Ice Chips Week 24

Wednesday 00 15, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After tonight’s clash between Sheffield and Nottingham only 64 games remain in the 2011/12 Rapid Solicitors Elite League regular season and of those games, leaders Belfast have 11 remaining (6 home and 5 away) and second placed Sheffield have 16 (8 home and 8 away). Steelers therefore have 5 games in hand and are 7 points adrift of Doug Christiansen’s men.

 

We know that Nottingham cannot yet be ruled out mathematically but an 10 point gap having played the same number of games as Giants and Steelers having those 5 games in hand on the Lace City side and 3 points ahead almost certainly closes the door on Panthers chances and the reality is that it is now effectively a 2-team race for the title.

 

So, will it be title number 4 for Steelers or title number 2 for Giants?

 

Undoubtedly the key games will be the 3 remaining match-up’s between Giants and Steelers, with 2 of those in the Odyssey Arena but we also feel that Braehead will play an important role in the final destination of the title as although they have to face Giants once more in the Odyssey they have no fewer than 4 games left against Steelers, with 2 in each venue home and away. With Clan having their own agenda of battling for either 4th or 5th in the standings they are sure to be in no mood to let up for a second and it might just be how well Steelers do against Drew Bannister’s side that decides if they are to retain their title.

 

So to the games played over the past week. All 10 teams were in action on Saturday night and of course the big one was the first of the double header between Panthers v Giants at the NIC. Giants were ahead early in this one and led 3-1 early in the second period but Panthers fought back and eventually took the game to overtime with a David-Alexandre Beauregard strike in the 52nd minute. Neither side could find a winner in the extra session but it was Giants’ Craig Peacock who scored the only shootout goal to give his side the win.

 

Steelers also matched up against the same opposition on both nights of the weekend and on Saturday faced Blaze at the House of Steel. A very tight encounter indeed with Steelers winning by the odd goal in five thanks to Mike Ramsey in the 54th minute.

 

In the other games Cardiff inflicted more misery on Edinburgh by winning 5-2 at home with skipper Stuart Macrae being involved in every goal with 2+3, Braehead were rampant on the road against Fife and won 7-2 with Jade Galbraith notching 2+2 and in Dundee the home side were beaten 4-3 by Hull, giving up a 3-2 lead in the final period as Stingrays hit two in 49 seconds, including a shorthanded game winner from Jason Silverthorn.

 

Sunday saw the second Panthers v Giants clash and this one turned out to be a real sickener for the home side as despite leading 2-0 with only seven minutes remaining, Giants found the will to turn it their way and win it with only 8 seconds of regulation remaining thanks to a strike by Nick Kuiper.

 

Steelers mirrored that as they trailed 3-1 to Blaze at the Skydome in the 44th minute but stormed back to hit four straight goals to win 5-3, with Neil Clark scoring the game winner at 48.31.

 

Cardiff ensured they picked up four points from Edinburgh over the weekend, winning 3-2 in Scotland with Jamie Vanderveeken’s early second period strike being enough to see them through and in the return match in Hull between Stingrays and Stars it was the home side who went a long way to ensuring their Play-Off spot with a 3-2 win after a shootout with Dominic Osman the hero, scoring twice in the one on one competition.

 

So to Tuesday night’s Sheffield v Nottingham clash (on Valentine’s Day of course) where a typical no holds barred encounter saw Steelers break out of a 2-2 tie after forty minutes to win 4-2 with third period goals from player/coach Ryan Finnerty and an empty net strike by skipper Jonathan Phillips to put that lid on Panthers own league hopes for another season.

 

Milestones -

Sheffield's second goal against Coventry on Saturday 11th February 2012 was their 1900th all-time EIHL competitive goal.

 

Jade Galbraith scored his 100th all-time EIHL competitive goal when he netted Braehead's third goal against Fife on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Lee Mitchell of Braehead recorded his 100th all-time EIHL competitive assist when he assisted on Braehead's seventh goal against Fife on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Stuart MacRae of Cardiff recorded his 100th  all-time EIHL competitive assist when he assisted on Cardiff's fourth goal against Edinburgh on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Jeff Legue of Sheffield recorded his 200th  all-time EIHL competitive assist when he assisted on Sheffield's third goal against Coventry on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Jozef Sladok of Edinburgh played in his 100th all-time EIHL competitive game in the away game against Cardiff on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Jon Pelle of Belfast played in his 100th all-time EIHL competitive game in the away game against Nottingham on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Tim Weddeburn and Mike Will of Braehead both played in their 100th all-time EIHL competitive game in the away game against Fife on Saturday 11th February 2012.

 

Belfast's 1st goal against Nottingham on Sunday 12th February 2012 was their 2000th all-time EIHL competitive goal.

 

A J MacLean of Dundee played in his 100th all-time EIHL competitive game in the away game against Hull on Sunday 12th February 2012.

 

Player of the week goes to a man who has missed his clubs last 11 games and came back at the weekend. Please skate forward Neil Clark of the Sheffield Steelers in the double header against Coventry he got a powerplay goal on the Saturday and then topped it off with the game winner on Sunday. 

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