Let’s find out who’s hot and who’s not in this week’s Power Rankings. How did your team do this weekend?
1. Belfast Giants (NON-MOVER) – Hard not to shift Adam Keefe’s men from this lofty position after a great weekend where they shutout Nottingham Panthers then thrashed Cardiff Devils 8-1. Both on their own patch. Incredible.
2. Fife Flyers (UP from 3) – Those ‘Pesky Flyers’ (not our words) just won’t go away and their week was fantastic as they took both points from Cardiff in overtime then edged Manchester Storm in another great night for the home fans. They won’t go away without a fight, that’s for sure.
3. Guildford Flames (DOWN from 2) – Okay, so the weekend ended with a 4-1 home loss to Nottingham Panthers, but beating Sheffield Steelers 6-5 in a tough performance on the road. Was Sunday a blip or the start of a poor run? We’ll have to wait and see.
4. Cardiff Devils (DOWN from 3) – Saturday’s win over Milton Keynes Lightning was their only saving grace, but there’s no doubt Andrew Lord’s side are on a slump, with this win the meat in a Fife/Belfast defeat sandwich. They’ll want to turn it around as quickly as possible.
5. Sheffield Steelers (UP from 6) – There are a few smiles around the Steelers now and that’s down to two things. Tom Barrasso coming in and having an impact and the return of Ben O’Connor. While they lost to Guildford, fans were pleased with the character shown in the fightback. And the comfortable win at Dundee. A positive weekend despite mixed results.
6. Glasgow Clan (UP from 8) – How much did the Clan need those two wins over Coventry Blaze to give them a kick up the backside? Plenty of players weighed in with points and getting all four points gives them the chance to get some momentum
7. Nottingham Panthers (NON-MOVER) – We saw the good and the bad of Nottingham Panthers as they continue to struggle to get out of the funk they find themselves in. Sunday’s win over Guildford was needed, if nothing else, but Saturday’s shutout loss to Belfast hurt them.
8. Coventry Blaze (DOWN from 5) – They got a point from the weekend, but two losses to Glasgow Clan set the Blaze back a little, compared to results elsewhere. They have the players, but it was far from a vintage weekend for Danny Stewart’s team.
9. Manchester Storm (NON-MOVER) – Another mixed weekend for Storm as they took care of Milton Keynes on Friday night, but edged out 3-2 at Fife Flyers. They have the capability to go on a run, but that consistency continues to escape them.
10. Dundee Stars (NON-MOVER) – It’s getting serious at Dundee as Omar Pacha is threatening to make changes. Their only game was a 6-1 shellacking by Sheffield Steelers and the coach has had enough. Interesting times ahead perhaps.
11. Milton Keynes Lightning (NON-MOVER) – Lightning continue to struggle and with seven straight losses and one win in their last 11, things aren’t looking too good. They’re also eight points adrift of the play-off spots already. Yikes!
