These pages will not often have EIHL content but recent event's in the league, I thought why the hell not!
Not sure if you will have seen but at this weeks Coventry Blaze v Nottingham Panthers game, there was, a little altercation:
Im sure some hockey was played too!
Showing posts with label Coventry Blaze. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coventry Blaze. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Thoughts on a season Part 1
So I wanted to give my thoughts on each teams 0809 season and give my verdict on how they did. I wont be giving massive in-depth reviews just a few thoughts on each team. Ive decided to go through each team in league order however Ill do my review of the Phoenix last.
Sheffield Steelers
If any team summed up the phrase ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’ it’s the Sheffield Steelers. As you can see from the league table of the 13 games the Steelers lost all season over half were lost in OT. That’s an extra 7 points the Steelers were able to grind out over the season. When you look at the rest of the league most teams were lucky to pick up a loss in OT, most were lost in regulation. The Cardiff Devils were the only team to match the Steelers OT loss numbers.
The Steelers were also a team who did not have to rely on one or two stand out point’s scorers. With the point scoring spread pretty evenly across the team, coupled with one of the meanest defences in the league its not hard to see why they romped to the title. Plus with the wall that was Jody ‘Is a girls name’ Lehman in net it was near as damn it impossible for opposing teams to score!
So despite the fact I dislike the Steelers immensely and think that Dave Simms is a right royal tit, I can acknowledge they deserved the league title. They also deserved the playoff win too, the Panthers looked good in their semi-final but the Steelers made them look ordinary. It really was a case of inevitability when the Steelers scored!
So the house of tin will expect more of the same in 0910! For the rest of us the arrogant fans in the stand will never let us forget last season!
Coventry Blaze
Paul over at the Breakaway Hockey blog has commented many times about the Blaze season being a bit hit or miss. I can only echo those comments, a team in much flux after the loss of many star players last summer. The Blaze rebuilt around JF Perras in net, I had always thought Perras was a great net minder up in Scotland, so when he moved to the Blaze I thought they had a good un! But Perras could only mirror the Blaze up and down season. Moments of shear class mixed in with some pretty inept performances. Its no wonder the Blaze faithful never really took to him.
Its been an uneasy season for Coventry, years of the success have conditioned the Sky Dome faithful to certain levels of success. So to finish a season with nothing and a pretty poor finals performance will go down as a bad season for the Blaze, despite their second place.
Coventry always put on a good performance at the Ice Dome and you could easily see their class. In that case why is it so hard for the Blaze to repeat that performance come finals weekend? In their game versus the Panthers they looked disinterested and flat, and im sure that’s not the first time ive thought that about the Blaze at finals weekend!
Success will be demanded next season, so it will be an interesting off season for those in Coventry!
Nottingham Panthers
So the biggest team in the league, the biggest wage bill in the league the ‘best’ arena in the league won absolutely diddly squat, again, this past season. A team which consistently brakes the wage cap proves once again money cant instantly buy you a cup! Putting all that aside the Panthers could play some sublime hockey, and thoroughly deserved their place in the playoff final. Such a pity they came up against the Steeler machine!
Nottingham were probably the team the Phoenix had most success against, of those in the ‘big four’. For the most part the Phoenix were able to cope well with the Panthers, especially on our home ice. But the Panthers did play some exciting hockey and were a joy to watch. With Johnny Molin a permanent highlight whenever his ‘Gay Boots’ (*thanks Choir boys!) were on the ice!
I don’t ever really remember the Panthers having much of a defence though! The Panthers had obviously decided on the ‘well score more than the opposition’ line of thinking. Michelle Robinson did well in the Panthers net, but im sure he will want the first Steeler goal in the playoff finals back! Just seemed to go right through him!
So the Panthers faithful will expect trophies for 0910, but unless a change in ethos I fear Nottingham will, once again, finish up trophy less.
Belfast Giants
The Giants were very similar to the Panthers, loaded with offensive talent but not much at the back. With Stevie Lyle in net you were never sure what performance you were going to get from him. A great GB net minder, but one prone to prolonged periods of wobbliness!
As a Phoenix fan I have become very well acquainted with the Giants over the course of the season. They play fantastic attacking hockey, but more and more with an underlying dirty/chipyness, which I hate with a passion! They always seemed willing to play dirty to get a win. The Giants season never really got going and they seemed unable to put a sustained run together to bother those at the top.
The Giants faithful will be satisfied with two trophies, won against a tired Phoenix side playing a million games in one month. I do wonder if the result would have been different had it not been for our fixture pileup!
So for next season the Giants will need to retain the offensive talent they had for 0809, including, possibly the only player to really bother DAB, Paul Deniset! But they will also need to add some defensive metal to the roster. Weather they can to stay under the wage cap is another thing though!
Cardiff Devils
The Devils are the team I like to peg the Phoenix to, to measure our development and success in the league. Despite their league placing I really don’t think the Devils are hugely better than the Phoenix. Had it not been for the Phoenix’ march madness I think we could have taken 5th place. Bu they the table shows what happened and the Devils did play some good hockey over the season.
Led by Mr Cardiff Devils Brad Voth the Devils had a fair few star players, but as normal they all got injured! Must be something in the water! As with previous season the Devils would surprise everyone with a good run only for it to fizzle out and come to nothing.
So the Devils finished the season with nothing, and made their now regular appearance at the finals weekend, sadly with their now regular loss in the semi’s. The time is coming for the Devils, I think 0910 could reward the Devils with a trophy, if they stay healthy!
The Devils are pretty much where I want the Phoenix, good crowds consistent appearances in Nottingham and finally some stability. For 0910? Trophies should come!
Sheffield Steelers
If any team summed up the phrase ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’ it’s the Sheffield Steelers. As you can see from the league table of the 13 games the Steelers lost all season over half were lost in OT. That’s an extra 7 points the Steelers were able to grind out over the season. When you look at the rest of the league most teams were lucky to pick up a loss in OT, most were lost in regulation. The Cardiff Devils were the only team to match the Steelers OT loss numbers.
The Steelers were also a team who did not have to rely on one or two stand out point’s scorers. With the point scoring spread pretty evenly across the team, coupled with one of the meanest defences in the league its not hard to see why they romped to the title. Plus with the wall that was Jody ‘Is a girls name’ Lehman in net it was near as damn it impossible for opposing teams to score!
So despite the fact I dislike the Steelers immensely and think that Dave Simms is a right royal tit, I can acknowledge they deserved the league title. They also deserved the playoff win too, the Panthers looked good in their semi-final but the Steelers made them look ordinary. It really was a case of inevitability when the Steelers scored!
So the house of tin will expect more of the same in 0910! For the rest of us the arrogant fans in the stand will never let us forget last season!
Coventry Blaze
Paul over at the Breakaway Hockey blog has commented many times about the Blaze season being a bit hit or miss. I can only echo those comments, a team in much flux after the loss of many star players last summer. The Blaze rebuilt around JF Perras in net, I had always thought Perras was a great net minder up in Scotland, so when he moved to the Blaze I thought they had a good un! But Perras could only mirror the Blaze up and down season. Moments of shear class mixed in with some pretty inept performances. Its no wonder the Blaze faithful never really took to him.
Its been an uneasy season for Coventry, years of the success have conditioned the Sky Dome faithful to certain levels of success. So to finish a season with nothing and a pretty poor finals performance will go down as a bad season for the Blaze, despite their second place.
Coventry always put on a good performance at the Ice Dome and you could easily see their class. In that case why is it so hard for the Blaze to repeat that performance come finals weekend? In their game versus the Panthers they looked disinterested and flat, and im sure that’s not the first time ive thought that about the Blaze at finals weekend!
Success will be demanded next season, so it will be an interesting off season for those in Coventry!
Nottingham Panthers
So the biggest team in the league, the biggest wage bill in the league the ‘best’ arena in the league won absolutely diddly squat, again, this past season. A team which consistently brakes the wage cap proves once again money cant instantly buy you a cup! Putting all that aside the Panthers could play some sublime hockey, and thoroughly deserved their place in the playoff final. Such a pity they came up against the Steeler machine!
Nottingham were probably the team the Phoenix had most success against, of those in the ‘big four’. For the most part the Phoenix were able to cope well with the Panthers, especially on our home ice. But the Panthers did play some exciting hockey and were a joy to watch. With Johnny Molin a permanent highlight whenever his ‘Gay Boots’ (*thanks Choir boys!) were on the ice!
I don’t ever really remember the Panthers having much of a defence though! The Panthers had obviously decided on the ‘well score more than the opposition’ line of thinking. Michelle Robinson did well in the Panthers net, but im sure he will want the first Steeler goal in the playoff finals back! Just seemed to go right through him!
So the Panthers faithful will expect trophies for 0910, but unless a change in ethos I fear Nottingham will, once again, finish up trophy less.
Belfast Giants
The Giants were very similar to the Panthers, loaded with offensive talent but not much at the back. With Stevie Lyle in net you were never sure what performance you were going to get from him. A great GB net minder, but one prone to prolonged periods of wobbliness!
As a Phoenix fan I have become very well acquainted with the Giants over the course of the season. They play fantastic attacking hockey, but more and more with an underlying dirty/chipyness, which I hate with a passion! They always seemed willing to play dirty to get a win. The Giants season never really got going and they seemed unable to put a sustained run together to bother those at the top.
The Giants faithful will be satisfied with two trophies, won against a tired Phoenix side playing a million games in one month. I do wonder if the result would have been different had it not been for our fixture pileup!
So for next season the Giants will need to retain the offensive talent they had for 0809, including, possibly the only player to really bother DAB, Paul Deniset! But they will also need to add some defensive metal to the roster. Weather they can to stay under the wage cap is another thing though!
Cardiff Devils
The Devils are the team I like to peg the Phoenix to, to measure our development and success in the league. Despite their league placing I really don’t think the Devils are hugely better than the Phoenix. Had it not been for the Phoenix’ march madness I think we could have taken 5th place. Bu they the table shows what happened and the Devils did play some good hockey over the season.
Led by Mr Cardiff Devils Brad Voth the Devils had a fair few star players, but as normal they all got injured! Must be something in the water! As with previous season the Devils would surprise everyone with a good run only for it to fizzle out and come to nothing.
So the Devils finished the season with nothing, and made their now regular appearance at the finals weekend, sadly with their now regular loss in the semi’s. The time is coming for the Devils, I think 0910 could reward the Devils with a trophy, if they stay healthy!
The Devils are pretty much where I want the Phoenix, good crowds consistent appearances in Nottingham and finally some stability. For 0910? Trophies should come!
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
EIHL Playoff Finals 2009 Review
Before I launch into my review of the past weekends festivities a quick mention must be made of the EIHL’s brush with implosion. As mentioned in my previous post here things seemed to have come to ahead on the Friday of last week. Im not going to go into the ins and outs in great detail as other blogs, and the numerous press releases pretty much cover it all. Along with all the supporters forums across the land.
Basically Friday saw both the Phoenix and the Capitals post two news items detailing the bare bones of operating within the EIHL. Exposing all the improper business dealing, all the mis-management and cloak and dagger movements behind the scenes. Now I am a Phoenix fan, but putting aside my Phoenix tinted specks, after reading the following two links you must admit the Caps/Vipers and Phoenix were nearly forced out of the league by the ‘other’ 6! So the two articles in question:
Manchester Phoenix
Edinburgh Capitals
If all this is true, I think it’s a complete and utter disgrace and the ‘other’ 6 should hang their head in shame! However as im not privy to how each club and in turn the league is run I will leave my comments there. Following the playoff weekend it does, how ever, seem that sense has prevailed:
Elite League
So after reaching the edge, it seems everyone took a moment and a step back! We will have nine teams in next seasons Elite League. So onto finals weekend, and the annual pilgrimage to Nottingham! Yours truly started off the weekend badly, when East Midlands Trains decided to cancel our train! Never mind, we made it and joined around 350 other Phoenix fans spread across blocks 7 and 8! The ticket allocations for the playoffs is a whole other farce from EIHL towers!
