Cracovia Krakow falls 6-1 to Rubin Tyumen in IIHF Continetal Cup Play

Group E’s opening game of the Continental Cup saw Rubin Tyumen of Russia beat Cracovia Krakow of Poland 6-1.

The Russians had period scores of 2-0, 2-1 and 2-0 to beat their Eastern European counterparts comfortably. Former LA King and Nashville Predator star Vitali Yachmenyov was amongst the goals as was 2004 Minnesota Wild draft pick Roman Voloshenko.

Hosts Donbass Donetsk will be looking for a big result tonight against their Latvian opponents  Liepajas Metalurgs to try and keep pace with the Russians, who have flown out of the blocks this afternoon with that 6-1 result.

- Adam Yates

Detroit Red Wings Vs Boston Bruins – Thanksgiving Showdown.

Boston entered this game on a 10 game winning streak whilst Detroit were on a 3 game winning run themselves. Both teams had almost identical records and whilst Tim Thomas was just pipping his counterpart Jimmy Howard in both the Save % and GAA columns it was Tukka Rask who got the nod in the Boston Net

After a very scrappy opening 13 minutes that Boston dominated on possession and shots, Detroit got a quick break out and scored against the run of play. Fillpula entered the zone with speed, found Zetterberg on the wing who then fed it straight back to Fillpula as he went in on goal He stroked it past Tukka Rask for a fantastic break out goal. The Red Wings probably didn’t deserve this after the Bruins had started well but they took the chance when it came along.

You’d have expected  a tough, close 1^st period from 2 teams with similar records. The game certainly seemed to be going that way. The Bruins were more than edging the game on shots, 13 – 6 but it was the Red Wings who went into the intermission with a 1-0 lead. Howard looked like he was carrying on his great form whilst Rask hadn’t had much to deal with at the other end.

Boston got themselves level within the first 5 minutes of the 2^nd period as Jimmy Howard tried to throw a puck to a defenceman behind the net that was intercepted by Horton and he fed Paille who had Howard sprawling back across his net and he beat the netminder easily. Datsyuk had Detroit back in the lead 35 seconds later as Bertuzzi played a puck from the boards between the legs of the Boston defenceman and Datsyuk kicked the puck across the crease onto his own  stick and slid the puck into the gaping net behind Rask. An exchange of 2 minute minors with around 7 minutes of the 2^nd left saw Detroit exert some good pressure on the Boston net. A couple of great powerplay chances went begging, the most notable being a great chance for Fillpula to bag his 2^nd. Somehow the Red Wing forward put the put over the top of the net as he stood on Rask’s doorstep.

Detroit would take that 2-1 lead into the 3^rd period as Detroit had the better of the 2^nd period but couldn’t extend their 1 goal lead. Boston started the 3^rd period well and they nearly capitlaised on a chance where Howard lost his bearings in his crease. Detroit got some momentum back though as Sidenberg took a 2 minute penalty for a knee on knee collision with Emmerton mid ice. For all the possession and good set up play, Detroit couldn’t find a way through a solid Boston penalty kill and the game remained at 2-1.

Another bad play from Detroit in their own zone led to Boston tying the game again. Zetterberg seemed to casually turn on a puck right infront of Jimmy Howard and Bergeron stole it off him and put it past the hapless Detroit netminder. It wasn’t the best of passes to Zetterberg in his own zone and he seemed to think he had more time than he actually did. The Bruins aggressive forecheck worked again and the building was ignited as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Danny Cleary created himself a great chance to put the Red Wings back infront as  he picked up the puck and went in on net, going forehand and backhand but he rattled the pipe behind Tukka Rask in the Bruins net and the game stayed tied. Jimmy Howard then made 2 huge saves, 1^st from Seguin and then Marchand as Boston threw everything they could back at Detroit to try and break the tie. Zetterberg, Fillpula, Franzen and Datsyuk all got the puck on net in the final 3 minutes but couldn’t break the tie either and both teams guaranteed themselves a point as the game headed into overtime.

