, they are rather decent and since Jordan Pietrus arrived mid-season: they have looked a much offensive outfit. Pietrus has obtained almost a point a game, and scored the game winner the last time we played each other in the House Of Steel with just a matter of seconds left in regulation. Cale Tanaka (despite missing the first game through suspension) will always be a handful whilst Carl Lauzon possesses an eye for goal and good speed which will have our defensive core on their toes every shift. Then there is the evergreen Ashley Tait who seems to have been around donkey years..

Nothing less than four points will do here, and that's what Thommo should be preaching. With Pinc on the recovery road, Brad Day will start in between the pipes. What do I think will be the scores? I reckon a 3-1 home win on the Saturday and possibly a 3-2 overtime win at the SkyDome 24 hours later. It will not be easy, every point dropped could spell the end of those hopes of retaining the Monteith Bowl. We have to go into every game and treat it as a Cup Final, a must win game.

Stark reality but when you're at the business end of the season, like we are now, you have to do this.

 

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The Title Race

Just a short space of eight weekends to go, including this one, before we know who will be the 2016 Elite League Champions. Will last season's champions, the Sheffield Steelers, become the first team since Coventry Blaze in 2008 to successfully defend their title? Or will the title venture to a different trophy cabinet.

What you are about to read is purely that of my own thoughts, and if you think otherwise that's down to you.


We begin the assessment by admitting that neither the Belfast Giants or the Nottingham Panthers will be celebrating the title. Giants recent blip in form, when they were comprehensively dismantled it has to be said by the Steelers, has cost them dear. Likewise Panthers have had a blip of their own when they picked up just two points from a possible six North of the Border, a set of fixtures that they had been successful previous in the past. Both Derrick Walser and Corey Neilson will be looking at the Challenge Cup and/or the Play Off Final as their target for silverware.

Which now takes onto the top three teams at the head of the Elite League; Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers and Braehead Clan.

To finish third, are Paul Thompson's Steelers. As much as it pains me to say that, Steelers ain't going to repeat the above feat done by the Blaze. The problems with injuries all over the place is the real determining factor to why they will fall short. Once player goes down injured; you can half expect another to follow like buses. Players like Colton Fretter and Robert Dowd are skilful players who can win a game on their own it has to be said but both have spent many times on the treatment tables rather than on the ice. Even last season's MVP Mathieu Roy has had time out. Still it was always going to be a transition year in Steelerland, third place is as an excellent achievement considering all these trials and tribulations.

Second place, I reckon will go to Andrew Lord's Devils. They have the best home form of all three contenders at the time of putting this piece together and that's been the factor that has kept them in title contention all season long. Nigh on unbeatable in the BBT, as a visiting fan I won't miss it when it's gone particularly for the amount of losses Steelers have had there in recent times, this has really played into their style of play that Lord preaches. They will involved in all three competitions open to them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win one of them. Unfortunately I see final day heartbreak for the Welsh side.

Which therefore means I have gone for the Braehead Clan as the winners of the 2016 title. And before you start, I have not done this based on their run-in. Sure as eggs are eggs as they say, they have the majority of the games against fellow Gardiner Conference sides but there's no such given thing as an easy game these days - just look at Steelers record against the Edinburgh Capitals right? However, as well as Travis Fullerton has done as a temporary fix, the return of Chris Holt between the pipes will be a massive plus for Ryan Finnerty. Finner has a team packed with experience and a few of them were involved in last season's collapse. They know they have to right this, and they will do this: overhauling Cardiff on the final day. The Purple Army will be the ones celebrating 20 March!

So that's how I see it all unfolding, and I have been proven incorrect before so don't take these as a given. That's why my hockey betting history is about as shambolic as Joe Grimaldi's actions last season: absolutely dreadful.
  

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Five Things: Stateside Special Part Two

We bring you a special five things moment as Tony's found another five things he learned on his little excursion. Take it away Tony...

After another game at the BB&T center last night, and as we begin our journey back to Blighty, I've found time to jot down another five things I learned from my week in the States.

1> Panthers look like the real deal - 14 goals for and 4 against in three games tells its own story, but when they are giving significant ice to their first round picks from 2009-2014  (Kulikov, Bjugstad, Gudbranson, Huberdeau, Barkov & Ekblad) and also have all-stars like Jagr and Luongo then that's a mix that might get them some banners for their building.

2> Coaching legends - on the opposition benches we got to see both Joel Quenneville and Mike Babcock, who share various winningest active NHL records including best paid at $6m a year. Q has the easiest job for now, as Babcock's Leafs looked like they expected to lose midway through the second.