Anyway the four teams present in Nottingham were:
Sheffield Steelers
Coventry Blaze
Nottingham Panthers
Cardiff Devils
With the Devils crashing the party EIHL towers would nearly have had a wet dream over that lineup! Almost the coveted ‘big 4’ at finals weekend! Anyway ill review each game separately from what I can remember! If im honest I spent most of finals weekend singing for the Phoenix and generally being a nuisance (noise wise) to the league in the NIC! You can revisit my weekend predictions here.
So here we go:
Sheffield Steelers vs Cardiff Devils
Pre finals weekend prediction: Steelers to win.
Final Score: Steelers 5 – 2 Devils
With the vast majority of the arena rooting for the Devils, save for some Giants fans – get a room J, the Steelers had to make sure they did not come acropper to the perennial Finals team the Devils. All looked to be going well for the Steeler machine when Phillips had them in front at the end of the first period. Even at this stage, with the solid Steeler D it began to look inevitable. The Steelers began the second where they left off in the first, when Doug Sheppard made it 2-0 Steelers. This seemed to wake the Devils who then went on to score two goals in 71 seconds. With everyman’s nemesis Brad Voth getting the first and Matt Elich getting the second. The Steelers did end the period in front, however, when Jeff Legue netted. The game was put beyond any doubt when the excellent Robert Dowd scored to make it 4-2 Sheffield. The Devils pressed, and with Aubry off the ice for the extra skater, Deganais scored an empty netter to send the Steelers to the final, and the Devils home…..again!
Coventry Blaze vs Nottingham Panthers
Pre finals weekend prediction: Panthers to win.
Final Score: Blaze 2 – 6 Panthers EIHL towers would have been praying for a Panther win in this semi-final, and those towers will need a wipe down as the Panthers eased past a rather naff Coventry Blaze. Many a Phoenix fan were left to rue the loss to the Panthers in the quarters, as many fancied the Phoenix to win through to the final had we played that Blaze side. Anyway onto the game! This semi was effectively done and dusted after the first 20minutes. The Panthers raced to a 3-0 lead in 14 minutes. With goals from Galbraith, Cook and player coach Neilson. The Blaze, understandably, took a time out to regroup and disrupt the Panthers flow. It seemed to work and before the end of the period the Blaze were on the board through Stewart. Onto the second, with many hoping of a Blaze revival, it wasn’t to come. The Panthers would win the period 2-1. With goals from Clarke and Richardson, and the solitary Blaze goal from Moore. It was all over after 4 mins of the third when Bergin scored the Panthers 6th just to humiliate the Blaze. Im amazed by the Blaze! They always seem to make it to Nottingham only to loose all interest and go out without so much as a whimper! Mr Thomas needs to sort this out or the Blaze will never make it to a final! So with the Panthers meeting the Steelers in the final EIHL towers had their dream final, as mentioned the Kleenex must have got worn out in those ivory towers! I had a big worry with this game, with all the build up I came to the conclusion that this final would be naff!
So……
The Playoff Final – Sheffield Steelers vs Nottingham Panthers
Pre finals weekend prediction: Steelers to win.
Final Score: Steelers 2 – 0 Panthers
So the immovable Steelers defence cam e up against the high flying Panthers offence, whats that phrase again? ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’ So it was the case, this game needed the Panthers to score first, and they didn’t! It was obvious from the moment the Steelers scored first an air of inevitability descended on the NIC. It was only a case of when Sheffield would secure the win rather than if! A game, which promised so much, including a warm up session of handbags! Rather petered out into a naff final. The Steelers scored after 15mins through Steve Munn with a shot that Michel Robinson will want back! The Panther fans will complain he was offside, however from where I sat, at the other end of the arena, it looked ok for me! An even second period that resulted in no goal lead to a winner takes all third period. The Panthers could not muster enough offence to really trouble the excellent Lehman in the Steeler goal. Sheffield would go on to secure the win when Ryan Finnerty scored their second at after 44minutes. From that moment the Steeler curtain fell and the Panthers could not find a way through.
So ended the game, and a moment, which I think was the most disgraceful thing I have ever seen in hockey. More on which below!
Another weekend in Nottingham gone, a weekend of much turmoil and protest, and ultimately a rather dull win for the Steelers. Im sorry for the so called ‘greatest rivalry in hockey’ it produced one of the worst finals I have ever seen!
Highlights of the weekend:
Sheffield Steelers
This has just shown what a classless organisation the Steelers are, their celebration and this press release serve nothing other than to stoke up and piss of the Panthers organisation more. It was a senseless and needless act. Ignore what I say, fine I don’t care what you think, but you cannot escape the facts of the day! The way the Steelers celebrated was wrong, and releasing that article on the official website was just stupid.
So a weekend of much turmoil ended the way it begun, with the EIHL showering itself in brown doo doo!
Up next for this blog will be a Phoenix end of season player by player review, and a club by club review. Stay tuned people!
Basically Friday saw both the Phoenix and the Capitals post two news items detailing the bare bones of operating within the EIHL. Exposing all the improper business dealing, all the mis-management and cloak and dagger movements behind the scenes. Now I am a Phoenix fan, but putting aside my Phoenix tinted specks, after reading the following two links you must admit the Caps/Vipers and Phoenix were nearly forced out of the league by the ‘other’ 6! So the two articles in question:
Manchester Phoenix
Edinburgh Capitals
If all this is true, I think it’s a complete and utter disgrace and the ‘other’ 6 should hang their head in shame! However as im not privy to how each club and in turn the league is run I will leave my comments there. Following the playoff weekend it does, how ever, seem that sense has prevailed:
Elite League
So after reaching the edge, it seems everyone took a moment and a step back! We will have nine teams in next seasons Elite League. So onto finals weekend, and the annual pilgrimage to Nottingham! Yours truly started off the weekend badly, when East Midlands Trains decided to cancel our train! Never mind, we made it and joined around 350 other Phoenix fans spread across blocks 7 and 8! The ticket allocations for the playoffs is a whole other farce from EIHL towers!
Anyway the four teams present in Nottingham were:
Sheffield Steelers
Coventry Blaze
Nottingham Panthers
Cardiff Devils
With the Devils crashing the party EIHL towers would nearly have had a wet dream over that lineup! Almost the coveted ‘big 4’ at finals weekend! Anyway ill review each game separately from what I can remember! If im honest I spent most of finals weekend singing for the Phoenix and generally being a nuisance (noise wise) to the league in the NIC! You can revisit my weekend predictions here.
So here we go:
Sheffield Steelers vs Cardiff Devils
Pre finals weekend prediction: Steelers to win. Final Score: Steelers 5 – 2 Devils
With the vast majority of the arena rooting for the Devils, save for some Giants fans – get a room J, the Steelers had to make sure they did not come acropper to the perennial Finals team the Devils. All looked to be going well for the Steeler machine when Phillips had them in front at the end of the first period. Even at this stage, with the solid Steeler D it began to look inevitable. The Steelers began the second where they left off in the first, when Doug Sheppard made it 2-0 Steelers. This seemed to wake the Devils who then went on to score two goals in 71 seconds. With everyman’s nemesis Brad Voth getting the first and Matt Elich getting the second. The Steelers did end the period in front, however, when Jeff Legue netted. The game was put beyond any doubt when the excellent Robert Dowd scored to make it 4-2 Sheffield. The Devils pressed, and with Aubry off the ice for the extra skater, Deganais scored an empty netter to send the Steelers to the final, and the Devils home…..again!
Coventry Blaze vs Nottingham Panthers
Pre finals weekend prediction: Panthers to win. Final Score: Blaze 2 – 6 Panthers EIHL towers would have been praying for a Panther win in this semi-final, and those towers will need a wipe down as the Panthers eased past a rather naff Coventry Blaze. Many a Phoenix fan were left to rue the loss to the Panthers in the quarters, as many fancied the Phoenix to win through to the final had we played that Blaze side. Anyway onto the game! This semi was effectively done and dusted after the first 20minutes. The Panthers raced to a 3-0 lead in 14 minutes. With goals from Galbraith, Cook and player coach Neilson. The Blaze, understandably, took a time out to regroup and disrupt the Panthers flow. It seemed to work and before the end of the period the Blaze were on the board through Stewart. Onto the second, with many hoping of a Blaze revival, it wasn’t to come. The Panthers would win the period 2-1. With goals from Clarke and Richardson, and the solitary Blaze goal from Moore. It was all over after 4 mins of the third when Bergin scored the Panthers 6th just to humiliate the Blaze. Im amazed by the Blaze! They always seem to make it to Nottingham only to loose all interest and go out without so much as a whimper! Mr Thomas needs to sort this out or the Blaze will never make it to a final! So with the Panthers meeting the Steelers in the final EIHL towers had their dream final, as mentioned the Kleenex must have got worn out in those ivory towers! I had a big worry with this game, with all the build up I came to the conclusion that this final would be naff!
So……
The Playoff Final – Sheffield Steelers vs Nottingham Panthers
Pre finals weekend prediction: Steelers to win. Final Score: Steelers 2 – 0 Panthers
So the immovable Steelers defence cam e up against the high flying Panthers offence, whats that phrase again? ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’ So it was the case, this game needed the Panthers to score first, and they didn’t! It was obvious from the moment the Steelers scored first an air of inevitability descended on the NIC. It was only a case of when Sheffield would secure the win rather than if! A game, which promised so much, including a warm up session of handbags! Rather petered out into a naff final. The Steelers scored after 15mins through Steve Munn with a shot that Michel Robinson will want back! The Panther fans will complain he was offside, however from where I sat, at the other end of the arena, it looked ok for me! An even second period that resulted in no goal lead to a winner takes all third period. The Panthers could not muster enough offence to really trouble the excellent Lehman in the Steeler goal. Sheffield would go on to secure the win when Ryan Finnerty scored their second at after 44minutes. From that moment the Steeler curtain fell and the Panthers could not find a way through.
So ended the game, and a moment, which I think was the most disgraceful thing I have ever seen in hockey. More on which below!
Another weekend in Nottingham gone, a weekend of much turmoil and protest, and ultimately a rather dull win for the Steelers. Im sorry for the so called ‘greatest rivalry in hockey’ it produced one of the worst finals I have ever seen!
Highlights of the weekend:
- The camaraderie between the ‘little 3’ Vipers/Caps and Phoenix fans, joining together to let the EIHL know, we would not go quietly!
- Upholding the Phoenix fan’s reputation as the best in the country IMO! We defiantly had the best variation in songs sung all weekend!
- 'He shot, he missed, he wanted an assist, Tony Hand, Tony Hand!'
- Meeting Paul from the Breakaway Blog for a good chinwag!
- Theres two really, the perennial tit that is David Simms coming down from his lofty perch to rollock the Viper fans beneath him for making a noise!
- But the icing on the cake was the way the Steelers celebrated their final win. You would have thought with 5 seconds to go Lehman would wait and go and celebrate in front of his own fans? Well no he didn’t, he threw down his stick, raced over to the Panther fans, jumping into the plexi and beginning to goad and taunt those fans. Im pretty sure Lehman knows what the V sign means! Needless to see the Panther fans went mad, a situation only made worse when the rest of the Steeler team decided to join Lehman on the plexi making the same gestures!
- The Panther players thanking only thanking their own fans after the final. OK fiar enough but skate around the arena, lets face it most of it was supporting you!
Sheffield Steelers
This has just shown what a classless organisation the Steelers are, their celebration and this press release serve nothing other than to stoke up and piss of the Panthers organisation more. It was a senseless and needless act. Ignore what I say, fine I don’t care what you think, but you cannot escape the facts of the day! The way the Steelers celebrated was wrong, and releasing that article on the official website was just stupid.
