Hockey Soapbox - Season 2 Week 14 - Two days north of the border

A mixed bag of results from the Steelers Scottish weekender leaves us with a few questions and points for discussion, so read on as it’s time to get on your soapboxes people! We’ve got contributions from:  Alan Claringbold, Andy Roberts, Mark Duell, Amanda Turner, Bethan and occasional outbursts and photobombs from editor Tony!

Giving up his time and great wisdom

Off to find a drink and Walking right past him! Caught on film.

So to try to sort out our thoughts on those two games, let’s have your five word summaries

Saturday:

Dominant until we switched off

Just five seconds more effort.

Who switched regular for decaf?

Hagos likes his short shifts

We can win a shootout!

Good result, keep it up!

Sunday:

Lefebvre got his tactics right

They scored on their chances.

Defensive fatigue a huge factor

Stars shining in Tayside loss

Not good, sort it out!

Tired legs, didn't look dangerous.

Do we lack a plan B? Get it off your chest - it's not twitter so you're safe here

• Bethan - Plan B - that's definitely one way to explain Sunday's match. Thommo wasn't using many noticeably different tactics, and seemed to be playing poor Benny until he dropped!  It would have been good to see more of a response to the way Dundee were playing, instead we just seemed to let them dictate how the game was being played and didn't have much of a counter to it.
• Mark - Some say we lack a Plan B, but then again do most teams have an obvious Plan B when things go awry? We’re due a loss from time to time and maybe Sunday's loss is just a small reality check for us all. It's not the end of the world, just regroup again, address the problem and move on. That must be the way forward - one defeat in the last 6 is hardly a panic even if the Stars blanked us out.
• Alan - No, we lack drive and determination at times. We don't always keep it simple, and too passive when trying to chase a game.
• Andy - Not sure we got our tactics right on Sunday only playing 4D. We had Kirk and Shudra on bench when they could have covered a forwards shift and allowed the forward to cover at the backend. We didn't seem to have any different ideas once the Stars had set their stall out playing a road game at home. Couldn't fault the effort and I can't complain at only 2nd league loss.

What do you make of the new guy?

• Andy - Hagos looks a good pick up. I think he may score more than we believe he will once he gets up to match fitness. To say Elite Prospects said he was slow, he looked quite nippy to me, as well as composed on the puck with good vision.
• Alan - Looks a decent pickup on first impressions. This weekend was a good run out for him to help him find fitness.
• Bethan - I really liked him. He was clearly a little off match fitness, and only seemed to be out for 10-20 second shifts, but he definitely has skill. He handled the puck well, and has a good hockey mind - he always seemed to be in the right places, and anticipating where the game was going.
• Tony – Seemed to be enjoying himself, and liked his little wave to the fans from the bench after his goal. Don’t think he imagined that half of the rink would be supporting the away team 5 hours from base!
• Mark - From his resume, he looks a cracking signing - experience coming out of his ears. Only took him 4 minutes to score a goal too, and a nice finish at that too. As games pass, he will get stronger literally and will dominate teams (well I hope so). Could be the pick-up of the season.
• Amanda - Don’t know much about the new guy but looking forward to seeing him at the next home game. Hope everyone is over the Mosienko departure now - I have to say that while I was saddened he left I think some people have taken it personally.  It is a job at the end of the day and he had a clause on his contract to allow him to do it - so I think it was probably always going to happen.  Yes I get it was part way into new season but when opportunity knocks who would turn it down eh!

We shouldn't laugh, but what about the Panthers identity crisis / webcasts / inflatables / roster changes - you pick one!

• Andy - If your ever feeling down a quick look at the Panthers inflatable bear photo can only put a big grin on your face!
• Amanda - I kind a like the inflatable, good on them for wanting to up the anti for the entrance of the players.  Dare I say there may be a bit of envy from others?  Perhaps not but each to their own!
• Bethan - They're having a bit of a mare aren't they? Though now I've said that they'll come and beat us on Saturday! Things just don't seem to be going quite right down the M1, with their inflatable entrance falling flat, and guys coming & going. At least it cheered us lot up on Sunday night to hear they'd lost!
• Tony – The entrance inflatable is a well-trodden path for hockey clubs, but their repurposed second-hand bouncy castle is possibly the worst execution I’ve seen – at least it took some of the flack which should rightly be on Corey’s shoulders after losing their last 5 EIHL games. Shouldn’t laugh!
• Alan - After our first home game against them, I got shot down on a Panthers Facebook page for saying I thought they were a bunch of individuals and that it was the poorest Panthers side I had seen in a long time. I am feeling VERY smug right about now.
• Mark - The natives down the M1 are restless! Have you read the Cage forum these last few weeks? But the bear is wounded from the jibes, and nothing would give them greater pleasure than to derail us. We have to compete from the get-go on Saturday, and inflict more misery on dear old Corey. They might be an ordinary side, but one that is capable of snarling back. Forewarned is fore armed.

Finally, how would you have liked for us to sign Ben Davies - and if we took him who would you drop from their regular shifts?

• Alan – Excellent pick up for Coventry. They needed that extra Brit in their depth. Will help them massively. Would not have seen where he woulda fitted in at all in our roster as we have a bucket load of depth. Could have been an option on a short term deal with the injury to Valdix as we’re still having to rotate 3 centres as we speak.
• Mark - As good as Ben Davies is, yes I still remember that shot that cannoned off the bar in the BBT and hit me on the forehead, I would not swap any of our Brits for him. We have GB captain, the Golden Child and promising players like Ferrara, Cole and Liam here. Would you seriously swap any of them for Davies? I'm happy with our lot, Coventry are welcome to him.
• Andy - At this stage of season I am not sure I would have wanted Davies in our side. Not because I don't think he could do a job for us. I just don't see who we would push aside. If it was later in the season and we knew (say) J Phillips was hanging up the skates at the end of the season I would hope we would try to pick him up.

Here's a link to Alan's Dundee Stars webcast interview for anyone who missed it

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.
• Amanda is @ajt1971 and the other half of @NJT75Owl and she doesn’t mind Sweet Caroline!
• 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, and has loved the team ever since being dragged along to her first Steelers game in 2007. 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.
• Kevin and Fergus are a Father-Son duo that grew up watching and playing ice hockey in Europe (mainly Germany) who are both very opinionated and can be heard from block 115. Twitters are @SedgyFergus and @KevWright65
• 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
• Nathan and his Mrs have been going to games since Feb 2014 after getting fed up with football. Another season ticket holder in 115 who tries to get to away games and refuses steadfastly to join in with Sweet Caroline. He’s @NJT75Owl
• Nicki is a keen Robert Dowd fan, who’s been following the Steelers from the start. Transported by fate to live just outside Glasgow, and thus has to split herself between the Steelers and Clan. You will find her singing and shouting in RTB218, Section N, and via @owlsteeler
• Robert is chief architect of http://steelers-stats.com/ 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.
• Sam is the one sat in 106 not partaking in Sweet Caroline and praying it's not played the following period. When not not doing that she can be found on @Sam_26
• Tony has been watching the Steelers on and off since Tony Hand arrived, and has been a regular for the last ten years or so. Enjoys contributing to the blog with his weekly five things and can be found @Disgu15ed