3> Giveaways - they filled every free moment with fan giveaways - we must have seen fifty T-shirts & forty hot-dogs thrown into the crowd each game, a $50 store card quiz, people selected from the top tier to get front row seats, prizes if you sat in certain seats, CD giveaways promoting future concerts, sticks and pucks from the three-stars for the kids etc. They work tirelessly to get the fans engaged and retained hoping that they will then come back - top work, and not a sign of Caroline!

4> Jumbotron - if you think the Sheffield arena scoreboards were good, then you should see this puppy. The main screen is similar, but it has working corner sections, and two ticker tape sections top and bottom that can work independently or as one entire unit. This is supported by three sets of screens around the arena at seating level - so when there's a goal you won't miss it.

5> Music choices - whilst I enjoyed the music, as it was mostly classic rock or organ ballpark pieces, it was noticeable that it didn't stir the crowd up much. Maybe that's a reflection on the Panthers fans, or maybe repeat playing of Joker and the Thief, Put Your Hands Up In The Air, Cotton Eye Joe, The Game etc. does actually work and Dows does know what he's doing!

One final thing was how keen the stewards were to help you and show an interest in any random questions you might have for them - that's the American way I guess, but I wonder if our gestapo might be better assuming the customer was right, rather than assuming they all needed watching because they were up to no good.

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Hockey Soapbox - Edition Ten

It's time for the tenth edition of Frozen Steel Blog's "Hockey Soapbox" where we discuss the burning hockey topics. We're always on the look for new people to join the panel so if you think you could commit a bit of your time to do this; then please do get in touch at the either of the methods shown at the bottom of the article.

On the panel this week are Mark, Bethan, SteelTalk forum co-owner Jason "Jay" Smith, Robert Newbolt and Alan Claringbold.

As usual, we start by asking what was the main talking point in the EIHL this week?

Alan - It has to be Steelers' goalie injury woes again. Is the position cursed in recent years you have ask?

Bethan - Braehead's 'easy run in' - every season there's controversy over the conference system, and especially now Braehead are challenging for the title. On paper, and fitting with our expectations of which teams are 'hard' or 'easy' to play against, it does seem unfair that the end of the season is 'easier' for Braehead, but I think that's just something we have to put up with alongside the benefits the system has for teams. Plus the Gardiner conference teams can take points off Braehead, so it's not going to be plain sailing.

Robert - To ‘periscope’ or not. And no I don’t mean underwater antics. The EIHL have banned unauthorised streaming of games as they believe it will compete with webcasts. I cannot really see anyone streaming an entire game but you never know. The real problem is that two large clubs (with the same owner) refuse to enter this century and so their fans resort to other techniques to help view some of the game. 

Jason - So the main talking point of the week for me is the netminding situation in the EIHL at me moment, it's appears to be a popular opinion at the moment that the standard of netminding is actually down on previous seasons.. and has such should we be giving the British backups more ice time.. The entire EHIL seem to be struggling with injuries to netminders and finding suitable replacments is an ongoing problem..

Mark - I'm with Jason on this one, the EIHL netminder situation is curious. Six of the ten clubs have changed their netminder this season for some reason or other. Whether these are injuries or personal reasons, they have changed them. Perhaps the look out for a "stud" goalie such as Kowalski was down the M1 is much hard to find these days but if you do get one such as Stewart or Holt then you've got the contacts in the right places.
  

Next question: Brad Day - is he the real deal?

Alan - Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Yes he has played well but thisNo is only his rookie season. Also has his off-ice development been hindered by not having Tyler Plante as his mentor? All that being said though, the stats do not lie. They show he has played very well.

Bethan - He's becoming a bit of a fan favourite after he's stepped in for Plante and Pinc, and personally I really like him! While he obviously doesn't have the experience and skill of one of the top netties in the league, he's really improved over the season, and I think the players and fans have a confidence in him. Hard to say without knowing how long Pinc's going to be out for as to whether we'll replace him, but I'm not sure he's ready to carry us to a title for the rest of the season just yet.

Robert - At the moment he is only young, 20, and I don’t think he should be thrust into the limelight regularly just yet for fear of harming his future development. Undoubtedly he has learned a lot from his time with Tyler Plante and in training with EIHL standard players. He also seems comfortable enough in big games and although people may say a lot of that must be down to the defence giving him extra protection, I’m not so sure.  

Jason -  This might be controversial, but IMO, no clearly he is not, as he got the potential? Well yes he has, but to some degree havent they all.. to be i am firmly in the camp that if you are going to mecome the best you can in this league then you need to be playing night in, night out and opening doors for an EHIL team is not doing that.. 