So a weekend of much turmoil ended the way it begun, with the EIHL showering itself in brown doo doo!
Up next for this blog will be a Phoenix end of season player by player review, and a club by club review. Stay tuned people!
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Playoff Finals Weekend Preview
8 has now become 4, and the season is reaching its climax! I think I did pretty well with my predictions for the quarters! 3 out of the 4 correct with my heart ruling my head on the Phoenix v Panthers result!
So the league champions Sheffield made it through relatively unscathed against the Capitals. This tie was more or less dead and buried at Ice Sheffield Friday night when the Steelers ran out 8-2 winners. An already tough situation was made worse for the Caps in their return game in Edinburgh. However the Caps were not to be outdone on home ice and won their last game of the season by the score of 5-4.
Now onto my beloved Phoenix, the army travelled over to Nottingham Saturday night with some Steeler/Bison and Hull fans in attendance too! My thoughts on this game were, keep it close and we have a chance! Well for two period we did! Going into the third and the scores were level at 3-3. However the Phoenix March Madness™ took its toll and the team ran out of steam. At the end of the first leg the Panthers were in front 6-3. So a difficult second leg was made worse, but all the Phoenix needed to do was to win each period by a clear goal to go to OT. At the end of the first it was going to plan and the Phoenix lead 1-0. The second was to be our downfall, a lucky bounce for the Panthers left Murphy stranded out his net with the puck on a Panthers stick in front of an empty net. A second goal squeeze through Murphy’s pads more or less sealed the tie. The Phoenix looked downhearted and exhausted. But the boys kept fighting and won the final period 1-0. Loosing the game on the night 3-2 and tie 9-5 overall. I think the relevant statistic for the end to our season is this – For the month of March 15 games in 27 nights!!!!
Next up was Coventry versus Newcastle, if you remember from my quarterfinal preview post I said this one was possibly the easiest to predict. But how I was wrong, this tie goes to show nothing is easy and league placement counts for nowt come playoff time! The Vipers travelled to Coventry Saturday night and scared the bejeebuz out of the Blaze to get a 2-2 tie. So off to Newcastle with everything to play for! It looked to be going the way of the Vipers in the second leg, then with 2min 20sec left on the clock Sylvian Deschatelets scored the go ahead goal for the Blaze and Barrie Moore scored the empty netter. I fancied the Vipers to get a result after the first leg, but the Blaze obviously dug deep and ground out the win.
Finally was Belfast versus Cardiff, this was probably the tie where one of the top 4 was going to come into trouble. It looked almost a done deal after the first when the Devils skated out of Belfast with a 2-1 lead. This was to prove vital as an epic game in the big blue tent. The Giants managed to fight back and tie the game. Then with 59sec left on the clock the numpty that is Bobby Robins took a penalty. Powerplay to the Devils going in to OT, and who else but Brad Voth scored the winner for Cardiff at 60min 33sec to send the Devils to Nottingham!
So for yours truly another weekend of heartbreak, another great game at the Dome with a big crowd. A big shout out to the travelling Panthers support, probably the biggest away crowd this season. This will now leave me to enjoy the finals weekend, and not having to worry about my teams chances in the final. I always think its nice to enjoy the weekend with no worries about my team. But this season more than any, it’s a case of what could have been! But never mind, onto my semi final predictions and maybe a couple of final predictions too!
Sheffield Steelers vs Cardiff Devils
The Steelers have obviously switched back on for the playoffs, after a potentially tricky tie against the Capitals was pretty much over after the first leg, the Steelers will want to carry on that devastating form into finals weekend. With a large support behind them in the NIC they will fancy a spot in the final. Standing in their way will be the Devils, who came through a great tie against the Giants. The Devils have to fancy their chances, they are playing well and will ‘probably’ have the support of most of the arena against the Seelers. Ill be throwing my support behind them if I can be bothered. If they promise to silence that stupid drummer ill be behind them 100%!
Who will win: My feelings on this are much the same as mine on the Phoenix chances against the Panthers. I want the Devils to win, on behalf of the ‘Little Six’™ and to show the ‘Big four’™ they cant have it all their own way. However with my head switched on, I can see the Steelers winning this. They have shown a ruthless efficiency in winning games this year and have such strength in depth. After missing out last year they will want to win this one! So ill go for a Steeler win in this one.
Nottingham Panthers vs Coventry Blaze
This game will depend on two things, will either team turn up? Its an evenly matched tie, either team can win it. I do worry about the Blaze, they are no longer the dominating force they once were. Plus they were very disappointing in the finals last year. The Panthers can beat any team with ease, however if you knock them early they can wobble and are easily beaten.
Who will win: To stick two fingers up at Elite Towers I hope the Panthers don’t make it to the final. But the Panthers are on home ice, with a huge support, there will be an air of expectation. I fancy this game going the distance and maybe all the way to penalty shots. As to who will win, well that’s a toughie! If the Blaze hit top form they will beat the Panthers, but im pluming for a Panther win on home ice. Sorry Paul, but you’ll have my support of the Blaze in this one!
Final Possibilities:
I think ive listed all possible final permutations, if ive missed one out let me know!
Sheffield versus Nottingham
This is the final Elite towers will be dreaming about! The self-proclaimed ‘biggest rivalry in Europe’. What a load of dogs danglies in my opinion, this final has equal opportunity to go two ways. Live up to the hype and be an awesome final of intense end-to-end action or, turn into a bore fest. With 8 sets of fans quickly loosing interest and starting their own chants and Mexican waves! As for who will win, either team can, however im going for a Steeler win, even though I don’t want them too! Every thing about this Steeler team points to one that is unstoppable at the moment! The famous quote applies more than ever to the team from Sheffield: ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’. I think in a final the Steelers will be too strong for the Panthers, however the Panthers will have my support, and could win on home ice!
Sheffield versus Coventry Blaze
Much like their semi-final this game will depend on which Blaze team turn up! They still have quality players who can win games on their own. But they will be coming up against a team with such strength in depth! My support would be with the Blaze but again my head says the Steelers would win through.
Nottingham versus Cardiff
An interesting game to call, the Devils so far have flattered to deceive at finals weekend, having always been the bridesmaids. Will this year be the time they take the cup? I think they have a chance, the type of game the Devils play will needle the Panthers and if they run into penalty trouble the Devils will win it. Plus the Devils will have the large Steeler support behind them and much of the rest of the arena. Im going to stick my head out and go for a Cardiff win in this one!
Coventry versus Sheffield
A clash of two of the most skilful teams in the league, the once dominant Blaze against the currently dominating Steeler machine. The Blaze are another team, like the Devils, who never seem to click on finals weekend. If they do they can match the Steelers and take the game, but anything less than 100% will cost the Blaze the cup! As for a winner, ill go for the Steelers…..just!
Coventry versus Cardiff
This is a final id like to see, and, probably, most of the ‘Little Six’™. If this were to happen I predict a massive coronary at Elite Towers! I really think this could give us the most entertaining final of all the possibilities. The Blaze bring the free flowing skill and the Devils bring the gritty determined work effort. I wouldn’t mind either team winning, as each has had many attempts at it! However as for a winner, ill go for the Blaze!
Phew, sorry for the long post, if you’ve made it this far thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! As mentioned, if you cant make it to Nottingham, keep an eye on the blogs to the right as there will be many that are updating through the weekend. Sadly due to technology issues (ie. I don’t have a laptop) The Angry Budgie will not get updated until next week. However I do plan a fairly in dept review of the weekend, including pics and videos.
I don’t plan on posting again before the weekend (though you never know!) so ill sign off for now! Im off to Nottingham Friday morning, then returning next Monday morning. So for those fans attending the weekends fun and frolics have fun and wave at the Phoenix block. You never know I may wave back! For those who cant make it, keep an eye on the blogs, and remember, support your local team!!
So the league champions Sheffield made it through relatively unscathed against the Capitals. This tie was more or less dead and buried at Ice Sheffield Friday night when the Steelers ran out 8-2 winners. An already tough situation was made worse for the Caps in their return game in Edinburgh. However the Caps were not to be outdone on home ice and won their last game of the season by the score of 5-4.
Now onto my beloved Phoenix, the army travelled over to Nottingham Saturday night with some Steeler/Bison and Hull fans in attendance too! My thoughts on this game were, keep it close and we have a chance! Well for two period we did! Going into the third and the scores were level at 3-3. However the Phoenix March Madness™ took its toll and the team ran out of steam. At the end of the first leg the Panthers were in front 6-3. So a difficult second leg was made worse, but all the Phoenix needed to do was to win each period by a clear goal to go to OT. At the end of the first it was going to plan and the Phoenix lead 1-0. The second was to be our downfall, a lucky bounce for the Panthers left Murphy stranded out his net with the puck on a Panthers stick in front of an empty net. A second goal squeeze through Murphy’s pads more or less sealed the tie. The Phoenix looked downhearted and exhausted. But the boys kept fighting and won the final period 1-0. Loosing the game on the night 3-2 and tie 9-5 overall. I think the relevant statistic for the end to our season is this – For the month of March 15 games in 27 nights!!!!
Next up was Coventry versus Newcastle, if you remember from my quarterfinal preview post I said this one was possibly the easiest to predict. But how I was wrong, this tie goes to show nothing is easy and league placement counts for nowt come playoff time! The Vipers travelled to Coventry Saturday night and scared the bejeebuz out of the Blaze to get a 2-2 tie. So off to Newcastle with everything to play for! It looked to be going the way of the Vipers in the second leg, then with 2min 20sec left on the clock Sylvian Deschatelets scored the go ahead goal for the Blaze and Barrie Moore scored the empty netter. I fancied the Vipers to get a result after the first leg, but the Blaze obviously dug deep and ground out the win.
Finally was Belfast versus Cardiff, this was probably the tie where one of the top 4 was going to come into trouble. It looked almost a done deal after the first when the Devils skated out of Belfast with a 2-1 lead. This was to prove vital as an epic game in the big blue tent. The Giants managed to fight back and tie the game. Then with 59sec left on the clock the numpty that is Bobby Robins took a penalty. Powerplay to the Devils going in to OT, and who else but Brad Voth scored the winner for Cardiff at 60min 33sec to send the Devils to Nottingham!
So for yours truly another weekend of heartbreak, another great game at the Dome with a big crowd. A big shout out to the travelling Panthers support, probably the biggest away crowd this season. This will now leave me to enjoy the finals weekend, and not having to worry about my teams chances in the final. I always think its nice to enjoy the weekend with no worries about my team. But this season more than any, it’s a case of what could have been! But never mind, onto my semi final predictions and maybe a couple of final predictions too!
Sheffield Steelers vs Cardiff Devils
The Steelers have obviously switched back on for the playoffs, after a potentially tricky tie against the Capitals was pretty much over after the first leg, the Steelers will want to carry on that devastating form into finals weekend. With a large support behind them in the NIC they will fancy a spot in the final. Standing in their way will be the Devils, who came through a great tie against the Giants. The Devils have to fancy their chances, they are playing well and will ‘probably’ have the support of most of the arena against the Seelers. Ill be throwing my support behind them if I can be bothered. If they promise to silence that stupid drummer ill be behind them 100%!
Who will win: My feelings on this are much the same as mine on the Phoenix chances against the Panthers. I want the Devils to win, on behalf of the ‘Little Six’™ and to show the ‘Big four’™ they cant have it all their own way. However with my head switched on, I can see the Steelers winning this. They have shown a ruthless efficiency in winning games this year and have such strength in depth. After missing out last year they will want to win this one! So ill go for a Steeler win in this one.
