No TCW Live tonight, but…..

….You can follow all the action from the game in Newcastle thanks to coverage from UK Hockey Live. Just click on the link below:

UK Hockey Live – Vipers v Panthers

 

Panthers 6 Steelers 3

The scene was already set. A Steelers loss would send them to the bottom of the Elite league while sending Panthers back to the summit.
Panthers included new signing Mario Larocque in the squad, Nick Toneys making way for him. Steelers were at full strength.

The fun & games started from the opening face-off as Bruce Richardson and Jason Hewitt dropped the gloves. Hewitt got the take down (probably to save himself from further punishment) while Bruce got the better shots in, including putting Hewitt down and dragging him back up again. Maybe that will teach Hewitt to keep his mouth shut after games in future, but I doubt it!
Panthers opened the scoring when a mistake by Ben Morgan allowed David Clarke to fire a bullet of a shot past Andrew Verner. Steelers equalised through Matt Hubbauer who find the tiniest of gaps at KSP’s near post. Panthers re-took the lead later in the period after a sustained spell of Steelers pressure was broken up, Sean McAslan skated along the wing and centered the puck for Ross Dalgleish to poke home. Verner complained but there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Robert Dowd earned a 10 minute misconduct for firing the puck after the whistle, which lead to a coming together between all the players on the ice, the only penalty being a 2 minute roughing penalty for Bruce Richardson. From the resulting powerplay Steelers equalised, Brad Cruikshank scoring. The period ended 2-2, Steelers would be the happier team as Panthers dominated for long spells and out shot the visitors 20-10 in the period. Nothing could have prepared us for what was to come in the second!

The middle period was quite scrappy for the first five minutes, but Panthers regained the lead when a fabulous pass sent Danny Meyers clear and he made no mistake to chalk up his first goal of the season. Soon after it was 4-2, great passing across the zone saw Jade Galbraith produce an unstoppable one time shot that I doubt Verner even saw! Worse was to follow for the hapless Steelers, while on a powerplay the puck found its way to Richardson, who skated in unopposed on Verner and slotted the puck into the net for a short handed fifth. The Steelers were now totally outmatched, outfought and outplayed, but what was worse is the showed no fire to get back in it. Too many of their player went missing, including so-called hard man Brad Cruikshank, who was nowhere to be seen. As I said in last night’s commentary, I don’t think I have ever seen such a weak, powder-puff Steelers team!

Panthers coasted the third after Clarke notched his second and Panthers sixth early in the period. Steelers did score a consolation goal through Hubbauer, but the result was never in doubt, and Panthers skated to an easy 6-3 victory.
While Panthers were good they weren’t exceptional. I felt the result was more to do with how bad the Steelers are, and believe me they are bad, quite easily the worst Elite League team I’ve seen this year. It really is no coincidence that they find themselves at the bottom of the Elite league.
As for Panthers, well we return to the top, but to stay there wins against Newcastle tonight and Edinburgh on Tuesday are vital, and that will be a tough ask with injuries and a reported illness in the camp. There could be tough times ahead.

TCW Live – Nottingham Panthers v Sheffield Steelers 7th November

TCW Live will be providing live text updates from the biggest rivalry in the known Western world! Tune in from around 7pm for all the action.
Note for Steelers fans. I am a huge Panthers fan and the commentary will have a huge Panthers bias. If you can’t handle that or are easily offended then don’t click on the link below.

TCW Live – Panthers v Steelers

Panthers v Steelers Preview

The biggest rivalry in Middle Earth sees the second league meeting of the season and the first in Nottingham this Saturday in front of what is likely to be a sell out crowd. Both teams have been having a pretty poor time of it lately, but the Panthers are still top of the Elite league while the Steelers are languishing in seventh place. The form of both teams since the last meeting at Sheffield Arena on 26th September is as follows (both have played 12 games):

Panthers: WWWWLLWLWLWL - Goals for 40; Goals against 39

Steelers: LLWLWWWLLLWL – Goals for 39; Goals against 41

Goals for and against are pretty much identical, however the win/loss column is a little different with Panthers having a 7/5 record compared to the Steelers 5/7.
The concensus of opinion on Steeltalk is that the Panthers are going to romp to victory, but we all know that the Steelers raise their game for these encounters. Panthers will hopefully have new signing Mario Larocque in the line up so you would expect the players to be fired up as they are now playing for their jobs. Personally I think netminding will decide the game, it will come down to how KSP and Andrew Verner perform on the night.
If it becomes a physical contest then the Panthers should win hands down. Steelers only physical threat is Brad Cruikshank and Larocque, Kevin Bergin and Dominic D’Amour will not lose any sleep over facing him in a showdown. No doubt Steelers fans will clamour for Jason Hewitt to face Bruce Richardson, but why should we lose the teams heartbeat for five minutes when the trade off is a well below average Brit? If the game is safe then by all means give Hewitt a beating, but not before.

Overall it will probably be a close game, no predictions from me but only a Panthers win will do.

Can you smell what Larocque is cooking?

Sorry about the cheesy title but I’ve already used it twice today and I ain’t stopping now!

Panthers surprised everyone today by signing 6 foot 3 inch defenceman and former NHL 1st round draft pick Mario Larocque. There have been no rumours of a new signing, however Larocque’s arrival shakes up a latterly under-performing team, especially as there has been no announcement as to who will make way for the new blue liner. We look at the possibilities:

Corey Neilson – Will the Player/Coach become just the coach? This seems to be the popular choice amongst the fan-base, especially as many have been bemoaning his increasing habit of taking dumb penalties at the wrong time. Perhaps some time behind the bench would give Neilson a chance to evaluate his squad, but would his ego allow it?

