Elite League Ice Chips: Week 30

You just gotta love the Play-offs!

The past week has been full of high intensity hockey that gave the eight qualifying teams the opportunity to make there way to the finals weekend at Nottingham and as always the games did not disappoint.

Come Sunday night we were left with the four who made it – namely Sheffield Steelers, Cardiff Devils, Belfast Giants and Nottingham Panthers – and this is how they did it!

Sheffield Steelers 6 Dundee Stars 1

Dundee Stars 4 Sheffield Steelers 2

(Steelers win 8-5 on aggregate)

Just two days after clinching the league title, Steelers had to focus 100% on their home Play-Off match with Stars. The professionalism of the home side shone as they blitzed the Scots side and skated to a 6-0 lead after two periods, with ace sniper Joey Talbot scoring a double. Stars did break the shutout hopes of all-star goaltender Ervins Mustukovs but only with 15 seconds remaining, leaving them an almost impossible task in trying to overturn a five goal deficit in Tayside on Saturday night.

Early in the second period of the 2nd leg everything was going to plan nicely for Steelers as Robert Dowd shot them ahead on the night but then Stars tied the game on the powerplay at the mid way point when Mark Nebus scored and then nicked a further goal late in the second period. Still no problems for Steelers but that all changed when in less than a minute around the halfway mark in the third period Stars hit a quick double and Steelers lead on aggregate was down to two!

No wonder player/coach Ben Simon was forced to call a time out – which worked!

A re-focused Steelers were able to repel the eager Stars and when Ladislav Kudrna vacated his net late on it was Ashley Tait who found the target and eased the visitors nerves.

Hull Stingrays 1 Cardiff Devils 2

Cardiff Devils 6 Hull Stingrays 3

(Devils win 8-4 on aggregate)

Devils were made to fight all the way during the 1st leg at Hull Ice Arena in a very even contest. An early shorthanded goal by Tylor Michel gave Gerad Adams’ charges the perfect start and a lead after the opening period but Stingrays were not just there to make up the numbers and levelled through their own player/coach Sylvain Cloutier at 26.25. Shortly afterwards Brad Voth eased Devils ahead again and it was that strike that proved the game winner on the night but it was a game that could have gone either way, of that there was no doubt.

However, Devils in Cardiff Bay are an almost impossible side to turnover and so it proved once again. A 3-1 opening period and a 3-0 second session had the Welsh side in complete control, with six different goal scorers once again showing the depth of offense in their ranks. A stingrays comeback in the third period was welcome but academic as the tie was well won by that point but Stingrays have made great strides this season and for them it was important to finish on a positive vibe!

Belfast Giants 2 Coventry Blaze 2

Coventry Blaze 1 Belfast Giants 2 (After a Penalty Shootout)

(Giants win 4-3 on aggregate) 

Let’s not kid anyone, this has been a season of real disappointment for Paul Thompson and his Coventry Blaze and not many fancied their chances against Doug Christiansen’s Belfast Giants but in the closest of all four quarter finals Blaze were so close to dumping the Odyssey based side out of the Play-Offs, losing out only in the lottery of the penalty shootout after the teams shared four goals in Belfast and two more in Coventry.

Saturday night in the Odyssey saw Blaze outshot by 39 to 17 but they stayed in the game all night thanks to spirited defence with goaltender Brett jaeger outstanding. It was the Giants blue liners who showed the way with Jeff Mason and Jon Gleed hitting the back of the Blaze net but with Greg Owen and Sean Selmser replying for Blaze it was all to play for at the Skydome on Sunday night.

In terms of general play Giants were even more in control, outshooting Blaze 51 to 25 but again the home defence was superb and constantly Giants were frustrated at their inability to put he game to bed! In fact Russell Cowley gave Blaze a first period lead but that was negated when ex Blaze star Dan Welch tied it early in the second session. Plenty of effort from both sides after that with the spectators captivated throughout but no further goals by either side despite many chances and powerplay opportunities – even in overtime!

So to the shootout where of the six first round shooters only that man Jeff Mason was able to score, sending Giants the the semi-finals and ending a season that Blaze will quickly want to forget! 

Braehead Clan 4 Nottingham Panthers 5

Nottingham Panthers 3 Braehead Clan 0

(Panthers win 8-4 on aggregate)

Clan made their Play-Off debut in front of their biggest crowd of the season at Braehead Arena, with over 2,500 witnessing a superb Play-Off 1st leg tie against Panthers, where simply no one was backing down all night.

Special teams played a big part in this game with both sides scoring three powerplay goals. Panthers edged an always physical opening session thanks to a late powerplay strike by player/coach Corey Neilson which broke a 1-1 tie and when only 18 seconds into the second period Guillaume Lepine made it 3-1 it looked ominous for the home side. They roared back though and were level by the 37th minute amid mounting excitement.

The home fans thought the comeback complete when their own player/coach Bruce Richardson edged them 4-3 ahead in the early stages of the third period but Clan penalty trouble saw Panthers hit back and score twice in the last ten minutes on the powerplay to edge it in a nine-goal thriller.

The 2nd leg at the NIC on Saturday saw Panthers produce an extremely effective display, with Craig Kowalski posting 27 saves to blank the Scots side and with sniper David-Alexandre Beauregard scoring twice at the other end it was Panthers who advanced from a tie that many thought would provide the shock of the quarter finals – not to be however and a memorable debut season for Clan ended in the Lace City.

MILESTONES ACHIEVED -

Player Milestones

Jason Robinson of Coventry played in his 300th all time competitive game.

Andrew Jaszczyk of Hull played in his 200th all time competitive game.

Danny Meyers of Nottingham recorded his 100th all time competitive point.

Player of the week for the Play-Off quarter finals now and we ask Jeff Mason of the Belfast Giants to skate forward and receive his applause. Jeff played a crucial part as Giants advanced past Coventry to the semi-finals, taking time out from his defensive duties to score the opening goal in the 1st leg at the Odyssey and then fire in the vital shootout winner in the return at the Skydome on Sunday.