Nottingham Panthers vs Coventry Blaze
This game will depend on two things, will either team turn up? Its an evenly matched tie, either team can win it. I do worry about the Blaze, they are no longer the dominating force they once were. Plus they were very disappointing in the finals last year. The Panthers can beat any team with ease, however if you knock them early they can wobble and are easily beaten.
Who will win: To stick two fingers up at Elite Towers I hope the Panthers don’t make it to the final. But the Panthers are on home ice, with a huge support, there will be an air of expectation. I fancy this game going the distance and maybe all the way to penalty shots. As to who will win, well that’s a toughie! If the Blaze hit top form they will beat the Panthers, but im pluming for a Panther win on home ice. Sorry Paul, but you’ll have my support of the Blaze in this one!
Final Possibilities:
I think ive listed all possible final permutations, if ive missed one out let me know!
Sheffield versus Nottingham
This is the final Elite towers will be dreaming about! The self-proclaimed ‘biggest rivalry in Europe’. What a load of dogs danglies in my opinion, this final has equal opportunity to go two ways. Live up to the hype and be an awesome final of intense end-to-end action or, turn into a bore fest. With 8 sets of fans quickly loosing interest and starting their own chants and Mexican waves! As for who will win, either team can, however im going for a Steeler win, even though I don’t want them too! Every thing about this Steeler team points to one that is unstoppable at the moment! The famous quote applies more than ever to the team from Sheffield: ‘Offence wins games, defence wins championships’. I think in a final the Steelers will be too strong for the Panthers, however the Panthers will have my support, and could win on home ice!
Sheffield versus Coventry Blaze
Much like their semi-final this game will depend on which Blaze team turn up! They still have quality players who can win games on their own. But they will be coming up against a team with such strength in depth! My support would be with the Blaze but again my head says the Steelers would win through.
Nottingham versus Cardiff
An interesting game to call, the Devils so far have flattered to deceive at finals weekend, having always been the bridesmaids. Will this year be the time they take the cup? I think they have a chance, the type of game the Devils play will needle the Panthers and if they run into penalty trouble the Devils will win it. Plus the Devils will have the large Steeler support behind them and much of the rest of the arena. Im going to stick my head out and go for a Cardiff win in this one!
Coventry versus Sheffield
A clash of two of the most skilful teams in the league, the once dominant Blaze against the currently dominating Steeler machine. The Blaze are another team, like the Devils, who never seem to click on finals weekend. If they do they can match the Steelers and take the game, but anything less than 100% will cost the Blaze the cup! As for a winner, ill go for the Steelers…..just!
Coventry versus Cardiff
This is a final id like to see, and, probably, most of the ‘Little Six’™. If this were to happen I predict a massive coronary at Elite Towers! I really think this could give us the most entertaining final of all the possibilities. The Blaze bring the free flowing skill and the Devils bring the gritty determined work effort. I wouldn’t mind either team winning, as each has had many attempts at it! However as for a winner, ill go for the Blaze!
Phew, sorry for the long post, if you’ve made it this far thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! As mentioned, if you cant make it to Nottingham, keep an eye on the blogs to the right as there will be many that are updating through the weekend. Sadly due to technology issues (ie. I don’t have a laptop) The Angry Budgie will not get updated until next week. However I do plan a fairly in dept review of the weekend, including pics and videos.
I don’t plan on posting again before the weekend (though you never know!) so ill sign off for now! Im off to Nottingham Friday morning, then returning next Monday morning. So for those fans attending the weekends fun and frolics have fun and wave at the Phoenix block. You never know I may wave back! For those who cant make it, keep an eye on the blogs, and remember, support your local team!!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
2009 Elite Leage Playoff Quarter Final Preview
Well that’s it for another year, the regular season has finished and we have only two weeks of hockey left! Then we will have to put up with football for another couple of months before the countdown to 09/10 begins! Anyway for today’s post I wanted to preview the finals match ups and offer my own thoughts on what may happen, what I want to happen and a quick summary of who will be key for each team. This years match ups genuinely offer a few surprises and potential slip ups. I can honestly see a situation where none of the top 4 make it. It wont happen but there could be a few surprise packages in Nottingham on the 4th April!
Anyway onto the quarter final games:
Sheffield Steelers vs Edinburgh Capitals
Well this is an interesting tie, and one which may not be as clear cut as you may think. The big thing about playoff hockey is that any game is for the taking, league placings count for nothing come finals hockey. Added to this the Steelers have really been coasting coming into the playoffs and the Caps have hit a great run of form to take them clear of Hull in 8th. Another thing in the Caps favour is having the first leg in Sheffield, and Ice Sheffield for that matter. A rink that, even Steeler fans themselves, admit has not been the happiest hunting ground for the Steel machine. So if the Caps can keep it close or tied down in Sheffield they must fancy their chances back on home ice!
Steelers player to watch: Well you cant look past Jody Lehman really! This man has been in scintillating form all season backstopping a team to only 6 regulation losses all season. This man is the main reason behind the Steelers success this season!
Capitals player to watch: Has to be Mark Hurtubise, this man has simply been awesome for the Capitlals. A man who has stuck with them all season and fell just two points shy of the magical 100 point barrier. If he hits top form against the Steelers he could send the Capitals to Nottingham.
Who will win: In my heart of hearts I want the Caps to win, just upset the cart and provide some intrest in Nottingham. I recon there will be 8 sets of supporters behind the Caps in this one! However if I listen to my head I can see the Steelers winning this, they have been a ruthless machine for most of the season and can wipe the floor with anyone on their day. Ill go for a tight Steelers win, but will hope for different!
Coventry Blaze vs Newcastle Vipers
This is another playoff pairing which could well throw up a surprise. Coventry are not the dominating force they used to be, and in Perras they have a good nettie but not one in top form like Lehman. Newcastle on the other hand have a fast team, but one suffering from injuries. The other thing that may hinder them is their tendency to spend most of the game in the penalty box, and with the Blaze having players such as Calder and Deschatelets that could be terminal!
Blaze player to watch: Difficult to pick on guy out when the Blaze have 4 players with 70+ points for the season. But im going for Adam Calder, a second stonking year and only piped to the scoring post by David Alexandre Beauregard. Still a class player!
Vipers player to watch: Not sure who to go for on the Vipers roster, so ill pick David Longstaff, the only reason being his annoying habit of being able to rack up points against the Phoenix! Despite how old and silly he looks he is still a vital cog in the Viper machine!
Who will win: I think this one is fairly simple to predict, while it is playoff hockey and anyone can win. I think recent injuries will hurt Newcaslte and ultimately Coventry should have the strength in dept to see them to Nottingham.
Nottingham Panthers vs Manchester Phoenix
Well this is the tie everyone on either side seemed to want, and for the same reasons too! Both sets of fans believe they can beat each other! Plus you could argue the Knockout Cup on Thursday could be ideal preparation for the Panthers. This will be a great tie and, putting aside my Phoenix tinted specs, I think this is the ite of the finals weekend! If they want to both teams can get the puck and play fast flowing hockey with scant regard to defence! They key for Nottingham is to get a good lead from the first leg in the NIC, the key for the Phoenix is to keep it close and look forward to the home leg in Alty. This second leg is already shaping up to be another ‘game of the season’ with ticket sales going very well we could have our second sell out, and anyone who has seen the Ice Dome full and in full flow will agree it’s a sight and sound to behold! In that atmosphere I fancy a Phoenix victory.
Panthers player to watch: Seeing as though Dan Tessier is injured I have to go for Brendan Cook. Leading the Panthers in scoring he could lead them to the finals.
Phoenix player to watch: I desperately don’t want to pick the obvious, but I cant! The key man will be David Alexandre Beauregard. The man is simply an awesome player and deserves his position at the top of the Elite League pile. If Nottingham don’t shut down our first line we could well see the Phoenix in Nottingham and not the hosts.
Who will win: It depends on the first leg for me, if we keep it close I really fancy the Phoenix to win. Even my head thinks we can do it, we have always had close games with the Panthers and either team has beaten each other on their home ice! So ill stick my head out and go for a Phoenix victory.
(Come on you cant be surprised! A Phoenix blog predicting a Phoenix victory?)
Belfast Giants vs Cardiff Devils
Probably the third tie where a top 4 team could be surprised! While the Giants recent form has not been great they also have the distraction of the Knockout Cup final on Thursday. While this may well have no effect on the Giants it will still be a hard fought tie. The Giants/Devils have worked up quite a rivalry this season and things could get sticky! Two evenly matched teams will face off in the O for the first leg, then its all back to the big blue tent for the second leg! Much like the Phoenix, if the Devils keep it close in the O I fancy them to take it on home ice!
Giants player to watch: Has to be Paul Deniset, with something like 3 hatricks in 3 different games in Altrincham id love to see this guy pull on a Phoenix jersey!
Devils player to watch: Im not going for the obvious top scorers on the Devils roster, no, im going for possibly the most hated player on Elite Ice. Step forward Mr Brad Voth, this man is simply Mr Cardiff Devils. While he is not the flashiest of players, on every Devils visit to Altrincham he manages to stir things up and get a few points on the board!
Who will win: This will be the tightest tie of the quarter finals and one which will be keenly fought. Even though the Giants have two cups in the bag already I do fancy the Devils to win this. They have hit form at just the right time, and always have a nack of reaching the finals weekend!
So there we have it, my predictions for finals weekend! Im really looking forward to the 4/5th April even if the Phoenix don’t make it! I really fancy this year as the year for a surprise and if my predictions come through it could be a weekend that shakes the established order in the Elite League.
So have fun this weekend everyone! In the next day or two ill post a quick few thoughts on Thursdays Knockout Cup second leg. A cup, which many fans, from so-called ‘larger’ clubs seem now to dismiss! Im sorry but it’s a piece of silverware isn’t it! Hopefully this blog will also have some information on the extensive fan coverage of finals weekend!
So keep your eyes and ears peeled this could be a cracking end to the season!
Anyway onto the quarter final games:
Sheffield Steelers vs Edinburgh Capitals
Well this is an interesting tie, and one which may not be as clear cut as you may think. The big thing about playoff hockey is that any game is for the taking, league placings count for nothing come finals hockey. Added to this the Steelers have really been coasting coming into the playoffs and the Caps have hit a great run of form to take them clear of Hull in 8th. Another thing in the Caps favour is having the first leg in Sheffield, and Ice Sheffield for that matter. A rink that, even Steeler fans themselves, admit has not been the happiest hunting ground for the Steel machine. So if the Caps can keep it close or tied down in Sheffield they must fancy their chances back on home ice!
Steelers player to watch: Well you cant look past Jody Lehman really! This man has been in scintillating form all season backstopping a team to only 6 regulation losses all season. This man is the main reason behind the Steelers success this season!
Capitals player to watch: Has to be Mark Hurtubise, this man has simply been awesome for the Capitlals. A man who has stuck with them all season and fell just two points shy of the magical 100 point barrier. If he hits top form against the Steelers he could send the Capitals to Nottingham.
Who will win: In my heart of hearts I want the Caps to win, just upset the cart and provide some intrest in Nottingham. I recon there will be 8 sets of supporters behind the Caps in this one! However if I listen to my head I can see the Steelers winning this, they have been a ruthless machine for most of the season and can wipe the floor with anyone on their day. Ill go for a tight Steelers win, but will hope for different!
Coventry Blaze vs Newcastle Vipers
This is another playoff pairing which could well throw up a surprise. Coventry are not the dominating force they used to be, and in Perras they have a good nettie but not one in top form like Lehman. Newcastle on the other hand have a fast team, but one suffering from injuries. The other thing that may hinder them is their tendency to spend most of the game in the penalty box, and with the Blaze having players such as Calder and Deschatelets that could be terminal!
Blaze player to watch: Difficult to pick on guy out when the Blaze have 4 players with 70+ points for the season. But im going for Adam Calder, a second stonking year and only piped to the scoring post by David Alexandre Beauregard. Still a class player!
