Is the Sky really falling in? - Five things I learnt this week.

After losing to the Panthers on Saturday, and being embarrassed in at least one of the games against Belfast recently, it’s tough to see many positives from our current league position, but is it really as bad as some of the Steelmoaners are making out? Let’s look at five facts I’ve just been reminding myself during pre-game at Murrayfield (so they exclude anything that happens against Edinburgh):

1. Last Year League comparison: This time last year we had played 40 games and had 53 points – this year we have played 39 and have 53 points. So we’re up on last year, and last year’s League campaign was pretty good wasn’t it.
2. Last Year CHL comparison: This year we beat Salzburg, scored 11 and conceded 20. Last year we lost all four games, scored 4 and conceded 20. So we’re up on last year here too.
3. Last Year cup comparison: Right now we’re in the semi-final of the pointless cup – with a first leg lead against the Panthers, whereas last year we were eight goals behind going into the second leg. We’re not certain to progress any further, but I like our chances a lot more than I did last year.
4. Goals Scored – According to the Elite league website we’re top of the league in goals scored with 150 – that’s 4 more than Cardiff, and 9 more than Belfast despite playing one less game. So we’re seeing goals this year, and we’re good going forward and that’s got to be a good thing hasn’t it.
5. Goals conceded – We’ve conceded 102 goals, which in 39 games is 2.6 per game. So is that the problem? No, because Belfast and Cardiff have conceded exactly the same. Moose’s save percentage is identical to Bowns and Murphy/Whistle too. So it’s not goals against that are burning us.

From the five facts above it’s hard to believe why the Steelers fans are depressed and up-in-arms against the club’s ownership and management isn’t it? Well no, I think it’s down to who we lose to, and how and where we win. Steelers are miles behind in the Erdhart conference table, almost level 4th with the Panthers, which means we’ve lost more often to the teams we most want to beat. They are painful, and the urge to moan is the greatest. Flip side is that we’re the best around at cross-conference games, only dropping one game in Dundee, and that OT loss to the Clan in IS – we’re great at that, but Steelers fans expect us to win those, so we don’t get the ‘high’ that beating our nearest and dearest brings us. 

So the trick for Tom and Jerry to master is developing the tactics and bottle to win in-conference – but as that’s eluded us in every previous season I’m not about to hold my breath for the remainder of this year. It's not our best season, but suck it up everyone, the sky is far from falling in!