4 on 4 hockey in the OT period saw this game intensify even more as both teams went out to try and get the extra point before penalty shots were needed. Zetterberg made a clever play to give Bertuzzi a great chance to win it for Detroit but he hit the glass and Zdeno Chara had a wrap around chance which was fielded away from the net by Howard as the game did get to the penalty shot stage. Tyler Seguin went 1^st as he chose to shoot from between the hash marks and Howard got a piece of it to deflect it over the top of the net.

Datsyuk faked a move to the back hand and went forehand to put the puck past Rask stick side and give Detroit the lead.

Peverley had Howard falling all over his crease but fired the puck wide which gave Hudler the chance to win it. Hudler  went back hand and fired it straight into Rask’s glove, an easy save for the Bruins netmnider. Horton fired the puck in off the pipe glove side on Howard to keep the shoot out alive. That meant if Bertuzzi scored Detroit would take the extra point and the Red Wing forward skated the puck wide before disguising going backhand and firing the puck forehanded to the glove side of Rask to win the game.

Neither team deserved to lose this one really. A great advert for the NHL as the Red Wings break the Bruins 10 game winning streak.

- Adam Yates

HC Asiago Beats Out The Sheffield Steelers

Group D’s action started early afternoon with group favourites HC Asiago of Italy facing Great Britain’s Sheffield Steelers.

Sheffield faced a major set back on D coming into this game as 1^st Rod Sarich was ruled out of action last weekend when suffering an injury in a league game against Nottingham Panthers and then Steve Birnstall was taken ill as the team arrived in Denmark. RG Flath had already been practicing to cover as a 5^th defenceman for the team but it looked like the team would go into the game with only 3 fully fit recognised D men. Steve Birnstill iced but how fit he was is anyone’s guess Mark Thomas took an early holding call which put the Steelers on the back foot to start but a good penalty kill saw the British team kill of the first powerplay chance for the Italians.

DeCaro made the first big save of the game on a one on one to keep the score level as HC Asiago started to put on some pressure as the game started to settle into a pattern. Chad Huttel took a 2^nd holding penalty of the period as the Steelers found themselves on the back foot again but DeCaro stood strong as did Sheffield’s PK unit as they killed off the penalty again.

The Steelers took a 1-0 lead at around 12 minutes of the 1^st as Steve Birnstill picked up a loose puck and put it into an open net. RG Flath and Matt Stephenson picked up the assists. This was against the run of play but the under the weather defenceman would have been more than happy with his effort to give his team the lead. With just over 2 minutes of the period left HC Asiago took their 1^st penalty of the game, again a holding call and the Steelers had their 1^st powerplay chance of the game. DeCaro pulled off another great save shorthanded as the 1^st period ended with Sheffield 1-0 up but the Italians outshooting them 14-10.

Tom Squires gave the Steelers a 2-0 lead with around  minutes gone in the 2^nd period as the young British player gave Lerg in the HC Asiago net no chance as he put a screamer past him into the back of the net. Chad Huttel got the sole assist on the goal.

Sheffield were growing as the game went on and a slashing penalty gave the Steelers their 2^nd powerplay chance.  Good possession for the Steelers didn’t lead to any chances and a penalty for too many men led to the powerplay being cut short and would eventually give HC Asiago over minute of 5 on 4 time themselves. Decaro pulled off some more great saves and the Steelers penalty kill stood firm as another penalty was killed off.

Another powerplay chance led to HC Asiago pulling the score back to 2-1 as Sean Bentivoglio fired the puck high past John DeCaro with just over 5 minutes left on the period. HC Asiago made it 2-2 before the end of the period as DeCaro made the 1^st save but Bentivoglio buried the rebound as the Italians stunned the British team with 2 quick goals. Colt King regained the Steelers the lead as HC Asiago somehow managed to give the puck away to the Sheffield forward right infront of the net and he buried the puck into the net.

