Five Things: With A Twist

Something a bit different this time as the five things we learnt this week goes all American on you as Tony went to see the Blackhawks and Lightning play at the Florida Panthers' BB&T center. So what did he learn on the other side of the pond?

1> They do get sell outs in Sunrise - 19,500 in attendance for each game filled the arena. OK the majority were wearing the away team shirts, but a sell out is a sell out, and the home fans went home happiest both nights - especially the one who won $13k on their 50:50.

2> Luuuuuu - Awesome calmness and patience under pressure showed why Luongo is an all-star. Was the man to carry his team whilst Kane, Toews, Stamkos, Bishop et al couldn't make the same single handed impact. First Star performances both nights IMO.
 

3> Empty nets - Two new records for me as the earliest I've ever seen a netminder pulled during 5 on 5 play - Darling was pulled with 8.30 remaining, and the following night Vasilevskiy was pulled with almost 11 minutes remaining. Both teams were down by three or four goals so had little to lose but that's ballsy!
 

4> Practice facility - The Panthers have free public practices several times a week at their nearby triple pad 'Iceden' facility. Was great to see how they went about their business, who worked with who, and seeing them up close and personal.
 

5> Team hotel - Seems the Bolts use the Sunrise Double Tree too, and I had to run the gauntlet of a their massed fans as I left the hotel. Glad I wore my Luongo t-shirt so I could ramp them up a bit and exchange some friendly banter!

One final thing was how well the crowds respect sing and salute their national anthem without a hint of cynicism. It was quite spine tingling and makes you jealous of what could be if we had an anthem we could all belt out. More next week as I catch the Maple Leafs live too.

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Jason Hewitt: FSB says thanks

Jason Hewitt: Photo courtesy of Dean Woolley

Tonight Steelers honour a player who has been very much a part of the success story of the modern age, and has more than played his part in many ways. This man is Jason Hewitt, also known as "The British Bulldog" and the man who holds the record number of appearances for our Club.

Manchester born and bred, Jason first cut his hockey teeth with Altrincham Aces in the 1999-2000 season making a single appearance that year. What followed was a natural progression until Manchester Phoenix offered him a spot on their roster in 2003-2004. Jason made 61 appearances for the Phoenix (including 5 in the close season) but the team ceased operations at the end of the season and Jason was on the look for a new team.

London Racers came calling the following season where he would link up with fellow North Westener Mark Thomas but even that came to a shuddering halt too. Racers quit the league during his second season there and it was time to find a new home for the skates. A nine game spell at Basingstoke followed before Dennis Maxwell (Jason's former player-coach at the Racers) enticed him and Thomas to come back north and join him in Sheffield.

What followed is history.

Three league titles, three times also a play off champion and an EIHL Knockout Cup winner in 2005-06 ain't a bad haul indeed. In fact some players would give their right arm to have silverware like that in their collection. Chuck in also 34 caps for his country, winning bronze and silver medals in World Championship groups and it's been a successful career so for this ever popular native of Manchester. Yet he's just 32, and who knows what other success is around the corner providing he stays healthy?

We've all got great memories of what he's done in a Steelers shirt and this number #17 just keeps rolling on and on. He's a great guy and deserves this special night. Congratulations Jason, have a fantastic evening - you've earned it big time!
  

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Hockey Soapbox - Edition Nine

Better late never as they say...

We present to you the ninth edition of the Hockey Soapbox, where you the fans - discuss the hot hockey topics. FSB is always after new faces on the panel, so if you want to take part then contact us as below. 

Taking part this week are Mark, Phil Beddoe and Robert Newbolt.

Q1: What was the main talking point of the latest EIHL week?

Phil - What is going on at the Caps?  After a great start they start going downhill then top players start leaving to sign somewhere else apparently having been put on 2 weeks notice. This season looked like we might finally see a competitive Edinburgh team that would compete night in night out but it hasn't worked out that way and it's a real shame.

Mark - Rutherford's ultimatum maybe which forced his move through to the Giants. But I'm going for Dundee's new goalie signing of former Vipers and Blaze goaltender Trevor Koenig. Koenig might be 41 now and we will soon see if this proves to an inspirational signing or a huge mistake.

Q2: What do you think of the rest of the EIHL reaction to us apparently poaching Ryan Hayes?