Mark - He's doing alright so far isn't he? Some questioned his signing considering he was a EPL back-up but I think his performances so far have forced those into eating a large slice of humble pie. Providing he continues to develop he could become a decent starter in years to come, but he needs a mentor to rely on after Plante departed. Maybe Wooly could be that man? At just 20, he's got his best years ahead of him if he is allowed to improve the way the Club apparently has mapped out.


Going back in history now for question three: would you like us to return to having teal on our shirts again?

Alan - No. We are a well branded club that is synomous with the colour orange. There is nothing broken, therefore nothing to fix.

Bethan - I don't really remember us having that much teal if I'm honest, so it's not really a colour I identify with the Steelers. I think some fans would like us to have more of it, but with Belfast also playing in teal it could be an issue. Maybe for Challenge Cup shirts?

Robert - I have a liking for teal, as they played in that colour when I began watching, but orange really stands out and is totally different to other sides so I say stick with it.

Jason -  No I would not, no way, no how. A team identity relies in a big part to the look you have, and has a designer of sorts lol I know what it is like having one to many colours to play with! You may not know this or even care but teal is a right royal main in the arse to graphic designers, in terms of matching it correctly in CMYK and of course with other colour matching on a website. Orange is our new identity and like it or not its bold and remediable.. I like it and think we should stick with Orange and lets Belfast keep teal, they are welcome to it, its part of our past, let's move on...

Mark - I remember us in teal very well but the club has a unique identity of orange just as the Clan have with purple. Wouldn't mind to see it resurface somehow, maybe have it as a retro jersey design for merchandising purposes or as Bethan suggests on Challenge Cup shirts.


Predicting things for the penultimate question: Who's going to win the league this season, and if we don't win it - where we will finish up?

Alan -  Cardiff with Braehead second and ourselves third. The reason why we won't retain is that our injuries will bite us on the backside so to speak; and Braehead will finish second due to the absence of Chris Holt. Cardiff will win it because at home they are the best team in the league, and the longer they say in the BBT the greater their chances will be.

Bethan - Really hard to tell at the moment, think Belfast and Nottingham will have a hard job being quite a few points behind, but I can't rule them out. With all of our injury problems it's going to be tough for us too, so I'd probably say Braehead or Cardiff. I don't think we'll be too far behind though, I'd put us at 3rd, maybe we'll get the CC or Playoffs to lessen the blow.

Robert -  I believe Cardiff will win it mainly because of the regulation win advantage, I think it will be that close. Reckon Sheffield will run them close, probably even tie on points and even though Braehead have, on paper an easier run in they still have to play Fife three time, once in Kirkcaldy, and have to travel to Dundee twice in their conference and because of this I think, hope, they will slip up.

Jason -  I will be gobsmacked if win the League this year! We just don't have the back end to do it in my opinion, our defence and netminder are too inconsistent and always have it in them to throw away a game they should win.. This is the Braehead Clan's to lose, which they have done before so Cardiff may sneak it...

Mark - As much as I would love to see us become the first team to retain "The Bowl" since 2008 when Blaze achieved that, I can't see us doing it. It's going to be between Cardiff and the Clan, and as good as Cardiff have been all season: I will go for Braehead. They will have learned from last season's hiccups and Finner won't allow them to repeat that. It will be probably be a last game decider too. Us? We're good enough to finish third, which we will and after the injury woes we have had: that's a good enough achievement.


And finally, since this week has been Hewy's Testimonial week - what's your best Jason Hewitt moment?

Alan - Remember when Mark Thomas scored the overtime winner against the Panthers in the Arena? Hewy was the first one to jump on him in celebration and it took Tomo clean off of his feet. It was the bromance moment of that season.

Bethan - For me it's gotta be everything he did for Amy Usher (May she rest in peace). One moment that really stands out is after we won the league - not only did he get the flags with her name on down on the ice, he wouldn't let Dean take the team photo until it was perfectly straight - stuff like that shows how much he cares not only about the game, but also the club and our family.

Robert -  Each time he scores a goal for Sheffield is special – as it’s a collector’s item. But joking aside just speaking, albeit briefly, to him at various gatherings is great because he comes across as so down to earth and unassuming.

Jason - I have to say his Eddy was rather funny, but his never say die attitude and the physical performances this last week since he returned to match fitness after his illness, have seen the best of Jason for a long time... a true Bulldogs spirit! I wish he would get rid of the beard though...lol

Mark - I could have picked his game winner at Ice Sheffield against the Giants in the 2011 season but I'm going for another Ice Sheffield moment and it features his good buddy Tomo too. Manchester City had just beaten Manchester United 6-1 and Hewy was arriving at IS for a game against Cardiff when Tomo spotted him and started yelling 6-1 at him. Hewy's face was like thunder and he just released a mild expletive in Tomo's direction only to spot the kids nearby. It was a pure gold moment.
  

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