So, a 4 point weekend to kick the season off in style. To open the season a potential banana skin was avoided down at Telford (not always a happy hunting ground for the Phoenix), with a 5-1 victory racked up. The game was killed off halfway through the 1st period, when a minute of madness resulted in 3 quickfire Phoenix goals.
Fast forward to Sunday, and the resumption of the trans Pennine war between ourselves and the Steelpups. Expectations of a feisty clash were high after the previous weekends shenanigans, but missing 3 key players from the off, the Steelpups were always going to be up against it. Truthfully, they appeared to be weathering the storm pretty well, until import netminder Dalibor Sedlar appeared to suffer an injury in the groinal region (ouch), which removed him from the game, leaving the Steelpups reliant on their 16 year old back-up Tom Barkworth.
Sadly for him, the Phoenix showed a ruthless streak, and proceeded to put 11 goals past him. Even sadder, his own team mates did pretty much nothing to protect him, leaving the Phoenix with ample opportunity to rain shots down upon the poor lad. Now, to me, if you have to send an inexperienced netminder into the fray, you absolutely must protect him, no matter what. Last season the Phoenix did just this with Jorge El Hage, which helped him settle in. Payettes Steelpups appeared to open up defensively if anything. Yes, it was satisfying to beat our local rivals by an avalanche, but this was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that it was against a kid.
Of course, this result showed up 2 things which would worry me enormously if I were a Steelpups fan: Being reliant on an import netminder is far more risky than it seems unless you have a Guildford-esque budget and can afford a decent back-up/alternative, and when a game of hockey is played, the Steelpups just do not have the skills to mix it with the best teams in the league. Clearly Payettes tactics of ‘rough em up’ are the only thing that stops the Steelpups being humped week in, week out, and when the opposition refuses to play along, there is no plan B. Its going to be a long season over in Sheffield.
Other than that, there was a decent crowd in, and the atmosphere was great. Roll on Sunday….