For the Elite League’s top-four regular-season teams, there is no reason to be upset after the playoff quarterfinals — the Belfast Giants, Sheffield Steelers, Nottingham Panthers, and Cardiff Devils are the postseason’s final four, too.
But only Belfast advanced with relative ease, dominating the Dundee Stars home and away to punch their ticket to Playoff Finals Weekend in the style expected from a treble-hunting squad.
The Glasgow Clan gave the Steelers a Friday night fright, winning their first-leg showdown 3-1 to send a shiver down the spine of Aaron Fox.
Sheffield needed second-leg overtime to secure their semi-final spot — a minor detail if they win it all this weekend.
The Panthers also lost in the first-leg, but proved too hot for the Guildford Flames to handle when the tie shifted to the Motorpoint Arena.
Cardiff shut the Blaze out in Coventry, only to squander their two-goal advantage early in leg-two.
The Devils prospered in the end, albeit having had the nose bloodied by Kevin Moore’s never-say-die squad.
With that in mind, I submit to you playoff-edition Elite League Team of the Week.
Elite League Team of the Week: Playoff Quarterfinals
Ben Bowns, Devils
British Summer Time started a fortnight ago, but Ben Bowns wound back the clocks instead.
It’s easy to make the case for Bowns this week — he made 64 saves on 67 shots, kept a road game shutout, and finished the weekend having made numerous season-sustaining stops.
The 34-year-old has been lights out lately, with a blistering .953 save percentage over his last five starts.
In a sport as random and luck-driven as hockey, having a hot hand between the pipes can be the difference between championship glory and an early playoff exit.
In Bowns, the Devils have a shot-stopper in top form — and therefore an outside shot at lifting silverware for the second time this season.
Cooper Zech, Panthers
With Nottingham’s season on the line, Cooper Zech provided two momentum-shifting assists in the space of three minutes to open Game Two.
The American clocked out for the weekend with four assists in total, all crucial as the Panthers came from behind the beat Guildford.
The 26-year-old has 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 39 games this season, an impressive haul for a player who missed two months of play through injury at the start of the campaign.
Mike Lee, Giants
Mike Lee’s point streak is now nine games, five goals and seven assists deep.
The 28-year-old was a standout figure as the Giants swept Dundee aside, playing 20+ minutes in both legs and maintaining a plus-two rating.
Lee scored twice, tallied a primary assist, and was never rattled when the Stars tried to pull the series into shenaniganry.
Look for him to be a decisive figure at Playoff Finals Weekend.
Mitchell Heard, Clan
Mitchell Heard recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in a losing effort against the Steelers, firing the Clan to an early two-goal lead in the first-leg of their quarterfinal tie.
The Canadian also went 14-11 in the face-off circle.
Mitchell Balmas, Steelers
When the Steelers needed a moment of magic, Mitchell Balmas provided it.
The 27-year-old scored seven minutes into Sheffield’s second-leg showdown against the Clan, sending the Utilita Arena into raptures and changing the complexion of the tie.
If not for Balmas’ early strike, would the Steelers have came out on top? We’ll never know, but it certainly helped.
Mitchell Fossier, Panthers
The Panthers came from behind to win 8-5 on aggregate — Mitchell Fossier contributed six points.
Playoffs: Mitchell Fossier, Nottingham Panthers (Image: Panthers Images)
Outstanding.
Fossier started the weekend with two assists in a 3-2 loss, before digging deep with a hattrick and an assist in the decisive second-leg.
The American can also be credited with truly shifting the mood of the tie, scoring a penalty shot with 14 minutes left on the clock to fire Nottingham back in front.
Fossier leads the playoffs in goals and points, taking his tally on the season in all completions to a sensational 62 points (21 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games.
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