Mark - It's ridiculous to be honest. Hayes was unhappy, he wanted a move and Caps knew they were going to lose him for nothing unless he stayed in the EIHL. Notice how nothing was said about the Rutherford departure but if he had joined us then the hoo-ha would have started again. Everyone thinks it's our fault, if only they read the truth first...

Robert -To be expected. Its all gone quiet now anyway, but I didn’t hear a murmur from anywhere when Rutherford signed for Belfast.

Phil - As expected to be honest despite Hayes apparently leaving with the agreement of Emmo (unlike Rutherford who barely anyone complained about despite him apparently giving Emmerson an ultimatum forcing his coach to let him leave).  Things are always different when it's the Steelers involved it seems...

Q3: Who's your player of the season so far?

Robert -Levi Nelson closely followed by Tyler Mosienko. Their styles differ enormously but they are both effective. Especially like Mossy for his ability to hold onto the puck, thus running the clock down in pressure situations.

Phil - Mosienko, he's like the energiser bunny of the club skating rings round opposing players, never taking a night off and always giving it the full beans!  Get him signed up for another 2 seasons so no other team can nick him please Thommo!  Those Belfast commentators sure were big Mozzy fans on the two webcasts and rightly so in my view.

Mark - Obvious choices are Nelson and Mosienko; both seldom have a night off and I just love seeing them play for their 100% commitment every shift they take. But I'm going for Zack Fitzgerald myself. Eyebrows were raised by many when we signed but he's been an excellent addition. He can actually play some good hockey despite being noted for the fists. The kids love him and he's the perfect club ambassador on and off the ice. 

Q4: When Fretter is fit, we're going to have a glut of import forward options. Whom would you sit out?

Phil - No one in particular. I suspect Thommo will tailor it according to the team we are playing taking into account any niggling injuries that the team may have at any given time.

Mark - With the unfortunate injury to Desbiens I reckon PT's decision has been made a bit easier for the time. Fretter's injury has come at a very unlucky time too, particularly when he was playing exceptionally well. I hope he's back for the final few weeks of the season and finishes on a high.

Robert - I don’t think this will be a problem because I can’t see Fretter playing much for the rest of the season. Think PT will alternate between Hayes and Stromberg for import quota until Stromberg’s time is up.

Q5: Which is the worst performance you've seen us in?

Mark - I'm going back to 2011 for this one. Losing 7-1 at home on a Wednesday night in January to Cardiff. In Ben Simon's words: "We stunk the place out!" - he wasn't far wrong and Craig Weller (whom I would have loved to see in our team) was absolutely imperious all evening.

Robert - Any game with Coventry Blaze in it. They play so defensive and lack ideas up front, that the Steelers appear to get sucked in to their game and always have trouble breaking them down which doesn’t produce a very watchable game. Its not only Stewart but the whole defence seem to collapse in front of the net. Perhaps our defence could learn from that.

Phil - I try to forget those and concentrate on the good ones!

  

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Big Match Preview - Cardiff (Home) and Dundee (Away)

After the Cup reverse on Wednesday evening in the en-suite bathroom against Fife, Steelers head back into league action with games home and on the road. Saturday night is indeed hockey night in Sheffield, as we entertain the current league leaders and team to chase: Andrew Lord's Cardiff Devils. 24 hours later, the team head to Tayside to face a Dundee Stars team who have been much improved this season.

So what can we expect?

Saturday night's game is another must win game, especially now there are just 9 weeks of the regular season to play. It really is the business end of the season and Cardiff are the team that everyone is hunting down in the race for the Monteith Bowl. The Devils currently have a six point lead over us although we have a couple of games in hand. But games in hand have to be won, so it's imperative that we pick up a maximum haul this evening against our visitors.

Devils have the capability to hurt you from any position, whether it be the solid goaltending provided by GB internationalist Ben Bowns, the well organised defence that features the ever-improving Josh Batch and forward lines that have plenty of goals in them. That's the task we have in opposition but we know full well that if we are up for it from the get go. We have to be actually. Cardiff are beatable that's for sure, and we have proven that here in the House Of Steel. Who can forget the 8-1 pasting we handed out to them in the second week of the season. That shows what we are capable of.

A win at home, and regulation too, is the requirement.

24 hours further on, and the boys are on the road again. The destination this time is the Dundee Ice Arena in the City Of Discovery to face a Stars team completely rejuvenated this season under former Steelers player and one-time assistant coach Marc LeFebvre. Stars are pushing close for the Gardiner Conference title and despite being in sixth place in the actual overall league standings: are only four points behind our good selves.

