EPL Roundup Week 17

EPL Roundup Week 17 – w/e midnight Sunday 9^th January 2011 – The Iceman
 
The Andrew Sharp farce continued into week 16. According to the Phoenix the Canadian had had his suspension suspended. Or, at least half of it.
 
Having been given a derisory 2-game ban for what was a potentially serious injury inflicting hit, and served one, Phoenix boss Neil Morris said, ‘The organisation has been working all week with the league to try and reach a solution that worked for both them and us.’ Why I ask myself? Doesn’t the discipline system work that a ref imposes a decision and if it involves a ban greater than two games and becomes a disciplinary committee matter.
Protecting team-mates, particularly netminders, some goal-scorers and rookies is undoubtedly an integral, accepted and sometimes necessary aspect of the sport and the line is, or was, I thought, clear over which zealous protection would be punished if crossed. 
 
As for respect, well we can all admire skill, dedication and achievement, an undoubtedly Manchester player/coach Tony Hand ticks the boxes and his figures prove it, but I cannot believe he would want or be party to any special treatment and any game official, league member, club, ‘organisation’, coach or even player that condones let alone is party to favouritism implied or spoken is not worthy of respect, and shouldn’t be in the sport.
 
The biggest loser is, of course, the sport which devoid of a credible statement from the league and disregarding public opinion, as it has, never mind the fans, by omission nurtures the seeds of conspiracy.
 
What do you suppose would have happened if someone had whispered in Leon Spinks’s ear prior to his Ali fight, ‘Don’t be too hard on the old boy, he’s been around a long time and deserves some respect.’ Or, as my old grand-pappy used to say, ‘If you still want your old bull to perform, you don’t put him in a field full of cows with a young bull there, because he need’s special treatment.’ Which might be apt if I understood what the old codger was on about.
     
Now let’s have some of the other news. Marek Hornak departed the Tigers to concentrate on his studies. ‘I don’t mean this to be the end of my career’, he said, ‘but there are only 36 hours in a day. Coach Watkins, while expressing his disappointment said he hoped to have a replacement in days. And days later Andrejs Masloskis, released only weeks before, was recalled. The Latvian hadn’t gone far and was still practising with the club and training juniors. Watkins wasn’t done, though, and said he still wanted another British player.
 
Ben Davies, who appeared to have a promising future with Elite League Cardiff, jumped overboard and signed for the Bison where he decided he would get more ice time. And he probably will with the latter part of the season upon us and injuries coming into play. However, Coach Moria also made it known he was on the lookout for another player too, but not to replace Viktor Kubenko, who, as rumour had it, was on his way to the EIHL. ‘He is enjoying his hockey in Basingstoke,’ said Moria, ‘Viktor has a contract to play for us.’ So that put that straight!
 
And talking of rumours, Blaz Emersic was rumoured to be in a spot of bother over wages and ‘impounded’ equipment and allegedly refusing to play. But, definitely not a rumour was his dumping by Jets’ owner Zoran Kozic. Coach Russell delicately praised his ex-captain and will sorely miss him, but announced Joe Greener was to be the new Jets’ captain.
 
Coach Poole at the Lightning, on the other hand, was over the moon because that’s where Emersic rapidly re-emerged. And what a coup for Milton Keynes that was. To complete the rumours, Canadian Adam Calder, ex-Elite League and more recently playing in Italy, was hinted as mobile to Slough, although Russell would only say Emersic’s replacement was ‘a different sort of player to Blaz, and will be fantastic in this league.’
The return of Darius Lelanus at the end of the year to the Phantoms squad produced a problem for Coach Cruickshank. Lelanus had been out over a month with a shoulder injury and Cruickshank had signed up Chris Allen as a temporary replacement. Allen had already said he would like to stay with the Phantoms, and has clocked up decent enough figures for Cruickshank to now have to decide what to do. First step was the announcement that they would decide in the coming week.  
 