Vipers player to watch: Not sure who to go for on the Vipers roster, so ill pick David Longstaff, the only reason being his annoying habit of being able to rack up points against the Phoenix! Despite how old and silly he looks he is still a vital cog in the Viper machine!
Who will win: I think this one is fairly simple to predict, while it is playoff hockey and anyone can win. I think recent injuries will hurt Newcaslte and ultimately Coventry should have the strength in dept to see them to Nottingham.
Nottingham Panthers vs Manchester Phoenix
Well this is the tie everyone on either side seemed to want, and for the same reasons too! Both sets of fans believe they can beat each other! Plus you could argue the Knockout Cup on Thursday could be ideal preparation for the Panthers. This will be a great tie and, putting aside my Phoenix tinted specs, I think this is the ite of the finals weekend! If they want to both teams can get the puck and play fast flowing hockey with scant regard to defence! They key for Nottingham is to get a good lead from the first leg in the NIC, the key for the Phoenix is to keep it close and look forward to the home leg in Alty. This second leg is already shaping up to be another ‘game of the season’ with ticket sales going very well we could have our second sell out, and anyone who has seen the Ice Dome full and in full flow will agree it’s a sight and sound to behold! In that atmosphere I fancy a Phoenix victory.
Panthers player to watch: Seeing as though Dan Tessier is injured I have to go for Brendan Cook. Leading the Panthers in scoring he could lead them to the finals.
Phoenix player to watch: I desperately don’t want to pick the obvious, but I cant! The key man will be David Alexandre Beauregard. The man is simply an awesome player and deserves his position at the top of the Elite League pile. If Nottingham don’t shut down our first line we could well see the Phoenix in Nottingham and not the hosts.
Who will win: It depends on the first leg for me, if we keep it close I really fancy the Phoenix to win. Even my head thinks we can do it, we have always had close games with the Panthers and either team has beaten each other on their home ice! So ill stick my head out and go for a Phoenix victory.
(Come on you cant be surprised! A Phoenix blog predicting a Phoenix victory?)
Belfast Giants vs Cardiff Devils
Probably the third tie where a top 4 team could be surprised! While the Giants recent form has not been great they also have the distraction of the Knockout Cup final on Thursday. While this may well have no effect on the Giants it will still be a hard fought tie. The Giants/Devils have worked up quite a rivalry this season and things could get sticky! Two evenly matched teams will face off in the O for the first leg, then its all back to the big blue tent for the second leg! Much like the Phoenix, if the Devils keep it close in the O I fancy them to take it on home ice!
Giants player to watch: Has to be Paul Deniset, with something like 3 hatricks in 3 different games in Altrincham id love to see this guy pull on a Phoenix jersey!
Devils player to watch: Im not going for the obvious top scorers on the Devils roster, no, im going for possibly the most hated player on Elite Ice. Step forward Mr Brad Voth, this man is simply Mr Cardiff Devils. While he is not the flashiest of players, on every Devils visit to Altrincham he manages to stir things up and get a few points on the board!
Who will win: This will be the tightest tie of the quarter finals and one which will be keenly fought. Even though the Giants have two cups in the bag already I do fancy the Devils to win this. They have hit form at just the right time, and always have a nack of reaching the finals weekend!
So there we have it, my predictions for finals weekend! Im really looking forward to the 4/5th April even if the Phoenix don’t make it! I really fancy this year as the year for a surprise and if my predictions come through it could be a weekend that shakes the established order in the Elite League.
So have fun this weekend everyone! In the next day or two ill post a quick few thoughts on Thursdays Knockout Cup second leg. A cup, which many fans, from so-called ‘larger’ clubs seem now to dismiss! Im sorry but it’s a piece of silverware isn’t it! Hopefully this blog will also have some information on the extensive fan coverage of finals weekend!
So keep your eyes and ears peeled this could be a cracking end to the season!
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Phoenix v Coventry 28th February Game Review
Just before I launch into my usual game review, I would like to extend my own personal thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Dave Page. For those of you who don't know Dave Page was the official photographer for the Nottingham Panthers. While I never knew him, it seems like he was a well loved figure in Nottingham and around the Elite League. It is always sad when someone so valuable is lost. For a great tribute to Dave head on over to The Cat's Whiskers and have a read of a tribute by Johno.
So a rare Saturday home game for the Phoenix, and a weekend with only one game for the Phoenix. Quite why we could not play the re-arranged Bison fixture to help alleviate the potential fixture pileup we now have! Anyway this was the Blaze’s last visit to the Dome for the season. The previous encounter saw the Phoenix record their first win over the Blaze for blumin ages! So hopes were relatively high for this encounter. As ever the Phoenix needed to be playing their A game, any less and we would get hammered!
First Period: Well the first 20mins just showed the gulf that truly exists between the Phoenix and the Blaze. Thoroughly outplayed in the first 20 saw the Blaze race to a 3-0 lead. Goals were scored at 11min 06sec, 13min 11sec and 17min 32sec, the scorers Deschatelets, Cowley and Hjalmarsson respectively. It was painful to watch as a Phoenix fan, this was defiantly a period that brought the Phoenix down to earth! The Blaze were in great form playing some great hockey, fast, flowing and raining shots down on Murphy in the Phoenix net.
Second Period: After the first 20mins the Phoenix must have been shell-shocked, however after the break a much more effective Phoenix emerged. Playing tighter and starting to nullify the Blaze attack the Phoenix finally got on the board at 35min 13sec through the big man Clouthier. This was a goal which showed what the Phoenix should have been doing all along! Get the puck on the net and send guys in to make things happen. A shot from the point, rebound and Brett was there to slot home the rebound. Id say that was an even period!
Third Period: Unfortunately the final 20mins was not to be, the Blaze turned on the class and with the Phoenix now playing their 7th game in 15 days fatigue began to set in. The Blaze got on the board first at 42min 55sec through a short handed goal from Calder. Sadly this really was the end for the Phoenix. Though not all hope had evaporated when at43min 39sec Clouthier appeared to deflect a shot from the point to bring the scores to 4-2. This goal was later adjusted to give it to Kenton Smith. Despite battling on the Phoenix were to concede two further goals at 53min 24sec and 55min 50sec, through Moore and Cowley respectively, This now had the scoreboard at 6-2 Blaze and a few Phoenix fans heading for the door!
Verdict: Tough game for the Phoenix, I think a couple of things, namely the schedule, playing the Blaze really came to a head. The Phoenix were only good enough for 20mins of this game and that, when against the Blaze, is not good enough! The difference in class was also on show, the Blaze were able to run 3 full strength lines and the Phoenix were not able to cope.
So a disappointing result, disappointing performance, I just hope our glut of fixtures in March does not have a detrimental affect on our season! We are now 4 points behind the Devils with 3 games in hand and 5th is defiantly a possibility! It’s the cup games im worried about, we cant win the league so a cup success is our only option. But with all the league games yet to play plus another 4 cup final games and Playoff Qualifiers to come, im worried the Phoenix will be too tired for any!
Attendance: Id say an average gate Saturday night, nothing special despite Sunday following this game. Good noise from the Blaze fans, id put the crowd at about 1,300.
Phoenix TV Highlights:
MEN Article
So a rare Saturday home game for the Phoenix, and a weekend with only one game for the Phoenix. Quite why we could not play the re-arranged Bison fixture to help alleviate the potential fixture pileup we now have! Anyway this was the Blaze’s last visit to the Dome for the season. The previous encounter saw the Phoenix record their first win over the Blaze for blumin ages! So hopes were relatively high for this encounter. As ever the Phoenix needed to be playing their A game, any less and we would get hammered!
First Period: Well the first 20mins just showed the gulf that truly exists between the Phoenix and the Blaze. Thoroughly outplayed in the first 20 saw the Blaze race to a 3-0 lead. Goals were scored at 11min 06sec, 13min 11sec and 17min 32sec, the scorers Deschatelets, Cowley and Hjalmarsson respectively. It was painful to watch as a Phoenix fan, this was defiantly a period that brought the Phoenix down to earth! The Blaze were in great form playing some great hockey, fast, flowing and raining shots down on Murphy in the Phoenix net.
Second Period: After the first 20mins the Phoenix must have been shell-shocked, however after the break a much more effective Phoenix emerged. Playing tighter and starting to nullify the Blaze attack the Phoenix finally got on the board at 35min 13sec through the big man Clouthier. This was a goal which showed what the Phoenix should have been doing all along! Get the puck on the net and send guys in to make things happen. A shot from the point, rebound and Brett was there to slot home the rebound. Id say that was an even period!
Third Period: Unfortunately the final 20mins was not to be, the Blaze turned on the class and with the Phoenix now playing their 7th game in 15 days fatigue began to set in. The Blaze got on the board first at 42min 55sec through a short handed goal from Calder. Sadly this really was the end for the Phoenix. Though not all hope had evaporated when at43min 39sec Clouthier appeared to deflect a shot from the point to bring the scores to 4-2. This goal was later adjusted to give it to Kenton Smith. Despite battling on the Phoenix were to concede two further goals at 53min 24sec and 55min 50sec, through Moore and Cowley respectively, This now had the scoreboard at 6-2 Blaze and a few Phoenix fans heading for the door!
Verdict: Tough game for the Phoenix, I think a couple of things, namely the schedule, playing the Blaze really came to a head. The Phoenix were only good enough for 20mins of this game and that, when against the Blaze, is not good enough! The difference in class was also on show, the Blaze were able to run 3 full strength lines and the Phoenix were not able to cope.
So a disappointing result, disappointing performance, I just hope our glut of fixtures in March does not have a detrimental affect on our season! We are now 4 points behind the Devils with 3 games in hand and 5th is defiantly a possibility! It’s the cup games im worried about, we cant win the league so a cup success is our only option. But with all the league games yet to play plus another 4 cup final games and Playoff Qualifiers to come, im worried the Phoenix will be too tired for any!
Attendance: Id say an average gate Saturday night, nothing special despite Sunday following this game. Good noise from the Blaze fans, id put the crowd at about 1,300.
Phoenix TV Highlights:
MEN Article
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Gig Review - Metallica - Manchester Evening News Arena 26th February
So last Thursday saw a busy night for me, attending the Metallica gig and hoping the Phoenix would do the job against Newcastle! The game review will follow, but for now onto the Metallica gig:
The Sword: Its always tought for the first act of the night to come on in an Arena gig. While there were a couple of hundred people in the arena come 7pm when The Sword took to the stage, bear in mind that’s a couple hundred people in a 20,000 seat arena! Despite this they ploughed on with a good sound, but un-intelligible vocals. Plus I swear they had been taken straight from the 70’s! The lead guitarist/singer had some lovely flared jeans on! It may be because im not a fan but the music was good, it just sounded like one 45min song! It’s a shame the sound for the vocals was so poor I could hardly tell what he was singing about! Having said all that those that were in attendance responded well and those 45mins did seem to pass pretty darn quick!
Machine Head: Machine Head were a big reason I bought tickets for this gig, I did also want to see Metallica but I do love Machine Head. Id say the arena was probably 60% full, with a packed out standing floor for Machine Head. Highlights of the set were Imperium and Davidian for me! Two songs, which showcase the heavy and the fast that MH, do so well! Each song has crunching guitars and a constant beating from the Drums. That’s pretty much how I like my Metal! Rob Flyn is a great front man and took every opportunity to profess his love for the crowd and city, and that love was and is returned right back at Machine Head. Ive seen them three times now and every time am blown away by their live performance. The only slight downsides for me, again, concerned the vocals, they wernt very clear for me! Plus as a support band, it kind of limits what you can do in terms of length/composition of the set list and what you can do with the lights! Even so a great performance from the MH boys! A perfect warm up for Metallica!