HC Asiago got an early equaliser in the 3^rd as Chad Huttel sat another 2 minutes and the Italian’s levelled at 42.22. The game remained close as Sheffield had a powerplay chance with 12 minutes left but couldn’t convert it into another lead. It was a very even 3^rd period with Tom Squire and Colt King both coming close to giving Sheffield back the lead as the game headed into the final 2 minutes of the game.

A penalty was called on HC Asiago in the last 2 minutes with a delay of game call being made but Sheffield couldn’t make it count as the game went into an overtime period to see if the teams could finish it off.

Sheffield seemed to have the better of the 5 minute 4 on 4 OT period but neither team could break the tie and the 1^st game of the group headed into penalty shots.

Jeff Legue started the Shoot Out for Sheffield and he put his shot wide of the net. Vigalante took HC Asiago’s 1^st penalty shot and he scored past DeCaro to give the Italian’s the advantage in the shoot out.

Mike Ramsay was then stopped by Lerg leaving DeCaro needing to make a save but HC Asiago buried the 2^nd penalty shot as well and they took the extra point in the game. Sheffield put up an enormous effort but fell short at the end. HC Asiago will need to improve and build on this result against the Hungarian entrants tomorrow night but Sheffield should be proud of how they played. With a shorter bench they were never behind in this game and apart from a 3 minute spell in the 2^nd where they allowed HC Asiago back into the game they were solid defensively.

- Adam Yates

Devils get Stung as the Clan March On

UK Mid Week Round Up Tuesday 22^nd and Wednesday 23^rd November

There were two mid week games in the EIHL this week. On Tuesday night the Clan hosted the Edinburgh Capitals at Braehead whilst on Wednesday Cardiff hosted the Hull Stingrays. Elsewhere in the Elite League last year’s champions Sheffield Steelers arrived in Denmark for their Continental Cup qualifying final which starts on Friday.

However not travelling with the team was Rod Sarich. The popular long serving defensemen’s injuries were worse than first suspected and will not be available for some time. Following spending Sunday night in hospital Sarich underwent emergency surgery to fix a bleed in his liver caused by a hit in Sunday’s game against Nottingham. Sarich is said to be doing well but will not return to action any time soon.

Hull Stingrays 3 Cardiff Devils 2 (APS)

Hull headed into the Cardiff Devils Ice Rink on the back of some mixed results and facing an inform Devils side. However Hull started the brighter and used their physical presence to ensure they would not be out muscled by an intimidating Devils outfit.

The Stingrays hard work was repaid early as Dominic Osman scored inside 5 mins and then Jerome Tendler double the lead before the break. The physical play from Hull though boiled over as young British Talent Bobby Chamberlain was sent to dressing room early for butt ending and so marked the Devils revival. The Devils pressed but could not hit the back of the net till the third period when Stuart Macrae scored and Kenton Smith levelled matters. With scores tied at 2 the game went to penalties and the ‘rays picked up the extra point thanks to Osman and Bakrilk.

Cardiff will look to bounce back on Sunday as they face the Flyers in Cardiff whilst Hull face a crutial weekend of games as they travel to Nottingham and host Braehead as they look to gain a place in the play offs.

Edinburgh Capitals 2 Braehead Clan 8

After meeting in Edinburgh only 2 nights previous the Clan were out for revenage on home ice despite missing 3 key players.

The Clan though started like a team with a point to prove as they opened the scoring through a McPherson brace in the first period. The Capitals looked shocked and only managed 4 shots on goal in the first period although one from Holecko did make it a tight affair at the first break.

If anything though that only galvanised the home side who then scored two goals in 41 seconds to put the game beyond Edinburgh including the hat trick goal for McPherson. The Clan went on to add two more before the break including a first ever top flight goal for youngster Aidan Fulton. Zemburgs pulled another back for the Capitals but the contest was long decided when McPherson got his fourth for the Clan and then Walker added the eighth.

The Clan’s win meaning that they move two points clear of the Capitals in sixth place in the standings. The Capitals will need to get back on winning ways quickly as they face Dundee and Fife at the weekend if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

The GetRealHockey Guide to the Braehead Clan

Home: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scottland

Founded: 2010

Colours: Purple, Black, Silver,

The Braehead Clan are one the UK’s newest hockey clubs but represent an area with a deep and rich ice hockey history. The Clan were founded in 2010 following a continued effort to re-establish a professional team in the south western part of Scotland following the loss of the Scottish Eagles during the 2002 season.

