SWINDON, UK – in the EPL Top Ten Charts last week there were actually no changes in the leading positions; a rare event. One notable point, though, is in the EPL Netminder Chart where Steeldogs’ Ben Bowns has edged away from Lightning’s Alex Mettam at the top and now leads by a halfpenny rather than a farthing. Also in the Netminder Chart Wildcats’ Dean Skinns joined the top ten after some decent performances for Swindon which boosted his Bison career stats.
Bison coach Steve Moria, prior to his side playing in Swindon said of his former netminder, ‘It is strange how a player signs for another club and resurrects their career. He is going to be tough to beat.’ Things should get interesting in a week or so when the injured Tom Murdy is expected to return because as previously mentioned Murdy is an established top netminder who has also proved to be a game-saver, so Skinns has some big skates to fill or share.
The Phantoms, following their diametrically opposed weekend whereby on the Saturday they appeared to be seventeen minutes late getting off the coach in Swindon by which time the Wildcats had banked five goals and gone home to put their feet up in front of the tele, contrasted with Sunday’s visit by the Steeldogs, who having seen the result could be excused for thinking they could all be in the pub by the first break, got the surprise of their lives when the Peterborough side rushed out, caught them still tying up their laces and kicked butt as though their lives depended on it. Well, I suppose their play-off lives do.
Anyway, Steeldogs’ coach Andre Payette commented with some surprise the game was, ‘probably one of our roughest games of the season,’ which is quite a testament coming from him and to the new-found approach that everyone has been calling for from the struggling Peterborough side. Payette even acknowledged it was not a lucky win when he said, ‘to be fair, our young team got outworked by a team who wanted the game more,’ adding with a sting in the tale, ‘yesterday’s loss was unacceptable, as our players will find out in training.’ No doubt he gave a reflective sidelong glare when he also mused, ‘and their next visit will be pay-back time.’
On the other side of that puck the Phantoms declared their physical approach to the game was, ‘welcomed back to Bretton like the most popular of long-lost friends.’ Yet oddly, only twenty-four hours earlier after the debacle in Swindon Phantoms’ coach Chris Allen had said wearily, ‘At the moment I just don’t know what the problem is, but if we cannot put it right soon it will be too late for us.’
Whatever happened overnight Allen had an answer in his pocket Sunday morning, although I seriously doubt the mischievous report it was his threat to start pulling out finger nails as a last resort; but it makes you think.
Or could it have something to do with the news a few days later that Phantoms’ Under18 coach Jon Kynaston, who also has the role of England Head Technical Coach, had been appointed bench coach to Allen for a ‘few’ home games? Kynaston has enough of a pedigree to be of value and revealed he had taken the team brief prior to the Steeldogs match.
All good stuff, of course, and while one game doesn’t make a season, you can’t help but wonder why protection, intimidation, desperation or whatever you want to call it, has taken so long to be taken up so enthusiastically in Peterborough.
Some shock news hit the headlines in the week concerning the Arena Group which owns Planet Ice centres across the country including three the domicile of EPL clubs Peterborough, Milton Keynes and Basingstoke. Apparently the group is in trouble with HM Revenue and Customs regarding unpaid taxes. Eight of their ten establishments, including those mentioned, have been issued with separate winding-up orders as each company is registered as an individual enterprise. The parent company disputes the liability assessment, and it was even suggested the company would use the opportunity to close the less lucrative of these operations. While the action will be heard in the High Court on Feb 6th the company said it expected the matter to be resolved ‘within the next few days.’
And indeed it was. Well, inasmuch as the company it had ‘restructured’ appointing a former owner to run the Planet Ice venues and issued a statement the 400-plus staff jobs were safe and it was ‘business as usual.’
Understandable neither HM Revenue & Customs not the administrators, HJS Recovery, would comment although the Sun newspaper was happy to claim the Arena Group had ‘simply collapsed into administration.’ But are the waters really all calm again because the High Court hearing scheduled for February 6th is still on the court list so presumably HMRC is still out of pocket, and should the court decide in their favour a bit of cosmetic administrative juggling is hardly going to balance the books particularly when the action wouldn’t have been brought in the first place unless it was a fairly safe bet. Time to go and check the bung in the lifeboat is still secure just in case, I feel.
So, on to Saturday and a collection of games that all look pretty important.
Phoenix 4 – Flames 1
The Phoenix, currently astride their best winning charger and in the comfort of their own paddock faced the Flames who must be fretful of losing their top spot.
The two have met three times in the past with the first encounter a cracking 9-4 victory to the Flames who narrowly lost the second game, also in Guildford, but went on to avenge themselves in Manchester.
So who would have though a few weeks ago the Phoenix would be such a serious challenger for the top spot, but that is exactly where they find themselves after another almost faultless display. The Flames, without Curtis Huppe and the still-suspended Andrew Sharp, put a barrowful of shots on target, especially in the second, so it wasn’t for want of trying they went down. But Steve Fone in the Manchester goal was magical and held a clean-sheet right up to the dying minutes. But what also makes the Phoenix performance impressive is it all happened without top-scoring Tony Hand, who is still out injured, and it is the other Brits, this time Ben Wood and Slava Koulikov, who are filling the gap.
Lightning 0 – Steeldogs 2
The Steeldogs were looking for some limbs to pull off to vent their discontent at having been quite unceremoniously unseated by the Phantoms last week, and it just happened it was to Milton Keynes they went. Coach Payette said his side had worked hard during training in the week and promised some ‘true Yorkshire grit.’ With three games under their belts, it was a toss-up which way this one would go, especially with both teams coming into the match from defeats. The Lightning in second place were keen to build a closer relationship with top-placed Guildford, while the Steeldogs, having slipped a tad, were looking to rectify that situation.