Metallica: So onto the main act of the night, a full to bursting arena exploded when Kirk Hammet took to the stage, shortly followed by Rob Trujillo, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. What followed was a masterly 2 and a bit hours of metal perfection. This was my first time seeing Metallica, I knew they would be good, but crikey they were awesome! The music sounded perfect, James vocals sounded perfect and the light show was awesome! The first couple of songs saw a mad lazer show lighting up the centre stage. For the rest of the set the massive lighting rig moved up/down/sideways and created some perfect lights! Coupled with copious use of flames all over the stage whipped the crowd into a frenzy! All the usual hits were played including: Master/The Unforgiven 2/Enter Sandman and many others! Plus some great songs off Death Magnetic: Cyanide/That Was Just Your Life and a future Metallica classic (in my eyes) The Day That Never Comes. It was truly an amazing site when the house lights were put up and you could then see 20,000 screaming fans!
So an amazing show, Metallica are fantastic and im now glad to say ive seen them Live. Defiantly worth the entry fee! I only hope that my naff phone pictures give a small glimpse as to what it was like Thursday night!
As always rock on people!
p.s. I have a review of the Phoenix v Vipers game also played on the 26th February prepared. This will be posted tomorrow (Monday), along with the usual game review of the Phoenix v Coventry game from Saturday, which will be posted on Tuesday.
The Sword: Its always tought for the first act of the night to come on in an Arena gig. While there were a couple of hundred people in the arena come 7pm when The Sword took to the stage, bear in mind that’s a couple hundred people in a 20,000 seat arena! Despite this they ploughed on with a good sound, but un-intelligible vocals. Plus I swear they had been taken straight from the 70’s! The lead guitarist/singer had some lovely flared jeans on! It may be because im not a fan but the music was good, it just sounded like one 45min song! It’s a shame the sound for the vocals was so poor I could hardly tell what he was singing about! Having said all that those that were in attendance responded well and those 45mins did seem to pass pretty darn quick!
Machine Head: Machine Head were a big reason I bought tickets for this gig, I did also want to see Metallica but I do love Machine Head. Id say the arena was probably 60% full, with a packed out standing floor for Machine Head. Highlights of the set were Imperium and Davidian for me! Two songs, which showcase the heavy and the fast that MH, do so well! Each song has crunching guitars and a constant beating from the Drums. That’s pretty much how I like my Metal! Rob Flyn is a great front man and took every opportunity to profess his love for the crowd and city, and that love was and is returned right back at Machine Head. Ive seen them three times now and every time am blown away by their live performance. The only slight downsides for me, again, concerned the vocals, they wernt very clear for me! Plus as a support band, it kind of limits what you can do in terms of length/composition of the set list and what you can do with the lights! Even so a great performance from the MH boys! A perfect warm up for Metallica!
Metallica: So onto the main act of the night, a full to bursting arena exploded when Kirk Hammet took to the stage, shortly followed by Rob Trujillo, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. What followed was a masterly 2 and a bit hours of metal perfection. This was my first time seeing Metallica, I knew they would be good, but crikey they were awesome! The music sounded perfect, James vocals sounded perfect and the light show was awesome! The first couple of songs saw a mad lazer show lighting up the centre stage. For the rest of the set the massive lighting rig moved up/down/sideways and created some perfect lights! Coupled with copious use of flames all over the stage whipped the crowd into a frenzy! All the usual hits were played including: Master/The Unforgiven 2/Enter Sandman and many others! Plus some great songs off Death Magnetic: Cyanide/That Was Just Your Life and a future Metallica classic (in my eyes) The Day That Never Comes. It was truly an amazing site when the house lights were put up and you could then see 20,000 screaming fans!
So an amazing show, Metallica are fantastic and im now glad to say ive seen them Live. Defiantly worth the entry fee! I only hope that my naff phone pictures give a small glimpse as to what it was like Thursday night!As always rock on people!
p.s. I have a review of the Phoenix v Vipers game also played on the 26th February prepared. This will be posted tomorrow (Monday), along with the usual game review of the Phoenix v Coventry game from Saturday, which will be posted on Tuesday.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Phoenix v Coventry 07th February Game Review
As mentioned last week this will not be my usual game review, I spent the weekend in Norfolk visiting my Grandma so was unable to attend. Even that was not easy, originally we set off for Bournemouth for a funeral, but 10 hours later and much snow we made it to Norfolk!
By all accounts this was a game the Phoenix turned up to play, most of my review is based on IH update. It seemed like the Phoenix had the better of the first two periods leading 2-0 after the first and 3-1 after the second. Needless to say, im sure there were a few nervous fans going into the third. Given the Phoenix’ recent ability to throw away a two goal lead. So it proved, with two unanswered goals in the third the Blaze fought back to take it into overtime. Im sure there was a lot of anxiety in the stands and ‘oh no here we go again!’ But reading through Matski's review over at Five Minute Major, it just seems like Coventry camped out in the Phoenix zone. So well done lads for hanging in there!
Thankfully there came a different outcome, step up Kenton our captain. Who fired home at 61min 03sec to give the Phoenix the extra point.
So finally the Phoenix get a win over the Blaze, but im still worried about our ability to hold a lead!
Manchester Evening News article here.
Highlights:
Onto this weekend which will see the Phoenix play two second legs, in two different cup competitions. This is a big week for our club, as the cups are our most realistic chance of silverware. The Phoenix are well placed to proceed in both cup competitions, but it’s the same situation for the Stingrays and Bison so they will be two tough games! So for me and the gf it looks like Valentines day in Hull! Bring it on!
By all accounts this was a game the Phoenix turned up to play, most of my review is based on IH update. It seemed like the Phoenix had the better of the first two periods leading 2-0 after the first and 3-1 after the second. Needless to say, im sure there were a few nervous fans going into the third. Given the Phoenix’ recent ability to throw away a two goal lead. So it proved, with two unanswered goals in the third the Blaze fought back to take it into overtime. Im sure there was a lot of anxiety in the stands and ‘oh no here we go again!’ But reading through Matski's review over at Five Minute Major, it just seems like Coventry camped out in the Phoenix zone. So well done lads for hanging in there!
Thankfully there came a different outcome, step up Kenton our captain. Who fired home at 61min 03sec to give the Phoenix the extra point.
So finally the Phoenix get a win over the Blaze, but im still worried about our ability to hold a lead!
Manchester Evening News article here.
Highlights:
Onto this weekend which will see the Phoenix play two second legs, in two different cup competitions. This is a big week for our club, as the cups are our most realistic chance of silverware. The Phoenix are well placed to proceed in both cup competitions, but it’s the same situation for the Stingrays and Bison so they will be two tough games! So for me and the gf it looks like Valentines day in Hull! Bring it on!
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Few things for the weekend......!
Just a heads up for the next couple of days, sometime next week there will be two posts going online. The first will be a gig review of Mr Russell Brand from tomorrow night from the Apollo. Second the game review of Phoenix v Coventry will go online too. However this will not be the usual game review as im missing that game due to family commitments.
Anyway just a quick heads up, enjoy your weekend, and support local hockey!
Anyway just a quick heads up, enjoy your weekend, and support local hockey!
Monday, 26 January 2009
Phoenix v Cardiff 25th January Game Review
As is customary ill just pass quick comment over the Phoenix’ visit to Coventry the night before. To be honest I was not expecting much! The Phoenix, on the back of a 4 game loosing streak, rolled into the SkyDome, a place where the Phoenix are yet to win a game! (I think!) So Saturday night, I fire up IH Update to keep a track on the score, I check back, fairly late on and, oh my word, the Phoenix are 6-3 up with 10 minutes to go! I go and watch TV for a bit and think, righty ho the game should have finished. Back onto IH Update, refresh the page and bang! We have lost 7-6 in Overtime! The Phoenix were 6-4 up with 25 seconds to go and conceded two goals for the tie. Now I did not go to the game, but to concede 2 goals with 25 seconds to go? In my book that is not acceptable! Feel free to dismiss my thoughts as you want, im fully aware I did not witness the on-ice happenings, but come on 25 seconds? Line the 5 guys up in front of the net and build a wall! Crikey!
Anyway much has been made of this on the Phoenix forum’s with two camps really setting their stalls out. One is those who take the view that to concede two goals in the dying seconds is not good enough, the other are those Fans who were there! I can see the points made from both sides! Yes many people were not there to see how exactly Coventry came back to score, and how under siege our goal must have been. But I also think the other comments are valid, 2 goals up, in Coventry, you must not concede!
I think, the reason that such a debate has come up on the forums is an indicator of how good this years team is! If im honest I did not expect anything from this game, especially on the back of our recent run of results. However seeing how close we came to a win in Coventry, im gutted and disappointed! I would, however, along with many other Phoenix fans would have been one to say ‘Yes Please’ to a point being offered to us before face off!
Anyway enough about that game, if you want more check out the Phoenix forum, other blogs, and in particular Paul over at the Breakaway Hockey Blog. (Him being a Blaze fan an all!)
So Sunday saw the visit of the Devils and the perennial fan favourite Brad Voth! Games against the Devils are always close affairs! I like to compare ourselves to the Devils to get a good idea as to how we are doing!
First Period: This game also saw Ben Wood debut from the ENL game, he ended up not getting any ice time in the end. But the boy looks good! Tall, agile, good skater and good stick-handler! One for the future I think!
The first period began and it was obvious Cardiff were going to be playing their physical type of hockey throughout the game! A lot of hard hitting, from both sides contributed to a great first period. The only goal of said period game from Fulgham at 12min 41sec who finished off a flowing move that really was a work of art! Check out Phoenix TV for the highlights!
Second Period: More or less a carbon copy of the first! The only goal of the period came by way of the Phoenix. Alex Dunn was left un-marked in front of the net, and at 25min exactly lit the red light! The second also saw some superb open ice hitting, and some top quality glass rattling!
Third Period: Again more of the same in the third, however an added tinge of nervousness given the Phoenix’ recent lack of ability in holding onto a lead! In the end the Phoenix needn’t have worried, despite Cardiff upping the pressure the Phoenix, and Smurf were able to hold them at bay! Highlight of the period had to be little Luke Boothroyd laying out Brad Voth! Another bonus to the period was that annoying drum the Devils fans bring, being kept silent!
Verdict: A good win, a good performance and some much-needed space now between the Devils and us. In the end I think the Phoenix dealt well with the offensive thread from Cardiff and looked pretty solid at the back! A definite confidence booster! So a 3-point weekend, one, which should have been 4! But never mind, in the end its been a good weekend for the Phoenix!
Attendance: I was expecting a poor crowd to be honest! 4 losses in a row does not do wonders for attendance. I was proved wrong, a cracking crowd in last night. Great atmosphere and great support! Probably about 1,500-1,600 in. Ive noticed something else recently too, our building, no matter how cold, shoddy or what ever you think. You get it about half full, at least, and we can create a fantastic atmosphere! Who needs big arenas hey!
Manchester Evening News article can be found here.
Anyway much has been made of this on the Phoenix forum’s with two camps really setting their stalls out. One is those who take the view that to concede two goals in the dying seconds is not good enough, the other are those Fans who were there! I can see the points made from both sides! Yes many people were not there to see how exactly Coventry came back to score, and how under siege our goal must have been. But I also think the other comments are valid, 2 goals up, in Coventry, you must not concede!
I think, the reason that such a debate has come up on the forums is an indicator of how good this years team is! If im honest I did not expect anything from this game, especially on the back of our recent run of results. However seeing how close we came to a win in Coventry, im gutted and disappointed! I would, however, along with many other Phoenix fans would have been one to say ‘Yes Please’ to a point being offered to us before face off!
Anyway enough about that game, if you want more check out the Phoenix forum, other blogs, and in particular Paul over at the Breakaway Hockey Blog. (Him being a Blaze fan an all!)
So Sunday saw the visit of the Devils and the perennial fan favourite Brad Voth! Games against the Devils are always close affairs! I like to compare ourselves to the Devils to get a good idea as to how we are doing!
