The dust is settling on the action and once again, there have been a few things that caught our eye in another entertaining weekend. Here’s what we picked up from it:
1. THERE’S LIFE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE
After the way in which their seasons have panned out so far, not many of us would have predicted victories for the two teams at the bottom of the table.
MK Lightning confirmed Ryan Lannon and Tim Wallace as co-coaches until the end of the season and that stability is already bearing fruit, with a massive overtime win at Cardiff Devils.
Dundee Stars taking maximum points from Fife Flyers is another huge couple of results. Now Manchester Storm just above them don’t seem too far away.
2. CLAN CAN’T SEEM TO PLAY IN THE SECOND PERIOD
Pete Russell has bemoaned this for a few weeks now and it happened again as they fell to a 3-0 shutout home loss to Guildford Flames.
For some reason, the Glasgow Clan players are struggling to impose themselves on games in the middle session and the coach was at a loss to understand why this happened again.
As the old cliché goes, you have to play for 60 minutes and it’s a message that will be repeated constantly with two home games coming for them this week.
3. BARRASSO AND O’CONNOR HAVE GOT THE STEELERS SINGING
Another big win over Manchester Storm has got the Sheffield Steelers into the top half of the table and the labours of Tom Barasso is bearing fruit.
Plus, it’s no coincidence the return of Ben O’Connor has proved to be massive as he got another couple of assists in Sunday’s game.
Did you know before Ben came back, Steelers had won only one in eight at that points? Since his return, they’ve lost one in eight. Fact.
4. GIANTS RETURN TO DOMESTICITY WITH EASE
Giants fans are a happy bunch right now and rightfully so, picking up maximum points from two big road games at Coventry Blaze and at Guildford Flames.
They’re continuing to roll along and as Cardiff slipped up on Sunday, their position is strengthened again at the top of the Elite League table after a weekend away on European duty.
As for that Kyle Baun winner on Saturday in Coventry, shorthanded and right at the end of the game, that’s something to really admire.
5. INVICTA WIN IS THE LATEST ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
A few weeks ago, we ran an interview with Invicta Dynamos coach Kevin Parrish about the financial issues at the club, which was starting to turn around and they just needed a victory.
Well, they finally got it and it showed that hard work and perseverance pay off in the end as they picked up a 3-2 win on the road at Milton Keynes Thunder.
It was 18 straight losses in what’s been a tough season, but the Mo’s fans can go to work with a cheerier state of mind on Monday.