Nick Toneys – Would be a baffling choice, especially as Toneys is our only stay at home import defenceman. I was talking to my mate Paul about Toneys today. We both agreed that we had hardly noticed him this season so far, which is exactly what you want from a stay at home blueliner.

Dominic D’Amour – If he goes I will openly weep! I really cannot see D’Amour, the heartbeat of our defence, being the one who will be cut, but comparing his stats with Larocque’s and it looks as they are the closest! My fears were eased somewhat earlier tonight when D’Amour was featured on BBC East Midlands Today, saying how much he’s looking forward to Saturday’s game against the Steelers.

Something that could also happen but is unlikely, is that a forward could be cut to accommodate Larocque’s arrival. If this does happen could it pave the way for Matt Myers return from Bakersfield? As they say, watch this space.

TCW Live – Sunday 1st November Results

TCW Live will aim to keep you up to date with all tonight’s scores as they happen.

Newcastle Vipers 2-1 Hull Stingrays

Edinburgh Capitals 5-4 Nottingham Panthers

Belfast Giants 5-4 Sheffield Steelers  (CC Group A)

Coventry Blaze 1-2 Cardiff Devils

 

TCW Live – Nottingham Panthers v Edinburgh Capitals

TCW Live will once again be providing live updates from the Elite League clash between Panthers and Capitals tonight from 7.00pm. Please click on the link below to follow the action.

EIHL – Nottingham Panthers v Edinburgh Capitals

Tunster Watch

It’s amazing what you can find on TV these days…….

Now on TCW1, Bill Oddie and Kate Humble present a live edition of Tunster Watch.

“Good evening and welcome to a special edition of Tunster Watch with me Bill Oddie and Kate Humble. Concerns have been growing about the welfare of the Tunster, or winderupus premiaris to give him his Latin name, throughout the autumn as sightings have dwindled to almost none in its preferred habitat of the East Midlands. Kate and I will look at the reasons for the decline of the Tunster in this area and also the rise of the native Pidge (torkus bollokus), Kate.
Thanks Bill. Two weather systems that have been almost constantly over Britain since late summer are blamed for the Tunster’s decline. The first and most damaging to Tunster’s habitat is the Los Stelars system, the effects of which render the Tunster mute for long periods of time and it is too afraid to come out of its burrow. The second system is the Panfa Victorium, which is at its strongest between September and early October and its effects mean the Tunster is unable to use a keyboard. These systems have the opposite effect on the native Pidge, which is at its strongest during these times and its numbers can only be kept in check by its natural predator, forum moderatis, which attacks the Pidge’s posting numbers and also renders it mute for periods of time. However, forum moderatis has so far proved ineffective on the Tunster. Bill.
Thanks Kate. We’re drawing to the end of the show and we’re hoping to be back later this year with more Tunster Watch. Next time we’ll be looking at what happens on the 7th November when the weather systems of Los Stelars and Panfa Victorium are predicted to collide. The consequences of which don’t look good for the Tunster currently, but the possible removal of previously successful Matsos Puppetium or the annual Nottum Crashundburn could tempt the Tunster out of hiding. Either way, there’s plenty of scope for Tunster’s return. Until next time, from Kate and me it’s goodnight.”

TCW Live – Nottingham Panthers v Newcastle Vipers

TCW Live will once again be providing live updates from the Elite League clash between Panthers and Vipers tonight from 7.30pm. Please click on the link below to follow the action.

TCW Live – Nottingham Panthers v Newcastle Vipers

Nottingham Panthers 6 Cardiff Devils 5

Strange game, strange scoreline and a strange atmosphere at the NIC this evening. Although it finished a close scoreline I never really felt that the game would be anything other than a Panthers win while the game was in progress!

After a scrappy start  the Panthers took a two goal lead. Clever line changing left McAslan through one on one for the first, while Kevin Bergin grabbed the second on the powerplay with a blast from the right. Devils pulled one back late on in the period, Matt Miller scoring on the backhand.
The second saw the Devils equalise early on. Mark Smith pulled off a dive of Tessier-esque quality right in front of Hicks, who promptly called David Clarke for a hook when he had barely touched Smith! Of course the Devils equalised from the subsequent powerplay, Phil Hill’s deflected shot beating KSP. Panthers re-took the lead through David Clarke on the powerplay with a nice finish from an angle, then made it 4-2 with a trademark D’Amour point blast. Rather than extend the lead Panthers let the Devils right back into it almost straight away, as Jay Latulippe found the net. Panthers should have made it 5-3, but Stevie Lyle pulled of a quite astonishing point blank save from Steve Lee.
Panthers made the game safe early in the third, first David Clarke grabbed his second of the night, poking the loose puck through Lyle’s five-hole. less than two minutes later it was 6-3 as Panthers scored the goal of the game. Bruce drop passed to Galbraith who one timed the pass in front of the net where Cameron Mann made no mistake, an absolutely perfectly executed goal. Still the Devils came back, as Latulippe made it 6-4 with a blast into the top corner. A late powerplay gave Devils another sniff, but a Smith goal at 59.42 was too little, too late and the game finished with 6-5 scoreline.

The biggest surprise for me tonight was the lack of impact of Brad Voth on the game. He got a boat load of ice time, but never really made his presence felt, especially at 6-4 down when a hit or a fight could have given Devils the momentum to get something out of the game. I thought he was largely anonymous, which is unusual as he is normally immense against us.

So Panthers go back to the top, but wins against Newcastle and Edinburgh this week are essential to keep up the momentum. As for the Devils, they’ll be up there at season’s end, of that I have no doubt.