First Period: This game also saw Ben Wood debut from the ENL game, he ended up not getting any ice time in the end. But the boy looks good! Tall, agile, good skater and good stick-handler! One for the future I think!
The first period began and it was obvious Cardiff were going to be playing their physical type of hockey throughout the game! A lot of hard hitting, from both sides contributed to a great first period. The only goal of said period game from Fulgham at 12min 41sec who finished off a flowing move that really was a work of art! Check out Phoenix TV for the highlights!
Second Period: More or less a carbon copy of the first! The only goal of the period came by way of the Phoenix. Alex Dunn was left un-marked in front of the net, and at 25min exactly lit the red light! The second also saw some superb open ice hitting, and some top quality glass rattling!
Third Period: Again more of the same in the third, however an added tinge of nervousness given the Phoenix’ recent lack of ability in holding onto a lead! In the end the Phoenix needn’t have worried, despite Cardiff upping the pressure the Phoenix, and Smurf were able to hold them at bay! Highlight of the period had to be little Luke Boothroyd laying out Brad Voth! Another bonus to the period was that annoying drum the Devils fans bring, being kept silent!
Verdict: A good win, a good performance and some much-needed space now between the Devils and us. In the end I think the Phoenix dealt well with the offensive thread from Cardiff and looked pretty solid at the back! A definite confidence booster! So a 3-point weekend, one, which should have been 4! But never mind, in the end its been a good weekend for the Phoenix!
Attendance: I was expecting a poor crowd to be honest! 4 losses in a row does not do wonders for attendance. I was proved wrong, a cracking crowd in last night. Great atmosphere and great support! Probably about 1,500-1,600 in. Ive noticed something else recently too, our building, no matter how cold, shoddy or what ever you think. You get it about half full, at least, and we can create a fantastic atmosphere! Who needs big arenas hey!
Manchester Evening News article can be found here.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Injuries....Signings.....and the Wage Cap!
Im not sure if this is meant to be a rant or not! Looking around the various club forum’s, websites etc.. it seems a few clubs have/or will be making new player signings recently or in the next week or two.
This got me wondering, how are these clubs able to make these signings and stay under the wage cap? If anything it re-enforces the view that there is no wage-cap, and as before the league will do nothing! I could be making wild accusations here, its entirely possible, but something just doesn’t sit right for me! I know clubs do make singnings during a season to cover injuries etc…. however of the clubs making signings recently, im only aware of Nottingham having many players out through injury! Having said that, I think it’s a grey area! Obviously the new player is coming in to cover an extended injury, fair enough, but what happens to those players wages? Are they still counted towards the cap? I have read on The Cage Forum, some people saying the insurance will pay the wages and therefore those wages do not count. That seems a little fishy to me!
The new singnings in question are:
Panthers, in: Jurij Golicic and Corey LeClair.
Giants: Jason Rushton
Coventry: Dominic D’Amour (rumoured)
This whole issue also stems from watching Coventry beat the Phoenix last Sunday, now Coventry are a very good team and they put on a great show. However looking at the bench it go me thinking. Coventry have a roster that provides 3 very strong lines, plus an extra skater or two (cant fully remember!). Add to this two goalies and, according to the Blaze website you have 20 players. Against the Phoenix bench, 16 players, this makes a huge difference.
Then the thought popped into my head, how can the Blaze be under the wage cap? I admit the basis for me thinking this is not the most sound, but, the Phoenix will never bust the wage cap, there simply are not the funds to do it. However are we really 4 whole players behind? There cant be huge differences in quality of those players, as the game ended 2-1 Blaze and was fairly close in the end. So what is it? How can there be such a big difference in the size of the roster and both clubs remain under the cap? I always thought the wage cap would leave a roster with around 18 players, give or take a few depending on the number/quality of Brits.
Looking into the rosters for the other ‘big 4’ teams you can get a bit of a mixed view, looking at three different sources (Internet Hockey Database, Clubs own website, and the Elite Website) the ‘big 4’ clubs have the following roster numbers:
Coventry: 19.3 players
Belfast: 17 players
Nottingham: 24 players
Sheffield: 18 players
I know Nottingham stand out, but this is where the players signed minus those injured makes a difference. So you could take a couple off the Panthers figure. But either way, the closer to the top of the table you are, the bigger your roster! Some would say that makes obvious sense, to get to the top you need a big team. But I would also argue, the bigger the roster, the closer you are to the cap if you’re not over it already!
My argument basically falls down to numbers. This season we had a lower wage cap and a commitment by the league to enforce it. So if we had a lower wage-cap, how can some clubs have similar or larger rosters than last season, with the higher wage-cap?
If you have made it to the end of all that thanks for reading! Feel free to dismiss my comments as sheer paranoia, however the league does not exactly give the best impression of self-governance!
In the end you can believe what you want, I could ramble on for hours about the wage-cap but I wont, for now! I just wanted to get that off my chest!
This got me wondering, how are these clubs able to make these signings and stay under the wage cap? If anything it re-enforces the view that there is no wage-cap, and as before the league will do nothing! I could be making wild accusations here, its entirely possible, but something just doesn’t sit right for me! I know clubs do make singnings during a season to cover injuries etc…. however of the clubs making signings recently, im only aware of Nottingham having many players out through injury! Having said that, I think it’s a grey area! Obviously the new player is coming in to cover an extended injury, fair enough, but what happens to those players wages? Are they still counted towards the cap? I have read on The Cage Forum, some people saying the insurance will pay the wages and therefore those wages do not count. That seems a little fishy to me!
The new singnings in question are:
Panthers, in: Jurij Golicic and Corey LeClair.
Giants: Jason Rushton
Coventry: Dominic D’Amour (rumoured)
This whole issue also stems from watching Coventry beat the Phoenix last Sunday, now Coventry are a very good team and they put on a great show. However looking at the bench it go me thinking. Coventry have a roster that provides 3 very strong lines, plus an extra skater or two (cant fully remember!). Add to this two goalies and, according to the Blaze website you have 20 players. Against the Phoenix bench, 16 players, this makes a huge difference.
Then the thought popped into my head, how can the Blaze be under the wage cap? I admit the basis for me thinking this is not the most sound, but, the Phoenix will never bust the wage cap, there simply are not the funds to do it. However are we really 4 whole players behind? There cant be huge differences in quality of those players, as the game ended 2-1 Blaze and was fairly close in the end. So what is it? How can there be such a big difference in the size of the roster and both clubs remain under the cap? I always thought the wage cap would leave a roster with around 18 players, give or take a few depending on the number/quality of Brits.
Looking into the rosters for the other ‘big 4’ teams you can get a bit of a mixed view, looking at three different sources (Internet Hockey Database, Clubs own website, and the Elite Website) the ‘big 4’ clubs have the following roster numbers:
Coventry: 19.3 players
Belfast: 17 players
Nottingham: 24 players
Sheffield: 18 players
I know Nottingham stand out, but this is where the players signed minus those injured makes a difference. So you could take a couple off the Panthers figure. But either way, the closer to the top of the table you are, the bigger your roster! Some would say that makes obvious sense, to get to the top you need a big team. But I would also argue, the bigger the roster, the closer you are to the cap if you’re not over it already!
My argument basically falls down to numbers. This season we had a lower wage cap and a commitment by the league to enforce it. So if we had a lower wage-cap, how can some clubs have similar or larger rosters than last season, with the higher wage-cap?
If you have made it to the end of all that thanks for reading! Feel free to dismiss my comments as sheer paranoia, however the league does not exactly give the best impression of self-governance!
In the end you can believe what you want, I could ramble on for hours about the wage-cap but I wont, for now! I just wanted to get that off my chest!
Monday, 12 January 2009
Phoenix v Coventry 11th January Game Review
This saw the first visit of the Blaze to the Ice Dome this season, I was quite surprised when I looked at the fixture list! Seems quite late to be playing a team for the first time in Alty!
I must make a quick comment on the Phoenix visit to Newcastle on Saturday 10th Jan, the Phoenix lost this came by the odd goal. Now its no bad thing loosing up in Newcastle, they are a tough team and it’s a tough place to go and get a result. However a sign of how far this team have come, im very disappointed that the Phoenix were not able to get at least a point. Now I didn't go to the game but reading the Phoenix forum regarding the game it seems like it was a bit of a stinker from the guys. Now each team can play a stinker, but if we want to move on from last season we need to start stringing wins together! Too often we get a couple of wins in a row then revert to last seasons, WLWLWLW etc…. Consistency is the key, even more so as we approach March, and the jostling for playoff berths begins.
Anyway, as I said, I did not go to the game so I cant comment much more than that! Onto Sundays game versus the Blaze, I didn't expect the Phoenix to win this one, but I thought we had a glimmer of hope as the Blaze have been wobbling recently. Before the game I was happy for a point!
First Period: Well the Blaze came out flying, either that or the Phoenix did not know what to expect and were asleep! After a frenetic two minutes the Blaze took the lead, when Watkins was found all alone in front of the Phoenix net, he made no mistake and rifled the puck home. After that rude wake up call the Phoenix came back to life and began to ease back into the game. The rest of the period was end to end hockey with Murphy and Perras called upon to make some fine saves. So come the end of the period I was disappointed to go in one down, but encourage by the fight back by the Phoenix.
Second Period: After a delay of ten minutes due to the away goal not settling in its moorings, why is it away goalies always have a problem with our nets? I don’t see Murphy complaining every game? Anyway that’s a whole different argument for a different post. More of the same in the second period, however I did feel the Phoenix were coming into the game and offering some decent resistance to the Blaze. So imagine the delight when the Phoenix finally got on the board in the 37th minute when Mulherin fired the puck into the net. Joy quickly turned to despair when, less than a minute later, Weaver broke down the wing and fired a scorching shot past Murphy. 2-1 Blaze and a goal Smurf will defiantly want back. So the period ends, with a definite sense of deflation in the Dome! Never mind 20 minutes of hockey left!
Third Period: No goals in the third period but some fine end to end hockey again! By this time the ice at the Dome was pretty cut up, two intervals of on ice driving by our sponsor’s car’s certainly didn't help! The Phoenix really did throw everything at the Blaze, im pretty sure I saw the kitchen sink on the ice! Sadly it was not to be and the Blaze hung on for the win!
Verdict: A tough weekend for the Phoenix and a bit of a disappointing one! Null point is never a good weekend! It was a great game against the Blaze and one the served to show how far this seasons team has improved over last year! However it also showed that while we are good, we are not quite up to the standard of the top 4. In the end I think the Phoenix did themselves proud, however I did think we deserved a point at least! Another note, please Mr Hick’s stop reffing!!
Attendance: Not the best crowd in last night, id say around 1,100.
Manchester Evening News Article
I must make a quick comment on the Phoenix visit to Newcastle on Saturday 10th Jan, the Phoenix lost this came by the odd goal. Now its no bad thing loosing up in Newcastle, they are a tough team and it’s a tough place to go and get a result. However a sign of how far this team have come, im very disappointed that the Phoenix were not able to get at least a point. Now I didn't go to the game but reading the Phoenix forum regarding the game it seems like it was a bit of a stinker from the guys. Now each team can play a stinker, but if we want to move on from last season we need to start stringing wins together! Too often we get a couple of wins in a row then revert to last seasons, WLWLWLW etc…. Consistency is the key, even more so as we approach March, and the jostling for playoff berths begins.
Anyway, as I said, I did not go to the game so I cant comment much more than that! Onto Sundays game versus the Blaze, I didn't expect the Phoenix to win this one, but I thought we had a glimmer of hope as the Blaze have been wobbling recently. Before the game I was happy for a point!
