Welcome once more everybody for the preview of this weekend's action for the Steelers.
After the European Tour to the land of bacon and the Little Mermaid, also known as Denmark and Copenhagen respectively, it's time to get back to the bread and butter of Elite League for the Steelers. They currently lie in fourth place in the League standings, five points behind the leaders who are those Bears from down the M1. However, with hockey being the way it acts, that could easily change at the click of some fingers. There's no reason to actually panic.
This weekend is another testing one though with games that we could easily come unstuck with.
Saturday night and the Steelers are on the road, it's a visit to this place:
It's our first visit to Buckinghamshire, or Concrete Cow City aka Milton Keynes in the Elite League ever. Our last visit there was way back in 1996 in the final season of the then British Premier League; the following season was the initial season of the BISL. Back then the Lightning were known as the Milton Keynes Kings for whom a certain stripey played a single game for in 1998-99. No names but he does spend a lot of time out of the country with work and officiating if that helps.
Yet both games in Milton Keynes in 1995-96 ended in draws. A high scoring 8-8 followed by a 3-3. Our record overall there in all games is a very impressive 7-0-2. So by rights, the form book should point to a road win for the Steelers. As you know, it means naff all. Lightning pushed us to a 4-3 win at Ice Sheffield earlier in the season and are coached by GB coach Peter Russell. They have experienced EIHL players in former Panthers netminder Miika Wiikman and former Cardiff Devils Carl Hudson, Guillaume Doucet and Denny Kearney. Impressive Lewis Hook is a hot prospect reckoned to a GB internationalist sooner rather than later. Oh and there's also Matt Nickerson...
After Saturday, the House of Steel welcomes back the European heroes for the first time since they went on their Danish crusade. Our opponents are this merry bunch:
Yes it's the Coventry Blaze. We can admit for sure that this is a bit of a better team than last season's but then again that team flattered to deceive. The roster has seen a number of changes, obviously Matt Marquardt's move here is well known but no longer at Coventry are Brian Stewart (Guildford), Robin Bergman (Rungsted), cousins Almeida and Syner (back in North America) and Russ Cowley (retired) to name some departures. However, they are still as inconsistent as always and can turn in one great performance followed by one absolute shocker.
Play to our strengths, we are able to beat them convincingly although Kevin Nastiuk is in some eyes (mine included): an upgrade on that behemoth known as Brian whose meltdowns were the stuff of comedy gold. Perhaps he should form a double act with Omar Pacha...
My predictions? Steelers to edge the Milton Keynes game 3-2 after overtime, then to see off the Blaze rather comfortably back in S9 by 5-2. I'll take a four point weekend but it might have to be a bit a battle in the trenches to get it especially in MK and if Wiikman is on form.
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