CARDIFF, UK –
It’s playoff hockey time, beards are growing, plans for the finals are well underway and the hockey is feisty. There are no prizes for second best and for the four teams who fail to win their quarter-final games, it is season over. The current EIHL playoff structure is unforgiving, one poor performance and you have to watch you opponents advance to the finals weekend and make some quick plans for the next fortnight. It is a time when anything can happen, the underdog can triumph and those whose seasons have been less that successful can flourish. Everybody loves playoff hockey.
Tonight saw the first leg games of the quarter finals with Hull hosting Coventry, Vipers visiting the Giants in Belfast and Nottingham travelling to Edinburgh to face the on-form Capitals. Perhaps the hardest tie of all is that between those who finished 4th and 5th in the league. Even more so when you consider that the 5th placed team the Sheffield Steelers are defending their playoff title from last season.
There can be no denying that Sheffield have had a disappointing season, despite retaining the services of the majority of their double-winning team of 2008-2009, they have been plagued by underperformance and injury worries. Although they managed to open this season with silverware in the form of the 20/20 Cup back in October they have faced criticism from their fan base for failing to make roster changes in time to progress in the league. However, having looked to finish in the bottom two of the league, a last ditch effort saw them find form in time to capture 5th place, beating a valiant final effort from Coach of the Year Doug Christiansen’s Capitals.
Despite the Devils finishing higher in the league, arena arrangements required them to play their home leg of the tie first. Coach Gerad Adams remained stoical about the first leg, highlighting the benefit of getting an early home lead in the final result.
Sheffield were confident, eagerly waiting to enter the rink and, when the game started, throwing the first hit of the game and first testing the Devils goaltender Stevie Lyle. But it was the Devils with the first goal of the night, Welshman Phil Hill powering a shot past Steelers goaltender Andrew Verner 12 minutes into the game. Less than three minutes later Steeler’s cage-fighting forward Mike Sgroi equalised beating Lyle on the powerplay.
Man of the match Stevie Lyle (Photo Jess Roberts)
Despite an evenly matched first period, the second period saw the Devils pressure the Steeler’s defence which resulted in two goals from scoring partnership Mark Smith and Max Birbraer to finish the period 3-1. With extensive roughing penalties towards the close of the second period seeing 4 Devils and 3 Steelers in the overcrowded penalty boxes, neither team was able to capitalise on their chances with the Devils playing a defensive game to protect their lead. In the final period a determined team effort saw Brad Voth and Ryan Finnerty contribute to a Matt Miller goal in a scramble for the net. A last minute shot from Jeff Legue means that the teams must now travel up to Sheffield with the Devils taking with them a two goal aggregate lead.
Devils Bench Coach Neil Francis was very happy with his team’s performance, saying “You have to be pleased with a two goal advantage going into the second leg, we were disciplined and it paid off. It’s playoff hockey and if playoff games are not feisty then we shouldn’t be doing it, it’s the most exciting time of the year and we expect more of the same tomorrow”
Devils goaltender Stevie Lyle has had a big week, as well as being awarded Man of the Match, stopping 23 of the 25 shots on target, he has also become a father for the second time, his wife Kate giving birth to their second son Zach Thomas just three days ago. A lack of sleep clearly hasn’t affected Stevie, who is in the first season of a three year contract with his home town club, and had worked to the tactics that the team had: “You have to have a game plan against Sheffield, they are a good team with some quality players, we felt pressure to get the lead tonight before heading up there tomorrow and I’m happy with the two-goal cushion we have right now.”
However, both expressed the need for a cautious approach, two goals is not a lot in hockey and in playoff hockey it is even less. One thing is for certain, we are only at the half way point, and at the moment a place in the Playoff Finals weekend in Nottingham over Easter is still up for grabs.
Contact the writer: victoria.silverwood@prohockeynews.com
Photo by Jessica Roberts Photography
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