SWINDON, UK – The big winners to come out of the first weekend were, of course, the Guildford Flames and particularly captain David Longstaff who grabbed points with both hands. Bison’s netminder Stevie Lyle, who is used to a save rate in excess of 90%, also didn’t do badly with a near-perfect weekend.
But there were also some worrying losers. I am not talking about pointless judgements regarding teams here so early in the season, but the tally of injuries which have marked the opening games, some of which were known about, and some not.
First there was the case of Slovakian forward Juraj Senko who shortly after signing, according to the Jets, was found to have an injury likely to keep him from the start of the season, and was dropped. Then there was the Phoenix who signed Finnish forward Timo Kuuluvainen in August and released him almost immediately when it was felt he would not be fully recovered from knee surgery for at least a month. Then this week the Phoenix revealed forward Liam Chong, who also had summer surgery on ligaments, was also not recovering well and would be out for at least three months. The Wildcats are without netminder Tom Murdy, a long time problem, and the Jets without forward Terry Miles. And this was all before the season even started when you expect your squad to be all greased up, muscles taunt, and ready to go.
So, into the first weekend and in the Lightning/Phantoms Ashes series the Phantoms took a few dinks as Slovakian Jozef Sladok fell to the ice in a scuffle and retired with concussion. Latvian forward Maris Ziedins then went to hospital with a suspected broken bone in his hand after stopping a puck which, thankfully was later confirmed as severe bruising. Finally forward James Ferrara followed along later for stitches in a split lip after chewing the end of a stick, while their opponents lost Lukas Zatopek partway through a game. In the league the Tigers lost forward Joe Henry who could be out several weeks, and the Wildcats’ Shane Moore took a stick in the eye which, amazingly, so far seems to have left him with no more than a split lid.
Into the week, then, and yet more bad news for the Tigers as 19-year-old backup netminder Ben Hunt quit without apparent reason, and days later returned to the NIHL Titans. But on the positive side, 18-year-old forward Jordan Bannon was drafted in on a 2-way contract with the NIHL Blackburn Hawks where he clocked up about a point a game, and is doing so this season. Also in Telford the local council finally confirmed the re-opening date of the ice rink, which has undergone major refurbishment, as 21st October which will now become the first home game for the Tigers. Presumably, a re-scheduling of the Bison game planned for a week before will now be necessary.
The final two captains in the league were announced with the Phoenix recalling Luke Boothroyd, while the Wildcats have gone for top-scoring Aaron Nell.
Wildcats 3 – Jets 7 and Phantoms 2 – Wildcats 1
The last game of week 1 saw the Wildcats host the Jets on Friday who they had managed to beat in the pre-season. This time things were quite different with the home side always on the chase, and although they managed to outshoot the visitors, they have now conceded sixteen goals in their first three games. Things didn’t improve Sunday on the trip to Peterborough where a shut-out was only prevented thanks to Nell in the last minute of the game. This means the Wildcats have yet to win a game and have a goal-against average only fractionally better than bottom placed Telford. If the alarm bells aren’t starting to ring, it must be because someone has stuffed a sock in the clapper.
Jets 5 – Tigers 3
A team with much better fortunes is the Jets who with just a game at home on Saturday beat the Tigers fairly comfortably including a hat-trick from Mindy Kieras and a successful penalty shot from ‘Frank’ Baklik. The visitors did slip in two late goals in the final minute which just goes to show you can’t let your guard down against them this season.
Phoenix 3 – Tigers 1 and Lightning 8 – Phoenix 2
The Tigers went to Manchester on Sunday and gave the Phoenix a run for their money. For over half an hour there was deadlock, and the home side really didn’t show the command of a situation you would have expected from them on home ice. What made things worse for the Phoenix was the disaster of the evening before where a trip to Milton Keynes showed at least one person in the league isn’t bothered by their new big lad Robert Schnabel. And that person? Chris Wiggins, of course, who went on to join Grant McPherson in a general mêlée just after half way about the same time Leigh Jamieson showed he was going to carry on from where he left off last year by completing his first hat-trick of the season. But the Manchester defeat was the worst suffered by the Phoenix since last Christmas when the Jets treated them like a cat in a sack – pushed around at will with no claws to worry about.
Flames 5 – Lightning 2
Sunday, and all the euphoria was dispelled when the Lightning went to Guildford and, well, to be honest, played as though they weren’t happy with the winning script they had followed the night before. The Phantoms have already shown the goals are there for the taking when playing the new-look Lightning, and five seems to be something of an unlucky number. But, if you are one of those subscribing to the view the Flames are the side to beat this season, then perhaps with one game over the weekend and that on home ice it is surprising there weren’t more.
Steeldogs 2 – Bees 4 and Bees 3 – Bison 2
One side that must feel pleased with their progress is the Bees who picked up a four-point weekend and leapt into contention. Last season the Steeldogs didn’t drop 2-points to the Bees on any single occasion, so a significant win away from home for the Bees on Saturday particularly in fending of a side fighting their way back into the game – literally! The third period started with a skirmish which showed Derek Campbell is well on his way to another two-hundred-plus minutes in the box this season as he added to his earlier tally, while Bees’ Marcel Petran did his best to keep up.
But whether the Bees have improved or the Steeldogs are weaker is too early to say, although it is hard not to notice the Bison on Sunday faced the Bees at home and although taking the lead found themselves a goal down after seven minutes and not enough of something to get back on equal terms. So a surprising result from a much strengthened Basingstoke side that looked like they were going to race away right at the beginning.
So while not quite a full weekend with only nine games, enough results to raise the odd eyebrow or two as an indicator the league is going to be as unpredictable as the last campaign. I mean, who would have said the Lightning could trounce the Phoenix the way they did only to go down to the Flames the next night so badly? And what about the Bees with a four-point weekend? Or the Bison stumbling the way they did? Well, the unpredictability is what we all seem to enjoy but upshot is the league table shows the Bees in forth spot, the Phoenix in fifth, and the Wildcats ninth?
Who’dathoughtit?
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For more EPL facts and stats, news and a headline mailing list take a look at www.iceman-epl.com
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