"Furby" has recruited a good roster after succeeding Jeff Hutchins in the summer, and it is one that we can ill afford to take lightly. Czech netminder Vlastimil Lakosil has returned home for personal reasons but his replacement in the Stars' cage is no stranger to the EIHL or to Steelers head coach Paul Thompson for that matter. For it is experienced goaltender Trevor Koenig, formerly of the now defunct Newcastle Vipers. Koenig also backstopped Thompson's Blaze to two of their four league titles, and despite being 41 years of age now: has the pedigree to be an astute signing as the season draws to a close.

Aside of this, Bobby Chaumont leads the team by example and in scoring too, averaging a shade over a point a game since arriving on Tayside in the summer after spending the last two and half seasons in Fife where he recorded 60+ points in each campaign for Todd Dutiaume's men. They cannot be taken too lightly and are sure to give us a real test to our roster which has certain players playing through the injury barriers and are missing both GB internationalist Robbie Dowd and Canadian winger Guillaume Desbiens. It will be mega tough.

Prediction Time: Both games are going to be hard. I'm going for a 3-2 home win against the Devils in a feisty encounter and the team finding enough resolve to come back from Dundee with a 4-2 road triumph. Neither will be easy games but there's no reason why we can't have another 4 point weekend and keep the pressure on. What do you think?

 

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Big Match Preview - Fife (Home)

Tomorrow night sees the Steelers look to bounce back from that 7-3 loss in Cardiff, and secure a semi-final spot in the much maligned Challenge Cup. Our opponents at Ice Sheffield are Todd Dutiaume's Fife Flyers. We lead 4-2 after the first leg in Kirkcaldy last Tuesday night and will be most people's favourites to progress to the final four.

Helping FSB preview the game is our good friend Laura Duff, yes we finally caught up with this busy young lady, who is the Flyers' in-game match fan tweeter.

Q1:  What was last season like from a Flyers perspective?

(Laura's still thinking of an answer to this one... - Editor)

Q2: A few thought that Todd's time was up early in the season. Do you think his future was ever in doubt? 

Todd and directors seem to have a very loyal relationship, Dutes has been at the club since 1999 so he has shown he is committed to the flyers organisation. Saying that directors have stuck by him and gave him the coaching job for the past several years. I think the directors will have to start really asking themselves whether or not Todd is that man that can take the club forward in this league or not.

For now they have certainly stuck by him but if Flyers end the season with no silverware and don't make playoff weekend will the directors look elsewhere? Who knows!

Q3: Which of the new players has impressed you the most and why?

Matt Delahey!! No nonsense simple defenceman, solid at the back and very rarely makes mistakes. First year pro and he certainly is proving he is more than capable at this level.

Q4: Gardiner Conference teams have been hard to beat this season, any thoughts why?

It's a mixture of things.. I think coaches such as Emmerson and LeFebvre have done well to build competitive teams on a limited/smaller budget to most. However Edinburgh now are struggling due to players leaving and off ice issues it seems but you cant fault Emmo there he started the season with a promising competitive team. Also groups of hard working guys that never give up attitude, Dundee especially this season finding ways to grind out points time and time again.

Q5: What would be considered a decent season for the Flyers?

7th or above in the league would be a start... We should be challenging for the conference and looking to make the Play-Off Weekend to try and get our hands on some silverware. At the moment its looking like it will be between Dundee and Braehead for the conference, and we currently have Coventry hot on are heels trying to get that 7th spot in the league. Time will tell as to how our season ends.

Q6: Who are the key players for both sides tonight, and can we have a score prediction from you please?

Key players for Sheffield I think are Roy, such a huge scoring threat to any team in the league also O'Connor: solid young D-Man at the back who won't give up much space for Flyers forwards. For Flyers Ryan Dingle, a very experienced and smart hockey player and he can be a real leader out there. Also netminder Dave Brown, Sheffield have a lot of scoring power in their line up guys like Mosienko, Roy, and Nelson etc. which means he's going to have to be on top of his game to keep them all at bay.

Appreciate Laura helping us out here, so thanks to her. You can follow Laura on Twitter at @hockey_laura: give her a follow as her match updates are very good indeed.

Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on Twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-

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