And rectify it they did. Edgars Bebris started things moving for the visitors after a couple of minutes, with a good-as-goal as you will see from Janis Ozolins just before the first break. The Steeldogs were also pretty solid at the back, something you normally associate with the Lightning with their low goals-against rate, but while unusually Barry Hollyhead was in goal and had a decent enough game, the Lightning power-play was brilliantly impressive, but sadly for the huge number of occasions it didn’t produce, and the Lightning were shut-out for the first time this season.
The Jets versus Bees game, which should have been the first leg of a double-header was postponed due to pipe-work problems at the rink in Slough, but was rescheduled for late February.
Phantoms 9 – Tigers 5
Near-bottom of the table they may be, but the Phantoms are wanting to build on their success last weekend and close on the Bees for a play-off spot while the Tigers are still in contention so long as they can pick up some points. The trio of games between these two have all been close with two home defeats for the Tigers but an away win for them on penalties.
If nothing else, with a fourteen-goal game which equals the league record so far this season, you weren’t stuck for action. The Tigers almost immediately sprang into the lead while the Phantoms almost immediately sprang into more pounding, a physical play which paid off as they were well in control by the first break having pounded the Tigers’ goal as well. The second saw the Tigers with more say in matters with, as is often the case, Scott McKenzie doing his best to redress the balance to within one goal. But the third swung back in the Phantoms’ direction with young Luke Ferrara who stole the show with a hat-trick which sent out a warning that the Phantoms are now on the war path.
Wildcats 3 – Bison 5
The Wildcats cannot be feeling comfortable entertaining the Bison having lost all three of their meetings so far, including the last game in Swindon. But, recent form raises a question mark with both having beaten the Phantoms while the Bison have lost to the Phoenix and narrowly won in Telford, and the Wildcats only managing a point against the Bees. So both in need of an impressive win.
And while maybe not impressive, every little helps and a win it certainly was for the Bison who opened the scoring through a controversial goal by Chris Wiggins. The reply was instant, however, and although Sam Bullas added a dazzling diving third and Jaroslav Cesky gave the home side a 2-goal lead after having a penalty shot saved by Steve Wall, the Wildcats managed to throw it all away again despite a strong fight and fast pace which probably means the end of any serious ambitions they might still have for this season.
Sunday saw just four games.
Bees 3 – Jets 4
With just a point between themselves and the Lightning, the Jets at home to the Bees must have been viewing their chances hopefully particularly with two comfortable wins in Slough behind them. But the Bees are not noted for playful romps having won against the Jets at home and lost one of their string of extra-time games there too. But the Jets arrived from a four-point week-end while the Bees could only muster an overtime win against the Wildcats, so the Slough side were wanting to ensnare the Lightning while the Bees will be wanting to put more daylight between themselves and the chasing Phantoms, now down to a single point, for the final play-off place.
In fact, the Bees took a very early lead, but the Jets took it back minutes later with Mark Galazzi giving the visitors a 2-goal advantage early in P2. The Bees fought back but ten minutes from time Joe Greener got the winner for the Jets and Rob Lamey got ten minutes for abusing an official.
Bison 0 – Lightning 2
Three previous meetings between these two and all have gone to the Lightning, one by the rare margin of a 1-0 result. But after last’s night’s loss for the Lightning, the third in a row, and by comparison the Bison on a bit of a roll, you would have put your shilling on the home side. And you would have lost because although applying enough pressure to inhibit the flow of blood to the head, it was the Lightning who eventually started things rolling early in the second through Leigh Jamieson again, and capped it off through Ross Green with seconds to spare.
Flames 5 v Phoenix 2
This crucial second leg of a double-header weekend with the Flames four losses from their last six games while the Phoenix sits on the edge of a tenth consecutive win. The tally between these two is equal with a win at home and away each, but more than that, sharing the top spot is at stake.
And what a difference a day makes, or as my old Grand-pappy used to say, ‘One day you have tooth ache eating a sticky bun, and the next day you don’t: a real mystery.’ And this time it was the Flames who inflicted the tooth ache after just half-a-minute thanks to David Longstaff . The Phoenix managed to keep up, and ended the first period only a goal short, but in the second half the Flames were supreme adding three more goals, two unassisted by David Savage and Ben Campbell, which ended a terrific nine-game run by the resurgent Phoenix.
Tigers 3 – Steeldogs 1
The Tigers won in Sheffield on penalties the first time these two met, but the three games since have all gone to the Steeldogs. The Tigers, while not averse to scoring the odd goal like they did last night, do so at the expense of conceding too many, but can still not be taken lightly.
As it happened the Steeldogs didn’t take them lightly at all. In fact quite heavily, because although the visitors were a goal up in seconds through Janis Ozolins, Tigers’ Scott McKenzie chugged off with a blood injury and the lightness of heart also wasn’t shared by Josh Bruce and Ashley Calvert. In fact, not by many as the Tigers fought their way back and into the lead by half-way thanks to Luke Brittle, who also picked up ten minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Did I get that right? Luke Brittle? Meanwhile, Daniel Croft matched Payette inch-for-inch and pound-for-pound, and both enjoyed the teasing and repartee so much they decided to do it again and hang the penalty minutes.
So does all this mean the Tigers have decided to follow the Phantoms’ lead and adopt a more physical attitude? We know from the success of the Steeldogs this season it works and can be an effective equalising tactic. If so, this will certainly liven things up during the run-in for the play-offs.
But now the weekend dust has settled, where does this leave the league table? The Flames have extended their lead by a point, and the Lightning have returned to second place. But below them the Phoenix, Jets and Steeldogs are still a serious threat, while a four-point weekend would put the Bison up with them.
For more EPL facts and figures, stats news and more take a look at www.iceman-epl.com
Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
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