Bees playoff push going to the wire

BRACKNELL, UK – The Bracknell Bees are still hopeful of making the English Premier League playoffs – but it won’t be an easy task. The Bees sit five points below the last playoff berth, despite defeating the Sheffield Steeldogs in a bad-tempered match on Saturday. However, the Bees lost to basement side, The Telford Tigers, a team the Bees must beat this Sunday if they are to have any chance of making the post-season. Goals from Andrejs Maslovkis and Scott McKenzie helped the Tigers to a 5-4 win against Bracknell, and are now only one point behind the Berkshire club with a game in hand. The Bees need to win at least four games to give themselves a chance of toppling Sheffield, who the Bees have built up a rivalry with this season following some crunch games. Bracknell gave themselves a chance of making the playoffs with a 6-5 win at The Hive on Saturday. During the feisty game, the gloves were dropped on five occasions, with both goaltenders involved in incidents. A total of 156 penalty minutes were called, but the Bees hung on for the important two points. Bees winger Peter Jasik scored one and bagged four assists including a brilliant move and no-look pass to Craig Tribe to push the Bees ahead. Some dirty tactics from Steeldogs enforcer Andre Payette turned the game into a nasty affair. The Bees conceded two late goals but hung onto the lead in the final nervy moments. Two back to back games in Sheffield last month may have sealed the Bees fate. The Steeldogs won both games, and the margin between the two teams may be too much for the Bees, given they still must play Slough, Guildford and two games with the Peterborough Phantoms before the season is over. Two wins for Bracknell this weekend would throw them right back into the playoff mix, while picking up no points would all but end the Bees’ season. Contact the author david.bol@prohockeynews.com