Monday, and came a surprise. Only four times this season has the Phoenix conceded four goals in a game and the Tigers, still without Tom Watkins, charged into a lead and slotted in seven! Not only that for most of the game the Manchester side didn’t have an answer and spent the game chasing with the Tigers giving them no time on the puck near their own goal. In the end, Coach Hand summed it up when he said, ‘I’ve told the guys we can’t afford to just take a night off. We kept the pressure on, and to be honest they were tired and dead on their feet.’
 
Tiger’s coach Tom Watkins, who was more than miffed from his team’s performance the night before against the Steeldogs said, ‘This was like night and day compared to Sheffield. I asked the players to show me some spirit and character, and they did that in spades.’  
 
Saturday and into week 17 and then came another surprise. Only four, er, five times this season has the Phoenix conceded four goals in a game and the Wildcats not only joined that elite, but did it from a three goal deficit! They even went into the lead at one point and although eventually going down on penalties, another tremendous display from a rejuvenated team that has taken points of three of the top four teams in row.
 
Interestingly prior to the match Coach Hand had said of his prodigal son Sharp. ‘We need to stay out of the penalty box. His job is to play hockey. If something happens, it happens, but my instructions to Sharpie is come and play the game.’ Well, yes and no. Staying out of the box seemed to work alright but the something happened bit didn’t. Sharp had a strange moment near the second break and ended on the ice with a face full of stick and was despatched to hospital, and although returning later didn’t play again.
 
The Bison extended their home winning run to nine games with a final period burst against the Jets thanks partly to an injury to Jan Krajicek and Doug Sheppard falling foul of the stupid accidental high-sticks rule. The Slough side already depleted and now minus Blaz Emersic which looks like a really clever move on the part of owner Zoran Kozic just ran out of steam.
 
Emersic, meanwhile, helped his new team in Milton Keynes put in a convincing performance against the Phantoms with a four-nil win and thereby extended their own winning home run to five games.
 
Although the Flames ran out comfortable 8-3 winners in Sheffield, with Nathan Rempel adding a second hat-trick to his season, it was Steeldogs’ new signing Janis Ozolins who stole the show. The Latvian was already averaging two points a game and claimed all three of the home side’s goals.
 
Sunday, and the Phantoms took the lead against the new-look Tigers with Tom Watkins back from suspension , Nathan Salem now in the side but Marek Hornak gone, but they equalised on the half-hour through Scott McKenzie and Daniel McKriel grabbed the winner with ten minutes to go. Coach Watkins said afterwards: ‘That was a fantastic win. With the changes to the squad we had to play a different system. But we were solid in all three zones tonight.’
 
Not so solid were the Wildcats who after a terrific run against the top teams, tripped over and went down 6-2 to the Jets, who had been crushed the night before by the Bison. But Wildcats still look like they have something in their tank, and although they might not race up the table, they are banking ‘respect’ for later.
 
And talking of tripping over, the Phoenix had another lucky win, this time against the Steeldogs in a scrappy game that ended with their win in overtime. Sharp received his second injury in a row with the medics called, while Sheffield’s Lloyd Gibson got his head covered in blood and Andre Payette collected an ‘abuse’ penalty ensuring his rise up the Penalty Chart. So that’s three games in a row the Phoenix have looked unimpressive against lower-half teams.
 
However, had the Flames not jumped over the cliff en-masse and been shut-out by five goals on their own ice by the Lightning, the Phoenix might be more concerned. The visitors were two up in the first three minutes with the game-winning-goal after barely a minute, then added three in the third including one from ‘new boy’ Blaz Emersic.
 
But the game of the evening, if not the weekend and the whole universe must be the ten goals the Bees put past the Bison for just three in reply. Although it might be easier to list who didn’t get on the scoreboard, needless to say ‘Dangerous Brothers’ Cesky and Pinc got hat-tricks and Peter Jasic picked up a bucketful of points as well. The win gave the Bees their biggest score of the season, and the Bison their biggest defeat and just to rub salt into the wound, Rick Skene collected a ten minute misconduct penalty.
 
So, with a reminder there is one more game in week 17 on Wednesday between the Bees and Lightning, that’s it for this week’s Roundup.
 
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Contact the author  Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com