First Period: Well the Blaze came out flying, either that or the Phoenix did not know what to expect and were asleep! After a frenetic two minutes the Blaze took the lead, when Watkins was found all alone in front of the Phoenix net, he made no mistake and rifled the puck home. After that rude wake up call the Phoenix came back to life and began to ease back into the game. The rest of the period was end to end hockey with Murphy and Perras called upon to make some fine saves. So come the end of the period I was disappointed to go in one down, but encourage by the fight back by the Phoenix.
Second Period: After a delay of ten minutes due to the away goal not settling in its moorings, why is it away goalies always have a problem with our nets? I don’t see Murphy complaining every game? Anyway that’s a whole different argument for a different post. More of the same in the second period, however I did feel the Phoenix were coming into the game and offering some decent resistance to the Blaze. So imagine the delight when the Phoenix finally got on the board in the 37th minute when Mulherin fired the puck into the net. Joy quickly turned to despair when, less than a minute later, Weaver broke down the wing and fired a scorching shot past Murphy. 2-1 Blaze and a goal Smurf will defiantly want back. So the period ends, with a definite sense of deflation in the Dome! Never mind 20 minutes of hockey left!
Third Period: No goals in the third period but some fine end to end hockey again! By this time the ice at the Dome was pretty cut up, two intervals of on ice driving by our sponsor’s car’s certainly didn't help! The Phoenix really did throw everything at the Blaze, im pretty sure I saw the kitchen sink on the ice! Sadly it was not to be and the Blaze hung on for the win!
Verdict: A tough weekend for the Phoenix and a bit of a disappointing one! Null point is never a good weekend! It was a great game against the Blaze and one the served to show how far this seasons team has improved over last year! However it also showed that while we are good, we are not quite up to the standard of the top 4. In the end I think the Phoenix did themselves proud, however I did think we deserved a point at least! Another note, please Mr Hick’s stop reffing!!
Attendance: Not the best crowd in last night, id say around 1,100.
Manchester Evening News Article
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
What is a well supported Club?
*First off before you read on, I must say this post is in no way an attack on Mick Holland at the NEP! These are just my views and opinions on what he said!*
Well, you may be wondering, it can depend on a number of things!
This post is really an expansion on my previous post back on the 26th November concerning comments made in the Nottingham Evening Post. As you may have read the journalist made two comments following on from the Panthers loss which put them out of the competition. This meant that they joined Sheffield in being knocked out, ‘What are those comments?’ I hear you ask, well they are:
With both Sheffield and Nottingham out of the competition the league is set to loose out on revenue generated from those games involving either Sheffield or Nottingham.
There are no ‘Well-supported’ clubs left in the competition.
Now for the sake of waffling I have summed up the comments made into the above. After making my original post concerning the Challenge Cup I have been in email correspondence with a (Panthers?) fan, who disagrees with my view on the articles in question. In response to a number of the points raised I wanted to re-visit the subject and expand on it, hopefully explaining my views further!
If I take the first comment, the gentleman I have been emailing states the league takes 40% of the gate takings. Now I must be honest I have never seen this amount quoted anywhere, but if any of you out in readerland can point me to its source I will stand corrected. This figure seems very high to me, and is it just for the cup games or is it for all games? If this is true then I will concede that the league is more than likely to make a little less money now Shuff/Notts are out? But I would argue, will they really loose out that much? The Giants are still in the competition and they can claim to pull in crowds equal to those at both ends of the M1! Plus lets face it, any money lost from the CC will be made up at the rather overpriced Play-off weekend!
In reality I think it’s the second comment that has annoyed me the most, the journalist has used the term ‘there are no well-supported clubs left’. How can you define what ‘well-supported’ is? It can be a number of things:
There are probably more ways of defining it, but reading the NEP articles it seems ‘well supported’ equals largest home attendances. To be honest this is a load of baloney in my eyes! By that token back in the early days of the Manchester Storm, we had the best-supported club in the league with average attendances of over 8,000. But could you really say in those days we were the best supported? Most of those tickets were probably give aways! Plus large attendances can depend on so many things; both Shuff and Nottingham have long illustrious pasts where the fan base has been built upon for years. Realistically at the Phoenix we have only be building our fan base for 3 seasons spread over 5 years. So we may not have 4,000 ave attendances but again what does that matter? We may not have a multi-purpose arena, but again, does that matter?
Personally my view on what makes a ‘well-supported’ club comes down to a couple of things. I think the obvious one is % of seats filled in your home rink/arena, this coupled with travelling support can give an indication as to how well a club is supported. Even saying this many things can affect those numbers. If I may be so bold we at the Phoenix have a tough job competing with both United and City for a fans recreational spend. I would argue that, in Altrincham we have a far tougher time than the Panthers have against Notts Forest and the Steelers against Sheff Utd/Wednesday! I say that even though my dad is a Blades fan! Anyway I digress!
Its difficult to look at travelling support so I thought I would turn my attention to average home attendances and capacities of the rinks around the league. May I start by saying the capactities were taken from Wikipedia (you know anything Wikipedia says is true!) and a rather un-scientific guess at each teams average home attendance.
So I have thrown together a table below, which throws up an interesting top 4 teams in terms of filling their own rink:
Club Average Home Att Rink Capacity % Filled
Bison 900 1600 57
Giants 3500 7100 50
Devils 1800 2500 72
Blaze 1800 2800 64
Caps 500 3800 13
Hull 800 2000 40
Phoenix 1600 2500 64
Vipers 1800 4500 40
Panthers 4000 6500 61
Steelers 3800 8500 45
*hmmm can anyone tell me how to get this list spaced properly?
So lets have a look at the top 4 teams in terms of getting bum’s on seats:
Of note the Steelers would come in at number 7 in that list. Again it’s a rather un-scientific table, so if you’re a fan of any of those teams and have a better idea on the ave attendance for your team drop me an email and let me know!
So from that table the most ‘supported teams’ in the league don’t occupy number 1 and 2 slot but numbers 4 and 7! Now in my book that does not make you the leagues best-supported club! I must add, however, that I do not claim the Phoenix to be the best-supported club in the league! I think we have some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the league but would never claim the Phoenix to be the best supported!
I feel as though that has now helped me exercise my annoyance with those articles from the NEP. But it goes to show that there may be some truth to the often ‘holier than thou’ views held by many within the Tin Shed and NIC!
I don’t for one moment expect anyone reading this to agree with what ive said, I just hope it makes you think! I would urge readers across all message boards and journo’s to think twice before bandying the ‘Best supported’ tag around. As you can see if can be defined an innumerate amount of ways! I for one am glad neither Sheffield or Nottingham are left in the competition, it gives those of us who are fans of the ‘other’ teams some hope and belief that we can compete for things.
So there we go, this is me signing off on the subject! I hope this post has been interesting to read for you all! Many thanks to Paul over at the British Hockey Blog for his input, and of course I welcome yours!
Take care everyone, and I hope your all out Christmas shopping! Only 23 days to go!!
Well, you may be wondering, it can depend on a number of things!
This post is really an expansion on my previous post back on the 26th November concerning comments made in the Nottingham Evening Post. As you may have read the journalist made two comments following on from the Panthers loss which put them out of the competition. This meant that they joined Sheffield in being knocked out, ‘What are those comments?’ I hear you ask, well they are:
With both Sheffield and Nottingham out of the competition the league is set to loose out on revenue generated from those games involving either Sheffield or Nottingham.
There are no ‘Well-supported’ clubs left in the competition.
Now for the sake of waffling I have summed up the comments made into the above. After making my original post concerning the Challenge Cup I have been in email correspondence with a (Panthers?) fan, who disagrees with my view on the articles in question. In response to a number of the points raised I wanted to re-visit the subject and expand on it, hopefully explaining my views further!
If I take the first comment, the gentleman I have been emailing states the league takes 40% of the gate takings. Now I must be honest I have never seen this amount quoted anywhere, but if any of you out in readerland can point me to its source I will stand corrected. This figure seems very high to me, and is it just for the cup games or is it for all games? If this is true then I will concede that the league is more than likely to make a little less money now Shuff/Notts are out? But I would argue, will they really loose out that much? The Giants are still in the competition and they can claim to pull in crowds equal to those at both ends of the M1! Plus lets face it, any money lost from the CC will be made up at the rather overpriced Play-off weekend!
In reality I think it’s the second comment that has annoyed me the most, the journalist has used the term ‘there are no well-supported clubs left’. How can you define what ‘well-supported’ is? It can be a number of things:
- Largest average crowd?
- Largest arena?
- Most season ticket holders?
- Largest away following?
- Loudest crowd?
There are probably more ways of defining it, but reading the NEP articles it seems ‘well supported’ equals largest home attendances. To be honest this is a load of baloney in my eyes! By that token back in the early days of the Manchester Storm, we had the best-supported club in the league with average attendances of over 8,000. But could you really say in those days we were the best supported? Most of those tickets were probably give aways! Plus large attendances can depend on so many things; both Shuff and Nottingham have long illustrious pasts where the fan base has been built upon for years. Realistically at the Phoenix we have only be building our fan base for 3 seasons spread over 5 years. So we may not have 4,000 ave attendances but again what does that matter? We may not have a multi-purpose arena, but again, does that matter?
Personally my view on what makes a ‘well-supported’ club comes down to a couple of things. I think the obvious one is % of seats filled in your home rink/arena, this coupled with travelling support can give an indication as to how well a club is supported. Even saying this many things can affect those numbers. If I may be so bold we at the Phoenix have a tough job competing with both United and City for a fans recreational spend. I would argue that, in Altrincham we have a far tougher time than the Panthers have against Notts Forest and the Steelers against Sheff Utd/Wednesday! I say that even though my dad is a Blades fan! Anyway I digress!
Its difficult to look at travelling support so I thought I would turn my attention to average home attendances and capacities of the rinks around the league. May I start by saying the capactities were taken from Wikipedia (you know anything Wikipedia says is true!) and a rather un-scientific guess at each teams average home attendance.
So I have thrown together a table below, which throws up an interesting top 4 teams in terms of filling their own rink:
Club Average Home Att Rink Capacity % Filled
Bison 900 1600 57
Giants 3500 7100 50
Devils 1800 2500 72
Blaze 1800 2800 64
Caps 500 3800 13
Hull 800 2000 40
Phoenix 1600 2500 64
Vipers 1800 4500 40
Panthers 4000 6500 61
Steelers 3800 8500 45
*hmmm can anyone tell me how to get this list spaced properly?
So lets have a look at the top 4 teams in terms of getting bum’s on seats:
- Devils @ 72%
- Blaze & Phoenix at 64%
- Panthers @ 61%
Of note the Steelers would come in at number 7 in that list. Again it’s a rather un-scientific table, so if you’re a fan of any of those teams and have a better idea on the ave attendance for your team drop me an email and let me know!
So from that table the most ‘supported teams’ in the league don’t occupy number 1 and 2 slot but numbers 4 and 7! Now in my book that does not make you the leagues best-supported club! I must add, however, that I do not claim the Phoenix to be the best-supported club in the league! I think we have some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the league but would never claim the Phoenix to be the best supported!
I feel as though that has now helped me exercise my annoyance with those articles from the NEP. But it goes to show that there may be some truth to the often ‘holier than thou’ views held by many within the Tin Shed and NIC!
I don’t for one moment expect anyone reading this to agree with what ive said, I just hope it makes you think! I would urge readers across all message boards and journo’s to think twice before bandying the ‘Best supported’ tag around. As you can see if can be defined an innumerate amount of ways! I for one am glad neither Sheffield or Nottingham are left in the competition, it gives those of us who are fans of the ‘other’ teams some hope and belief that we can compete for things.
So there we go, this is me signing off on the subject! I hope this post has been interesting to read for you all! Many thanks to Paul over at the British Hockey Blog for his input, and of course I welcome yours!
Take care everyone, and I hope your all out Christmas shopping! Only 23 days to go!!
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