The Clan’s first season was not without its own problems though.  Almost as soon as the clubs first head coach Adam Calder was announced he left and the season hadn’t even started yet. But things did turn around and the Clan went on to finish the season in the playoffs and picked up their first piece of silverware with the four team tournament Aladdin Cup trophy in 2011. The Braehead Clan also took the Scottish bragging rights by finishing higher than the other three Scottish clubs in the EIHL.

As for this season Braehead will once again be aiming for the play offs and going one better by reaching the finals weekend. And with wins against Belfast and Cardiff they have shown the potential to do that. Whilst with two games left in the challenge cup group stage they remain in a good position to qualify for the semi finals.

So far Braehead have done a great job in putting Glasgow back on the hockey map but they will have a lot to live up to because of the success of their predecessor the Scottish Eagles in the nineties but with time and the ground they have made in such a short space of time the Clan seem to be well placed to do that.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

British Ice Hockey Could Get an Unexpected Windfall

A newspaper report earlier this week noted that the funding of Sport England could be under threat as the main beneficiaries of its funding are making millions in profit. Sport England is a government quango charged with distributing money from taxpayers and the lottery to sporting causes.

In the past this has benefited all sports including ice hockey and was a major part of the funding for Ice Sheffield, the dual ice pad arena in Sheffield. However the biggest winners in the past year were the Football Association and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) yet the RFU made £14.5m ($28m) in the last year and was in recent of around £9m ($15m) a year.

This has left many to wonder is it right at a time of tight fiscal planning for public money to be spent on essentially losing national teams whose players earn hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds a year. Meanwhile a promising national team such as the Great Britain ice hockey team is left on a shoe string budget. 

Therefore if Sport England is to keep its level of funding surely it would be best to diversify to those sports where players are earning far less and profits are low if any. Ice hockey in the UK of course has some issues and hurdles to overcome. For a start it is a Great Britain national team but this should not be allowed to stop it from applying for this funding instead Ice Hockey Uk (the overseeing body) should be allowed to apply for funding from all the sports quango’s including Sport England and Sport Scotland as they represent all of those internationally.

The second issue is that of lottery funding. Ice hockey in the UK is prohibited from some lottery funding because the national team is not represent at the Olympics. This is inherently unfair on ice hockey as only 12 teams are represented at the games. Compare this to other sports where many more countries are represented. In swimming or athletics for example any individual making the qualifying time is eligible to be selected and therefore eligible for funding regardless of how poor their performance at the games maybe.  Even handball, a sport at which Great Britain is ranked one of the lowest in the world, received £1.4m in funding for its senior teams. If this was to change the Great Britain ice hockey team could access more funding for training camps for example and would make a difference at world championships and Olympic qualification.

By changing the rules and giving more funding to sports like ice hockey instead of rugby union and football the Great Britain ice hockey team would benefit massively and take the next step towards Olympic qualification and Sport England and Sport UK would keep its funding level. A win win as all parties would benefit and ultimately the youth side of sports would be able to develop further. Not only this but if that change were to happen soon an almost immediate return on that investment could be witnessed given the vast improvement in recent world championships of the Great Britain team.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

IIHF Continental Cup Action in Denmark and and the Ukraine

This weekend sees the IIHF Continental Cup hit the later group stages in Herning, Denmark and Donetsk, Ukraine.

There will be 2 groups of Hockey played – each group consisting of 4 teams that won their respective countries league last season.

Group D consists of HC Asiago of Italy, Sheffield Steelers of Great Britain, Dunaujvarosi Acelbikak of Hungary and hosts Herning Blue Fox.

Dunaujvarosi Acelbikak have already played through one group back in October, knocking out the champions of Belgium, Spain and The Netherlands to land their position in the group. The other 3 teams come straight into these latter stages, which is almost a semi final group stage.

