Tom Watkins will demand a physical approach from his players in this weekend’s double-header of home games against Bracknell Bees and Basingstoke Bison.
Saturday evening sees Bracknell make the trip to Telford Ice Rink, while on Sunday, The Tigers host English Premier League leaders Basingstoke.
Both games could prove crucial in deciding Telford’s chances of retaining their EPL title, with the Bison in particular a target for Watkins’ men. 
And the Tigers chief is expecting a physical test in both games this weekend.
He said: “It can be hard for us to change a lot of games with a physical approach, because we enjoy so much puck possession. Of course, that doesn’t happen every night.
“In the more evenly matched games, we need to be more physical and use our hits to separate guys from the puck. It has to be more intense in defence and on the forecheck.
“There is no point in making a good hit if you don’t contain the puck carrier. We need to be smart when making a hit and use it to take a better position.”
Saturday’s visit of Bracknell has been labeled as a potential “banana skin” by Watkins, after the Berkshire outfit lost a string of players in recent weeks.
He added: “There is always a fear that a team like Bracknell will be a banana skin. It is the old underdog story, so there can’t be any complacency from the start.
“The longer you leave them in the game, the longer you give them a chance to take something from us and the confidence continues to grow.
“Confidence is a huge thing in sport and that is something we did the last time we played them in Bracknell. We left them in the game and it finished 6-4.
“We have got to be prepared to battle hard and do the little things well against teams that are struggling for bodies and wins at the moment.”
Sunday’s visit of Basingstoke promises to be an especially mouth-watering affair, with the Bison having beaten Telford three times so far times this season.
“It would be good to know we can beat Basingstoke and I am confident we can do that,” Watkins said.
“We dominated them here earlier in the season, but lost 4-1. The guys have to be more responsible, with or without the puck this weekend.
“The Bison are a very hard working team and they have some hard-nosed guys. Players like Watt, Greener and Lack have competed well all season.
“With the addition of their netminder, whether they’re hard to break down or he’s keeping them in games, he’s certainly making a difference for them.”
Both of this weekend’s games face off at 6pm – for tickets, go to www.tigershockeyuk.com.
Note that there will be no card payments available, due to an IT upgrade by Telford & Wrekin Council.
You must be logged in to post a comment.