Another week ends as we pore over what’s gone on in our team’s games up and down the country so here’s what we picked up from another exciting couple of rounds of action.
1. The Storm are coming
It’s fair to say we probably didn’t expect Manchester Storm to be the one of the form teams right now, but they are after a good run of five wins in their last six.
The only thing that’s perhaps disappointing is the fact they’re still in the bottom two, but if this continues, they have it in them to climb higher.
It’s been six victories in their last eight as well and Ryan Finnerty, their coach, can be pleased in his team’s turnaround in form and next for them is injury-hit Glasgow Clan. Right now, anything’s possible for them.
Milton Keynes Lightning picked up their second four-point weekend in three weeks (PHOTO: Tony Sargent)
2. Milton Keynes Lightning are the most frustrating team in British Ice Hockey
We know they can do it. They know they can do it and we’ve only seeing fleeting glimpses of what MK Lightning under Lewis Clifford are all about. So why are they so frustrating?
They posted a four-point weekend three weeks ago, lost their following three games then, this weekend, picked up maximum points again, beating Hull Pirates in overtime then Leeds Chiefs.
So, why oh why can’t they turn this into a consistent run and really make a charge up the NIHL National table? They won’t win the league, but they can make life tricky for others.
Sheffield Steelers have got a good group of scoring in their team (PHOTO: Dean Woolley)
3. Steelers scoring for fun
It says a lot about a team’s strengths when four players of the top six points scorers all wear the same uniform and it’s Sheffield Steelers who dominate on that front.
Results wise, it may have been a mixed weekend, but Aaron Fox’s side are getting the most out of their offensive lines and they’re certainly a dangerous team to defend against.
One interesting take from that is that they’ve scored three goals or more in each of their last nine games. Even in defeat, they’re finding the net and that’s quite an asset to have as they look to be back in the title reckoning again.
Glasgow Clan’s ongoing injury issues meant coach Zack Fitzgerald was back in action in Cardiff (PHOTO: David Williams)
4. Clan getting great use of NHS
The subject of the NHS has come up quite a lot during the General Election campaign and it seems Glasgow Clan are making the most of it before it may or may not be sold off.
Injuries to six players in the last few weeks has halted their early season rise to the top and now Zack Fitzgerald’s men are finding out about the other side of the adversity, where those that are upright and skating are having to dig deep.
Luckily for them, it’s a league where everyone’s nicking points off each other and with two players returning over the weekend and two signing for them, there may be light at the end of the tunnel, but they need the wins to get back on track.
Ian Watters scored the winner for Guildford in Fife on Sunday, but they’re still in a lowly league position (PHOTO: Flyers Images)
5. The league table is lying for Flames
The standings never lie they tell us, but if you look at the form Guildford Flames have been in recently, then look at the table, you wouldn’t think they’re as low down as they are.
Paul Dixon has been able to count on the same players for the last couple of seasons and in the last month or so, you’ve really started to see them kick on and get the results they have.
Taking the excellent Challenge Cup out of it, for a team with six wins out of their last nine, in any other platform, they would be mid-table or thereabouts. Again, it just shows the crazy nature of the Elite League this season.