Group E Consists of Rubin Tyumen of Russia, Cracovia Krakow of Poland, Liepajas Metalurgs of Latvia and hosts Donbass Donetsk.

Like their group D counterparts Dunaujvarosi Acelbikak, Liepajas Metalurgs have also already faced another qualifying group. They defeated the champions of Slovenia, Kazakhstan and Romania to get this far. Both groups kick off Friday and each team plays against each other once, with the team on top of the group come Sunday evening winning through to the Final group stage which is to be held in Rouen, France in January. Rouen Dragons and Yunot Minsk of Belarus are already in that final group so these groups are going to be extremely competitive with only the top spot seeing a team through to the final group. This is a tough weekend for all teams involved as all of them will play 3 games in 3 days.

Whilst bringing you up to date with results from both groups my main focus will be on Group D and Great Britain’s entrant to the competition, The Sheffield Steelers.

Their hosts, Herning Blue Fox have go into the weekend with a roster of 3 Netminders, 10 defencemen and 16 forwards to choose from. In comparison to this, Sheffield go to their Danish Hosts with 2 Netminders (1 being a young upcoming British player who is unlikely to see any ice time), 4 Defencemen and about 11 forwards.

An injury to star defenceman Rod Sarich (Brother of Calgary Flames Corey Sarich) picked up last weekend has seen the Steelers short benched in that area for the weekend. With the team usually running at 5 D, don’t be surprised to see RG Flath moved back there to help out this weekend.

Looking at the Hunarian champions roster, they boast 35 players to have iced already this season and Italy’s HC Asiago have 3 Netminders, 7 Defencmen and 14 Forwards on their books ready to play.

Sheffield certainly head into this tournament with the likelihood of burning out come Sunday.. However, 2 years ago with a similar size roster this Sheffield team surprised a lot of European Hockey fans by winning their group at this stage and headed to the final. That team contained some of the same players who face of in Denmark tomorrow and they have experience and heart which they hope will see them through.

For Sheffield to have any chance of finishing in that top spot again there will be certain players that need to shine this weekend and hopefully they will.

John DeCaro

John DeCaro is the man who will lead the Steelers inbetween the pipes. He is likely to play all 3 games and will huge performances to go with his huge stature in goal. It is DeCaro’s 1^st season in Sheffield after spending his 6 professional years to date in the ECHL, CHL or AHL. The last 2 seasons he spent at Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs before coming over to The Elite League In Great Britain. He currently has a save percentage of 0.935% and a GAA of 2.01 in the 21 games he has played so far.

Jeff Legue

Jeff Legue played the 2005-2006 season in the ECHL for South Carolina Stingrays and Dayton Bombers before heading to Germany the season after for his 1^st taste of European Hockey. He signed for Sheffield in the 2007-2008 season and is now in his 5^th year with the club. That first season brough him 43 points and he has improved on that year after year. He racked up 40 + 40 last year in 56 games and has 29 points in 22 games already this season. This guy has speed and an eye for both a great pass and the back of the net. He will be the Steelers go to guy up front.

Ashley Tait

Tait, like Legue had signed for the Steelers back in the 2007-2008 season. He did move for 1 season over to Ritten Renon in Italy but came back last season and is now the assistant player coach of the team. Tait has played for 20 seasons now in the UK and his experience will be key on the ice if games are close ones. Sheffield have 3 or 4 younger players in the team who have not experienced anything like this and Tait will be the one to keep them going and playing to the best of their ability.
 

Tait is also a point scorer. He has racked up over 50 points in all 3 seasons on the team and is one of the top scorers this year so far as well.

If these 3 players are on their game all weekend and the rest of the team are too, who knows what the outcome of the group will be.

Sheffield are probably the 3^rd favourites going into the group but this is a team that has only lost twice in 16 league games so far and are heading to the tournament with no pressure being put on them to qualify. HC Asiago are have the pressure of being favourites and Herning have the pressure of the home fans. Maybe, just maybe this will play into the Steelers hands.

- Adam Yates